§5Quamobrem unigenitus filius dei neque factus est a patre, quia, sicut dicit euangelista, omnia per ipsum facta sunt, neque ex tempore genitus, quoniam sempiterne deus sapiens sempiternam secum habet sapientiam suam; neque inpar est patri, id est in aliquo minor, quia et apostolus dicit: qui cum in forma dei esset constitutus, non rapinam arbitratus est esse aequalis deo. hac igitur fide catholica et illi excluduntur, qui eundem dicunt filium esse, qui pater est, quia et hoc uerbum apud deum esse non posset nisi apud patrem deum et nulli est aequalis qui solus est; excluduntur etiam illi, qui creaturam dicunt esse filium, quamuis non talem, quales sunt ceterae creaturae.
For which reason the only-begotten Son of God was neither made by the Father—because, as the Evangelist says, all things were made through Him—nor generated in time, since God, eternally wise, has His eternal wisdom with Himself; nor is He unequal to the Father, that is, in any respect less, because the Apostle also says: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." By this catholic faith, therefore, those also are excluded who say that the Son is the same as the Father, because this Word could not be "with God" except with God the Father, and he who is alone is equal to no one; those are also excluded who say that the Son is a creature, although not such as are the rest of the creatures.
quantamcumque enim creaturam dicant, si creatura est, condita et facta est; nam idem est condere, quod creare.
For however great a creature they may say He is, if He is a creature, He was established and made; for to establish is the same as to create.
quamquam in latinae linguae consuetudine dicatur aliquando creare pro eo, quod est gignere; sed graeca discernit.
Although in the custom of the Latin tongue it is sometimes said "to create" for that which is "to generate"; but Greek distinguishes.
hoc enim dicimus creaturam, quod illi xtfofwi uel xtlatv uocant; et cum sine ambiguitate loqui uolumus, non dicimus creare, sed condere. ergo si creatura est filius, quamlibet magna sit, facta est.
For we call "creature" that which they call xtfofwi or xtlatv; and when we wish to speak without ambiguity, we do not say "to create," but "to establish." Therefore, if the Son is a creature, however great He may be, He was made.
nos autem in eum credimus, per quem facta sunt omnia, non in eum, per quem facta sunt cetera; neque enim aliter hic possumus accipere omnia, nisi quaecumque sunt facta.
But we believe in Him through whom all things were made, not in Him through whom the rest of things were made; nor indeed can we here receive "all things" otherwise than as whatever things have been made.
§6Sed quoniam uerbum caro factum est et habitauit in nobis, eadem sapientia, quae de deo genita est, dignata est etiam in hominibus creari.
But since the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, the same wisdom which was generated from God, deigned also to be created among men.
quo pertinet illud: dominus creauit me in principio uiarum suarum; uiarum enim eius principium caput est ecclesiae, quod est Christus hominem indutus, per quem uiuendi exemplum nobis daretur, hoc est uia certa, qua perueniremus ad deum.
To which pertains that saying: "The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways"; for the beginning of His ways is the head of the Church, which is Christ clothed in humanity, through whom a pattern of living might be given to us, that is, a certain way by which we might reach God.
non enim redire potuimus nisi humilitate, qui superbia lapsi sumus, sicut dictum est primae nostrae creaturae: gustate, et eritis tamquam dii. huius igitur humilitatis exemplum, id est uiae, qua redeundum fuit, ipse reparator noster in se ipso demonstrare dignatus est, qui non rapinam arbitratus est esse aequalis deo, sed semet ipsum euacuauit, formam serui accipiens, ut crearetur homo principio uiarum eius, uerbum, per quod facta sunt omnia.
For we, who fell by pride, could not return except by humility, as it was said to our first creature: "Taste, and you shall be as gods." Of this humility, therefore—that is, of the way by which we had to return—our Restorer Himself deigned to demonstrate an example in Himself, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, so that He might be created a man in the beginning of His ways, He being the Word through whom all things were made.
quapropter secundum id, quod unigenitus est, non habet fratres, secundum id autem, quod primogenitus est, fratres uocare dignatus est omnes, qui post eius et per eius primatum in dei gratiam renascuntur per adoptionem filiorum, sicut apostolica disciplina commendat.
Wherefore, according to that which He is the only-begotten, He has no brothers; but according to that which He is the first-born, He deigned to call "brothers" all those who, after His and through His primacy, are reborn into the grace of God through the adoption of sons, as apostolic discipline commends.
naturalis ergo filius de ipsa patris substantia unicus natus est, id existens, quod pater est, deus de deo, lumen de lumine; nos autem non lumen naturaliter sumus, sed ab illo lumine inluminamur, ut sapientia lucere possimus; erat enim, inquit, lumen uerum, quod inluminat omnem hominem uenientem in hunc mundum. addimus itaque fidei rerum aeternarum etiam temporalem dispensationem domini nostri, quam gerere et ministrare nobis pro nostra salute dignatus est.
The natural Son, therefore, was born unique of the very substance of the Father, existing as that which the Father is, God of God, Light of Light; but we are not light by nature, but are illuminated by that Light, so that we may be able to shine with wisdom; for "He was," it says, "the true Light, which illuminates every man coming into this world." We add, therefore, to our faith in eternal things also the temporal dispensation of our Lord, which He deigned to bear and administer for our salvation.
nam secundum id, quod unigenitus est dei filius, non potest dici: fuit et erit, sed tantum: est, quia et quod fuit, iam non est, et quod erit, nondum est.
For according to that which He is the only-begotten Son of God, it cannot be said: "He was and He will be," but only: "He is," because both what was is no longer, and what will be is not yet.
ille ergo est incommutabilis sine condicione temporum et uarietate.
He, therefore, is immutable without condition of time and variety.
nec aliunde arbitror manare illud, quod famulo suo Moysi tale nomen suum insinuauit.
Nor do I think that it flows from elsewhere, that He insinuated such a name of His to His servant Moses.
nam cum ab eo quaereret, si se populus, ad quem mittebatur, contemneret, a quo se diceret esse missum, responsum dicentis accepit: ego sum, qui sum. deinde subiunxit: haec dices filiis Israhel: qui est, misit me ad uos.
For when Moses asked Him, if the people to whom he was sent should despise him, by whom he should say he was sent, he received the reply of Him saying: "I am who am." Then He added: "Thus shall you say to the children of Israel: He who is, has sent me to you."