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Epistles on the Arian Heresy

Alexander of Alexandria

Section 12

About this work

Author: Alexander of Alexandria

12. Concerning whom we thus believe, even as

‹ Section 11 Section 13 ›

the

Apostolic

Church

believes

.

In

one

Father

unbegotten

,

who

has

from

no

one

the

cause

of

His

being

,

who

is

unchangeable

and

immutable

,

who

is

always

the

same

,

and

admits

of

no

increase

or

diminution

;

who

gave

to

us

the

Law

,

the

prophets

,

and

the

Gospels

;

who

is

Lord

of

the

patriarchs

and

apostles

,

and

all

the

saints

.

And

in

one

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

the

only

-

begotten

Son

of

God

;

not

begotten

of

things

which

are

not

,

but

of

Him

who

is

the

Father

;

not

in

a

corporeal

manner

,

by

excision

or

division

as

Sabellius

and

Valentinus

thought

,

but

in

a

certain

inexplicable

and

unspeakable

manner

,

according

to

the

words

of

the

prophet

cited

above

:

“

Who

shall

declare

His

generation

?

”

Since

that

His

subsistence

no

nature

which

is

begotten

can

investigate

,

even

as

the

Father

can

be

investigated

by

none

;

because

that

the

nature

of

rational

beings

cannot

receive

the

knowledge

of

His

divine

generation

by

the

Father

.

But

men

who

are

moved

by

the

Spirit

of

truth

,

have

no

need

to

learn

these

things

from

me

,

for

in

our

ears

are

sounding

the

words

before

uttered

by

Christ

on

this

very

thing

,

“

No

man

knoweth

the

Father

,

save

the

Son

;

and

no

man

knoweth

who

the

Son

is

,

save

the

Father

.

”

That

He

is

equally

with

the

Father

unchangeable

and

immutable

,

wanting

in

nothing

,

and

the

perfect

Son

,

and

like

to

the

Father

,

we

have

learnt

;

in

this

alone

is

He

inferior

to

the

Father

,

that

He

is

not

unbegotten

.

For

He

is

the

very

exact

image

of

the

Father

,

and

in

nothing

differing

from

Him

.

For

it

is

clear

that

He

is

the

image

fully

containing

all

things

by

which

the

greatest

similitude

is

declared

,

as

the

Lord

Himself

hath

taught

us

,

when

He

says

,

“

My

Father

is

greater

than

I

.

”

And

according

to

this

we

believe

that

the

Son

is

of

the

Father

,

always

existing

.

“

For

He

is

the

brightness

of

His

glory

,

the

express

image

of

His

Father’s

person

.

”

But

let

no

one

take

that

word

always

so

as

to

raise

suspicion

that

He

is

unbegotten

,

as

they

imagine

who

have

their

senses

blinded

.

For

neither

are

the

words

,

“

He

was

,

”

or

“

always

,

”

or

“

before

all

worlds

,

”

equivalent

to

unbegotten

.

But

neither

can

the

human

mind

employ

any

other

word

to

signify

unbegotten

.

And

thus

I

think

that

you

understand

it

,

and

I

trust

to

your

right

purpose

in

all

things

,

since

these

words

do

not

at

all

signify

unbegotten

.

For

these

words

seem

to

denote

simply

a

lengthening

out

of

time

,

but

the

Godhead

,

and

as

it

were

the

antiquity

of

the

only

-

begotten

,

they

cannot

worthily

signify

;

but

they

have

been

employed

by

holy

men

,

whilst

each

,

according

to

his

capacity

,

seeks

to

express

this

mystery

,

asking

indulgence

from

the

hearers

,

and

pleading

a

reasonable

excuse

,

in

saying

,

Thus

far

have

we

attained

.

But

if

there

be

any

who

are

expecting

from

mortal

lips

some

word

which

exceeds

human

capacity

,

saying

that

those

things

have

been

done

away

which

are

known

in

part

,

it

is

manifest

that

the

words

,

“

He

was

,

”

and

“

always

,

”

and

“

before

all

ages

,

”

come

far

short

of

what

they

hoped

.

And

whatever

word

shall

be

employed

is

not

equivalent

to

unbegotten

.

Therefore

to

the

unbegotten

Father

,

indeed

,

we

ought

to

preserve

His

proper

dignity

,

in

confessing

that

no

one

is

the

cause

of

His

being

;

but

to

the

Son

must

be

allotted

His

fitting

honour

,

in

assigning

to

Him

,

as

we

have

said

,

a

generation

from

the

Father

without

beginning

,

and

allotting

adoration

to

Him

,

so

as

only

piously

and

properly

to

use

the

words

,

“

He

was

,

”

and

“

always

,

”

and

“

before

all

worlds

,

”

with

respect

to

Him

;

by

no

means

rejecting

His

Godhead

,

but

ascribing

to

Him

a

similitude

which

exactly

answers

in

every

respect

to

the

Image

and

Exemplar

of

the

Father

.

But

we

must

say

that

to

the

Father

alone

belongs

the

property

of

being

unbegotten

,

for

the

Saviour

Himself

said

,

“

My

Father

is

greater

than

I

.

”

And

besides

the

pious

opinion

concerning

the

Father

and

the

Son

,

we

confess

to

one

Holy

Spirit

,

as

the

divine

Scriptures

teach

us

;

who

hath

inaugurated

both

the

holy

men

of

the

Old

Testament

,

and

the

divine

teachers

of

that

which

is

called

the

New

.

And

besides

,

also

,

one

only

Catholic

and

Apostolic

Church

,

which

can

never

be

destroyed

,

though

all

the

world

should

seek

to

make

war

with

it

;

but

it

is

victorious

over

every

most

impious

revolt

of

the

heretics

who

rise

up

against

it

.

For

her

Goodman

hath

confirmed

our

minds

by

saying

,

“

Be

of

good

cheer

,

I

have

overcome

the

world

.

”

After

this

we

know

of

the

resurrection

of

the

dead

,

the

first

-

fruits

of

which

was

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

who

in

very

deed

,

and

not

in

appearance

merely

,

carried

a

body

,

of

Mary

Mother

of

God

,

who

in

the

end

of

the

world

came

to

the

human

race

to

put

away

sin

,

was

crucified

and

died

,

and

yet

did

He

not

thus

perceive

any

detriment

to

His

divinity

,

being

raised

from

the

dead

,

taken

up

into

heaven

,

seated

at

the

right

hand

of

majesty

.

Notes

33
Isa. liii. 8.
34
Matt. xi. 27.
35
John xiv. 28.
36
Heb. i. 3.
37
John xiv. 28.
38
John xvi. 33.