Ambrose, Bishop, said; 'Do you confess that the Son of God is very God?'
Secundianus said; 'I say that He is the very Son of God, the very only begotten Son of God.'
66. AMBROSE, Bishop, said; 'Do you call Him very Lord?'
Secundianus said; 'I call Him the very only-begotten Son of God. Who denies that He is the very Son of God?
Eusebius, Bishop, said; 'It is not enough that you confess Him to be the only-begotten Son of God, for all confess this. But what influences us is that Arius said that the Father alone is Lord, alone is true, and denied that the Son of God is very Lord. Do you confess simply that the Son of God is very God?'
Secundianus said; 'Who Arius was, I know not; what he said, I know not. You speak with me, living man with living man. I say what Christ said: The only begotten Son Which is in the bosom of the Father. Therefore He asserts Himself to be the only-begotten Son of the Father: the only-begotten Son is then the very Son of God.'
67. AMBROSE, Bishop, said; 'Is the very Son of God also very God? It is written in the divine books: he that sweareth on the earth, shall swear by the true God, and that this applies to Christ there is no doubt. We |58 therefore profess the true God, and this is our faith and profession, that the only-begotten Son of the Father is very God. Do you then say 'of very God,' and then that the Son is very God.'
Secundianus said; 'Of very God.'
68. AMBROSE, Bishop, said; 'Is the Son of God very God?'
Secundianus said; 'Then would he be a liar.' Ambrose, Bishop, said; 'In this you practise an evasion to avoid saying very God, but instead thereof, God, very only-begotten, and therefore say simply, The only-begotten Son of God is very God.'
Secundianus said; 'I called Him the only-begotten Son of God.'
69. EUSEBIUS, Bishop, said; 'This Photinus does not deny, this Sabellus confesses.'
Ambrose, Bishop, said; 'And he who does not confess this is justly condemned, and on this point I appeal to you many times though by cavilling you have denied the truth. I do not ask you to call Him merely the very only-begotten Son of God, but to call Him also very God.'
Secundianus said; 'I profess myself the servant of truth. What I say is not taken down and what you say is taken down. I say that Christ is the true Son of God. Who denies that He is the true Son of God?'
70. AMBROSE, Bishop, said; 'He who denies that the only-begotten Son of God is very God, let him be anathema.'
Secundianus said; 'The only-begotten Son of God, very God! why do you state to me what is not written?'
Ambrose, Bishop, said: 'It is plain sacrilege, that Arius denied Christ the Son of God to be very God.'
Secundianus said; 'Forasmuch as Christ is called the Son of God, I call the Son of God very Son ; but that He is very God is not written.'
71. AMBROSE, Bishop, said; 'Have you not yet recovered your senses?' And he added; 'Lest it should appear that he has been unfairly treated, let him state his opinion. Let him then say that Christ the only-begotten Son of God is very God.' |59
Secundianus said; 'I have already said. What more would you wring from me?'
Ambrose, Bishop, said; 'What have you said? certainly if you had said so great truths, what is said gloriously, may well be often repeated.'
Secundianus said; 'It is written, Let your conversation be yea, yea, nay, nay. '
72. AMBROSE, Bishop, said; 'He who says that the Father Himself is the Son, is sacrilegious. This I ask of you that you would say that the Son of God is begotten very God of very God.'
Secundianus said; 'I say that the Son is begotten of God, as He says Himself I have begotten Thee, and that He confesses Himself to be begotten.'
73. AMBROSE, Bishop, said; 'Is He very God of very God?'