Against Marcellus
Contra Marcellum · Κατὰ Μαρκέλλου
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Contents
Reading pages: 1.1.1–1.1.37 · 1.2.1–1.3.18 · 1.4.1–1.4.66 · 2.1.1–2.1.17 · 2.2.1–2.2.44 · 2.3.1–2.3.39 · 2.4.1–2.4.31
- 1.1.1Eusebius says Marcellus wrote his one book out of envy and attacked God's ministers instead of the heretics in Galatia.
- 1.1.2Marcellus attacked distinguished churchmen, living and dead, instead of the dangers in his own country.
- 1.1.3Marcellus's book is full of abuse and runs to nearly ten thousand lines.
- 1.1.4From slandering bishops Marcellus went on to blaspheme the Son of God himself.
- 1.1.5Eusebius will mainly quote Marcellus, since the men he attacked are well known.
- 1.1.6Marcellus's error is obvious once stated, so brief comments will suffice.
- 1.1.7Eusebius reminds the Galatians of Paul's warning against another gospel.
- 1.1.8Paul's anathema applies even to himself or an angel.
- 1.1.9The gospel that may not be changed is the baptismal faith in Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- 1.1.10Only the Son revealed the Trinity, through baptism; Moses gave the law.
- 1.1.11Moses taught one God; the gospel reveals that this God is Father of the only Son and gives the Spirit through him.
- 1.1.12The church guards the Trinitarian faith received at baptism, and Paul warned against any bishop who perverts it.
- 1.1.13Knowledge of Father, Son and Spirit marks off Christians from Judaism.
- 1.1.14The church knows the one God as Father of a truly living and subsisting Son.
- 1.1.15To make the Son a mere word, like a human word now silent and now active, is to deny the true Son.
- 1.1.16Any Jew grants that God has a word, but not that he has a Son.
- 1.1.17A bishop who makes Father and Son one in substance and hypostasis with different names is a Sabellian; the church confesses a begotten, subsisting Son.
- 1.1.18Scripture's human language about God must be understood in a way worthy of God, who is spirit.
- 1.1.19God as spirit has no spoken word, tongue, or face like a human.
- 1.1.20If God's gifts are beyond sight and hearing, God himself is even more so.
- 1.1.21The Son's generation is as unknowable as the Father; only the Father knows the Son.
- 1.1.22Eusebius sums up Marcellus: the Word only became Son at the incarnation and his kingdom will end.
- 1.1.23Marcellus makes Christ alone lose his kingdom and abandon his flesh at the end.
- 1.1.24Paul, as if foreseeing Marcellus, began Galatians by saying his apostleship was not from a man but from Jesus Christ.
- 1.1.25Paul's insistence that his gospel was not from a man shows Christ is not a mere man.
- 1.1.26Paul calls Christ the Son of God, and therefore God.
- 1.1.27Gal 4:4 shows the Son existed as Son before his birth from a woman.
- 1.1.28Paul calls Christ the mediator through whom the law was given, distinct from the one God.
- 1.1.29Paul calls Christ a man as mediator of God and men, but only mediator when the law was given through angels.
- 1.1.30A mediator is not of one, so the one God and the mediator are not the same.
- 1.1.31The Son was mediator between God and angels at Sinai before he became mediator between God and men.
- 1.1.32The Son was a real, subsisting mediator, not a mere word of God.
- 1.1.33As mediator the Son is neither the God over all nor an angel, nor merely a man like others.
- 1.1.34The Son, now mediator of God and men, was mediator of God and angels in Moses' time.
- 1.1.35Christ is the one mediator of God and all creatures, already before the incarnation.
- 1.1.36Having set out the faith from Galatians, baptism and tradition, Eusebius turns to Marcellus's own words.
- 1.1.37Eusebius will first show that Marcellus misread even plain words of Scripture.
- 1.2.1Marcellus confused Joshua the high priest in Zechariah with Joshua the successor of Moses.
- 1.2.2Marcellus misquoted Paul on the Jerusalem above.
- 1.2.3Marcellus took Christ's rebuke of Peter as spoken to the devil; Eusebius begins quoting him.
- 1.2.4Marcellus cites Luke and Zechariah 3 on the greatness of the name Jesus.
- 1.2.5Marcellus says the rebuke came when the Word united a man to himself.
- 1.2.6Marcellus identifies the rebuke of Peter as the rebuke of the devil foretold in Zechariah.
- 1.2.7Marcellus argues that the earlier Jesus could not be called great when Moses was not.
- 1.2.8Marcellus's quotation ends; Eusebius points out his confusion of the two Joshuas.
- 1.2.9The Jesus of Zechariah was the high priest, son of Jozadak.
- 1.2.10Joshua son of Nun was of Ephraim, not a priest; Marcellus ignores even plain history.
- 1.2.11Marcellus should have asked how Peter could be called blessed and Satan almost at once.
- 1.2.12“Behind me” means following Christ by bearing the cross, as Peter later did in martyrdom.
- 1.2.13Marcellus ignored the context and said the words were addressed to the devil.
- 1.2.14Marcellus wrongly says Elisha first raised the dead, forgetting Elijah.
- 1.2.15Marcellus argues that Christ is called firstborn from the dead though others rose before him.
- 1.2.16Matthew says the saints rose after Christ's resurrection, not before.
- 1.2.17Eusebius quotes Romans 1:1–4 as Paul wrote it.
- 1.2.18Marcellus changes “declared” to “predestined” in Rom 1:4.
- 1.2.19Marcellus says Christ's incarnation was predestined as the church was, citing his reading of Rom 1:4.
- 1.2.20Marcellus also adds to the wording of Ps 110:3 to attack his opponent.
- 1.2.21Eusebius begins quoting Marcellus on Ps 110:3.
- 1.2.22Marcellus accuses Asterius of dropping a syllable of Ps 110:3 to make it mean an eternal generation.
- 1.2.23Marcellus attributes to Christ the saying “I am the day” and explains the morning star by it.
- 1.2.24Marcellus again names Christ “day” and repeats his misquotation of Gal 4:26.
- 1.2.25Marcellus carelessly calls Solomon a prophet and Proverbs a prophecy.
- 1.2.26Eusebius quotes Marcellus calling Solomon a prophet.
- 1.2.27Spiritual gifts differ; Solomon received wisdom, not prophecy.
- 1.2.28Scripture gives Solomon wisdom but not the life or style of a prophet.
- 1.2.29Solomon himself named his books Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, not prophecy.
- 1.2.30Marcellus explains Proverbs from Greek literature, against Paul's warning about human wisdom.
- 1.3.1Marcellus explains the Greek proverb about those who teach letters from the Sicilian disaster.
- 1.3.2Marcellus explains the proverb of the goat and the knife from the story of Medea.
- 1.3.3Marcellus explains the proverb “Enough of the oak.”
- 1.3.4Marcellus turns to the proverb “the art of Glaucus” to refute Asterius.
- 1.3.5Marcellus gives two explanations of the art of Glaucus.
- 1.3.6Marcellus gives further explanations of the art of Glaucus.
- 1.3.7Marcellus notes how hard proverbs are, citing a six-book collection.
- 1.3.8Marcellus claims the Greeks named their proverbs after Solomon's.
- 1.3.9Eusebius says he quoted the passage to show Marcellus's vain display of Greek learning.
- 1.3.10Paul's command to speak in words taught by the Spirit should have restrained Marcellus.
- 1.3.11Marcellus wrongly supposed Greek sages knew and imitated Solomon's God-given wisdom.
- 1.3.12Natural men cannot grasp spiritual things, so the Greeks could not imitate Solomon's inspired wisdom.
- 1.3.13Eusebius repeats Marcellus's claim and prepares to refute it from his own examples.
- 1.3.14Solomon wrote riddles for the soul's salvation, as Proverbs 1 says.
- 1.3.15Solomon's proverbs, like the leech's daughters, can only be understood beyond their surface.
- 1.3.16Solomon's proverbs are understood by metaphor; Greek proverbs arose from stories.
- 1.3.17Greek proverbs depend on stories, inspired Proverbs do not; Marcellus is wrong to compare them.
- 1.3.18Eusebius turns from Marcellus's misreadings to his unsound faith.
- 1.4.1Marcellus attacks Asterius and Eusebius of Nicomedia.
- 1.4.2Marcellus also attacks Paulinus, bishop of Tyre and then of Antioch.
- 1.4.3Marcellus also attacks Origen, Narcissus, and the other Eusebius, and rejects all the fathers.
- 1.4.4Marcellus quotes Asterius's creed of Father, only-begotten God, and Holy Spirit.
- 1.4.5Marcellus accepts belief in Father, Son and Spirit but objects to Asterius's human theory of Father and Son.
- 1.4.6Marcellus blames Asterius's claim that Father, Son and Spirit are truly such for the new heresy.
- 1.4.7Marcellus rejects a truly existing Father, Son and Spirit, and makes Christ a mere word.
- 1.4.8Marcellus's own reference to Origen, and older church writings, show this teaching is not new.
- 1.4.9Eusebius quotes Marcellus attacking Asterius's defence of Eusebius of Nicomedia.
- 1.4.10Asterius defended Eusebius's letter as making the Son's generation an act of the Father's will, not a passion.
- 1.4.11Marcellus says Asterius exposed the craftiness of Eusebius's letter by defending it.
- 1.4.12Marcellus objects that Asterius calls the Word both only-begotten and firstborn.
- 1.4.13Scripture itself calls the Son both only-begotten and firstborn, so Marcellus blames Asterius in vain.
- 1.4.14Marcellus says Asterius appeals to the fathers because he cannot prove his view from Scripture.
- 1.4.15Marcellus argues that a “dogma” is a human opinion.
- 1.4.16Marcellus calls dogma human opinion and scorns following the fathers, against Scripture.
- 1.4.17Marcellus mocks Asterius for calling Paulinus blessed and promises to name their teacher.
- 1.4.18Marcellus accuses Paulinus of following Origen and other writers rather than the gospel.
- 1.4.19Marcellus says Paulinus appended Origen's words on the Father's indivisible begetting of the Son.
- 1.4.20Origen argues that a begetting by emanation would make Father and Son bodies.
- 1.4.21Marcellus blames Origen for giving the Word a second hypostasis.
- 1.4.22Origen argues that God, always perfect, was always Father of the Son.
- 1.4.23Eusebius says Origen's two passages agree: the Father is impassible and begot the Son before all ages.
- 1.4.24Marcellus says Origen began writing too soon and was misled by philosophy.
- 1.4.25Marcellus claims Origen took the title On First Principles from Plato.
- 1.4.26Eusebius replies that Origen's opening words, even if found in Plato, lead straight to Christ the truth.
- 1.4.27Origen, unlike Plato, knew one first principle, the Father of the only Son.
- 1.4.28Marcellus argues from Prov 8:23 that the Word was founded before the age, not begotten before the ages.
- 1.4.29Marcellus calls his opponents men who forsook God and dug broken cisterns.
- 1.4.30Marcellus says Asterius uses “image” to separate God from the Word.
- 1.4.31Marcellus argues the Word became the image of God only in the flesh, since an image must be visible.
- 1.4.32Marcellus says an invisible Word cannot be an image, and that the verse refers to the birth in the flesh.
- 1.4.33Marcellus quotes Asterius's credal phrases and calls them proof of his bad opinion.
- 1.4.34Marcellus argues that an image of God cannot itself be God.
- 1.4.35A son can be his father's living image, as Seth was Adam's.
- 1.4.36Scripture calls the Son the form, radiance and image of God.
- 1.4.37Col 3:10 shows that God's image is not the flesh.
- 1.4.38Marcellus laments that bishops have taught the same errors as Asterius.
- 1.4.39Marcellus reports that Narcissus spoke of three substances, then attacks Eusebius for calling the Word God.
- 1.4.40Marcellus accuses Eusebius of making the Word another God, separate in substance and power.
- 1.4.41Marcellus quotes Eusebius on image and original as two substances, and likens him to Valentinus and Hermes.
- 1.4.42Marcellus says Eusebius should rather repent with tears.
- 1.4.43Marcellus applies Psalm 55's lament over a betraying friend to Eusebius.
- 1.4.44Marcellus applies the curse of Psalm 55 to his opponents.
- 1.4.45Marcellus complains that Eusebius used Gal 4:19 at Ancyra against the Galatians' faith.
- 1.4.46Marcellus accuses Eusebius both of teaching two gods and, later, of making Christ a mere man.
- 1.4.47Marcellus adds long nonsense, like those who say their lips are their own.
- 1.4.48Marcellus narrates Asterius's travels and turns again to Paulinus.
- 1.4.49Marcellus says Paulinus called Christ a second God and a creature.
- 1.4.50Marcellus accuses Paulinus and Eusebius of Caesarea of believing in many gods.
- 1.4.51Marcellus attacks the phrase “the only true God,” not realizing it is Christ's.
- 1.4.52The phrase comes from John 17:3; Marcellus demands Scripture for “one unbegotten, one begotten.”
- 1.4.53Marcellus turns against Narcissus's talk of a first and second God.
- 1.4.54Marcellus argues from Gen 1:26–27 that God who speaks and God who makes are one.
- 1.4.55Marcellus says Asterius makes Father and Son one only by agreement, and Eusebius makes the Saviour a man.
- 1.4.56Marcellus says Eusebius brought out evil from his treasure.
- 1.4.57Marcellus quotes Eusebius citing 1 Tim 2:5.
- 1.4.58Marcellus argues that if Christ were only a man, hope in him would be cursed.
- 1.4.59Marcellus contradicts himself, first accusing Eusebius of two gods, then of a merely human Christ.
- 1.4.60Marcellus says Eusebius forgot Phil 2:6–7.
- 1.4.61Marcellus says Paul wrote “likeness of man” to stop such blasphemy, and accuses Eusebius again.
- 1.4.62Marcellus's charge contradicts his earlier charge that Eusebius made the Word another God.
- 1.4.63Marcellus quoted the bishops' letters out of context, seizing on phrases.
- 1.4.64Marcellus slanders Eusebius merely for quoting 1 Tim 2:5.
- 1.4.65Marcellus attacked Paul's words as Eusebius's and ignored Eusebius's other writings.
- 1.4.66Eusebius leaves the other letters aside to expose Marcellus's own teaching on the Son.
- 2.1.1Eusebius begins Book 2: Marcellus denied that the Son existed before his birth from the Virgin.
- 2.1.2Marcellus compares the Word to a human word, at rest or active, and says this non-subsisting Word took flesh.
- 2.1.3Marcellus's Christ begins at the incarnation and ceases after the judgment.
- 2.1.4Gabriel and Daniel both foretold that Christ's kingdom would have no end.
- 2.1.5Daniel and Isaiah foretell an eternal kingdom for the Son of Man.
- 2.1.6Isaiah names the child Mighty God and Prince of peace.
- 2.1.7Isaiah promises the endless reign of David's son.
- 2.1.8Marcellus contradicts Gabriel by denying both Christ's divinity and the permanence of his humanity.
- 2.1.9Unlike earlier heretics, Marcellus denies both Christ's pre-existence and his eternal kingdom.
- 2.1.10Marcellus deprives Christ, the high priest, of the kingdom the saints will share.
- 2.1.11Marcellus makes the author of life lose life itself, ignoring angel and prophets.
- 2.1.12Even the Jews expect an eternal Messiah; Paul promises that we shall reign with Christ.
- 2.1.13Paul says Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more.
- 2.1.14Our hope is to share Christ's glory and kingdom, which requires that he live and reign.
- 2.1.15Fellowship with Christ means being raised and seated with him in the ages to come.
- 2.1.16Christ remains a priest for ever and always lives to intercede.
- 2.1.17Eusebius turns to Marcellus's denial of the Son's existence before the incarnation.
- 2.2.1Marcellus says that before the incarnation the Son was only Word.
- 2.2.2Marcellus says the Spirit through many persons testifies to the Word's eternity.
- 2.2.3Marcellus reads John 1:1 as three testimonies to the Word's eternity.
- 2.2.4Marcellus says the Word was not the image before the incarnation, and that what came down was spirit, that is, God.
- 2.2.5Marcellus's argument implies that the Father himself became man.
- 2.2.6Marcellus says the Godhead, an indivisible monad, is expanded only by activity in the incarnation.
- 2.2.7Marcellus grants a sending forth before the ages but rejects Asterius's further claim.
- 2.2.8Marcellus rejects “Son” for an impression of human generation and makes the Word a mere commanding word.
- 2.2.9Marcellus cites psalms, Proverbs and Isaiah on the word of the Lord.
- 2.2.10Marcellus cites Jeremiah, Hosea and Micah on the word of the Lord.
- 2.2.11Marcellus treats the Word of John 1:1 as like the commanding word of the prophets.
- 2.2.12Marcellus reads “in the beginning” as the Word in God in power, and “with God” as the Word active in creation.
- 2.2.13Marcellus says “the Word was God” keeps the Godhead undivided.
- 2.2.14Marcellus says John mentions no generation of the Word; the flesh belongs to the man, the spirit is one with the Father.
- 2.2.15Marcellus argues from John that the Word is in God and is the Father's power.
- 2.2.16Marcellus argues that “I and the Father are one” means inseparability of God and his Word, not agreement.
- 2.2.17Marcellus points to Gethsemane as showing an apparent disagreement of wills.
- 2.2.18Marcellus says the Father willed the passion while the Son asked to be spared.
- 2.2.19Marcellus argues that “All that the Father has is mine” cannot express mere agreement.
- 2.2.20Marcellus argues that if Father and Son were two hypostases in agreement, they would share all things in common.
- 2.2.21Marcellus says that on Asterius's view the Father would be taking the Son's own word.
- 2.2.22Marcellus denies that John 10:30 refers to agreement in the flesh.
- 2.2.23Marcellus says “I and the Father are one” refers to the Word, not to the assumed man.
- 2.2.24Marcellus refers disagreement to the flesh and unity to the Word.
- 2.2.25Marcellus reads Christ's words to Philip as about spiritual sight of the Father in the Word.
- 2.2.26Marcellus says that before creation there was quiet, the Word being in God, and only God was eternal.
- 2.2.27Marcellus says the Word had his glory by being in the Father.
- 2.2.28Marcellus rejects Asterius's talk of the Son's glory before the world.
- 2.2.29Marcellus says the Word is called an angel at the bush because he announced the one God to Moses.
- 2.2.30Marcellus says “I am he who is” teaches that there is no other God.
- 2.2.31Marcellus says God's Word is no more separable from him than a man's word, and creation was prepared in God's mind.
- 2.2.32Marcellus reads Prov 8:27 and Exod 3:14 as God speaking through his inseparable Word.
- 2.2.33Marcellus compares God speaking through his Word to our speaking through our word.
- 2.2.34Marcellus cites Deuteronomy and the Gospel on the one God against Asterius.
- 2.2.35Marcellus says the mystery once hidden in God is the truth about the Word, now revealed.
- 2.2.36Marcellus asks who but the Word could undo the punishment set on man.
- 2.2.37Marcellus says the Word to whom God said “Let us make” was no second God.
- 2.2.38Marcellus likens God's “Let us make” to a sculptor speaking to his own reason.
- 2.2.39Marcellus says the Word came forth for creation and after the judgment will be in God as before.
- 2.2.40Marcellus says the Word, within the Father before the world, came forth to make it.
- 2.2.41Marcellus says Christ calls himself Son of Man so that humans may become sons by adoption, and the Word will return into God.
- 2.2.42If God and his Word are one and the same, there is neither Father nor Son.
- 2.2.43Marcellus's own words refute his Jewish-like dogma of a mere word in God.
- 2.2.44Eusebius turns to how Marcellus applies to the flesh what Scripture says of the Son.
- 2.3.1Marcellus says the names Jesus and Christ belong to the Word with flesh, used of the Word before only prophetically.
- 2.3.2Marcellus applies the titles of Christ to the flesh, which implies their loss when the flesh is laid aside.
- 2.3.3Marcellus says the Word made the man he assumed firstborn of creation and beginning of all things.
- 2.3.4Marcellus applies Col 1:15–17 to the flesh, yet says the flesh profits nothing and will not remain with the Word.
- 2.3.5Marcellus says the servant's form cannot remain with the Word, yet calls it the image and firstborn.
- 2.3.6Marcellus says Christ is firstborn of creation by his birth in the flesh.
- 2.3.7Marcellus applies “firstborn” to the new man in whom God sums up all things.
- 2.3.8Marcellus also applies Prov 8:22 to the flesh, ignoring that Wisdom speaks there.
- 2.3.9Eusebius continues quoting Wisdom's speech in Proverbs 8.
- 2.3.10Marcellus, intent on denying the Son, applies Prov 8:22–23 to the flesh.
- 2.3.11Marcellus says Prov 8:22 speaks of the creation of Christ's flesh, not his Godhead.
- 2.3.12Marcellus says “created me” means through the Virgin Mary.
- 2.3.13Marcellus says God truly created the previously non-existent flesh of the Word.
- 2.3.14Marcellus reads “founded me” as the predestined incarnation, citing 1 Cor 3:11.
- 2.3.15Marcellus interprets “the earth” of Prov 8:23 as human flesh, citing Gen 3:19.
- 2.3.16Marcellus contradicts himself, making the flesh created before the flesh.
- 2.3.17Marcellus reads the “depths” of Prov 8:24 as the hearts of the saints.
- 2.3.18The saints' hearts existed before Christ's flesh, so Marcellus's reading fails.
- 2.3.19Marcellus reads the springs of Prov 8:24 as the twelve apostles, typified by the springs of Elim.
- 2.3.20Marcellus applies Prov 8:24 to the birth in the flesh.
- 2.3.21Marcellus reads the mountains and hills of Prov 8:25 as the apostles and their successors.
- 2.3.22Marcellus applies Col 1:15–17 to the flesh, against the apostle's meaning.
- 2.3.23Marcellus says the Word became the image of God when he assumed the flesh.
- 2.3.24Marcellus repeats that an invisible Word cannot be an image.
- 2.3.25If the flesh were God's image, all human bodies would be, and Marcellus forgets his own words on the servant's form.
- 2.3.26Marcellus makes the flesh God's image now, though it will not remain with the Word.
- 2.3.27Marcellus says the flesh added to the Word is the image of the invisible God.
- 2.3.28Marcellus says the Word and Father are known only through the image of the flesh.
- 2.3.29Marcellus calls the servant's form the human flesh, made in God's image to become the Word's image.
- 2.3.30Marcellus identifies the morning star of Ps 110:3 with the star of the magi.
- 2.3.31Marcellus says Ps 110:3 refers to the virgin birth, which preceded the star.
- 2.3.32Marcellus says the man assumed by the Word received authority and glory for others' sake.
- 2.3.33Marcellus reads John 12:28 as the glorification of the assumed man at the resurrection.
- 2.3.34Marcellus says the assumed man conquers the devil and is the beloved Son of the baptism.
- 2.3.35Marcellus says the Word took flesh to make man immortal and enthroned with God.
- 2.3.36Eusebius notes Marcellus's exaltation of the flesh before showing the end he gives it.
- 2.3.37Marcellus says the Word with flesh was made king so that fallen man might regain the kingdom.
- 2.3.38Marcellus says Christ's kingdom had a beginning and is for abolishing the devil's power.
- 2.3.39Eusebius turns to the end Marcellus assigns to the flesh he has exalted.
- 2.4.1Marcellus says Paul teaches an end to Christ's kingdom when all are subjected to him.
- 2.4.2Marcellus repeats that Christ's kingdom had a beginning, citing Psalm 2.
- 2.4.3Marcellus says a kingdom begun four hundred years ago will be handed back to God.
- 2.4.4Marcellus says the Word is separated from the Father by activity only until the judgment.
- 2.4.5Marcellus asks whether the Word will keep the flesh after the judgment.
- 2.4.6Marcellus argues from John 6:63 that the flesh will not remain with the Word.
- 2.4.7Marcellus reads “until” in Ps 110:1 as fixing a limit to Christ's session at God's right hand.
- 2.4.8Marcellus says 1 Cor 15:25 shows a limit to Christ's human kingdom.
- 2.4.9Marcellus says Christ's partial kingdom ends when the Word reigns with the Father.
- 2.4.10Marcellus reads Acts 3:21 as a time limit for the union of the man with the Word.
- 2.4.11Marcellus says creation will pass from slavery to freedom at the restoration.
- 2.4.12Marcellus concludes that the incarnation has a beginning and an end.
- 2.4.13Marcellus says the partial kingdom ends, and that immortality does not make the flesh worthy of God.
- 2.4.14Marcellus notes that angels are immortal yet not united to God.
- 2.4.15Marcellus declines to say what becomes of the immortal flesh, since Scripture does not teach it.
- 2.4.16Marcellus asks how critics of others' dogmas could themselves dogmatize.
- 2.4.17Marcellus appeals to 1 Cor 13:12 to excuse his silence.
- 2.4.18Marcellus repeats his creed: the Word, having come forth, returns into God after the judgment.
- 2.4.19Eusebius notes the end Marcellus assigns to Christ's flesh.
- 2.4.20Marcellus feigns caution after clearly teaching the Word will leave the flesh.
- 2.4.21Eusebius rebukes Marcellus for innovating against the fathers and denying the Son.
- 2.4.22A non-subsisting word cannot be a son; Marcellus makes all Christ's titles begin and end in time.
- 2.4.23Eusebius asks where Marcellus learned this and what becomes of the immortal body.
- 2.4.24If the Word dwelt in the body like a soul, he had his own hypostasis apart from the Father.
- 2.4.25Marcellus would answer that the Word was in the body by activity only, united to God in substance.
- 2.4.26If the Word acted in Christ only by activity, he acts so in all creation too.
- 2.4.27On Marcellus's view Christ would be no more than a prophet moved by the Word.
- 2.4.28Marcellus leaves Christ worse off than the prophets, who will live and reign for ever.
- 2.4.29The emperor and the synod at Constantinople condemned Marcellus, and bishops asked Eusebius to write.
- 2.4.30Eusebius writes to show those who thought Marcellus wronged that his own book convicted him.
- 2.4.31The synod rejected Marcellus's book because it denied both the Son's beginning and his endless reign.