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For the time is right for a more perfect word for beginners. Who ever showed the full beams of fire to eyes still dim, or sated them with a more insatiable light? It is better, if you bring on the fire-warming beams little by little, 410 lest you somehow injure the springs of sweet light. For as before the Word, revealing the whole Godhead of the Father king, used to illumine the great glory of Christ, appearing to a few wise mortals, so also then, revealing that of the Son more brightly, it flashed forth the Godhead of the radiant Spirit. A little shone for them, but the greater part was left for us, to whom it was later distributed in tongues of fire, bearing the sign of Godhead, when the Savior rose up from the earth. For I know God as fire to the wicked, as light to the good. Thus I have brought together the Godhead for you. But if you are astounded hearing of a Son and not a Son of one Godhead, and you trust in contrary, well-spun tales, God Himself, approaching, will give a word to me here also. 411 From one first-born man came his wife and Seth, one half-cut, and the other the offspring of a pair by the laws of marriage; one not begotten, one begotten, yet they were mortals alike. Mindful of these, do not dishonor the Godhead at all, bringing this forward from below. One nature it is, immeasurable, Uncreated, timeless, good, free, and equally venerable, one God in three flashes turning the cosmos. By these I am raised up a new man, when in the bath of buried death I come back again to the light. For a threefold Godhead made me rise, a light-bearer. I will not deceive you, dear purification. If, having been washed 412 in the Godhead, I should cut the bright Godhead, it were better ... but I tremble at the end of the evil tale, in hope of the divine gift and of the washing. If it cleansed me whole, then whole and venerable to me is God. But any sinful mortal would do the same, who cuts his own godhead, God's prize, in two. And if we hear anything about the Son, or the good Spirit in divine words and God-bearing men, that they hold second place to God the Father, thus I command you to think, by the words of deep-bosomed Wisdom, that it returns to one beginningless root, it does not cut the Godhead, so that you may have a single dominion, not a much-venerated one. 413 From the monad is the Triad, and from the Triad again the monad, not a channel, a spring, a great river, and a single stream, driven in three forms across the earth; nor a torch of a fire going back again into one, nor a word both proceeding from the mind and remaining within, nor some reflection from waters by the sun's movements, quivering on walls, unstable, fleeing before it draws near, drawing near before it flees. For God's nature is not unstable, nor flowing, nor coming together again; but what is God's is steadfast. But thinking thus you might perform a pure sacrifice within. In three lights one nature is established. 414 Neither a Monad without number, since it consists of three excellent ones, nor a Triad much-venerated, since its nature is unsevered. The monad is in Godhead, and the Godhead is three in number. Each is one God, when you speak of it alone. Again, one God without beginning, from whom is the wealth of Godhead, when the word has made mention of one of the three, so that there may be for mortals a venerable proclamation of the three lights, and by it let us honor the glorious monarchy, and not delight in a polyarchic assembly of gods. For to me polyarchy is equal to warring anarchy. And strife is division; and this hastens to dissolution. Therefore for me polyarchy is far from the Godhead. But let them call three gods those whom time, or thought, 415 or power, or will has severed from one another. Each itself the same, never being in strife. For of my Triad there is one strength, one thought, one glory, and one power. Wherefore it is also an unflowing monad, having great renown in the harmony of one Godhead. So much brilliance has the Triad uncovered to my lights, from the wings of the divine veil within the temple, under which is hidden the queen, the nature of God. And if there is anything more for the angelic choirs, let the Triad know this more. IV. Concerning the cosmos. But come, let us also sing of the creation of the great God, contending against false opinions. 416 One God; but matter and forms are a myth

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γὰρ ἀρχομένοισι τελειοτέροιο λόγοιο Καιρός. Τίς δ' ἀμυδροῖσιν ἔτ' ὄμμασιν ἢ πυρὸς αὐγὰς ∆εῖξεν ὅλας, ἢ φωτὸς ἀπληστοτέροιο κόρεσσεν; Λώϊον, ἢν κατὰ μικρὸν ἄγῃς πυριθαλπέας αὐγὰς, 410 Μή πως καὶ γλυκεροῖο φάους πηγάς τι χαλέψῃς. Ὡς γὰρ Πατρὸς ἄνακτος ὅλην θεότητα προφαίνων Πρόσθε λόγος, Χριστοῖο μέγα κλέος αὐγάζεσκε Παύροισιν πινυτοῖσι φαεινόμενον μερόπεσσιν, Ὣς καὶ Παιδὸς ἔπειτα φαεινοτέρην ἀναφαίνων, Πνεύματος αἰγλήεντος ὑπήστραψεν θεότητα. Βαιὸν τοῖσδ' ὑπέλαμψε, τὸ δὲ πλέον ἡμῖν ἔλειπεν, Οἷς ῥα καὶ ἐν γλώσσῃσι πυρὸς μετέπειτ' ἐμερίσθη, Σῆμα φέρον θεότητος, ὅτ' ἐκ χθονὸς ἆλτο Σαωτήρ. Καὶ γὰρ πῦρ Θεὸν οἶδα κακοῖς, ὡς φῶς ἀγαθοῖσιν. Οὕτω σοι θεότητα συνήγαγον. Εἰ δὲ τέθηπας Υἱόν τ' οὐχ Υἱόν τε μιῆς θεότητος ἀκούων, Μύθοις τ' ἀντιθέτοισιν ἐϋστροφέεσσι πέποιθας ∆ώσει κἀνθάδ' ἔμοιγε Θεὸς λόγον αὐτὸς ἐπελθών. 411 Ἐξ ἑνὸς ἀρχεγόνοιο δάμαρ καὶ Σὴθ ἐγένοντο, Ἡμίτομος, δυάδος τε γόνος θεσμοῖσι γάμοιο· Οὐ τεκτὴ, τεκτός τε, βροτοί γε μὲν ἔσκον ὁμοίως. Τῶν σὺ μνωόμενος μηδὲν Θεότητος ἀτίζειν, Πρόσθε φέρων τόδ' ἔνερθεν. Ἴη φύσις ἐστὶν, ἄμετρον, Ἄκτιστον, ἄχρονον, ἐσθλὸν, ἐλεύθερον, ἠδ' ὁμόσεπτον, Εἷς Θεὸς ἐν τρισσοῖς ἀμαρύγμασι κόσμον ἑλίσσων. Τοῖσιν ἐγὼ νέος ἄλλος ἐγείρομαι, εὖτε λοετρῷ Θαπτομένου θανάτοιο παλίσσυτος ἐς φάος ἔλθω. Τρισσὴ γὰρ θεότης με φαεσφόρον ἐξανέτειλεν. Οὔ σε, κάθαρσι φίλη, οὐ ψεύσομαι. Εἰ θεότητι 412 Λουσάμενος θεότητα διατμήξαιμι φαεινὴν, Λώϊον ἦν ... τρομέω δὲ κακοῦ μύθοιο τελευτὴν, Ἐλπωρῇ θείοιο χαρίσματος ἠδὲ λοετρῶν. Εἴ μ' ὅλον ἐξεκάθηρεν, ὅλος καὶ σεπτὸς ἔμοιγε Ἔστι Θεός. Τὸ δ' ἂν ἴσον ἔχοι βροτὸς ὅστις ἀλιτρὸς, Αὐτὸς ἑὴν θεότητα, Θεοῦ γέρας, ἄνδιχα τέμνων. Εἴ τινα δ' ἢ περὶ Παιδὸς ἀκούομεν, ἢ ἀγαθοῖο Πνεύματος ἐν θείοισι λόγοις καὶ θειοφόροισιν Ἀνδράσιν, ὥς ῥα Θεοῖο τὰ δεύτερα Πατρὸς ἔχουσιν, Ὧδε νοεῖν κέλομαί σε λόγοις Σοφίης βαθυκόλπου Ὡς εἰς ῥίζαν ἄναρχον ἀνέρχεται, οὐ θεότητα Τέμνει, ὄφρα κεν οἶον ἔχῃς κράτος, οὐ πολύσεπτον. 413 Ἐκ μονάδος Τριάς ἐστι, καὶ ἐκ Τριάδος μονὰς αὖθις, Οὔτε πόρος, πηγὴ, ποταμὸς μέγας, ἕν τε ῥέεθρον, Ἐν τρισσοῖσι τύποισιν ἐλαυνόμενον κατὰ γαίης· Οὔτε δὲ πυρκαϊῆς λαμπὰς πάλιν εἰς ἓν ἰοῦσα, Οὔτε λόγος προϊών τε νόου, καὶ ἔνδοθι μίμνων, Οὔτε τις ἐξ ὑδάτων κινήμασιν ἡλιακοῖσι, Μαρμαρυγὴ, τοίχοισι περίτρομος, ἀστατέουσα, Πρὶν πελάσαι φεύγουσα, πάρος φυγέειν πελάουσα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄστατός ἐστι Θεοῦ φύσις, ἠὲ ῥέουσα, Ἠὲ πάλιν συνιοῦσα· τὸ δ' ἔμπεδόν ἐστι Θεοῖο. Ἀλλ' ὧδ' ἂν φρονέων καθαρὸν θύος ἔνδοθι ῥέζοις. Ἐν τρισσοῖς φαέεσσιν ἴη φύσις ἐστήρικται. 414 Οὔτε μονὰς νήριθμος, ἐπεὶ τρισὶν ἵστατ' ἐν ἐσθλοῖς Οὔτε Τριὰς πολύσεπτος, ἐπεὶ φύσις ἔστ' ἀκέαστος. Ἡ μονὰς ἐν θεότητι, τὰ δ' ὧν θεότης τρισάριθμα. Εἷς Θεός ἐστιν ἕκαστον, ἐπὴν μόνον ἐξαγορεύῃς. Εἷς Θεὸς αὖθις ἄναρχος, ὅθεν πλοῦτος θεότητος, Εὖτε τριῶν τινα μνῆστιν ἔχῃ λόγος, ὡς τὸ μὲν εἴη Τῶν τρισσῶν φαέων σεπτὸν κήρυγμα βροτοῖσι, Τῷ δὲ μονοκρατίην ἐριλαμπέα κυδαίνωμεν, Μηδὲ θεῶν ἀγορῇ τερπώμεθα τῇ πολυάρχῳ. Ἴσον γὰρ πολύαρχον ἐμοὶ καὶ πάμπαν ἄναρχον Μαρνάμενον. ∆ῆρις δὲ διάστασις· ἡ δ' ἐπὶ λῦσιν Σπεύδει. Τῷ Θεότητος ἑκὰς πολύαρχον ἔμοιγε. Τρεῖς δὲ θεοὺς καλέοιεν, ὅσους χρόνος, ἠὲ νόημα, 415 Ἢ κράτος, ἠὲ θέλησις ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ἐκέαυσεν. Αὐτοῦ ταυτὸν ἕκαστον ἀδήριτον οὔ ποτ' ἐόντα. Τῆς δ' ἄρ' ἐμῆς Τριάδος ἓν μὲν σθένος, ἓν δὲ νόημα, Ἓν κλέος, ἓν δὲ κράτος. Τῷ καὶ μονάς ἐστιν ἄρευστος, Ἀρμονίῃ θεότητος ἰῇ μέγα κῦδος ἔχουσα. Τόσσον ἐμοῖς φαέεσσι Τριὰς σέλας ἐξεκάλυψεν, Ἐκ πτερύγων θείου τε πετάσματος ἔνδοθι νηοῦ, Τοῖς ὕπο κεύθετ' ἄνασσα Θεοῦ φύσις. Εἰ δὲ πλέον τι Ἀγγελικοῖσι χοροῖσι, τόδε πλέον ἡ Τριὰς ἴστω. ∆ʹ. Περὶ κόσμου. Εἰ δ' ἄγε καὶ μεγάλοιο Θεοῦ κτίσιν ὑμνείωμεν, ∆όξαις ψευδομένῃσιν ἐναντία δηριόωντες. 416 Εἷς Θεός· ὕλη δ' αὖτε καὶ εἴδεα μῦθος