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of the bodily sojourning; for I hesitate to speak of the things of the body, as long as no argument persuades me, that it is better to have been divested of the body. But the things of the Spirit begin. And what were the things of Christ? Virgin, birth, manger, swaddling clothes, angels glorifying, shepherds running to him, the course of a star, the Magi's worship and offering of gifts, Herod's slaughter of the infants, Jesus fleeing into Egypt, returning from Egypt, being circumcised, being baptized, being testified to from above, being tempted, being stoned for our sake, for whom a type of suffering for the word had to be given, being betrayed, being crucified, being buried, rising again, ascending, many of which things he even now suffers; on the one hand from the haters of Christ, he bears the things of dishonor (for he is long-suffering); on the other hand from the lovers of Christ, the things of honor. And he defers, just as for them his wrath, so for us his goodness; to them, perhaps, giving a time for repentance, but for us, testing our longing, if we do not grow weary in tribulations and in the struggles for piety; just as the principle of the divine economy from above, and of his unattainable judgments, by which he wisely directs our affairs. Such, then, are the things of Christ; and the things to come we shall see to be more glorious, and may we be seen. But as for the things of the Spirit, may the Spirit be with me, and give me speech, as much as I also desire; but if not so much, at least as much as is suitable for the time. In any case 36.437 he will be present as a master, but not as a slave, nor awaiting a command, as some suppose. For he breathes where he wills, and upon whom he wishes, and when, and how much. Thus are we inspired both to think and to speak concerning the Spirit.

6. Those who reduce the Holy Spirit to a creature are insolent, and evil slaves, and the worst of the evil. For it is the part of evil slaves to set aside mastership, and to rise up against lordship, and to make that which is free a fellow slave to themselves. But those who consider him God are divinely inspired and brilliant in their mind. And those who also name him so, if they are of a good mind, are lofty; but if to the lowly, they are not economical; entrusting a pearl to clay, and the sound of thunder to a weak ear, and the sun to weaker eyes, and solid food to those still being fed with milk; when they should be leading them forward little by little, and advancing them to higher things, bestowing light upon light, and introducing truth to truth; wherefore we too for the time being, leaving aside the more perfect discourse (for it is not yet time), will reason with them thus.

7. If you, sirs, do not confess the Holy Spirit to be uncreated, nor timeless, it is clearly the work of the contrary spirit; for allow zeal to be a little bold. But if you are at least so sound as to flee from manifest impiety, and to place outside of servitude that which makes us also free, consider for yourselves what follows, with the Holy Spirit, and with us. For I am persuaded that you partake of this to some extent, and I will now discuss it with you as with friends. Either give me a middle state between servitude and mastership, that I may place the dignity of the Spirit there; or, fleeing servitude, it is not unclear where you will rank that which is sought. But you are vexed by the syllables, and you stumble at the word, and this becomes for you a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, as Christ also was for some. The suffering is human. Let us agree with one another spiritually. Let us become lovers of our brothers rather than lovers of ourselves. Grant the power of divinity, and we will grant you the concession of the word; confess 36.440 the nature in other words, which you respect more; and we will heal you as being weak; having even purloined some things for pleasure. For it is shameful, shameful, and quite unreasonable, when you are strong in soul, to quibble about the sound, and to hide the treasure, as if envying others, or fearing lest you not also sanctify your tongue; but it is more shameful for us to suffer what we reproach, and while condemning pedantry, to be pedantic ourselves about the letters.

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σωματικῆς ἐνδημίας· ὀκνῶ γὰρ εἰπεῖν τὰ τοῦ σώματος, ἕως ἂν μηδεὶς πείθῃ με λόγος, ὅτι κάλλιον ἀπεσκευά σθαι τοῦ σώματος. Τὰ δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἄρχε ται. Τίνα δὲ ἦν τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Παρθένος, γέννησις, φάτνη, σπαργάνωσις, ἄγγελοι δοξάζοντες, ποιμένες προστρέχοντες, ἀστέρος δρόμος, μάγων προσ κύνησις καὶ δωροφορία, Ἡρώδου παιδοφονία, φεύγων Ἰησοῦς εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἐπανιὼν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, περι τεμνόμενος, βαπτιζόμενος, μαρτυρούμενος ἄνωθεν, πειραζόμενος, λιθαζόμενος δι' ἡμᾶς, οἷς τύπον ἔδει δοθῆναι τῆς ὑπὲρ τοῦ λόγου κακοπαθείας, προ διδόμενος, προσηλούμενος, θαπτόμενος, ἀνιστάμενος, ἀνερχόμενος, ὧν καὶ νῦν πάσχει πολλά· παρὰ μὲν τῶν μισοχρίστων, τὰ τῆς ἀτιμίας καὶ φέρει (μακρό θυμος γάρ)· παρὰ δὲ τῶν φιλοχρίστων, τὰ τῆς ἐπι τιμίας. Καὶ ἀναβάλλεται, ὥσπερ ἐκείνοις τὴν ὀργὴν, οὕτως ἡμῖν τὴν χρηστότητα· τοῖς μὲν ἴσως μετανοίας διδοὺς καιρὸν, ἡμῶν δὲ δοκιμάζων τὸν πόθον, εἰ μὴ ἐκκακοῦμεν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι καὶ τοῖς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀγῶσιν· ὥσπερ ἄνωθεν θείας οἰκονομίας λόγος, καὶ τῶν ἀνεφίκτων αὐτοῦ κριμάτων, οἷς εὐθύ νει σοφῶς τὰ ἡμέτερα. Τὰ μὲν δὴ Χριστοῦ τοιαῦτα· καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ὀψόμεθα ἐνδοξότερα, καὶ ὀφθείημεν. Τὰ δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος, παρέστω μοι τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ δι δότω λόγον, ὅσον καὶ βούλομαι· εἰ δὲ μὴ τοσοῦτον, ἀλλ' ὅσος γε τῷ καιρῷ σύμμετρος. Πάντως δὲ 36.437 παρέσται δεσποτικῶς, ἀλλ' οὐ δουλικῶς, οὐδὲ ἀναμέ νον ἐπίταγμα, ὥς τινες οἴονται. Πνεῖ γὰρ ὅπου θέλει, καὶ ἐφ' οὓς βούλεται, καὶ ἡνίκα, καὶ ὅσον. Οὕ τως ἡμεῖς καὶ νοεῖν καὶ λέγειν ἐμπνεόμεθα περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος.

ςʹ. Τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οἱ μὲν εἰς κτίσμα κατ άγοντες, ὑβρισταὶ, καὶ δοῦλοι κακοὶ, καὶ κακῶν κάκιστοι. ∆ούλων γὰρ κακῶν, ἀθετεῖν δεσποτείαν, καὶ ἐπανίστασθαι κυριότητι, καὶ ὁμόδουλον ποιεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἐλεύθερον. Οἱ δὲ Θεὸν νομίζοντες, ἔνθεοι καὶ λαμπροὶ τὴν διάνοιαν. Οἱ δὲ καὶ ὀνομάζοντες, εἰ μὲν εὐγνώμοσιν, ὑψηλοί· εἰ δὲ ταπεινοῖς, οὐκ οἰκονο μικοί· πηλῷ μαργαρίτην πιστεύοντες, καὶ ἀκοῇ σα θρᾷ βροντῆς ἦχον, καὶ ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀσθενεστέροις ἥλιον, καὶ τροφὴν στερεὰν τοῖς ἔτι γάλα ποτιζομένοις· δέον κατὰ μικρὸν προάγειν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ἔμπρο σθεν, καὶ προβιβάζειν τοῖς ὑψηλοτέροις, φωτὶ φῶς χαριζομένους, καὶ ἀληθείᾳ προξενοῦντας ἀλήθειαν· διὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸν τελεώτερον τέως ἀφέντες λόγον (οὔπω γὰρ καιρὸς), οὕτως αὐτοῖς διαλεξόμεθα.

Ζʹ. Εἰ μὲν οὐδὲ ἄκτιστον, ὦ οὗτοι, ὁμολογεῖτε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐδὲ ἄχρονον, τοῦ ἐναντίου πνεύ ματος σαφῶς ἡ ἐνέργεια· δότε γὰρ τῷ ζήλῳ τι καὶ παρατολμῆσαι μικρόν. Εἰ δὲ τοσοῦτον γοῦν ὑγιαίνετε, ὥστε τὴν πρόδηλον φεύγειν ἀσέβειαν, καὶ τῆς δου λείας ἔξω τιθέναι τὸ καὶ ἡμᾶς ποιοῦν ἐλευθέ ρους, τὸ ἑξῆς αὐτοὶ σκέψασθε, μετὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύ ματος, καὶ ἡμῶν. Πείθομαι γὰρ ποσῶς τούτου μετ έχειν ὑμᾶς, καὶ ὡς οἰκείοις ἤδη συνδιασκέψομαι. Ἢ δότε μοι τὸ μέσον τῆς δουλείας, καὶ τῆς δε σποτείας, ἵν' ἐκεῖ θῶ τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος· ἢ τὴν δουλείαν φεύγοντες, οὐκ ἄδηλον, ὅποι τάξετε τὸ ζητούμενον. Ἀλλὰ ταῖς συλλαβαῖς δυσχεραίνετε, καὶ προσπταίετε τῇ φωνῇ, καὶ λίθος προσκόμματος ὑμῖν τοῦτο γίνεται, καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου, ἐπεὶ καὶ Χριστὸς τισίν. Ἀνθρώπινον τὸ πάθος. Συμβῶμεν ἀλλήλοις πνευματικῶς. Γενώμεθα φιλάδελφοι μᾶλ λον, ἢ φίλαυτοι. ∆ότε τὴν δύναμιν τῆς θεότητος, καὶ δώσομεν ὑμῖν τῆς φωνῆς τὴν συγχώρησιν· ὁμο 36.440 λογήσατε τὴν φύσιν ἐν ἄλλαις φωναῖς, αἷς αἰδεῖσθε μᾶλλον· καὶ ὡς ἀσθενεῖς ὑμᾶς ἰατρεύσομεν· ἔστιν ἃ καὶ τῶν πρὸς ἡδονὴν παρακλέψαντες. Αἰσχρὸν μὲν γὰρ, αἰσχρὸν, καὶ ἱκανῶς ἄλογον, κατὰ ψυχὴν ἐῤῥωμένους, μικρολογεῖσθαι περὶ τὸν ἦχον, καὶ κρύπτειν τὸν θησαυρὸν, ὥσπερ ἄλλοις βασκαίνοντας, ἢ μὴ καὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν ἁγιάσητε δεδοικότας· αἴσχιον δὲ ἡμῖν ὃ ἐγκαλοῦμεν παθεῖν, καὶ μικρολο γίαν καταγινώσκοντας, αὐτοὺς μικρολογεῖσθαι περὶ τὰ γράμματα.