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your wife? And he answered and said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will surely return to you, and so forth. Behold, it is written, that God appeared to Abraham, but that there were three who appeared, and though there were three, the conversation was with one, surely as an indication of the three hypostases of the one Godhead. But if you say that one was God, and the others angels, how did they bear to sit together with the Lord? {1From the same.}1 The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. This is indicative of two persons, and declarative of their self-will and equality of power, and with the two the third is also introduced, because of what is inseparable and parallel.

{1Of Exodus.}1 Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one. For "Lord,"

and "God," and "Lord" indicate the three hypostases, while "is one" indicates the one Godhead and nature in three.

{1Of David.}1 In God I will praise his word, in the Lord I will praise his saying. In God I have hoped, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me? And again: Offer to God the sacrifice of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of your affliction. And again, The Lord lives, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted. And furthermore, In your light we shall see light, that is, in your Son we shall know the Holy Spirit. For through him, just as we were initiated more clearly into the things concerning the Father, so also into the things concerning the Holy Spirit. And we find many such proclamations of the Holy Trinity. And the angelic hymn, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, through the thrice-holy declared the three hypostases, and through "Lord" the unity of the Godhead. But more clearly concerning the Father and the Son, David says from the person of the Father to the Son, From the womb before the morning star I have begotten you, the womb being understood in a manner befitting God as the paternal substance and nature. For who else can you say was begotten without time? and from the person of the Son: The Lord said to me, You are my Son, today I have begotten you, which declares his temporal birth, the one from the Virgin. For "I have begotten" is instead of "I was pleased that he be born," or "I created." And Solomon spoke in agreement with this in the person of the son, The Lord created me, and so forth. Then he added: But before all the hills he begets me. For "created" refers to his lower and temporal birth, but "before all the hills he begets me" refers to the one from above, and timeless, and pre-eternal. And again David, By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made firm, and all the host of them by the Spirit of his mouth; calling the Father "Lord," and his Son "Word," because just as a word is to the mind, so is he to the Father, not only because of the impassibility of the begetting, but also its connection, and its declarative quality; and "Spirit," the Holy Spirit. And again concerning the Word and Son, He sent his Word, and healed them, that is, the Father sent the Son, to those who were sick in error. But concerning the Holy Spirit, You will send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, that is, those of the new creation, and you will renew the face of the earth, which had grown old in sins. Nor is a prophetic word sent forth through vocal organs, poured into the air, and dissolved. For he says in other places: For ever, O Lord, your Word abides in heaven. Nor is a spirit likewise pushed out through respiratory organs, and dissolved, and poured out. For these are things of bodies. It is clear, therefore, that the Word and the Spirit are hypostatic, and eternal, and creative. And Job also says, As the Lord lives, who has judged me thus, and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul, and the divine Spirit which is in my nostrils. And Zechariah from the person of God the Father, I am with you, and my Word, and my Spirit. And Isaiah, Now the Lord has sent me, and his Spirit.

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γυνή σου; Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν, Ἰδοὺ, ἐντῇ σκηνῇ. Καὶ εἶπεν, Ἐπαναστρέφων ἥξω πρὸς σὲ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἰδοὺ γέγραπται, ὀφθῆναι μὲν τῷ Ἀβραὰμ τὸν Θεὸν, εἶναι δὲ τρεῖς τοῦ ὀφθέντας, καὶ τριῶν ὄντων πρὸς ἕνα τὴν διάλεξιν γίνεσθαι, εἰς ἔμ φασιν πάντως τοῦ τρισυποστάτου τῆς μιᾶς θεότητος. Εἰ δὲ τὸν ἕνα μὲν ἐρεῖς εἶναι Θεὸν, τοὺς ἄλλους δὲ ἀγγέλους, πῶς ἠνέσχοντο συγκαθίσαι τῷ ∆εσπότῃ; {1Ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς.}1 Κύριος ἔβρεξεν ἐπὶ Σόδομα καὶ Γόμοῤῥα θεῖον καὶ πῦρ παρὰ Κυρίου ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Τῶν δύο μὲν τοῦτο προσώπων ἐμφαντικὸν, καὶ τῆς αὐτοβουλίας, ἰσοδυναμίας δηλωτικὸν, τοῖς δυσὶ δὲ καὶ τὸ τρίτον συνεισάγεται, διὰ τὸ ἀχώριστον καὶ φεράλληλον.

{1Τῆς Ἐξόδου.}1 Ἄκουε, Ἰσραὴλ, Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, Κύριος εἷς ἐστι. Τὸ μὲν

γὰρ Κύριος, καὶ Θεὸς, καὶ Κύριος τὰς τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις ὑπεμφαίνει, τὸ δὲ εἶς ἐστι τὴν ἐν τρισὶ μίαν θεότητα καὶ φύσιν.

{1Τοῦ ∆αβίδ.}1 Ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ αἰνέσω ῥῆμα, ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ αἰνέσω λόγον. Ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ ἤλπισα, οὐ φοβηθήσομαι, τί ποιήσει μοι ἄνθρωπος. Καὶ πάλιν· Θῦσον τῷ Θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, καὶ ἀπόδος τῷ Ὑψίστῳ τὰς εὐ χάς σου, καὶ ἐπικάλεσαί με ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεώς σου. Καὶ αὖθις, Ζῇ Κύριος, καὶ εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ὑψωθήτω ὁ Θεὸς τῆς σωτηρίας μου. Καὶ προσέτι, Ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς, τουτέστιν, ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ σου γνωσόμεθα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. ∆ι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ ὥσπερ τὰ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὕτω καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἀριδηλότερον ἐμυσταγωγήθημεν. Καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος εὑρίσκομεν καταγ γελτικά. Καὶ ὁ ἀγγελικὸς δὲ ὕμνος, Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος Κύριος, διὰ μὲν τοῦ τρισαγίου τὸ τρισυπόστα τον, διὰ δὲ τοῦ Κύριος ἑνιαῖον ἐδήλωσε τῆς θεότητος. Ἐκφαντικώτερον δὲ περὶ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ φησιν ὁ ∆αβὶδ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Πατρὸς πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, Ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου ἐγέννησά σε, γαστρὸς θεο πρεπῶς νοουμένης τῆς πατρικῆς οὐσίας καὶ φύσεως. Τίνα γὰρ ἄλλον ἐρεῖν ἰσχύσεις ἀχρόνως γεγεννημέ νον; ἐκ δὲ προσώπου τοῦ Υἱοῦ· Κύριος εἶπε πρός με, Υἱός μου εἶ σὺ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε, τὴν χρονικὴν αὐτοῦ δηλοῖ γέννησιν, τὴν ἐκ τῆς Παρθένου. Γεγέννηκα γὰρ, ἀντὶ τοῦ γεννηθῆναι εὐδόκησα, ἢ ἔκτισα. Εἴρηκε δὲ συμφώνως τούτῳ καὶ Σολομὼν προσώπῳ τοῦ υἱοῦ, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εἶτα ἐπήγαγε· Πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔκτισε τῆς κάτω καὶ χρονικῆς αὐτοῦ γεν νήσεως, τὸ δὲ πρὸ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με τῆς 130.265 ἄνω, καὶ ἀχρόνου, καὶ προαιωνίου. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ ∆αβὶδ, Τῷ Λόγῳ Κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν, καὶ τῷ Πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν· Κύριον μὲν τὸν Πατέρα λέγων, Λόγον δὲ τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὅπως ἔχει πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ὡς πρὸς νοῦν λόγος, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὸ ἀπαθὲς τῆς γεννήσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ συναφὲς, καὶ τὸ ἐξαγγελτικόν· Πνεῦμα δὲ, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Καὶ πάλιν περὶ μὲν τοῦ Λόγου καὶ Υἱοῦ, Ἀπέστειλε τὸν Λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰάσατο αὐτοὺς, ὁ Πατὴρ δηλονότι τὸν Υἱὸν, νοσοῦντας ἐν πλάνῃ. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, Ἐξαποστε λεῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα σου καὶ κτισθήσονται, οἱ τῆς καινῆς δηλαδὴ κτίσεως, καὶ ἀνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς, τῆς παλαιωθείσης ἐν ἁμαρτίαις. Οὔτε δὲ Λόγος προφητικὸς ἀποστέλλεται διὰ τῶν φωνητικῶν ὀργά νων εἰς τὸν ἀέρα χεόμενος, καὶ λυόμενος. Λέγει γὰρ ἐν ἄλλοις· Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Κύριε, ὁ Λόγος σου διαμένει ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Οὔτε Πνεῦμα δι' ἀναπνευ στικῶν ὁμοίως ὀργάνων ἐξωθούμενον, καὶ λυόμενον, καὶ χεόμενον. Ταῦτα γὰρ σωμάτων. Φανερὸν οὖν, ὅτι Λόγος, καὶ Πνεῦμα, ἐνυπόστατα, καὶ ἀΐδια, καὶ δημιουργά. Καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ δέ φησι, Ζῇ Κύριος, ὁ οὕτω με κρίνας, καὶ ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ παραπικράνας μου τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ Πνεῦμα θεῖον τὸ περιὸν ἐν ῥισί μου. Καὶ ὁ Ζαχαρίας ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, Ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι, καὶ ὁ Λόγος μου, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμά μου. Καὶ ὁ Ἠσαΐας, Νῦν Κύριος ἐξαπέ σταλκέ με, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ.