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an interval of the Christ from the anointing, or of the king from the kingdom, or of wisdom from the spirit of wisdom, or of truth from the spirit of truth, or of power from the spirit of power) but from eternity the Son being contemplated in the Father, who is wisdom and truth and counsel and strength and knowledge and understanding, from eternity also the Holy Spirit is contemplated with him, which is the spirit of wisdom and truth and counsel and understanding and all the other things which the Son both is 12 and is called. For this reason we say that the mystery of piety was delivered to the holy disciples as at once united and distinct, that it is necessary to believe in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. For the particularity of the hypostases makes the distinction of the persons clear and unconfused, but the one name set forth in the exposition of the faith clearly interprets for us the unity of substance of the persons in the faith, I mean of the Father 13 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. For through these titles we are not taught a difference of nature, but only the identifying properties of the hypostases; so that we know that the Father is not the Son, nor the Son the Father, nor the Holy Spirit the Son or the Father, but we know each in the particular character of his hypostasis, contemplated in indefinite perfection and in himself and not divided from what is conjoined.

14 What then does the unnameable name signify, concerning which the Lord, having said, 'Baptizing them in the name,' did not add the very signifying sound indicated by the name? We have this thought concerning it, that all things that exist in creation are comprehended through the meaning of names. For he who says 'heaven' has led the thought of the hearer to the created thing signified by the name, and he who mentions 'man' or any of the other animals by name has immediately impressed the form of the animal on the one who has heard, and all other things are likewise pictured in the heart of the one who has received through hearing the designation applied 15 to the thing. But only the uncreated nature which is believed in in the Father and Son and Holy Spirit is greater than all meaning of a name. For this reason, when the Word said 'name' in the tradition of the faith, he did not add the 'what' (for how could a name be found for a thing which is above every name?), but he gave authority, that however our mind, moving piously, might have capacity to find some name indicative of the transcendent nature, to apply this equally to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, whether 'the good' or 'the incorruptible,' whatever each one will think worthy to be used for an indication 16 of the pure nature. And this also the Word seems to me to ordain through this exposition: to be persuaded that the name of the divine substance is ineffable and incomprehensible; for it is clear that the title of 'Father' is not representative of substance, but signifies the relation to the Son. Therefore, if it were possible for human nature to be taught the substance of God, he who wills all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth would not have kept silent about the knowledge of this 17. But now by saying nothing about the substance, he has shown that knowledge of it is impossible, and that what we have capacity to learn we do not lack, having sufficient for our salvation the faith of the teaching that has been handed down. For to learn that he is the one who truly is, with whom through the relational concept the majesty of the Son is jointly revealed, is the most perfect teaching of piety, with the Son, as has been said, jointly indicating with himself the Spirit of life and truth, since he himself is both life and truth.

18 These things being thus distinguished, anathematizing every heretical opinion in the divine dogmas, we believe, as we were taught by the voice of the Lord, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

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διάλειμμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς τὸ χρίσμα νοεῖν ἢ τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν ἢ τῆς σοφίας πρὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς σοφίας ἢ τῆς ἀληθείας πρὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας ἢ τῆς δυνάμεως πρὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς δυνά μεως) ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀϊδίου τῷ πατρὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐνθεωρουμένου, ὅς ἐστι σοφία τε καὶ ἀλήθεια καὶ βουλὴ καὶ ἰσχὺς καὶ γνῶσις καὶ σύνεσις, ἐξ ἀϊδίου καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτῷ συν θεωρεῖται, ὅπερ ἐστὶ πνεῦμα σοφίας τε καὶ ἀληθείας καὶ βουλῆς καὶ συνέσεως καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα ὁ υἱός ἐστί 12 τε καὶ ὀνομάζεται. διὰ τοῦτό φαμεν συνημμένον ἅμα καὶ διακεκριμένον παραδεδόσθαι τοῖς ἁγίοις μαθηταῖς τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον, τὸ δεῖν πιστεύειν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος. ἡ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἰδιότης τρανήν τε καὶ ἀσύγχυτον ποιεῖται τὴν τῶν προσώπων διαστολήν, ἓν δὲ ὄνομα προκείμενον τῆς κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ἐκθέσεως σαφῶς ἡμῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς οὐσίας τῶν ἐν τῇ πίστει προσώπων διερμηνεύει, πατρός 13 τε λέγω καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου. διὰ γὰρ τῶν κλή σεων τούτων οὐ φύσεως διαφορὰν διδασκόμεθα, ἀλλὰ μόνας τὰς τῶν ὑποστάσεων γνωριστικὰς ἰδιότητας· ὥστε γινώσκειν ἡμᾶς μήτε υἱὸν τὸν πατέρα εἶναι μήτε πατέρα τὸν υἱὸν μήτε υἱὸν ἢ πατέρα τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀλλ' ἕκαστον ἐν τῷ ἰδιάζοντι τῆς ὑποστάσεως χαρακτῆρι γνωρίζειν, ἐν ἀορίστῳ τελειότητι καὶ ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ θεωρούμενον καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ συνημμένου οὐ διαιρούμενον.

14 Τί οὖν σημαίνει τὸ ἀκατονόμαστον ὄνομα, περὶ οὗ εἰπὼν ὁ κύριος ὅτι Βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα, οὐ προσέθηκεν αὐτὴν τὴν σημαντικὴν φωνὴν τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ ὀνό ματος δηλουμένην; ταύτην ἔχομεν περὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν ὅτι πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ κτίσει ὄντα διὰ τῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων σημασίας περιλαμβάνεται. ὅ τε γὰρ οὐρανὸν εἰπὼν ἐπὶ τὸ δηλούμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος κτίσμα τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ ἀκούοντος ἤγαγε καὶ ὁ ἀνθρώπου ἤ τινος ἑτέρου τῶν ζῴων μνησθεὶς ἐπ' ὀνόματος εὐθὺς τὸ εἶδος τοῦ ζῴου τῷ ἀκη κοότι ἐνετυπώσατο, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ὡσαύτως διὰ τῶν ἐπικειμένων ὀνομάτων ἐνζωγραφεῖται τῇ καρδία τοῦ διὰ τῆς ἀκοῆς παραδεξαμένου τὴν προσηγορίαν τὴν ἐπικειμένην 15 τῷ πράγματι. μόνη δὲ ἡ ἄκτιστος φύσις ἡ ἐν τῷ πατρί τε καὶ υἱῷ καὶ πνεύματι ἁγίῳ πιστευομένη κρείττων πάσης ἐστὶν ὀνοματικῆς σημασίας. διὰ τοῦτο ὄνομα εἰπὼν ὁ λόγος ἐν τῇ παραδόσει τῆς πίστεως τὸ τί οὐ προσέθηκε (πῶς γὰρ ἂν εὑρεθείη ὄνομα ἐπὶ πράγματος ὃ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ἐστιν ὄνομα;), ἀλλ' ἐξουσίαν ἔδωκεν, ὅπως ἂν χωρήσῃ ἡ διά νοια ἡμῶν εὐσεβῶς κινουμένη εὑρεῖν τι ὄνομα τῆς ὑπερ κειμένης φύσεως ἐνδεικτικόν, τοῦτο ὁμοίως ἐφαρμόζειν πατρί τε καὶ υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, εἴτε τὸ ἀγαθὸν εἴτε τὸ ἄφθαρτον, ὅπερ νομίσει ἕκαστος ἄξιον εἶναι πρὸς ἔνδειξιν 16 τῆς ἀκηράτου παραλαμβάνεσθαι φύσεως. καὶ τοῦτο δέ μοι δοκεῖ διὰ τῆς ἐκθέσεως ταύτης νομοθετεῖν ὁ λόγος, τὸ πεπεῖσθαι ἄρρητόν τε καὶ ἀκατάληπτον τὸ τῆς θείας οὐσίας ὄνομα εἶναι· φανερὸν γὰρ ὅτι ἡ τοῦ πατρὸς κλῆσις οὐκ οὐσίας ἐστὶ παραστατική, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν σχέσιν ἀποσημαίνει. οὐκοῦν εἰ δυνατὸν ἦν τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει οὐσίαν διδαχθῆναι θεοῦ, ὁ πάντας θέλων σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν οὐκ ἂν τὴν περὶ τού 17 του γνῶσιν ἀπεσιώπησε. νῦν δὲ τῷ μηδὲν περὶ τῆς οὐσίας εἰπεῖν ἔδειξεν, ὅτι ἐκείνης μὲν ἡ γνῶσις ἀμήχανος, ὃ δὲ χωροῦμεν μαθόντες οὐδὲν τοῦ ἀχωρήτου δεόμεθα, ἀρκοῦσαν ἔχοντες πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡμῶν τῆς παραδοθείσης διδασκαλίας τὴν πίστιν. τὸ γὰρ μαθεῖν ὅτι ἐκεῖνός ἐστι τὸ ὄντως ὄν, ᾧ διὰ τῆς σχετικῆς ἐννοίας ἡ τοῦ υἱοῦ μεγαλειότης συνα ναφαίνεται, ἡ τελειοτάτη διδασκαλία τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐστί, τοῦ υἱοῦ, καθὼς εἴρηται, συνημμένως μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ζωῆς τε καὶ ἀληθείας συνενδεικνυμένου, ἐπειδὴ αὐτός ἐστι καὶ ζωὴ καὶ ἀλήθεια.

18 Τούτων οὕτω διῃρημένων πᾶσαν αἱρετικὴν ὑπόληψιν ἐν τοῖς θείοις δόγμασιν ἀναθεματίζοντες πιστεύομεν, καθὼς ἐδιδάχθημεν ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου φωνῆς, εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος,