2. To the Arians indeed this way of thinking is not strange. Having once denied the Word of God, they naturally say the same evil things against his Spirit. Therefore it is not necessary to say anything more in reply to them; what has previously been said against them is sufficient. But it is right that, in some way (as they themselves would say!) we should make a careful reply to those who have been deceived about the Spirit. We might well wonder at their folly, inasmuch as they will not have the Son of God to be a creature—indeed, their views on this are quite sound! How then have they endured so much as to hear the Spirit of the Son called a creature? Because of the oneness of the Word with the Father, they will not have the Son belong to things originated, but rightly regard him as Creator of things that are made. Why then do they say that the Holy Spirit is a creature, who has the same oneness with the Son as the Son with the Father? Why have they not understood that, just as by not dividing the Son from the Father they ensure that God is one, so by dividing the Spirit from the Word they no longer ensure that the Godhead in the Triad is one, for they tear it asunder, and mix with it a nature foreign to it and of a different kind, and put it on a level with the creatures? On this showing, once again the Triad is no longer one but is compounded of two differing natures; for the Spirit, as they have imagined, is essentially different. What doctrine of God is this, which compounds him out of creator and creature? Either he is not a Triad, but a dyad, with the creature left over. Or, if he be Triad—as indeed he is!—then how do they class the Spirit who belongs to the Triad with the creatures which come after the Triad? For this, once more, is to divide and dissolve the Triad. Therefore, while thinking falsely of the Holy Spirit, they do not think truly even of the Son. For if they thought correctly of the Word, they would think soundly of the Spirit also, who proceeds from the Father, and, belonging to the Son, is from him given to the disciples and all who believe in him. Nor, erring thus, do they so much as keep sound their faith in the Father. For those who ‘resist the Spirit’, as the great martyr Stephen said, deny also the Son. But those who deny the Son have not the Father.

Τῶν μὲν οὖν Ἀρειανῶν οὐκ ἀλλότριον καὶ τοῦτο ἐνθύμημα. Ἅπαξ γὰρ ἀρνούμενοι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, εἰκότως τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δυσφημοῦσι. ∆ιὸ καὶ οὐ χρὴ πλέον τι πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ τὰ πρὸ τούτων εἰρημένα κατ' αὐτῶν. Πρὸς δὲ τοὺς περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀπατηθέν τας, τρόπῳ τινὶ, ὡς ἂν αὐτοὶ φαῖεν, προσήκει δι ερευνῶντας εἰπεῖν. Τούτων γὰρ καὶ θαυμάσειεν ἄν τις τὴν ἄνοιαν, ὅτι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ θέλοντες κτίσμα εἶναι, καὶ καλῶς γε κατὰ τοῦτο φρονοῦντες, πῶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ κτίσμα κἂν ἀκοῦ σαι ἠνέσχοντο; Καὶ γὰρ εἰ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ Λόγου ἑνότητα, οὐ θέλουσιν εἶναι τῶν γενητῶν αὐτὸν τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀλλ', ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀληθῶς, δημιουργὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι τῶν ποιημάτων φρονοῦσι· διὰ τί τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχον ἑνότητα πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, ἢν αὐτὸς ἔχει πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, κτίσμα λέγουσι, καὶ ἠγνόησαν, ὅτι, ὥσπερ μὴ διαιροῦντες τὸν Υἱὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς, σώζουσι τὸ ἕνα Θεὸν εἶναι, οὕτω, διαιροῦντες ἀπὸ τοῦ Λόγου τὸ Πνεῦμα, οὐκέτι μίαν τὴν ἐν Τριάδι θεότητα σώζουσι, σχίζοντες αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπιμίσγοντες αὐτῇ ἀλλοτρίαν καὶ ἑτεροειδῆ φύσιν, καὶ τοῖς κτίσμασι συνεξισοῦντες αὐτήν; Τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν οὐκέτι ἓν εἶναι δείκνυσι τὴν Τριάδα, ἀλλὰ ἐκ δύο καὶ διαφόρων φύσεων συγκειμένην αὐτὴν, διὰ τὸ ἑτεροούσιον τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὡς αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοῖς ἀνε πλάσαντο. Ποία οὖν αὕτη θεολογία ἐκ δημιουρ γοῦ καὶ κτίσματος συγκειμένη; Ἢ γὰρ οὐ Τριάς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ δυὰς, καὶ λοιπὸν ἡ κτίσις, ἢ, εἰ Τριάς ἐστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν καί ἐστι, πῶς τοῖς μετὰ τὴν Τριάδα κτίσμασι συντάττουσι τὸ τῆς Τριάδος Πνεῦμα; Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι πάλιν διαιρεῖν καὶ διαλύειν τὴν Τριάδα. Οὐκ οῦν, κακῶς φρονοῦντες περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καλῶς φρονοῦσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐφρόνουν ὀρθῶς περὶ τοῦ Λόγου, ἐφρόνουν ὑγιῶς καὶ περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἴδιον ὂν, παρ' αὐτοῦ δίδοται τοῖς μαθηταῖς καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς αὐτόν. Οὕτω δὲ πλανώμενοι, οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑγιῆ τὴν πίστιν ἔχουσιν. Οἱ γὰρ ἀντικείμενοι τῷ Πνεύματι, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ μέγας μάρτυς Στέφανος, οὗτοι καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἀρνοῦνται. Τὸν δὲ Υἱὸν ἀρνούμενοι, οὐδὲ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχουσι.