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Beloved, teaching that the substance of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one, but the hypostases are three; for neither could the Father be called Son, nor the Son Father, nor the Holy Spirit anything other than this, but each, remaining in His own hypostasis, possesses equal power. 1.23 For it is necessary that this also be fixed in your mind, that the Holy Spirit is of the same dignity, just as Christ also said to the disciples: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” 1.24 Have you seen a perfected confession? Have you seen a teaching having no ambiguity? Let no one henceforth disturb you, introducing questions from their own reasonings to the dogmas of the church and wishing to muddy the right and sound dogmas. But flee the company of such people as you would the poisons of medicines. For these are more grievous than those; for those bring the harm only as far as the body, but these bring ruin to the very salvation of the soul. Therefore it is fitting from the beginning and from the outset to flee their such discussions, especially until you are able, as time goes on, having well fortified yourselves as if with some spiritual weapons with the testimonies from the divine scripture, to silence their shameless tongue. 1.25 And concerning the dogmas of the church, we wish you to show such exactness and to have these things fixed in your mind. But since it is fitting for those who show such faith to shine also through the conduct of their works, it is necessary to teach also concerning this those who are about to be deemed worthy of the royal gift, so that you may know that there is no sin so great that it can overcome the munificence of the master. But whether one is a fornicator, or an adulterer, or effeminate, or a homosexual, or has consorted with prostitutes, or a robber, or greedy, or a drunkard, or an idolater, so great is the power of the gift and the philanthropy of the master as to work the disappearance of all these things and to show the one who has shown only a well-disposed mind to be brighter than the very rays of the sun. 1.26 Considering, therefore, the surpassing gift of the philanthropic God, now prepare yourselves both by the abstinence from evils and by the working of good deeds; for this the prophet also exhorts, saying: “Turn away from evil and do good.” And Christ himself, speaking to all human nature, said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take my yoke upon you and learn from me that I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” 1.27 Have you seen an abundance of goodness? Have you seen the munificence of the call? “Come,” he says, “to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden.” Philanthropic is the call, ineffable the goodness. “Come to me, all,” not rulers only but also the ruled, not rich but also poor, not free but also slaves, not men but also women, not young but also old, not healthy in body but also the crippled and those maimed in their limbs, all, he says, come. For such are the gifts of the master; he does not know a difference of slave and free, nor of rich and poor, but all this inequality has been cast out. “Come all,” he says, “who labor and are heavy laden.” 1.28 See whom he calls: those who have been consumed in transgressions, those who are burdened with sins, those no longer able to look up, those filled with shame, those without boldness. And for what reason does he call? Not to demand an account and to set up a tribunal. But what? So that he may give rest from the labor, so that he may take away the heavy burden; for what could ever be heavier than sin? For this, even if we are insensible a myriad of times and wish to escape the notice of the many, the conscience arouses against us the impartial judge, and that one, continually rising up, our unceasing pain

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ἀγαπητέ, διδάσκων ὡς ἡ μὲν οὐσία Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος μία, τρεῖς δὲ αἱ ὑποστάσεις· οὔτε γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ υἱὸς ἂν δύναιτο λέγεσθαι, οὔτε ὁ Υἱὸς πατήρ, οὔτε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἕτερόν τι παρὰ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἕκαστος ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ μένων ὑποστάσει τὴν ἴσην δύναμιν κέκτηται. 1.23 ∆εῖ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο πεπηγέναι ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ὅτι καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τῆς αὐτῆς ἀξίας ἐστί, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔλεγε· «Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος.» 1.24 Εἶδες ὁμολογίαν ἀπηρτισμένην; Εἶδες διδασκαλίαν μηδεμίαν ἀμφιβολίαν ἔχουσαν; Μὴ σέ τις λοιπὸν ταραττέτω, τὰς ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων λογισμῶν ζητήσεις ἐπεισφέρων τοῖς τῆς ἐκκλησίας δόγμασι καὶ τὰ ὀρθὰ καὶ ὑγιῆ δόγματα ἐπιθολοῦν βουλόμενος. Ἀλλὰ φεῦγε τῶν τοιούτων τὰς συνουσίας ὡς τῶν φαρμάκων τὰ δηλητήρια. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνων οὗτοι χαλεπώτεροι· ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ μέχρι τοῦ σώματος ἵστησι τὴν βλάβην, οὗτοι δὲ αὐτῇ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς ψυχῆς λυμαίνονται. ∆ιὸ προσήκει ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐκ προοιμίων φεύγειν αὐτῶν τὰς τοιαύτας διαλέξεις καὶ μάλιστα μέχρις ἂν δυνηθῆτε τοῦ χρόνου προϊόντος, καλῶς φραξάμενοι καθάπερ ὅπλοις τισὶ πνευματικοῖς ταῖς παρὰ τῆς θείας γραφῆς μαρτυρίαις, ἐπιστομίζειν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀναίσχυντον γλῶτταν. 1.25 Καὶ περὶ μὲν τὰ δόγματα τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοσαύτην ὑμᾶς βουλόμεθα τὴν ἀκρίβειαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι καὶ ταῦτα ἐμπεπηγότα ἔχειν τῇ διανοίᾳ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ προσήκει τοὺς τοιαύτην ἐπιδεικνυμένους πίστιν καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν ἔργων πολιτείας διαλάμπειν, ἀναγκαῖον καὶ περὶ τούτου διδάξαι τοὺς μέλλοντας τῆς βασιλικῆς ἀξιοῦσθαι δωρεᾶς ἵνα εἰδέναι ἔχητε ὡς οὐδέν ἐστιν οὕτως ἁμάρτημα ὃ νικῆσαι δύναται τὴν φιλοτιμίαν τοῦ δεσπότου. Ἀλλὰ κἄν τε πόρνος ᾖ τις, κἄν τε μοιχός, κἄν τε μαλακός, κἄν τε ἀρσενοκοίτης, κἄν τε ἡταιρηκώς, κἄν τε ἅρπαξ, κἄν τε πλεονέκτης, κἄν τε μέθυσος, κἄν τε εἰδωλολάτρης, τοσαύτη τῆς δωρεᾶς ἡ δύναμις καὶ τοῦ δεσπότου ἡ φιλανθρωπία ὡς ἁπάντων τούτων ἀφανισμὸν ἐργάσασθαι καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἡλιακῶν ἀκτίνων φαιδρότερον ἀποδεικνύειν τὸν γνώμην μόνον εὐγνώμονα ἐπιδειξάμενον. 1.26 Ἐννοοῦντες τοίνυν τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν δωρεάν, ἤδη ἑαυτοὺς προευτρεπίζετε καὶ τῇ ἀποχῇ τῶν κακῶν καὶ τῇ ἐργασίᾳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν πράξεων· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ προφήτης παραινεῖ λέγων· «Ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν.» Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς πάσῃ τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγε· «∆εῦτε πρός με πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς· ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς καὶ μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν.» 1.27 Εἴδετε ἀγαθότητος περιουσίαν; Εἴδετε κλήσεως φιλοτιμίαν; «∆εῦτε, φησίν, πρός με πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι.» Φιλάνθρωπος ἡ κλῆσις, ἀπόρρητος ἡ ἀγαθότης «∆εῦτε πρός με πάντες», οὐκ ἄρχοντες μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀρχόμενοι, οὐ πλούσιοι ἀλλὰ καὶ πένητες, οὐκ ἐλεύθεροι ἀλλὰ καὶ δοῦλοι, οὐκ ἄνδρες ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκες, οὐ νέοι ἀλλὰ καὶ γέροντες, οὐχ ὑγιεῖς τὸ σῶμα ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἀνάπηροι καὶ οἱ λελωβημένοι τὰ μέλη, πάντες φησὶν δεῦτε. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ τοῦ δεσπότου δῶρα· οὐκ οἶδε διαφορὰν δούλου καὶ ἐλευθέρου οὐδὲ πλουσίου καὶ πένητος ἀλλὰ πᾶσα αὕτη ἡ ἀνωμαλία ἐκβέβληται. «∆εῦτε πάντες, φησίν, οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι.» 1.28 Ὅρα τίνας καλεῖ, τοὺς ἐν ταῖς παρανομίαις καταδαπανηθέντας, τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι πεφορτισμένους, τοὺς οὐδὲ ἀνανεῦσαι λοιπὸν δυναμένους, τοὺς αἰσχύνης πεπληρωμένους, τοὺς ἀπαρρησιάστους. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν καλεῖ; Οὐχ ἵνα εὐθύνας ἀπαιτήσῃ καὶ δικαστήριον καθίσῃ. Ἀλλὰ τί; Ἵνα ἐκ τοῦ κόπου διαναπαύσῃ, ἵνα τὸ βαρὺ φορτίον περιέλῃ· τί γὰρ ἁμαρτίας βαρύτερον ἂν γένοιτό ποτε; Αὕτη γὰρ κἂν μυριάκις ὦμεν ἀναίσθητοι καὶ λανθάνειν τοὺς πολλοὺς βουλώμεθα, τὸ συνειδὸς διεγείρει καθ' ἡμῶν τὸν δικαστὴν τὸν ἀδέκαστον κἀκεῖνος διηνεκῶς κατεξανιστάμενος ἀδιάλειπτον ἡμῶν τὴν ὀδύνην