in Christ's discipleship of the world, both in the teaching of baptism, and furthermore both in the divine teaching and in the creation of the universe, and not only that but also in the authority according to power, similar and the same things have been handed down concerning the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, who is so foolish as to dispute concerning their fellowship with one another according to essence? Therefore, it is fitting to confess one God, known in Father and Son and Holy Spirit, insofar as Father and Son and Holy Spirit, we recognize the hypostases of the one Godhead, but insofar as God, we understand the commonality of the hypostases according to essence. For a Monad is understood in a Trinity, and a Trinity is recognized in a Monad. And how this is so, I would neither wish to ask another, nor could I persuade myself to dare to treat the doctrines concerning the ineffable mysteries with a tongue of clay and defiled flesh. For even if a pure mind is established in us, through which we often grasp in word things beyond us, yet being weighed down by the flesh yoked to it, it fails to achieve a clear comprehension of greater things, since the earthly tabernacle weighs down a mind full of care. In no way, therefore, would it be possible for us, being human, to reach that first and blessed essence. And what am I saying of the divine essence! But not even of the mysteries accomplished around it. For nothing of divine things is clear to humans, as a certain wise man of the Greeks declared; and I accept what was said as true. For when I hear of Paul, the chosen vessel, who ascended to the third heaven, who heard unspeakable words which are not lawful for human tongues to utter, who had speaking in him the giver of words, testifying to the partial knowledge in himself and saying: Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known, and again: We know in part and we prophesy in part; how shall I entrust the perfect knowledge of divine things to men, being human? For if to those who have reached the measure of Paul it has become dim and partial (for to see through a glass and in a riddle hints at what is dim), who is so bold to the point of madness as to claim for himself perfect knowledge of divine things? And immediately we too, knowing the impenetrability of the mysteries, utter the words of David to the God of all: Your knowledge has been made wonderful to me; it has grown strong, I cannot attain to it. But it is holy to say these things and holier to think them; for to yield to divine things would be the mark of a pious and sober-minded man. Therefore, as much of divine things as pertains to sure investigation, and as much as pertains to pious worship, we understand in a manner befitting God. For not because the divine is completely incomprehensible, does it therefore follow that one must not seek concerning it at all, but to spend one's lifetime in ease; but according to the measure apportioned to each by the Lord of knowledge, to make the investigation diligently, that it is precisely incomprehensible

Χριστῷ τοῦ κόσμου μαθητείας, ἐπί τε τῆς διδαχῆς τοῦ βα πτίσματος, ἔτι μὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θείας διδασκαλίας καὶ τῆς τοῦ παντὸς δημιουργίας, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κατ' ἐξουσίαν αὐθεντίας, παραπλήσια καὶ ταὐτὰ περὶ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος παραδέδοται, τίς οὕτω σκαιὸς ὡς διαμφισβητεῖν περὶ τῆς κατ' οὐσίαν ἀλλήλων κοινωνίας; Ἕνα τοίνυν θεὸν προσῆκεν ὁμολογεῖν, ἐν πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι γνωριζόμενον, ᾗ μὲν πατὴρ καὶ υἱὸς καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, τῆς μιᾶς θεότητος τὰς ὑποστάσεις γνωρίζον τας, ᾗ δὲ θεός, τὸ κατ' οὐσίαν κοινὸν τῶν ὑποστάσεων νο οῦντας. Μονὰς γὰρ ἐν τριάδι νοεῖται, καὶ τριὰς ἐν μονάδι γνωρίζεται. Καὶ πῶς τοῦτο, διερωτᾶν οὔτε ἄλλον βουλοίμην, οὔτε αὐτὸς ἐμαυτὸν δυναίμην πείθειν τοὺς περὶ τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων λόγους γλώσσῃ πηλίνῃ καὶ σαρκίῳ ῥυπῶντι κατατολμᾶν. Eἰ γὰρ καὶ νοῦς ἡμῖν καθαρὸς ἐνίδρυται, δι' οὗ τῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς πολλάκις τῷ λόγῳ περιδραττόμεθα, ἀλλά γε τῇ συζύγῳ σαρκὶ βαρυνόμενος ἀτονεῖ τὴν ἐναργῆ τῶν μειζόνων κατάληψιν, ἐπείπερ βρίθει τὸ γεῶδες σκῆνος νοῦν πολυφρόντιδα. Oὐ δενὶ οὖν ἂν τρόπῳ ἀνθρώποις οὖσιν δυνατὸν ἐξικέσθαι τῆς πρώτης ἐκείνης καὶ μακαρίας οὐσίας. Καὶ τί λέγω τῆς θείας οὐσίας! Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν περὶ αὐτὴν μυστικῶς τελουμένων. Oὐδὲν γὰρ ἀνθρώποις τῶν θείων σαφές, ὡς Ἑλλήνων σο φός τις ἐφθέγξατο· ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ λεχθὲν ὡς ἀληθὲς δέχομαι. Ὅταν γὰρ ἀκούσω τοῦ Παύλου, τοῦ σκεύους τῆς ἐκλογῆς, τοῦ τρίτον οὐρανὸν ἐμβεβηκότος, τοῦ ·ημάτων ἀῤῥήτων ἀκη κοότος ἃ μὴ θέμις γλώσσαις ἀνθρωπίναις ἐκλαλεῖν, τοῦ λαλοῦντα ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχοντος τὸν τῶν λόγων χορηγόν, μερικὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν γνῶσιν προσμαρτυροῦντος καὶ λέγοντος· Ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην, καὶ πάλιν· Ἐκ μέρους γινώσκομεν καὶ ἐκ μέ ρους προφητεύομεν· πῶς τὴν τελείαν τῶν θείων γνῶσιν ἀν θρώποις οὖσιν πιστεύσω; Eἰ γὰρ τοῖς εἰς τὸ Παύλου μέτρον ἐφθακόσιν ἀμυδρά τις καὶ μερικὴ γέγονεν (τὸ γὰρ δι' ἐσό πτρου βλέπειν καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι τὸ ἀμυδρὸν παραινίσσεται), τίς οὕτω τολμηρὸς πρὸς ἀπόνοιαν ὡς τελείαν τῶν θείων γνῶσιν ἑαυτῷ προσμαρτυρεῖν; Aὐτίκα δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς, τὸ τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων ἀδιεξίτητον εἰδότες, τὰ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν ἐπιφθεγγόμεθα· Ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ, ἐκραταιώθη, οὐ μὴ δύνωμαι πρὸς αὐτήν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν καὶ λέγειν ὅσιον καὶ φρονεῖν ὁσιώτερον· τοῖς γὰρ θείοις παραχωρεῖν εὐσεβοῦς ἀνδρὸς ἂν εἴη καὶ σώφρονος. Oὐκοῦν ὅσον μὲν τῶν θείων εἰς ἀσφαλῆ ἔρευναν, ὅσον δὲ πρὸς εὐσεβῆ θρησκείαν θεοπρεπῶς νοοῦμεν. Oὐ γάρ, ἐπειδὴ πάμπαν ἀκατάληπτον τὸ θεῖον, διὰ τοῦτό που πάν τως μηδ' ὅλως ζητεῖν περὶ αὐτοῦ προσῆκεν, ἀλλ' ἐν ·ᾳστώνῃ τὸν τοῦ βίου καταναλίσκειν χρόνον· κατὰ δὲ τὸ μέτρον τὸ μερισθὲν ἑκάστῳ παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου τῆς γνώσεως τὴν ἐξέτασιν φιλοπόνως ποιεῖσθαι, ὅτι μὲν ἀκατάληπτον ἀκριβῶς πε