De sancta trinitate DE SACROSANCTA TRINITATE LIBER

 All beings are either created or uncreated. If, then, they are created, they are also by all means changeable. For those things whose being began from

 is the Divine. And how is that which moves not also circumscribed by place? 77.1125 The Divine alone, therefore, is motionless, moving all things thro

 CHAPTER 5.

 the doctrines and of each heresy the useful part remains, from the Jewish conception, the unity of nature and from Hellenism, only the distinction i

 Whom saying to be before all ages, we show that His generation is without time and without beginning. For the Son of God was not brought from non-bein

 Man, it is clear, begets in a contrary way, being subject to generation and corruption and flux and multiplication, and being clothed in a body, and h

 And this too must be known, that the name of fatherhood and sonship and procession was not transferred from us to the blessed Godhead but on the cont

 but the mode of difference, not at all. At the same time are both the begetting of the Son from the Father, and the procession of the Holy Spirit. The

 likeness, but identity), and the one impulse of the motion. For there is one essence, one goodness, one power, one will, one energy, 77.1144 one autho

 the illumination of the ray is imparted to us, and this is what illuminates us, and is participated in by us. But the Son we call neither of the Spiri

 we accomplish most honorable things by our own hands. By right hand, His aid in favorable circumstances, from the fact that we too use the right han

 This Son and Word of God the Father, through whom the Father created all creation, as through his own wisdom and power (for he is the wisdom and power

 sinning is of the will, or it also comes upon us against our will from inattention. Rather, even inattention itself is a sin, or at least the beginnin

 He slept, He conversed, just as we do, but was in every way without sin. This is beyond us. For who among us could be found entirely blameless in thin

 wills in Christ and willing according to both wills, and working according to both energies, is one and the same God-man not divided into God specif

 Principal will, the willing, which is natural will, as has been shown. Will is also said of the thing willed which in humans is hypostatic, not the s

 CHAPTER 22.

 he was conversant with and, The Lord created me the beginning of his ways for his works and, Therefore your God has anointed you with the oil of gla

 Of these things said of Christ in a human manner, whether in words or in deeds, there are six modes. For some of them were done and said according to

 of the consummation of the age and such like things. For as God, He is with us. But the things befitting His humanity, as, They took hold of His feet

 identity, and their mutual indwelling. In this sense we can say of Christ: This our God was seen upon the earth, and dwelt among men and, This man is

the illumination of the ray is imparted to us, and this is what illuminates us, and is participated in by us. But the Son we call neither of the Spirit, nor indeed from the Spirit.

CHAPTER 11.

It is necessary then that one should think that each of the things said of God does not signify what He is in essence, but rather declares what He is not, or some relation to some of those things which are contrasted with Him, or something of those things which accompany His nature, or an energy, or indicative of His very being; it seems then that the most proper of all the names for God is, "being" [or, "He who is"]. For it embraces in itself the whole of being, like some infinite and unbounded sea of essence. And second, the name God, which signifies both the creative (for *theinai* is to make; and *theis*, the maker), but it is more clearly indicative of the contemplative energy. For God is the beholder even of things not yet come to be, as if they were lying before His sight. For He beheld all things before their creation, having conceived them timelessly; and each thing according to His volitional conception, timeless (which is predestination and image and pattern), comes to be in the predestined time. The first, then, is indicative of His being, and not of what He is; the second, of His energy. But the unoriginate, and uncreated, and incorporeal, and suchlike, declare what He is not. but the good and just and holy and suchlike, accompany the divine nature, but do not declare the essence itself. But Lord, king, master, and suchlike, declare a relation to the things contrasted; for He is called Lord and King of those who are ruled and reigned over.

CHAPTER 12.

But since we find very many things said about God in the divine Scripture symbolically in a rather corporeal manner, it is necessary to know that, since we are human beings and clothed in this gross flesh, it is impossible to understand or speak of the divine and lofty 77.1148 and immaterial energies of the Godhead, unless we use images and types and symbols according to our own fashion. Therefore, whatever things are said about God in a rather corporeal manner, are spoken symbolically; but have a certain loftier meaning. For the Divine is simple and without form. Therefore, by the eyes of God and eyelids and sight, let us understand His power of overseeing all things, and the unerring nature of His knowledge, from the fact that with us a more perfect knowledge and assurance comes to be through this sense. And by ears and hearing, His propitiousness and receptiveness to our supplication. For we too become well-disposed to those who make supplications through this sense, inclining our ear to them more genuinely. And by mouth and speech, the indication of His will, from the fact that with us the thoughts of the heart are signified through mouth and speech. And by food and drink, our concurrence with His will. For we too through the sense of taste, fulfill the necessary appetite of nature. And by smell, the acceptance of our thought toward Him and goodwill, from the fact that with us the acceptance of a sweet fragrance comes to be through this sense. And by face, the indication and manifestation of Him through His works, from the fact that our manifestation occurs through the face. And by hands, the effectuation of His energy. For we too the necessary things and 11

ἀκτῖνος ἡ ἔλλαμψις ἡμῖν μεταδίδοται, καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ φωτίζουσα ἡμᾶς, καὶ μετεχομένη ὑφ' ἡμῶν. Τὸν δὲ Υἱὸν οὔτε τοῦ Πνεύματος λέγομεν, οὔτε μὴν ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΑʹ.

Χρὴ τοίνυν ἕκαστον τῶν ἐπὶ Θεοῦ λεγομένων, οὐ τί κατ' οὐσίαν σημαίνειν οἴεσθαι, ἄλλ' ἢ τί οὐκ ἔστι δηλοῦν, ἢ σχέσιν τινὰ πρός τι τῶν ἀντιδιαστελλομένων, ἤ τι τῶν παρεπομένων τῇ φύσει, ἢ ἐνέργειαν, ἢ αὐτοῦ τοῦ εἶναι παραστατικόν· δοκεῖ μὲν οὖν κυριώτερον πάντων τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀνομάτων εἶναι, τὸ ὄν [ἴσ. ὁ ὤν]. Ὅλον γὰρ ἐν ἑαυτῷ συλλαβὸν ἔχει τὸ εἶναι, οἷόν τι πέλαγος οὐσίας ἅπειρον καὶ ἀόριστον. ∆εύτερον δὲ, τὸ Θεὸς ὄνομα, ὃ σημαίνει μὲν καὶ τὸ ποιητικὸν (θεῖναι γὰρ τὸ ποιῆσαι· καὶ θεὶς, ὁ ποιήσας), ἀριδηλότερον δὲ τῆς θεατικῆς ἐνεργείας ἐστὶ παραστατικόν. Καὶ αὐτῶν γὰρ τῶν μήπω γενομένων, ὡς ὑπ' ὄψιν κειμένων θεατής ἐστιν ὁ Θεός. Ἐθεάσατο γὰρ τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν ἀχρόνως ἐννοήσας· καὶ ἕκαστον κατὰ τὴν θελητικὴν αὐτοῦ ἔννοιαν, ἄχρονον (ἤτις ἐστὶ προορισμὸς καὶ εἰκὼν καὶ παράδειγμα), καὶ ἐν τῷ προορισθέντι καιρῷ γίνεται. Τὸ μὲν οὖν πρότερον αὐτοῦ τοῦ εἶναι παραστατικόν ἐστι, καὶ οὐ τοῦ τί εἶναι· τὸ δὲ δεύτερον, ἐνεργείας. Τὸ δὲ ἄναρχον, καὶ ἄκτιστον, καὶ ἀσώματον, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, τί οὐκ ἔστι, δηλοῖ· τὸ δὲ ἀγαθὸν καὶ δίκαιον καὶ ὅσιον καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, τῇ μὲν θείᾳ φύσει παρέπονται, οὐκ αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν οὐσίαν δηλοῦσι. Τὸ δὲ Κύριος, βασιλεὺς, δεσπότης, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, σχέσιν πρὸς τὰ ἀντιδιαστελλόμενα δηλοῦσι· τῶν γὰρ κυριευομένων καὶ βασιλευομένων λέγεται Κύριος καὶ Βασιλεύς.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΒʹ.

Ἐπεὶ δὲ πλεῖστα περὶ Θεοῦ σωματικώτερον ἐν τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ συμβολικῶς εἰρημένα εὑρίσκομεν, εἰδέναι χρὴ, ὡς ἀνθρώπους ὄντας ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὸ παχὺ τοῦτο σαρκίον περικειμένους, τὰς θείας καὶ ὑψηλὰς 77.1148 καὶ ἀΰλους τῆς Θεότητος ἐνεργείας νοεῖν ἢ λέγειν ἀδύνατον, εἰ μὴ εἰκόσι καὶ τύποις καὶ συμβόλοις τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς χρησαίμεθα. Ὅσα τοίνυν περὶ Θεοῦ σωματικώτερον εἴρηται, συμβολικῶς μὲν λέγονται· ἔχει δέ τινα ὑψηλοτέραν διάνοιαν. Ἁπλοῦν γὰρ τὸ Θεῖον καὶ ἀσχημάτιστον. Ὀφθαλμοὺς μὲν οὖν Θεοῦ καὶ βλέφαρα καὶ ὅρασιν, τὴν τῶν ἁπάντων ἐποπτικὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν, καὶ τὸ ἀλάθητον τῆς αὐτοῦ γνώσεως ἐννοήσωμεν, ἀπὸ τοῦ παρ' ἡμῖν διὰ ταύτης τῆς αἰσθήσεως ἐντελεστέραν γνῶσιν καὶ πληροφορίαν ἐγγίνεσθαι. Ὦτα δὲ καὶ ἀκοὴν, τὸ ἐξιλεωτικὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας δεκτικὸν δεήσεως. Καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς τοῖς τὰς ἱκεσίας ποιουμένοις, διὰ ταύτης τῆς αἰσθήσεως εὐμενεῖς γινόμεθα, γνησιώτερον αὐτοῖς τὸ οὖς ἐπικλίνοντες. Στόμα δὲ καὶ λαλιὰν, τὸ ἐνδεικτικὸν τῆς βουλήσεως αὐτοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ παρ' ἡμῖν διὰ στόματος καὶ λαλιᾶς σημαίνεσθαι τὰ ἐγκάρδια νοήματα. Βρῶσιν δὲ καὶ πόσιν, τὴν ἡμετέραν πρὸς τὸ αὐτοῦ θέλημα συνδρομήν. Καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς διὰ τῆς γευστικῆς αἰσθήσεως, τὴν τῆς φύσεως ἀναπληροῦμεν ἀναγκαίαν ὄρεξιν. Ὄσφρησιν δὲ, τὸ ἀποδεκτικὸν τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμῶν ἐννοίας τε καὶ εὐνοίας, ἐκ τοῦ παρ' ἡμῖν διὰ ταύτης τῆς αἰσθήσεως τὴν τῆς εὐωδίας ἀποδοχὴν ἐγγίνεσθαι. Πρόσωπον δὲ, τὴν δι' ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἔνδειξίν τε καὶ ἐμφάνειαν, ἐκ τοῦ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐμφάνειαν διὰ προσώπου γίνεσθαι. Χεῖρας δὲ, τὸ ἀνυστικὸν τῆς ἐνεργείας αὐτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς τὰ χρειώδη καὶ 11