Declaring the multitude and magnitude of the gifts, he calls them rivers. Therefore, no one, neither of the ancient prophets nor of the disciples then present, had so received an abundance of such great gifts. Since, therefore, it is clear that both the prophets and the apostles partook of spiritual grace; for they would not have performed the signs that the apostles then performed, but neither the ancient prophets nor the disciples had been deemed worthy of the bounty and abundance and infinite power of the Spirit's grace. Therefore, "for the Holy Spirit was not yet given" is said in this way: lavishly and abundantly, as it was about to be given after the resurrection, when it came upon the disciples in the form of tongues of fire; or it must be considered, whether the disciples did not perform their wondrous deeds by some holy power; for to speak of the authority from Christ, I do not know what else this is, if not the bestowal of spiritual gifts. And I think it is also possible to say this, that before the manifest descent of the Spirit, a few men were deemed worthy of such grace, such as the ancient prophets and the apostles of Christ, and not even they received it with unwavering perception, but after the resurrection and the perceptible descent of the most Holy Spirit, not a few and easily counted, but simply every believer was deemed worthy of spiritual gifts. Wherefore also the Lord, showing this, says "he who believes," encompassing all the faithful through the article. 54 Jo 7, 39 What Spirit was not yet? The myriads of eternal anointings, with which the apostles were enriched after the descent and distribution through tongues; for though the Spirit also works in prophets, yet not so unceasingly, but performing one or two of the signs at some particular time, they would cease, whereas the apostles lavished wonders throughout their lives, pouring forth miracles as from some ever-flowing spring, and not in one kind, but at the same time the same men both spoke in strange tongues and interpreted, raising the dead and prophesying and countless other things, the combination of which was seen in none of the prophets, and this is not yet the greater thing; for they did not work miracles themselves, but also divinely enabled others to perform equal wonders; for such power and grace of the most Holy Spirit had not yet been graciously given to men. 55 Jo 8, 14 Since he previously said elsewhere, that "there is another who testifies of me," and he brought forward John and the superhuman nature of the works and the testimony of the Father himself through the voice and the Spirit, since he says these things there, he now answers them in a more masterful and God-befitting manner, revealing his authority and divinity; "for my testimony," he says, "is not, is not like yours, but divine and admitting not even a shadow of falsehood." And there indeed he brings forward witnesses, condescending to them and leading them to faith in him through those things by which it was possible for even the contentious to be persuaded. But since they still remained in unbelief and the great condescension did not help them at all, inasmuch as they were held by their own hardness of heart, he now speaks more masterfully, rebuking their folly as one with authority. 56 Jo 8, 19 Instead of, neither do you wish to know me nor my Father; "for if you knew me," he says, "wishing to learn, both from the divine signs which I have shown you, and from the prophetic oracles, you would have known my Father also." Or, neither do you know me, in that you choose things contrary to the right way of life, nor my Father; for both he and I delight in the same things. 57 Jo 8, 39-41 For when he received the Trinity typically and through the angelic forms, he did not honor one and was provoked to bloodshed against another, but rendering reverence with equal honor to the Triadic Lordship, he in no way marred the consubstantiality even in thought, nor did he set his reasonings at variance, seeing the same authority and power in the three. Wherefore he says: "This Abraham did not do, but you, because I tell and have told you the truth, that I and the Father are one," showing and teaching you the consubstantiality of the Father and me, "you seek to kill me." And again he, seeing for destruction

τὸ πλῆθος καὶ μέγεθος τῶν χαρισμάτων δηλῶν ποταμοὺς αὐτὰ καλεῖ. οὐδεὶς οὖν οὔτε τῶν πάλαι προφητῶν ἦν οὔτε τῶν ἤδη παρόντων μαθητῶν τηλικούτων χαρισμάτων οὕτω λαβὼν ἀφθονίαν. ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ οἱ προφῆται καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι μετεῖχον χάριτος πνευματικῆς δῆλον· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐνήργουν, ἃ ἐνήργουν τότε οἱ ἀπόστολοι σημεῖα, ἀλλὰ τῆς δαψιλείας καὶ ἀφθονίας καὶ τῆς ἀπειροδυνάμου τοῦ πνεύματος χάριτος οὔτε οἱ πάλαι προφῆται οὔτε οἱ μαθηταὶ ὑπῆρχον ἠξιωμένοι. τὸ οὖν οὔπω γὰρ ἦν πνεῦμα ἅγιον δεδομένον οὕτω φησίν· δαψιλῶς καὶ ἀφθόνως ὡς ἔμελλεν μετὰ ἀνάστασιν δίδοσθαι, ὅτε τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐν εἴδει γλωσσῶν πυρίνων ἐπεφοίτησεν· ἢ σκοπητέον, εἰ μὴ ἁγίῳ τινὶ δυνάμει οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐπετέλουν, ἃ παραδόξως ἐτέλουν· τὸ γὰρ λέγειν τῇ παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐξουσίᾳ οὐκ οἶδα τί ἐστιν ἄλλο τοῦτο, εἰ μὴ πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων χορηγία. ἔστιν δὲ οἶμαι καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, ὅτι πρὸ τῆς ἐπιφοιτήσεως τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς γεγενημένης ἐμφανῶς ὀλίγοι τινὲς ἄνθρωποι τῆς τοιαύτης ἠξίωντο χάριτος ὥσπερ οἱ πάλαι προφῆται καὶ οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οὐδ' οὗτοι κατ' αἴσθησιν ἀδίστακτον ταύτην λαμβάνοντες, μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἀνάστασιν καὶ τὴν τοῦ παναγίου πνεύματος κατ' αἴσθησιν ἐπιφοίτησιν οὐκ ὀλίγοι καὶ εὐαρίθμητοι, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων ἠξίωτο. διὸ καὶ ὁ κύριος τοῦτο δεικνὺς ὁ πιστεύων φησίν, διὰ τοῦ ἄρθρου σύμπαντας περιλαμβάνων τοὺς πιστούς. 54 Jo 7, 39 Ποῖον πνεῦμα οὔπω ἦν; τῶν μυρίων καὶ ἀενάων χρισμάτων, ὧν ἐπλούτησαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι μετὰ τὴν διὰ γλωσσῶν ἐπιφοίτησιν καὶ διανομήν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ προφήταις ἐνεργεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ἀέναον, ἀλλ' ἕν που ἢ δύο τῶν σημείων κατά τινος καιροῦ ἐνεργοῦντες ἐπαύοντο, οἱ δὲ ἀπόστολοι διὰ βίου τὰ τέρατα ἐπεδαψιλεύοντο ὥσπερ ἀπό τινος πηγῆς ἀειβλύστου προχέοντες τὰ θαυμάσια καὶ οὐ καθ' ἓν εἶδος, ἀλλ' ἅμα τε ξένοις ἐλάλουν γλώσσαις οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ ἡρμήνευον ἀνιστάντες νεκροὺς καὶ προεφήτευον καὶ ἄλλα μυρία ὧν ἡ συνδρομὴ ἐπ' οὐδενὸς ὤφθη τῶν προφητῶν καὶ οὔπω τὸ μεῖζον· οὐ γὰρ αὐτοὶ ἐθαυματούργουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρους τὰ ἴσα τερατουργεῖν ἐθεούργουν· ἡ γὰρ τοιαύτη τοῦ παναγίου πνεύματος δύναμις καὶ χάρις οὔπω ἦν ἀνθρώποις κεχαρισμένη. 55 Jo 8, 14 Ἐπειδὴ πρότερον ἀλλαχοῦ ἔφη, ὅτι ἄλλος ἐστὶν ὁ μαρτυρῶν περὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ παρήγαγεν τὸν Ἰωάννην καὶ τῶν ἔργων τὸ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν διὰ τῆς φωνῆς καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος μαρτυρίαν, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἐκεῖσέ φησιν, νῦν δεσποτικώτερον καὶ θεοπρεπέστερον αὐτοῖς ἀποκρίνεται ἀνακαλύπτων τὴν ἐξουσίαν καὶ θεότητα αὐτοῦ· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ἐμή, φησίν, μαρτυρία ὥσπερ ἡ ὑμετέρα, ἀλλὰ θεϊκὴ καὶ μηδὲ σκιὰν παραδεχομένη ψεύδους. κἀκεῖ μὲν μάρτυρας παράγει συγκαταβαίνων αὐτοῖς καὶ δι' ὧν ἦν καὶ τοὺς φιλονείκους πείθεσθαι, δι' ἐκείνων εἰς τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ πίστιν ἐνάγων αὐτούς. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔτι ἐνέμενον τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς ἡ πολλὴ συγκατάβασις ὤνησεν, ἅτε δὴ κατεχομένους ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας πωρώσεως, δεσποτικώτερον ἀποφαίνεται νῦν τὴν ἄνοιαν αὐτῶν ἐπιρραπίζων ὡς ἐξουσιαστής. 56 Jo 8, 19 Ἀντὶ τοῦ οὔτε ἐμὲ βούλεσθε εἰδέναι οὔτε τὸν πατέρα μου· εἰ γὰρ ἐμὲ ᾔδειτε, φησίν, βουλόμενοι μαθεῖν, ἔκ τε τῶν θεοσημείων, ὧν ἐπέδειξα ὑμῖν, ἔκ τε τῶν προφητικῶν χρησμῶν, καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου ἐγνώκετε ἄν. ἢ οὔτε ἐμὲ οἴδατε, δι' ὧν τἀναντία τῆς ὀρθῆς πολιτείας αἱρεῖσθε, οὔτε τὸν πατέρα μου· τοῖς αὐτοῖς γὰρ ἐγώ τε κἀκεῖνος ἡδόμεθα. 57 Jo 8, 39-41 Οὐ γὰρ ὅτε τυπικῶς καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀγγελικῶν μορφώσεων τὴν τριάδα ὑπεδέξατο, τὸν μὲν ἐτίμησεν, τοῦ δὲ πρὸς μιαιφονίαν ἠρέθιστο, ἀλλ' ὁμοτίμως τὸ σέβας τῇ τριαδικῇ κυριότητι ἀποδοὺς οὐδὲν τῆς ὁμοουσιότητος οὐδὲ κατὰ διάνοιαν ἐλυμήνατο οὐδὲ ἐστασίασεν τοὺς λογισμοὺς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐν τοῖς τρισὶν ἐξουσίαν βλέπων καὶ δύναμιν. διό φησιν· τοῦτο Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ὑμεῖς δὲ διότι λέγω καὶ εἶπον ὑμῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὅτι ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν δεικνὺς καὶ διδάσκων ὑμᾶς τὸ ὁμοούσιον πατρὸς καὶ ἐμοῦ, ζητεῖτέ με ἀποκτεῖναι. καὶ πάλιν ἐκεῖνος ὁρῶν ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ