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

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 beginning of sin. For this reason, we are also punished for involuntary sins. Whence the cause has fled, what entry did the effect have there? 77.1153 Choice, then, simply is a progression toward what is chosen, that is, a self-determined, rational impulse toward what is willed, which is naturally present in every rational being. Again, choice is called the choosing of one thing before another, which comes about after deliberation; then judgement, after which follows the disposition toward what has been judged by deliberation, which is called opinion; the opinion is succeeded by the choice now being indicated, that is, the selection of what has been deemed good. No one in their right mind would speak of such a choice in the case of Christ. For of what counsel was he in need, or of what things that come from counsel, the wonderful counsellor, the wisdom of God the Father? Or how could there be a choice as is in us, in the one who pre-selected the good, as has been witnessed? For Isaiah has proclaimed beforehand, that before he knows or chooses evil, he will choose the good, that is, he would neither know evil at all, nor would he choose it; but he will choose the good from the very beginning. And again: Before the child knows good or evil, he disobeys wickedness, so as to choose the good. That is, before all knowledge, the child in extreme infancy, being disobedient and unwavering toward evil, will make the good his own; but the phrase, before he knows, is spoken according to appearance. For when was the child not knowing, in whom are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge, revealed at the proper times as far as was needed? Such also is Jesus’ progressing in wisdom and grace with his age, that is, according to appearance. For there was an increase of age, as the body grew naturally; but of the first and highest wisdom and grace there was not an increase, but a timely manifestation. Therefore Christ, being God united to the human substance hypostatically, was good as God. And as man he also had by his own power the good that is according to nature. For just as evil and sin are contrary to nature, so indeed the good and virtue are according to nature. For this reason sin also received such a name, as a failure of the good which is according to nature.

CHAPTER 16.

The angels, then, are said to be and are slow to move toward evil, being helped by their attendance on God and by the continuous illumination from thence; but the soul of the Lord was completely immovable toward evil, having God the Word himself in itself; not by relation, but by union. And it indeed exercised the leadership of the body; but God the Word was its leader, as it followed him of its own power and greatly desired the fulfillment of his divine will because of its exceeding holiness. Wherefore also the Lord, praying to his own Father in the 77.1156 time of his passion as a man, said: Not as I will, but as you; your will be done. For this is the word of the Lord's soul, which knew one will of the God Word united to it and of the Father. The Master, therefore, had the things of the servants, for the sake of the servants; but beyond the servants. For he was Master, even if he took the form of a servant. He hungered in truth, as we do, he thirsted, he endured drowsiness, he was weary, he was grieving, weeping, fearing, agonizing, but voluntarily, when he himself willing allowed his own humanity to do its own blamelessly. This is beyond us. Again he ate, he drank,

προαιρέσεως τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν, ἢ καὶ παρὰ προαίρεσιν ἐξ ἀπροσεξίας ἡμῖν ἐπιγίνεται. Μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἀπρόσεκτον ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν, ἢ τέως γοῦν ἁμαρτίας ἀρχή. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο, καὶ τῶν ἀκουσίων ἁμαρτημάτων εἰσπραττόμεθα δίκας. Ὅθεν δ' ἀπέδρα τὸ αἴτιον, ποίαν ἐκεῖ τὸ αἰτιατὸν 77.1153 εἶχε παρείσδυσιν; Προαίρεσις μὲν οὖν ἁπλῶς ἐστι, πρόοδος πρὸς τὸ αἱρετὸν, ἤγουν αὐτεξούσιος ἔλλογος ὁρμὴ πρὸς τὸ θελητὸν, ἥτις πρόσεστι κατὰ φύσιν παντὶ λογικῷ. Προαίρεσις λέγεται πάλιν, ἡ πρὸ ἑτέρου αἵρεσις, ἥτις γίνεται βουλῆς προηγησαμένης· εἶτα κρίσεως, μεθ' ἣν ἡ πρὸς τὸ ἐκ βουλῆς κριθὲν διάθεσις ἕπεται, καὶ λέγεται γνώμη· τὴν γνώμην, ἡ νῦν δηλουμένη προαίρεσις, εἴτουν ἡ ἐπιλογὴ τοῦ δόξαντος καλοῦ, διαδέχεται. Τὴν τοιαύτην προαίρεσιν οὐκ ἂν εἴποι τις εὐφρονῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ποίας γὰρ ἦν βουλῆς ἐνδεὴς, ἢ τίνος τῶν ἐκ βουλῆς, ὁ θαυμαστὸς σύμβουλος, ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός; ἢ πῶς ἂν προαίρεσις ἡ ἐν ἡμῖν, τῷ προεκλεξαμένῳ τὸ ἀγαθὸν, καθὼς μεμαρτύρηται; Καὶ γὰρ Ἡσαΐας προανακέκραγεν, ὅτι πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι αὐτὸν, ἢ προελέσθαι πονηρὰ, ἐκλέξεται τὸ ἀγαθὸν, τουτέστιν, οὔτ' ἂν γνοίη πονηρὰ συνόλως οὗτος, οὔτ' ἂν προέλοιτο· τὸ δὲ ἀγαθὸν ἐκ πρώτης ἀρχῆς ἐκλέξεται. Καὶ αὖθις· Πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι τὸ παιδίον ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακὸν, ἀπειθεῖ πονηρίᾳ, τοῦ ἐκλέξασθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν. Ἤγουν πρὸ πάσης γνώσεως τὸ παιδίον ἐν ἄκρᾳ νηπιότητι πρὸς τὸ πονηρὸν ἀπειθῶς ἔχον καὶ ἀῤῥεπῶς, τὸ ἀγαθὸν οἰκειώσεται· τὸ δὲ, πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι, κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον εἴρηται. Πότε γὰρ ἦν μὴ γινῶσκον τὸ παιδίον, ἐν ᾧ πάντες οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι καταλλήλοις καιροῖς ἐφ' ὅσον ἐχρῆν φανερούμενοι; Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ σοφίᾳ καὶ χάριτι προκόπτειν μετὰ τῆς ἡλικίας τὸν Ἰησοῦν, κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον δηλαδή. Τῆς μὲν γὰρ ἡλικίας ἐπίδοσις ἦν, αὐξουμένου τοῦ σώματος φυσικῶς· καὶ σοφίας δὲ καὶ χάριτος τῶν πρωτίστων καὶ ἀκροτάτων οὐκ ἐπίδοσις, ἀλλὰ φανέρωσις εὔκαιρος. Τοιγαροῦν ὁ Χριστὸς, Θεὸς ὢν ἡνωμένος τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ οὐσίᾳ καθ' ὑπόστασιν, ἦν ἀγαθὸς ὡς Θεός. Εἶχε δὲ καὶ ὡς ἄνθρωπος αὐτεξουσίως τὸ ἀγαθὸν κατὰ φύσιν ὄν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ κακὸν καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία παρὰ φύσιν, οὕτω δὴ τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ κατὰ φύσιν ἐστί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία τὴν τοιαύτην ἔσχε προσηγορίαν, ὡς ἀποτυχία τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἀγαθοῦ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ιϛςʹ.

Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄγγελοι, δυσκίνητοι πρὸς τὸ κακὸν καὶ λέγονται καὶ εἰσὶ, τῇ πρὸς Θεὸν προσεδρείᾳ καὶ τῇ ἐκεῖθεν ἐλλάμψει τῇ συνεχεῖ βοηθούμενοι· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Κυρίου ψυχὴ παντελῶς πρὸς τὸ κακὸν ἀκίνητος ἦν, αὐτὸν ἔχουσα τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον ἐν ἑαυτῇ· οὐ κατὰ σχέσιν, ἀλλὰ καθ' ἕνωσιν. Καὶ ἡ μὲν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐνήργει τοῦ σώματος· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς Λόγος ἦν αὐτῆς ἡγεμὼν, αὐτεξουσίως ἑπομένης αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν τοῦ θείου θελήματος αὐτοῦ καὶ λίαν ἐπιποθούσης ἐκπλήρωσιν τῷ τῆς ἁγιότητος ὑπερβάλλοντι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Κύριος πρὸς τὸν αὑτοῦ Πατέρα προσευχόμενος ἐν τῷ 77.1156 καιρῷ τοῦ πάθους ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἔλεγεν· Οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω, ἀλλ' ὡς σύ· γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου. Καὶ γὰρ οὗτος ὁ λόγος τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ψυχῆς ἒν εἰδυίας θέλημα τοῦ ἡνωμένου ταύτῃ Θεοῦ Λόγου καὶ τοῦ Πατρός. Εἶχε μὲν οὖν ὁ ∆εσπότης τὰ τῶν δούλων, διὰ τοὺς δούλους· ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοὺς δούλους. ∆εσπότης γὰρ ἦν, εἰ καὶ δούλου εἴληφε μορφήν. Ἐπείνα κατὰ ἀλήθειαν, ὡς ἡμεῖς, ἐδίψα, νυσταγμὸν ἔφερε, κοπιῶν ἦν, λυπούμενος ἦν, δακρύων, δειλιῶν, ἀγωνιῶν, ἀλλ' ἑκουσίως, ὅτε θέλων αὐτὸς ἐνεδίδου τῇ αὑτοῦ ἀνθρωπότητι τὸ ἴδιον ἀμέμπτως ποιεῖν. Τοῦτο ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς. Πάλιν ἤσθιεν, ἔπινεν,