Georgius Acropolita, Against the Latins

of a completing nature» certainly so, for by saying from two you have freed us from cares; for the Father and the Son are two, just as the Holy Spirit is also counted with them as a triad. But the two are one and the three are one according to the reasons which we have stated. That which is from two, then, is not from one person or one hypostasis, but truly from two.

2.19 The absurdities, then, which we said follow for those who assert that the Holy Spirit proceeds from two, would also follow for these things; and it will not be sufficient for those who say, "I and the Father are one," to project it as from one, unless they were to accept commingling or confusion. But from there again, "whatever things," he says, "the Father has, the Son also has them"; and in this way the Spirit also has these things. For Christ does not speak of the things divided among the hypostases, but the things that are common and that belong to them equally and connaturally; since, indeed, how is the Son not without beginning or without cause, since the Father is? How is he not unbegotten, since the Father is? How is he not Father, since the Father is? But these things are manifest and familiar even to those who are willing to understand a little of the sacred oracles and according to the reasons by which they were spoken. On account of which I am greatly amazed at those who propose these things for the presentation of their doctrine, whom I would not so much testify know the divine oracles as I would in no way deny that they err voluntarily in the meanings of the sayings; if the first is the case, I consider them most wretched, since, presupposing that these things are established unshakably through what seem to them to be the firm words of Christ, they have chosen to stumble upon the rock, on which their counsels will be both dashed and shattered; but if the second, I would not so much censure them, but would advise them to go to teachers, from whom they will learn the necessities of proofs and will not be improperly disposed toward knowledge. For these sayings, which Christ spoke concerning himself and the Father, if someone, with few exceptions, were to suppose that the Spirit descending in us also said them, would he on account of this be able to say that the Son is begotten from him, such as "I and the Projector are one," and "whatever things this one has, I also have," and "he who has seen me has seen that one," and such things? But these things, showing the sameness of substance in every respect, would all fit the Spirit, but he would not on account of these things fall away from his own particularity.

2.20 But again that which has been said by some troubles you, that the Son is the image of the Father, and the Holy Spirit of the Son, and from this you are compelled to say that it proceeds also from the Son. I myself would have wished for this very thing, if the necessary conclusion appeared from the arguments; but now there is no longer a necessity. For consider: if the Son is the image of the Father because he is Son, and the Spirit is the image of the Son, it will be for no other reason than that he is Son. What absurdity! Do you see where the arguments have led? But if you insist again that the Son is the image of the Father because he is from him, and for this reason the Spirit is also from the Son, since he is and is called his image, you have freed us from care by saying such a thing. But do you know that "from him" is different in both cases, even according to your own hypotheses? For in the one case he is from him, but by generation; in the other case he is from him, but by procession. How then will the sameness of the image be preserved in different properties? Perhaps, then, the images are not understood according to such reasonings by those who write the more divine things, but there is some other reason why such things have been said. For the Son would be the natural image of the Father as a consubstantial and co-working power, setting before us the Father's characteristics from himself, in which, having assumed flesh, he conversed with us, just as he himself, arranging divine things in later times, had said to Philip: "He who has seen me has seen the Father". If you take the image of the Spirit according to such reasons, you will find it completely harmonious. For since after the departure of the Son from hence, or his restoration to the first state, from which he was emptied without separation, the Paraclete has come down, of the same

φύσιν τελούντων» πάνυ γε, ἐκ δυοῖν γὰρ εἰπὼν ἀπήλλαξας φροντίδων ἡμᾶς· δύο γάρ εἰσιν ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ὁ υἱός, ὥσπερ τριάς τε τούτοις συνα ριθμεῖται καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἓν τὰ δύο καὶ τὰ τρία ἓν κατὰ λόγους οὕσπερ εἰρήκαμεν. ὃ γοῦν ἐκ δυοῖν, οὐκ ἐξ ἑνὸς προσώπου ἢ μιᾶς ὑποστάσεως, ἀλλ' ἐκ δυοῖν ἀληθῶς.

2.19 Ἃ γοῦν ἔφημεν ἄτοπα ἕπεσθαι τοῖς ἐκ δύο φάσκουσιν ἐκπορεύεσθαι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ταῦτα ἂν καὶ ἐπὶ του τοισὶν ἕψοιτο· καὶ οὐκ ἀρκέσει τοῖς λέγουσιν «ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν» εἰς τὸ ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς αὐτὸ προβάλλειν, εἰ μὴ τὴν συναλοιφὴν ἢ τὴν σύγχυσιν καταδέξαιντο. ἀλλ' ἐκεῖθεν πάλιν «ὅσα ἂν ἔχῃ» φησὶν «ὁ πατήρ, ἔχει αὐτὰ καὶ ὁ υἱός»· ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ἔσχηκεν οὑτωσί. οὐ γὰρ τὰ ἀπομε μερισμένα ταῖς ὑποστάσεσίν φησιν ὁ Χριστός, ἀλλὰ τὰ κοινὰ καὶ τὰ συνόντα τούτοις ὁμοτίμως καὶ συμφυῶς· ἐπεί τοί γε πῶς οὐκ ἄναρχος ἢ ἀναίτιος ὁ υἱός, ἐπείπερ ἐστὶν ὁ πατήρ; πῶς οὐκ ἀγέννητος, ὅτιπερ ὁ πατήρ; πῶς οὐ πατήρ, ἐπεὶ ὁ πατήρ; ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἔκδηλα καὶ τοῖς μικρὸν ἐπαΐειν τῶν ἱερῶν λογίων ἐθέλουσι καὶ καθ' οὓς ἂν λόγους εἴρηνται γνώριμα. ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ τεθαύμακα πάνυ τοὺς ταῦτα προ βάλλοντας πρὸς τὴν τῆς δόξης τούτων παράστασιν, οὓς οὐ τοσοῦτον εἰδέναι τὰ τῶν θείων λογίων διαμαρτυραίμην, ὅσον μηδὲ κατά τι ἀπισχυρίσαιμι, εἴπερ μὴ οὐχ ἑκοντὶ ταῖς τῶν ῥητῶν διανοίαις ἐφαμαρτάνουσιν· οὓς εἰ μὲν τὸ πρῶτον, ἀθλιωτάτους λογίζομαι, ἐπεὶ προϋποτιθέντες ἀσά λευτα διὰ στερρῶν ὡς δοκεῖ τούτοις τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ῥη μάτων ἑδράζειν ταῦτα προῄρηνται καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ πέτρᾳ διὰ ταῦτα προσκρούουσι, ἐφ' ᾗ καὶ ῥαγήσονται καὶ συντριβή σονται σφίσι τὰ διαβούλια· εἰ δὲ τὸ δεύτερον, οὐ τοσοῦτον κακίσαιμι, ἀλλ' ἐς διδασκάλων φοιτῆσαι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς συμ βουλεύσαιμι, ἐξ ὧν τὰ τῶν ἀποδείξεων ἀναγκαῖα μαθή σονται καὶ οὐ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιστήμην διατεθήσονται πλημμε λῶς. ταύτας γὰρ τὰς φωνάς, ἃς ὁ Χριστὸς εἰρήκει περὶ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τοῦ πατρός, ὀλίγων χωρὶς εἰ ὑπόθοιτό τις καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα κατιὸν ἐν ἡμῖν εἰπεῖν, ἄρ' εἶχε διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννᾶσθαι ἐρεῖν τὸν υἱόν, οἷον τὸ «ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ προβολεὺς ἓν ἐσμέν», καὶ «ὅσα ἂν ἔχῃ οὗτος, ἔχω δὴ καὶ αὐτός», καὶ «ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἐκεῖνον ἑώρακε», καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τὸ κατὰ πάντα ταὐτὸν τῆς οὐσίας ἐμφαί νοντα καὶ τῷ πνεύματι πάντα ἁρμόσειε, οὐ μὴν διὰ ταῦτα τῆς ἰδιότητος αὐτοῦ ἀποπέσειεν ἄν.

2.20 Ἀλλὰ πάλιν θροεῖ σε τὸ ὑπό τινων εἰρημένον ὡς εἰκὼν μὲν πατρὸς ὁ υἱός, υἱοῦ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, κἀντεῦθεν ἀναγκάζῃ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ υἱοῦ λέγειν αὐτὸ ἐκπορεύεσθαι. ἐβου λόμην μὲν τουτοῒ καὶ αὐτός, εἰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἐκ τῶν λόγων ἐφαίνετο· ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι ἀνάγκη. σκόπει γάρ· εἰ εἰκὼν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ πατρός, ὅτι υἱός, εἰκὼν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ, οὐκ ἄλλου του ἔσται χάριν ἢ ὅτι υἱός. τῆς ἀτοπίας! ὁρᾷς ὅπῃ τὰ τῶν λόγων προέβη; εἰ δὲ καὶ αὖθις διισχυρίζῃ, ὡς ὁ υἱὸς εἰκὼν τοῦ πατρός, ὅτιπερ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ υἱοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα, ἐπείπερ εἰκὼν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔστι καὶ λέγεται, ἀπήλλαξας φροντίδος ἡμᾶς τὸ τοιοῦτον εἰπών. ἀλλ' οἶσθα ὡς τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ διάφορον ἐν ἀμφοῖν καὶ κατὰ τὰς σὰς ὑποθέσεις; ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ γεννητῶς, ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐκπορευτῶς. πῶς οὖν ἡ ταυτό της τῆς εἰκόνος ἐν διαφόροις φυλαχθήσεται ἰδιώμασι; μήποτε ἄρα οὐ κατὰ τοὺς τοιούτους λόγους αἱ εἰκόνες παραλαμβά νονται τοῖς γράφουσι τὰ θειότερα, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἄλλο τι διὸ τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ λέλεκται. εἰκὼν μὲν γὰρ εἴη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ πατρὸς φυσικὴ ὡς ὁμοούσιος καὶ ὁμοεργὴς δύναμις, τοὺς πατρικοὺς χαρακτῆρας παραθεὶς ἡμῖν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, ἐν οἷς σάρκα προσειληφὼς προσωμίλησε, καθὼς καὶ οὗτος τὰ θεῖα ἐν ὑστέροις διατιθέμενος εἰρήκει πρὸς Φίλιππον· «ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα». εἰ κατὰ τοιούτους λόγους καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα λάβῃς τοῦ πνεύματος, εὑρήσεις πάντη συνᾴδουσαν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν ἐνθένδε τοῦ υἱοῦ ἀναχώρησιν ἢ εἰς τὸ πρῶτον ἀποκατάστασιν, ἐξ ἧς ἀδιαστάτως κεκένωται, ὁ παρά κλητος κατελήλυθε, τῆς αὐτῆς