Lecture XVI.

On the Article, And in One Holy Ghost, the Comforter, Which Spake in the Prophets.

1 Corinthians xii. 1, 4

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.…Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, &c.

1. Spiritual in truth is the grace we need, in order to discourse concerning the Holy Spirit; not that we may speak what is worthy of Him, for this is impossible, but that by speaking the words of the divine Scriptures, we may run our course without danger. For a truly fearful thing is written in the Gospels, where Christ has plainly said,  Whosoever shall speak a word against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come   1  Matt. xii. 32. . And there is often fear, lest a man should receive this condemnation, through speaking what he ought not concerning Him, either from ignorance, or from supposed reverence. The Judge of quick and dead, Jesus Christ, declared that he hath no forgiveness; if therefore any man offend, what hope has he?

2. It must therefore belong to Jesus Christ’s grace itself to grant both to us to speak without deficiency, and to you to hear with discretion; for discretion is needful not to them only who speak, but also to them that hear, lest they hear one thing, and misconceive another in their mind. Let us then speak concerning the Holy Ghost nothing but what is written; and whatsoever is not written, let us not busy ourselves about it. The Holy Ghost Himself spoke the Scriptures; He has also spoken concerning Himself as much as He pleased, or as much as we could receive. Let us therefore speak those things which He has said; for whatsoever He has not said, we dare not say.

3. There is One Only Holy Ghost, the Comforter; and as there is One God the Father, and no second Father;—and as there is One Only-begotten Son and Word of God, who hath no brother;—so is there One Only Holy Ghost, and no second spirit equal in-honour to Him. Now the Holy Ghost is a Power most mighty, a Being divine and unsearchable; for He is living and intelligent, a sanctifying principle of all things made by God through Christ. He it is who illuminates the souls of the just; He was in the Prophets, He was also in the Apostles in the New Testament. Abhorred be they who dare to separate the operation of the Holy Ghost! There is One God, the Father, Lord of the Old and of the New Testament: and One Lord, Jesus Christ, who was prophesied of in the Old Testament, and came in the New; and One Holy Ghost, who through the Prophets preached of Christ, and when Christ was come, descended, and manifested Him  2  At the end of this section there follows in the Coislin ms. a long interpolation consisting of two parts. The former is an extract taken word for word from Gregory of Nyssa, Oratio Catechetica, ii. c, which may be read in this series: ᾽Αλλ᾽ ὡς Θεοῦ Λόγον ἀκούσαντες .…σύνδρομον ἔχουσαν τῇ βουλήσει τὴν δύναμιν. Of the second passage the Benedictine Editor says: “I have not been able to discover who is the author. No one can assign it to our Cyril, although the doctrine it contains is in full agreement with his: but he explains all the same points more at large in his two Lectures (xvi. xvii.). The passage is very ancient and undoubtedly older than the eleventh century, which is the date of the Cod. Coislin. Therefore in the controversy of the Latins against the Greeks concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost it is important to notice what is taught in this passage, and also brought forward as a testimony by S. Thomas (Aquinas), that “The Holy Ghost is of the Godhead of the Father and the Son (ex Patris et Filii divinitate existere).” To me indeed these words seem to savour altogether not of the later but of the more ancient theology of the Greeks, and to be earlier than the controversies of the Greeks against the Latins.” This second passage is as follows:— “For the Spirit of God is good. And Thy good Spirit, says David, shall lead me in the land of righteousness. This then is the Spirit of God in which we believe: the blessed Spirit, the eternal, immutable, unchangeable, ineffable: which rules and reigns over all productive being, both visible and invisible natures: which is Lord both of Angels and Archangels, Powers, Principalities, Dominions, Thrones: the Creator of all being, enthroned with the glory of the Father and the Son, reigning without beginning and without end with the Father and the Son, before the created substances: Who sanctifies the ministering spirits sent forth for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation: Who came down upon the holy and blessed Virgin Mary, of whom was born Christ according to the flesh; came down also upon the Lord Himself in bodily form of a dove in the river Jordan: Who came upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost in form of fiery tongues; Who gives and supplies all spiritual gifts in the Church, Who Proceedeth from the Father: Who is of the Godhead of the Father and the Son; Who is of one substance with the Father and the Son, inseparable and indivisible.” .

4. Let no one therefore separate the Old from the New Testament  3  Cf. Cat. iv. 33; vii. 6. Irenæus, Hæres. III. xxi. 4; IV. ix. 1. In Eusebius, E.H. V. 13, Rhodon says that Apelles attributed the prophecies to an adverse spirit and rejected them as false and self-contradictory. Similar blasphemies against the holy Prophets are imputed to Manes by Epiphanius (Hæres. lxvi. 30). ; let no one say that the Spirit in the former is one, and in the latter another; since thus he offends against the Holy Ghost Himself, who with the Father and the Son together is honoured, and at the time of Holy Baptism is included with them in the Holy Trinity. For the Only-begotten Son of God said plainly to the Apostles,  Go ye, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost   4  Matt. xxviii. 19. The same text is used with much force by S. Basil (De Spir. S. cap. xxiv.). . Our hope is in Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost. We preach not three Gods  5  Cat. xi. 4, note 3. See Newman’s notes on Athanasius, Contra Arian. Or. I. viii. 1; Ib. Or. III. xxv. 9; Ib. xxvii. 3. Marcion’s doctrine of three first principles (τριῶν ἀρχῶν λόγος) is discussed by Epiphanius (Hæres. xlii. 6, 7). See also Tertull. Contra Marcion. I. 15; Euseb. Hist. Eccles. V. 13. ; let the Marcionites be silenced; but with the Holy Ghost through One Son, we preach One God. The Faith is indivisible; the worship inseparable. We neither separate the Holy Trinity, like some; nor do we as Sabellius work confusion.  6  συναλοιφήν, iv. 8; xi. 16; xv. 9. But we know according to godliness One Father, who sent His Son to be our Saviour; we know One Son, who promised that He would send the Comforter from the Father; we know the Holy Ghost, who spake in the Prophets, and who on the day of Pentecost descended on the Apostles in the form of fiery tongues, here, in Jerusalem, in the Upper Church of the Apostles  7  Cat. xvii. 13. Epiphanius (De Mensuris et Ponder. c. 14): “And he (Hadrian) found the city all levelled to the ground, except a few houses, and the Church of God which was small: where the Disciples, on their return after the Saviour was taken up from the Mount of Olives, went up into the upper chamber: for there it had been built, that is on Sion.” Cf. Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, c. xiv. 3: “Within the precincts of that Mosque (of the Tomb of David) is a vaulted Gothic chamber, which contains within its four walls a greater confluence of traditions than any other place of like dimensions in Palestine. It is startling to hear that this is the scene of the Last Supper, of the meeting after the Resurrection, of the miracle of Pentecost, of the residence and death of the Virgin, of the burial of Stephen.” ; for in all things the choicest privileges are with us. Here Christ came down from heaven; here the Holy Ghost came down from heaven. And in truth it were most fitting, that as we discourse concerning Christ and Golgotha here in Golgotha, so also we should speak concerning the Holy Ghost in the Upper Church; yet since He who descended there jointly partakes of the glory of Him who was crucified here, we here speak concerning Him also who descended there: for their worship is indivisible.

5. We would now say somewhat concerning the Holy Ghost; not to declare His substance with exactness, for this were impossible; but to speak of the diverse mistakes of some concerning him, lest from ignorance we should fall into them; and to block up the paths of error, that we may journey on the King’s one highway. And if we now for caution’s sake repeat any statement of the heretics, let it recoil on their heads, and may we be guiltless, both we who speak, and ye who hear.

6. For the heretics, who are most profane in all things, have  sharpened their tongue  8  Ps. cxl. 3. against the Holy Ghost also, and have dared to utter impious things; as Irenæus the interpreter has written in his injunctions against heresies  9  Irenæus is called “the interpreter” in the same general sense as other ecclesiastical authors (Cat. xiii. 21; xv. 20), on account of his frequent comments upon the Scriptures. The full title of his work was A Refutation and Subversion of Knowledge falsely so called (Euseb. Hist. Eccles. V. c. 7). Cyril’s expression (ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασι) is sufficiently appropriate to the hortatory purpose professed by Irenæus in his preface. But the Benedictine Editor thinks that the word προστάγμασι may be an interpolation arising from the following words πρὸς τὰς.…The meaning would then be “in his writings Against Heresies,” the usual short title of the work. . For some of them have dared to say that they were themselves the Holy Ghost;—of whom the first was Simon  10  Cat. vi. 14, note 10. , the sorcerer spoken of in the Acts of the Apostles; for when he was cast out, he presumed to teach such doctrines: and they who are called Gnostics, impious men, have spoken other things against the Spirit  11  Irenæus (I. xxix § 4; xxx. § 1). , and the wicked Valentinians  12  Ib. I. ii. §§ 5, 6. again something else; and the profane Manes dared to call himself the Paraclete sent by Christ  13  Cat. vi. 25. . Others again have taught that the Spirit is different in the Prophets and in the New Testament.  14  Cat. iv. 33. See § 3, note 3, above. Yea, and great is their error, or rather their blasphemy. Such therefore abhor, and flee from them who blaspheme the Holy Ghost, and have no forgiveness. For what fellowship hast thou with the desperate, thou, who art now to be baptized, into the Holy Ghost also  15  i.e. as well as into the Father and the Son. ? If he who attaches himself to a thief, and consenteth with him, is subject to punishment, what hope shall he have, who offends against the Holy Ghost?

7. Let the Marcionists also be abhorred, who tear away from the New Testament the sayings of the Old  16  See Dict. Christ. Biography, Marcion, p. 283; and Tertullian (Adv. Marcion. IV. 6): “His whole aim centres in this that he may establish a diversity between the Old and New Testaments, so that his own Christ may be separate from the Creator, as belonging to the rival god, and as alien from the Law and the Prophets. . For Marcion first, that most impious of men, who first asserted three Gods  17  Cf. § 4, note 5, above. , knowing that in the New Testament are contained testimonies of the Prophets concerning Christ, cut out the testimonies taken from the Old Testament, that the King might be left without witness. Abhor those above-mentioned Gnostics, men of knowledge by name, but fraught with ignorance; who have dared to say such things of the Holy Ghost as I dare not repeat.

8. Let the Cataphrygians  18  Phrygians, or Cataphrygians (οἱ κατὰ φρύγας) was the name given to the followers of the Phrygian Montanus. See the account of Montanism in Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. V. xvi., and the note there in this Series. also be thy abhorrence, and Montanus, their ringleader in evil, and his two so-called prophetesses, Maximilla and Priscilla. For this Montanus, who was out of his mind and really mad (for he would not have said such things, had he not been mad), dared to say that he was himself the Holy Ghost,—he, miserable man, and filled with all uncleanness and lasciviousness; for it suffices but to hint at this, out of respect for the women who are present. And having taken possession of Pepuza, a very small hamlet of Phrygia, he falsely named it Jerusalem; and cutting the throats of wretched little children, and chopping them up into unholy food, for the purpose of their so-called mysteries  19  The charges of lust and cruelty brought against the Montanists by Cyril and Epiphanius (Hær 48) seem to rest on no trustworthy evidence, and are not mentioned by Eusebius, a bitter foe to the sect. ,—(wherefore till but lately in the time of persecution we were suspected of doing this, because these Montanists were called, falsely indeed, by the common name of Christians;)—yet he dared to call himself the Holy Ghost, filled as he was with all impiety and inhuman cruelty, and condemned by an irrevocable sentence.

9. And he was seconded, as was said before, by that most impious Manes also, who combined what was bad in every heresy  20  On Manes, see Cat. vi. 20. ff. ; who being the very lowest pit of destruction, collected the doctrines of all the heretics, and wrought out and taught a yet more novel error, and dared to say that he himself was the Comforter, whom Christ promised to send. But the Saviour when He promised Him, said to the Apostles,  But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high  21  Luke xxiv. 49. . What then? did the Apostles who had been dead two hundred years, wait for Manes,  until they should be endued with the power ; and will any dare to say, that they were not forthwith full of the Holy Ghost? Moreover it is written,  Then they laid their hands on and they received the Holy Ghost  22  Acts viii. 17. ; was not this before Manes, yea, many years before, when the Holy Ghost descended on the day of Pentecost?

10. Wherefore was Simon the sorcerer condemned? Was it not that he came to the Apostles, and said,  Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost ? For he said not, “Give me also the fellowship of the Holy Ghost,” but “Give me the power;” that he might sell to others that which could not be sold, and which he did not himself possess. He offered money also to them who had no possessions  23  Acts viii. 19. ἀκτήμοσι. Cf. § 19: ἀκτημονοῦσι, and § 22: ἀκτημοσύνην. ; and this, though he saw men bringing the prices of the things sold, and laying them at the Apostles’ feet. And he considered not that they who trod under foot the wealth which was brought for the maintenance of the poor, were not likely to give the power of the Holy Ghost for a bribe. But what say they to Simon?  Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought to purchase the gift of God with money  24  Ib. v. 20. ; for thou art a second Judas, for expecting to buy the grace of the Spirit with money. If then Simon, for wishing to get this power for a price, is to  perish , how great is the impiety of Manes, who said that he was the Holy Ghost? Let us hate them who are worthy of hatred; let us turn away from them from whom God turns away; let us also ourselves say unto God with all boldness concerning all heretics,  Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee, and am not I grieved with Thine enemies  25  Ps. cxxxix. 21. ? For there is also an enmity which is right, according as it is written,  I will put enmity between thee and her seed  26  Gen. iii. 15. ; for friendship with the serpent works enmity with God, and death.

11. Let then thus much suffice concerning those outcasts; and now let us return to the divine Scriptures, and let us  drink waters out of our own cisterns [that is, the holy Fathers  27  The words ἁγίων πατέρων are not found in the mss. Mon. 1. Mon. 2. Vind. Roe. Casaub. nor in Grodecq. Whether meant to refer, as the Benedictine Editor thinks, to the writers of the Old Testament, or to Christian authors, they are an evident gloss. ],  and out of our own springing wells  28  Prov. v. 15. . Drink we of  living water, springing up into everlasting life  29  John iv. 14, quoted more fully at the end of the section. ;  but this spake the Saviour  of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive  30  Ib. vii. 38, 39. . For observe what He says,  He that believeth on Me (not simply this, but),  as the Scripture hath said (thus He hath sent thee back to the Old Testament),  out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water , not rivers perceived by sense, and merely watering the earth with its thorns and trees, but bringing souls to the light. And in another place He says,  But the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of living water springing up  into everlasting life ,—a new kind of water living and springing up, springing up unto them who are worthy.

12. And why did He call the grace of the Spirit water? Because by water all things subsist; because water brings forth grass and living things; because the water of the showers comes down from heaven; because it comes down one in form, but works in many forms. For one fountain watereth the whole of Paradise, and one and the same rain comes down upon all the world, yet it becomes white in the lily, and red in the rose, and purple in violets and hyacinths, and different and varied in each several kind: so it is one in the palm-tree, and another in the vine, and all in all things; and yet is one in nature, not diverse from itself; for the rain does not change itself, and come down first as one thing, then as another, but adapting itself to the constitution of each thing which receives it, it becomes to each what is suitable  31  Compare a similar passage on rain in Cat. ix. 9, 10. . Thus also the Holy Ghost, being one, and of one nature, and indivisible, divides to each His grace,  according as He will  32  1 Cor. xii. 11. : and as the dry tree, after partaking of water, puts forth shoots, so also the soul in sin, when it has been through repentance made worthy of the Holy Ghost, brings forth clusters of righteousness. And though He is One in nature, yet many are the virtues which by the will of God and in the Name of Christ He works. For He employs the tongue of one man for wisdom; the soul of another He enlightens by Prophecy; to another He gives power to drive away devils; to another He gives to interpret the divine Scriptures. He strengthens one man’s self-command; He teaches another the way to give alms; another He teaches to fast and discipline himself; another He teaches to despise the things of the body; another He trains for martyrdom: diverse in different men, yet not diverse from Himself, as it is written,  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healing, in the same Spirit; and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; and to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will   33  Ib. vv. 7–11. .

13. But since concerning spirit in general many diverse things are written in the divine Scriptures, and there is fear lest some out of ignorance fall into confusion, not knowing to what sort of spirit the writing refers; it will be well now to certify you, of what kind the Scripture declares the Holy Spirit to be. For as Aaron is called Christ, and David and Saul and others are called Christs  34  See Cat. x. 11; xi. 1. , but there is only one true Christ, so likewise since the name of spirit is given to different things, it is right to see what is that which is distinctively called the Holy Spirit. For many things are called spirits. Thus an Angel is called spirit, our soul is called spirit, and this wind which is blowing is called spirit; great virtue also is spoken of as spirit; and impure practice is called spirit; and a devil our adversary is called spirit. Beware therefore when thou hearest these things, lest from their having a common name thou mistake one for another. For concerning our soul the Scripture says,  His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return to his earth  35  Ps. cxlvi. 4. : and of the same soul it says again,  Which formeth the spirit of man within him  36  Zech. xii. 1. . And of the Angels it is said in the Psalms,  Who maketh His Angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire  37  Ps. civ. 4. . And of the wind it saith,  Thou shalt break the ships of Tarshish with a violent spirit  38  Ps. xlviii. 7. ; and,  As the tree in the wood is shaken by the spirit  39  Is. vii. 2. ; and,  Fire, hail, snow, ice, spirit of storm  40  Ps. cxlviii. 8. . And of good doctrine the Lord Himself says,  The words that I have spoken unto you, they are spirit  41  John vi. 63. ,  and they are life ; instead of, “are spiritual.” But the Holy Spirit is not pronounced by the tongue; but He is a Living Spirit, who gives wisdom of speech, Himself speaking and discoursing.

14. And wouldest thou know that He discourses and speaks? Philip by revelation of an Angel went down to the way which leads to Gaza, when the Eunuch was coming; and the Spirit said to Philip,  Go near, and join thyself to this chariot  42  Acts viii. 29. . Seest thou the Spirit talking to one who hears Him? Ezekiel also speaks thus,  The Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and said unto me, Thus saith the Lord  43  Ezek. xi. 5. . And again,  The Holy Ghost said   44  Acts xiii. 2. , unto the Apostles who were in Antioch,  Separate me now Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them . Beholdest thou the Spirit living, separating, calling, and with authority sending forth? Paul also said,  Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me  45  Ib. xx. 23. . For this good Sanctifier of the Church, and her Helper, and Teacher, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, of whom the Saviour said,  He shall  teach you all things (and He said not only,  He shall teach , but also,  He shall bring to your remembrance whatever I have said unto you  46  John xiv. 26. ; for the teachings of Christ and of the Holy Ghost are not different, but the same)—He, I say, testified before to Paul what things should befall him, that he might be the more stout-hearted, from knowing them beforehand. Now I have spoken these things unto you because of the text,  The words which I have spoken unto you, they are spirit ; that thou mayest understand this, not of the utterance of the lips  47  Ib. vi. 63. The Holy Spirit is more than words pronounced by the tongue, even than our Lord’s own words, which he called spirit. , but of the good doctrine in this passage.

15. But sin also is called spirit, as I have already said; only in another and opposite sense, as when it is said,  The spirit of whoredom caused them to err  48  Hosea iv. 12. . The name “spirit” is given also to the  unclean spirit , the devil; but with the addition of, “the unclean;” for to each is joined its distinguishing name, to mark its proper nature. If the Scripture speak of the soul of man, it says  the spirit with the addition,  of the man ; if it mean the wind, it says,  spirit of storm ; if sin, it says,  spirit of whoredom ; if the devil, it says,  an unclean spirit : that we may know which particular thing is spoken of, and thou mayest not suppose that it means the Holy Ghost; God forbid! For this name of spirit is common to many things; and every thing which has not a solid body is in a general way called spirit  49  Origen, de Principiis, i. § 2: “It is the custom of Holy Scripture, when it would designate anything contrary to this more dense and solid body, to call it spirit.” . Since, therefore, the devils have not such bodies, they are called spirits: but there is a great difference; for the unclean devil, when he comes upon a man’s soul (may the Lord deliver from him every soul of those who hear me, and of those who are not present), he comes like a wolf upon a sheep, ravening for blood, and ready to devour. His coming is most fierce; the sense of it most oppressive; the mind becomes darkened; his attack is an injustice also, and so is his usurpation of another’s possession. For he makes forcible use of another’s body, and another’s instruments, as if they were his own; he throws down him who stands upright (for he is akin to him who  fell from heaven  50  Luke x. 18. ); he twists the tongue and distorts the lips; foam comes instead of words; the man is filled with darkness; his eye is open, yet the soul sees not through it; and the miserable man gasps convulsively at the point of death. The devils are verily foes of men, using them foully and mercilessly.

16. Such is not the Holy Ghost; God forbid! For His doings tend the contrary way, towards what is good and salutary. First, His coming is gentle; the perception of Him is fragrant; His burden most light; beams of light and knowledge gleam forth before His coming  51  In this contrast between the evil spirit and the Spirit of God Cyril’s language rises to true eloquence, far surpassing a somewhat similar description, which may have been known to him, in Euseb. Dem. Evang. V. 132. . He comes with the bowels of a true guardian: for He comes to save, and to heal, to teach, to admonish, to strengthen, to exhort, to enlighten the mind, first of him who receives Him, and afterwards of others also, through him. And as a man, who being previously in darkness then suddenly beholds the sun, is enlightened in his bodily sight, and sees plainly things which he saw not, so likewise he to whom the Holy Ghost is vouchsafed, is enlightened in his soul, and sees things beyond man’s sight, which he knew not; his body is on earth, yet his soul mirrors forth the heavens. He sees, like Esaias,  the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up  52  Is. vi. 1. ; he sees, like Ezekiel,  Him who is above the Cherubim  53  Ezek. x. 1. ; he sees like Daniel,  ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands  54  Dan. vii. 10. ; and the man, who is so little, beholds the beginning of the world, and knows the end of the world, and the times intervening, and the successions of kings,—things which he never learned: for the True Enlightener is present with him. The man is within the walls of a house; yet the power of his knowledge reaches far and wide, and he sees even what other men are doing.

17. Peter was not with Ananias and Sapphira when they sold their possessions, but he was present by the Spirit;  Why , he says,  hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost  55  Acts v. 3. ? There was no accuser; there was no witness; whence knew he what had happened?  Whiles it remained was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart   56  Ib. v. 4. ? The  unlettered   57  Ib. iv. 13. Peter, through the grace of the Spirit, learnt what not even the wise men of the Greeks had known. Thou hast the like in the case also of Elisseus. For when he had freely healed the leprosy of Naaman, Gehazi received the reward, the reward of another’s achievement; and he took the money from Naaman, and bestowed it in a dark place. But the  darkness is not hidden from the Saints  58  Ps. cxxxix. 12. . And when he came, Elisseus asked him; and like Peter, when he said,  Tell me whether ye  sold the land for so much  59  Acts v. 8. ? he also enquires,  Whence comest thou, Gehazi  60  2 Kings v. 25. ? Not in ignorance, but in sorrow ask I  whence comest thou ? From darkness art thou come, and to darkness shalt thou go; thou hast sold the cure of the leper, and the leprosy is thy heritage. I, he says, have fulfilled the bidding of Him who said to me,  Freely ye have received, freely give  61  Matt. x. 8. ; but thou hast sold this grace; receive now the condition of the sale. But what says Elisseus to him?  Went not mine heart with thee ? I was here shut in by the body, but the spirit which has been given me of God saw even the things afar off, and shewed me plainly what was doing elsewhere. Seest thou how the Holy Ghost not only rids of ignorance, but invests with knowledge? Seest thou how He enlightens men’s souls?

18. Esaias lived nearly a thousand years ago; and he beheld Zion  as a booth . The city was still standing, and beautified with public places, and robed in majesty; yet he says,  Zion shall be ploughed as a field  62  Micah iii. 12; ascribed by Cyril to Isaiah. , foretelling what is now fulfilled in our days  63  Cf. Euseb. Dem. Evang. vi. 13: “In our own time we have seen with our eyes the Sion of old renown being ploughed by Romans with yokes of oxen, and Jerusalem in a state of utter desolation as the oracle itself says, like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers. As Cyril at that time saw the Prophet’s prediction fulfilled, so we also to the present day see most plainly the fulfilment of the divine oracle, and Sion ploughed before our eyes: for except the Church of the Apostles, with the houses lying around it, and the house of Caiaphas and the cemeteries, all the remaining space of this hill, lying without the city, is under plough.” (Jerusalem Editor). . And observe the exactness of the prophecy; for he said,  And the daughter of Zion shall be left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers  64  Isa. i. 8. ὀπωροφυλάκιον is the hut of the watchman who guarded the crop when ripening for harvest. Σικυήλατον is explained by Basil in his comment on the passage of Isaiah as “A place that produces quick-growing and perishable fruits.” This agrees with the etymological sense of the word as “a forcing-bed for cucumbers” (Hippocrates apud Fritzsche, “Der Brief des Jeremia,” v. 70). On the form σικυηράτῳ, see the notes on the Epistle of Jeremy in the Speaker’s Commentary. . And now the place is filled with gardens of cucumbers. Seest thou how the Holy Spirit enlightens the saints? Be not therefore carried away to other things, by the force of a common term, but keep fast the exact meaning.

19. And if ever, while thou hast been sitting here, a thought concerning chastity or virginity has come into thy mind, it has been His teaching. Has not often a maiden, already at the bridal threshold  65  παστάδας. On the meaning of παστάς see the notes on Herodotus, II. 148, 169 in Bähr, and Rawlinson. Here it appears to mean the cloister or colonnade which gave access to the bridal chamber, θάλαμος. , fled away, He teaching her the doctrine of virginity? Has not often a man distinguished at court  66  ἐν παλατίοις. , scorned wealth and rank, under the teaching of the Holy Ghost? Has not often a young man, at the sight of beauty, closed his eyes, and fled from the sight, and escaped the defilement? Askest thou whence this has come to pass? The Holy Ghost taught the soul of the young man. Many ways of covetousness are there in the world; yet Christians refuse possessions: wherefore? because of the teaching of the Holy Ghost. Worthy of honour is in truth that Spirit, holy and good; and fittingly are we baptized into Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. A man, still clothed with a body, wrestles with many fiercest demons; and often the demon, whom many men could not master with iron bands, has been mastered by the man himself with words of prayer, through the power which is in him of the Holy Ghost; and the mere breathing of the Exorcist  67  Compare Procat. § 9; Cat. xx. 3. becomes as fire to that unseen foe. A mighty ally and protector, therefore, have we from God; a great Teacher of the Church, a mighty Champion on our behalf. Let us not be afraid of the demons, nor of the devil; for mightier is He who fighteth for us. Only let us open to Him our doors;  for He goeth about seeking such as are worthy  68  Wisdom vi. 16. Compare the saying in Clem. Alex. Quis dives salvetur? § 31: αὐτὸν ζητεῖν τοὺς εὖ πεισομένους ἀξίους τε ὄντας τοῦ Σωτῆρος μαθητάς. The Jerusalem Editor quotes from Origen (Prolog. in Cantic.) a passage which may have been known to Cyril: “This Comforter therefore goeth about seeking if He may discover any worthy and receptive souls to whom He may reveal the greatness of the love which is in God.” and searching on whom He may confer His gifts.

20. And He is called the Comforter, because He comforts and encourages us, and  helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered   69  Rom. viii. 26. , that is, makes intercession to God. Oftentimes a man for Christ’s sake has been outraged and dishonoured unjustly; martyrdom is at hand; tortures on every side, and fire, and sword, and savage beasts, and the pit. But the Holy Ghost softly whispers to him, “  Wait thou on the Lord  70  Ps. xxviii. 14; xxxvii. 34. , O man; what is now befalling thee is a small matter, the reward will be great. Suffer a little while, and thou shalt be with Angels for ever.  The sufferings of this present time art not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us  71  Rom. viii. 18. .” He portrays to the man the kingdom of heaven; He gives him a glimpse of the paradise of delight; and the martyrs, whose bodily countenances are of necessity turned to their judges, but who in spirit are already in Paradise, despise those hardships which are seen.

21. And wouldest thou be sure that by the power of the Holy Ghost the Martyrs bear their witness? The Saviour says to His disciples,  And when they bring you unto  the synagogues, and the magistrates, and authorities, be not anxious how ye shall answer, or what ye shall say; for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in that very hour, what ye ought to say   72  Luke xii. 11, 12. . For it is impossible to testify as a martyr for Christ’s sake, except a man testify by the Holy Ghost; for if  no man can say that Jesus Christ is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost  73  1 Cor. xii. 3. Μαρτυρῆσαι, “to bear witness by death.” , how shall any man give his own life for Jesus’ sake, but by the Holy Ghost?

22. Great indeed, and all-powerful in gifts, and wonderful, is the Holy Ghost. Consider, how many of you are now sitting here, how many souls of us are present. He is working suitably for each, and being present in the midst, beholds the temper of each, beholds also his reasoning and his conscience, and what we say, and think, and believe  74  Codd. Monac. Vind. Roe. Casaub. add καὶ τί πιστεύομεν. . Great indeed is what I have now said, and yet is it small. For consider, I pray, with mind enlightened by Him, how many Christians there are in all this diocese, and how many in the whole province  75  The terms παροικία, the See of a Bishop, and ἐπαρχία, the Province of a Metropolitan, were both adopted from the corresponding divisions of the Roman Empire. See Bingham, Antt. Book IX. i. §§ 2–6. of Palestine, and carry forward thy mind from this province, to the whole Roman Empire; and after this, consider the whole world; races of Persians, and nations of Indians, Garbs and Sarmatians, Gauls and Spaniards, and Moors, Libyans and Ethiopians, and the rest for whom we have no names; for of many of the nations not even the names have reached us. Consider, I pray, of each nation, Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons, Solitaries, Virgins, and laity besides; and then behold their great Protector, and the Dispenser of their gifts;—how throughout the world He gives to one chastity, to another perpetual virginity, to another almsgiving, to another voluntary poverty, to another power of repelling hostile spirits. And as the light, with one touch of its radiance sheds brightness on all things, so also the Holy Ghost enlightens those who have eyes; for if any from blindness is not vouchsafed His grace, let him not blame the Spirit, but his own unbelief.

23. Thou hast seen His power, which is in all the world; tarry now no longer upon earth, but ascend on high. Ascend, I say, in imagination even unto the first heaven, and behold there so many countless myriads of Angels. Mount up in thy thoughts, if thou canst, yet higher; consider, I pray thee, the Archangels, consider also the Spirits; consider the Virtues, consider the Principalities, consider the Powers, consider the Thrones, consider the Dominions  76  S. Basil (De Spiritu S. c. xvi. § 38), after quoting the same passage, Col. i. 16, proceeds—εἴτε κυριότητες, καὶ εἴ τινές εἰσιν ἕτεραι λογικαὶ φύσεις ἁκατονόμαστοι. The last word shews that Basil had in mind this passage of Cyril, who after the names of nations in § 22, adds καὶ τοὺς λοίπους ἀκατονομάστους ἡμῖν. ;—of all these the Comforter is the Ruler from God, and the Teacher, and the Sanctifier. Of Him Elias has need, and Elisseus, and Esaias, among men; of Him Michael and Gabriel have need among Angels. Naught of things created is equal in honour to Him: for the families of the Angels, and all their hosts assembled together, have no equality with the Holy Ghost. All these the all-excellent power of the Comforter overshadows. And they indeed are sent forth to minister  77  Heb. i. 14. , but He searches even the deep things of God, according as the Apostle says, For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the thing of a man, save the spirit of the man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God  78  1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. .

24. He preached concerning Christ in the Prophets; He wrought in the Apostles; He to this day seals the souls in Baptism. And the Father indeed gives to the Son; and the Son shares with the Holy Ghost. For it is Jesus Himself, not I, who says,  All things are delivered unto Me of My Father  79  Matt. xi. 27. ; and of the Holy Ghost He says,  When He, the Spirit of Truth, shall come , and the rest.…  He shall glorify Me; for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you  80  John xvi. 13, 14. . The Father through the Son, with the Holy Ghost, is the giver of all grace; the gifts of the Father are none other than those of the Son, and those of the Holy Ghost; for there is one Salvation, one Power, one Faith; One God, the Father; One Lord, His only-begotten Son; One Holy Ghost, the Comforter. And it is enough for us to know these things; but inquire not curiously into His nature or substance  81  In regard to the caution with which St. Cyril here speaks, we must remember that the heresy of Macedonius had not yet given occasion to the formal discussion and determination of the “nature and substance” of the Holy Ghost. : for had it been written, we would have spoken of it; what is not written, let us not venture on; it is sufficient for our salvation to know, that there is Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost.

25. This Spirit descended upon the seventy Elders in the days of Moses. (Now let not the length of the discourse, beloved, produce weariness in you: but may He the very subject of our discourse grant strength to every one, both to us who speak, and to you who listen!) This Spirit, as I was saying, came down upon the seventy Elders in the time of Moses; and this I say to thee, that I may now prove, that He knoweth all things, and worketh  as He will  82  1 Cor. xii. 11. . The seventy Elders were chosen;  And the Lord came down in a cloud, and took of the Spirit that was upon Moses, and put it upon the seventy Elders  83  Num. xi. 24, 25. “Modad” is the form of the name in the LXX. ; not that the Spirit was divided, but that His grace was distributed in proportion to the vessels, and the capacity of the recipients. Now there were present sixty and eight, and they prophesied; but Eldad and Modad were not present: therefore that it might be shewn that it was not Moses who bestowed the gift, but the Spirit who wrought, Eldad and Modad, who though called, had not as yet presented themselves, did also prophesy  84  The apocryphal book of Eldad and Modad is mentioned by Hermas, Shepherd, Vis. ii. § 3. S. Basil, Liber de Spir. S. cap. 61, referring to Num. xi. 26, says that the Spirit rested permanently only upon Eldad and Modad. .

26. Jesus the Son of Nun, the successor of Moses, was amazed; and came to him and said, “Hast thou heard that Eldad and Modad are prophesying? They were called, and they came not;  my lord Moses, forbid them  85  Num. xi. 28. .” “I cannot forbid them,” he says, “for this grace is from Heaven; nay, so far am I from forbidding them, that I myself am thankful for it. I think not, however, that thou hast said this in envy;  art thou  jealous for my sake , because that they prophesy, and thou prophesiest not yet? Wait for the proper season;  and oh that all the Lord’s people may be prophets, whenever the Lord shall give His Spirit upon them  86  Num. xi. 29. !” saying this also prophetically,  whenever the Lord shall give ; “For as yet then He has not given it; so thou hast it not yet.”—Had not then Abraham this, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph? And they of old, had they it not? Nay, but the words, “  whenever the Lord shall give ” evidently mean “give it upon all; as yet indeed the grace is partial, then it shall be given lavishly.” And he secretly alluded to what was to happen among us on the day of Pentecost; for He Himself came down among us. He had however also come down upon many before. For it is written,  And Jesus the son of Nun was filled with a spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him  87  Deut. xxxiv. 9. . Thou seest the figure everywhere the same in the Old and New Testament;—in the days of Moses, the Spirit was given by laying on of hands; and by laying on of hands Peter  88  Acts viii. 18. On this passage of Cyril, see the section on “Chrism” in the Introduction. also gives the Spirit. And on thee also, who art about to be baptized, shall His grace come; yet in what manner I say not, for I will not anticipate the proper season.

27. He also came down upon all righteous men and Prophets; Enos, I mean, and Enoch, and Noah, and the rest; upon Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for as regards Joseph, even Pharaoh perceived that he had  the Spirit of God within him  89  Gen. xli. 38. . As to Moses, and the wonderful works wrought by the Spirit in his days, thou hast heard often: This Spirit Job also had, that most enduring man, and all the saints, though we repeat not all their names. He also was sent forth when the Tabernacle was in making, and filled with wisdom the wise-hearted men who were with Bezaleel  90  Ex. xxxi. 1–6; xxxvi. 1. .

28. In the might of this Spirit, as we have it in the Book of Judges, Othniel judged  91  Judges iii. 10. ; Gideon  92  Ib. vi. 34. waxed strong; Jephtha conquered  93  Ib. xi. 29. ; Deborah, a woman, waged war; and Samson, so long as he did righteously, and grieved Him not, wrought deeds above man’s power. And as for Samuel and David, we have it plainly in the Books of the Kingdoms, how by the Holy Ghost they prophesied themselves, and were rulers of the prophets;—and Samuel was called  the Seer  94  1 Sam. ix. 9. ; and David says distinctly,  The Spirit of the Lord spake by me  95  2 Sam. xxiii. 2. , and in the Psalms,  And take not thy Holy Spirit from me  96  Ps. li. 11. , and again,  Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of righteousness  97  Ps. cxliii. 10. . And as we have it in Chronicles, Azariah  98  2 Chron. xv. 1. , in the time of King Asa, and Jahaziel  99  Ib. xx. 14. in the time of King Jehoshaphat, partook of the Holy Ghost; and again, another Azariah, he who was stoned  100  Ib. xxiv. 20, 21. . And Ezra says,  Thou gavest also Thy good Spirit to instruct them  101  Neh. ix. 20. Ezra and Nehemiah form one book “Ezra” in the Hebrew Canon. . But as touching Elias who was taken up, and Elisseus, those inspired  102  πνευματοφόρων, used only twice in the Sept. (Hosea ix. 7; Zeph. iii. 4), and in an unfavourable sense. With Cyril’s use of it compare Theophilus, Ad Autolyc. ii. 9: Θεοῦ ἀνθρώπους πνευματοφόρους Πνεύματος ἁγίου. and wonder-working men, it is manifest, without our saying so, that they were full of the Holy Ghost.

29. And if further a man peruse all the books of the Prophets, both of the Twelve, and of the others, he will find many testimonies concerning. the Holy Ghost; as when Micah says in the person of God,  surely I will perfect power by the Spirit the Lord  103  Mic. iii. 8. ; and Joel cries,  And it shall come to pass afterwards , saith God,  that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh  104  Joel ii. 28. , and the rest; and Haggai,  Because I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts  105  Haggai ii. 4. ; and  My Spirit remaineth in the midst of you  106  Ib. v. 5. ; and in like manner Zechariah,  But receive My words and My statutes which I command by My Spirit, to My servants the Prophets  107  Zech. i. 6. ; and other passages.

30. Esaias too, with his majestic voice, says,  And the Spirit of God shall rest upon Him,  the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and godliness; and the Spirit of the fear of God shall fill Him   108  Is. xi. 2. ; signifying that the Spirit is one and undivided, but His operations various. So again,  Jacob My servant ,…..  I have put My Spirit upon Him  109  Ib. xliv. 1; xlii. 1. . And again,  I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed  110  Ib. xliv. 3. ; and again,  And now the Lord Almighty and His Spirit hath sent Me  111  Ib. xlviii. 16. ; and again,  This is My covenant with them, saith the Lord, My Spirit which is upon thee  112  Is. lix. 21. ; and again,  The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me  113  Is. lxi. 1. , and the rest; and again in his charge against the Jews,  But they rebelled and vexed His Holy Spirit  114  Ib. lxiii. 10. , and  Where is He that put His Holy Spirit within them  115  v. 11. ? Also thou hast in Ezekiel (if thou be not now weary of listening), what has already been quoted,  And the Spirit fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord  116  Ezek. xi. 5. . But the words,  fell upon me we must understand in a good sense, that is “lovingly;” and as Jacob, when he had found Joseph, fell upon his neck; as also in the Gospels, the loving father, on seeing his son who had returned from his wandering,  had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him  117  Gen. xlvi. 29; Luke xv. 20. . And again in Ezekiel,  And he brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldæa, to them of the captivity  118  Ezek. xi. 24. . And other texts thou heardest before, in what was said about Baptism;  Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you  119  Ib. xxxvi. 25; Cat. iii. 16. , and the rest;  a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you  120  Ib. v. 26. ; and then immediately,  And I will put My Spirit within you  121  Ib. v. 27. . And again,  The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord  122  Ezek. xxxvii. 1. .

31. He endued with wisdom the soul of Daniel, that young as he was he should become a judge of Elders. The chaste Susanna was condemned as a wanton; there was none to plead her cause; for who was to deliver her from the rulers? She was led away to death, she was now in the hands of the executioners. But her Helper was at hand, the Comforter, the Spirit who sanctifies every rational nature. Come hither to me, He says to Daniel; young though thou be, convict old men infected with the sins of youth; for it is written,  God raised up the Holy Spirit upon a young stripling  123  Susanna, v. 45. ; and nevertheless, (to pass on quickly,) by the sentence of Daniel that chaste lady was saved. We bring this forward as a testimony; for this is not the season for expounding. Nebuchadnezzar also knew that the Holy Spirit was in Daniel; for he says to him,  O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, of whom I know, that the Holy Spirit of God is in thee  124  Dan. iv. 9. . One thing he said truly, and one falsely; for that he had the Holy Spirit was true, but he was not the  master of the magicians , for he was no magician, but was wise through the Holy Ghost. And before this also, he interpreted to him the vision of the Image, which he who had seen it himself knew not; for he says, Tell me the vision, which I who saw it know not  125  Ib. ii. 26, 31. . Thou seest the power of the Holy Ghost; that which they who saw it, know not, they who saw it not, know and interpret.

32. And indeed it were easy to collect very many texts out of the Old Testament, and to discourse more largely concerning the Holy Ghost. But the time is short; and we must be careful of the proper length of the lecture. Wherefore, being for the present content awhile with passages from the Old Testament, we will, if it be God’s pleasure, proceed in the next Lecture to the remaining texts out of the New Testament. And may the God of peace, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, count all of you worthy of His spiritual and heavenly gifts:—To whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

[16]  Κατήχησις ἑκκαιδεκάτη φωτιζομένων, ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις σχεδιασθεῖσα εἰς τό: καὶ εἰς ἓν ἅγιον πνεῦμα, τὸν παράκλητον, τὸ λαλῆσαν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις. καὶ ἀνάγνωσις ἐκ τῆς πρὸς κορινθίους πρώτης: περὶ δὲ τῶν πνευματικῶν, ἀδελφοί, οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν. καὶ ἑξῆς: διαιρέσεις δὲ χαρισμάτων εἰσί, τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα. καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. 

Πνευματικῆς ἀληθῶς χρεία τῆς χάριτος, ἵνα περὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου διαλεχθῶμεν: οὐχ ἵνα τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν εἴπωμεν, ἀδύνατον γάρ, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν θείων γραφῶν εἰπόντες ἀκινδύνως διέλθωμεν. φόβος γὰρ ἀληθῶς μέγας ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις γέγραπται τοῦ Χριστοῦ σαφῶς εἰρηκότος: ὃς δ' ἂν εἴπῃ λόγον κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ, οὔτε ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. καὶ ἔστι πολλάκις δέος, μή ποτέ τις ἢ ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἢ ἐκ νομιζομένης εὐλαβείας εἰπὼν ὃ μὴ χρὴ περὶ αὐτοῦ λάβῃ τὴν καταδίκην. ὁ κριτὴς ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἀπεφήνατο ὅτι οὐκ ἔχει ἄφεσιν. ἐὰν οὖν τις πταίσῃ, ποίαν ἔχει τὴν ἐλπίδα;

Αὐτῆς οὖν ἂν εἴη τῆς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτος ἔργον τὸ παρασχεῖν καὶ ἡμῖν ἀλείπτως εἰπεῖν καὶ ὑμῖν ἐν συνέσει ἀκούειν. χρεία γὰρ συνέσεως οὐ μόνον τοῖς λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ἵνα μὴ ἄλλα ἀκούοντες ἄλλα παρεκδέχωνται ἐν διανοίᾳ. λεγέσθω τοίνυν ὑφ' ἡμῶν περὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος μόνα τὰ γεγραμμένα. εἰ δέ τι μὴ γέγραπται, μὴ πολυπραγμονῶμεν. αὐτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐλάλησε τὰς γραφάς, αὐτὸ καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ εἴρηκεν ὅσα ἐβούλετο ἢ ὅσα ἐχωροῦμεν. λεγέσθω οὖν ἃ εἴρηκεν. ὅσα γὰρ οὐκ εἴρηκεν, ἡμεῖς οὐ τολμῶμεν.

Ἕν ἐστι μόνον τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ὁ παράκλητος. καὶ ὥσπερ εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ καὶ οὐκ ἔστι δεύτερος πατήρ, καὶ ὥσπερ εἷς ἐστιν ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς καὶ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἀδελφὸν οὐκ ἔχει, οὕτως ἕν ἐστι τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα μόνον καὶ δεύτερον οὐκ ἔστι πνεῦμα ἰσότιμον αὐτῷ. ἔστιν οὖν τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα μεγίστη δύναμις, θεῖόν τι καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστον. ζῇ γὰρ καὶ λογικόν ἐστιν, ἁγιαστικὸν τῶν ὑπὸ θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ γενομένων ἁπάντων. τοῦτο φωτίζει τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν δικαίων, τοῦτο καὶ ἐν προφήταις, τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ἀποστόλοις ἐν τῇ καινῇ διαθήκῃ. μισείσθωσαν οἱ χωρίζειν τολμῶντες τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος τὴν ἐνέργειαν. εἷς θεός, ὁ πατήρ, παλαιᾶς καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης δεσπότης, καὶ εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ ἐν παλαιᾷ προφητευθεὶς καὶ ἐν καινῇ παραγενόμενος, καὶ ἓν πνεῦμα ἅγιον, διὰ προφητῶν μὲν περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κηρῦξαν, ἐλθόντος δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καταβὰν καὶ ἐπιδεῖξαν αὐτόν.

Μηδεὶς οὖν χωριζέτω τὴν παλαιὰν ἀπὸ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης. μηδεὶς λεγέτω ὅτι ἄλλο τὸ πνεῦμα ἐκεῖ καὶ ἄλλο ὧδε: ἐπεὶ προσκρούει αὐτῷ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι τῷ μετὰ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ τετιμημένῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ τριάδι συμπεριλαμβανομένῳ. ὁ γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ μονογενὴς υἱὸς τοῖς ἀποστόλοις εἴρηκε σαφῶς: πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος.

Ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα. οὐ τρεῖς θεοὺς καταγγέλλομεν, φιμούσθωσαν γὰρ Μαρκιωνισταί, ἀλλὰ σὺν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι δι' ἑνὸς υἱοῦ ἕνα θεὸν καταγγέλλομεν. ἀδιαίρετος ἡ πίστις, ἀχώριστος ἡ εὐσέβεια. οὔτε χωρίζομεν τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα ὥς τινες, οὔτε συναλοιφὴν ὡς Σαβέλλιος ἐργαζόμεθα. ἀλλ' οἴδαμεν εὐσεβῶς ἕνα πατέρα τὸν ἀποστείλαντα ἡμῖν σωτῆρα τὸν υἱόν. οἴδαμεν ἕνα υἱὸν τὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενον πέμψειν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν παράκλητον. οἴδαμεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ λαλῆσαν ἐν προφήταις καὶ ἐν τῇ πεντηκοστῇ κατελθὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐν εἴδει πυρίνων γλωσσῶν ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν τῇ ἀνωτέρᾳ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐκκλησίᾳ. πάντων γὰρ παρ' ἡμῖν ἔστι τὰ ἀξιώματα. ἐνταῦθα Χριστὸς ἐξ οὐρανῶν κατῆλθεν. ἐνταῦθα τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐξ οὐρανῶν κατῆλθεν. καὶ πρεπωδέστατον μὲν ἀληθῶς ἦν, ὥσπερ τὰ περὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῦ Γολγοθᾶ ἐν τῷ Γολγοθᾷ τούτῳ λέγομεν, οὕτως καὶ περὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐν τῇ ἀνωτέρᾳ λέγειν ἐκκλησίᾳ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῆς δόξης τοῦ ἐνταῦθα σταυρωθέντος συναπολαύει τὸ ἐκεῖ κατελθόν, οὕτως τὰ περὶ τοῦ ἐκεῖ κατελθόντος ἐνταῦθα λαλοῦμεν. ἀμέριστος γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εὐσέβεια.

Βουλόμεθα λοιπόν τινα εἰπεῖν περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, οὐχὶ διηγήσασθαι τὴν ὑπόστασιν αὐτοῦ ἀκριβῶς, ἀδυνατὸν γάρ, ἀλλ' εἰπεῖν τὰς διαφόρους τινῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ παρεκτροπάς, ἵνα μή ποτε ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἐκείνων κατενεχθῶμεν, καὶ ἐπικόψαι τὰς τῆς πλάνης ὁδούς, ἵνα μίαν ὁδὸν βασιλικὴν ὁδεύσωμεν. εἰ δέ τι ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων νῦν διηγούμεθα δι' ἀσφάλειαν, τοῦτο κατὰ τῆς ἐκείνων προτρεπέσθω κεφαλῆς, ἀθῷοί τε εἴημεν οἵ τε λέγοντες ἡμεῖς καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀκούοντες.

Οἱ γὰρ περὶ πάντα ἀνοσιώτατοι αἱρετικοὶ καὶ κατὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ὤξυναν τὴν γλῶσσαν καὶ ἐτόλμησαν εἰπεῖν τὰ ἀθέμιτα, καθὼς Εἰρηναῖος ὁ ἐξηγητὴς ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασι τοῖς πρὸς τὰς αἱρέσεις ἔγραψεν, οἱ μὲν ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον εἰπεῖν τολμήσαντες, ὧν πρῶτος Σίμων ὁ ἐν ταῖς πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστόλων μάγος. ἀποβληθεὶς γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα διδάσκειν ἐτόλμησεν. οἱ δὲ Γνωστικοὶ καλούμενοι καὶ ἀσεβεῖς καὶ ἕτερα κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐφθέγξαντο, Οὐαλεντινιανοὶ δὲ οἱ παράνομοι πάλιν ἕτερα. ὁ δὲ δυσσεβὴς Μάνης ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τὸν ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ πεμφθέντα παράκλητον εἰπεῖν ἐτόλμησεν. ἕτεροι δὲ ἄλλο ἐν προφήταις εἶναι καὶ ἄλλο ἐν καινῇ. καὶ πολλή τις αὐτῶν ἡ πλάνη, μᾶλλον δὲ ἡ βλασφημία. μίσησον τοίνυν τοὺς τοιούτους καὶ φεῦγε τοὺς βλασφημοῦντας τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καὶ ἄφεσιν οὐκ ἔχοντας. τίς σοι πρὸς τοὺς ἀνελπίστους κοινωνία τῷ βαπτισθησομένῳ νῦν καὶ εἰς πνεῦμα ἅγιον; εἰ ὁ κολλώμενος τῷ κλέπτῃ καὶ συντρέχων ὑπὸ τιμωρίαν ἐστίν, ὁ προσκρούων πνεύματι ἁγίῳ ποίαν ἕξει τὴν ἐλπίδα;

Μισείσθωσαν καὶ Μαρκιωνισταὶ οἱ περιελόντες τὰ ῥήματα τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης ἀπὸ τῆς καινῆς. πρῶτος γὰρ Μαρκίων ὁ ἀθεώτατος, ὁ πρῶτος τρεῖς θεοὺς εἰπών, εἰδὼς ὅτι ἔγκεινται ἐν τῇ καινῇ μαρτυρίαι περὶ Χριστοῦ τῶν προφητῶν, περιέκοψε τὰς ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μαρτυρίας, ἵνα ἀμάρτυρος μείνῃ ὁ βασιλεύς. μισείσθωσαν οἱ προειρημένοι Γνωστικοὶ μὲν ὀνόματι, τῆς δὲ ἀγνωσίας πεπληρωμένοι, τολμήσαντες τοιαῦτα εἰπεῖν περὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἅπερ ἐγὼ λέγειν οὐ τολμῶ.

Μισείσθωσαν οἱ κατὰ Φρύγας, καὶ Μοντανὸς ὁ τῶν κακῶν ἔξαρχος, καὶ αἱ δύο δῆθεν αὐτοῦ προφήτιδες, Μαξιμίλλα καὶ Πρισκίλλα. ὁ γὰρ Μοντανὸς οὗτος ὁ παρεξεστηκὼς καὶ μανιώδης ἀληθῶς (οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἶπε τοιαῦτα, εἰ μὴ ἐμαίνετο) ἐτόλμησεν εἰπεῖν ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, ὁ ἀθλιώτατος καὶ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας καὶ ἀσελγείας πεπληρωμένος. αὔταρκες γὰρ τοῦτο διὰ συσσήμων εἰπεῖν, τῶν παρουσῶν γυναικῶν σεμνότητος ἕνεκεν. καὶ Πέπουζαν μικρότατον κωμύδριον ἐν τῇ Φρυγίᾳ καταλαβὼν καὶ ψευδῶς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὀνομάσας τοῦτο, καὶ ἀθλιώτατα παιδία γυναικῶν μικρὰ σφάττων καὶ κατακόπτων εἰς ἀθέμιτον βρῶσιν προφάσει τῶν καλουμένων παρ' αὐτοῖς μυστηρίων (διὸ μέχρις πρώην ἐν τῷ διωγμῷ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἡμεῖς ὑπωπτευόμεθα διὰ τὸ κἀκείνους τοὺς Μοντανούς, ψευδῶς μέν, ὁμωνύμως δέ, καλεῖσθαι χριστιανούς) ἐτόλμησεν ἑαυτὸν εἰπεῖν ἅγιον πνεῦμα ὁ πάσης ἀσεβείας καὶ ἀπανθρωπίας πεπληρωμένος, ὁ ἀναπολόγητον ἔχων τὴν καταδίκην.

Ἐπηγωνίσατο, καθὼς προείρηται, καὶ ὁ δυσσεβέστατος Μάνης ὁ τὰ τῶν αἱρέσεων πασῶν κακὰ συνειληφώς. καὶ οὗτος τελευταῖος βόθρος ἀπωλείας τυγχάνων, τὰ πάντων συλλέξας ὁμοῦ τῶν αἱρετικῶν καινοτέραν εἰργάσατο καὶ ἐδίδαξε πλάνην. ἐτόλμησέ τε εἰπεῖν, ὅτι αὐτὸς εἴη ὁ παράκλητος ὃν ἐπηγγείλατο Χριστὸς ἀποστέλλειν.

Ἀλλ' ὁ σωτὴρ ἐπαγγειλάμενος εἶπε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις: « ὑμεῖς δὲ καθίσατε ἐν τῇ πόλει » Ἱερουσαλήμ, « ἕως οὗ ἐνδύσησθε ἐξ ὕψους δύναμιν. » τί οὖν; ἆρα οἱ τελευτήσαντες ἀπόστολοι ἀπὸ διακοσίων ἐτῶν ἐξεδέχοντο τὸν Μάνην, ἕως ἂν ἐνδύσωνται τὴν δύναμιν; καὶ τολμήσει τις εἰπεῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἦσαν ἔκτοτε πλήρεις ἁγίου πνεύματος; καὶ μὴν γέγραπται, ὅτι τότε ἐπετίθεσαν τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐλάμβανον πνεῦμα ἅγιον. ἆρα οὐχὶ πρὸ τοῦ Μάνη καὶ πρὸ πολλῶν ἐτῶν τοῦτο ἐγένετο, καταβάντος ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς πεντηκοστῆς τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος;

Διὰ τί κατεκρίθη Σίμων ὁ μάγος; ἆρ' οὐ προσελθὼν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις καὶ εἰπών: δότε κἀμοὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην, ἵνα ᾧ ἂν ἐπιθῶ τὰς χεῖρας λαμβάνῃ πνεῦμα ἅγιον; οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, δότε κἀμοὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου κοινωνίαν, ἀλλ' ἐξουσίαν, ἵνα ἄλλοις πιπράσκῃ τὸ ἄπρατον, ὃ αὐτὸς μὴ ἐκέκτητο. καὶ ἀργύρια προσήνεγκε τοῖς ἀκτήμοσιν, καὶ ταῦτα βλέπων τοὺς προσφέροντας τὰς τιμὰς τῶν πιπρασκομένων καὶ τιθέντας παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων. καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσατο ὅτι οἱ ποσὶ καταπατοῦντες τὸν πλοῦτον τὸν προσενεχθέντα εἰς τροφὰς τῶν πτωχῶν οὗτοι οὐκ ἂν ἐπὶ μισθῷ ἔδοσαν ἐξουσίαν πνεύματος ἁγίου. οἱ δὲ τί φασι τῷ Σίμωνι; τὸ ἀργύριόν σου σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ὅτι τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνόμισας διὰ χρημάτων κτᾶσθαι. δεύτερος γὰρ Ἰούδας εἶ, διὰ τῶν ἀργυρίων προσδοκήσας πιπράσκειν τὴν χάριν τοῦ πνεύματος.

Εἰ οὖν ὁ Σίμων θελήσας μισθῷ λαβεῖν τὴν ἐξουσίαν εἰς ἀπώλειάν ἐστι, Μάνης ὁ ἑαυτὸν εἰπὼν τὸ πνεῦμα εἶναι τὸ ἅγιον πόσην ἔχει τὴν ἀσέβειαν; μισήσωμεν τοὺς μίσους ἀξίους, ἀποστραφῶμεν οὓς ἀποστρέφεται ὁ θεός. εἴπωμεν καὶ αὐτοὶ μετὰ παρρησίας πάσης τῷ θεῷ περὶ πάντων αἱρετικῶν: οὐχὶ τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε κύριε ἐμίσησα καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ἐξετηκόμην; ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἔχθρα καλή, καθὼς γέγραπται: καὶ ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς. ἡ γὰρ πρὸς τὸν ὄφιν φιλία ἔχθραν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ θάνατον κατεργάζεται.

Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν περὶ τῶν ἀποβεβλημένων εἰρήσθω. λοιπὸν δὲ εἰς τὰς θείας γραφὰς ἐπανέλθωμεν καὶ πίνωμεν ὕδατα ἀπὸ ἡμετέρων ἀγγείων, ἁγίων πατέρων, καὶ ἀπὸ ἡμετέρων φρεάτων πηγῆς. πίνωμεν ἀπὸ ὕδατος ζῶντος, ἁλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν ὁ σωτὴρ περὶ τοῦ πνεύματος οὗ ἔμελλον λαμβάνειν οἱ πιστεύοντες εἰς αὐτόν. βλέπε γὰρ τί λέγει: ὁ « πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, » οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ « καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή » (ἀνέπεμψέ σε εἰς τὴν παλαιὰν διαθήκην), « ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος, » οὐ ποταμοὶ αἰσθητοί, γῆν ἁπλῶς ἀκανθοφόρον καὶ ξυλοφόρον ποτίζοντες, ἀλλὰ ψυχὰς φωταγωγοῦντες. καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν: ἀλλὰ τὸ ὕδωρ ὃ δώσω αὐτῷ, γενήσεται ἐν αὐτῷ πηγὴ ὕδατος ζῶντος, ἁλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. καινότερον ὕδωρ ζῶν καὶ ἁλλόμενον, ἁλλόμενον δ' ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀξίους.

Καὶ διὰ τί ἄρα τὴν πνευματικὴν χάριν ὕδωρ ὠνόμασεν; ἐπειδὴ δι' ὕδατος ἡ σύστασις τῶν ἁπάντων. ἐπειδὴ χλοοποιὸν καὶ ζωοποιόν ἐστι τὸ ὕδωρ. ἐπειδὴ ἐξ οὐρανῶν κατέρχεται τὸ τῶν ὄμβρων ὕδωρ. ἐπειδὴ μονοειδὲς μὲν κατέρχεται, πολυειδῶς δὲ ἐνεργεῖ. μία μὲν γὰρ πηγὴ ὅλον παράδεισον ἐπαρδεύει, εἷς δὲ καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ὑετὸς κατέρχεται ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ. καὶ γίνεται λευκὸς μὲν ἐν κρίνῳ, ἐρυθρὸς δ' ἐν ῥόδῳ, πορφυραῖος δ' ἐν ἴοις καὶ ὑακίνθοις, καὶ διάφορος καὶ ποικίλος ἐν παντοίοις εἴδεσιν. καὶ ἐν φοίνικι μὲν ἄλλος, ἐν ἀμπέλῳ δ' ἄλλος, καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τὰ πάντα, μονοειδὴς ὢν καὶ οὐκ ὢν ἄλλος αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ. οὐ γὰρ μεταβάλλων ἑαυτὸν ὁ ὑετὸς ἄλλος καὶ ἄλλος κατέρχεται, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν ὑποδεχομένων κατασκευῇ συμπεριφερόμενος ἑκάστῳ τὸ πρόσφορον γίνεται.

Οὕτω καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἓν ὂν καὶ μονοειδὲς καὶ ἀδιαίρετον, ἑκάστῳ διαιρεῖ τὴν χάριν καθὼς βούλεται. καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ξηρὸν ξύλον ὕδατι κοινωνῆσαν βλαστοὺς ἐκδίδωσιν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ψυχὴ διὰ μετανοίας ἁγίου πνεύματος καταξιωθεῖσα βότρυας ἐκφέρει δικαιοσύνης. μονοειδὲς δὲ ὂν πολλὰς νεύματι θεοῦ καὶ ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ τὰς ἀρετὰς ἐνεργεῖ. τινὸς μὲν γὰρ συγκέχρηται γλώσσῃ πρὸς σοφίαν, ἄλλου φωτίζει τὴν ψυχὴν ἐν προφητείᾳ, ἄλλῳ δὲ δίδωσι δύναμιν ἀπελάσαι δαίμονας, ἄλλῳ δὲ δίδωσιν ἑρμηνεῦσαι τὰς θείας γραφάς. ἄλλου τὴν σωφροσύνην ἐνισχύει, ἄλλον διδάσκει τὰ περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης, ἄλλον διδάσκει νηστεύειν καὶ ἀσκεῖν, ἄλλον διδάσκει καταφρονεῖν τῶν τοῦ σώματος πραγμάτων, ἄλλον ἑτοιμάζει πρὸς μαρτύριον, ἄλλα ἐν ἄλλοις, αὐτὸ δὲ οὐκ ἄλλο ἑαυτοῦ. καθὼς γέγραπται: ἑκάστῳ δὲ δίδοται ἣ φανέρωσις τοῦ πνεύματος πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον. ᾧ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, ἑτέρῳ δὲ πίστις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι, ἄλλῳ δὲ χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι, ἄλλῳ δὲ ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεως, ἄλλῳ δὲ προφητεία, ἄλλῳ δὲ διάκρισις πνευμάτων, ἑτέρῳ δὲ γένη γλωσσῶν, ἄλλῳ δὲ ἑρμηνεία γλωσσῶν. πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ἐνεργεῖ τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, διαιροῦν ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ καθὼς βούλεται.

Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ περὶ πνεύματος ἁπλῶς πολλὰ καὶ διάφορα γέγραπται ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς, καὶ δέος ἐστὶ μή ποτέ τις ἐξ ἀγνωσίας εἰς σύγχυσιν ἔλθῃ, ἀγνοῶν περὶ ποίου πνεύματός ἐστι τὸ γεγραμμένον, καλῶς ἔχει νῦν ἀσφαλίσασθαι, ποῖον λέγει ἡ γραφὴ εἶναι τὸ ἅγιον. ὥσπερ γὰρ καλεῖται χριστὸς Ἀαρὼν καὶ Δαβὶδ καὶ Σαοὺλ καὶ ἄλλοι χριστοὶ καλοῦνται, μόνος δὲ εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς Χριστός, οὕτω καὶ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος προσηγορίας περὶ διαφόρων πραγμάτων εἰρημένης καλόν ἐστιν ἰδεῖν τί ἐστιν ἰδιαζόντως τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. καλεῖται γὰρ πνεύματα πολλά. ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν καλεῖται πνεῦμα. καὶ ἄγγελος καλεῖται πνεῦμα. καὶ ὁ ἄνεμος οὗτος ὁ πνέων καλεῖται πνεῦμα. καὶ ἀρετὴ μεγάλη καλεῖται πνεῦμα. καὶ ἀκάθαρτος πρᾶξις καλεῖται πνεῦμα. καὶ δαίμων ἀντικείμενος καλεῖται πνεῦμα. βλέπε τοίνυν ἀκούων ταῦτα, μή ποτε νομίσῃς ἀπὸ τῆς ὁμωνυμίας ἀνθ' ἑτέρου ἕτερον.

Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς ἡμετέρας λέγει ἡ γραφή: ἐξελεύσεται τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπιστρέψει εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ. καὶ περὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ψυχῆς λέγει πάλιν: ὁ πλάσσων πνεῦμα ἀνθρώπου ἐν αὐτῷ. περὶ δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐν ψαλμοῖς φησιν: ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα [καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα]. περὶ δὲ τοῦ ἀνέμου φησίν: ἐν πνεύματι βιαίῳ συντρίψεις πλοῖα Θαρσεῖς. καί, ὃν τρόπον ἐν δρυμῷ ξύλον ὑπὸ πνεύματος σαλευθῇ. καί, πῦρ, χάλαζα, χιών, κρύσταλλος, πνεῦμα καταιγίδος. περὶ δὲ τῆς καλῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος λέγει: τὰ ῥήματα; ἃ ἐγὼ λελάληκα ὑμῖν, πνεῦμά ἐστι καὶ ζωή ἐστιν, ἀντὶ τοῦ πνευματικά ἐστιν. τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐ λαλεῖται διὰ γλώσσης, ἀλλὰ ζῶν ἐστι, παρέχον σοφῶς λαλεῖν, τὸ λαλοῦν καὶ ὁμιλοῦν αὐτό.

Καὶ θέλεις γνῶναι ὅτι ὁμιλεῖ καὶ λαλεῖ; Φίλιππος ἐξ ἀποκαλύψεως ἀγγέλου κατῆλθεν εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἀποφέρουσαν εἰς Γάζαν, ὅτε ὁ εὐνοῦχος ἤρχετο. καὶ εἶπε τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ Φιλίππῳ: πρόσελθε καὶ κολλήθητι τῷ ἅρματι τούτῳ. βλέπεις λαλοῦν τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ ἀκούοντι; καὶ Ἰεζεκιὴλ λέγει οὕτως: ἐγένετο ἐπ' ἐμὲ πνεῦμα κυρίου καὶ εἶπε πρός με: τάδε λέγει κύριος. καὶ πάλιν: εἶπε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ ἀποστόλοις: ἀφορίσατε δή μοι τὸν Βαρνάβαν καὶ [τὸν] Σαῦλον εἰς τὸ ἔργον ὃ προσκέκλημαι αὐτούς. βλέπεις πνεῦμα ζῶν, ἀφορίζον καὶ προσκαλούμενον καὶ ἐξουσιαστικῶς ἀποστέλλον;

Καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν: πλὴν ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατὰ πόλιν διαμαρτύρεταί μοι λέγον, ὅτι δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις με μένουσιν. ὁ γὰρ καλὸς οὗτος τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἁγιοποιὸς καὶ βοηθὸς καὶ διδάσκαλος, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὁ παράκλητος, περὶ οὗ εἶπεν ὁ σωτήρ, ἐκεῖνος ὑμᾶς διδάξει πάντα καὶ ὑπομνήσει ὑμᾶς πάντα (οὐκ εἶπε διδάξει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπομνήσει ὅσα εἶπον ὑμῖν: οὐ γὰρ ἄλλα Χριστοῦ διδάγματα καὶ ἄλλα ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἀλλὰ τὰ αὐτά), προεμαρτύρατο τῷ Παύλῳ τὰ συμβησόμενα, ἵνα εὔθυμος γένηται μᾶλλον ἀπὸ τοῦ προειδέναι. ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν εἴρηται διὰ τὸ λεχθέν: τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐγὼ λελάληκα ὑμῖν πνεῦμά ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ λαλιὰν χειλέων τοῦτο εἶναι νομίσῃς, ἀλλὰ τὴν καλὴν διδασκαλίαν.

Ἐνταῦθα καλεῖται δὲ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία, καθὼς εἰρήκαμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρως καὶ ἐναντίως, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ: πνεύματι πορνείας ἐπλανήθησαν. καλεῖται πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα, ὁ δαίμων, ἀλλὰ μετὰ προσθήκης τοῦ ἀκάθαρτον. ἑκάστῳ πρόσκειται ἡ ἐπωνυμία, ἵνα τὸ ἴδιον δηλώσῃ. ἐὰν περὶ ψυχῆς ἀνθρώπου λέγῃ τὸ πνεῦμα, μετὰ προσθήκης τοῦ ἀνθρώπου λέγει. ἐὰν τὸν ἄνεμον λέγῃ, πνεῦμα καταιγίδος λέγει. ἐὰν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν λέγῃ, πνεῦμα πορνείας λέγει. ἐὰν τὸν δαίμονα λέγῃ, πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον λέγει, ἵνα γνῶμεν, περὶ τίνος ἑκάστου ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος, καὶ μὴ νομίσῃς περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου τοῦτο εἶναι. μὴ γένοιτο. τὸ γὰρ τοῦ πνεύματος ὄνομα τοῦτο μέσον ἐστὶ, καὶ πᾶν ὃ μὴ ἔχει παχὺ σῶμα, καθολικῶς πνεῦμα καλεῖται. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν καὶ οἱ δαίμονες οὐκ ἔχουσι τοιαῦτα σώματα, πνεύματα καλοῦνται.

Ἀλλὰ πολλή τίς ἐστιν ἡ διαφορά. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀκάθαρτος δαίμων ὅταν ἔρχηται ἐπὶ ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου (ῥύσαιτο δὲ τούτου ὁ κύριος πᾶσαν ψυχὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων καὶ τῶν μὴ παρόντων), ὡς λύκος αἱμοβόρος ἕτοιμος εἰς βορὰν ἐπὶ πρόβατον ἔρχεται. ἀγριωτάτη ἡ παρουσία, βαρυτάτη ἡ αἴσθησις. σκοτώδης ἡ διάνοια γίνεται. καὶ ἡ ἔφοδος ἄδικος, καὶ ἡ ἁρπαγὴ ἀλλοτρίου κτήματος. σώματι γὰρ ἀλλοτρίῳ ὡς ἰδίῳ κεχρῆσθαι βιάζεται, καὶ ὀργάνῳ ἀλλοτρίῳ. τὸν ἑστῶτα καταβάλλει. οἰκεῖος γάρ ἐστι τοῦ πεσόντος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ. παρατρέπει τὴν γλῶσσαν. στρεβλοῖ τὰ χείλη. ἀφρὸς ἀντὶ ῥημάτων. σκοτοῦται ὁ ἄνθρωπος. ἤνοικται ὁ ὀφθαλμός, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ οὐ βλέπει ἡ ψυχή. καὶ σπαίρει τρομικῶς ὁ ἄθλιος ἄνθρωπος πρὸ θανάτου. ἐχθροὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀληθῶς οἱ δαίμονες, αἰσχρῶς κεχρημένοι καὶ ἀνηλεῶς.

Οὐκ ἔστι τοιοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. μὴ γένοιτο. ἀπεναντίας γὰρ πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ σωτηριῶδες ἔχει τὰ πράγματα. πρῶτον μὲν ἥμερος ἡ παρουσία, εὐώδης ἡ ἀντίληψις, κουφότατον τὸ φορτίον. προαπαστράπτουσιν ἀκτῖνες φωτὸς καὶ γνώσεως πρὸ τῆς παρουσίας. κηδεμόνος γνησίου σπλάγχνα ἔχον ἔρχεται. ἔρχεται γὰρ σῶσαι καὶ ἰάσασθαι, διδάξαι, νουθετῆσαι, ἐνισχῦσαι, παρακαλέσαι, φωτίσαι τὴν διάνοιαν πρώτου αὐτοῦ τοῦ δεχομένου, εἶτα δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων. καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν σκότει πρότερόν τις ὢν εἶτα ἐξαίφνης ἥλιον ἰδὼν φωτίζεται τοῦ σώματος τὸ βλέμμα, καὶ βλέπει ἃ μὴ ἔβλεπε φανερῶς, οὕτω καὶ ὁ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καταξιωθεὶς φωτίζεται τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον βλέπει ἃ μὴ ᾔδει. ἐπὶ γῆς τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ κατοπτρίζεται τοὺς οὐρανούς. βλέπει ὡς Ἡσαΐας τὸν κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου, καὶ βλέπει ὡς Ἱεζεκιὴλ τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβίμ, βλέπει ὡς Δανιὴλ μυριάδας μυριάδων καὶ χιλιάδας χιλιάδων. καὶ ὁ μικρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἀρχὴν κόσμου βλέπει καὶ τέλος κόσμου καὶ μεσότητα χρόνων καὶ βασιλέων διαδοχάς. οἶδεν ἃ μὴ ἔμαθεν. πάρεστι γὰρ ὁ ἀληθινὸς φωταγωγός. ἔσω τοίχων ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἡ δύναμις τῆς γνώσεως ἐκπέμπεται μακράν, καὶ βλέπει καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ ἄλλων γινόμενα.

Οὐ συμπαρῆν Πέτρος Ἀνανίᾳ καὶ Σαπφείρῃ πωλοῦσι τὰ κτήματα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος παρῆν. « διὰ τί, » φησίν, ὁ « σατανᾶς ἐπλήρωσε τὴν καρδίαν σου ψεύσασθαι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον; » κατήγορος οὐκ ἦν. μάρτυς οὐκ ἦν. πόθεν ᾔδει τὸ γεγενημένον; « οὐχὶ μένον σοι ἔμενε; καὶ πραθὲν ἐν τῇ σῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ὑπῆρχεν; τί ὅτι ἔθου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο; » ὁ ἀγράμματος Πέτρος διὰ τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος χάριν ἔμαθεν ἃ μὴ ᾔδεισαν μηδ' Ἑλλήνων οἱ σοφοί.

Ἔχεις τὸ ὅμοιον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἐλισσαίου. δωρεὰν γὰρ αὐτοῦ θεραπεύσαντος τὴν λέπραν τοῦ Ναιμὰν ἔλαβεν ὁ Γιεζὶ τὸν μισθόν, ἀλλοτρίων κατορθωμάτων τὸν μισθὸν λαμβάνων. καὶ λαμβάνει παρὰ τοῦ Ναιμὰν τὰ χρήματα καὶ τίθησιν ἐν τῷ σκοτεινῷ. ἀλλὰ τὸ σκότος οὐ σκοτίζεται ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων. καὶ ἐλθόντα αὐτὸν ἠρώτα ὁ Ἐλισσαῖος, καὶ ὁμοίως τῷ Πέτρῳ λέγοντι: εἰπέ μοι εἰ τοσούτου τὸ χωρίον ἀπέδοσθε, κἀκεῖνος ἐξετάζει: πόθεν Γιεζί; οὐκ ἀγνοῶν τὸ πόθεν, ἀλλὰ πενθῶν τὸ πόθεν. ἀπὸ σκότους ἦλθες, καὶ εἰς σκότος πορεύσῃ. πέπρακας τοῦ λεπροῦ τὴν ἴασιν καὶ κληρονομεῖς τὴν λέπραν. ἐπλήρωσα, φησίν, ἐγὼ τὸ κέλευσμα τοῦ εἰρηκότος μοι: δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε, σὺ δὲ ἐπώλησας τὴν χάριν. ἀπόδεξαι τῆς πράσεως τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. ἀλλὰ τί λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Ἐλισσαῖος; « οὐχὶ ἡ καρδία μου ἐπορεύθη μετὰ σοῦ; » ὧδε ἤμην ἐγὼ περικεκλεισμένος τῷ σώματι, ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ μοι δοθὲν ἔβλεπε καὶ τὰ μακράν, καὶ τὰ ἀλλαχοῦ γινόμενα σαφῶς ἐδείκνυέ μοι. βλέπεις ὡς οὐ μόνον περιαιρεῖ τὴν ἀγνωσίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γνῶσιν ἐντίθησιν; βλέπεις πῶς φωτίζει τὰς ψυχὰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον;

Ἡσαΐας ἐτῶν ἐγγὺς ἦν πρὸ χιλίων, καὶ ἔβλεπεν ὡς σκηνὴν τὴν Σιών. ἡ πόλις ἦν ἔτι συνεστηκυῖα καὶ ἀγοραῖς κεκαλλωπισμένη καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα περιβεβλημένη. κἀκεῖνος λέγει: Σιὼν ὡς ἀγρὸς ἀροτριαθήσεται, προλέγων τὸ νῦν ἐφ' ἡμῶν πληρωθέν. καὶ τὸ ἀκριβὲς ὅρα τῆς προφητείας. εἶπε γάρ: ἐγκαταλειφθήσεται ἡ θυγάτηρ Σιὼν ὡς σκηνὴ ἐν ἀμπελῶνι καὶ ὡς ὀπωροφυλάκιον ἐν σικυηλάτῳ. καὶ σικυηλάτων νῦν ὁ τόπος πεπλήρωται. βλέπεις ὡς φωτίζει τοὺς ἁγίους τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον; μὴ τοίνυν διὰ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν εἰς ἄλλα ἀπελασθῇς, ἀλλὰ τήρει τὸ ἀκριβές.

Οὐδέποτε, σοῦ καθεζομένου, περὶ ἁγνείας ἢ παρθενίας ὑπεισῆλθε λογισμός; ἐκείνου ἐστὶν ἡ διδασκαλία. οὐχὶ πολλάκις κόρη παρὰ παστάδας οὖσα νυμφικὰς ἔφυγεν ἐκείνου διδάσκοντος τὰ περὶ παρθενίας; οὐχὶ πολλάκις ἄνθρωπος ἐν παλατίοις διαπρέπων κατέπτυσε πλούτου καὶ ἀξίας διδαχθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου; οὐχὶ πολλάκις νέος ὁρῶν κάλλος ἐκάμμυσε τὸ βλέμμα καὶ ἔφυγε τὸ ἰδεῖν καὶ ἐξέφυγε τὸν μολυσμόν; πόθεν γέγονε τοῦτο, ζητεῖς; τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐδίδαξε τοῦ νέου τὴν ψυχήν. τοσαῦται πλεονεξίαι ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ ἀκτημονοῦσι χριστιανοί. διὰ τί; διὰ τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπαγγελίαν. τίμιον ὡς ἀληθῶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὸ ἀγαθόν. εἰκότως βαπτιζόμεθα εἰς πατέρα καὶ εἰς υἱὸν καὶ εἰς ἅγιον πνεῦμα.

Ἄνθρωπος ἔτι σῶμα φορῶν δαίμοσιν ἀγριωτάτοις πολλοῖς παλαίει. καὶ πολλάκις ὁ δαίμων, ὁ σιδηραίοις δεσμοῖς ὑπὸ πολλῶν μὴ κρατούμενος, λόγοις εὐχῆς ἐκρατήθη ὑπ' αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ δύναμιν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, καὶ τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἐμφύσημα τοῦ ἐπορκίζοντος πῦρ γίνεται τῷ μὴ φαινομένῳ.

Μέγαν τοίνυν ἔχομεν παρὰ θεοῦ σύμμαχον καὶ προστάτην, μέγαν διδάσκαλον ἐκκλησίας, μέγαν ὑπερασπιστὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. μὴ φοβηθῶμεν τοὺς δαίμονας μηδὲ τὸν διάβολον. μείζων γὰρ ὁ ἡμῶν ὑπεραγωνιστής. μόνον ἀνοίξωμεν αὐτῷ τὰς θύρας. περιέρχεται γὰρ ζητῶν τοὺς ἀξίους, καὶ ζητεῖ τίνι χαρίσηται τὰς δωρεάς.

Παράκλητος δὲ καλεῖται διὰ τὸ παρακαλεῖν καὶ παραμυθεῖσθαι καὶ συναντιλαμβάνεσθαι τῆς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν. τὸ γὰρ τί προσευξόμεθα καθὸ δεῖ οὐκ οἴδαμεν. ἀλλ' αὐτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα ὑπερεντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι πρὸς τὸν θεόν. πολλάκις διὰ Χριστὸν ὑβρισθεὶς ἠτιμάσθη τις ἀδίκως, μαρτύριον ἐφέστηκεν, βάσανοι πανταχόθεν καὶ πῦρ καὶ ξίφη καὶ θῆρες καὶ βυθός. ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὑποφθέγγεται λέγον: ὑπόμεινον τὸν κύριον, ἄνθρωπε. μικρὰ τὰ γινόμενα, μεγάλα τὰ δωρούμενα. ὀλίγον χρόνον καμὼν αἰωνίως εἶναι μέλλεις μετ' ἀγγέλων. οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς. διαγράφει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, ὑποδείκνυσι καὶ τὸν παράδεισον τῆς τρυφῆς. καὶ οἱ μάρτυρες τὰ πρόσωπα μὲν τοῦ σώματος πρὸς τοὺς δικαστὰς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἔχοντες, τῇ δὲ δυνάμει λοιπὸν ὄντες ἐν παραδείσῳ κατέπτυσαν τῶν φαινομένων χαλεπῶν.

Καὶ θέλεις γνῶναι ὅτι τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος οἱ μάρτυρες μαρτυροῦσιν; λέγει πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς ὁ σωτήρ: ὅταν δὲ φέρωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τὰς συναγωγὰς καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, μὴ μεριμνήσητε πῶς ἀπολογήσεσθε ἢ τί εἴπητε. τὸ γὰρ ἅγιον πνεῦμα διδάξει ὑμᾶς ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ, ἃ δεῖ εἰπεῖν. ἀδύνατον γὰρ μαρτυρῆσαι περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐὰν μή τις διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου μαρτυρήσῃ. εἰ γὰρ οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν εἰ μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, τὴν ζωὴν ἄρα τις ἑαυτοῦ δίδωσιν ὑπὲρ Ἰησοῦ ἐὰν μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ;

Μέγα τί ἐστι καὶ παντοδύναμον ἐν χαρίσμασι καὶ θαυμάσιον τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα. λόγισαι, πόσοι καθέζεσθε νῦν, πόσαι ψυχαὶ πάρεσμεν. ἑκάστῳ προσφόρως ἐνεργεῖ, καὶ μέσον παρὸν βλέπει ἑκάστου τὸν τρόπον, βλέπει καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν καὶ τὴν συνείδησιν, καὶ τί λαλοῦμεν, καὶ τί νοοῦμεν, καὶ τί πιστεύομεν. μέγα μὲν ἀληθῶς τὸ ῥηθέν, ἀλλ' ἔτι μικρόν. βλέπε γάρ μοι, τὴν διάνοιαν φωταγωγηθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, πόσοι εἰσὶ χριστιανοὶ τῆς παροικίας ταύτης πάσης, καὶ πόσοι τῆς ἐπαρχίας πάσης τῆς Παλαιστίνης. καὶ πλάτυνον τὸν νοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπαρχίας εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων πᾶσαν βασιλείαν. καὶ ἐκ ταύτης βλέπε μοι πάντα τὸν κόσμον, Περσῶν γένη καὶ Ἰνδῶν ἔθνη, Γότθους καὶ Σαυρομάτας, Γάλλους καὶ Ἱσπανοὺς καὶ Μαύρους, Λίβυας καὶ Αἰθίοπας καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς τοὺς ἀκατωνομάστους ἡμῖν. πολλὰ γὰρ τῶν ἐθνῶν οὐδ' εἰς ὀνομασίαν ἡμῖν ἦλθεν. βλέπε μοι ἑκάστου ἔθνους ἐπισκόπους, πρεσβυτέρους, διακόνους, μονάζοντας, παρθένους καὶ λοιποὺς λαϊκούς. καὶ βλέπε τὸν μέγαν προστάτην καὶ τῶν χαρισμάτων πάροχον, ὅπως ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ τῷ μὲν ἁγνείαν, τῷ δὲ ἀειπαρθενίαν, ἄλλῳ δὲ ἐλεημοσύνην, ἄλλῳ δ' ἀκτημοσύνην, ἄλλῳ δὲ ἀπέλασιν πνευμάτων ἀντικειμένων δίδωσιν. καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ φῶς μιᾷ τῆς ἀκτῖνος προσβολῇ καταυγάζει τὰ πάντα, οὕτω καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον φωτίζει τοὺς ἔχοντας ὀφθαλμούς. εἰ γάρ τις ἀβλεπτῶν μὴ καταξιοῦται τῆς χάριτος, μὴ μεμφέσθω τῷ πνεύματι, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀπιστίᾳ.

Εἶδες αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ. μὴ μείνῃς ἐπὶ γῆς, ἀνάβηθι λοιπὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω. ἀνάβηθι μοι τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ εἰς πρῶτον οὐρανὸν καὶ βλέπε μοι τοσαύτας ἐκεῖ μυριάδας ἀναριθμήτους ἀγγέλων. ὑπερανάβηθι τοῖς λογισμοῖς, εἰ δύνασαι, καὶ ἀνωτέρω. βλέπε μοι καὶ ἀρχαγγέλους, βλέπε μοι καὶ πνεύματα, βλέπε δυνάμεις, βλέπε ἀρχάς, βλέπε ἐξουσίας, βλέπε θρόνους, βλέπε κυριότητας. τούτων πάντων ἐπιστάτης παρὰ θεοῦ καὶ διδάσκαλος καὶ ἁγιοποιὸς ὁ παράκλητος. τούτου χρείαν ἔχει Ἠλίας καὶ Ἐλισσαῖος καὶ Ἠσαΐας ἐν ἀνθρώποις, τούτου χρείαν ἔχει Μιχαὴλ καὶ Γαβριὴλ ἐν ἀγγέλοις.

Οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τῶν γενητῶν ἰσότιμον. τὰ γὰρ τῶν ἀγγέλων γένη καὶ αἱ στρατιαὶ πᾶσαι ὁμοῦ συναχθεῖσαι οὐ φέρουσιν ἰσότητα πρὸς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα. καλύπτει ταῦτα πάντα τοῦ παρακλήτου ἡ πανάγαθος δύναμις. καὶ τὰ μέν ἐστιν εἰς λειτουργίαν ἀποστελλόμενα, τὸ δὲ ἐρευνᾷ καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ θεοῦ, καθὼς ὁ ἀπόστολός φησι: τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα πάντα ἐρευνᾷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ θεοῦ. τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ; οὕτω καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ἔγνωκεν εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ.

Τοῦτο περὶ Χριστοῦ ἐκήρυξεν ἐν προφήταις. τοῦτο ἐνήργησεν ἐν ἀποστόλοις. τοῦτο μέχρι σήμερον ἐν βαπτίσματι σφραγίζει τὰς ψυχάς. καὶ πατὴρ μὲν δίδωσιν υἱῷ, καὶ υἱὸς μεταδίδωσιν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι. αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ λέγων, οὐκ ἐγώ: πάντα μοι παρεδόθη ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός μου. καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος λέγει: ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἑξῆς, ἐκεῖνος ἐμὲ δοξάσει, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λαμβάνει καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν. ὁ πατὴρ δι' υἱοῦ σὺν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι τὰ πάντα χαρίζεται. οὐκ ἄλλα πατρὸς χαρίσματα καὶ ἄλλα υἱοῦ καὶ ἄλλα ἁγίου πνεύματος: μία γὰρ ἡ σωτηρία, μία ἡ δύναμις, μία ἡ πίστις. εἷς θεὸς ὁ πατήρ, εἷς κύριος ὁ μονογενὴς αὐτοῦ υἱός, ἓν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὁ παράκλητος. καὶ αὔταρκες ἡμῖν ταῦτα εἰδέναι, φύσιν δὲ ἢ ὑπόστασιν μὴ πολυπραγμόνει. εἰ γὰρ ἦν γεγραμμένον, ἐλέγομεν: ὃ οὐ γέγραπται, μὴ τολμήσωμεν. αὔταρκες ἡμῖν εἰδέναι πρὸς σωτηρίαν, ὅτι ἔστι πατὴρ καὶ υἱὸς καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα.

Τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα κατῆλθεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα πρεσβυτέρους ἐπὶ Μωυσέως. Ἀλλὰ τὸ μῆκος τῶν λόγων, ἀγαπητοί, μὴ κάματον ὑμῖν ἐμποιείτω. παράσχοι δὲ αὐτὸ περὶ οὗ ὁ λόγος δύναμιν ἑκάστῳ καὶ τῶν λεγόντων ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν τῶν ἀκουόντων. Τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα κατῆλθεν, ὡς ἔφην, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα πρεσβυτέρους τοὺς ἐπὶ Μωυσέως. λέγω δὲ ταῦτά σοι, ἵνα παραστήσω νῦν, ὅτι οἶδε τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐνεργεῖ καθὼς βούλεται. ἐξελέχθησαν οἱ ἑβδομήκοντα πρεσβύτεροι, καὶ κατέβη κύριος ἐν νεφέλῃ καὶ παρείλατο ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἐπὶ Μωυσέως καὶ ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνδρας τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους, οὐ τοῦ πνεύματος μερισθέντος, ἀλλὰ τῆς χάριτος μερισθείσης πρὸς τὰ δοχεῖα καὶ τὴν τῶν δεχομένων δύναμιν. ἀλλ' ἑξήκοντα μὲν καὶ ὀκτὼ παρῆσαν καὶ προεφήτευσαν, Ἑλδὰδ δὲ καὶ Μωδὰδ οὐ παρῆσαν. ἵνα τοίνυν δειχθῇ, ὅτι οὐ Μωυσῆς ἦν ὁ χαριζόμενος, ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐνεργοῦν, Ἑλδὰδ καὶ Μωδάδ, οἱ κληθέντες μέν, οὔπω δὲ ἀπαντήσαντες, προφητεύουσιν.

Ἐξεπλάγη Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ, ὁ διάδοχος Μωυσέως, καὶ προσελθὼν λέγει τῷ Μωυσῇ: ἤκουσας ὅτι Ἑλδὰδ καὶ Μωδὰδ προφητεύουσιν; ἐκλήθησαν καὶ οὐκ ἀπήντησαν. κύριέ μου Μωυσῆ, κώλυσον αὐτούς. Οὐ δύναμαι κωλῦσαι αὐτούς, φησίν, ἐπουράνιος γὰρ ἡ χάρις. καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀπέχω τοῦ κωλῦσαι αὐτούς, ὥστε καὶ αὐτὸς κατὰ χάριν ἔχω. ἀλλ' οὐ νομίζω σε τοῦτο φθόνῳ εἰρηκέναι. μὴ ζηλοῖς σύ μοι, ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι μὲν προεφήτευσαν, σὺ δὲ οὔπω προφητεύεις. ἔκδεξαι τὸν καιρόν. καὶ τίς δῴη πάντα τὸν λαὸν κυρίου προφήτας, ὅταν δῷ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐπ' αὐτούς; προφητικῶς καὶ τοῦτο λέγων τὸ κύριος ὅταν δῷ. νῦν δὲ ἄρα οὔπω ἔδωκε, σὺ οὖν οὔπω ἔχεις.

Ἀβραὰμ ἄρα καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ οὐκ εἶχον; οἱ πρὸ τούτου ἄρα οὐκ ἔσχον; ἀλλὰ τὸ ὅταν δῷ κύριος δῆλον ὅτι σημαίνει τὸ ἐπὶ πάντας. νῦν μερικὴ ἡ χάρις, τότε δαψιλὴς ἡ δόσις.

Ἠινίσσετο δὲ τὸ γενησόμενον ἐν τῇ πεντηκοστῇ παρ' ἡμῖν. καὶ αὐτὸ γὰρ κατῆλθε παρ' ἡμῖν. κατῆλθε δὲ καὶ πρότερον ἐπὶ πολλούς. γέγραπται γάρ: καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ ἐνεπλήσθη πνεύματος σοφίας. ἐπέθηκε γὰρ Μωυσῆς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐπ' αὐτόν. βλέπεις πανταχοῦ τὸν τύπον ἐν παλαιᾷ καὶ καινῇ τὸν αὐτόν. ἐπὶ Μωυσέως διὰ χειροθεσίας ἐδίδοτο τὸ πνεῦμα. καὶ Πέτρος διὰ χειροθεσίας δίδωσι τὸ πνεῦμα. μέλλει δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ σὲ τὸν βαπτιζόμενον φθάνειν ἡ χάρις. τὸ δὲ πῶς οὐ λέγω. οὐ γὰρ προλαμβάνω τὸν καιρόν.

Τοῦτο καὶ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ πάντας δικαίους καὶ προφήτας, τὸν Ἐνὼς λέγω, τὸν Ἐνώχ, τὸν Νῶε καὶ τοὺς λοιπούς, τὸν Ἀβραάμ, τὸν Ἰσαάκ, τὸν Ἰακώβ. περὶ γὰρ τοῦ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἔχειν πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἤδη καὶ Φαραὼ κατείληφεν. περὶ γὰρ Μωυσέως καὶ τῶν ἐπ' αὐτοῦ θαυμασίων ἐκ πνεύματος ἐνεργειῶν ἤκουσας πολλάκις. τοῦτο καὶ ὁ ἀνδρειότατος εἶχεν Ἰώβ, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι, κἂν τὰ ὀνόματα πάντων μὴ διέλθωμεν. τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τῇ κατασκευῇ τῆς σκηνῆς ἀποσταλὲν ἐνέπλησε σοφίας τοὺς περὶ τὸν Βεσελεὴλ σοφούς.

Ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τούτου τοῦ πνεύματος, καθὼς ἔχομεν ἐν κριταῖς, Γοθονιὴλ μὲν ἔκρινε, Γεδεὼν δὲ ἐνεδυναμώθη, ἐνίκησε δὲ Ἰεφθάε, Δεββῶρα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ ἐπολέμει καὶ Σαμψὼν ἔτι δικαιοπραγῶν καὶ μὴ λυπῶν αὐτὸ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἐνήργησεν. περὶ γὰρ Σαμουὴλ καὶ Δαβὶδ φανερῶς ἐν ταῖς τῶν βασιλειῶν ἔχομεν βίβλοις, ὅπως ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι ἐπροφήτευον αὐτοί, καὶ προφητῶν ἦσαν ἔξαρχοι. καὶ ὁ μὲν Σαμουὴλ ὁ ὁρῶν ἐκαλεῖτο, ὁ δὲ Δαβὶδ σαφῶς, πνεῦμα κυρίου, φησίν, ἐλάλησεν ἐν ἐμοί. καὶ ἐν ψαλμοῖς: καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν σου μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. καὶ πάλιν: τὸ πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὁδηγήσει με ἐν γῇ εὐθείᾳ.

Καὶ ὡς ἐν παραλειπομένοις ἔχομεν, ἁγίου πνεύματος μετέσχον Ἀζαρίας μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀσὰφ βασιλέως καὶ Ὀζιὴλ ἐπὶ Ἰωσαφὰτ βασιλέως, καὶ πάλιν ἄλλος Ἀζαρίας ὁ λιθασθείς. ὁ δὲ Ἔσδρας φησίν: καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἔδωκας συνετίσαι αὐτούς. περὶ δὲ Ἠλία τοῦ ἀναληφθέντος καὶ Ἐλισσαίου τῶν πνευματοφόρων καὶ θαυματοποιῶν φανερὸν κἂν μὴ λέγωμεν, ὅτι πλήρεις ἦσαν ἁγίου πνεύματος.

Εἰ δὲ καὶ πάσας τις διέλθοι τάς τε τῶν δώδεκα καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν προφητῶν τὰς βίβλους, πολλὰς τὰς περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος μαρτυρίας εὑρήσει, « Μιχαίου » μὲν λέγοντος ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ: ἐὰν μὴ ἐγὼ ἐμπλήσω ἰσχὺν ἐν πνεύματι κυρίου: τοῦ δὲ « Ἰωὴλ » βοῶντος: καὶ ἔσται μετὰ ταῦτα, λέγει ὁ θεός, ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς: καὶ « Ἀγγαίου » φάσκοντος: διότι ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμί, λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐφέστηκεν ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν: « Ζαχαρίου » δὲ ὁμοίως: πλὴν τοὺς λόγους μου καὶ τὰ νόμιμά μου δέχεσθε, ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ἐν πνεύματί μου τοῖς δούλοις μου τοῖς προφήταις.

Καὶ ἕτερα « Ἡσαΐας » ὁ μεγαλοφωνότατός φησιν: καὶ ἀναπαύσεται ἐπ' αὐτὸν πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ, πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως, πνεῦμα βουλῆς καὶ ἰσχύος, πνεῦμα γνώσεως καὶ εὐσεβείας, καὶ ἐμπλήσει αὐτὸν πνεῦμα φόβου θεοῦ, δηλῶν ἓν μὲν εἶναι τοῦτο καὶ ἀδιαίρετον, διαφόρους δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐνεργείας. καὶ πάλιν: Ἰακὼβ ὁ παῖς μου, καὶ ἑξῆς, ἔδωκα τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ' αὐτόν. καὶ πάλιν: ἐπιθήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου. καὶ πάλιν: καὶ νῦν κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἀπέσταλκέ με καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ. καὶ πάλιν: αὕτη αὐτοῖς ἡ παρ' ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, εἶπε κύριος, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐμὸν ὃ ἔστιν ἐπὶ σοί. καὶ πάλιν: πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐπ' ἐμέ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέ με, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. καὶ πάλιν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Ἰουδαίων: αὐτοὶ δὲ ἠπείθησαν καὶ παρώξυναν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ. καί, ποῦ ἔστιν ὁ θεὶς ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον;

Ἔχεις καὶ ἐν τῷ « Ἰεζεκιὴλ » (εἰ λοιπὸν ἀκούων μὴ κέκμηκας) τὸ ἤδη ῥηθέν: καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπ' ἐμὲ πνεῦμα καὶ εἶπε πρός με: λέγε, τάδε λέγει κύριος. τὸ δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπ' ἐμὲ καλῶς ἐκληπτέον, ὅτι φιλοστόργως, καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ Ἰακὼβ εὑρὼν τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν εὐαγγελίοις ὁ φιλόστοργος πατὴρ τὸν ἐκ τῆς ἀποδημίας ἐπανελθόντα υἱὸν ἰδὼν ἐσπλαγχνίσθη καὶ δραμὼν ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν. καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεκιήλ: καὶ ἤγαγέ με εἰς γῆν Χαλδαίων εἰς τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἐν ὁράσει ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ. τὰ γὰρ ἄλλα πρότερον ἐν τοῖς περὶ βαπτίσματος ἤκουσας: καὶ ῥανῶ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ὕδωρ καθαρόν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν καρδίαν καινήν, καὶ πνεῦμα καινὸν δώσω ἐν ὑμῖν. καὶ εὐθύς: καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά μου δώσω ἐν ὑμῖν. καὶ πάλιν: καὶ ἐγίνετο ἐπ' ἐμὲ χεὶρ κυρίου, καὶ ἐξήγαγέ με ἐν πνεύματι κυρίου.

Τοῦτο ἐσόφισε τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ Δανιήλ, ἵνα γένηται δικαστὴς πρεσβυτέρων ὁ νέος. κατεκρίθη Σωσάννα ἡ σώφρων ὡς ἀκόλαστος. ἔκδικος οὐκ ἦν. τίς γὰρ ἐξῃρεῖτο ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχόντων; ἀπήγετο τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ. εἰς χεῖρας ἦν λοιπὸν τῶν δημίων. ἀλλ' ὁ βοηθὸς παρῆν, ὁ παράκλητος, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἁγιάζον πᾶσαν νοητὴν φύσιν. δεῦρο δή μοι, φησὶ τῷ Δανιήλ, ὁ νέος ἔλεγξον πρεσβύτας νοσήσαντας τὰ νεότητος ἁμαρτήματα. γέγραπται γάρ: ἐξήγειρεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπὶ παιδαρίου νεωτέρου. καὶ ἵνα συντόμως παρέλθωμεν, διὰ τῆς ἀποφάσεως τοῦ Δανιὴλ ἐσώθη ἡ σώφρων. μαρτυρίας ἕνεκεν ταῦτα παραφέρομεν: οὐ γὰρ ἐξηγήσεως ὁ καιρός.

Ἤιδει καὶ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὅτι ἔστιν ἐν τῷ Δανιὴλ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. φησὶ γὰρ πρὸς αὐτόν: Βαλτάσαρ ὁ ἄρχων τῶν ἐπαοιδῶν, τοῦτο ἐγὼ ἔγνων, ὅτι πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἅγιον ἐν σοί. ἓν ἀληθὲς εἶπε καὶ ἓν ψεῦδος. ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἔσχε πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ἀληθὲς ἦν, οὐκ ἦν δὲ ἄρχων τῶν ἐπαοιδῶν. οὐ γὰρ ἦν μάγος, ἀλλ' ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου σοφός. καὶ πρὸ τούτου δὲ συνέκρινεν αὐτῷ τὴν ὅρασιν τῆς εἰκόνος, ἣν αὐτὸς ὁ ἰδὼν οὐκ ᾔδει. εἰπέ μοι, φησί, τὴν ὅρασιν ἣν ἐγὼ ὁ ἰδὼν οὐκ οἶδα. βλέπεις ἁγίου πνεύματος δύναμιν; ὃ οἱ ἰδόντες οὐκ οἴδασιν, οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες γινώσκουσι καὶ ἑρμηνεύουσιν.

Καὶ ἐνῆν μὲν ἀληθῶς πάμπολλα ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης ἀναλέξαι καὶ πλατύτερον διηγήσασθαι τὰ περὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος. ἀλλ' ὀλίγος ὁ καιρός: δεῖ δὲ φείδεσθαι καὶ τοῦ συμμέτρου τῆς ἀκροάσεως. ὅθεν τοῖς ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς πρὸς τὸ παρὸν τέως ἀρκεσθέντες ἐπὶ τὰ λείποντα ἐκ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, εἰ ὁ θεὸς θέλοι, τῇ ἑξῆς κατηχήσει πάλιν ἐλευσόμεθα.

Ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ πνεύματος πάντας ὑμᾶς τῶν πνευματικῶν καὶ ἐπουρανίων καταξιώσειε δωρεῶν. ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.