Lecture XVII.

Continuation of the Discourse on the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians xii. 8

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, &c.

1. In the preceding Lecture, according to our ability we set before you, our beloved hearers  1  ταῖς τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης ἀκοαῖς. Compare § 30, below: συγγώμην αἰτῶ παρὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης. Ignat. Philadelph. c. iv. (Long recension): θαρρῶν γράφω τῇ ἀξιοθέῳ ἀγάπη ὑμῶν. “Caritas” is constantly used in the same manner. , some small portion of the testimonies concerning the Holy Ghost; and on the present occasion, we will, if it be God’s pleasure, proceed to treat, as far as may be, of those which remain out of the New Testament: and as then to keep within due limit of your attention we restrained our eagerness (for there is no satiety in discoursing concerning the Holy Ghost), so now again we must say but a small part of what remains. For now, as well as then, we candidly own that our weakness is overwhelmed by the multitude of things written. Neither to-day will we use the subtleties of men, for that is unprofitable; but merely call to mind what comes from the divine Scriptures; for this is the safest course, according to the blessed Apostle Paul, who says,  Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual   2  1 Cor. ii. 13. . Thus we act like travellers or voyagers, who having one goal to a very long journey, though hastening on with eagerness, yet by reason of human weakness are wont to touch in their way at divers cities or harbours.

2. Therefore though our discourses concerning the Holy Ghost are divided, yet He Himself is undivided, being one and the same. For as in speaking concerning the Father, at one time we taught how He is the one only Cause  3  Cat. vi. ; and at another, how He is called Father  4  Ib. vii. , or Almighty  5  Ib. viii. ; and at another, how He is the Creator  6  Ib. ix. of the universe; and yet the division of the Lectures made no division of the Faith, in that He, the Object of devotion, both was and is One;—and again, as in discoursing concerning the Only-begotten Son of God we taught at one time concerning His Godhead  7  Cat. x. xi. , and at another concerning His Manhood  8  Ib. xii. xv. , dividing into many discourses the doctrines concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, yet preaching undivided faith towards Him;—so now also though the Lectures concerning the Holy Spirit are divided, yet we preach faith undivided towards Him. For it is one and the Self-same Spirit who  divides His gifts  to every man severally as He will  9  1 Cor. xii. 11. , Himself the while remaining undivided. For the Comforter is not different from the Holy Ghost, but one and the self-same, called by various names; who lives and subsists, and speaks, and works; and of all rational natures made by God through Christ, both of Angels and of men, He is the Sanctifier  10  Compare Basil. de Sp. Sancto, c. 38: “By the Father’s will the ministering spirits subsist, and by the operation of the Son they are brought into existence, and by the presence of the Holy Ghost are perfected: and the perfection of Angels is sanctification and continuance therein.” .

3. But lest any from lack of learning, should suppose from the different titles of the Holy Ghost that these are divers spirits, and not one and the self-same, which alone there is, therefore the Catholic Church guarding thee beforehand hath delivered to thee in the profession of the faith, that thou “believe in one Holy Ghost the Comforter, who spake by the Prophets;” that thou mightest know, that though His names be many, the Holy Spirit is but one;—of which names, we will now rehearse to you a few out of many.

4. He is called the Spirit, according to the Scripture just now read,  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom  11  1 Cor. xii. 8. . He is called the Spirit of Truth, as the Saviour says,  When He, the Spirit of Truth, is come  12  John xvi. 13. . He is called also the Comforter, as He said,  For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you  13  Ib. v. 7. . But that He is one and the same, though called by different titles, is shewn plainly from the following. For that the Holy Spirit and the Comforter are the same, is declared in those words,  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost  14  John xiv. 26. ; and that the Comforter is the same as the Spirit of Truth, is declared, when it is said,  And I will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth  15  Ib. vv. 16, 17. ; and again,  But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth  16  Ib. xv. 26. . And He is called the Spirit of God, according as it is written,  And I saw the Spirit of God descending  17  John i. 32. ; and again,  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God  18  Rom. viii. 14. . He is called also the Spirit of the Father, as the Saviour says,  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you  19  Matt. x. 20. ; and again Paul saith,  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father , and the rest;…  that He would grant you to be strengthened by His Spirit  20  Eph. iii. 14–16. . He is also called the Spirit of the Lord, according to that which Peter spake,  Why is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord  21  Acts v. 9. ? He is called also the Spirit of God and Christ, as Paul writes,  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. But if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His   22  Rom. viii. 9. . He is called also the Spirit of the Son of God, as it is said,  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son  23  Gal. iv. 6. . He is called also the Spirit of Christ, as it is written,  Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify  24  1 Pet. i. 11. ; and again,  Through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ  25  Phil. i. 19. .

5. Thou wilt find many other titles of the Holy Ghost besides. Thus He is called the Spirit of Holiness, as it is written,  According to the Spirit of Holiness  26  Rom. i. 4. . He is also called the Spirit of adoption, as Paul saith,  For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear, but ye received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father   27  Ib. viii. 15. . He is also called the Spirit of revelation, as it is written,  May give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him  28  Eph. i. 17. . He is also called the Spirit of promise, as the same Paul says,  In whom ye also after that ye believed, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise  29  Ib. v. 13. . He is also called the Spirit of grace, as when he says again,  And hath done despite to the Spirit of grace  30  Heb. x. 29. . And by many other such-like titles is He named. And thou heardest plainly in the foregoing Lecture, that in the Psalms He is called at one time  the good Spirit  31  Cat. xvi. 28; Ps. cxliii. 10. , and at another the  princely Spirit  32  ἡγεμονικῷ, Sept. Ps. li. 12: R.V. Uphold me with a free spirit. ; and in Esaias He was styled  the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel, and might, of knowledge, and of godliness, and of the fear of God  33  Is. xi. 2. . By all which Scriptures both those before and those now alleged, it is established, that though the titles of the Holy Ghost be different, He is one and the same; living and subsisting, and always present together with the Father and the Son  34  Origen, in the Catena on St. John iii. 8: “This also shews that the Spirit is a Being (οὐσίαν): for He is not, as some suppose, an energy of God, having according to them no individuality of subsistence. And the Apostle also, after enumerating the gifts of the Spirit, immediately added, But all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally as He will. Now if He willeth and worketh and divideth, He is surely an energizing Being, but not an energy” (Suicer, Thesaurus, Πνευμα). ; not uttered or breathed from the mouth and lips of the Father or the Son, nor dispersed into the air, but having a real substance  35  ἐνυπόστατον. Cf. Cat. xi. 10; xvi. 13, note 5. , Himself speaking, and working, and dispensing, and sanctifying; even as the Economy of salvation which is to usward from the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, is inseparable and harmonious and one, as we have also said before. For I wish you to keep in mind those things which were lately spoken, and to know clearly that there is not one Spirit in the Law and the Prophets, and another in the Gospels and Apostles; but that it is One and the Self-same Holy Spirit, which both in the Old and in the New Testament, spoke the divine Scriptures  36  Cat. iv. 16; xvi. 4. .

6. This is the Holy Ghost, who came upon the Holy Virgin Mary; for since He who was conceived was Christ the Only-begotten, the  power of the Highest overshadowed her , and the  Holy Ghost came upon her  37  Luke i. 35. , and sanctified her, that she might be able to receive Him,  by whom all things were made  38  John i. 3. . But I have no need of many words to teach thee that generation was without defilement or taint, for thou hast learned it. It is Gabriel who says to her, I am the herald of what shall be done, but have no part in the work. Though an Archangel, I know my place; and though I joyfully bid thee All hail, yet how thou shalt bring forth, is not of any grace of mine.  The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God   39  Luke i. 35. .

7. This Holy Spirit wrought in Elisabeth; for He recognises not virgins only, but matrons also, so that their marriage be lawful.  And  Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost  40  Luke i. 41. , and prophesied; and that noble hand-maiden says of her own Lord,  And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me  41  Ib. v. 43. ? For Elisabeth counted herself blessed. Filled with this Holy Spirit, Zacharias also, the father of John, prophesied  42  Ib. v. 67. , telling how many good things the Only-begotten should procure, and that John should be His harbinger  43  Ib. v. 76. through baptism. By this Holy Ghost also it was revealed to just Symeon,  that he should not see death, till he had seen the Lord’s Christ  44  Luke ii. 26–35. ; and he received Him in his arms, and bore clear testimony in the Temple concerning Him.

8. And John also, who had been filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb  45  Cat. iii. 6. , was for this cause sanctified, that he might baptize the Lord; not giving the Spirit himself, but preaching glad tidings of Him who gives the Spirit. For he says,  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after me , and the rest;  He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire  46  Matt. iii. 11. . But wherefore with fire? Because the descent of the Holy Ghost was in fiery tongues; concerning which the Lord says joyfully,  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled  47  Luke xii. 49. ?

9. This Holy Ghost came down when the Lord was baptized, that the dignity of Him who was baptized might not be hidden; as John says,  But He which sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost   48  John i. 33. . But see what saith the Gospel;  the heavens were opened ; they were opened because of the dignity of Him who descended; for,  lo , he says,  the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and lighting upon Him  49  Matt. iii. 16. : that is, with voluntary motion in His descent. For it was fit, as some have interpreted, that the primacy and first-fruits  50  τὰς ἀπαρχὰς καὶ τὰ πρωτεῖα. The order is inverted in the translation. Cf. Hermas, Sim. viii. 7 ἔχοντες ζῆλόν τινα ἐν ἀλλήλοις περὶ πρωτείων. of the Holy Spirit promised to the baptized should be conferred upon the manhood of the Saviour, who is the giver of such grace. But perhaps He came down in the form of a dove, as some say, to exhibit a figure of that dove who is pure and innocent and undefiled, and also helps the prayers for the children she has begotten, and for forgiveness of sins  51  The Benedictine Editor adds the two last words τύπον παραδηλοῦν from mss. Roe. Casaub. as necessary to the construction, and adds the following note. “The text thus emended is capable of two senses. The first, that the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove, a pure and harmless bird, to shew that He is Himself as it were a mystic dove in His simplicity and love of children, for whose new birth and remission of sins at Baptism He unites His prayers with Christ’s, as Cyril teaches in Cat. xvi. 20: and that Christ was for the like cause mystically foreshown in Canticles as having eyes like a dove’s. The other sense is, that the Spirit descended in the form of a dove on Christ’s Humanity in order to shew this to be as it were a dove in innocence, holiness, love of children, and concurrence with the Holy Spirit in their regeneration.…Either sense is admissible, and maintained by many of the Fathers: but I prefer the former.” This interpretation is confirmed by Tertullian (de Baptismo, c. viii.), who says that the Holy Spirit glided down on the Lord “in the shape of a dove” in order that the nature of the Holy Spirit might be declared by means of a creature of simplicity and innocence.” ; even as it was emblematically foretold that Christ should be thus manifested in the appearance of His eyes; for in the Canticles she cries concerning the Bridegroom, and says,  Thine eyes are as doves by the rivers of water  52  Cant. v. 12. ἐπὶ πληρώματα ὑδάτων (Sept.). The usual meaning of ὀφθαλμοφανῶς is “manifestly to the eyes,” Esther viii. 13. .

10. Of this dove, the dove of Noe, according to some, was in part a figure  53  Tertullian, ibid. “Just as after the waters of the deluge, by which the old iniquity was purged—after the baptism, so to say, of the world—a dove was the herald which announced to the earth the assuagement of celestial wrath,.…so to our flesh, as it emerges from the font after its old sins, flies the dove of the Holy Spirit, bringing us the peace of God, sent out from heaven where the Church is, the typified ark.” Compare also Hippolytus, The Holy Theophany, §§ 8, 9, a treatise with which Cyril has much in common. . For as in his time by means of wood and of water there came salvation to themselves, and the beginning of a new generation, and the dove returned to him towards evening with an olive branch; thus, say they, the Holy Ghost also descended upon the true Noe, the Author of the second birth, who draws together into one the wills of all nations, of whom the various dispositions of the animals in the ark were a figure:—Him at whose coming the spiritual wolves feed with the lambs, in whose Church the calf, and the lion, and the ox, feed in the same pasture, as we behold to this day the rulers of the world guided and taught by Churchmen. The spiritual dove therefore, as some interpret, came down at the season of His baptism, that He might shew that it is He who by the wood of the Cross saves them who believe, He who at eventide should grant salvation through His death.

11. And these things perhaps should be otherwise explained; but now again we must hear the words of the Saviour Himself concerning the Holy Ghost. For He says,  Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God  54  John iii. 5. . And that this grace is from the Father, He thus states,  How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him  55  Luke xi. 13. . And that we ought to worship God in the Spirit, He shews thus,  But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth; for the Father also seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth   56  John iv. 23. . And again,  But if I by the  Spirit of God cast out devils  57  Matt. xii. 28. ; and immediately afterwards,  Therefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak a word against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come   58  Ib. v. 31. . And again He says,  And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may be with you for ever, the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him, for He abideth with you, and shall be in you   59  John xiv. 16. . And again He says,  These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said unto you   60  Ib. v. 25. . And again He says,  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me   61  Ib. xv. 26. . And again the Saviour says,  For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you  62  Ib. xvi. 7. …..  And when He is come, He will convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment  63  Ib. v. 8. ; and afterwards again,  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He the Spirit of Truth is come, He will declare unto you all the truth; for He shall not speak from Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear that shall He speak, and He shall announce unto you the things to come. He shall glorify Me, for He shall take of Mine, and shall announce it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine; therefore said I, That He shall take of Mine, and shall announce it unto you   64  Ib. v. 12–15. . I have read to thee now the utterances of the Only-begotten Himself, that thou mayest not give heed to men’s words.

12. The fellowship of this Holy Spirit He bestowed on the Apostles; for it is written,  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained   65  John xx. 22. . This was the second time He breathed on man (His first breath  66  Gen. ii. 7: and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Compare Cat. xiv. 10. having been stifled through wilful sins); that the Scripture might be fulfilled,  He went up breathing upon thy face, and delivering thee from affliction  67  Nahum ii. 1. The Septuagint, followed by Cyril, differs widely from the Hebrew: (R.V.) He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face. . But whence went He up? From Hades; for thus the Gospel relates, that then after His resurrection He breathed on them. But though He bestowed His grace then, He was to lavish it yet more bountifully; and He says to them, “I am ready to give it even now, but the vessel cannot yet hold it; for a while therefore receive ye as much grace as ye can bear; and look forward for yet more;  but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be clothed with power from on high  68  Luke xxiv. 39. .  Receive it in part now; then, ye shall wear it in its fulness. For he who receives, often possesses the gift but in part; but he who is clothed, is completely enfolded by his robe. “Fear not,” He says, “the weapons and darts of the devil; for ye shall bear with you the power of the Holy Ghost.” But remember what was lately said, that the Holy Ghost is not divided, but only the grace which is given by Him.

13. Jesus therefore went up into heaven, and fulfilled the promise. For He said to them,  I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter  69  John xiv. 16. . So they were sitting, looking for the coming of the Holy Ghost;  and when the day of Pentecost was fully come , here, in this city of Jerusalem,—(for this honour also belongs to us  70  Cat. iii. 7; xvi. 5. Bp. Pearson (Lectiones in Acta Apost. I. § 18): “Rightly said Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, ‘All prerogatives are with us.’ And the Emperor Justin called her ‘Mother of the Christian name.’ Jerome also (Ep. 17, 3), said: ‘The whole mystery of our Faith is native of that province and city.‘” ; and we speak not of the good things which have happened among others, but of those which have been vouchsafed among ourselves,)—on the day of Pentecost, I say, they were sitting, and the Comforter came down from heaven, the Guardian and Sanctifier of the Church, the Ruler of souls, the Pilot of the tempest-tossed, who leads the wanderers to the light, and presides over the combatants, and crowns the victors.

14. But He came down to clothe the Apostles with power, and to baptize them; for the Lord says,  ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence  71  Acts i. 5. . This grace was not in part, but His power was in full perfection; for as he who plunges into the waters and is baptized is encompassed on all sides by the waters, so were they also baptized completely by the Holy Ghost. The water however flows round the outside only, but the Spirit baptizes also the soul within, and that completely. And wherefore wonderest thou? Take an example from matter; poor indeed and common, yet useful for the simpler sort. If the fire passing in through the mass of the iron makes the whole of it fire, so that what was cold becomes burning and what was black is made bright,—if fire which is a body thus penetrates and works without hindrance in iron which is also a body, why wonder that the Holy Ghost enters into the very inmost recesses of the soul?

15. And lest men should be ignorant of the greatness of the mighty gift coming down to them, there sounded as it were a heavenly trumpet, For  suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind  72  Acts ii. 2. , signifying the presence of Him who was to grant power unto men to seize with violence the kingdom of God; that both their eyes might see the fiery tongues, and their ears hear the sound.  And it filled all the house where they were sitting ; for the house became the vessel of the spiritual water; as the disciples sat within, the whole house was filled. Thus they were entirely baptized according to the promise, and invested soul and body with a divine garment of salvation.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost  . They partook of fire, not of burning but of saving fire; of fire which consumes the thorns of sins, but gives lustre to the soul. This is now coming upon you also, and that to strip away and consume your sins which are like thorns, and to brighten yet more that precious possession of your souls, and to give you grace; for He gave it then to the Apostles. And He sat upon them in the form of fiery tongues, that they might crown themselves with new and spiritual diadems by fiery tongues upon their heads. A fiery sword barred of old the gates of Paradise; a fiery tongue which brought salvation restored the gift.

16.  And they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance  73  Ib. v. 4. . The Galilean Peter or Andrew spoke Persian or Median. John and the rest of the Apostles spoke every tongue to those of Gentile extraction; for not in our time have multitudes of strangers first begun to assemble here from all quarters, but they have done so since that time. What teacher can be found so great as to teach men all at once things which they have not learned? So many years are they in learning by grammar and other arts to speak only Greek well; nor yet do all speak this equally well; the Rhetorician perhaps succeeds in speaking well, and the Grammarian sometimes not well, and the skilful Grammarian is ignorant of the subjects of philosophy. But the Holy Spirit taught them many languages at once, languages which in all their life they never knew. This is in truth vast wisdom, this is power divine. What a contrast of their long ignorance in time past to their sudden, complete and varied and unaccustomed exercise of these languages!

17. The multitude of the hearers was confounded;—it was a second confusion, in the room of that first evil one at Babylon. For in that confusion of tongues there was division of purpose, because their thought was at enmity with God; but here minds were restored and united, because the object of interest was godly. The means of falling were the means of recovery. Wherefore they marvelled, saying  74  Acts ii. 8. ,  How hear we them speaking ? No marvel if ye be ignorant; for even Nicodemus was ignorant of the coming of the Spirit, and to him it was said,  The Spirit breatheth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth   75  John iii. 8: (R.V.) The wind bloweth: (Marg.) Or, The Spirit breatheth. It is impossible to preserve the double meaning in English. ; but if, even though I hear His voice, I know not whence he cometh, how can I explain, what He is Himself in substance?

18.  But others mocking said, They are full of new wine  76  Acts ii. 13. , and they spoke truly though in mockery. For in truth the wine was new, even the grace of the New Testament; but this new wine was from a spiritual Vine, which had oftentimes ere this borne fruit in Prophets, and had budded in the New Testament. For as in things sensible, the vine ever remains the same, but bears new fruits in its seasons, so also the self-same Spirit continuing what He is, as He had often wrought in Prophets, now manifested a new and marvellous work. For though His grace had come before to the Fathers also, yet here it came exuberantly; for formerly men only partook of the Holy Ghost, but now they were baptized completely.

19. But Peter who had the Holy Ghost, and who knew what he possessed, says, “  Men of Israel , ye who preach Joel, but know not the things which are written,  these men are not drunken as ye suppose  77  Ib. v. 15. . Drunken they are, not however as ye suppose, but according to that which is written,  They shall be drunken with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the torrents of thy pleasure  78  Ps. xxxvi. 8. . They are drunken, with a sober drunkenness, deadly to sin and life-giving to the heart, a drunkenness contrary to that of the body; for this last causes forgetfulness even of what was known, but that bestows the knowledge even of what was not known. They are drunken, for they have drunk the wine of the spiritual vine, which says,  I am the vine and ye  are the branches  79  John xv. 5. . But if ye are not persuaded by me, understand what I tell you from the very time of the day; for  it is the third hour of the day  80  Acts ii. 25, and 15. . For He who, as Mark relates, was crucified at the third hour, now at the third hour sent down His grace. For His grace is not other than the Spirit’s grace, but He who was then crucified, who also gave the promise, made good that which He promised. And if ye would receive a testimony also,  Listen , he says: “  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass after this, saith God, I will pour forth of My Spirit   81  Joel ii. 28. —(and this word,  I will pour forth , implied a rich gift;  for God giveth not the Spirit by measure, for the Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand  82  John iii. 34, 35. ; and He has given Him the power also of bestowing the grace of the All-holy Spirit on whomsoever He will);—  I will pour forth of My Spirit unto all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy ; and afterwards,  Yea, and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy  83  Joel ii. 29. .” The Holy Ghost is no respecter of persons; for He seeks not dignities, but piety of soul. Let neither the rich be puffed up, nor the poor dejected, but only let each prepare himself for reception of the Heavenly gift.

20. We have said much to-day, and perchance you are weary of listening; yet more still remains. And in truth for the doctrine of the Holy Ghost there were need of a third lecture; and of many besides. But we must have your indulgence on both points. For as the Holy Festival of Easter is now at hand we have this day lengthened our discourse and yet we had not room to bring before you all the testimonies from the New Testament which we ought. For many passages are still to come from the Acts of the Apostles in which the grace of the Holy Ghost wrought mightily in Peter and in all the Apostles together; many also from the Catholic Epistles, and the fourteen Epistles of Paul; out of all which we will now endeavour to gather a few, like flowers from a large meadow, merely by way of remembrance.

21. For in the power of the Holy Ghost, by the will of Father and Son, Peter stood with the Eleven, and lifting up his voice, (according to the text,  Lift up thy voice with strength, thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem  84  Is. xl. 9. ), captured in the spiritual net of his words,  about three thousand souls . So great was the grace which wrought in all the Apostles together, that, out of the Jews, those crucifiers of Christ, this great number believed, and were baptized in the Name of Christ, and  continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine and in the prayers  85  Acts ii. 42. . And again in the same power of the Holy Ghost,  Peter and John went up into the Temple at the hour of prayer, which was the ninth hour  86  Ib. iii. 1. , and in the Name of Jesus healed the man at the Beautiful gate, who had been lame from his mother’s womb for forty years; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken,  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart  87  Is. xxxv. 6. . And thus, as they captured in the spiritual net of their doctrine five thousand believers at once, so they confuted the misguided rulers of the people and chief priests, and that, not through their own wisdom, for  they were unlearned and ignorant men  88  Acts iv. 13. , but through the mighty power of the Holy Ghost; for it is written,  Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said to them  89  Ib. v. 8. . So great also was the grace of the Holy Ghost, which wrought by means of the Twelve Apostles in them who believed, that  they were of one heart and of one soul  90  Ib. v. 32. , and their enjoyment of their goods was common, the possessors piously offering the prices of their possessions, and no one among them wanting aught; while Ananias and Sapphira, who attempted to lie to the Holy Ghost, underwent their befitting punishment.

22.  And by the hands of the Apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people  91  Acts v. 12. . And so great was the spiritual grace shed around the Apostles, that gentle as they were, they were the objects of dread; for  of the rest durst no man join himself to them; but the people magnified them; and multitudes were added of those who believed on the Lord, both of men and women  ; and the streets were filled with the sick on their beds and couches,  that as Peter passed by, at least his shadow might overshadow some of them . And  the multitude also of the cities round about came unto this holy Jerusalem,  bringing sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits, and they were healed every one in this power of the Holy Ghost  92  Ib. vv. 13–16. .

23. Again, after the Twelve Apostles had been cast into prison by the chief priests for preaching Christ, and had been marvellously delivered from it at night by an Angel, and were brought before them in the judgment hall from the Temple, they fearlessly rebuked them in their discourse to them concerning Christ, and added this, that  God hath also given His Holy Spirit to them that obey Him  93  Ib. v. 32. . And when they had been scourged, they went their way rejoicing, and ceased not to  teach and preach Jesus as the Christ  94  Acts v. 42. .

24. And it was not in the Twelve Apostles only that the grace of the Holy Spirit wrought, but also in the first-born children of this once barren Church, I mean the seven Deacons; for these also were chosen, as it is written, being  full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom  95  Ib. vi. 3. . Of whom Stephen, rightly so named  96  Ib. v. 8. Στέφανος, “a crown.” , the first fruits of the Martyrs, a man  full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, wrought great wonders and miracles among the people , and vanquished those who disputed with him;  for they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake  97  Ib. v. 10. . But when he was maliciously accused and brought to the judgment hall, he was radiant with angelic brightness; for  all they who sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face, as it had been the face of an Angel  98  Ib. v. 15. . And having by his wise defence confuted the Jews, those  stiffnecked men, uncircumcised in heart and ears, ever resisting the Holy Ghost  99  Ib. vii. 51. , he beheld  the heavens opened , and saw  the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God . He saw Him, not by his own power, but, as the Divine Scripture says,  being full of the Holy Ghost, he looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God   100  Ib. v. 55. .

25. In this power of the Holy Ghost, Philip also in the Name of Christ at one time in the city of Samaria drove away the unclean spirits,  crying out with a loud voice ; and healed the palsied and the lame, and brought to Christ great multitudes of them that believe. To whom Peter and John came down, and with prayer, and the laying on of hands, imparted the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, from which Simon Magus alone was declared an alien, and that justly. And at another time Philip was called by the Angel of the Lord in the way, for the sake of that most godly Ethiopian, the Eunuch, and heard distinctly the Spirit Himself saying,  Go near, and join thyself to this chariot  101  Ib. viii. 5. . He instructed the Eunuch, and baptized him, and so having sent into Ethiopia a herald of Christ, according as it is written,  Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hand unto God  102  Ps. lxviii. 31. , he was caught away by the Angel, and preached the Gospel in the cities in succession.

26. With this Holy Spirit Paul also had been filled after his calling by our Lord Jesus Christ. Let godly Ananias come as a witness to what we say, he who in Damascus said to him,  The Lord, even Jesus who appeared to thee in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost   103  Acts ix. 17. . And straightway the Spirit’s mighty working changed the blindness of Paul’s eyes into newness of sight; and having vouchsafed His seal unto his soul, made him  a chosen vessel to  bear the Name of the Lord who had appeared to him,  before kings and the children of Israel , and rendered the former persecutor an ambassador and good servant,—one, who  from Jerusalem, and even unto Illyricum, fully preached the Gospel  104  Rom. xv. 19. , and instructed even imperial Rome, and carried the earnestness of his preaching as far as Spain, undergoing conflicts innumerable, and performing signs and wonders. Of him for the present enough.

27. In the power of the same Holy Spirit Peter also, the chief of the Apostles and the bearer of the keys  105  κλειδοῦχος. Cf. Matt. xvi. 19; Cat. ii. 19; xi. 3. of the kingdom of heaven, healed Æneas the paralytic in the Name of Christ at Lydda, which is now Diospolis, and at Joppa raised from the dead Tabitha rich in good works. And being on the housetop in a trance, he saw heaven opened, and by means of the vessel let down as it were a sheet full of beasts of every shape and sort, he learnt plainly to call no man common or unclean, though he should be of the Greeks  106  Acts x. 11–16. . And when he was sent for by Cornelius, he heard clearly the Holy Ghost Himself saying,  Behold, men seek thee; but arise and get thee down, and go with them, nothing doubting; for I have sent them  107  Ib. v. 19. . And that it might be plainly shewn that those of the Gentiles also who believe are made partakers of the grace of the Holy Ghost, when Peter was come to Cesarea, and was teaching the things concerning Christ, the Scripture says concerning Cornelius and them who were with him;  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word; so that they of the circumcision also which came with Peter were astonished, and when they understood it said that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost   108  Ib. v. 44. .

28. And in Antioch also, a most renowned city of Syria, when the preaching of Christ took effect, Barnabas was sent hence as far as Antioch to help on the good work, being a  good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith  109  Ib. xi. 24. ; who seeing a great harvest of believers in Christ, brought Paul from Tarsus to Antioch, as his fellow-combatant. And when crowds had been instructed by them and assembled in the Church,  it came to pass that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch  110  Ib. v. 26. Cf. Is. lxv. 15. ; the Holy Ghost, methinks, bestowing on the believers that new Name, which had been promised before by the Lord. And the grace of the Spirit being shed forth by God more abundantly in Antioch, there were there prophets and teachers of whom Agabus was one  111  Acts xi. 28. . And  as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them  . And after hands had been laid on them,  they were sent forth by the Holy Ghost  112  Ib. xiii. 2–4. . Now it is manifest, that the Spirit which speaks and sends, is a living Spirit, subsisting, and operating, as we have said.

29. This Holy Spirit, who in unison with Father and Son has established the New Covenant in the Church Catholic, has set us free from the burdens of the law grievous to be borne,—those I mean, concerning things common and unclean, and meats, and sabbaths, and new moons, and circumcision, and sprinklings, and sacrifices; which were given for a season, and  had a shadow of the good things to come  113  Heb. x. 1. , but which, when the truth had come, were rightly withdrawn. For when Paul and Barnabas were sent to the Apostles, because of the question moved at Antioch by them who said that it was necessary to be circumcised and to keep the customs of Moses, the Apostles who were here at Jerusalem by a written injunction set free the whole world from all the legal and typical observances; yet they attributed not to themselves the full authority in so great a matter, but send an injunction in writing, and acknowledge this:  For it hath seemed good unto the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication   114  Acts xv. 28, 29. ἐπιστολή means a message or injunction whether verbal or written. ; shewing evidently by what they wrote, that though the writing was by the hands of human Apostles, yet the decree is universal from the Holy Ghost: which decree Paul and Barnabas took and confirmed unto all the world.

30. And now, having proceeded thus far in my discourse, I ask indulgence from your love  115  See note 1 on § 1, above. , or rather from the Spirit who dwelt in Paul, if I should not be able to rehearse everything, by reason of my own weakness, and your weariness who listen. For when shall I in terms worthy of Himself declare the marvellous deeds wrought by the operation of the Holy Ghost in the Name of Christ? Those wrought in Cyprus upon Elymas the sorcerer, and in Lystra at the healing of the cripple, and in Cilicia and Phrygia and Galatia and Mysia and Macedonia? or those at Philippi (the preaching, I mean, and the driving out of the spirit of divination in the Name of Christ; and the salvation by baptism of the jailer with his whole house at night after the earthquake); or the events at Thessalonica; and the address at Areopagus in the midst of the Athenians; or the instructions at Corinth, and in all Achaia? How shall I worthily recount the mighty deeds which were wrought at Ephesus through Paul, by the Holy Ghost  116  Acts xix. 1–6. ? Whom they of that City knew not before, but came to know Him by the doctrine of Paul; and when Paul had laid his hands on them, and the Holy Ghost had come upon them,  they spake with tongues, and prophesied . And so great spiritual grace was upon him, that not only his touch wrought cures, but even the  handkerchiefs and napkins  117  Ib. v. 12. , brought from his body, healed diseases, and scared away the evil spirits; and at last  they also who practised curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men  118  Ib. v. 19. .

31. I pass by the work wrought at Troas on Eutychus, who  being borne down by his sleep fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead ; yet was saved alive by Paul  119  Ib. xx. 9–12. . I also pass by the prophecies addressed to the Elders of Ephesus whom he called to him in Miletus, to whom he openly said,  That the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying  120  Ib. v. 23. —and the rest; for by saying,  in every city , Paul made manifest that the marvellous works done by him in each city, were from the operative power of the Holy Ghost, by the will of God, and in the Name of Christ who spoke in him. By the power of this Holy Ghost, the same Paul was hastening to this holy city Jerusalem, and this, though Agabus by the Spirit foretold what should befall him; and yet he spoke to the people with confidence, declaring the things concerning Christ. And when brought to Cesarea, and set amid tribunals of justice, at one time before Felix, and at another before Festus the governor and King Agrippa, Paul obtained of the Holy Ghost grace so great, and triumphant in wisdom, that at last Agrippa himself the king of the Jews said,  Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian  121  Ib. xxvi. 28. Cyril evidently understood ἐν ὀλίγῳ to mean “almost” (A.V.): but the more correct rendering is, “In brief thou wouldest persuade me to become a Christian.” . This Holy Spirit granted to Paul, when he was in the island of Melita also, to receive no harm when bitten by the viper, and to effect divers cures on the diseased. This Holy Spirit guided him, the persecutor of old, as a herald of Christ, even as far as imperial Rome, and there he persuaded many of the Jews to believe in Christ, and to them who gainsaid he said plainly,  Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the Prophet, saying unto your fathers, and the rest  122  Ib. xxviii. 25. .

32. And that Paul was full of the Holy Ghost, and all his fellow Apostles, and they who after them believed in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, hear from himself as he writes plainly in his Epistles;  And my speech , he says,  and my preaching was not in persuasive words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power  123  1 Cor. ii. 4. . And again,  But He who sealed us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the earnest of the Spirit  124  2 Cor. i. 22. . And again,  He that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit which dwelleth in you  125  Rom. viii. 11. . And again, writing to Timothy,  That good thing which was committed to thee guard through the Holy Ghost which was given to us  126  2 Tim. i. 14: (R.V.) by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. .

33. And that the Holy Ghost subsists, and lives, and speaks, and foretells, I have often said in what goes before, and Paul writes it plainly to Timothy:  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in later times some shall depart from the faith  127  1 Tim. iv. 1. ,—which we see in the divisions not only of former times but also of our own; so motley and diversified are the errors of the heretics. And again the same Paul says,  Which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto His Holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit   128  Eph. iii. 5. . And again,  Wherefore, as saith the Holy Ghost  129  Heb. iii. 7. ; and again,  The Holy Ghost also witnesseth to us  130  Ib. x. 15. . And again he calls unto the soldiers of righteousness, saying,  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, with all prayer and supplication  131  Eph. vi. 17. . And again,  Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs   132  Ib. v. 18, 19. . And again,  The grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all  133  2 Cor. xiii. 14. .

34. By all these proofs, and by more which have been passed over, is the personal, and sanctifying, and effectual power of the Holy Ghost established for those who can understand; for the time would fail me in my discourse if I wished to quote what yet remains concerning the Holy Ghost from the fourteen Epistles of Paul, wherein he has taught with such variety, completeness, and reverence. And to the power of the Holy Ghost Himself it must belong, to grant to us forgiveness for what we have omitted because the days are few, and upon you the hearers to impress more perfectly the knowledge of what yet remains; while from the frequent reading of the sacred Scriptures those of you who are diligent come to understand these things, and by this time, both from these present Lectures, and from what has before been told you, hold more steadfastly the Faith in “One God the Father Almighty; and in our Lord Jesus Christ, His Only-Begotten Son; and in the Holy Ghost the Comforter.” Though the word itself and title of Spirit is applied to Them in common in the sacred Scriptures,—for it is said of the Father,  God is a Spirit  134  John iv. 24. , as it is written in the Gospel according to John; and of the Son,  A Spirit before our face, Christ the Lord  135  Lam. iv. 20. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord: referring to the captive king. , as Jeremias the prophet says; and of the Holy Ghost,  the Comforter, the Holy Ghost  136  John xiv. 25. , as was said;—yet the arrangement of articles in the Faith, if religiously understood, disproves the error of Sabellius also  137  The distinct mention in the Creed of three Persons excludes the error of Sabellius in confusing them. Cf. Cat. iv. 8; xvi. 14. . Return we therefore in our discourse to the point which now presses and is profitable to you.

35. Beware lest ever like Simon thou come to the dispensers of Baptism in hypocrisy, thy heart the while not seeking the truth. It is ours to protest, but it is thine to secure thyself. If  thou standest in faith  138  Rom. xi. 20. , blessed art thou; if thou hast fallen in unbelief, from this day forward cast away thine unbelief, and receive full assurance. For, at the season of baptism, when thou art come before the Bishops, or Presbyters, or Deacons  139  Cf. Bingham, Antiquities, II. xx. 9. “When Cyril directs his Catechumens how they should behave themselves at the time of Baptism, when they came either before a bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, in city or village,—this may be presumed a fair intimation that then deacons were ordinarily allowed to minister Baptism in country places.” See further ‘Of the power granted anciently to deacons to baptize,’ Bingham, Lay Baptism, I. i. 5. ,—(for its grace is everywhere, in villages and in cities, on them of low as on them of high degree, on bondsmen and on freemen, for this grace is not of men, but the gift is from God through men,)—approach the Minister of Baptism, but approaching, think not of the face of him thou seest, but remember this Holy Ghost of whom we are now speaking. For He is present in readiness to seal thy soul, and He shall give thee that Seal at which evil spirits tremble, a heavenly and sacred seal, as also it is written,  In whom also ye believed, and were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise  140  Eph. i. 13. Cf. Cat. i. 2, 3. .

36. Yet He tries the soul. He casts not His pearls before swine; if thou play the hypocrite, though men baptize thee now, the Holy Spirit will not baptize thee  141  Cf. Procat. § 4: “The water will receive, but the Spirit will not accept thee.” . But if thou approach with faith, though men minister in what is seen, the Holy Ghost bestows that which is unseen. Thou art coming to a great trial, to a great muster  142  στρατολογία. Cf. Cat. iii. 3, μέλλετε στρατολογεῖσθαι. , in that one hour, which if thou throw away, thy disaster is irretrievable; but if thou be counted worthy of the grace, thy soul will be enlightened, thou wilt receive a power which thou hadst not, thou wilt receive weapons terrible to the evil spirits; and if thou cast not away thine arms, but keep the Seal upon thy soul, no evil spirit will approach thee; for he will be cowed; for verily by the Spirit of God are the evil spirits cast out.

37. If thou believe, thou shalt not only receive remission of sins, but also do things which pass man’s power  143  The same twofold grace is ascribed to Baptism in Cat. xiii. 23: “Thou receivest now remission of thy sins, and the gifts of the King’s spiritual bounty.” . And mayest thou be worthy of the gift of prophecy also! For thou shalt receive grace according to the measure of thy capacity and not of my words; for I may possibly speak of but small things, yet thou mayest receive greater; since faith is a large affair  144  πραγματεία. Cf. 2 Tim. ii. 4; and Luke xix. 13: Trade (πραγματεύεοθε) till I come. . All thy life long will thy guardian the Comforter abide with thee; He will care for thee, as for his own soldier; for thy goings out, and thy comings in, and thy plotting foes. And He will give thee gifts of grace of every kind, if thou grieve Him not by sin; for it is written,  And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye were sealed unto the day of redemption  145  Eph. iv. 30. . What then, beloved, is it to preserve grace? Be ye ready to receive grace, and when ye have received it, cast it not away.

38. And may the very God of All, who spake by the Holy Ghost through the prophets, who sent Him forth upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost in this place, Himself send Him forth at this time also upon you; and by Him keep us also, imparting His benefit in common to us all, that we may ever render up the fruits of the Holy Ghost,  love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance  146  Gal. v. 22, 23. , in Christ Jesus our Lord:—By whom and with whom, together with the Holy Ghost, be glory to the Father, both now, and ever, and for ever and ever. Amen.

[17]  Κατήχησις ἑπτακαιδεκάτη φωτιζομένων, ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις σχεδιασθεῖσα. τῶν περὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος τὰ λοιπά. καὶ ἀνάγνωσις ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Κορινθίους πρώτης: ᾧ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. 

Ἐν μὲν τῇ πρὸ ταύτης κατηχήσει τῶν περὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου μαρτυριῶν ὀλίγον τι μέρος κατὰ δύναμιν παρεθέμεθα ταῖς τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης ἀκοαῖς, ἐν δὲ τῷ παρόντι τῶν λειπουσῶν ἐκ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης κατὰ τὸ ἐγχωροῦν πάλιν ἐφαψόμεθα θεοῦ θέλοντος, τότε μὲν διὰ τὸ τῆς ἀκοῆς σύμμετρον τὴν προθυμίαν ἐπισχόντες (ἀκόρεστος γὰρ ὁ πνεύματος ἁγίου λόγος), νυνὶ δὲ τῶν λειπόντων μέρος τι πάλιν ὀλίγον ἐροῦντες (τὸ γὰρ καλύπτεσθαι τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσθένειαν τῷ τῶν γεγραμμένων πλήθει μετ' εὐγνωμοσύνης καὶ νῦν ὁμολογοῦμεν), οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνοις καὶ σήμερον κεχρημένοι σοφίσμασιν (ἀσύμφορον γάρ), ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐκ τῶν θείων γραφῶν μόνον ὑπομιμνήσκοντες (ἀσφαλέστατον γὰρ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον ἀπόστολον Παῦλον, ὅς φησιν: ἃ καὶ λαλοῦμεν, οὐκ ἐν διδακτοῖς ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λόγοις, ἀλλ' ἐν διδακτοῖς πνεύματος, πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρίνοντες), καὶ παραπλήσια τοῖς ὁδοιποροῦσιν ἢ πλέουσιν ἐπιτελοῦντες, οἳ σκοπὸν ἔχοντες ἕνα μεγίστης ὁδοῦ τῇ μὲν προθυμίᾳ σπεύδουσι, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀσθένειαν διαφόροις πόλεσι παραβάλλειν ἢ λιμέσιν εἰώθασιν.

Αἱ μὲν οὖν περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος διαλέξεις διαιροῦνται, αὐτὸ δὲ ἀδιαίρετόν ἐστιν, ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τυγχάνον. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς λόγοις ποτὲ μὲν περὶ μοναρχίας ἦν ἡμῖν τὸ διδασκόμενον, ποτὲ δὲ πῶς καλεῖται πατὴρ ἢ παντοκράτωρ, ποτὲ δὲ ὅπως δημιουργός ἐστι τῶν ὅλων, καὶ οὐ τὸ διαιρεῖσθαι τὰς κατηχήσεις διαίρεσιν εἶχε τῆς πίστεως (εἷς γὰρ ἦντε καὶ ἔστιν ὁ τῆς εὐσεβείας σκοπός), καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς περὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ποτὲ μὲν τὰ περὶ τῆς θεότητος, ποτὲ δὲ τὰ περὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἐδιδάσκομεν, εἰς πολλὰς μὲν διαλέξεις τοὺς περὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγους διαιροῦντες, ἀδιαίρετον δὲ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν πίστιν καταγγέλλοντες, οὕτως καὶ νῦν τῶν περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος. κατηχήσεων διαιρουμένων ἀδιαίρετον καταγγέλλομεν τὴν εἰς αὐτὸ πίστιν. ἓν γάρ ἐστι καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τὸ διαιροῦν μὲν τὰ χαρίσματα ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ καθὼς βούλεται, αὐτὸ δὲ μόνον ἀδιαίρετον. οὐ γὰρ ἄλλος ἐστὶν ὁ παράκλητος παρὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀλλ' ἕν ἐστι καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ διαφόρως ταῖς προσηγορίαις ὀνομαζόμενον, ζῶν καὶ ὑφεστὸς καὶ λαλοῦν καὶ ἐνεργοῦν καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ γενομένων λογικῶν ἁπάντων, ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἁγιαστικόν.

Ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ μὴ ταῖς διαφόροις ὀνομασίαις τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος νομίσαι τινὰς ἐξ ἀμαθείας διάφορα εἶναι ταῦτα πνεύματα καὶ μὴ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὅπερ ἐστὶ μόνον, διὰ τοῦτο προασφαλιζομένη σε ἡ καθολικὴ ἐκκλησία παρέδωκεν ἐν τῇ τῆς πίστεως ἐπαγγελίᾳ πιστεύειν « εἰς ἓν ἅγιον πνεῦμα, τὸν παράκλητον, τὸ λαλῆσαν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, » ὅπως εἰδέναι ἔχοις, ὅτι πολλαὶ μὲν αἱ προσηγορίαι τυγχάνουσιν, ἓν δὲ μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. περὶ ὧν προσηγοριῶν νῦν ὀλίγας ὑμῖν ἐκ πολλῶν ἐροῦμεν.

Καλεῖται μὲν γὰρ « πνεῦμα » κατὰ τὸ ἀρτίως ἀνεγνωσμένον, ᾧ « μὲν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος δίδοται λόγος σοφίας. » καλεῖται δὲ « πνεῦμα ἀληθείας, » καθὼς ὁ σωτήρ φησιν, « ὅταν δὲ » ἔλθῃ « ἐκεῖνος, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας. » καλεῖται καὶ « παράκλητος, » καθὼς εἴρηκεν, « ἐὰν γὰρ ἐγὼ μὴ ἀπέλθω, ὁ παράκλητος οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς. » ὅτι δὲ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτό ἐστι διαφόροις ταῖς προσηγορίαις ὀνομαζόμενον, δείκνυται σαφῶς ἐκ τούτων. περὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ εἶναι τὸ αὐτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καὶ τὸν παράκλητον εἴρηται ὁ « δὲ παράκλητος τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. » περὶ δὲ τοῦ τὸ αὐτὸ εἶναι καὶ τὸν παράκλητον καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας εἴρηται « καὶ ἄλλον παράκλητον δώσω ὑμῖν, ἵνα μεθ' ὑμῶν μένῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας. » καὶ πάλιν « ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ παράκλητος ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας. »

Καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα θεοῦ, » καθὼς γέγραπται: καὶ εἶδον τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ καταβαῖνον, καὶ πάλιν, ὅσοι γὰρ πνεύματι θεοῦ ἄγονται, οὗτοι υἱοὶ θεοῦ εἰσιν. καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα πατρός, » καθώς φησιν ὁ σωτήρ: οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ λαλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖν. καὶ πάλιν ὁ Παῦλος: τούτου χάριν κάμπτω τὰ γόνατά μου πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ἑξῆς, ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ. καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα κυρίου, » καθὼς Πέτρος εἶπε: τί ὅτι συνεφωνήθη ὑμῖν πειράσαι τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου; καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ, » καθὼς γράφει Παῦλος: ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκί, ἀλλ' ἐν πνεύματι, εἴπερ πνεῦμα θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. εἰ δέ τις πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ. καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, » καθὼς εἴρηται: ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοί, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ. καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ, » καθὼς γέγραπται: εἰς τίνα ἢ ποῖον καιρὸν ἐδήλου τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ. καὶ πάλιν: διὰ τῆς ὑμῶν δεήσεως καὶ ἐπιχορηγίας τοῦ πνεύματος [τοῦ] Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἄλλας πάλιν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ὀνομασίας εὑρήσεις. καλεῖται μὲν γὰρ « πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης, » ὡς γέγραπται: κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης. καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας, » ὡς Παῦλός φησιν: οὐ γὰρ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα δουλείας πάλιν εἰς φόβον, ἀλλ' ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας, ἐν ᾧ κράζομεν ἀββᾶ ὁ πατήρ. καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα ἀποκαλύψεως, » καθὼς γέγραπται: δῴη ὑμῖν πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως ἐν ἐπιγνώσει αὐτοῦ. καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα ἐπαγγελίας, » καθὼς ὁ αὐτός φησιν: ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς πιστεύσαντες ἐσφραγίσθητε τῷ πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ. καλεῖται καὶ « πνεῦμα χάριτος, » ὡς ὅτε πάλιν λέγει: καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς χάριτος ἐνυβρίσας. καὶ ἄλλαις δὲ προσηγορίαις πλείοσιν ὀνομάζεται τοιαύταις. ἤκουσας δὲ σαφῶς καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸ ταύτης κατηχήσει, ὅτι ἐν μὲν τοῖς ψαλμοῖς ποτὲ μὲν ἀγαθόν, ποτὲ δὲ ἡγεμονικὸν ὀνομάζεται, ἐν δὲ τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως καὶ βουλῆς καὶ ἰσχύος καὶ γνώσεως καὶ εὐσεβείας καὶ φόβου θεοῦ προσηγορεύετο.

Δι' ὧν ἁπάντων, τῶντε πρότερον εἰρημένων καὶ τῶν νῦν, συνίσταται, διαφόρους μὲν εἶναι τὰς προσηγορίας, ἓν δὲ καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ζῶν καὶ ὑφεστός, καὶ πάντοτε πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ συμπαρόν, οὐκ ἀπὸ στόματος καὶ χειλέων πατρὸς ἢ υἱοῦ λαλούμενον ἢ ἀναπνεόμενον, οὔτε εἰς ἀέρα διαχεόμενον, ἀλλ' ἐνυπόστατον, λαλοῦν αὐτὸ καὶ ἐνεργοῦν καὶ οἰκονομοῦν καὶ ἁγιάζον, ἀδιαστάτου δηλαδὴ καὶ συμφώνου καὶ μιᾶς οὔσης τῆς σωτηριώδους οἰκονομίας εἰς ἡμᾶς τῆς ἐκ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος, καθὼς καὶ πρώην εἰρήκαμεν. μνημονεύειν γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἐκείνων ἄρτι λεγομένων βούλομαι, καὶ εἰδέναι σαφῶς, ὅτι οὐχ ἕτερον μὲν ἐν νόμῳ καὶ προφήταις, ἕτερον δὲ ἐν εὐαγγελίοις καὶ ἀποστόλοις, ἀλλ' ἕν ἐστι καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα ἅγιον τὸ ἐν παλαιᾷ τε καὶ καινῇ διαθήκῃ τὰς θείας λαλῆσαν γραφάς.

Τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν ἐστι τὸ ἐλθὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν παρθένον « Μαρίαν. » ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Χριστὸς ἦν ὁ μονογενὴς ὁ γεννώμενος, δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπεσκίαζεν αὐτῇ, καὶ πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελθὸν ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἡγίαζεν αὐτὴν πρὸς τὸ δυνηθῆναι δέξασθαι τὸν δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο. οὐ χρεία δέ μοι πολλῶν λόγων, ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι ἀῤῥύπαρος καὶ ἄχραντος ἡ γέννησις: ἔμαθες γάρ. Γαβριήλ ἐστιν ὁ λέγων πρὸς αὐτήν: ἐγὼ κήρυξ εἰμὶ τῶν γενησομένων, ἀλλ' οὐ συνεργός. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἀρχάγγελος, ἀλλ' οἶδά μου τὴν τάξιν. καὶ τὸ μὲν χαίρειν ἐγὼ εὐαγγελίζομαι σοι, τὸ δὲ πῶς τέξῃ οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐμῆς χάριτος. πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι. διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον κληθήσεται υἱὸς θεοῦ.

Τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐνήργησεν ἐν τῇ « Ἐλισάβετ. » οὐ γὰρ μόνον παρθένους οἶδεν, ἀλλὰ γνωρίζει καὶ ἐγγάμους, ἐὰν κατὰ νόμον ᾖ ὁ γάμος. καὶ ἐπλήσθη πνεύματος ἁγίου ἡ Ἐλισάβετ καὶ ἐπροφήτευσεν. καί φησιν ἡ καλὴ δουλὶς περὶ τοῦ ἑαυτῆς κυρίου: καὶ πόθεν μοι τοῦτο, ἵνα ἔλθῃ πρός με ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ κυρίου μου; ἐμακάριζε γὰρ ἑαυτὴν ἡ Ἐλισάβετ. τούτου τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος πλησθεὶς καὶ « Ζαχαρίας » ὁ τοῦ Ἰωάννου πατὴρ προεφήτευσε λέγων, ὅσων τε ἀγαθῶν πρόξενός ἐστιν ὁ μονογενής, καὶ ὅτι πρόδρομος διὰ βαπτίσματος Ἰωάννης ἐκείνου. ὑπὸ τούτου τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χρηματισθεὶς καὶ « Συμεὼν » ὁ δίκαιος μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον πρὶν ἢ ἴδῃ τὸν χριστὸν κυρίου, δεξάμενος αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς ἀγκάλας ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ σαφῶς ἐμαρτύρησεν.

Καὶ « Ἰωάννης » δὲ ὁ πνεύματος ἁγίου πλησθεὶς ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦτο ἡγιάσθη, ἵνα βαπτίσῃ τὸν κύριον, οὐ διδοὺς τὸ πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ τὸν διδόντα τὸ πνεῦμα εὐαγγελιζόμενος. φησὶ γάρ: ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι εἰς μετάνοιαν, ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος, καὶ ἑξῆς, αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί. πυρὶ δὲ διὰ τί; ἐπειδὴ ἐν πυρίναις γλώσσαις ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐγένετο κάθοδος. περὶ οὗ λέγει χαίρων ὁ κύριος: πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τί θέλω εἰ ἤδη ἀνήφθη;

Τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατῆλθε βαπτιζομένου τοῦ κυρίου, πρὸς τὸ μὴ λαθεῖν τοῦ βαπτιζομένου τὴν ἀξίαν, καθὼς Ἰωάννης φησίν: ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν: ἐφ' ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον καὶ μένον ἐπ' αὐτόν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.

Ἀλλὰ βλέπε τί λέγει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον. ἠνεῴχθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί. ἠνεῴχθησαν δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ καταβάντος. ἰδοὺ γάρ, φησίν, ἀνεῴχθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδε τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡς περιστερὰν καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπ' αὐτόν, αὐτοκινήτῳ δηλονότι τῇ καταβάσει. ἔδει γάρ, ὡς ἐξηγήσαντό τινες, τὰς ἀπαρχὰς καὶ τὰ πρωτεῖα τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος τῶν βαπτιζομένων τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι τοῦ σωτῆρος παρασχεθῆναι τοῦ τὴν τοιαύτην διδόντος χάριν. κατῆλθε δὲ ἴσως ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς, ὥς φασί τινες, τῆς καθαρᾶς καὶ ἀκάκου καὶ ἀκεραίου καὶ ταῖς ὑπὲρ γεννωμένων τέκνων καὶ συγχωρήσεως ἁμαρτιῶν εὐχαῖς συνεργούσης τύπον παραδηλοῦν, καθὼς αἰνιγματωδῶς προείρηται περὶ τοῦ τὸν Χριστὸν ὀφθαλμοφανῶς οὕτως ἐπιδειχθῆναι. ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ᾄσμασι περὶ τοῦ νυμφίου προσφωνεῖ καὶ λέγει: οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σοι ὡς περιστεραὶ ἐπὶ πληρώματα ὑδάτων.

Ταύτης ἔφερε τύπον μερικῶς κατά τινας ἡ ἐπὶ Νῶε περιστερά. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπ' ἐκείνου διὰ ξύλου καὶ ὕδατος αὐτοῖς μὲν ἐγένετο ἡ σωτηρία, καινῆς δὲ γενέσεως ἀρχή, καὶ ἡ περιστερὰ ἀνέστρεψε πρὸς αὐτὸν « τὸ » πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἔχουσα φύλλον ἐλαίας, οὕτω, φασί, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀληθινὸν Νῶε, τὸν τῆς δευτέρας γενέσεως ποιητήν, τὸν παντοίων γενῶν προαιρέσεις εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ συνάγοντα, ὧν τύπον ἔφερον αἱ διάφοροι τῶν ἐν τῇ κιβωτῷ ζώων καταστάσεις, οὗ κατὰ τὴν παρουσίαν οἱ νοητοὶ λύκοι συμβόσκονται μετὰ ἀρνῶν, οὗ ἡ ἐκκλησία ἔχει μοσχάριον καὶ ταῦρον καὶ λέοντα ἅμα βοσκομένους, καθὼς μέχρι σήμερον βλέπομεν ἄρχοντας κοσμικοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν ἀγομένους καὶ διδασκομένους. κατῆλθε τοίνυν, ὡς ἐξηγοῦνταί τινες, ἡ νοητὴ περιστερὰ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ἵνα δείξῃ ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ διὰ ξύλου σταυροῦ σώζων τοὺς πιστεύοντας, ὁ μέλλων πρὸς ἑσπέραν διὰ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ χαρίζεσθαι τὴν σωτηρίαν.

Καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἴσως καὶ ἄλλως ἐξηγητέον. αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ σωτῆρος καὶ νῦν ἀκουστέον τῶν περὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος ῥημάτων. φησὶ γάρ: ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ὅτι παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡ χάρις, λέγει: πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ πατὴρ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ δώσει πνεῦμα ἅγιον τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν. καὶ ὅτι τὸν θεὸν ἐν πνεύματι προσκυνεῖν δεῖ, φησίν: ἀλλ' ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἔστιν, ὅτε οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνήσουσι τῷ πατρὶ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ τοιούτους ζητεῖ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτόν. πνεῦμα ὁ θεὸς καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν. καὶ πάλιν: εἰ δὲ ἐγὼ ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια. καὶ ἑξῆς εὐθύς: διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, πᾶσα ἁμαρτία καὶ βλασφημία ἀφεθήσεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἡ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος βλασφημία οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται. καὶ ὃς ἂν εἴπῃ λόγον κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ, ὃς δ' ἂν εἴπῃ λόγον κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ οὔτε ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι.

Καὶ πάλιν φησί: κἀγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, ἵνα μεθ' ὑμῶν ᾖ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ ὁ κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν, ὅτι οὐ θεωρεῖ αὐτὸ οὐδὲ γινώσκει αὐτό. ὑμεῖς δὲ γινώσκετε αὐτό, ὅτι παρ' ὑμῖν μένει καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔσται. καὶ πάλιν λέγει: ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν παρ' ὑμῖν μένων. ὁ δὲ παράκλητος, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ πέμψει ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐκεῖνος διδάξει ὑμᾶς πάντα καὶ ὑπομνήσει ὑμᾶς πάντα ἃ εἶπον ὑμῖν. καὶ πάλιν φησίν: ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ παράκλητος, ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ. καὶ πάλιν ὁ σωτήρ: ἐὰν γὰρ ἐγὼ μὴ ἀπέλθω, ὁ παράκλητος οὐ μὴ ἔρχεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς. ἐὰν δὲ πορευθῶ, πέμψω αὐτὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς. καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐκεῖνος ἐλέγξει τὸν κόσμον περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ κρίσεως. καὶ ἑξῆς πάλιν: ἔτι πολλὰ ἔχω λέγειν ὑμῖν, ἀλλ' οὐ δύνασθε βαστάζειν ἄρτι. ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, διηγήσεται ὑμῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν πᾶσαν. οὐ γὰρ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ λαλήσει, ἀλλ' ὅσα ἂν ἀκούσῃ λαλήσει, καὶ τὰ ἐρχόμενα ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν. ἐκεῖνος ἐμὲ δοξάσει, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λήψεται καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν. πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ πατὴρ ἐμά ἐστιν. διὰ τοῦτο εἶπον ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λήψεται καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν.

Αὐτοῦ τοῦ μονογενοῦς νῦν ἀνέγνων σοι τὰς φωνάς, ἵνα μὴ προσέχῃς ἀνθρωπίνοις ῥήμασιν.

Τούτου τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος τὴν κοινωνίαν ἐχαρίσατο τοῖς ἀποστόλοις. γέγραπται γάρ: « καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησε, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς: λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον. ἐάν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται αὐτοῖς, ἐάν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται. » δεύτερον ἐμφύσημα τοῦτο, ἐπειδὴ τὸ πρῶτον ἠμαυρώθη διὰ τὰς ἑκουσίους ἁμαρτίας. ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ γεγραμμένον: ἀνέβη ἐμφυσῶν εἰς πρόσωπόν σου, ἐξαιρούμενός σε ἐκ θλίψεως. τὸ δὲ ἀνέβη πόθεν; ἐκ τοῦ ᾅδου. οὕτω γὰρ διηγήσατο τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ὅτι μέτα τὴν ἀνάστασιν τότε ἐνεφύσησεν.

Ἀλλὰ δίδωσι μὲν νῦν τὴν χάριν, ἐπιδαψιλεύεται δὲ ἐπὶ πλεῖον. καί φησι πρὸς αὐτούς: ἕτοιμος μέν εἰμι τοῦ δοῦναι καὶ νῦν, οὔπω δὲ τὸ ἀγγεῖον χωρεῖ. τέως μὲν οὖν λάβετε τὴν χάριν ὅσην χωρεῖτε, ἐκδέχεσθε δὲ καὶ πλείονα. « ὑμεῖς δὲ καθίσατε ἐν τῇ πόλει » Ἱερουσαλήμ, « ἕως ἂν ἐνδύσησθε δύναμιν ἐξ ὕψους. » νῦν λάβετε μερικῶς, τότε φορέσετε αὐτοτελῶς. ὁ μὲν γὰρ δεχόμενος πολλάκις μερικῶς ἔχει τὸ διδόμενον, ὁ δὲ ἐνδυόμενος ὑπὸ τῆς στολῆς πανταχόθεν περιέχεται. μὴ φοβηθῆτε, φησίν, ὅπλα διαβόλου καὶ βέλη: φορέσετε γὰρ δύναμιν πνεύματος ἁγίου. μνημονεύετε δὲ τῶν ἀρτίως εἰρημένων, ὅτι πνεῦμα οὐ μεμέρισται, ἀλλ' ἡ δι' αὐτοῦ χάρις.

Ἀνῆλθε τοίνυν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἐπλήρωσεν. εἶπε γὰρ πρὸς αὐτούς: ἐγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν. ἐκαθέζοντο ἐκδεχόμενοι τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, καὶ ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς πεντηκοστῆς ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ Ἱερουσαλήμ_ἡμέτερον γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἀξίωμα, καὶ λαλοῦμεν οὐ περὶ τῶν παρ' ἑτέροις γεγενημένων ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν κεχαρισμένων_τῆς πεντηκοστῆς οὖν οὔσης ἐκαθέζοντο, καὶ κατήρχετο ὁ παράκλητος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ὁ φρουρὸς καὶ ἁγιοποιὸς τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ὁ διοικητὴς τῶν ψυχῶν, ὁ κυβερνήτης τῶν χειμαζομένων, ὁ φωταγωγὸς τῶν πεπλανημένων καὶ ἀθλοθέτης τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων καὶ στεφανωτὴς τῶν νενικηκότων.

Κατήρχετο δέ, ἵνα ἐνδύσῃ δύναμιν καὶ ἵνα βαπτίσῃ τοὺς ἀποστόλους. λέγει γὰρ ὁ κύριος: ὑμεῖς βαπτισθήσεσθε ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ταύτας ἡμέρας. οὐ μερικὴ ἡ χάρις, ἀλλὰ αὐτοτελὴς ἡ δύναμις. ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἐνδύνων ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ βαπτιζόμενος πανταχόθεν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων περιβάλλεται, οὕτω καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐβαπτίσθησαν ὁλοτελῶς. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ὕδωρ ἔξωθεν περιχεῖται, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα καὶ τὴν ἔνδοθεν ψυχὴν βαπτίζει ἀπαραλείπτως. καὶ τί θαυμάζεις; λάβε ὑπόδειγμα σωματικόν, μικρὸν μὲν καὶ εὐτελές, χρήσιμον δὲ τοῖς ἀφελεστέροις. εἰ τὸ πῦρ διὰ τῆς παχύτητος τοῦ σιδήρου διαβαῖνον ἔνδον τὸ ὅλον ἀπεργάζεται πῦρ, καὶ ὁ ψυχρὸς γίνεται ζεστός, καὶ ὁ μέλας γίνεται ἐκλάμπων, εἰ σῶμα ὂν τὸ πῦρ ἐν σώματι σιδήρου ἐνδύνον οὕτως ἀπαρεμποδίστως ἐργάζεται, τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐν τοῖς ἐνδοτάτοις τῆς ψυχῆς εἰσέρχεται;

Ἵνα δὲ τοσαύτης χάριτος κατερχομένης μὴ ἀγνοηθῇ τὸ μέγεθος, σάλπιγξ ὥσπερ ἐπουράνιος ἤχησεν. « ἐγένετο » γὰρ « ἄφνω ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἦχος ὥσπερ φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας » σημαινούσης τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ χαριζομένου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις μετὰ βίας ἁρπάζειν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἴδωσι τὰς πυρίνας γλώσσας καὶ ὦτα ἐπακούσῃ τοῦ ἤχου. « καὶ ἐπλήρωσεν ὅλον τὸν οἶκον οὗ ἦσαν καθημένοι. » δοχεῖον γέγονε τοῦ νοητοῦ ὕδατος ὁ οἶκος. οἱ μαθηταὶ ἔνδον ἐκαθέζοντο καὶ ὁ οἶκος πᾶς ἐπλήσθη. ἐβαπτίσθησαν τοίνυν ἀνελλειπῶς κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, ἐνεδύθησαν ψυχῇ τε καὶ σώματι θείαν ἔνδυσιν καὶ σωτήριον.

« Καὶ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς διαμεριζόμεναι γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐφ' ἕνα ἕκαστον αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες πνεύματος ἁγίου. » πυρὸς μετέλαβον, οὐ καταφλεκτικοῦ, ἀλλὰ σωτηριώδους πυρός, ἀφανίζοντος μὲν ἀκάνθας ἁμαρτιῶν, λαμπρύνοντος δὲ τὴν ψυχήν. τοῦτο μέλλει νῦν ἔρχεσθαι καὶ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ τὰς μὲν ἀκανθώδεις ὑμῶν ἁμαρτίας περιαιρεῖν καὶ ἀναλίσκειν, τὸ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ὑμῶν κτῆμα τὸ τίμιον ἔτι λαμπρύνειν καὶ διδόναι ὑμῖν χάριν. ἔδωκε γὰρ καὶ τότε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις. ἐν εἴδει πυρίνων γλωσσῶν ἐπεκαθέζετο αὐτοῖς, ἵνα διαδήματα καινότερα περιθῶνται πνευματικὰ διὰ πυρίνων γλωσσῶν ἐπὶ κεφαλῆς. φλογίνη ῥομφαία πρότερον ἐκώλυε πύλας παραδείσου, πυρίνη γλῶσσα σωτηριώδης ἀπεκατέστησε τὴν χάριν.

« Καὶ ἤρξαντο λαλεῖν ἑτέραις γλώσσαις, καθὼς τὸ πνεῦμα ἐδίδου ἀποφθέγγεσθαι αὐτοῖς. » Γαλιλαῖος ὁ Πέτρος καὶ Ἀνδρέας ἢ ἐπέρσιζεν ἢ ἐμήδιζεν. Ἰωάννης καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι πᾶσαν γλῶσσαν ἐλάλουν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν. οὐ γὰρ νῦν ἐνταῦθα ἤρξατο τῶν ξένων πλήθη συναθροίζεσθαι πανταχόθεν, ἀλλ' ἐκ τότε. ποῖος τοσοῦτος διδάσκαλος εὑρίσκεται, διδάσκων ἀθρόως ἃ μὴ μεμαθήκασιν; τοσούτοις ἔτεσι διὰ γραμματικῆς καὶ διὰ τεχνῶν μανθάνουσι μόνον ἑλληνιστὶ καλῶς λαλεῖν. καὶ οὐδὲ πάντες λαλοῦσιν ὁμοίως. ἀλλ' ὁ ῥήτωρ μὲν ἴσως κατορθοῖ λαλεῖν καλῶς, ὁ γραμματικὸς δὲ ἐνίοτε οὐ καλῶς, καὶ ὁ τὴν γραμματικὴν εἰδὼς τὰ φιλοσοφούμενα οὐκ οἶδεν. τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἅμα διδάσκει πολλὰς γλώσσας, ἅσπερ ἐν παντὶ τῷ χρόνῳ ἐκεῖνοι οὐκ οἴδασιν. τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθῶς σοφία πολλή, τοῦτο θεία δύναμις. ποία σύγκρισις τῆς ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ ἀμαθείας ἐκείνων πρὸς τὴν ἀθρόαν καὶ διάφορον καὶ ξένην ἐξαίφνης τῶν γλωσσῶν ἐνέργειαν;

Ἐγένετο σύγχυσις τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἀκουσάντων. δευτέρα σύγχυσις ἀντὶ τῆς ἐν Βαβυλῶνι πρώτης κακῆς. ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς συγχύσεως τῶν γλωσσῶν διαίρεσις ἦν τῆς προαιρέσεως, ἐπειδὴ ἀντίθεον ἦν τὸ φρόνημα, ὧδε δὲ ἀποκατάστασις καὶ ἕνωσις τῶν γνωμῶν, ἐπειδὴ εὐσεβὲς ἦν τὸ σπουδαζόμενον. δι' ὧν ἡ ἀπόπτωσις, διὰ τούτων ἡ ἐπάνοδος. [ὅθεν] ἐθαύμαζον λέγοντες: πῶς ἡμεῖς ἀκούομεν λαλούντων αὐτῶν; οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν εἰ ὑμεῖς ἀγνοεῖτε. καὶ γὰρ καὶ Νικόδημος ἠγνόησε τοῦ πνεύματος τὴν παρουσίαν, καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐῤῥέθη: τὸ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκούεις, ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδας πόθεν ἔρχεται καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγει. εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἐὰν ἀκούσω οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν ἔρχεται, αὐτὸ τί ποτέ ἐστι τὴν ὑπόστασιν πῶς δύναμαι διηγήσασθαι;

« Ἄλλοι δὲ διαχλευάζοντες ἔλεγον, ὅτι γλεύκους μεμεστωμένοι εἰσίν, » λέγοντες μὲν ἀληθῶς, ἀλλὰ χλευαστικῶς. νέος γὰρ ἦν ἀληθῶς ὁ οἶνος, καινῆς διαθήκης ἡ χάρις. ἀλλ' ὁ νέος οὗτος οἶνος ἀπὸ νοητῆς ἀμπέλου, πολλάκις ἔτι καρποφορησάσης ἐν προφήταις, καὶ ἐν καινῇ διαθήκῃ βλαστησάσης. ὥσπερ γὰρ αἰσθητῶς ἡ μὲν ἄμπελος ἀεὶ μένει ἡ αὐτή, κατὰ δὲ καιροὺς καινοτέρους ἐκφέρει καρπούς, οὕτω καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, μένον ὅπερ ἐστί, καὶ πολλάκις ἐν προφήταις ἐνεργῆσαν, νῦν νέον τι καὶ θαυμάσιον ἐνεδείξατο. ἔφθασε μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας ἡ χάρις, ἀλλ' ὧδε ὑπερβολικῶς. ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ μετέσχον ἁγίου πνεύματος, ὧδε δὲ αὐτοτελῶς ἐβαπτίσθησαν.

Ἀλλ' ὁ Πέτρος ὁ ἔχων πνεῦμα ἅγιον καὶ εἰδὼς ὃ ἔχει φησίν: « ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, » οἱ τὸν μὲν Ἰωὴλ ἀπαγγέλλοντες, μὴ εἰδότες δὲ τὰ γεγραμμένα, « οὐχ ὡς ὑμεῖς ὑπολαμβάνετε οὗτοι μεθύουσιν. » μεθύουσι γάρ, οὐχ ὡς ὑμεῖς ὑπολαμβάνετε, ἀλλὰ καθὼς γέγραπται: μεθυσθήσονται ἀπὸ πιότητος οἴκου σου καὶ ἐκ τῶν χειμάῤῥων τῆς τρυφῆς σου ποτιεῖς αὐτούς. μεθύουσι μέθην νηφάλιον, νεκρωτικὴν ἁμαρτίας, καὶ καρδίας ζωοποιητικήν, μέθην ἐναντίαν τῆς σωματικῆς. ἡ μὲν γὰρ καὶ τῶν ἐγνωσμένων ἐμποιεῖ λήθην, αὕτη δὲ καὶ τῶν μὴ ἐγνωσμένων τὴν γνῶσιν χαρίζεται. μεθύουσι πιόντες τὸν οἶνον τῆς νοητῆς ἀμπέλου, τῆς λεγούσης: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα. εἰ δὲ μὴ πείθεσθέ μοι, ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ σύνετε τὸ λεγόμενον: ἔστι γὰρ ὥρα τρίτη τῆς ἡμέρας. ὁ γὰρ ἐν τρίτῃ ὥρᾳ σταυρωθείς, ὡς Μάρκος φησί, τρίτῃ ὥρᾳ νῦν κατέπεμψε τὴν χάριν. οὐ γὰρ ἄλλη χάρις ἐκείνου καὶ ἄλλη χάρις τούτου, ἀλλ' ὁ τότε σταυρωθεὶς καὶ ἐπαγγειλάμενος ἐπλήρωσεν ὃ ἐπηγγείλατο.

Εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε δέξασθαι καὶ μαρτυρίαν, ἀκούσατε, φησίν: « ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ἰωήλ: καὶ ἔσται μετὰ ταῦτα, λέγει ὁ θεός, ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου. » τὸ δὲ ἐκχεῶ πλουσίαν ἠνίξατο δόσιν. οὐ γὰρ ἐκ μέτρου δίδωσιν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα. ὁ πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δέδωκεν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ. δέδωκε δὲ αὐτῷ τὴν ἐξουσίαν καὶ τοῦ χαρίζεσθαι τοῦ παναγίου πνεύματος τὴν χάριν οἷς βούλεται. « ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, καὶ προφητεύσουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες ὑμῶν. » καὶ ἑξῆς: « καίγε ἐπὶ τοὺς δούλους μου καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς δούλας μου ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου καὶ προφητεύσουσιν. » τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀπροσωπόληπτόν ἐστιν. οὐ γὰρ ζητεῖ ἀξίωμα, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς εὐλάβειαν. μήτε οἱ πλούσιοι τυφούσθωσαν, μήτε οἱ πένητες ταπεινούσθωσαν. μόνον δὲ ἕκαστος ἑαυτὸν ἑτοιμαζέτω πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν τῆς ἐπουρανίου χάριτος.

Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν εἴρηται σήμερον, καὶ ἴσως κέκμηκεν ἡ ἀκρόασις, πλείονα δ' ἐστὶ τὰ παραλειφθέντα. καὶ χρεία ἦν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐν τοῖς περὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος διδάγμασι καὶ τρίτης ἄλλης καὶ πλειόνων κατηχήσεων. συγγνώμη δὲ ἡμῖν εἰς ἑκάτερον. τῆς γὰρ ἁγίας ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα λοιπὸν ἐφεστώσης ἐμηκύνθη τε ἡμῖν σήμερον ὁ λόγος, καὶ πάσας ὅσας ἐχρῆν μαρτυρίας ἀπὸ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης ἀγαγεῖν εἰς μέσον οὐκ ἐνεχώρησεν. λείπει γὰρ ἡμῖν ἔτι πολλὰ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν πράξεων τῶν ἀποστόλων, ἐν οἷς ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χάρις ἐν Πέτρῳ καὶ πᾶσιν ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἐνήργησεν, λείπει δὲ πολλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν καθολικῶν καὶ ἐκ τῶν Παύλου δεκατεσσάρων ἐπιστολῶν: ἐξ ὧν ὀλίγα νῦν ὥσπερ ἐκ μεγάλου λειμῶνος ὑπομνήσεως μόνης ἕνεκεν ἀπανθίσασθαι πειρασόμεθα.

Ἐν γὰρ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος βουλήσει πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ, σταθεὶς ὁ Πέτρος σὺν τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ ἐπάρας τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ (κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον: ὕψωσον ἐν ἰσχύι τὴν φωνήν σου ὁ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Ἱερουσαλήμ), τῷ νοητῷ δικτύῳ τῶν λόγων ψυχὰς ὡσεὶ τρισχιλίας ἐζώγρησεν, τοσαύτης ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ὁμοῦ τῆς χάριτος ἐνεργούσης, ὡς ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τῶν τὸν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωκότων ἐκείνων πιστεῦσαι τοσούτους καὶ ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ βαπτισθῆναι καὶ προσκαρτερεῖν τῇ διδαχῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ ταῖς προσευχαῖς.

Ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ δὲ πάλιν δυνάμει τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀναβάντες εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ὥραν τῆς προσευχῆς τὴν ἐννάτην, καὶ τὸν ἐν τῇ ὡραίᾳ πύλῃ χωλὸν ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς ἀπὸ ἐτῶν τεσσαράκοντα ὑπάρχοντα ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ θεραπεύσαντες (ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ εἰρημένον: τότε ἁλεῖται ὡς ἔλαφος ὁ χωλός), τῇ πνευματικῇ μὲν τῆς διδασκαλίας σαγήνῃ πεντακισχιλίους ὁμοῦ πιστεύσαντας ἐζώγρησαν, τοὺς δὲ πεπλανημένους ἄρχοντας τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἀρχιερεῖς διήλεγξαν, [καὶ] οὐ δι' οἰκείαν σοφίαν (ἀγράμματοι γὰρ καὶ ἰδιῶται ἦσαν), ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος ἐνέργειαν. γέγραπται γάρ: τότε Πέτρος πλησθεὶς πνεύματος ἁγίου εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς. καὶ τοσαύτη διὰ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐν τοῖς πιστεύσασιν ἐνήργησε χάρις, ὡς εἶναι μὲν αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μίαν, ἐπίκοινον δὲ τὴν τῶν ὄντων ἀπόλαυσιν, τῶν μὲν κτητόρων τὰς τιμὰς τῶν κτημάτων προσφερόντων εὐλαβῶς, ἐνδεοῦς δὲ μηδενὸς ὄντος ἐν αὐτοῖς, Ἀνανίου δὲ καὶ Σαπφείρης τῶν ψεύδεσθαι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπιχειρησάντων τὴν πρέπουσαν δίκην ὑπομεινάντων.

Διὰ δὲ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγένετο σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα πολλὰ ἐν τῷ λαῷ. καὶ τοσαύτη περιεκέχυτο τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἡ πνευματικὴ χάρις, ὡς φοβεροὺς μὲν αὐτοὺς εἶναι καὶ ταῦτα πρᾴους ὄντας (τῶν γὰρ λοιπῶν οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα κολλᾶσθαι αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐμεγάλυνεν αὐτοὺς ὁ λαός), προστίθεσθαι δὲ πλήθη τῶν τῷ κυρίῳ πιστευόντων, ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναικῶν, πεπληρῶσθαι δὲ τὰς πλατείας τῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς κλιναρίοις καὶ κραββάτοις ἀσθενῶν, ἵνα ἐρχομένου Πέτρου κἂν ἡ σκιὰ ἐπισκιάσῃ τινὶ αὐτῶν, συνέρχεσθαι δὲ καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πέριξ πόλεων εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ταύτην Ἱερουσαλήμ, φερόντων ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ὀχλουμένους ὑπὸ πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων, οἵτινες ἐθεραπεύοντο ἅπαντες.

Ἐν τῇ δυνάμει ταύτῃ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος οἱ δώδεκα πάλιν ἀπόστολοι, διὰ τὸ κηρύσσειν τὸν Χριστὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων εἰς φυλακὴν ἐμβληθέντες καὶ ὑπὸ ἀγγέλου διὰ νυκτὸς παραδόξως ταύτης ἀπαλλαγέντες καὶ εἰς δικαστήριον ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀχθέντες, ἀδυσωπήτως ἐχρήσαντο τοῖς ἐλέγχοις ἐν τοῖς περὶ Χριστοῦ πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰρημένοις. καὶ τοῦτο προσθέντες, ὅτι καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς πειθαρχοῦσιν αὐτῷ, καὶ δαρέντες, ἐπορεύοντο μὲν χαίροντες, οὐκ ἐπαύοντο δὲ διδάσκοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν.

Οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐν τοῖς δώδεκα ἀποστόλοις ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐνήργησε χάρις, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρωτογόνοις τέκνοις τῆς ποτε στείρας ἐκκλησίας ταύτης, τοῖς ἑπτὰ διακόνοις λέγω. καὶ οὗτοι γὰρ ἐξελέχθησαν, ὡς γέγραπται, πλήρεις ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ σοφίας. ἐξ ὧν ὁ φερώνυμος Στέφανος, τὸ τῶν μαρτύρων ἀκροθίνιον, ἀνὴρ πλήρης πίστεως καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου, ἐποίει μὲν τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα μεγάλα ἐν τῷ λαῷ, κατηγωνίζετο δὲ τοὺς συζητητάς. οὐ γὰρ ἴσχυον ἀντιστῆναι τῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι ᾧ ἐλάλει. συκοφαντούμενος δὲ καὶ εἰς δικαστήριον ἀχθεὶς ἀγγελικὰς μὲν ἀπέλαμπεν αὐγάς (ἀτενίσαντες γὰρ εἰς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ καθεζόμενοι ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς πρόσωπον ἀγγέλου), διὰ δὲ τῆς συνετῆς ἀπολογίας αὐτοῦ τοὺς σκληροτραχήλους καὶ ἀπεριτμήτους τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν Ἰουδαίους ἐλέγξας, τοὺς ἀεὶ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ ἀντιπίπτοντας, ἐθεώρει μὲν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἀνεῳγμένους, εἶδε δὲ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἑστῶτα ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ. εἶδε δὲ οὐκ ἐξ οἰκείας δυνάμεως, ἀλλ' ὡς ἡ θεία γραφή φησιν: ὑπάρχων δὲ πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου, ἀτενίσας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶδε δόξαν θεοῦ καὶ Ἰησοῦν ἑστῶτα ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ.

Ἐν τῇ δυνάμει ταύτῃ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ Φίλιππος ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ ποτὲ μὲν ἐν τῇ πόλει τῆς Σαμαρείας ἀπήλαυνε τὰ ἀκάθαρτα πνεύματα βοῶντα φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, παραλελυμένους δὲ καὶ χωλοὺς ἐθεράπευσε, πολλὰ δὲ τῶν πιστευσάντων πλήθη τῷ Χριστῷ προσήγαγεν. οἷς κατελθόντες Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης μετὰ προσευχῆς καὶ τῆς τῶν χειρῶν ἐπιθέσεως μετεδίδοσαν τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος κοινωνίας, ἧς μόνος Σίμων ὁ μάγος ἀλλότριος ἐπεφάνθη δικαίως. ποτὲ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου κυρίου κληθεὶς καθ' ὁδὸν διὰ τὸν εὐλαβέστατον αἰθίοπα, τὸν εὐνοῦχον, παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ πνεύματος φανερῶς ἀκούσας: πρόσελθε καὶ κολλήθητι τῷ ἅρματι τούτῳ, διδάξας τὸν αἰθίοπα καὶ βαπτίσας καὶ εἰς τὴν αἰθιοπίαν Χριστοῦ κήρυκα πέμψας, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον: αἰθιοπία προφθάσει χεῖρα αὐτῆς τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ ἁρπασθεὶς ὑπὸ [τοῦ] ἀγγέλου τὰς ἐφεξῆς πόλεις εὐηγγελίζετο.

Τούτου τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος πεπλήρωτο καὶ Παῦλος μετὰ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ κλῆσιν. καὶ μάρτυς ἡμῖν τῶν λόγων ἡκέτω Ἀνανίας ὁ εὐλαβὴς ὁ ἐν Δαμασκῷ, λέγων πρὸς αὐτόν: ὁ κύριος ἀπέσταλκέ με Ἰησοῦς ὁ ὀφθείς σοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ ἤρχου, ὅπως ἀναβλέψῃς καὶ πλησθῇς πνεύματος ἁγίου. ὅπερ εὐθὺς ἐνεργῆσαν τῶν μὲν ὀφθαλμῶν Παύλου τὴν τύφλωσιν μετέβαλεν εἰς ἀνάβλεψιν, τῇ δὲ ψυχῇ τὴν σφραγῖδα χαρισάμενον σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς ἐποίησε, τοῦ βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ φανέντος αὐτῷ κυρίου ἐνώπιον βασιλέων υἱῶντε Ἰσραήλ, καὶ τόν ποτε διώκτην κήρυκα καὶ δοῦλον ἀγαθὸν ἀπειργάσατο, ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὲν καὶ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ πεπληρωκότα τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, κατηχήσαντα δὲ καὶ τὴν βασιλίδα Ῥώμην, καὶ μέχρι Σπανίας τὴν προθυμίαν τοῦ κηρύγματος ἐκτείναντα, μυρίους δὲ ὑπομεμενηκότα τοὺς ἄθλους, σημεῖά τε καὶ τέρατα πεποιηκότα, περὶ οὗ τέως αὐτάρκως.

Ἐν τῇ δυνάμει [οὖν] τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ ὁ πρωτοστάτης τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν κλειδοῦχος Πέτρος ἐν Λύδδῃ μὲν τῇ νῦν Διοσπόλει ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ τὸν παραλυτικὸν Αἰνέαν ἐθεράπευσεν, ἐν Ἰόππῃ δὲ τὴν ἀγαθοεργὸν Ταβιθὰν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἤγειρεν. ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ δώματος ἐν ἐκστάσει τὸν οὐρανὸν ἰδὼν ἀνεῳγμένον καὶ διὰ τοῦ καθιεμένου ὡς ὀθόνης σκεύους τοῦ πολυμόρφων καὶ πολυτρόπων ζώων πλήρους τὸ μηδένα κοινὸν ἢ ἀκάθαρτον λέγειν ἄνθρωπον, κἂν ἐξ Ἑλλήνων τυγχάνῃ, σαφῶς ἔμαθεν, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κορνηλίου μετασταλεὶς παρ' αὐτοῦ φανερῶς ἤκουσε τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος: ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες ζητοῦσί σε: ἀλλ' ἀναστὰς κατάβηθι καὶ πορεύου σὺν αὐτοῖς μηδὲν διακρινόμενος, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀπέστειλα αὐτούς.

Καὶ ἵνα δειχθῇ τοῦτο φανερῶς, ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν πιστεύοντες τῆς χάριτος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος κοινωνοὶ γίνονται, Πέτρου παραγενομένου εἰς τὴν Καισάρειαν καὶ τὰ περὶ Χριστοῦ διδάσκοντος ἡ γραφὴ λέγει περὶ Κορνηλίου καὶ τῶν συμπαρόντων: ἔτι λαλοῦντος τοῦ Πέτρου τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἐπέπεσε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας τὸν λόγον, ὡς καὶ τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς τοὺς συνελθόντας τῷ Πέτρῳ θαυμάζοντας καὶ ἐξισταμένους λέγειν, ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη ἡ δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐκκέχυται.

Καὶ ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ δὲ τῆς Συρίας ἐπισημοτάτῃ πόλει τοῦ περὶ Χριστοῦ κηρύγματος ἐνεργοῦντος, συνεργὸς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐντεῦθεν ἀπεστάλη Βαρνάβας ἕως Ἀντιοχείας, ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς καὶ πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ πίστεως, ὃς πολὺν θερισμὸν τῶν εἰς Χριστὸν πιστευόντων ἰδὼν συναγωνιστὴν ἀπὸ Ταρσοῦ Παῦλον εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ἤγαγεν. ὄχλων τε ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ διδαχθέντων τε καὶ συναχθέντων ἐγένετο πρῶτον χρηματίσαι ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τοὺς μαθητὰς χριστιανούς, τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος οἶμαι τὸ προκαταγγελθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ὄνομα καινὸν ἐπιτιθέντος. ἐκχεομένης δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πλείονος ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τῆς πνευματικῆς χάριτος προφῆται ἦσαν ἐκεῖ καὶ διδάσκαλοι, μεθ' ὧν καὶ Ἄγαβος. λειτουργούντων δὲ αὐτῶν τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ νηστευόντων εἶπε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον: ἀφορίσατε δή μοι τὸν Βαρνάβαν καὶ Παῦλον εἰς τὸ ἔργον ὃ προσκέκλημαι αὐτούς. καὶ χειρῶν αὐτοῖς ἐπιτεθεισῶν ἐξεπέμφθησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ λέγον καὶ πέμπον ζῶν ἐστι καὶ ὑφεστὸς καὶ ἐνεργοῦν, ὡς εἰρήκαμεν.

Τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὸ συμφωνίᾳ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ τὴν καινὴν διαθήκην ἐπὶ τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας συστησάμενον, ἠλευθέρωσεν ἡμᾶς τῶν δυσβαστάκτων τοῦ νόμου φορτίων, τῶν περὶ κοινοῦ καὶ καθαροῦ καὶ βρωμάτων λέγω, σαββάτων τε καὶ νουμηνιῶν, καὶ τῆς περιτομῆς, περιῤῥαντηρίων τε καὶ θυσιῶν, ἃ κατὰ καιρὸν μὲν δοθέντα σκιὰν εἶχε τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας συνεστέλλετο δικαίως.

Διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας ἀναζήτησιν τῶν λεγόντων, δεῖν περιτέμνεσθαι καὶ τηρεῖν τὰ ἔθη Μωυσέως, Παύλου καὶ Βαρνάβα πεμφθέντων, οἱ ἐνταῦθα ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ὄντες ἀπόστολοι πάντων μὲν τῶν νομικῶν καὶ τυπικῶν πραγμάτων δι' ἐπιστολῆς ἐγγράφου τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν ἠλευθέρωσαν. οὐ μὴν ἑαυτοῖς ἔδωκαν τὴν αὐθεντείαν τοῦ τοιούτου πράγματος, ἀλλ' ὁμολογοῦσιν ἐγγράφως ἐπιστέλλοντες: ἔδοξε γὰρ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι καὶ ἡμῖν, μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιτίθεσθαι ὑμῖν βάρος πλὴν τῶν ἐπάναγκες τούτων, ἀπέχεσθαι εἰδωλοθύτων καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνικτοῦ καὶ πορνείας: δι' ὧν ἔγραφον τοῦτο δηλοῦντες σαφῶς, ὅτι, εἰ καὶ δι' ἀποστόλων ἀνθρώπων ἦν τὸ γραφέν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἁγίου πνεύματος οἰκουμενικόν ἐστι τὸ διάταγμα, ὅπερ οἱ περὶ τὸν Βαρνάβαν καὶ Παῦλον λαβόντες εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ὠχύρωσαν.

Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοῦ λόγου γενόμενος συγγνώμην αἰτῶ παρὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης, μᾶλλον δὲ παρὰ τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος ἐν Παύλῳ πνεύματος, εἰ μὴ δυναίμην τὰ πάντα διελθεῖν ἀσθενείας τε τῆς ἐμῆς ἕνεκεν καὶ τοῦ κόπου τῶν ἀκουόντων ὑμῶν. πότε γὰρ αὐτοῦ κατ' ἀξίαν διηγήσομαι τὰς ἐκ τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ θαυμασίας πράξεις, τὰς ἐν Κύπρῳ ἐπὶ Ἐλύμα τοῦ μάγου καὶ τὰς ἐν Λύστροις ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ χωλοῦ θεραπείας, τὰς ἐν Κιλικίᾳ καὶ Φρυγίᾳ καὶ Γαλατίᾳ καὶ Μυσίᾳ καὶ Μακεδονίᾳ, ἢ τὰ ἐν Φιλίπποις (τὸ κήρυγμα λέγω καὶ τοῦ πυθῶνος ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ τὴν ἀπέλασιν καὶ τὴν ἐν νυκτὶ μετὰ τὸν σεισμὸν τοῦ δεσμοφύλακος διὰ βαπτίσματος πανοικὶ σωτηρίαν), ἢ τὰ ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ, καὶ τὴν ἐν μέσοις Ἀθηναίοις ἐν ἀρείῳ πάγῳ δημηγορίαν, ἢ τὰς ἐν Κορίνθῳ διδασκαλίας καὶ ἐν Ἀχαΐᾳ πάσῃ;

Πῶς δὲ κατ' ἀξίαν διηγήσομαι τὰς ἐν Ἐφέσῳ διὰ Παύλου γενομένας ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐνεργείας; ὅπερ ἀγνοοῦντες μὲν οἱ αὐτόθι πρότερον ἐπέγνωσαν διὰ τῆς Παύλου διδασκαλίας, ἐπιθέντος δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ Παύλου καὶ ἐλθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐπὶ αὐτοὺς ἐλάλουν γλώσσαις καὶ ἐπροφήτευον. τοσαύτη τε ἦν ἐπ' αὐτῷ χάρις πνευματική, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἁπτόμενον ἰᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ ἀποφερόμενα σουδάρια καὶ σημικίνθια θεραπεύειν τὰς νόσους καὶ ἀπελαύνειν τὰ πονηρὰ πνεύματα, ἤδη δὲ καὶ τοὺς τὰ περίεργα πράξαντας συνενέγκαντας τὰς βίβλους κατακαίειν ἐπὶ πάντων.

Παρατρέχω καὶ τὰ ἐν Τρωάδι καὶ τὸν Εὔτυχον, τὸν κατενεχθέντα μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕπνου καὶ πεσόντα ἀπὸ τριστέγου κάτω καὶ ἀρθέντα νεκρόν, ὑπὸ δὲ Παύλου διασωθέντα. παρατρέχω καὶ τὰς πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους Ἐφέσου τοὺς ἐν Μιλήτῳ κληθέντας προφητείας, οἷς φανερῶς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατὰ πόλιν διαμαρτύρεταί μοι λέγον ὅτι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. διὰ γὰρ τοῦ εἰπεῖν « ὅτι κατὰ πόλιν » ἐδήλωσεν ὁ Παῦλος, ὅτι τὰ ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει γενόμενα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ θαυμάσια ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου νεύματος ἐνεργείας ἦν, πνεύματι θεοῦ καὶ ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ.

Ἐκ τῆς δυνάμεως τούτου τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἔσπευδε μὲν εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ταύτην πόλιν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁ αὐτὸς Παῦλος, καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ Ἀγάβου τὰ συμβησόμενα αὐτῷ προφητεύοντος πνεύματι, ἐδημηγόρει δὲ τὰ περὶ Χριστοῦ διηγούμενος ἐν πεποιθήσει. εἰς δὲ τὴν Καισάρειαν ἀναχθεὶς καὶ ἐν μέσοις δικαστηρίων βήμασι ποτὲ μὲν ἐπὶ Φήλικος, ποτὲ δὲ ἐπὶ Φήστου ἡγεμόνος καὶ Ἀγρίππα τοῦ βασιλέως τοσαύτην ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου νικητικὴν ἐν σοφίᾳ χάριν ἔσχεν ὁ Παῦλος, ὡς αὐτὸν ἤδη τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων Ἀγρίππαν εἰπεῖν: ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις χριστιανὸν γενέσθαι.

Τοῦτο τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα τῷ Παύλῳ παρέσχε καὶ ἐν Μελίτῃ τῇ νήσῳ δηχθέντι μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐχίδνης τὸ ἀβλαβὲς ἔχειν, διαφόρους δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν νοσούντων ἐπιτελέσαι τὰς θεραπείας. τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καὶ μέχρι τῆς βασιλίδος Ῥώμης αὐτὸν κήρυκα Χριστοῦ, τόν ποτε διώκτην, ὡδήγησεν, ὃς πολλοὺς μὲν αὐτόθι τῶν Ἰουδαίων πιστεύειν εἰς Χριστὸν ἔπειθε, τοῖς δὲ ἀντιλέγουσιν ἔλεγε σαφῶς: καλῶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐλάλησε διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.

Καὶ ὅτι γε πνεύματος ἁγίου πλήρης ἦν ὁ Παῦλος καὶ οἱ τούτῳ παραπλήσιοι πάντες ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοὺς εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα [ὁμοούσιον] πιστεύοντες, ἄκουε σαφῶς ἐν ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς αὐτοῦ γράφοντος: καὶ ὁ λόγος μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμά μου οὐκ ἐν πειθοῖς σοφίας ἀνθρωπίνης λόγοις, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀποδείξει πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως. καὶ πάλιν: ὁ δὲ σφραγισάμενος ἡμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο θεός, ὁ δοὺς ἡμῖν τὸν ἀῤῥαβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος. καὶ πάλιν: ὁ ἐγείρας Ἰησοῦν ἐκ νεκρῶν ζωοποιήσει καὶ τὰ θνητὰ ὑμῶν σώματα διὰ τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος αὐτοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ὑμῖν. καὶ πάλιν πρὸς Τιμόθεον γράφων: τὴν καλὴν παρακαταθήκην φύλαξον διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν.

Ὅτι δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὑφέστηκε καὶ ζῇ καὶ λαλεῖ καὶ προλέγει, πολλάκις μὲν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, γράφει δὲ σαφῶς πρὸς Τιμόθεον ὁ Παῦλος: τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει, ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως. ἅπερ οὐ μόνον ἐν τοῖς πρὸ ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐφ' ἡμῶν σχίσμασιν ὁρῶμεν, ποικίλης καὶ πολυτρόπου τῆς τῶν αἱρετικῶν πλάνης οὔσης.

Καὶ πάλιν ὁ αὐτός φησιν: ὃ ἑτέραις γενεαῖς οὐκ ἐγνωρίσθη τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὡς νῦν ἀπεκαλύφθη τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ ἀποστόλοις καὶ προφήταις ἐν πνεύματι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. καὶ πάλιν: διὸ καθὼς λέγει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. καὶ πάλιν: μαρτυρεῖ δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. καὶ πάλιν τοῖς τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὁπλίταις προσφωνεῖ λέγων: καὶ τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου δέξασθε καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστι ῥῆμα θεοῦ, διὰ πάσης προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως. καὶ πάλιν: μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἔστιν ἀσωτία, ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματι, λαλοῦντες ἑαυτοῖς ἐν ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς. καὶ πάλιν: ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν.

Δι' ὧν ἁπάντων καὶ τῶν παραλειφθέντων πλειόνων συνίσταται τοῖς νοοῦσιν ἡ ἐνυπόστατος καὶ ἁγιοποιὸς καὶ ἐνεργητικὴ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος δύναμις. ἐπιλείψει γάρ με διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος, εἰ ἐβουλόμην λέγειν τὰ λείποντα περὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐκ τῶν Παύλου τεσσαρεσκαίδεκα ἐπιστολῶν ἐν αἷς ποικίλως καὶ ἀνελλιπῶς καὶ εὐλαβῶς ἐδίδαξεν. ἔργον δ' ἂν εἴη τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἡμῖν μὲν ἐφ' οἷς ἐνελείπομεν διὰ τὸ τὸν ἡμερῶν ὀλίγον δοῦναι συγγνώμην, ὑμῖν δὲ τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς τῶν λειπόντων τελειοτέραν ἐνθεῖναι τὴν γνῶσιν, τῶν σπουδαίων ἐν ὑμῖν ἐκ τῆς πυκνοτέρας τῶν θείων γραφῶν ἀναγνώσεως ταῦτα μανθανόντων, ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν παρουσῶν τούτων κατηχήσεων καὶ ἐκ τῶν πρότερον εἰρημένων ἡμῖν βεβαιοτέραν τὴν πίστιν ἐχόντων τὴν εἰς ἕνα θεὸν πατέρα παντοκράτορα, καὶ εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, καὶ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸν παράκλητον. τῆς μὲν λέξεώς τε καὶ ὀνομασίας αὐτῆς τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς κειμένης ἐπικοίνως (λέγεται γὰρ περὶ τοῦ « πατρὸς, » πνεῦμα ὁ θεός, ὡς ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην εὐαγγελίῳ γέγραπται, καὶ περὶ τοῦ « υἱοῦ, » πνεῦμα πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν Χριστὸς κύριος, ὥς φησιν Ἱερεμίας ὁ προφήτης, καὶ περὶ τοῦ « ἁγίου πνεύματος, » ὁ δὲ παράκλητος, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὡς εἴρηται), τῆς δὲ ἐν τῇ πίστει τάξεως εὐσεβῶς νοουμένης καὶ τὴν Σαβελλίου πλάνην ἀπελαυνούσης, ἐπανέλθωμεν τῷ λόγῳ πρὸς τὸ νῦν κατεπεῖγον καὶ ὑμῖν συμφέρον.

Βλέπε μήποτε κατὰ τὸν Σίμωνα προσέρχῃ τοῖς βαπτίζουσιν ὑποκρινόμενος, ἡ δὲ καρδία σου οὐ ζητῇ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ἡμέτερον τὸ διαμαρτύρασθαι, σὸν δὲ τὸ ἀσφαλίζεσθαι. εἰ ἕστηκας ἐν πίστει, μακάριος τυγχάνεις. εἰ πέπτωκας ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ, ῥίψον τὴν ἀπιστίαν ἀπὸ τῆς σήμερον καὶ πληροφορήθητι. κατὰ γὰρ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ὅταν προσέλθῃς ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἢ πρεσβυτέρων ἢ διακόνων (ἁπανταχοῦ γὰρ ἡ χάρις, καὶ ἐν κώμαις καὶ ἐν πόλεσιν, καὶ ἐπὶ ἰδιωτῶν καὶ ἐλλογίμων, καὶ ἐπὶ δούλων καὶ ἐλευθέρων, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἡ χάρις, ἀλλ' ἐκ θεοῦ δι' ἀνθρώπων ἡ δόσις), σὺ μὲν προσέρχου τῷ βαπτίζοντι, προσέρχου δὲ μὴ προσέχων τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ φαινομένου, ἀλλὰ μέμνησο τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου τούτου, περὶ οὗ νῦν ὁ λόγος. τοῦτο γὰρ ἕτοιμον πάρεστι σφραγίσαι σου τὴν ψυχήν, καὶ δίδωσι σφραγίδα, ἣν τρέμουσι δαίμονες, ἐπουράνιόν τινα καὶ θείαν, καθὼς καὶ γέγραπται: ἐν ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες ἐσφραγίσθητε τῷ πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ.

Ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζει τὴν ψυχήν, οὐ βάλλει τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. εἰ ὑποκρίνῃ, νῦν ἄνθρωποί σε βαπτίζουσι, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμά σε οὐ βαπτίσει. ἐὰν δὲ ἐκ πίστεως προσέλθῃς, ἄνθρωποι μὲν ὑπηρετοῦσιν εἰς τὸ φαινόμενον, πνεῦμα δὲ ἅγιον δίδωσι τὸ μὴ φαινόμενον. εἰς μεγάλην ἐξέτασιν ἔρχῃ, εἰς μεγάλην στρατολογίαν κατὰ τὴν μίαν ὥραν, ἣν ἐὰν ἀπολέσῃς, ἀκατόρθωτόν σοι τὸ κακόν. ἐὰν δὲ καταξιωθῇς τῆς χάριτος, φωτίζεταί σου ἡ ψυχή, λαμβάνεις δύναμιν ἣν οὐκ εἶχες. λαμβάνεις ὅπλα φρικώδη τοῖς δαίμοσιν. καὶ ἐὰν μὴ ῥίψῃς τὰ ὅπλα, ἔχῃς δὲ τὴν σφραγίδα ἐπὶ ψυχῆς, οὐ προσέρχεται δαίμων: πτήσσει γάρ: καὶ δὴ ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ ἐκβάλλεται τὰ δαιμόνια.

Ἐὰν πιστεύσῃς, οὐ μόνον λαμβάνεις ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ποιεῖς τὰ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον. γένοιτο δέ σε ἄξιον εἶναι καὶ προφητικοῦ χαρίσματος. λαμβάνεις γὰρ τοσοῦτον τῆς χάριτος ὅσον χωρεῖς, καὶ οὐχ ὅσον ἐγὼ λέγω. ἐγχωρεῖ γὰρ ἐμὲ μὲν μικρὰ λέγειν, σὲ δὲ μείζονα λαμβάνειν, ἐπειδὴ πραγματεία πλατεῖα ἡ πίστις. παραμένει σοι διὰ παντὸς ὁ φρουρὸς ὁ παράκλητος. περὶ σοῦ μεριμνᾷ ὥσπερ ἰδίου στρατιώτου, περὶ τῶν εἰσόδων σου καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐξόδων σου καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων, καὶ δίδωσί σοι παντοίας χαρισμάτων δόσεις, ἐὰν μὴ δι' ἁμαρτίας αὐτὸν λυπήσῃς. γέγραπται γάρ: καὶ μὴ λυπῆτε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἐσφραγίσθητε εἰς ἡμέραν ἀπολυτρώσεως. τί οὖν ἐστιν, ἀγαπητοί, τὸ διατηρῆσαι τὴν χάριν; ἕτοιμοι γίνεσθε εἰς τὸ ὑποδέξασθαι τὴν χάριν, καὶ δεξάμενοι μὴ ἀποβάλητε ταύτην.

Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός, ὁ λαλήσας ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, ὁ ἐξαποστείλας αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πεντηκοστῆς ἐνταῦθα, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν αὐτὸς ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ἐξαποστείλειε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμᾶς τηρήσειε, κοινὴν ἅπασιν ἡμῖν παρασχὼν τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, ἵνα πάντοτε τοὺς καρποὺς τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἀποδιδῶμεν, ἀγάπην, χαράν, εἰρήνην, μακροθυμίαν, χρηστότητα, ἀγαθωσύνην, πίστιν, πραΰτητα, ἐγκράτειαν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ σὺν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι δόξα τῷ πατρὶ καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.