XVIII.  Consider those men who are devoted to horse racing.  They are named after the colours and the sides on which they have placed themselves.  You know the names without my mentioning them.  If it is thus that you have got the name of Christian, the mere title is a very small thing even though you pride yourself upon it.  But if it is because you believe Him to be God, shew your faith by your works.  If the Son is a creature, even now also you are worshipping the creature instead of the Creator.  If the Holy Ghost is a creature, you are baptized in vain, and are only sound on two sides, or rather not even on them; but on one you are altogether in danger.  Imagine the Trinity to be a single pearl, alike on all sides and equally glistening.  If any part of the pearl be injured; the whole beauty of the stone is gone.  So when you dishonour the Son in order to honour the Father, He does not accept your honour.  The Father doth not glory in the dishonour of the Son.  If a wise Son maketh a glad Father,25    Prov. x. 1. how much more doth the honour of the Son become that of the Father!  And if you also accept this saying, My Son, glory not in the dishonour of thy Father,26    Ecclus. iii. 10. similarly the Father doth not glory in the Son’s dishonour.  If you dishonour the Holy Ghost, the Son receiveth not your honour.  For though He be not of the Father in the same way as the Son, yet He is of the same Father.  Either honour the whole or dishonour the whole, so as to have a consistent mind.  I cannot accept your half piety.  I would have you altogether pious, but in the way that I desire.  Pardon my affection:  I am grieved even for those who hate me.  You were one of my members, even though you are now cut off:  perhaps you will again become a member; and therefore I speak kindly.  Thus much for the sake of the Eunuchs, that they may be chaste in respect of the Godhead.

ΙΗʹ. Ὁρᾶτε τοὺς περὶ τὰς ἱπποδρομίας ἐσπουδακότας τούτους. Οἳ ἀπὸ τῶν χρωμάτων ὀνομάζονται, καὶ τῶν μερίδων, αἷς συνεστήκασιν. Ὑμεῖς δὲ ἴστε τὰ ὀνόματα, κἂν ἐγὼ μὴ λέγω. Εἰ οὕτως ἀκούεις Χριστιανὸς, μικρὰ λίαν ἡ προσηγορία, κἂν ἐπ' αὐτῇ καλλωπίζῃ: εἰ δὲ, ὅτι καὶ Θεὸν ὑπείληφας, δεῖξον τοῖς ἔργοις ὡς ὑπείληφας. Εἰ κτίσμα ὁ Υἱὸς, ἔτι καὶ νῦν λατρεύεις τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίστην. Εἰ κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, μάτην ἐβαπτίσθης, καὶ τοῖς μὲν δυσὶ μέρεσιν ὑγιαίνεις. μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἐκείνοις: τῷ δὲ ἐνὶ, παντελῶς κινδυνεύεις. Ὑπόθου μαργαρίτην ἕνα εἶναι τὴν Τριάδα. πανταχόθεν ὅμοιον, καὶ ἴσον στίλβοντα. Ὅ τι ἂν πάθῃ τοῦ μαργαρίτου, ἡ πᾶσα τοῦ λίθου χάρις ἠφάνισται. Οὕτως ὅταν ἀτιμάζῃς Υἱὸν, ἵνα τιμήσῃς Πατέρα, οὐ δέχεταί σου τὴν τιμήν. Ἐπ' ἀτιμίᾳ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ὁ Πατὴρ οὐ δοξάζεται. Εἰ σοφὸς υἱὸς εὐφραίνει πατέρα, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἡ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τιμὴ, τιμὴ τοῦ Πατρὸς γένηται; Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο δέξῃ: Τὸ τέκνον, μὴ δοξάζου ἐπ' ἀτιμίᾳ Πατρός: οὕτως οὐδὲ Πατὴρ ἐπ' ἀτιμίᾳ τοῦ Υἱοῦ δοξάζεται. Εἰ ἀτιμάζεις τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐ δέχεταί σου τὴν τιμὴν ὁ Υἱός. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ ὡς Υἱὸς ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλ' οὖν ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πατρός. Ἢ τὸ πᾶν τίμησον, ἢ τὸ ὅλον ἀτίμασον, ἵνα ἀκόλουθος νοῦς σεαυτῷ τυγχάνῃς. Οὐ δέχομαί σου τὸ ἐξ ἡμισείας εὐσεβές. Ὅλον εὐσεβῆ μὲν εἶναί σε βούλομαι, ἀλλὰ καθὼς βούλομαι. Σύγγνωθι τῷ πάθει. Ἀλγῶ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μισούντων. Μέλος ἦς ἐμὸν, καὶ εἰ νῦν ἀποτέμνῃ: μέλος καὶ γενήσῃ τυχόν: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ φιλάνθρωπα φθέγγομαι. Ταῦτα διὰ τοὺς εὐνούχους, ἵνα περὶ θεότητα σωφρονῶσιν.