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of the father, but in hypostasis.” 18.38 for the divinity of both is one; since otherwise the first good is no longer found to be one. “For you have read somewhere,” he says, “that ‘it is good for you to trust in the Lord rather than to trust in man.’” “‘For to cling to God is good.’” “And as to one who is good I have always urged you to follow me and to walk behind me.” 18.39 Therefore he did not say, “no one is good except one, the Father,” but “no one is good except one, God,” as also somewhere else he says: “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do my words?” 18.40 For creation, he says, has goodness by participation, imitating according to its own ability, if it is right to say so, the innate and perfect goodness of God and being saved through it. And the existence of the good in it is to participate in that of God, clinging to him in obedience and in love for him. 18.41 For it is written that “those who distance themselves from you will perish,” and: “God is far from the impious,” and “salvation is far from sinners.” 18.42 It is clear, however, that it is in relation and disposition because of opposition to the good and slowness toward virtue, but not in place. 18.43 But that he himself is also good, since he is by nature one with the good Father, he himself also says in Matthew: “Or is your eye evil, because I am good?” and again: “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” And he called himself “the good portion.” 18.44 and they proclaim together by the spirit. Obscure men, but also ones who have conversed very much with the divine spirit. 18.45 And these are among the others who are their companions: the sacred psalmist in the 117th psalm: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.” and in the same: “Let all who fear the Lord say that: he is good.” and Jeremiah lamented: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.” 18.46 and Isaiah: “The Lord is a good judge for the house of Israel.” 18.47 But that the holy spirit of God is also good, the aforementioned David sings in the 24th psalm: “Your good spirit will lead me on level ground.” 18.48 In addition to these things, if eternal life is good, so also are the words of the Son. For he said: “I am the life,” and again: “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” and if “the sanctification of the Holy Spirit” is good and the energy in illumination—for he is mentioned as a co-worker—and further, also the distribution of heavenly gifts, certainly the Son and the Holy Spirit are good. 18.49 And we have been taught not only by hearing, but we have also seen, as is possible, the distinctiveness of the hypostases of the revered and consubstantial Trinity; 18.50 the Father speaking from heaven: “This is my beloved Son,” his only-begotten Son being baptized on earth, and his one and only Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove and remaining upon him, the only-begotten God and Son. 18.51 For this is also confirmed by a Davidic treasure in the 84th psalm, that the one made flesh from our earthly things was testified to be Son by God the Father. And the saying is known to all, which runs thus: “Truth has sprung up from the earth, and righteousness has looked down from heaven.” 18.52 Likewise, because there is no difference in divinity in the awesome and immaculate Trinity, the oracles sometimes reveal the Father with the Son, as when David says: “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand,” and Paul: “grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” and sometimes they join the Father with the Holy Spirit, as when Haggai prophesies: “because I am with you, says the Lord Almighty, and my spirit stands in your midst,” and again: “not by great might, nor by strength, but by my spirit, said the Lord Almighty.” 18.53 We must dwell upon the saying. For since there are times when the heterodox, when the Spirit is mentioned with the Father, say that a certain unsubstantial power is being indicated, the saying set forth is securely established. 18.54 And Isaiah: “and now the Lord has sent me and his

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τοῦ πατρός, ἀλλὰ τῇ ὑποστάσει». 18.38 μία γὰρ ἡ ἀμφοτέρων θεότης· ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι τὸ πρῶτον ἀγαθὸν ἓν εὑρίσκεται. «ἀνέγνως γάρ που», φησίν, «ὡς «ἀγαθόν σοι πεποιθέναι ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον ἢ πεποιθέναι ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον». «τὸ γὰρ προσκολλᾶσθαι τῷ θεῷ ἀγαθόν ἐστιν». καὶ ὡς ἀγαθῷ ἀκολουθεῖν μοι καὶ κατόπιν μου βαίνειν ὑμᾶς ἀεὶ προέτρεψα». 18.39 ∆ιὸ οὐκ εἶπεν μέν· «οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ πατήρ», ἀλλ' «οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός», ὡς καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ που λέγει· «τί με λέγετε κύριε κύριε καὶ οὐ ποιεῖτε τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους;» 18.40 ἡ γὰρ κτίσις, φησίν, κατὰ μετοχὴν τὴν ἀγαθότητα ἔχει, ἀπομιμουμένη πρὸς δύναμιν τὴν ἑαυτῆς, εἰ θέμις εἰπεῖν, τὴν ἔμφυτον καὶ τελείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαθότητα καὶ δι' αὐτῆς σωζομένη. καὶ ἔστιν ὕπαρξις τοῦ ἐν αὐτῇ ἀγαθοῦ τὸ μετέχειν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ, προσκολλωμένην αὐτῷ τῇ ὑπακοῇ καὶ τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔρωτι. 18.41 ἐγράφη γὰρ ὡς «οἱ μακρύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ ἀπολοῦνται», καί· «μακρὰν ἀπέχει ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ ἀσεβῶν», καὶ «μακρὰν ἀπὸ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἡ σωτηρία». 18.42 δῆλον δέ, ὡς σχέσει καὶ διαθέσει διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐναντίωσιν καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἀρετὴν βράδος, ἀλλ' οὐ τόπῳ. 18.43 Ὅτι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀγαθός ἐστιν, ἅτε φύσει τῷ ἀγαθῷ πατρὶ ὑπάρχων ἕν, αὐτός τε ἐν Ματθαίῳ λέγει· «ἢ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθός εἰμι;» καὶ πάλιν· «Μαρία τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα ἐξελέξατο, ἥτις οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῆς.» ἔλεγεν δέ «ἀγαθὴν μερίδα» ἑαυτόν. 18.44 καὶ συνεξαγγέλλουσιν πνεύματι. ἀφανεῖς ἄνδρες, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα προσομιλήσαντες τῷ θεϊκῷ πνεύματι. 18.45 οἱ δέ εἰσιν μεταξὺ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν συνοπαδῶν αὐτοῖς οὗτοι· ὁ ἱεροψάλτης ἐν ριζʹ ψαλμῷ· «ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἀγαθός». καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ· «εἰπάτωσαν δὴ πάντες οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν κύριον ὅτι· ἀγαθός». καὶ Ἰερεμίας ἐθρήνει· «ἀγαθὸς κύριος τοῖς ὑπομένουσιν αὐτόν, ψυχῇ ἐκζητούσῃ αὐτόν». 18.46 καὶ Ἠσαίας· «κύριος κριτὴς ἀγαθὸς τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραήλ». 18.47 Ὅτι δὲ καὶ τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ θεοῦ πνεῦμα ἀγαθὸν ὑπάρχει, ὁ μνημονευθεὶς ∆αυῒδ ἐν κδʹ ψαλμῷ μελῳδεῖ· «τὸ πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὁδηγήσει με ἐν γῇ εὐθείᾳ». 18.48 πρὸς δὴ τούτοις, εἰ ἀγαθόν ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, καὶ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ υἱοῦ. ἔφη γάρ· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή», καὶ πάλιν· «τὰ ῥήματα, ἃ λελάληκα ὑμῖν, πνεῦμά ἐστιν καὶ ζωή ἐστιν». καὶ εἰ ἀγαθὸν «τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ὁ ἁγιασμός» καὶ ἡ ἐν τῇ φωτίσματι ἐνέργεια- συμμνημονεύεται γὰρ ὡς συνεργόν-, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ διανομὴ τῶν οὐρανίων δωρημάτων, πάντως ἀγαθὸς ὁ υἱὸς καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα. 18.49 Οὐκ ἀκοῇ δὲ μόνον ἐδιδάχθημεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα, ὡς ἐγχωρεῖ, τῆς σεπτῆς καὶ ὁμοουσίου τριάδος τὸ ἰδικὸν τῶν ὑποστάσεων· 18.50 τοῦ μὲν πατρὸς ἐξ οὐρανῶν λέγοντος· «οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός», τοῦ δὲ μονογενοῦς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς βαπτιζομένου, τοῦ δὲ ἑνὸς καὶ μόνου ἁγίου πνεύματος αὐτοῦ κατιόντος ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς καὶ μένοντος ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὸν μονογενῆ θεὸν καὶ υἱόν. 18.51 καὶ ∆αυϊτικὸν γὰρ θησαύρισμα ἐν πδʹ τοῦτο πιστοῦται ψαλμῷ, ὅτι ὁ σαρκωθεὶς ἐκ τῶν γηΐνων ἡμῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἐμαρτυρεῖτο υἱός. γνώριμος δὲ πᾶσιν ὁ λόγος ἔχων ὧδε· «ἀλήθεια ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀνέτειλεν, δικαιοσύνη ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν διέκυψεν». 18.52 Ὁμοίως διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι διαφορὰν θεότητος τῇ φρικτῇ καὶ ἀχράντῳ τριάδι ποτὲ τὸν πατέρα μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐκφαίνουσι τὰ λόγια, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ ∆αυῒδ μέν· «εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου· κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου», Παῦλος δέ· «χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ». ποτὲ δὲ τὸν πατέρα μετὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος συνάπτουσιν, ὡς ὅταν Ἀγγαῖος προφητεύῃ· «διότι ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι, λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐφέστηκεν ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν», καὶ πάλιν· «οὐκ ἐν δυνάμαι μεγάλῃ οὐδὲ ἐν ἰσχύι, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐν πνεύματί μου, εἶπεν κύριος παντοκράτωρ». 18.53 Ἐγχρονιστέον τῷ ῥητῷ. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔστιν ὅτε οἱ ἑτερόδοξοι, τοῦ πνεύματος σὺν τῷ πατρὶ μνημονευομένου, φασὶν ἀνυπόστατον δύναμίν τινα δηλοῦσθαι, ἠσφαλισμένως ἔχει τὸ προκείμενον ῥητόν. 18.54 Καὶ Ἠσαΐας· «καὶ νῦν κύριος ἀπέσταλκέν με καὶ τὸ