38. Moreover, from the things created at the beginning may be learnt the fellowship of the Spirit with the Father and the Son. The pure, intelligent, and supermundane powers are and are styled holy, because they have their holiness of the grace given by the Holy Spirit. Accordingly the mode of the creation of the heavenly powers is passed over in Silence, for the historian of the cosmogony has revealed to us only the creation of things perceptible by sense. But do thou, who hast power from the things that are seen to form an analogy of the unseen, glorify the Maker by whom all things were made, visible and invisible, principalities and powers, authorities, thrones, and dominions, and all other reasonable natures whom we cannot name.  5  cf. Col. i. 16. And in the creation bethink thee first, I pray thee, of the original cause of all things that are made, the Father; of the creative cause, the Son; of the perfecting cause, the Spirit; so that the ministering spirits subsist by the will of the Father, are brought into being by the operation of the Son, and perfected by the presence of the Spirit. Moreover, the perfection of angels is sanctification and continuance in it. And let no one imagine me either to affirm that there are three original hypostases  6  ὑποστάσεις, apparently used here as the equivalent of οὐσίαι, unless the negation only extends to ἀρχικάς. cf. note on p. 5. or to allege the operation of the Son to be imperfect. For the first principle of existing things is One, creating through the Son and perfecting through the Spirit.  7  Contrast the neuter τὸ ὄν of Pagan philosophy with the ὁ ὤν or ἐγώ εἰμι of Christian revelation. The operation of the Father who worketh all in all is not imperfect, neither is the creating work of the Son incomplete if not perfected by the Spirit. The Father, who creates by His sole will, could not stand in any need of the Son, but nevertheless He wills through the Son; nor could the Son, who works according to the likeness of the Father, need co-operation, but the Son too wills to make perfect through the Spirit. “For by the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath [the Spirit] of His mouth.”  8  Ps. xxxiii. 6. The Word then is not a mere significant impression on the air, borne by the organs of speech; nor is the Spirit of His mouth a vapour, emitted by the organs of respiration; but the Word is He who “was with God in the beginning” and “was God,”  9  John i. 1. and the Spirit of the mouth of God is “the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father.”  10  John xv. 26. You are therefore to perceive three, the Lord who gives the order, the Word who creates, and the Spirit who confirms.  11  τὸν στερεοῦντα τὸ πνεῦμα. It is to be noticed here that St. Basil uses the masculine and more personal form in apposition with the neuter πνεῦμα, and not the neuter as in the creed of Constantinople, τὸ κύριον καὶ τὸ Ζωοποιὸν τὸ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον, etc. There is scriptural authority for the masculine in the “ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας” of John xvi. 13. cf. p. 15–17. And what other thing could confirmation be than the perfecting according to holiness? This perfecting expresses the confirmation’s firmness, unchangeableness, and fixity in good. But there is no sanctification without the Spirit. The powers of the heavens are not holy by nature; were it so there would in this respect be no difference between them and the Holy Spirit. It is in proportion to their relative excellence that they have their meed of holiness from the Spirit. The branding-iron is conceived of together with the fire; and yet the material and the fire are distinct. Thus too in the case of the heavenly powers; their substance is, peradventure, an aerial spirit, or an immaterial fire, as it is written, “Who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire;”  12  Ps. xiv. 4. wherefore they exist in space and become visible, and appear in their proper bodily form to them that are worthy. But their sanctification, being external to their substance, superinduces their perfection through the communion of the Spirit. They keep their rank by their abiding in the good and true, and while they retain their freedom of will, never fall away from their patient attendance on Him who is truly good. It results that, if by your argument you do away with the Spirit, the hosts of the angels are disbanded, the dominions of archangels are destroyed, all is thrown into confusion, and their life loses law, order, and distinctness. For how are angels to cry “Glory to God in the highest”  13  Luke ii. 14. without being empowered by the Spirit? For “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost, and no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed;”  14  1 Cor. xii. 3. as might be said by wicked and hostile spirits, whose fall establishes our statement of the freedom of the will of the invisible powers; being, as they are, in a condition of equipoise between virtue and vice, and on this account needing the succour of the Spirit. I indeed maintain that even Gabriel  15  Luke i. 11. in no other way foretells events to come than by the foreknowledge of the Spirit, by reason of the fact that one of the boons distributed by the Spirit is prophecy. And whence did he who was ordained to announce the mysteries of the vision to the Man of Desires  16  “Man greatly beloved.” A.V. and R.V. Dan. x. 11. derive the wisdom whereby he was enabled to teach hidden things, if not from the Holy Spirit? The revelation of mysteries is indeed the peculiar function of the Spirit, as it is written, “God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.”  17  1 Cor. ii. 10. And how could “thrones, dominions, principalities and powers”  18  Col. i. 16. live their blessed life, did they not “behold the face of the Father which is in heaven”?  19  Matt. xviii. 10. But to behold it is impossible without the Spirit! Just as at night, if you withdraw the light from the house, the eyes fall blind and their faculties become inactive, and the worth of objects cannot be discerned, and gold is trodden on in ignorance as though it were iron, so in the order of the intellectual world it is impossible for the high life of Law to abide without the Spirit. For it so to abide were as likely as that an army should maintain its discipline in the absence of its commander, or a chorus its harmony without the guidance of the Coryphæus. How could the Seraphim cry “Holy, Holy, Holy,”  20  Is. vi. 3. were they not taught by the Spirit how often true religion requires them to lift their voice in this ascription of glory? Do “all His angels” and “all His hosts”  21  Ps. cxlviii. 2. praise God? It is through the co-operation of the Spirit. Do “thousand thousand” of angels stand before Him, and “ten thousand times ten thousand” ministering spirits?  22  Dan. vii. 10. They are blamelessly doing their proper work by the power of the Spirit. All the glorious and unspeakable harmony  23  cf. Job xxxviii. 7, though for first clause the lxx. reads ὅτε ἐγενήθη ἄστρα. On the Pythagorean theory of the harmony of the spheres vide Arist. De Cœl. ii. 9, 1. of the highest heavens both in the service of God, and in the mutual concord of the celestial powers, can therefore only be preserved by the direction of the Spirit. Thus with those beings who are not gradually perfected by increase and advance,  24  προκοπή. cf. προέκοπτε of the boy Jesus in Luke ii. 52. but are perfect from the moment of the creation, there is in creation the presence of the Holy Spirit, who confers on them the grace that flows from Him for the completion and perfection of their essence.  25  ὑπόστασις, apparently again used in its earlier identification with οὐσία.

[38] Μάθοις δ' ἂν τὴν πρὸς Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν τοῦ Πνεύματος κοινωνίαν καὶ ἐκ τῶν δημιουργημάτων τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς. Αἱ γὰρ καθαραὶ καὶ νοεραὶ καὶ ὑπερκόσμιοι δυνάμεις, ἅγιαι καὶ εἰσὶ καὶ ὀνομάζονται, ἐκ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐνδοθείσης χάριτος τὸν ἁγιασμὸν κεκτημέναι. Ὥστε ἀποσεσιώπηται μὲν ὁ τρόπος τῆς κτίσεως τῶν οὐρανίων δυνάμεων: ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν αἰσθητῶν μόνον, τὸν δημιουργὸν ἡμῖν ὁ τὴν κοσμογονίαν συγγραψάμενος ἀπεκάλυψε. Σὺ δέ, ἔχων δύναμιν ἐκ τῶν ὁρατῶν ἀναλογίζεσθαι τὰ ἀόρατα, δόξαζε τὸν ποιητὴν ἐν ᾧ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα, εἴτε ὁρατά, εἴτε ἀόρατα, εἴτε ἀρχαί, εἴτε ἐξουσίαι, εἴτε δυνάμεις, εἴτε θρόνοι, εἴτε κυριότητες, καὶ εἴ τινές εἰσιν ἕτεραι λογικαὶ φύσεις, ἀκατονόμαστοι. Ἐν δὲ τῇ τούτων κτίσει ἐννόησόν μοι τὴν προκαταρκτικὴν αἰτίαν τῶν γινομένων, τὸν Πατέρα: τὴν δημιουργικήν, τὸν Υἱόν: τὴν τελειωτικήν, τὸ Πνεῦμα: ὥστε βουλήματι μὲν τοῦ Πατρὸς τὰ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα ὑπάρχειν, ἐνεργείᾳ δὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ εἰς τὸ εἶναι παράγεσθαι, παρουσίᾳ δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος τελειοῦσθαι. Τελείωσις δὲ ἀγγέλων, ἁγιασμός, καὶ ἡ ἐν τούτῳ διαμονή. Καὶ μηδεὶς οἰέσθω με ἢ τρεῖς εἶναι λέγειν ἀρχικὰς ὑποστάσεις, ἢ ἀτελῆ φάσκειν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὴν ἐνέργειαν. Ἀρχὴ γὰρ τῶν ὄντων μία, δι' Υἱοῦ δημιουργοῦσα, καὶ τελειοῦσα ἐν Πνεύματι. Καὶ οὔτε Πατήρ, «ὁ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν ἐνεργῶν», ἀτελῆ ἔχει τὴν ἐνέργειαν: οὔτε Υἱὸς ἐλλιπῆ τὴν δημιουργίαν, μὴ τελειουμένην παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Οὕτω γὰρ ἂν οὔτε Πατὴρ προσδεηθείη Υἱοῦ, μόνῳ τῷ θέλειν δημιουργῶν: ἀλλ' ὅμως θέλει διὰ Υἱοῦ. Οὔτ' ἂν Υἱὸς συνεργίας προσδεηθείη, καθ' ὁμοιότητα τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐνεργῶν: ἀλλὰ καὶ Υἱὸς θέλει διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τελειοῦν: «Τῷ λόγῳ γὰρ Κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν, καὶ τῷ Πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν.» Οὔτε οὖν λόγος, ἀέρος τύπωσις σημαντική, διὰ φωνητικῶν ὀργάνων ἐκφερομένη: οὔτε πνεῦμα, στόματος ἀτμός, ἐκ τῶν ἀναπνευστικῶν μερῶν ἐξωθούμενος: ἀλλὰ Λόγος μὲν ὁ πρὸς Θεὸν ὢν ἐν ἀρχῇ, καὶ Θεὸς ὤν. Πνεῦμα δὲ στόματος Θεοῦ, «τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται». Τρία τοίνυν νοεῖς, τὸν προστάσσοντα Κύριον, τὸν δημιουργοῦντα Λόγον, τὸ στερεοῦν τὸ Πνεῦμα. Τί δ' ἂν ἄλλο εἴη στερέωσις, ἢ ἡ κατὰ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν τελείωσις, τὸ ἀνένδοτον καὶ ἄτρεπτον καὶ παγίως ἐρηρεισμένον ἐν ἀγαθῷ τῆς στερεώσεως ἐμφαινούσης; Ἁγιασμὸς δέ, οὐκ ἄνευ Πνεύματος. Οὐ γὰρ φύσει ἅγιαι αἱ τῶν οὐρανῶν δυνάμεις: ἢ οὕτω γ' ἂν οὐδεμίαν πρὸς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα τὴν διαφορὰν ἔχοιεν: ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀναλογίαν τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλας ὑπεροχῆς, τοῦ ἁγιασμοῦ τὸ μέτρον παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἔχουσαι. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ καυτὴρ μετὰ τοῦ πυρὸς νοεῖται, καὶ ἄλλο μέντοι ἡ ὑποκειμένη ὕλη, καὶ ἄλλο τὸ πῦρ: οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν οὐρανίων δυνάμεων, ἡ μὲν οὐσία αὐτῶν, ἀέριον πνεῦμα, εἰ τύχοι, ἢ πῦρ ἄϋλον, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον: «Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα»: διὸ καὶ ἐν τόπῳ εἰσί, καὶ ὁρατοὶ γίνονται, ἐν τῷ εἴδει τῶν οἰκείων αὐτῶν σωμάτων τοῖς ἀξίοις ἐμφανιζόμενοι. Ὁ μέντοι ἁγιασμὸς ἔξωθεν ὢν τῆς οὐσίας, τὴν τελείωσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπάγει διὰ τῆς κοινωνίας τοῦ Πνεύματος. Φυλάσσουσι δὲ τὴν ἀξίαν τῇ ἐπιμονῇ τοῦ καλοῦ, ἔχουσαι μὲν ἐν προαιρέσει τὸ αὐτεξούσιον, οὐδέποτε δὲ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ὄντως ἀγαθοῦ προσεδρείας ἐκπίπτουσαι. Ὡς ἐὰν ὑφέλῃς τῷ λόγῳ τὸ Πνεῦμα, λέλυνται μὲν ἀγγέλων χορεῖαι, ἀνῄρηνται δὲ ἀρχαγγέλων ἐπιστασίαι, συγκέχυται δὲ τὰ πάντα, ἀνομοθέτητος, ἄτακτος, ἀόριστος αὐτῶν ἡ ζωή. Πῶς μὲν γὰρ εἴπωσιν ἄγγελοι: «Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ», μὴ δυναμωθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος; «Οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται εἰπεῖν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν, εἰ μὴ ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐν Πνεύματι Θεοῦ λαλῶν λέγει ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦν»: ὅπερ εἴποι ἂν τὰ πονηρὰ καὶ ἀντικείμενα πνεύματα, ὧν ἡ ἀπόπτωσις συνίστησι τὸν λόγον, τοῦ αὐτεξουσίους εἶναι τὰς ἀοράτους δυνάμεις, ἰσορρόπως ἐχούσας πρὸς ἀρετὴν καὶ κακίαν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δεομένας τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος βοηθείας. Ἐγὼ καὶ τὸν Γαβριὴλ προλέγειν τὰ μέλλοντα οὐδαμῶς ἄλλως φημί, ἢ τῇ προγνώσει τοῦ Πνεύματος. Διότι ἓν τῶν ἐκ τῆς διαιρέσεως τοῦ Πνεύματος χαρισμάτων ἐστὶν ἡ προφητεία. Ὁ δὲ τὰ μυστήρια τῆς ὀπτασίας «τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν» ἐπιταχθεὶς διαγγεῖλαι, πόθεν σοφισθεὶς εἶχε διδάσκειν τὰ κεκρυμμένα, εἰ μὴ τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ; τῆς ἀποκαλύψεως τῶν μυστηρίων ἰδίως τῷ Πνεύματι προσηκούσης, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ὅτι «Ἡμῖν ἀπεκάλυψεν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος». Θρόνοι δὲ καὶ κυριότητες, καὶ ἀρχαὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαι, πῶς ἂν τὴν μακαρίαν διεξῆγον ζωήν, εἰ μὴ διὰ παντὸς ἔβλεπον τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Τὸ δὲ βλέπειν, οὐκ ἄνευ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν νυκτί, ἐὰν ὑφέλῃς τὸ φῶς ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας, τυφλαὶ μὲν αἱ ὄψεις, ἀνενέργητοι δὲ καταλείπονται αἱ δυνάμεις, ἀνεπίγνωστοι δὲ αἱ ἀξίαι, καὶ χρυσοῦ καὶ σιδήρου ὁμοίως πατουμένων διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν: οὕτως ἐπὶ τῆς νοητῆς διακοσμήσεως, ἀμήχανον τὴν ἔνθεσμον ἐκείνην διαμεῖναι ζωὴν ἄνευ τοῦ Πνεύματος: οὐ μᾶλλόν γε ἢ στρατοπέδου τὴν εὐταξίαν, τοῦ ταξιάρχου μὴ παρόντος: ἢ χοροῦ τὴν συμφωνίαν, τοῦ κορυφαίου μὴ συναρμόζοντος. Πῶς εἴπῃ τὰ Σεραφὶμ «Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος», μὴ διδαχθέντα παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ποσάκις ἐστὶν εὐσεβὲς τὴν δοξολογίαν ταύτην ἀναφωνεῖν; Εἴτε οὖν αἰνοῦσι τὸν Θεὸν πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ, καὶ αἰνοῦσιν αὐτὸν πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ: διὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος συνεργείας. Εἴτε παρεστήκασι χίλιαι χιλιάδες ἀγγέλων, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες λειτουργούντων, ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Πνεύματος τὸ οἰκεῖον ἔργον ἀμώμως ἐπιτελοῦσι. Πᾶσαν οὖν τὴν ὑπερουράνιον ἐκείνην καὶ ἄρρητον ἁρμονίαν ἔν τε τῇ λειτουργίᾳ Θεοῦ καὶ τῇ πρὸς ἀλλήλας τῶν ὑπερκοσμίων δυνάμεων συμφωνίᾳ, ἀδύνατον φυλαχθῆναι μὴ τῇ ἐπιστασίᾳ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἐν δημιουργίᾳ πάρεστι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς οὐκ ἐκ προκοπῆς τελειουμένοις, ἀλλ' ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς κτίσεως εὐθὺς τελείοις, εἰς τὸν ἀπαρτισμὸν καὶ συμπλήρωσιν τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτῶν τὴν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ χάριν συνεισφερόμενον.