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having a certain peculiar alienation from the others, for this reason I say that his argument is without beginning and without a head, constructing his blasphemy from no acknowledged premise in a logical sequence. 1.1.229 For he does not construct his argument in such a way that one might be drawn to such a conception of the dogma, but, as in the telling of a dream, it contains a bare and unconstructed exposition of his impiety. For since the Church dogmatizes that the faith is not to be split into a multitude of essences, but to believe in three persons and hypostases with no difference in respect to being, and since the opponents posit variation and unlikeness in the essences themselves, this man boldly declares as a pre-established fact that which has neither been shown by any argument nor can be shown, perhaps 1.1.230 not even now having spoken into the ears of listeners. For he would have been taught by those who listen with understanding that every argument, as long as it is put forth authoritatively without proof, is what is called an old wives' tale, having no force to demonstrate through itself what is sought, when no support, neither from the divine utterances nor from human reasonings, is brought to what is said. And so much for these things. 1.1.231 But let us examine the things that have been said. 20to be simple and in every way one20 he says is 20each of these essences20, which he has fashioned in his argument. But that the divine and blessed nature, which transcends all intellect, is simple, we think that not even those who are excessively brutish and base in their thinking would contradict. For how could anyone suppose that which is formless and unfigured, separated from all dimension and quantity in magnitude, is multiform and composite? 1.1.232 But that it does not follow for the dogma constructed by them to think the transcendent essence to be simple, even if they speak gracefully in their argument, will be clear to one who pays even a little attention. For who does not know that, according to its own definition, simplicity in the Holy Trinity does not admit of more and less? For concerning that which it is not possible to conceive any mixture and concourse of qualities, but the mind apprehends a certain impartible and uncompounded power, how and by what reasoning could one discern a difference according to the more and the less? 1.1.233 For it is altogether necessary for one who defines these things as varied to conceive of certain incidental qualities affecting the substrate; for he either conceives the difference in these things in terms of excess and deficiency and through this introduces the concept of dimension to the subject of inquiry, or he argues that it exceeds or falls short in respect to the good and the powerful and the wise and whatever else is piously conceived concerning the divine; and thus he will not escape the argument for 1.1.234 composition. For nothing which possesses goodness not as something acquired is deficient in wisdom or power or any other of the goods, but is by nature such as it is. Therefore, he who says that he apprehends lesser and greater essences in the divine nature has unknowingly made the divine a composite of dissimilar things, so as to conceive the substrate to be one thing, and that which is participated in, again, another, by participation in which that which is not 1.1.235 such becomes good. But if he truly conceived the essence to be 20simple and in every way one,20 being good itself, not becoming so by acquisition, he would not have reasoned about the greater and the lesser concerning it. For it was also said in the preceding parts that good things are diminished only by the presence of evil. 1.1.236 But in those things whose nature is unsusceptible of the worse, no limit of goodness is conceived; and the unlimited is not such in relation to another, but, conceived in and of itself, it escapes limit. But how a rational man will agree to speak of an infinite as more and less than an infinite, I do not know. 1.1.237 Therefore, if he confesses the transcendent essence to be 20simple20 and to be consistent with itself, let him agree that it is joined together by the communion of simplicity and infinity. But if he separates and alienates the essences from each other, conceiving that of the Only-begotten to be different from the Father, and that of the Spirit to be different from that of the Only-begotten, and the more

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ἰδιάζουσαν ἐχούσης τινὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰς ἄλλας ἀλλοτριότητα, διὰ τοῦτό φημι ἄναρχον αὐτῷ καὶ ἀκέφαλον εἶναι τὸν λόγον, ἀπὸ οὐδενὸς ὁμολογουμένου κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον τὴν βλασφημίαν κατα 1.1.229 σκευάζοντα. οὐ γὰρ ὅπως ἄν τις προσαχθείη τῇ τοιαύτῃ τοῦ δόγματος ὑπολήψει τὴν κατασκευὴν ἔχει, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐπ' ὀνείρου διηγήσεως ψιλὴν καὶ ἀκατάσκευον ἐμπεριέχει τῆς ἀσεβείας τὴν ἔκθεσιν. τῆς γὰρ ἐκκλησίας δογματι ζούσης μὴ εἰς πλῆθος οὐσιῶν διασχίζειν τὴν πίστιν, ἀλλ' ἐν τρισὶ προσώποις καὶ ὑποστάσεσι μηδεμίαν τὴν κατὰ τὸ εἶναι διαφορὰν πιστεύειν, τῶν δὲ ἐναντίων ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς οὐσίαις τὴν παραλλαγὴν καὶ τὴν ἀνομοιότητα τιθεμένων, οὗτος τὸ μηδενὶ λόγῳ μήτε δειχθὲν μήτε δειχθῆναι δυνά μενον ὡς προκατεσκευασμένον θαρσῶν ἀποφαίνεται, τάχα 1.1.230 οὐδέπω καὶ νῦν εἰς ἀκουόντων ὦτα λαλήσας. ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἐδιδάχθη παρὰ τῶν συνετῶς ἀκροωμένων ὅτι πᾶς λόγος, ἕως ἂν κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἀναπόδεικτος φέρηται, τὸ λεγόμενον γραῶν ὕθλος ἐστὶν οὐδεμίαν ἰσχὺν ἔχων πρὸς τὸ δεῖξαι δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ζητούμενον, ὅταν μηδεμία συνηγορία μήτε ἐκ τῶν θείων φωνῶν μήτε ἐκ λογισμῶν ἀνθρωπίνων τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐπάγηται. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοσοῦτον. 1.1.231 Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰ εἰρημένα διασκεψώμεθα. 20ἁπλῆν εἶναι καὶ πάντη μίαν20 φησὶ 20τούτων ἑκάστην τῶν οὐ σιῶν20, ἃς τῷ λόγῳ ἀνετυπώσατο. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἁπλῆν εἶναι τὴν θείαν τε καὶ μακαρίαν καὶ πάντα νοῦν ὑπεραίρουσαν φύσιν οὐδὲ τοὺς ἄγαν κτηνώδεις καὶ ταπεινοὺς τὴν διάνοιαν ἀντιλέγειν οἰόμεθα. τὴν γὰρ ἀειδῆ τε καὶ ἀσχημάτιστον πηλικότητός τε πάσης καὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ μεγέθει ποσότητος κεχωρισμένην πῶς ἄν τις πολυειδῆ καὶ σύνθετον ὑπολάβοι; 1.1.232 ὅτι δὲ οὐ συμβαίνει τῷ παρ' αὐτῶν κατασκευαζομένῳ δόγ ματι τὸ ἁπλῆν εἶναι τὴν ὑπερκειμένην οὐσίαν οἴεσθαι, κἂν τῷ λόγῳ χαριεντίζωνται, φανερὸν ἔσται τῷ καὶ μικρὸν ἐπι στήσαντι. τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον λόγον ἡ ἁπλότης ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος τὸ μᾶλλόν τε καὶ ἧττον οὐκ ἐπιδέχεται; περὶ ἣν γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι μίξιν τινὰ ποιοτήτων καὶ συνδρομὴν ἐννοῆσαι, ἀλλ' ἀμερῆ τινα καὶ ἀσύνθετον δύνα μιν καταλαμβάνει ἡ ἔννοια, πῶς ἄν τις καὶ κατὰ τίνα λόγον τὴν παρὰ τὸ πλέον καὶ τὸ ἔλαττον διαφορὰν καταμάθοι; 1.1.233 ἀνάγκη γὰρ πᾶσα τὸν παρηλλάχθαι ταῦτα διοριζόμενον ποιοτήτων τινῶν ἐμπτώσεις περὶ τὸ ὑποκείμενον ἐννοεῖν· ἤτοι γὰρ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν καὶ ἐλάττωσιν τὸ διάφορον ἐν τούτοις ἐπινοεῖ καὶ διὰ τούτου τὴν τῆς πηλικότητος ἔννοιαν ἐπεισάγει τῷ ζητουμένῳ, ἢ κατὰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ δυνατὸν καὶ σοφὸν καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο περὶ τὸ θεῖον εὐσεβῶς νοεῖται πλεονάζειν ἢ ὑποβεβηκέναι κατασκευάζει· καὶ οὕτω τὸν τῆς 1.1.234 συνθέσεως λόγον οὐ διαφεύξεται. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐλλιπῶς κατὰ σοφίαν ἢ δύναμιν ἢ κατ' ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔχει ᾧ μὴ ἐπίκτητόν ἐστι τὸ ἀγαθόν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ καθό ἐστι τοιοῦτον πέφυκεν· ὥστε ὁ λέγων ἐλάττους τε καὶ μείζους ἐν τῇ θείᾳ φύσει καταλαμβάνειν τὰς οὐσίας λέληθεν ἑαυτὸν σύν θετον ἐξ ἀνομοίων κατασκευάζων τὸ θεῖον, ὡς ἄλλο μέν τι νοεῖν εἶναι τὸ ὑποκείμενον, ἕτερον δὲ πάλιν τὸ μετεχό μενον, οὗ κατὰ μετουσίαν ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ γίνεσθαι τὸ μὴ 1.1.235 τοιοῦτον ὄν. εἰ δὲ ἀληθῶς 20ἁπλῆν καὶ πάντη μίαν20 ἐνενόει τὴν οὐσίαν, αὐτὸ ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸν οὖσαν, οὐ γινο μένην ἐξ ἐπικτήσεως, οὐκ ἂν τὸ μεῖζον καὶ τὸ ἔλαττον περὶ αὐτὴν ἐλογίζετο. εἴρητο γὰρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, ὅτι μόνῃ τῇ τοῦ κακοῦ παρουσίᾳ τὰ ἀγαθὰ κατασμικρύ 1.1.236 νεται. ἐφ' ὧν δὲ ἡ φύσις ἀνεπίδεκτός ἐστι τοῦ χείρονος, ὅρος οὐκ ἐπινοεῖται τῆς ἀγαθότητος· τὸ δὲ ἀόριστον οὐ τῇ πρὸς ἕτερον σχέσει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸ νοούμενον ἐκφεύγει τὸν ὅρον. ἄπειρον δὲ ἀπείρου πλέον καὶ ἔλαττον λέγειν οὐκ οἶδα πῶς ὁ λελογισμένος συνθή 1.1.237 σεται. ὥστε εἰ 20ἁπλῆν20 ὁμολογεῖ τὴν ὑπερκειμένην οὐσίαν καὶ οἰκείως ἔχειν αὐτὴν πρὸς ἑαυτήν, συντιθέσθω τῇ κατὰ τὸ ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἄπειρον κοινωνίᾳ συναπτομένην. εἰ δὲ διΐ στησι καὶ ἀποξενοῖ τὰς οὐσίας ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, ἄλλην τοῦ μονογενοῦς παρὰ τὸν πατέρα, ἑτέραν δὲ τοῦ πνεύμα τος παρὰ τὴν τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἐννοῶν, καὶ τὸ πλέον