§23. These doctrines of our Faith witnessed to and confirmed by Scripture passages.

It is therefore clear that these are metaphors, which contain a deeper meaning than the obvious one: so that there is no reason from them that any suspicion that our Lord was created should be entertained by reverent inquirers, who have been trained according to the grand words of the evangelist, that “all things that have been made were made by Him” and “consist in Him.” “Without Him was not anything made that was made.” The evangelist would not have so defined it if he had believed that our Lord was one among the things made. How could all things be made by Him and in Him consist, unless their Maker possessed a nature different from theirs, and so produced, not Himself, but them? If the creation was by Him, but He was not by Himself, plainly He is something outside the creation. And after the evangelist has by these words so plainly declared that the things that were made were made by the Son, and did not pass into existence by any other channel, Paul 73    in the Canon. (Oehler’s stopping is here at fault, i.e. he begins a new paragraph with ᾽Εκδέχεται τὸν λόγον τοῦτον ὁ Παῦλος). We need not speculate whether Gregory was aware that the Epistle to the Colossians (quoted below) is an earlier ‘Gospel’ than S. John’s.follows and, to leave no ground at all for this profane talk which numbers even the Spirit amongst the things that were made, he mentions one after another all the existencies which the evangelist’s words imply: just as David in fact, after having said that “all things” were put in subjection to man, adds each species which that “all” comprehends, that is, the creatures on land, in water, and in air, so does Paul the Apostle, expounder of the divine doctrines, after saying that all things were made by Him, define by numbering them the meaning of “all.” He speaks of “the things that are seen74    Coloss. i. 16.” and “the things that are not seen:” by the first he gives a general name to all things cognizable by the senses, as we have seen: by the latter he shadows forth the intelligible world.

Now about the first there is no necessity of going into minute detail. No one is so carnal, so brutelike, as to imagine that the Spirit resides in the sensible world. But after Paul has mentioned “the things that are not seen” he proceeds (in order that none may surmise that the Spirit, because He is of the intelligible and immaterial world, on account of this connexion subsists therein) to another most distinct division into the things that have been made in the way of creation, and the existence that is above creation. He mentions the several classes of these created intelligibles: “75    Coloss. i. 16.thrones,” “dominions,” “principalities,” “powers,” conveying his doctrine about these unseen influences in broadly comprehensive terms: but by his very silence he separates from his list of things created that which is above them. It is just as if any one was required to name the sectional and inferior officers in some army, and after he had gone through them all, the commanders of tens, the commanders of hundreds, the captains and the colonels76    ταξιάρχας καὶ λοχαγοὺς, ἑκατοντάρχους τε καὶ χιλιάρχους. The difference between the two pairs seems to be the difference between ‘non-commissioned’ and ‘commissioned’ officers., and all the other names given to the authorities over divisions, omitted after all to speak of the supreme command which extended over all the others: not from deliberate neglect, or from forgetfulness, but because when required or intending to name only the several ranks which served under it, it would have been an insult to include this supreme command in the list of the inferior. So do we find it with Paul, who once in Paradise was admitted to mysteries, when he had been caught up there, and had become a spectator of the wonders that are above the heavens, and saw and heard “things which it is not lawful for a man to utter77    2 Corinth. xii. 4..” This Apostle proposes to tell us of all that has been created by our Lord, and he gives them under certain comprehensive terms: but, having traversed all the angelic and transcendental world, he stops his reckoning there, and refuses to drag down to the level of creation that which is above it. Hence there is a clear testimony in Scripture that the Holy Spirit is higher than the creation. Should any one attempt to refute this, by urging that neither are the Cherubim mentioned by Paul, that they equally with the Spirit are left out, and that therefore this omission must prove either that they also are above the creation, or that the Holy Spirit is not any more than they to be believed above it, let him measure the full intent of each name in the list: and he will find amongst them that which from not being actually mentioned seems, but only seems, omitted. Under “thrones” he includes the Cherubim, giving them this Greek name, as more intelligible than the Hebrew name for them. He knew that “God sits upon the Cherubim:” and so he calls these Powers the thrones of Him who sits thereon. In the same way there are included in the list Isaiah’s Seraphim78    Isaiah vi. 6, 7., by whom the mystery of the Trinity was luminously proclaimed, when they uttered that marvellous cry “Holy,” being awestruck with the beauty in each Person of the Trinity. They are named under the title of “powers” both by the mighty Paul, and by the prophet David. The latter says, “Bless ye the Lord all ye His powers, ye ministers of His that do His pleasure79    Psalm ciii. 21.:” and Isaiah instead of saying “Bless ye” has written the very words of their blessing, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory” and he has revealed by what one of the Seraphim did (to him) that these powers are ministers that do God’s pleasure, effecting the ‘purging of sin’ according to the will of Him Who sent them: for this is the ministry of these spiritual beings, viz., to be sent forth for the salvation of those who are being saved.

That divine Apostle perceived this. He understood that the same matter is indicated under different names by the two prophets, and he took the best known of the two words, and called those Seraphim “powers:” so that no ground is left to our critics for saying that any single one of these beings is omitted equally with the Holy Ghost from the catalogue of creation. We learn from the existences detailed by Paul that while some existences have been mentioned, others have been passed over: and while he has taken count of the creation in masses as it were, he has (elsewhere) mentioned as units those things which are conceived of singly. For it is a peculiarity of the Holy Trinity that it is to be proclaimed as consisting of individuals: one Father, one Son, one Holy Ghost: whereas those existences aforesaid are counted in masses, “dominions,” “principalities,” “lordships,” “powers,” so as to exclude any suspicion that the Holy Ghost was one of them. Paul is wisely silent upon our mysteries; he understands how, after having heard those unspeakable words in paradise, to refrain from proclaiming those secrets when he is making mention of lower beings.

But these foes of the truth rush in upon the ineffable; they degrade the majesty of the Spirit to the level of the creation; they act as if they had never heard that the Word of God, when confiding to His disciples the secret of knowing God, Himself said that the life of 80    τοῖς ἀναγεννωμένοιςthe regenerate was to be completed in them and imparted in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and, thereby ranking the Spirit with the Father and Himself, precluded Him from being confused with the creation. From both, therefore, we may get a reverential and proper conception with regard to Him: from Paul’s omitting the Spirit’s existence in the mention of the creation, and from our Lord’s joining the Spirit with His Father and Himself in mentioning the life-giving power. Thus does our reason, under the guidance of the Scripture, place not only the Only-begotten but the Holy Spirit as well above the creation, and prompt us in accordance with our Saviour’s command to contemplate Him by faith in the blessed world of life giving and uncreated existence: and so this unit, which we believe in, above creation, and sharing in the supreme and absolutely perfect nature, cannot be regarded as in any way a ‘less,’ although this teacher of heresy attempt to curtail its infinitude by introducing the idea of degrees, and thus contracting the divine perfection by defining a greater and a less as residing in the Persons.

Δῆλον οὖν ὅτι αἰνίγματα τινῶν ἐστι τὰ λεγόμενα βαθυτέραν τινὰ τῆς προχείρου διανοίας τὴν θεωρίαν ἐμπεριέχοντα, ὡς ἐκ τούτων μηδενὶ λόγῳ τὴν τοῦ ἐκτίσθαι τὸν κύριον ὑπόνοιαν ἐκ τῆς γραφῆς ταύτης τοῖς εὐσεβῶς λογιζομένοις ἐγγίνεσθαι, τοῖς πεπαιδευμένοις μάλιστα διὰ τῆς τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ μεγαλοφωνίας τοῦ πάντα τὰ γεγονότα δι' αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ συνεστάναι λέγοντος. Πάντα γάρ, φησί, δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἓν ὃ γέγονεν ἐν αὐτῷ, οὐκ ἂν τοῦτο διορισάμενος, εἰ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν κύριον ἓν τῶν γεγονότων ἐπίστευε. πῶς γὰρ δι' ἐκείνου πάντα γίνεται καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τὰ γεγονότα τὴν σύστασιν ἔχει, εἰ μὴ πάντως ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὴν τῶν πεποιημένων φύσιν ὁ ποιητὴς ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἑαυτὸν ἀλλὰ τὴν κτίσιν εἰργάσατο; εἰ γὰρ ἡ κτίσις δι' ἐκείνου, αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος οὐ δι' ἑαυτοῦ, ἄλλο τι πάντως καὶ οὐχὶ κτίσις ἐστί. τοῦ τοίνυν εὐαγγελιστοῦ φήσαντος, ὅτι Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἓν ὃ γέγονεν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ φανερῶς διὰ τούτων ἐνδειξαμένου, ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ υἱῷ τὰ γενόμενα γέγονε καὶ οὐ δι' ἑτέρου τινὸς τὴν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι πάροδον ἔσχεν, ἐκδέχεται τὸν λόγον τοῦτον ὁ Παῦλος, καὶ ὡς ἂν μηδεμίαν καταλίποι πρόφασιν τῇ βλασφήμῳ φωνῇ τοῦ συναριθμεῖν τοῖς γεγονόσι καὶ τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος φύσιν, ὑπ' ἀριθμὸν ἄγει τὰ πάντα, ποῖά ἐστι ταῦτα ἃ πάντα τῷ εὐαγγελιστῇ καὶ εἴρηται καὶ νενόηται: καὶ καθάπερ ὁ μέγας Δαβὶδ πάντα ὑποτετάχθαι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ φήσας καὶ τὸ κατ' εἶδος προσέθηκε, ποῖα ἦν τὰ ἐμπεριλαμβανόμενα τῇ τῶν πάντων φωνῇ, τουτέστι τὰ χερσαῖα καὶ τὰ ἔνυδρα καὶ τὰ ἐναέρια ζῷα, οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῶν θείων δογμάτων ἐξηγητὴς ὁ ἀπόστολος πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ γεγενῆσθαι εἰπὼν περιγράφει τοῖς ὑπαριθμηθεῖσι τῶν πάντων τὴν ἔννοιαν. Ὁρατὰ γάρ, φησί, καὶ ἀόρατα, διὰ μὲν τῶν ὁρατῶν καθὼς εἴρηται τὰ τῇ αἰσθήσει γνώριμα περιλαβὼν τῷ ὀνόματι, διὰ δὲ τῶν ἀοράτων τὴν τῶν νοητῶν ἐνδειξάμενος φύσιν.
Ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τῶν αἰσθητῶν οὐδὲν ἐδεήθη λεπτομερῶς διεξελθεῖν ἐπ' ὀνόματος. οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὕτω σάρκινος οὐδὲ κτηνώδης ἐστίν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ὑποπτεῦσαι καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον εἶναι. τῶν δὲ ἀοράτων μνησθείς, ἐπειδὴ νοερὰ καὶ ἀσώματος καὶ ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος φύσις ἐστίν, ὡς ἂν μή τις ἐν τούτοις ὑπονοήσειεν ὑφεστάναι τὸ πνεῦμα διὰ τὴν κατὰ τὸ ἀόρατον κοινωνίαν, ἐναργεστάτην ποιεῖται τὴν διαίρεσιν τῶν τε διὰ τῆς κτίσεως γεγονότων καὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ τὴν κτίσιν οὐσίας. τὰ μὲν γὰρ κτισθέντα καταριθμεῖται τῷ λόγῳ, θρόνους τινὰς καὶ ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ κυριότητας λέγων, γενικοῖς τισι καὶ περιληπτικοῖς ὀνόμασι τῶν ἀοράτων τούτων δυνάμεων τὴν διδασκαλίαν ποιούμενος, τὰ δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν κτίσιν δι' αὐτῆς τῆς σιωπῆς ἀποχωρίζει τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν κτισθέντων. ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις προσταχθεὶς ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου τὰς λεπτομερεῖς καὶ ὑποβεβηκυίας ἀρχὰς εἰπεῖν ἐπ' ὀνόματος, ταξιάρχας καὶ λοχαγοὺς ἑκατοντάρχους τε καὶ χιλιάρχους καὶ εἴ τινες ἄλλαι τῶν κατὰ μέρος δυναστειῶν ὠνομασμέναι εἰσὶ πάσας διεξελθὼν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς πάντων κρατούσης καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν διεπούσης ἀρχῆς μηδεμίαν μνήμην ποιήσαιτο, οὐ δι' ὑπεροψίαν ἢ λήθην τὴν ὑπερέχουσαν ἀρχὴν σιωπήσας, ἀλλ' ὅτι μόνον τὴν ὑπήκοόν τε καὶ ὑποχείριον τάξιν διεξελθεῖν ἢ προσταχθεὶς ἢ προθέμενος ὑβρίσειεν ἂν ἐν τῇ τῶν ὑποκειμένων μνήμῃ συμπεριλαβὼν καὶ τὴν ἄρχουσαν, οὕτω μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ὁ ἐν παραδείσῳ μυηθεὶς τὰ ἀπόρρητα Παῦλος, ὅτε ἁρπαγεὶς ἐν αὐτῷ ἐγένετο καὶ τῶν ὑπερουρανίων θαυμάτων θεατὴς καταστὰς τὰ ἀνθρώποις ἄρρητα καὶ εἶδε καὶ ἤκουσεν, οὗτος τὰ ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ κτισθέντα διδάξαι προθέμενος, ἐπειδὴ διεξῆλθε ταῦτα τῷ λόγῳ, περιληπτικαῖς τισι φωναῖς διαδραμὼν τὴν ἀγγελικὴν καὶ ὑπερκόσμιον δύναμιν, ἔστησεν ἐν τοῖς μνημονευθεῖσι τὸν λόγον, τῶν ὑπὲρ τὴν κτίσιν οὐδὲν εἰς τὸν κατάλογον τῶν κτιστῶν καθελκύσας, ὡς ἐκ τούτου σαφῶς ἄνω τῆς κτίσεως εἶναι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὑπὸ τῆς γραφῆς μαρτυρεῖσθαι.
Εἰ δέ τις ἀνατρέποι τὸν λόγον ὡς οὐδὲ τῶν Χερουβὶμ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου μνημονευθέντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν τῇ τῶν γεγονότων ἀπαριθμήσει σιωπηθέντων, καὶ κατασκευάζοι διὰ τοῦ παραλελεῖφθαι τὴν περὶ τούτων μνήμην ἢ καὶ ταῦτα ὑπὲρ τὴν κτίσιν ἢ μηδὲ τὸ πνεῦμα δεῖν οἴεσθαι, λογισάσθω τὴν τῶν ἀπηριθμημένων διάνοιαν, καὶ τὸ παρεῖσθαι δοκοῦν, ὅτι μὴ ἐξ ὀνόματος ἡ μνήμη γέγονεν, ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις κατόψεται: ὁ γὰρ θρόνων μνημονεύσας ἄλλῳ ὀνόματι τὰ Χερουβὶμ διηγήσατο, τῇ γνωριμωτέρᾳ προσηγορίᾳ τὸ ἀσαφὲς τῆς Ἑβραΐδος ἐξελληνίσας. καθῆσθαι γὰρ τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ ἀκούσας τὰς δυνάμεις ταύτας τοῦ ἐπ' αὐτῶν καθεζομένου θρόνους ὠνόμασεν: ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὰ παρὰ τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ Σεραφίμ, παρ' ὧν ἐναργῶς τὸ τῆς τριάδος ἐκηρύχθη μυστήριον, ὅτε τὴν ”ἅγιος„ φωνὴν τὸ ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἐν τῇ τριάδι κάλλος καταπλησσόμενα θαυμαστικῶς ἐξεβόησαν, περιείληπται τῷ καταλόγῳ τῶν μνημονευθέντων, τῇ προσηγορίᾳ τῶν „δυνάμεων” ὀνομασθέντα παρά τε τοῦ μεγάλου Παύλου καὶ πρὸ τούτου παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου Δαβίδ. ὁ μὲν γάρ φησιν: Εὐλογεῖτε τὸν κύριον πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ, ποιοῦντες τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ Ἠσαΐας ἀντὶ τοῦ ”εὐλογεῖτε„ εἰπεῖν τὰ ῥήματα τῆς εὐλογίας ἀνέγραψεν: Ἅγιος ἅγιος ἅγιος κύριος Σαβαώθ, πλήρης πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. τὸ δὲ λειτουργοὺς εἶναι τὰς δυνάμεις ταύτας « τὰς » ποιούσας τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ τῆς γενομένης ἁμαρτιῶν καθάρσεως κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ ἀποστείλαντος παρ' ἑνὸς τῶν Σεραφὶμ ὑπῃνίξατο: αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ λειτουργία τῶν πνευμάτων τούτων, ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν σῳζομένων ἐκπέμπεσθαι. ἅ μοι δοκεῖ κατανοήσας ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος καὶ μαθὼν ὅτι τὸ αὐτὸ πρᾶγμα παρὰ τῶν δύο προφητῶν ἐν διαφόροις ταῖς προσηγορίαις σημαίνεται, τὴν γνωριμωτάτην τῶν φωνῶν ἐκλεξάμενος „δυνάμεις” τὰ Σεραφὶμ ὠνόμασεν, ὡς μηδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν τοῖς συκοφάνταις καταλελεῖφθαι τοῦ κατὰ τὸ ἴσον τούτων ἑνὸς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν τῷ καταλόγῳ τῆς κτίσεως περιειλῆφθαι λέγειν. τὰ μὲν γὰρ εἴρηται, καθὼς ἀποδέδεικται, τὰ δὲ σεσιώπηται, καθὼς ἔστιν ἐκ τῶν κατειλεγμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου μαθεῖν τοῦ πᾶσαν μὲν πληθυντικῶς ἀπαριθμησαμένου τὴν κτίσιν; τῶν δὲ μοναδικῶς λεγομένων οὐδενὸς μνημονεύσαντος. τοῦτο γὰρ ἴδιον τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος ἐστί, τὸ μοναχῶς ἐξαγγέλλεσθαι, εἷς πατὴρ καὶ εἷς υἱὸς καὶ ἓν πνεῦμα ἅγιον. τὰ δὲ εἰρημένα πάντα ἐν πλήθει κατείλεκται, ἀρχαὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαι καὶ κυριότητες καὶ δυνάμεις, ὡς μηδεμίαν παρέχειν ὑπόνοιαν τοῦ ἓν τούτων εἶναι καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον.
Ἀλλὰ Παῦλος μὲν σιωπᾷ τὰ ἀπόρρητα, καὶ καλῶς ποιεῖ: οἶδε γὰρ ἀκούειν μὲν ἐν παραδείσῳ τὰ ἄρρητα ῥήματα, φείδεσθαι δὲ τῆς τῶν ἀνεκφωνήτων ἐξαγορεύσεως, ὅταν περὶ τῶν κατωτέρων ποιῆται τὸν λόγον. οἱ δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας πολέμιοι καὶ τῶν ἀρρήτων κατατολμῶσι, τὸ μεγαλεῖον τοῦ πνεύματος τῷ ταπεινῷ τῆς κτίσεως καθυβρίζοντες, ὥσπερ οὐκ ἀκηκοότες, ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς λόγος παραδιδοὺς τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὸ τῆς θεογνωσίας μυστήριον ἐν ὀνόματι πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος τοῖς ἀναγεννωμένοις εἶπε τὴν ζωὴν καὶ συμπληροῦσθαι καὶ παραγίνεσθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦ συντάξαι τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ἑαυτῷ τῆς περὶ τὴν κτίσιν ὑπονοίας τὸ πνεῦμα ἐχώρισεν: ὡς ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων εὐσεβῆ καὶ πρέπουσαν γίνεσθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπόληψιν, Παύλου μὲν ἐν τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς κτίσεως τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος φύσιν ἀποσιγήσαντος, τοῦ δὲ κυρίου ἐν τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς ζωοποιοῦ δυνάμεως τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ἑαυτῷ συναρμόσαντος. οὕτως ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος διὰ τῆς ἁγίας γραφῆς ὁδηγούμενος ὑπερτίθησι μὲν τῆς κτίσεως τόν τε μονογενῆ καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, κατὰ δὲ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀπόφασιν ἐν τῇ μακαρίᾳ τε καὶ ζωοποιῷ καὶ ἀκτίστῳ φύσει θεωρεῖν διὰ πίστεως ὑποτίθεται: ὥστε τὸ ἄνω τῆς κτίσεως καὶ τῆς πρωτευούσης καὶ διὰ πάντων τελείας φύσεως εἶναι πιστευόμενον μηδενὶ τρόπῳ τὸν τῆς ἐλαττώσεως παραδέχεσθαι λόγον, κἂν ὁ τῆς αἱρέσεως προστάτης περικόπτῃ τὸ ἀόριστον, ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἐλάττονος ἐπινοίᾳ οἱονεὶ διακολοβῶν καὶ συστέλλων τῆς θείας οὐσίας τὴν τελειότητα ἐν τῷ τὸ μεῖζον καὶ τὸ ἔλαττον αὐτοῖς ἐνθεωρεῖν διορίζεσθαι.