38

of us. 226 And the prophet says from the person of God, In affliction you called upon me and I delivered you. But the raising up of those who stumble is in countless ways attributed by scripture to the power of God: I was pushed and overthrown that I might fall, and the Lord helped me, and, When he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds his hand, and, The Lord raises up the broken. But the recovery of those who labor has the confession of God's philanthropy, if indeed he understood what we learned from the prophecy, as the word says that You laid afflictions upon our backs, you caused men to ride over our heads, we went through fire and water, and you brought us out into a place of refreshment. 227

Up to this point, therefore, the greatness of the Spirit is demonstrated through the testimony of enemies; but in what follows, the purity of piety is again defiled with heretical filth. For he says about the Spirit that it prompts those who are competing, and this bears the charge of the utmost folly and impiety. For in the stadiums, some preside over the games for those who are about to display their athletic strength, others, excelling the rest in strength and skill, contend for victory, stripping for contests against one another, and the rest, divided in their good will toward the contestants, just as each might have zeal and disposition for one of the athletes, at the time of the engagement, prompt them either to foresee a hold, or to remember a wrestling move, or to keep oneself from being thrown down through skill. Into what rank, then, does Eunomius place the Holy Spirit? Understand from what has been said. 228 For in the stadiums, there are those who preside over the games, those who judge the lawful contest, those who compete, and those who prompt the competitors, who are acknowledged to be much inferior to the athletes, Eunomius sees the Holy Spirit as one of the spectators from the populace or one of those who serve the athletes, who neither presides over the games nor judges the victory nor competes against the opponent, but through prompting contributes nothing to the victory (for it neither competes alongside nor imparts the power for this very thing), but only wishes that the one he supports not be shown to be second to his opponents 229.

And Paul indeed struggles against the principalities, against the powers and against the world-rulers of this darkness and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places; but the Spirit of power does not strengthen the athletes nor distribute gifts to the athletes, dividing to each one individually as he wills, but its power extends only to prompting those who are engaged in conflict. 230 Again he says, making the cowardly bold. But this man, according to his own argument, follows the preceding blasphemy against the Spirit, but truth reveals itself even through the mouth of the enemy. For it belongs to no other to impart courage to the fearful than God alone, who says to the one who is afraid, Do not fear, for I am with you, be not dismayed, as the prophet says; For though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. But the Master himself also says to those who are afraid, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid, and, Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? and, Be of good cheer, it is I; do not be afraid, and again, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Therefore, even against Eunomius' will, the truth shows itself through this very 231 hostile voice. And the subsequent argument agrees with the preceding one. caring for all, he says, and contributing all solicitude and providence. For it truly belongs to God alone to care and be solicitous for all, as the great David said, But I am poor and needy, the Lord 232 will take thought for me. But if what remains has been hammered out without thought in a noise of empty words, let no one find fault, seeing him in most things to be feeble and uninstructed in all intelligent thought; for what

38

ἡμῶν. 226 καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ φησιν Ἐν θλίψει ἐπεκαλέσω με καὶ ἐρρυσάμην σε. ἡ δὲ τῶν ὀκλαζόντων ἀνόρθωσις μυριοτρόπως ὑπὸ τῆς γραφῆς εἰς τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμιν ἀναφέρεται· Ὠσθεὶς ἀνετράπην τοῦ πεσεῖν, καὶ ὁ κύριος ἀντελάβετό μου, καὶ Ὅταν πέσῃ, οὐ καταρραχθήσεται, ὅτι κύριος ἀντιστηρίζει χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ Κύριος ἀνορθοῖ κατερραγμένους. ἡ δὲ τῶν πονούντων ἀνάκτησις τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἔχει, εἴπερ ὃ παρὰ τῆς προφητείας ἐμάθομεν καὶ οὗτος ἐνόησε, καθὼς ὁ λόγος φησὶν ὅτι Ἔθου θλίψεις ἐπὶ τῶν νώτων ἡμῶν, ἐπεβίβασας ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν, διήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος, καὶ ἐξήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀναψυχήν. 227

Μέχρι μὲν οὖν τούτου διὰ τῆς τῶν ἐχθρῶν μαρτυρίας ἀποδείκνυται τὸ μεγαλεῖον τοῦ πνεύματος· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐφεξῆς πάλιν τῷ αἱρετικῷ βορβόρῳ τὸ καθαρὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας καταμολύνεται. φησὶ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ὅτι τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις ὑποφωνεῖ, τοῦτο δὲ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας τε καὶ ἀσεβείας τὴν κατηγορίαν ἔχει. ἐν γὰρ τοῖς σταδίοις οἱ μὲν ἀγωνοθετοῦσι τοῖς μέλλουσι τὴν ἀθλητικὴν ἰσχὺν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, οἱ δὲ τῇ δυνάμει καὶ τῇ τέχνῃ τῶν ἄλλων προέχοντες ὑπὲρ τῆς νίκης ἀθλοῦσι, πρὸς τοὺς κατ' ἀλλήλων ἀγῶνας ἀποδυόμενοι, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ταῖς εὐνοίαις πρὸς τοὺς ἀγωνιστὰς μεριζόμενοι, ὅπως ἂν ἔχωσιν ἕκαστος περί τινα τῶν ἀθλητῶν σπουδῆς τε καὶ διαθέσεως, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς συμπλοκῆς ὑποφωνοῦσιν ἢ τὸ προϊδεῖν τὴν λαβὴν ἢ τὸ μνησθῆναι παλαίσματος ἢ τὸ φυλάξαι διὰ τῆς τέχνης ἑαυτὸν ἀκατάπτωτον. εἰς τίνα τοίνυν τάξιν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καθίστησιν ὁ Εὐνόμιος, ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων 228 κατανοήσατε. ἐν γὰρ τοῖς σταδίοις τῶν μὲν ἀγωνοθετούντων, τῶν δὲ κρινόντων τὴν νόμιμον ἄθλησιν, τῶν δὲ ἀγωνιζομένων, τῶν δὲ τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις ὑποφωνούντων, οἵτινες ὁμολογοῦνται πολὺ τῶν ἀθλούντων εἶναι καταδεέστεροι, ὡς ἕνα τῶν ἐκ τοῦ δήμου θεωμένων ἤ τινα τῶν τοῖς ἀθληταῖς ὑπηρετουμένων τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὁρᾷ ὁ Εὐνόμιος, ὃ μήτε ἀγωνοθετεῖ μήτε κρίνει τὴν νίκην μήτε πρὸς τὸν ἀντίπαλον ἀγωνίζεται, ἀλλὰ δι' ὑποφωνήσεως συνεργεῖ μὲν πρὸς τὴν νίκην οὐδέν (οὔτε γὰρ συναγωνίζεται οὔτε τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸ τοῦτο δύναμιν ἐμποιεῖ), βούλεται δὲ μόνον μὴ δεύτερον δειχθῆναι τῶν ἀντιπάλων τὸν παρ' αὐτοῦ σπουδαζόμενον 229.

Καὶ Παῦλος μὲν ἀγωνίζεται πρὸς τὰς ἀρχάς, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας καὶ πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους καὶ πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις· τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα τῆς δυνάμεως οὐκ ἐνισχύει τοὺς ἀθλητὰς οὐδὲ διανέμει τοῖς ἀθληταῖς τὰ χαρίσματα, διαιροῦν ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ καθὼς βούλεται, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τοῦ ὑποφωνεῖν τοῖς συμπλεκομένοις τὴν δύναμιν ἔχει. 230 Πάλιν φησὶ δειλανδροῦντας θρασύνων. ἀλλ' οὗτος μὲν ἀκολουθεῖ κατὰ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λόγον τῇ προλαβούσῃ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος βλασφημίᾳ, φανεροῖ δὲ καὶ διὰ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ στόματος ἑαυτὴν ἡ ἀλήθεια. οὐδενὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἑτέρου θάρσος ἐμποιεῖν τοῖς δειλαινομένοις ἢ θεοῦ μόνου, λέγοντος τῷ δειλιῶντι Μὴ φοβοῦ, μετὰ σοῦ γάρ εἰμι, μηδὲν εὐλαβοῦ, ὥς φησιν ὁ προφήτης· Ἐὰν γὰρ πορευθῶ ἐν μέσῳ σκιᾶς θανάτου, οὐ φοβηθήσομαι κακά, ὅτι σὺ μετ' ἐμοῦ εἶ. ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ δεσπότης πρὸς τοὺς δειλιῶντάς φησι Μὴ ταρασσέσθω ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν μηδὲ δειλιάτω, καὶ Τί δειλοί ἐστε, ὀλιγόπιστοι; καὶ Θαρσεῖτε, ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε, καὶ Θαρσεῖτε πάλιν, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον. οὐκοῦν καὶ ἄκοντος τοῦ Εὐνομίου δι' αὐτῆς τῆς 231 πολεμίας φωνῆς δείκνυσιν ἑαυτὴν ἡ ἀλήθεια. συμφωνεῖ δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐφεξῆς τῷ προάγοντι λόγος. ἁπάντων, φησί, κηδόμενος καὶ πᾶσαν φροντίδα καὶ πρόνοιαν εἰσφερόμενος. μόνου γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἀληθῶς τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ κήδεσθαι καὶ φροντίζειν ἁπάντων, οὕτως εἰπόντος τοῦ μεγάλου ∆αβὶδ Ἐγὼ δὲ πτωχός εἰμι καὶ πένης, κύριος 232 φροντιεῖ μου. εἰ δὲ τὸ λειπόμενον ἄνευ διανοίας ἐν ψόφῳ διακένων ῥημάτων διακεκρότηται, μηδεὶς αἰτιάσθω, ὁρῶν αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς πλείοσι πάσης ἔμφρονος διανοίας ἄτονόν τε καὶ ἀπαίδευτον· τί γὰρ