39

12

A theology concerning the one in all respects of the tri-hypostatic divinity; and through which things, using humility, he speaks about himself, rebuking the conceit of those who seem to be something. (72)

How, my God, do the things you once made to disappear live again in me and fill me with darkness and affliction? Passions of both temper and anger, from which a vapor arises in me, a mist upon my head, and they cause a blinding of my spiritual eyes, for, as if they are covered, alas, they are compelled to shut in the darkness, and I am deprived of you, the light, which everyone desires, but few seek out. But even those who have been deemed worthy to partake of your ineffable things and to receive materially with an immaterial sense the awesome mysteries, inexpressible to all, and to know the invisible glory in visible things and the strange mystery which was performed in the world, are very few indeed, I know well, certainly; who also came to be in clear contemplation of these things from the one who is in the beginning before all ages, from the Father with the Spirit, the Son, God and Word, a threefold light in the one, and one in the three. For both are one light, Father, Son and Spirit, being indivisible in the three persons without confusion, yet they are also united according to the divine nature of origin, glory, power, and likewise will. For the three are seen by me, as in one face (73) two beautiful eyes filled with light; eyes without a face, how will they see, tell me? But a face without eyes should not be called so at all, for it is lacking the greater part, or rather to say, the whole; for the sun, if it should be deprived of the light of its beauty, it itself will perish first, then all creation, which received from it its shining and its sight. Thus God for the intelligible beings, if he were deprived of one, whether of the Son or the Spirit, the Father will no longer be, nor would he even exist as living, having cast off the Spirit, from whom is given to all both life and being. Therefore let every truly rational nature worship, as much as is under the sun, and as much as is above it,

39

ΙΒ'

Περί τοῦ ἑνός κατά πάντα τῆς τρισυποστάτου θεότητος θεολογία˙ καί δι᾿ ὧν τῇ ταπεινώσει χρώμενος λέγει περί ἑαυτοῦ, τῶν δοκούντων εἶναί τι ἐντρέπων τήν οἴησιν. (72)

Πῶς, ἅ ποτε ἠφάνισας, ἐν ἐμοί πάλιν ζῶσι καί σκότους με καί θλίψεως ἐμπιπλῶσι, Θεέ μου; Πάθη θυμοῦ τε κ αί ὀργῆς, ἐξ ὧν ἐγγίνεταί μοι ἀναθυμίασις, ἀχλύς ἐπί τήν κεφαλήν μου, καί πήρωσιν τοῖς νοεροῖς ὄμμασί μου ποιοῦσι, καί γάρ, ὥσπερ καλύπτονται καί καμμύειν τῷ ζόφῳ, οἴμοι, καταναγκάζονται, καί σοῦ ἀποστεροῦμαι, φωτός, οὗ πᾶς ἐφίεται, ὀλίγοι δ᾿ ἐκζητοῦσιν. Ἀλλά καί οἱ ἀξιωθέντες σου μετασχεῖν τῶν ἀρρήτων καί ὑλικῶς μεταλαβεῖν ἐν ἀΰλῳ αἰσθήσει μυστηρίων τῶν φοβερῶν καί τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀφράστων γνῶναί τε τήν ἀόρατον ἐν ὁρωμένοις δόξαν καί τό ξένον μυστήριον, ὅ ἐν κόσμῳ ἐπράχθη, κομιδῇ ὀλιγώτεροί εἰσιν, εὖ οἶδα, πάντως˙ οἵ καί τούτων ἐγένοντο ἐν τρανεῖ θεωρίᾳ παρά τοῦ ὄντος ἐν ἀρχῇ πρό πάντων τῶν αἰώνων ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός σύν Πνεύματι Υἱοῦ, Θεοῦ καί Λόγου, φωτός τρισσοῦ ἐν τῷ ἑνί, ἑνός ἐν τοῖς τρισί δέ. Ἀμφότερα καί γάρ ἕν φῶς, Πατήρ, Υἱός καί Πνεῦμα, ἄτμητον ὅν ἐν τοῖς τρισί προσώποις ἀσυγχύτως, πλήν ἡνωμένοις καί αὐτοῖς κατά τήν θείαν φύσιν ἀρχῆς, δόξης, δυνάμεως, θελήματος ὡσαύτως. Τά τρία γάρ ὁρᾶταί μοι, ὡς ἐν ἑνί προσώπῳ (73) ὡραῖοι δύο ὀφθαλμοί φωτός πεπληρωμένοι˙ προσώπου δίχα ὀφθαλμοί πῶς βλέψουσιν, εἰπέ μοι; Πρόσωπον δ᾿ ἄνευ ὀφθαλμῶν οὐ χρή πάντως καλεῖσθαι, λείπεται γάρ τοῦ πλείονος, ἤ εἰπεῖν μᾶλλον ὅλου˙ ἥλιος γάρ, εἰ στερηθῇ φωτός τῆς εὐπρεπείας, ἀπολεῖται πρῶτος αὐτός, ἔπειτα κτίσις πᾶσα, ἡ ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τό λάμπεσθαι καί τό βλέπειν λαχοῦσα. Οὕτω Θεός τοῖς νοητοῖς ἑνός εἰ στερηθείη, εἴτε Υἱοῦ ἤ Πνεύματος, Πατήρ οὐκέτι ἔσται, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδέ ζῶν ὑπάρξειεν ἀποβαλών τό Πνεῦμα, ἐξ οὗ τοῖς πᾶσι δίδοται καί τό ζῆν καί τό εἶναι. Σεβέσθω τοίνυν ἅπασα λογική ὄντως φύσις, ὅση ὑπό τόν ἥλιον, ὅση δ᾿ ὑπέρθεν τούτου,