XLIII.  I should like to call the Father the greater, because from him flows both the Equality and the Being of the Equals (this will be granted on all hands), but I am afraid to use the word Origin, lest I should make Him the Origin of Inferiors, and thus insult Him by precedencies of honour.  For the lowering of those Who are from Him is no glory to the Source.  Moreover, I look with suspicion at your insatiate desire, for fear you should take hold of this word Greater, and divide the Nature, using the word Greater in all senses, whereas it does not apply to the Nature, but only to Origination.  For in the Consubstantial Persons there is nothing greater or less in point of Substance.  I would honour the Son as Son before the Spirit, but Baptism consecrating me through the Spirit does not allow of this.  But are you afraid of being reproached with Tritheism?  Do you take possession of this good thing, the Unity in the Three, and leave me to fight the battle.  Let me be the shipbuilder, and do you use the ship; or if another is the builder of the ship, take me for the architect of the house, and do you live in it with safety, though you spent no labour upon it.  You shall not have a less prosperous voyage, or a less safe habitation than I who built them, because you have not laboured upon them.  See how great is my indulgence; see the goodness of the Spirit; the war shall be mine, yours the achievement; I will be under fire, and you shall live in peace; but join with your defender in prayer, and give me your hand by the Faith.  I have three stones which I will sling at the Philistine;183    1 Sam. xvii. 49. I have three inspirations against the son of the Sareptan,184    1 Kings xvii. 21. with which I will quicken the slain; I have three floods against the faggots with which I will consecrate the Sacrifice with water, raising the most unexpected fire;185    Ib. xviii. 33. and I will throw down the prophets of shame by the power of the Sacrament.

ΜΓʹ. Θέλω τὸν Πατέρα μείζω εἰπεῖν, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ ἴσοις εἶναι, τοῖς ἴσοις ἐστὶ, καὶ τὸ εἶναι. Τοῦτο γὰρ παρὰ πάντων δοθήσεται. Καὶ δέδοικα τὴν ἀρχὴν, μὴ ἐλαττόνων ἀρχὴν ποιήσω, καὶ καθυβρίσω διὰ τῆς προτιμήσεως: οὐ γὰρ δόξα τῷ ἐξ οὗ ἡ τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ταπείνωσις. Πρὸς δὲ καὶ ὑφορῶμαι τὴν σὴν ἀπληστίαν, μὴ τὸ μεῖζον λαβὼν διχοτομήσῃς τὴν φύσιν, κατὰ πάντα τῷ μείζονι χρώμενος. Οὐ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν τὸ μεῖζον, τὴν αἰτίαν δέ. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν ὁμοουσίων τῇ οὐσίᾳ μεῖζον ἢ ἔλαττον. Θέλω τὸν Υἱὸν προτιμῆσαι τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὡς Υἱόν: καὶ οὐ συγχωρεῖ τὸ βάπτισμα τελειοῦν με διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ἀλλὰ δέδοικας, μὴ τριθεΐαν ὀνειδισθῇς; Ἔχε σὺ τὸ ἀγαθὸν, τὴν ἐν τοῖς τρισὶν ἕνωσιν: ἐμοὶ τὴν μάχην παράπεμψον. Ἔασόν με ναυπηγὸν εἶναι, σὺ χρῶ τῇ νηί. Καὶ εἰ ναυπηγός ἐστιν ἕτερος, ἐμὲ λάβε τῆς οἰκίας ἀρχιτέκτονα: σὺ ταύτην οἴκει μετὰ ἀσφαλείας, καὶ εἰ μηδὲν ἐμόχθησας. Οὐχ ἧττον εὐπλοήσεις, ἢ οἰκήσεις τὴν οἰκίαν, ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταῦτα κατασκευάσαντος, εἰ καὶ μηδὲν περὶ ταῦτα πεφιλοπόνηκας. Ὁρᾷς τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνην ὅση; ὁρᾷς τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χρηστότητα; Ἐμὸς ὁ πόλεμος, ἔστω σὸν τὸ ἐκνίκημα. Ἐγὼ βαλλοίμην, σὺ δὲ εἰρήνευε, τῷ προπολεμοῦντι συνευχόμενος: χεῖρα δίδου διὰ τῆς πίστεως. Ἔχω τρεῖς λίθους οἷς σφενδονήσω τὸν ἀλλόφυλον. Ἔχω τρεῖς ἐμπνεύσεις, κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς Σαραφθίας, αἷς ζωοποιήσω νενεκρωμένους. Ἔχω τρεῖς ἐπικλύσεις κατὰ τῶν σχιδάκων, αἷς καθιερώσω τὴν θυσίαν, ὕδατι πῦρ ἐγείρων, τὸ παραδοξότατον: καὶ τοὺς προφήτας καταβαλῶ τῆς αἰσχύνης, μυστηρίου δυνάμει χρώμενος.