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is inferior in rank and order, as they say (for we have received it, he says, as numbered third from the Father and the Son; the Lord Himself having delivered the order in the tradition of saving baptism in which He said: Go, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit); but that it is cast out into some 29.660 third nature away from the Son and the Father, we have nowhere learned. For since two realities are spoken of, divinity and creation, and lordship and servitude, and sanctifying power, and that which is sanctified, that which has virtue by nature and that which achieves it by choice, in which portion shall we place the Spirit? Among those who are sanctified? But it is itself sanctification. But among those who acquire virtue from noble deeds? But it is good by nature. But among the ministering ones? But there are other ministering spirits sent forth to minister. It is not right, therefore, to call it our fellow-servant, which is sovereign by nature, nor to number it with creation, which is numbered with the divine and blessed Trinity. For principalities, and powers, and all such creation, having sanctification from attention and diligence, would not reasonably be said to be holy by nature. For striving after the good, according to the proportion of their love for God, they also partake of the measure of holiness. And just as iron, lying in the midst of the fire, has not cast off its being iron, but being made red-hot by its most intense association with the fire, and having received into itself the whole nature of the fire, it has been changed to the fire in both color and energy; so also the holy powers, from communion with that which is holy by nature, have sanctification that has already penetrated and been made connatural through their whole substance. But this is the difference between them and the Holy Spirit, that to the one holiness is nature, but to the others being sanctified comes from participation. But for those for whom the good is reparable and bestowed from another, they are of a mutable nature. For Lucifer, who rises in the morning, would not have fallen, nor been dashed to the ground, if by nature he had been incapable of the worse. How then is it pious to rank it with creation, when it is distinguished from creation by so great a measure? For creation is of such a nature as to have sanctification as a prize of progress and of pleasing God, but using its free will by nature, and being able to incline to either side, towards the choice of the good and of the worse; but the Holy Spirit is the fount of sanctification. And just as the Father is holy by nature, and the Son is holy by nature, so also the Spirit of truth is holy by nature; for which reason it has also been deemed worthy of the exclusive and particular appellation of holy. If, therefore, sanctification is its nature, as it is for the Father and the Son, how is it of a third and alien 29.661 nature? For on this account, I think, it is also recorded in Isaiah that the Seraphim cry out "holy" a third time, because holiness according to nature is contemplated in three subsistences. Not only is the name of holiness common to it with the Father and the Son, but also the very appellation of spirit. For God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. And the prophet says: Christ the Lord is the breath before our face, of whom we said: In the shadow of his wings we shall live. And the Apostle applies the appellation of spirit to the Lord, saying: Now the Lord is the Spirit. From these things it is clear to everyone that the community of names indicates not an alienation of nature, but a kinship with the Father and the Son. And God is said to be good, and he is; and the Holy Spirit is also good, not having a goodness that can be repaired, but one that co-exists with it from nature. Or it would be most irrational of all to say that what is holy by nature does not have goodness by nature, but that it is an after-growth and has been added to it from without. And in that the Lord said, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, he shows that he himself is also our Paraclete.

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ἀξιώματι καὶ τάξει ὑπο βέβηκεν, ὡς λέγουσι (παρειλήφαμεν γὰρ αὐτὸ, φησὶ, τρίτον ἀπὸ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ ἀριθμούμενον· αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐν τῇ παραδόσει τοῦ σωτηρίου βαπτίσμα τος παραδεδωκότος τὴν τάξιν ἐν οἷς εἶπε· Πορευ θέντες, βαπτίζετε εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος)· ἀλλ' εἰς φύ 29.660 σιν τινὰ τρίτην ἀπὸ Υἱοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἐκβαλλόμενον, οὐδαμοῦ μεμαθήκαμεν. ∆ύο γὰρ λεγομένων πραγμά των, θεότητός τε καὶ κτίσεως, καὶ δεσποτείας καὶ δουλείας, καὶ ἁγιαστικῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ τῆς ἁγια ζομένης, τῆς τε ἐκ φύσεως ἐχούσης τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τῆς ἐκ προαιρέσεως κατορθούσης, ἐν ποίᾳ μερίδι τὸ Πνεῦμα τάξομεν; Ἐν τοῖς ἁγιαζομένοις; ἀλλ' αὐτό ἐστιν ἁγιασμός. Ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς ἐξ ἀνδραγαθημάτων τὴν ἀρετὴν κτωμένοις; ἀλλὰ φύσει ἐστὶν ἀγαθόν. Ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς λειτουργικοῖς; ἀλλ' ἕτερά εἰσι λειτουρ γικὰ πνεύματα πρὸς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα. Οὐ τοίνυν ὁμόδουλον ἡμῖν λέγειν αὐτὸ θεμιτὸν, τὸ ἡγε μονικὸν τῇ φύσει, οὔτε τῇ κτίσει συναριθμεῖν, τὸ τῇ θείᾳ καὶ μακαρίᾳ Τριάδι συναριθμούμενον. Ἀρ χαὶ μὲν γὰρ, καὶ ἐξουσίαι, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ τοιαύτη κτί σις, ἐκ προσοχῆς καὶ ἐπιμελείας τὸν ἁγιασμὸν ἔχου σαι, οὐκ ἂν εἰκότως φύσει ἅγιαι εἶναι λέγοιντο. Ἐπ ορεγόμεναι γὰρ τοῦ καλοῦ, κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀγάπης, καὶ τοῦ μέτρου τῆς ἁγιωσύ νης μεταλαμβάνουσι. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ σίδηρος, ἐν μέσῳ τῷ πυρὶ κείμενος, τὸ μὲν σίδηρος εἶναι οὐκ ἀποβέ βληκε, τῇ δὲ σφοδροτάτῃ πρὸς τὸ πῦρ ὁμιλίᾳ ἐκπυρ ακτωθεὶς, καὶ πᾶσαν εἰς ἑαυτὸν τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς φύ σιν ὑποδεξάμενος, καὶ χρώματι καὶ ἐνεργείᾳ πρὸς τὸ πῦρ μεταβέβηκεν· οὕτω καὶ αἱ ἅγιαι δυνάμεις ἐκ τῆς πρὸς τὸ φύσει ἅγιον κοινωνίας δι' ὅλης τῆς ἑαυτῶν ὑποστάσεως κεχωρηκότα ἤδη καὶ συμπεφυσιωμένον τὸν ἁγιασμὸν ἔχουσι. ∆ιαφορὰ δὲ αὐταῖς πρὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὕτη, ὅτι τῷ μὲν φύσις ἡ ἁγιωσύ νη, ταῖς δὲ ἐκ μετουσίας ὑπάρχει τὸ ἁγιάζεσθαι. Οἷς δὲ ἐπισκευαστὸν καὶ ἑτέρωθεν ἐπιδεδομένον ὑπ άρχει τὸ ἀγαθὸν, τῆς μεταπτωτῆς εἰσι φύσεως. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐξέπεσεν ὁ Ἑωσφόρος ὁ πρωῒ ἀνα-τέλλων, οὔτε συνετρίβη ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἰ φύσει ὑπῆρ χε τοῦ χείρονος ἀνεπίδεκτος. Πῶς οὖν εὐσεβὲς τῇ κτίσει αὐτὸ συντάττειν, τοσούτῳ μέτρῳ διωρισμένον τῆς κτίσεως; Ἡ μὲν γὰρ κτίσις πέφυκεν ἆθλον προ κοπῆς καὶ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν εὐαρεστήσεως τὸν ἁγια σμὸν ἔχουσα, φύσει δὲ χρωμένη αὐτεξουσίῳ, καὶ μεταῤῥέπειν ἐφ' ἑκάτερα δυναμένη, πρὸς ἐκλο γὴν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τοῦ χείρονος· τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον πηγὴ ἁγιασμοῦ. Καὶ ὥσπερ φύσει ἅγιος ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ φύσει ἅγιος ὁ Υἱὸς, οὕτω φύσει ἅγιον καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας· διὸ καὶ ἐξαι ρέτου καὶ ἰδιαζούσης τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου προσηγορίας ἠξίωται. Εἰ οὖν φύσις αὐτῷ ὁ ἁγιασμός ἐστιν, ὥσπερ Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ, πῶς τρίτης ἐστὶ καὶ ἀλλοτρίας 29.661 φύσεως; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, οἶμαι, καὶ παρὰ τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ τὰ Σεραφὶμ τρίτον ἐκβοῶντα τὸ ἅγιος ἀναγέγραπται, ὅτι ἐν τρισὶ ταῖς ὑποστάσεσιν ὁ κατὰ φύσιν ἁγιασμὸς θεωρεῖται. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον αὐτῷ κοινὸν πρὸς Πα τέρα καὶ Υἱὸν τὸ τῆς ἁγιωσύνης ὄνομα, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐ τὴ ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος προσηγορία. Πνεῦμα γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύμα τι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν. Καὶ ὁ προφήτης φησί· Πνεῦμα πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν Χριστὸς Κύριος, οὗ εἴπαμεν· Ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ τῶν πτερύγων αὐτοῦ ζησόμεθα. Καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος τὴν τοῦ πνεύ ματος προσηγορίαν ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον ἀναφέρει λέγων· Ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν. Ἐκ δὲ τούτων παντὶ δῆλον, ὅτι οὐχὶ ἀλλοτρίωσιν τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλ' οἰκείωσιν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν ἡ κοινωνία τῶν ὀνομάτων παρίστησι. Καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὁ Θεὸς εἴρηται, καὶ ἔστιν· ἀγαθὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐκ ἐπισκευαστὴν ἔχον τὴν ἀγαθότητα, ἀλλ' ἐκ φύσεως αὐτῷ συνυπάρχουσαν. Ἢ πάντων ἂν εἴη ἀλογώτατον τὸ φύσει ἅγιον μὴ φύσει λέγειν τὴν ἀγαθότητα ἔχειν, ἀλλ' ἐπιγεννηματικὴν καὶ ἔξωθεν προσγεγενημέ νην αὐτῷ. Ἐν ᾧ δὲ εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος ὅτι, Ἐγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον Παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, καὶ αὐτὸς εἶναι Παράκλητος ἡμῶν ἐνδείκνυται.