48
blue-eyedness, or lisping, and whatever things are such, are distinguishing accidents of those differing from one another in number. For every man, being something as to nature, but not someone as to hypostasis, is by nature disposed to act, according to both the most particular and the commonly understood and spoken categorical definition, such as animal, rational, mortal, which is of our generic definition. For we all partake of the same life, the same rationality, and the same flux and efflux, and of sitting and standing, and speaking and being silent, and seeing and hearing and touching; which are of the common definition understood among us. Therefore one must not innovate expressions not having Scriptural, or Patristic, or natural authority; but a strange one, and devised by the perversions of men. But show me this set down in any Father, and again we will seek the mind of the one who said it.
48
γλαυκότης, ἤ ψεδνότης, καί ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἀφοριστικά εἰσι συμβεβηκότα τῶν ἀριθμῷ ἀλλήλων διαφερόντων. Πᾶς γάρ ἄνθρωπος, ὥς τι τήν φύσιν ὤν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὥς τις τήν ὑπόστασιν, ἐνεργεῖν πέφυκε, κατά τε τόν ἰδιαίτατα καί κοινῶς νοούμενόν τε καί λεγόμενον κατηγορικόν λόγον, οἷον τό ζῶον, τό λογικόν, τό θνητόν, ὅπερ ἐστί τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς γενικοῦ λόγου. Πάντες γάρ τῆς αὐτῆς μετέχομεν ζωῆς, τῆς αὐτῆς λογικότητος, καί τῆς αὐτῆς ῥοῆς καί ἀποῤῥοῆς, καί τοῦ καθέζεσθαι καί ἵστασθαι, καί λαλεῖν καί σιγᾷν, καί ὁρᾷν καί ἀκούειν καί ἅπτεσθαι· ἅπερ εἰσί τοῦ κοινοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῶν νοουμένου λόγου. Οὐ δεῖ οὖν καινοτομεῖν φωνάς μή ἐχούσας ἰσχύν ἤ Γραφικήν, ἤ Πατρικήν, ἤ φυσικήν· ἀλλά ξένην, καί διαστροφαῖς ἀνθρώπων ἐξηυρημένην. Πλήν δεῖξόν μοι ταύτην κειμένην ἐν οἱῳδήποτε Πατρί, καί πάλιν τόν νοῦν τοῦ ταύτην εἰρηκότος ἐπιζητοῦμεν.