Chapter Xi. That the Son is naturally One with God His Father; and that He is in the Father and the Father in Him, according to the essential bond and character of their Unity; and that likewise also we ourselves, when we receive faith in Him, are proved one with each other and with God, both in a corporeal and in a spiritual sense.

20, 21    Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.

Christ is, as it were, the Firstfruits of those who are built up into newness of life, and Himself the first heavenly Man. For, as Paul says: The second Adam, is the Lord from heaven. Therefore also John wrote: And no man hath ascended into heaven, but He That descended out of heaven, even the Son of man. And in close connexion with Him, the Firstfruits, yea, and far nearer unto Him than others, were those who were chosen to be disciples, and who held the rank of His followers; who also with their own eyes beheld His glory, ever attending upon Him, and in converse with Him, and gathering in, as it were, the firstfruits of His succour into their hearts. They were then, and are after Him, Who is far above all others, the Head of the body, the Church, the precious and more estimable members thereof. Furthermore, He prays that on them the blessing and sanctification of the Spirit may be sent down from His Father, but through Him wholly; for it could not be otherwise, since He is the living, and true, and active, and all-performing wisdom and power of Him That begat Him. But that none of those, who are not well-practised attentively to hearken to the inspired writings, might thoughtlessly imagine that upon the disciples only He prayed that the Spirit of God might come down, and that He did not pray for us, who clearly follow after them, and live in an early age of Christianity, the Mediator between God and man, the Advocate and High Priest of our souls, is induced, with a view to check beforehand the foolish imaginations of such men, to add this passage to what He had said, namely: Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on Me through their word. For it would have been in a manner absurd, that the sentence of condemnation should fall upon all men through one man, who was the first, I mean Adam; and that those who had not sinned at that time, that is, at which the founder of our race transgressed the commandment given unto him, should wear the dishonourable image of the earthy; and yet that when Christ came among us, Who was the Man from heaven, those who were called through Him to righteousness, the righteousness of course that is through faith, should not all be moulded into His Image. And, just as we say that the unlovely image of the earthy is seen in types, and in a form bearing the defilement of sin, and the weakness of death and corruption, and the impurity of fleshly lusts and worldly thoughts; so also, on the other hand, we think that the Image of the heavenly, that is, Christ, shines forth in purity and sincerity, and perfect incorruption, and life, and sanctification. It was, perhaps, impossible for us who had once fallen away through the original transgression to be restored to our pristine glory, except we obtained an ineffable communion and unity with God; for the nature of men upon the earth was ordered at the beginning. And no man can attain to union with God, save by communion with the Holy Spirit, Who implants in us the sanctification of His own Person, and moulds anew into His own life the nature which was subject to corruption, and so brings back to God and to His Likeness that which was bereft of the glory that this confers. And the Son is the express Image of the Father, and His Spirit is the natural Likeness of the Son. For this cause, moulding anew, as it were, into Himself the souls of men, He stamps them with the Likeness of God, and seals them with the Image of the Most High.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, prays not for the twelve Apostles alone, but rather for all who were destined in every age to yield to and obey the words that exhort those who hear to receive that sanctification that is through faith, and to that purification which is accomplished in them through partaking of the Spirit. And He thought it not right to leave us in doubt about the objects of His prayer, that we might learn hereby what manner of men we ought to show ourselves, and what path of righteousness we ought to tread, to accomplish those things which are well-pleasing to Him. What, then, is the manner of His prayer? That, He says, they may be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us. He asks, then, for a bond of love, and concord, and peace, to bring into spiritual unity those who believe; so that their unitedness, through perfect sympathy and inseparable harmony of soul, might resemble the features of the natural and essential unity that exists between the Father and the Son. But the bond of the love that is in us, and the power of concord, will not of itself altogether avail to keep them in the same unchangeable state of union as exists between the Father and the Son, Who preserve the manner of Their union in identity of Substance. For the one is, in fact, natural and actual, and is seen in the very definition of the existence of God; while the other only assumes the appearance of the unity which is actual. For how can the imitation be wholly like the reality? For the semblance of truth is not the same in conception with truth itself, but presents a similar appearance, and will not differ from it so long as there does not occur an occasion of distinction.

Whenever, then, a heretic, imagining that he can upset the doctrine of the natural identity and consequent unity of the Son with God the Father, and then, to demonstrate and establish his crazy theory, brings forward our own case, and says, "Just as we are not all one by reason of actual physical identity, nor yet by the fusion of our souls together, but in temper and disposition to love God, and in a united and sympathetic purpose to accomplish His Will, so also the Son is One with the Father," we shall then reject him wholly, as guilty of great ignorance and folly. And for what reason? Because things superhuman do not entirely follow the analogy of ourselves; nor can that which has no body be subject to the laws to which bodies are subject; nor do things Divine resemble things human. For if there were nothing at all to separate or create a distinction between us and God, we might then apply the analogy of our own case to the things which concern God; but if we find the interval betwixt us to be something we cannot fathom, why do men set up the attributes of our own nature as a rule and standard for God, conceiving of that Nature Which is not bound by any law in the light of our own weaknesses, and so suffer themselves to be guilty of doing a thing which is most irrational and absurd? In so doing, they are constructing the reality from the shadow, and the truth from that which is conformed to its image; giving the second place of honour to that which has of right the first, and inferring their conception of that which is first from that which is second to it.

But that we may not seem to dwell too long on the discussion of this subject, and so to be straying away from the text, we must once more repeat the assertion, that when Christ brings forward the essential unity which the Father has with Himself, and Himself also with the Father, as an Image and Type of the inseparable fellowship, and concord, and unity that exists in kindred souls, He desires us in some sort to be blended with one another in the power that is of the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity; so that the whole body of the Church may be in fact one, ascending in Christ through the fusion and concurrence of two peoples into one perfect whole. For as Paul says: For He is our peace, Who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in His Flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that He might create in Himself of the twain one New Man, so making peace; and might reconcile them both in one Body unto God through the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby. And this was, in fact, accomplished; those who believed on Christ being of one soul one with another, and receiving, as it were, one heart, through their complete resemblance in piety towards God, and their obedience in believing, and aspirations after virtue. And I think that what I have said is not wide of the mark, but is rather requisite and necessary. But, as the meaning of the passage compels us, leaving this subject, to enter upon a more profound inquiry, and our Saviour's words especially incite us thereto: Even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us, we must attentively consider what explanation we must here give. For in what has gone before we rightly maintained that the union of believers, in concord of heart and soul, ought to resemble the manner of the Divine unity, and the essential identity of the Holy Trinity, and Their intimate connexion with Each Other; but in this place we are now desirous of pointing out a sort of natural unity by which we are joined into each other, and all of us to God, not altogether falling short of a kind of physical unity, I mean with each other, even though we are distinguished by having different bodies, each one of us, as it were, retiring to his own personal environment and individuality. For Peter cannot be Paul, or be spoken of as such; or again, Paul as Peter, even though both be in fact one, after the manner of their union through Christ. Taking for granted, then, the physical unity that exists between the Father and the Son, and also of course the Holy Spirit (for we believe and glorify One Godhead in the Holy Trinity), let us further inquire in what manner we are proved to be one with each other and with God, both in a corporeal and a spiritual sense. The Only-begotten, then, proceeding from the very Substance of God the Father, and having entirely in His own Nature Him That begat Him, became Flesh according to the Scripture, blending Himself, as it were, with our nature by an unspeakable combination and union with this body that is earthy; and thus He That is God by Nature became, and is in truth, a Man from heaven; not inspired merely, as some of those who do not rightly understand the depth of the mystery imagine, but being at the same time God and Man, in order that, uniting as it were in Himself things widely opposed by nature, and averse to fusion with each other, He might enable man to share and partake of the Nature of God. For even unto us has reached the fellowship and abiding Presence of the Spirit, which originated through Christ and in Christ first, when He is in fact become even as we are, that is, a Man, receiving unction and sanctification, though He is by Nature God, insomuch as He proceeded from the Father Himself, sanctifying with His own Spirit the temple of His Body as well as all the creation that to Him owes its being, and to which sanctification is suitable. The mystery, then, that is in Christ is become, as it were, a beginning and a way whereby we may partake of the Holy Spirit and union with God; for in Him are we all sanctified, after the manner I have just indicated.

In order, then, that we ourselves also may join together, and be blended into unity with God and with each other, although, through the actual difference which exists in each one of us, we have a distinct individuality of soul and body, the Only-begotten has contrived a means which His own due Wisdom and the Counsel of the Father have sought out. For by one Body, that is, His own, blessing through the mystery of the Eucharist those who believe on Him, He makes us of the same Body with Himself and with each other. For who could sunder or divide from their natural union with one another those who are knit together through His holy Body, Which is one in union with Christ? For if we all partake of the one Bread, we are all made one Body; for Christ cannot suffer severance. Therefore also the Church is become Christ's Body, and we are also individually His members, according to the wisdom of Paul. For we, being all of us united to Christ through His holy Body, inasmuch as we have received Him Who is one and indivisible in our own bodies, owe the service of our members to Him rather than to ourselves. And that, while Christ is accounted the Head, the Church is called the rest of the Body, as joined together of Christian members, Paul will prove to us by the words: That we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but, speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him, Which is the Head, even Christ; from Whom all the Body, fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several member, maketh the increase of the Body unto the building up of itself in love. And that those who partake of His holy Flesh do gain therefrom this actual physical unity, I mean with Christ, Paul once more bears witness, when he says, with reference to the mystery of godliness: Which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto His holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit; to wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ. And if we are all of us of the same Body with one another in Christ, and not only with one another, but also of course with Him Who is in us through His Flesh, are we not then all of us clearly one both with one another and with Christ? For Christ is the bond of union, being at once God and Man. With reference, then, to the unity that is by the Spirit, following in the same track of inquiry, we say once more, that we all, receiving one and the same Spirit, I mean the Holy Spirit, are in some sort blended together with one another and with God. For if, we being many, Christ, Who is the Spirit of the Father and His own Spirit, dwells in each one of us severally, still is the Spirit one and indivisible, binding together the dissevered spirits of the individualities of one and all of us, as we have a separate being, in His own natural singleness into unity, causing us all to be shown forth in Him, through Himself, and as one. For as the power of His holy Flesh maketh those in whom It exists to be of the same Body, so likewise also the indivisible Spirit of God That abideth in all, being one, bindeth all together into spiritual unity. Therefore also the inspired Paul thus addressed us: Forbearing one another in love; giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one Body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is over all, and through all, and in all. For while the Spirit, Which is One, abideth in us, the One God and Father of all will be in us, binding together into unity with each other and with Himself whatsoever partaketh of the Spirit. And that we are made one with the Holy Spirit through partaking of It, will be made manifest hereby. For if, giving up the natural life, we have surrendered ourselves wholly to the laws of the Spirit, is it not henceforth beyond question, that by denying, as it were, our own lives, and taking upon ourselves the transcendent Likeness of the Holy Spirit, Who is joined unto us, we are well-nigh transformed into another nature, so to say, and are become no longer mere men, but also sons of God, and heavenly men, through having been proved partakers of the Divine Nature? We are all, therefore, one in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; one, I mean, both in identity of mental condition (for I think we ought not to forget what we said at first), and also in conformity to the life of righteousness, and in the fellowship of the holy Body of Christ, and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, Which is One, as we just now said.  

ΚΕΦΑΛΗ ΙΑ. Ὅτι φυσικῶς ὁ Υἱὸς ἕν ἐστι πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Πατέρα Θεὸν, καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἐν Πατρὶ, ὁ Πατὴρ δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ, κατά γε τὸν οὐσιώδη τῆς ἑνότητος σύνδεσμόν τε καὶ τρόπον: ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν παραδεξάμενοι πίστιν, ἓν πρός τε ἀλλήλους καὶ Θεὸν ἀναδεικνύμεθα, σωματικῶς τε καὶ πνευματικῶς.
« Οὐ περὶ τούτων δὲ ἐρωτῶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν πιστευόντων διὰ τοῦ λόγου αὐτῶν εἰς ἐμὲ, ἵνα πάντες ἓν ὦσι, καθὼς σὺ Πάτερ ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν σοὶ, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἓν ὦσιν, ἵνα ὁ κόσμος πιστεύσῃ ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας. » ἈΠΑΡΧΗ μὲν ὥσπερ τῶν ἀνακτιζομένων εἰς καινότητα ζωῆς πέφηνεν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ πρῶτος αὐτὸς οὐράνιος ἄνθρωπος. κατὰ γάρ τοι τὴν τοῦ Παύλου φωνὴν, “ὁ δεύτερος ” Ἀδὰμ ὁ Κύριος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ:“ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἔφασκε ” Καὶ “οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ” καταβὰς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.“ προσεχῶς δὲ τῇ ἀπαρχῇ, καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον τῶν ἑτέρων γείτονες οἱ πρῶτοι πρὸς μαθητείαν ἐξειλεγμένοι, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀκολουθήσεως ἑλόντες ἀξίωμα, οἳ καὶ αὐτόπται καὶ θεωροὶ γεγόνασι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, προσεδρεύοντές τε ἀεὶ καὶ συνδιαιτώμενοι καὶ τὰς τῆς ὠφελείας ἀπαρχὰς ἐν οἰκείαις ψυχαῖς συγκομίζοντες. ἦσαν οὖν ἄρα καί εἰσι μετὰ τὴν τῶν ὅλων καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντας ” κεφαλὴν τοῦ “τῆς ἐκκλησίας σώματος,” τὰ τίμιά τε καὶ ἀξιολογώτερα μέλη. καὶ γοῦν ἐπ' αὐτὰ τὴν διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος εὐλογίαν καὶ ἁγιασμὸν καταπέμπεσθαι παρὰ τοῦ ἰδίου Πατρὸς ἐρωτᾷ, δι' ἑαυτοῦ δὲ πάντως: οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρως, ἐπείπερ ἐστὶν αὐτὸς ἡ ζῶσά τε καὶ ἀληθὴς καὶ παντουργικὴ καὶ δραστήριος σοφία καὶ δύναμις τοῦ γεννήσαντος αὐτόν. ἀλλ' ἵνα μή τινες τῶν οὐ λίαν ἐπιεικέστερον ἐπαΐειν μεμελετηκότων τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς οἰηθεῖεν ἐξ ἐλαφρίας ἐπὶ μόνους κεκλῆσθαι τοὺς μαθητὰς τὴν τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος καταφοίτησιν, οὐδὲν δὲ περὶ ἡμῶν τῶν μετ' ἐκείνους δηλαδὴ καὶ ἐν πρώτοις γεγονότων καιροῖς, ὁ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων μεσίτης ὁ παράκλητος καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν, ἀναγκαίως καὶ τὰς τῶν τοιούτων προανασειράζων ἀσυνέτους ὑπονοίας, τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπήνεγκε τὸ προκείμενον, τουτέστιν Οὐ περὶ τούτων δὲ ἐρωτῶ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν πιστευόντων διὰ τοῦ λόγου αὐτῶν εἰς ἐμέ. καὶ γὰρ ἦν πως ἄτοπον, δι' ἑνὸς μὲν τοῦ πρώτου, φημὶ δὴ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ, διήκειν ἐπὶ πάντας τὴν κατάκρισιν, καὶ φορέσαι μὲν τοῦ χοϊκοῦ τὴν ἀδοξοτάτην εἰκόνα καὶ τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντας, κατ' ἐκεῖνο δὲ δηλονότι καιροῦ, καθ' ὃν ὁ προπάτωρ τῆς αὐτῷ δοθείσης παρώλισθεν ἐντολῆς: ἐπιδημήσαντος δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὃς δὴ καὶ πέφηνεν οὐράνιος ἄνθρωπος, μὴ καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ πάλιν εἰκόνα σύμπαντας ἀναμάττεσθαι τοὺς δι' αὐτοῦ κεκλημένους εἰς δικαιοσύνην, πρόδηλον δὲ ὅτι τὴν διὰ πίστεως. ὥσπερ δὲ τοῦ χοϊκοῦ τὴν ἀκαλλεστάτην εἰκόνα, διὰ τύπων ὁρᾶσθαί φαμεν καὶ ἰδέας τοιαύτης, ἣ καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἔχει τὸν ῥύπον, καὶ θανάτου καὶ φθορᾶς τὴν ἀσθένειαν καὶ φιληδονίας σαρκικῆς καὶ φρονήματος ἐπιγείου τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν: οὕτως αὖ πάλιν διαπρέπειν οἰόμεθα τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου, τουτέστι Χριστοῦ, καθαρότητι καὶ εἰλικρινείᾳ, τῇ κατὰ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἀφθαρσίᾳ καὶ ζωῇ καὶ ἁγιασμῷ. ἀλλ' ἦν ἑτέρως ἀμήχανον εἰς τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἡμᾶς ἀνακομίζεσθαι κάλλος τοὺς ἅπαξ ἐκπεπτωκότας διὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ παράβασιν, εἰ μὴ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου κοινωνίας ἐτύχομεν καὶ τῆς ἑνώσεως τῆς πρὸς Θεόν: οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἡ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς διεκοσμήθη φύσις: ἕνωσις δὲ ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν οὐχ ἑτέρως ἂν ὑπάρξαι τισὶν, ἢ διὰ τῆς μετουσίας τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος τῆς ἰδίας ἰδιότητος ἐντιθέντος ἡμῖν τὸν ἁγιασμὸν, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν ἀναπλάττοντος ζωὴν τὴν ὑποπεσοῦσαν τῇ φθορᾷ φύσιν, οὕτω τε πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου μόρφωσιν ἐπανάγοντος τὸ τῆς ἐπὶ τούτῳ δόξης ἐστερημένον. εἰκὼν μὲν γὰρ ἀκραιφνὴς τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, ὁμοίωσις δὲ φυσικὴ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ. διάτοι τοῦτο μεταπλάττον ὥσπερ εἰς ἑαυτὸ τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς, τὴν θείαν αὐταῖς ἐγχαράττει μόρφωσιν, καὶ τῆς ἀνωτάτω πασῶν οὐσίας ἀποσημαίνεται τὸν εἰκονισμόν. Ἐρωτᾷ τοιγαροῦν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐχ ὑπὲρ μόνων τῶν δυοκαίδεκα μαθητῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ περὶ πάντων, οἳ δὴ καὶ ἐν ἑκάστοις ἔμελλον καιροῖς, τοῖς παρ' αὐτῶν γεγονόσιν, εἴκειν τε καὶ ὑποπείθεσθαι λόγοις παραθήγουσι τοὺς ἀκροωμένους πρὸς ἀνάληψιν ἁγιασμοῦ τοῦ διὰ πίστεως καὶ πρὸς ἀποκάθαρσιν τὴν ἐνεργουμένην διὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος μετοχῆς. τὰ δέ γε τῆς αἰτήσεως, οὐδὲ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἀσυμφανῆ καταλιπεῖν ᾤετο δεῖν: ἵνα δὴ διὰ τούτου μάθωμεν, ὁποίους τινὰς ὁρᾶσθαι προσήκει, καὶ τίνα δικαιοσύνης ἰέναι τρίβον πρὸς ἀποπλήρωσιν τῶν ἀρεσκόντων αὐτῷ. τίς οὖν ἢ ποῖος ὁ τῆς αἰτήσεως τρόπος; ἵνα φησὶν ἓν ὦσι καθὼς σὺ Πάτερ ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν σοὶ ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν ἓν ὦσιν: ἀγάπης οὖν ἄρα καὶ ὁμονοίας καὶ εἰρήνης σύνδεσμον ἀπαιτεῖ, συγκομίζοντα πρὸς ἑνότητα τὴν πνευματικὴν τοὺς πιστεύοντας, ὡς τῆς φυσικῆς τε καὶ οὐσιώδους ἑνότητος, πρόδηλον δὲ ὅτι τῆς ἐν Πατρί τε καὶ Υἱῷ νοουμένης, ἀπομιμεῖσθαι τοὺς χαρακτῆρας, τὴν ἐν συναινέσει τῇ κατὰ πάντα καὶ ἀδιατμήτοις ὁμοψυχίαις εἰς ἑνότητα συνδρομήν. καὶ οὐ δήπου πάντως φιλονεικήσει τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγάπης ὁ σύνδεσμος καὶ τῆς ὁμονοίας ἡ δύναμις εἰς τὸ οὕτως ἔχειν ἀπαραλλάκτως, ὡς ἂν εἶεν ὁ Πατήρ τε καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, ἐν τῇ τῆς οὐσίας ταυτότητι τὸν τῆς ἑνότητος ἀποσώζοντες τρόπον. ἡ μὲν γὰρ νοεῖται φυσική τε καὶ ἀληθὴς καὶ ἐν τῷ τῆς ὑπάρξεως λόγῳ θεωρουμένη: ἡ δὲ τὸ τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἑνότητος ὑποκρίνεται σχῆμα. πῶς γὰρ ἂν εἶεν ἐν ἴσῳ παντελῶς τοῖς ἀρχετύποις τὰ ἀντίτυπα; ἐπεὶ μὴ ταὐτὸν εἰς νόησιν πρὸς ἀλήθειαν αὐτὴν τὴς ἀληθείας ἡ μόρφωσις: ἀλλ' ἐν ἴσοις μὲν ὁρᾶται σχήμασι, διεστήξει δ' οὖν ὅμως οὐκ ἐντυχούσαις διαφοραῖς. Ὅταν οὖν οἴηταί τις τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ἀνατρέπειν δύνασθαι τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα ταυτότητα φυσικὴν, καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἑνότητα τοῦ Υἱοῦ, εἶτα πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν καὶ ὀχυρότητα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δυσβουλίας τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς προσκομίζῃ λέγων Ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς οὐ τῇ τῶν σωμάτων εἰς ἓν νοουμένῃ ταυτότητι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ διὰ τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλας ἀντανακράσεως τῶν ψυχῶν, ἕν ἐσμεν οἱ πάντες, ἀλλὰ σχέσει καὶ διαθέσει τῇ κατὰ ἀγάπην, ταυτοβουλίᾳ καὶ συναινέσει τῇ εἰς τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἕν ἐστι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα: παρωσόμεθα δὴ πάντως ἀμαθῆ τε ὄντα καὶ ἀσύνετον κομιδῆ. καὶ διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν; ἐπείπερ οὐ πάντως ἀκολουθήσει τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς τὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν τῶν σωμάτων ἀνάγκην ὑπομείναι τὸ ἀσώματον, οὔτε μὴν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις ἕψεται τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. εἰ μὲν γὰρ τὸ διεῖργον οὐδὲν ἢ ἀπομερίζον ὅλως εἰς διαφορὰν ἡμᾶς τε καὶ Θεὸν, νοείσθω καὶ καθ' ἡμᾶς τὰ περὶ Θεοῦ: εἰ δὲ ἀκατάληπτόν τι τὸ μεσολαβοῦν εὑρίσκεται, τί τὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως ἡττήματα κανόνα καὶ σταθμὸν ὁρίζουσι τῷ Θεῷ, ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἀδυνάτων ἀνάγκαις ὑποτιθέντες τὴν ἁπάσης ἀνάγκης κρείττονα φύσιν, ἁλοῖεν δ' ἂν ἔτι πρᾶγμα δρῶντες ἄτοπόν τε καὶ ἀλογώτατον; ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν ἰσοτύπων τὰ ἀρχέτυπα, καὶ ἐκ τῆς κατὰ μίμησιν ὁμοιότητος τὴν ἀλήθειαν σχηματίζουσι: τιμῶντες μὲν τοῖς δευτέροις τὰ τὴν πρώτην ἐπέχοντα τάξιν, τὴν δὲ τῶν πρώτων ὑπόληψιν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα δευτέροις ἐπάγοντες. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ λίαν τοῖς περὶ τούτων ἐμφιλοχωροῦντες λόγοις ἔξω που τῶν προκειμένων ἰέναι δοκῶμεν, ἐκεῖνο δὴ πάλιν ἀναγκαίως ἐροῦμεν, ὡς εἰς εἰκόνα καὶ τύπον τῆς ἀδιασπάστου φιλίας τε καὶ ὁμονοίας καὶ ἑνότητος, τῆς ἐν ὁμοψυχίᾳ νοουμένης, τὴν οὐσιώδη παραλαβὼν ἑνότητα Χριστὸς, ἣν ἔχει μὲν ὁ Πατὴρ πρὸς αὐτὸν, αὐτὸς δὲ αὖ πάλιν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα: συνανακιρνᾶσθαι τρόπον τινὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις βούλεται, ἐν δυνάμει δῆλον ὅτι τῆς ἁγίας τε καὶ ὁμοουσίου Τριάδος, ὡς ἓν νοεῖσθαι τὸ σύμπαν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας σῶμα, διὰ συνόδου καὶ συνδρομῆς τῶν δύο λαῶν εἰς ἑνὸς τελείου σύστασιν ἀναβαῖνον ἐν Χριστῷ. ὡς γὰρ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν “Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ” ἀμφότερα ἓν καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν “ἔχθραν, ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ, τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν ” δόγμασι καταργήσας, ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν ἑαυτῷ εἰς ἕνα “καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, ποιῶν εἰρήνην, καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ” ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ, “ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ:” ὃ δὴ καὶ τετέλεσται, τῶν πιστευσάντων εἰς Χριστὸν ὁμοψυχησάντων ἀλλήλοις καὶ καρδίαν ἀναλαβόντων οἱονεὶ μίαν, διὰ τῆς εἰς ἅπαν ἐμφερείας τῆς κατ' εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν ὑπακοῆς καὶ φιλαρέτου φρονήματος. Καὶ ταυτὶ μὲν ἔγωγε σκοποῦ τοῦ πρέποντος οὐκ ἄπο, δεόντως δὲ μᾶλλον νῦν εἰρῆσθαι νομίζω. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν προκειμένων ἡ δύναμις ἐκβιάζεταί πως ἡμᾶς βαθυτέρων μὲν εἴσω γενέσθαι θεωρημάτων, παραθήγει δὲ μάλιστα καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ εἰπών Καθὼς σὺ Πάτερ ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν σοὶ ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἓν ὦσι: περιαθρητέον εὖ μάλα, τίνα δὴ ἄρα προσήκει καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἡμᾶς ποιήσασθαι λόγον. ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ἤδη παρῳχηκόσι, τὸν τῆς θείας ἑνότητος τρόπον καὶ τὴν οὐσιώδη τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος ταυτότητα καὶ τὴν εἰσάπαν ἀναπλοκὴν ἀπομιμεῖσθαι δεῖν οὐκ ἀσυνέτως ἐλέγομεν, τὴν καθ' ὁμόνοιάν τε καὶ ὁμοψυχίαν τῶν πιστευόντων ἕνωσιν: ἐν δὲ τούτοις ἤδη πως καὶ φυσικὴν τὴν ἑνότητα δεικνύναι σπουδάζομεν, καθ' ἣν ἡμεῖς τε ἀλλήλοις καὶ οἱ πάντες Θεῷ συνδούμεθα, οὐδὲ τῆς ἑνότητος τῆς κατὰ σῶμα λειπόμενοι τάχα, φημὶ δὲ τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους, εἰ καὶ τῇ τῶν σωμάτων διαφορᾷ διεστήκαμεν, ἑκάστου τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς πρὸς ἰδίαν ὥσπερ ἀναχωροῦντος περιγραφὴν καὶ ὑπόστασιν. οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴη τε καὶ λέγοιτο τυχὸν Παῦλος μὲν ὁ Πέτρος, Πέτρος δὲ αὖ πάλιν ὁ Παῦλος, εἰ καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς διὰ Χριστὸν ἑνώσεως ἓν ἄμφω νοοῖντο. οὐκοῦν ὁμολογουμένης τῆς φυσικῆς ἑνότητος, ἐπί τε Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι καὶ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος: μία γὰρ θεότης ἐν ἁγίᾳ Τριάδι πιστεύεται καὶ δοξάζεται: φέρε δὴ πάλιν διασκεπτώμεθα, κατὰ τίνα τρόπον καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἓν σωματικῶς τε καὶ πνευματικῶς καὶ πρὸς Θεὸν εὑρισκόμεθα. οὐκοῦν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀναλάμψας ἡμῖν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ὁ Μονογενὴς, καὶ ὅλον ἔχων ἐν ἰδίᾳ φύσει τὸν γεννήσαντα, γέγονε σὰρξ, κατὰ τὰς γραφὰς, ἀναμιγνὺς ὥσπερ ἑαυτὸν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ φύσει, διὰ τῆς ἀφράστου συνόδου τε καὶ ἑνώσεως τῆς πρὸς τὸ σῶμα τουτὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, οὕτω τε ὁ φύσει Θεὸς κεχρημάτικέ τε καὶ γέγονεν ἀληθῶς οὐράνιος ἄνθρωπος, οὐ θεοφόρος κατά τινας τῶν ἀκριβῶς οὐ συνέντων τοῦ μυστηρίου τὸ βάθος: ἀλλ' ἐν ταὐτῷ Θεός τε καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὢν, ἵνα τὰ πολὺ διωρισμένα κατὰ τὴν φύσιν καὶ τῆς ἀλλήλων ὁμοφυΐας ἐξεστηκότα συνενώσας ὥσπερ ἐν ἑαυτῷ, θείας δὴ φύσεως κοινωνόν τε καὶ μέτοχον ἀποδείξῃ τὸν ἄνθρωπον. διαβέβηκε γὰρ καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος κοινωνία καὶ διαμονὴ τὴν ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα διὰ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἐν πρώτῳ Χριστῷ, ὅτε καθ' ἡμᾶς νοεῖται, τουτέστιν ἄνθρωπος, χριόμενός τε καὶ ἁγιαζόμενος, εἰ καὶ ἔστι φύσει Θεὸς, καθὸ πέφηνεν ἐκ Πατρὸς, αὐτὸς τῷ ἰδίῳ Πνεύματι τὸν οἰκεῖον ἁγιάζων ναὸν, καὶ τὴν δι' αὐτοῦ γενομένην ἅπασαν κτίσιν, ᾗπερ ἂν πρέποι τὸ ἁγιάζεσθαι. οὐκοῦν ὥσπερ τις ἀρχὴ καὶ ὁδὸς τοῦ καὶ ἡμᾶς Πνεύματός τε Ἁγίου μεταλαχεῖν καὶ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἑνώσεως τὸ ἐπὶ Χριστῷ κατέστη μυστήριον: ἁγιαζόμεθα γὰρ οἱ πάντες ἐν αὐτῷ, κατά γε τὸν ἤδη προειρημένον τρόπον. Ἵνα τοίνυν εἰς ἑνότητα τὴν ὡς πρὸς Θεὸν καὶ ἀλλήλους συνίωμέν τε καὶ συναναμισγώμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ, καίτοι τῇ καθ' ἕκαστον νοουμένῃ διαφορᾷ διεστηκότες εἰς ἰδιότητα καὶ ψυχαῖς καὶ σώμασιν, ἐμηχανήσατό τινα τρόπον ὁ Μονογενὴς, διὰ τῆς αὐτῷ πρεπούσης ἐξηυρημένον σοφίας καὶ βουλῆς τοῦ Πατρός: ἑνὶ γὰρ σώματι, τῷ ἰδίῳ δηλαδὴ, τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύοντας εὐλογῶν διὰ τῆς μυστικῆς μεταλήψεως, ἑαυτῷ τε συσσώμους καὶ ἀλλήλοις ἀποτελεῖ. τίς γὰρ ἂν καὶ διέλοι καὶ τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους φυσικῆς ἑνώσεως ἐξοικιεῖ τοὺς δι' ἑνὸς τοῦ ἁγίου σώματος πρὸς ἑνότητα τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν ἀναδεσμουμένους; εἰ γὰρ “οἱ πάντες ἐκ τοῦ ” ἑνὸς ἄρτου μετέχομεν,“ ἓν οἱ πάντες ἀποτελούμεθα σῶμα: μερίζεσθαι γὰρ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τὸν Χριστόν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ σῶμα Χριστοῦ κεχρημάτικεν ἡ Ἐκκλησία, μέλη δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀνὰ μέρος, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Παύλου σύνεσιν. ἑνὶ γὰρ οἱ πάντες ἑνούμενοι τῷ Χριστῷ διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου σώματος, ἅτε δὴ τὸν ἕνα λαβόντες καὶ ἀδιαίρετον ἐν ἰδίοις σώμασιν, αὐτῷ δὴ μᾶλλον ἤπερ οὖν ἑαυτοῖς τὰ ἴδια χρεωστοῦμεν μέλη. ὅτι δὲ τεταγμένου τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰς κεφαλὴν, σῶμα τὸ λοιπὸν ἡ Ἐκκλησία καλεῖται, καθάπερ ἐκ μελῶν τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον συνηρμοσμένον, ἀποδείξει λέγων ὁ Παῦλος ” Ἵνα μηκέτι “ὦμεν νήπιοι, κλυδωνιζόμενοι καὶ περιφερόμενοι παντὶ ” ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας ἐν τῇ κυβείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐν “πανουργίᾳ πρὸς τὴν μεθοδείαν τῆς πλάνης, ἀληθεύοντες δὲ ” ἐν ἀγάπῃ αὐξήσωμεν εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ πάντα, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ “κεφαλὴ, Χριστὸς, ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα συναρμολογούμενον ” καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας κατ' “ἐνέργειαν ἐν μέτρῳ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου μέλους τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ ” σώματος ποιεῖται εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ.“ ὅτι δὲ καὶ τὴν κατὰ σῶμα νοουμένην ἕνωσιν, φημὶ δὴ τὴν πρὸς Χριστὸν, οἱ τῆς ἁγίας αὐτοῦ σαρκὸς ἐν μεθέξει γεγονότες ἀποκερδαίνομεν, μαρτυρήσει πάλιν ὁ Παῦλος περὶ τοῦ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστηρίου λέγων ” Ὃ ἑτέραις γενεαῖς οὐκ ἐγνω“ρίσθη τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὡς νῦν ἀπεκαλύφθη τοῖς ” ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ προφήταις ἐν Πνεύματι, εἶναι “τὰ ἔθνη συγκληρονόμα καὶ συμμέτοχα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐν ” Χριστῷ.“ εἰ δὲ σύσσωμοι πάντες ἀλλήλοις ἐσμὲν ἐν Χριστῷ, καὶ οὐχὶ μόνον ἀλλήλοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ δῆλον ὅτι τῷ ἐν ἡμῖν γινομένῳ διὰ τῆς ἰδίας σαρκός: πῶς οὐκ ἤδη σαφῶς ἕν ἐσμεν οἱ πάντες καὶ ἐν ἀλλήλοις καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ; Χριστὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τῆς ἑνότητος σύνδεσμος, Θεός τε ὑπάρχων ἐν ταὐτῷ καὶ ἄνθρωπος. περὶ δέ γε τῆς ἑνώσεως τῆς ἐν Πνεύματι, τὴν αὐτὴν ὥσπερ τῶν θεωρημάτων διαθέοντες τρίβον, ἐροῦμεν δὴ πάλιν, ὅτι πάντες ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ δεξάμενοι Πνεῦμα, φημὶ δὴ τὸ Ἅγιον, συνανακιρνάμεθα τρόπον τινὰ καὶ ἀλλήλοις καὶ Θεῷ. εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλοῖς οὖσιν ἡμῖν ἀνὰ μέρος, ἑκάστῳ τό τε τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τὸ ἴδιον ἐνοικίζει Πνεῦμα Χριστὸς, ἀλλ' ἕν ἐστι καὶ ἀμέριστον, τὰ τῆς ἀλλήλων ἑνότητος διακεκομμένα πνεύματα, κατά γε τὸ εἶναί φαμεν, ἐν τῇ καθ' ὕπαρξιν ἰδιότητι συνέχον εἰς ἑνότητα, δι' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ὡς ἕν τι τοὺς πάντας ἀναφαίνεσθαι ποιοῦν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. ὥσπερ γὰρ τῆς ἁγίας σαρκὸς ἡ δύναμις συσσώμους ἀποτελεῖ τοὺς ἐν οἷς ἂν γένοιτο, τὸν αὐτὸν οἶμαι τρόπον ἓν τὸ ἐν πᾶσιν ἀμέριστον ἐνοικῆσαν Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ πρὸς ἑνότητα τὴν πνευματικὴν συνάγει τοὺς πάντας. διὰ τοῦτο πάλιν ἡμῖν ὁ θεσπέσιος προσεφώνει Παῦλος ” Ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλή“λων ἐν ἀγάπῃ, σπουδάζοντες τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ ” Πνεύματος ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς εἰρήνης, ἓν σῶμα καὶ ἓν “πνεῦμα, καθὼς καὶ ἐκλήθητε ἐν μιᾷ ἐλπίδι τῆς κλήσεως ” ὑμῶν: εἷς κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα, εἷς Θεὸς καὶ “πατὴρ πάντων, ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ ἐν ” πᾶσιν.“ ἑνὸς γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐναυλιζομένου τοῦ Πνεύματος, εἷς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Πατὴρ ἐν ἡμῖν ἔσται Θεὸς δι' Υἱοῦ πρὸς ἑνότητα συνέχων, τὴν εἰς ἄλληλα καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος μέτοχα. ὅτι δὲ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι κατὰ μέθεξιν συνενούμεθα, δῆλόν πως ἔσται καὶ διὰ τούτου. εἰ γὰρ ἀφέντες τὸ πολιτεύεσθαι ψυχικῶς, τοῖς τοῦ Πνεύματος νόμοις τὸ εἰσάπαξ κρατεῖν παρακεχωρήκαμεν, πῶς οὐ παντί τῳ λοιπὸν ἀναμφίλογον, ὅτι τὴν ἰδίαν ὥσπερ ζωὴν ἀρνησάμενοι, καὶ τοῦ συμπλακέντος ἡμῖν Ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὴν ὑπερκόσμιον ἀναλαβόντες μόρφωσιν, μονονουχὶ καὶ εἰς ἑτέραν ὥσπερ μεθιστάμεθα φύσιν, οὐκ ἄνθρωποι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ καὶ οὐράνιοι χρηματίζοντες ἄνθρωποι, διὰ τὸ τῆς θείας φύσεως ἀποπεφάνθαι κοινωνούς; ἓν τοιγαροῦν οἱ πάντες ἐσμὲν ἐν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ καὶ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, ἓν δέ φημι καὶ τῇ καθ' ἕξιν ταυτότητι: χρῆναι γὰρ οἶμαι διαμεμνῆσθαι τῶν ἐν ἀρχαῖς: καὶ ἐν μορφώσει τῇ κατ' εὐσέβειαν καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῆς ἁγίας σαρκὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, καθάπερ ἤδη προείρηται.