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140

and is named from lesser things, or rather, Holy Scripture does not spare this homonymy even for incongruous things, when it calls idols by the name of God. "For the gods," it says, "who did not make heaven and earth, let them be taken away and cast under the earth." And, "All the gods of the nations," it says, "are demons." And the ventriloquist, in her sorceries, evoking for Saul the souls he sought, says she has seen gods. But even Balaam, being a certain augur and seer and bearing divinations in his hand, as Scripture says, and having secured for himself teaching from demons through his curious practice of augury, is recorded by Scripture to be counselled by God. And one can collect and set forth many such things from the divine Scriptures, that this name holds no preeminence over the other God-befitting appellations, since, as has been said, we find it spoken homonymously even of incongruous things. But the name of holy, and of incorruptible, and of upright, and of good we have been taught by Scripture is nowhere made common with inappropriate things. Therefore, if they do not deny that the Holy Spirit shares with the Son and the Father in those names which are exceptionally and piously spoken only of the divine nature, what is the reason for constructing that it is un-sharing in this one name alone, in which it was shown that, according to a certain homonymous usage, even demons and idols participate? 189.6 But they say that this appellation is indicative of nature, but that the nature of the Spirit is un-sharing with the Father and the Son, and for this reason it does not even partake of the communion according to this name. Therefore, let them show by what means they have come to know the difference in nature. For if it were possible for the divine nature to be contemplated in and of itself and to find both what is proper to it and what is alien to it through appearances, we would certainly not need words or other proofs for the comprehension of what is sought. But since it is higher than the comprehension of the things sought, and since we reason from certain proofs about the things that escape our knowledge, it is entirely necessary that we be guided through the energies to the investigation of the divine nature. Therefore, if we see the energies worked by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit differing from one another, we conjecture from the otherness of the energies that the natures that work them are also different. For it is not possible for things that differ according to the principle of nature to coincide with one another in the form of their energies; neither does fire cool nor crystal heat, but by the difference of their natures their energies are also separated from one another. But if we conceive one energy of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, differing or varying in nothing, it is necessary from the identity of the energy to deduce the unity of the nature. 189.7 The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit likewise sanctify and make alive and enlighten and comfort and all such things. And let no one assign the sanctifying power exclusively to the energy of the Spirit, having heard the Savior in the Gospel saying to the Father concerning the disciples: "Father, sanctify them in your name." And likewise all other things are worked equally for the worthy by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: every grace and power, guidance, life, comfort, the change to immortality, the transfer to freedom, and whatever other good it is that comes down to us. And the economy above us, both in the intelligible creation and in the sensible, if one must conjecture also about the things that lie beyond from the things known to us, is not itself established outside the energy and power of the Holy Spirit, with each partaking of the benefit according to its own worth and need. For even if the [matter] concerning things above our

140

καὶ τῶν καταδεεστέρων ἐπονομάζεται, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ φείδεται ἡ θεία Γραφὴ τῆς ὁμωνυμίας ταύτης οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀπεμφαι νόντων πραγμάτων, ὅταν τὰ εἴδωλα τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ προση γορίᾳ κατονομάζῃ. «Θεοὶ γάρ, φησίν, οἳ οὐκ ἐποίησαν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἀρθήτωσαν καὶ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς βληθήτωσαν». Καὶ «Πάντες, φησίν, οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν δαιμόνια». Καὶ ἡ ἐγγαστρίμυθος ἐν ταῖς μαγγανείαις αὐτῆς ψυχαγωγοῦσα τῷ Σαοὺλ τὰς ἐπιζητουμένας ψυχὰς θεοὺς ἑωρακέναι φησίν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Βαλαὰμ οἰωνιστής τις ὢν καὶ μάντις καὶ διὰ χειρὸς τὰ μαντεῖα φέρων, καθώς φησιν ἡ Γραφή, καὶ τὴν ἐκ δαιμόνων διδασκαλίαν διὰ τῆς οἰωνιστικῆς περιεργίας ἑαυτῷ κατορθώσας παρὰ Θεοῦ συμβουλεύεσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ἱστορεῖται. Καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτά ἐστι συλλεξάμενον ἐκ τῶν θείων παρα θέσθαι Γραφῶν, ὅτι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο οὐδὲν ὑπὲρ τὰς λοιπὰς τὰς θεοπρεπεῖς προσηγορίας πρωτεύει, ὅτε, καθὼς εἴρη ται, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀπεμφαινόντων ὁμωνύμως λεγόμενον εὑρίσκομεν. Τὸ δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου ὄνομα καὶ τοῦ ἀφθάρτου καὶ τοῦ εὐθέος καὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ οὐδαμοῦ κοινοποιούμενον πρὸς τὰ μὴ δέοντα παρὰ τῆς Γραφῆς ἐδιδάχθημεν. Οὐκοῦν εἰ ἐν τοῖς ἐξαιρέτως ἐπὶ μόνης τῆς θείας φύσεως εὐσεβῶς λεγομένοις ὀνόμασι κοινωνεῖν τὸ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ τὸν Πατέρα οὐκ ἀντι λέγουσι, τίς ὁ λόγος μόνῳ τούτῳ κατασκευάζειν ἀκοι νώνητον εἶναι οὗ μετέχειν ἐδείχθη, κατὰ τινὰ ὁμώνυμον χρῆσιν, καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα; 189.6 Ἀλλὰ λέγουσι φύσεως ἐνδεικτικὴν εἶναι τὴν προσ ηγορίαν ταύτην, ἀκοινώνητον δὲ εἶναι πρὸς Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος φύσιν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μηδὲ τῆς κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο κοινωνίας μετέχειν. Οὐκοῦν δειξά τωσαν διὰ τίνων τὸ τῆς φύσεως παρηλλαγμένον ἐπέγνωσαν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἦν δυνατὸν αὐτὴν ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς τὴν θείαν φύσιν θεωρηθῆναι καὶ τό τε οἰκείως ἔχον καὶ τὸ ἀλλοτρίως διὰ τῶν φαινομένων εὑρεῖν, οὐκ ἂν πάντως ἐδεήθημεν λόγων ἢ τεκμηρίων ἑτέρων πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ζητουμένου κατάληψιν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ μὲν ὑψηλοτέρα τῆς τῶν ζητουμένων ἐστὶ κατανοήσεως, ἐκ δὲ τεκμηρίων τινῶν περὶ τῶν διαφευ γόντων τὴν γνῶσιν ἡμῶν λογιζόμεθα, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα διὰ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν ἡμᾶς χειραγωγεῖσθαι πρὸς τὴν τῆς θείας φύσεως ἔρευναν. Οὐκοῦν, ἐὰν ἴδωμεν διαφερούσας ἀλλήλων τὰς ἐνεργείας τὰς παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐνεργουμένας, διαφόρους εἶναι καὶ τὰς ἐνεργούσας φύσεις ἐκ τῆς ἑτερότητος τῶν ἐνεργειῶν στοχαζόμεθα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνδέχεται τὰ διεστῶτα κατὰ τὸν τῆς φύσεως λόγον πρὸς τὸ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν εἶδος ἀλλήλοις συνενεχθῆναι· οὔτε ψύχει τὸ πῦρ οὔτε θερμαίνει ὁ κρύσταλλος, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν φύσεων διαφορᾷ συνδιαχω ρίζονται ἀπ' ἀλλήλων καὶ αἱ παρὰ τούτων ἐνέργειαι. Ἐὰν δὲ μίαν νοήσωμεν τὴν ἐνέργειαν Πατρός τε καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, ἐν μηδενὶ διαφέρουσάν τι ἢ παραλλάσσουσαν, ἀνάγκη τῇ ταὐτότητι τῆς ἐνεργείας τὸ ἡνω μένον τῆς φύσεως συλλογίζεσθαι. 189.7 Ἁγιάζει καὶ ζωοποιεῖ καὶ φωτίζει καὶ παρακαλεῖ καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα ὁμοίως ὁ Πατὴρ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον. Καὶ μηδεὶς κατ' ἐξαίρετον ἀπονεμέτω τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν ἁγιαστικὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἀκούσας τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ περὶ τῶν μαθητῶν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα λέγοντος· «Πάτερ, ἁγίασον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου». Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα κατὰ τὸ ἴσον ἐνεργεῖται τοῖς ἀξίοις παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός τε καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος· πᾶσα χάρις καὶ δύναμις, ἡ ὁδηγία, ἡ ζωή, ἡ παράκλησις, ἡ πρὸς τὸ ἀθά νατον μεταβολή, ἡ εἰς ἐλευθερίαν μετάστασις, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸν ὃ μέχρις ἡμῶν καταβαίνει. Ἡ δὲ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς οἰκονομία ἔν τε τῇ νοητῇ κτίσει καὶ ἐν τῇ αἰσθητῇ, εἴ τι χρὴ διὰ τῶν γινωσκομένων ἡμῖν καὶ περὶ τῶν ὑπερ κειμένων στοχάζεσθαι, οὐδὲ αὐτὴ τῆς τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύ ματος ἐνεργείας καὶ δυνάμεως ἔξω καθέστηκεν, ἑκάστου κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀξίαν τε καὶ χρείαν τῆς ὠφελείας μεταλαμ βάνοντος. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἄδηλος τῇ αἰσθήσει τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ἡ περὶ τῶν ἄνω τῆς ἡμετέρας