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having absurdly drawn into the substance. But if someone should say, have not these things been preached clearly and explicitly from the beginning? I would say that for those who hear with understanding, this is a brilliant proof and teaching, as it also seemed to the wise Philo. But if it was also spoken obscurely, one must consider this, that when legislating for the Jews who were inclined to polytheism, they did not see fit to introduce a distinction of persons, lest, by dogmatizing that there was a different nature in the hypostases, they be drawn into idolatry, but having learned the lesson of the monarchy from the beginning, they might gradually be taught the dogma of the hypostases, which in turn leads back to the unity of nature, so that the things spoken in the singular are representative of the identity of the nature, while those that go beyond the singular number 1.511 are of the particularity of the hypostases which are brought together into one substance. For to suppose different natures is Hellenic, but one person, that is, one hypostasis, is Judaic; but to expand the hypostases into the holy and consubstantial Trinity and bring them together into one substance, this is the most correct and true dogma. And the sum of what has been said is this: it is not possible to furnish natural proofs in all respects for things that are beyond nature. For even if the Word became true flesh, Christ incarnate is not a mere man, but rather God from both natures is one Son of God, a supersubstantial God, even if those who compare the greater and the lesser in the case of the Father and the Son are bursting, dogmatizing that the Son is of a different substance from the Father and unlike him. For they do not know, it seems, that "greater" and "lesser" are sought and judged in the case of things that are consubstantial, as a man is greater than a man, and an ox than an ox, and a horse than a horse, and in general the rule of comparison applies to things of the same kind. Therefore, the one who boldly scrutinizes the things of God, and says the Father is greater than the Son, accepts the comparison as between consubstantial beings, even if he does not wish to; for things of a different substance cannot be compared with one another, nor is a man said to be greater than an ox, or a man greater than a camel, or a man greater than a fish. However, the things in the divine Scripture that go beyond the singular number are representative of the distinction of the hypostases, while those expressed 1.512 in the singular are of the identity of the nature. For some things have been said so that Sabellius and the Jews might be silenced, and others, so that Arius and Eunomius and the Hellenes might be pilloried. For those who expand the number of the particularities into the holy Trinity, but contract them into one substance, dogmatize most correctly and follow the teachings of the heavenly oracles, neither falling away into polytheism through the difference of nature, nor slipping into Judaism through the composition of one person. And how are they not ashamed, worshiping a creature and fighting against their own votes? For while forbidding the worship of the creation as Hellenic, they do this very thing without realizing it. And one must also know this, that the same names do not in every case signify the same things, nor does homonymy in every way imply synonymy. For in the case of the Son, generation is spoken of in the proper sense, but in the case of creatures, improperly; in his case, for the sake of truth and consubstantiality, but in their case, for the sake of honor and adoption. For of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth. Therefore, let not homonymy here give birth to equality of honor, nor let what is said improperly be thought to be spoken in the proper sense, since even wrath and anger and all other things not befitting the divine nature, spoken improperly, no one in his right mind would say were expressed in the proper sense. For it is clear that for each passage and each word, the 1.513 fitting and suitable clarification, when applied, brings forth the truth.

But let those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and separate it from the divine substance also say, how God and our Savior, having become man, handed down that the all-holy Spirit is that which completes the Holy Trinity, and in the epiclesis

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εἰς τὴν οὐσίαν παραλόγως ἑλκύσαντες. εἰ δέ τις φαίη, μὴ σαφῶς καὶ διαρρήδην ἐξ ἀρχῆς ταῦτα κεκήρυκται; φαίην ὅτι μάλιστα τοῖς συνετῶς ἀκούουσι λαμπρά ἐστιν αὕτη καὶ ἀπόδειξις καὶ διδασκαλία, ὡς καὶ τῷ σοφῷ ἔδοξε Φίλωνι. εἰ δὲ καὶ συνεσκιασμένως ἐρρέθη, ἐκεῖνο λογίζεσθαι χρή, ὅτι Ἰου δαίοις τοῖς εἰς πολυθεΐαν ῥέπουσι νομοθετοῦντες οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν διαφορὰν προσώπων εἰσαγαγεῖν, ἵνα μὴ διάφορον φύσιν ἐν ταῖς ὑποστάσεσιν εἶναι δογματίσαντες εἰς εἰδωλολατρίαν ἑλκυσθῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τῆς μοναρχίας ἐξ ἀρχῆς μαθόντες μάθημα κατὰ μικρὸν τὸ τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἀναδιδαχθῶσι δόγμα, τὸ πάλιν εἰς ἑνότητα φύ σεως ἀνατρέχον, ὡς εἶναι τὰ μὲν ἑνικῶς λεγόμενα τῆς ταυτότητος τῆς φύσεως παραστατικά, τὰ δὲ ὑπερβαίνοντα τὸν ἑνικὸν ἀριθμὸν 1.511 τῆς τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἰδιότητος τῆς εἰς μίαν οὐσίαν συναγομένης. τὸ μὲν γὰρ διαφόρους φύσεις ὑποτίθεσθαι Ἑλληνικόν, τὸ δὲ ἓν πρόσωπον ἤγουν μίαν ὑπόστασιν Ἰουδαϊκόν· τὸ δὲ πλατύνοντας εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ ὁμοούσιον τριάδα τὰς ὑποστάσεις εἰς μίαν οὐ σίαν συνάγειν, ὀρθότατόν ἐστι καὶ ἀληθινὸν τὸ δόγμα. κεφά λαιον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς λεγομένοις, οὐκ ἔστι φυσικὰς ἀποδείξεις κατὰ πάντα παραστῆσαι τῶν ὑπὲρ φύσιν πραγμάτων. εἰ γὰρ καὶ σὰρξ ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' οὐ ψιλὸς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν ανθρωπήσας, μᾶλλον δὲ θεὸς ἐξ ἑκατέρων τῶν φύσεων εἷς ὑπάρ χει υἱὸς θεοῦ θεὸς ὑπερούσιος, εἰ καὶ διαρρήγνυνται οἱ τὸ μεῖζον καὶ ἔλαττον ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ συγκρίνοντες, ἑτεροούσιον τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἀνόμοιον δογματίζοντες. οὐ γὰρ ἴσασιν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὅτι μεῖζον καὶ ἔλαττον ἐπὶ τῶν ὁμοουσίων ζητεῖται καὶ κρίνεται, ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπου μείζων καὶ βοῦς βοὸς καὶ ἵπ πος ἵππου, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς ὁ κανὼν τῆς συγκρίσεως τοῖς ὁμογενέ σιν ἁρμόζει. ὁ τοίνυν τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τολμηρῶς περιεργαζόμενος, καὶ μείζονα λέγων τοῦ υἱοῦ τὸν πατέρα, τὴν σύγκρισιν ὡς ὁμοού σιον προσίεται, κἂν μὴ βούληται· ἑτεροούσια γὰρ ἀλλήλοις συγ κρίνεσθαι οὐ δύναται, οὔτε λέγεται μείζων ἄνθρωπος βοὸς ἢ μεί ζων ἄνθρωπος καμήλου ἢ μείζων ἄνθρωπος ἰχθύος. τὰ μέντοι γε τὸν ἑνικὸν ἀριθμὸν ὑπερβαίνοντα ἐν τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ τῆς τῶν ὑποστάσεων διαφορᾶς εἰσὶ παραστατικά, τὰ δὲ ἑνικῶς ἐξενηνε 1.512 γμένα τῆς ταυτότητος τῆς φύσεως. τὰ μὲν γὰρ εἴρηται, ἵνα Σα βέλλιος καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐπιστομισθῶσι, τὰ δέ, ἵνα Ἄρειος καὶ Εὐνόμιος καὶ Ἕλληνες στηλιτευθῶσιν. οἱ γὰρ πλατύνοντες μὲν εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα τὸν τῶν ἰδιοτήτων ἀριθμόν, συστέλλοντες δὲ εἰς μίαν οὐσίαν, ὀρθότατα δογματίζουσι καὶ ταῖς τῶν οὐρανίων χρη σμῶν ἕπονται διδασκαλίαις, μήτε εἰς πολυθεΐαν διὰ τὴν τῆς φύ σεως διαφορὰν ἐκπίπτοντες, μήτε εἰς ἰουδαϊσμὸν διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἑνὸς προσώπου σύστασιν ὀλισθαίνοντες. πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἐρυθριῶσι κτί σματι προσκυνοῦντες καὶ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν μαχόμενοι ψήφοις; ἀπαγο ρεύοντες γὰρ τὸ μὴ τῇ κτίσει προσκυνεῖν ὡς Ἑλληνικόν, αὐτοὶ τοῦτο δρῶντες ἑαυτοὺς λανθάνουσι. χρὴ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εἰδέναι, ὡς οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ ὀνόματα πάντως καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ μηνύει πράγματα, οὔτε ἡ ὁμωνυμία συνωνυμίαν ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου ἐμφαίνει. ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ υἱοῦ κυρίως λέγεται ἡ γέννησις, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν κτισμά των καταχρηστικῶς, ἐπ' ἐκείνου μὲν τῆς ἀληθείας ἕνεκεν καὶ τῆς ὁμοουσιότητος, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων τιμῆς χάριν καὶ υἱοθεσίας. βου ληθεὶς γὰρ ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας. μὴ τοίνυν ἡ ὁμωνυ μία τὴν ὁμοτιμίαν ἐνταῦθα τικτέτω, μηδὲ τὰ καταχρηστικῶς εἰρημένα κυρίως λεχθῆναι νομιζέσθω, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν θυμὸν καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τἆλλα πάντα τὰ τῇ θείᾳ μὴ πρέποντα φύσει, κατα χρηστικῶς λελεγμένα, οὐκ ἄν τις εὐφρονῶν κυρίως πεφράσθαι φαίη. δῆλον γάρ ἐστιν ὅτι ἑκάστῳ χωρίῳ καὶ ἑκάστῃ λέξει ἡ 1.513 προσήκουσα καὶ ἁρμόζουσα διασάφησις προσαγομένη τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὠδίνει.

Εἰπάτωσαν δέ γε καὶ οἱ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα βλασφημοῦντες καὶ τῆς θείας οὐσίας αὐτὸ χωρίζοντες, πῶς ὁ θεὸς καὶ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἐνανθρωπήσας παρέδωκε συμπληρωτικὸν εἶναι τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος τὸ πανάγιον πνεῦμα, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπικλήσει