Indeed, it would be a lengthy task to set out in detail from the Scriptures those constructions which are inexactly expressed, in order to prove the statement I have made; where, however, there is a risk of injury to any part of the truth, we no longer find in Scriptural phrases any indiscriminate or indifferent use of words. For this reason Scripture admits the naming of “men” in the plural, because no one is by such a figure of speech led astray in his conceptions to imagine a multitude of humanities, or supposes that many human natures are indicated by the fact that the name expressive of that nature is used in the plural. But the word “God” it employs studiously in the singular form only, guarding against introducing the idea of different natures in the Divine essence by the plural signification of “Gods.” This is the cause why it says, “the Lord our God is one Lord23    Deut. vi. 4.,” and also proclaims the Only-begotten God by the name of Godhead, without dividing the Unity into a dual signification, so as to call the Father and the Son two Gods, although each is proclaimed by the holy writers as God. The Father is God: the Son is God: and yet by the same proclamation God is One, because no difference either of nature or of operation is contemplated in the Godhead. For if (according to the idea of those who have been led astray) the nature of the Holy Trinity were diverse, the number would by consequence be extended to a plurality of Gods, being divided according to the diversity of essence in the subjects. But since the Divine, single, and unchanging nature, that it may be one, rejects all diversity in essence, it does not admit in its own case the signification of multitude; but as it is called one nature, so it is called in the singular by all its other names, “God,” “Good,” “Holy,” “Saviour,” “Just,” “Judge,” and every other Divine name conceivable: whether one says that the names refer to nature or to operation, we shall not dispute the point.

Καὶ μακρὸν ἂν εἴη τὰς σολοικοφανεῖς τοῦ λόγου συντάξεις ἐκ τῆς γραφῆς καταλέγειν εἰς τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων ἀπόδειξιν: ἐν οἷς δὲ κίνδυνός ἐστι βλαβῆναί τι τῆς ἀληθείας, οὐκέτι τὸ ἀβασάνιστόν τε καὶ ἀδιάφορον ἐν τοῖς γραφικοῖς εὑρίσκεται ῥήμασιν. διὰ τοῦτο ἀνθρώπους συγχωρεῖ πληθυντικῶς ὀνομάζειν διὰ τὸ μηδένα τῷ τοιούτῳ σχήματι τῆς φωνῆς εἰς πλῆθος ἀνθρωποτήτων ταῖς ὑπονοίαις ἐκπίπτειν, μηδὲ νομίζειν πολλὰς ἀνθρωπίνας φύσεις σημαίνεσθαι διὰ τὸ πληθυντικῶς ἐξαγγελθῆναι τὸ τῆς φύσεως ὄνομα: τὴν δὲ θεὸς φωνὴν παρατετηρημένως κατὰ τὸν ἑνικὸν ἐξαγγέλλει τύπον, τοῦτο προμηθουμένη, τὸ μὴ διαφόρους φύσεις ἐπὶ τῆς θείας οὐσίας ἐν τῇ πληθυντικῇ σημασίᾳ τῶν θεῶν παρεισάγεσθαι. διό φησι Κύριος ὁ θεὸς κύριος εἷς ἐστιν: ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ θεὸν τῇ τῆς θεότητος ἀνακηρύσσει φωνῇ καὶ οὐ διαλύει τὸ ἓν εἰς δυϊκὴν σημασίαν, ὥστε δύο θεοὺς τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ὀνομάσαι, κἂν ἑκάτερος θεὸς παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων κηρύσσηται: ἀλλὰ θεὸς μὲν ὁ πατήρ, θεὸς δὲ ὁ υἱός, εἷς δὲ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κηρύγματι ὁ θεὸς διὰ τὸ μήτε φύσεως μήτε ἐνεργείας ἐνθεωρεῖσθαί τινα διαφορὰν τῇ θεότητι. εἰ γὰρ παρήλλακτο κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἠπατημένων ὑπόνοιαν ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος ἡ φύσις, ἀκολούθως ἂν εἰς πλῆθος θεῶν ὁ ἀριθμὸς ἐπλατύνετο, τῇ ἑτερότητι τῆς οὐσίας τῶν ὑποκειμένων συνδιαιρούμενος. ἐπεὶ δὲ πᾶσαν ἀπωθεῖται τὴν κατ' οὐσίαν ἑτερότητα ἡ θεία τε καὶ ἁπλῆ καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος φύσις, ἕως ἂν μία ᾖ, πλήθους σημασίαν ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς οὐ προσίεται. ἀλλ' ὥσπερ μία λέγεται φύσις, οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ἑνικῶς ὀνομάζεται, θεός, ἀγαθός, ἅγιος, σωτήρ, δίκαιος, κριτής, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο τῶν θεοπρεπῶν ὀνομάτων νοεῖται, ὃ εἴτε πρὸς φύσιν εἴτε πρὸς ἐνέργειαν βλέπειν τις λέγει, οὐ διοισόμεθα.