X.  What must we say of the Father, Whom by common consent all who have been preoccupied with natural conceptions share, although He hath endured the beginnings of dishonour, having been first divided by ancient innovation into the Good and the Creator.  And of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, see how simply and concisely we shall discourse.  If any one could say of Either that He was mutable or subject to change; or that either in time, or place, or power, or energy He could be measured; or that He was not naturally good, or not Self-moved, or not a free agent, or a Minister, or a Hymnsinger; or that He feared, or was a recipient of freedom, or was not counted with God; let him prove this and we will acquiesce, and will be glorified by the Majesty of our Fellow Servants, though we lose our God.  But if all that the Father has belongs likewise to the Son, except Causality; and all that is the Son’s belongs also to the Spirit, except His Sonship, and whatsoever is spoken of Him as to Incarnation for me a man, and for my salvation, that, taking of mine, He may impart His own by this new commingling; then cease your babbling, though so late, O ye sophists of vain talk that falls at once to the ground; for why will ye die O House of Israel?15    Ezek. xviii. 31.—if I may mourn for you in the words of Scripture.

Ιʹ. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Πατρὸς, τί χρὴ καὶ λέγειν, οὗ καὶ τὸ παρὰ πάντων συγκεχωρηκὸς φείδεσθαι ταῖς φυσικαῖς ἐννοίαις προκατειλημμένων; Εἰ καὶ τῆς ἀτιμίας τὰ πρῶτα ἠνέγκατο, πρῶτος τμηθεὶς εἰς Ἀγαθὸν καὶ Δημιουργὸν παρὰ τῆς ἀρχαίας καινοτομίας. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, σκοπεῖτε ὡς ἁπλῶς καὶ συντόμως διαλεξώμεθα. Εἰ μέν τις ἔχοι τούτων τι λέγειν τρεπτὸν ἢ ἀλλοιωτὸν, ἢ χρόνῳ, ἢ τόπῳ, ἢ δυνάμει, ἢ ἐνεργείᾳ μετρούμενον, ἢ οὐ φυσικῶς ἀγαθὸν, ἢ οὐκ αὐτοκίνητον, ἢ οὐκ αὐτεξούσιον, ἢ λειτουργὸν, ἢ ὑμνῳδὸν, ἢ φοβούμενον, ἢ ἐλευθερούμενον, ἢ οὐ συναριθμούμενον: δεικνύτω τοῦτο, καὶ ἡμεῖς στέρξομεν, συνδούλων σεμνότητι δοξαζόμενοι, εἰ καὶ Θεὸν ζημιούμεθα. Εἰ δὲ πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ, τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐστι, πλὴν τῆς αἰτίας: πάντα δὲ ὅσα τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος, πλὴν τῆς υἱότητος, καὶ τῶν ὅσα σωματικῶς περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγεται διὰ τὸν ἐμὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν σωτηρίαν, ἵνα τὸ ἐμὸν λαβὼν, τὸ ἑαυτοῦ χαρίσηται διὰ τῆς καινῆς ἀνακράσεως: παύσασθε παραληροῦντες ὀψὲ γοῦν, ὦ σοφισταὶ κενῶν ῥημάτων, αὐτοῦ πιπτόντων. Καὶ ἵνα τί ἀποθνήσκετε, οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, ἵν' ἐκ τῆς Γραφῆς ὑμᾶς ὀδύρωμαι;