XVII.  Since then, natural chastity is not meritorious, I demand something else from the eunuchs.  Do not go a whoring in respect of the Godhead.  Having been wedded to Christ, do not dishonour Christ.  Being perfected by the spirit, do not make the Spirit your own equal.  If I yet pleased men, says Paul, I should not be the servant of Christ.24    Galat. i. 10.  If I worshipped a creature, I should not be called a Christian.  For why is Christianity precious?  Is it not that Christ is God, unless my mingling with Him in love is a mere human passion?  And yet I honour Peter, but I am not called a Petrine; and Paul, but have never been called a Pauline.  I cannot allow myself to be named after a man, who am born of God.  So then, if it is because you believe Him to be God that you are called a Christian, may you ever be so called, and may you remain in both the name and the thing; but if you are called from Christ only because you have an affection for Him, you attribute no more to him than other names which are given from some practice or fact.

ΙΖʹ. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν τὸ σωματικὰ φρονεῖν οὐκ ἐπαινετὸν, ἄλλο τι αἰτῶ τοὺς εὐνούχους. Μὴ πορνεύσητε περὶ θεότητα. Χριστῷ συζευχθέντες, Χριστὸν μὴ ἀτιμάσητε. Ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος τελειούμενοι, μὴ ὁμότιμον ἑαυτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα ποιήσητε. Εἰ ἔτι ἀνθρώποις ἤρεσκον, ὁ Παῦλός φησι, Χριστοῦ δοῦλος οὐκ ἂν ἤμην. Εἰ κτίσματι ἐλάτρευον, οὐκ ἂν Χριστιανὸς ὠνομαζόμην. Εἰς τί γὰρ ὁ Χριστιανὸς τίμιον; Οὐχ ὅτι Θεὸς ὁ Χριστός; Εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ὡς ἄνθρωπος πάθω, φιλίᾳ πρὸς αὐτὸν συγκεκραμένος. Καίτοι καὶ Πέτρον τιμῶ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀκούω Πετριανός: καὶ Παῦλον, Παυλιανὸς δὲ οὐκ ἤκουσα. Οὐ δέχομαι παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ὀνομάζεσθαι, παρὰ Θεοῦ γεγονώς. Οὕτως εἰ μὲν, ὅτι Θεὸν ὑπείληφας, διὰ τοῦτο καλῇ Χριστιανὸς, καὶ καλοῖο, καὶ μένοις ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι, ἢ τῷ πράγματι. Εἰ δὲ, ὅτι στέργεις Χριστὸν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐξ αὐτοῦ καλῇ, οὐδὲν πλέον νέμεις αὐτῷ τῶν ἄλλων κλήσεων, αἳ ἀπό τινος ἐπιτηδεύματος ἢ πράγματος τίθενται.