Basil of Caesarea, Against Sabellians and Arius and Anomoeans

I hear: If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. For if he is not of Christ, how does he appropriate himself to Christ? But I also hear of the Spirit of truth. And the Lord is the Truth. And when I hear of the Spirit of adoption, I come to the thought of the unity according to nature with the Son and the Father. For how does he adopt what is foreign, how does he appropriate what is alien? Thus, therefore, I neither innovate in words, nor do I disregard the dignity; but I groan and lament for those who dare to call Him a creature, because through a small sophism and a counterfeit argument they thrust themselves into the abyss. For since, he says, our mind has comprehended these three things, and there is nothing among existing things that does not fall under this division of beings. For it is either unbegotten, he says, or begotten, or created; but indeed neither the first, nor the second, therefore the third. This "therefore" of yours will make you subject to the eternal 31.613 curse. Have you searched out all things? have you brought all things under division by your own reasonings? have you left nothing unexamined? have you comprehended all things with your mind? have you enclosed all things in your own grasp? do you know the things under the earth? do you know the things in the deep? The boasts of demons: I know the number of the sand and the measures of the sea. But if you are ignorant of many things, and the things unknown are ten thousand times more than the things known, why do you not shamelessly confess, along with all things, a harmless ignorance concerning the mode of existence of the Holy Spirit? But I have no leisure to refute the futility of your reasonings, nor to show how many things among existing things have escaped the grasp of your reasonings; but this I would gladly ask of those among you, and I declare with confidence, that you will one day repent of this godless wisdom, of calling the Holy Spirit a creature. Do you not fear the unforgivable sin? Or what do you think you can blaspheme more impiously than this? For from this one utterance all the most terrible things have arisen: alienation from God according to nature itself, the lowliness of servitude, liturgical ministries, deprivation of sanctification, since it is not present by nature, and it will befall the Spirit to partake of sanctification from the distribution according to grace, just as the rest of the sanctified things have it. And just as the manifestation of the Spirit is given to us for our benefit, and as it is measured to each according to the proportion of faith, so also will the Spirit be a partaker of sanctification, if indeed it is a creature according to the supposition of the Pneumatomachi. But let us not allow their folly to go unrefuted, who think they have comprehended all things with their own mind. Let them answer us, then. What then is the substance of the perceptible sun? Is it one of the four, or is it composed of the four? But indeed it is neither earth, nor air, nor water, nor fire. For these move in a straight line; some are borne upwards, others downwards. For earth and water are borne downwards because of weight; but air and fire move in an upward direction because of lightness; but the motion of the sun is circular. Therefore it is not one of the four. But indeed it is not composed of these either; because composite things are subject to weariness, having their constitution from opposites, with the opposites pulling against each other in their motion. But the motion of the sun is tireless, for this reason 31.616 also unceasing. So it is not composite. But indeed among bodies something is either simple or composite. But the sun is neither a simple body; for it does not move in a straight line; nor composite; for it does not grow weary in its motion. Therefore the sun does not exist. Such are your wise divisions, laughed at by those who have eyes. Again, how do we humans see? Is it by receiving the forms of visible things, or by sending out a power from ourselves? But indeed we neither receive the images of visible things (for how does the hemisphere of the sky appear in the small pore of the pupil?), nor do we send anything out from ourselves; (for again how could what is sent out be sufficient to spread over the sky?) But if we neither receive the images of visible things, nor send out any power from ourselves, then we do not see. What then? shall I refute your

ἀκούω· Εἴ τις Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐ τοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ οἰκεῖον Χριστοῦ, πῶς οἰκειοῖ τῷ Χρι στῷ; Ἀλλὰ καὶ Πνεῦμα ἀκούω τῆς ἀληθείας. Ἀλήθεια δὲ ὁ Κύριος. Ὅταν δὲ ἀκούω Πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας, εἰς ἔννοιαν ἔρχομαι τῆς πρὸς Υἱὸν καὶ Πατέρα κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ἑνότητος. Πῶς γὰρ υἱοθετεῖ τὸ ξένον, πῶς δὲ οἰκειοῖ τὸ ἀλλότριον; Οὕτω μὲν οὖν οὔτε καινοτομῶ ῥήματα, οὔτε ἀθετῶ τὴν ἀξίαν· τοὺς δὲ τολμῶντας κτίσμα προσαγορεύειν στενάζω καὶ ὀδύρομαι, ὅτι διὰ μικροῦ σοφίσματος καὶ κι βδήλου παραλογισμοῦ ἑαυτοὺς ὠθοῦσιν ἐπὶ τὸ βά ραθρον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ, φησὶ, τρία ταῦτα ὁ νοῦς ἡμῶν κατείληφε, καὶ οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς οὖσιν ὃ μὴ ὑπὸ τὴν διαίρεσιν ταύτην ἔρχεται τῶν ὄντων. Ἢ γὰρ ἀγέννητον, φησὶν, ἐστὶν, ἢ γεννητὸν, ἢ κτιστόν· ἀλλὰ μὴν οὔτε τὸ πρῶτον, οὔτε τὸ δεύ τερον, τὸ τρίτον ἄρα. Τοῦτο ὑμῶν τὸ ἄρα τῇ αἰω 31.613 νίῳ ἀρᾷ ὑποδίκους ὑμᾶς καταστήσει. Πάντα ἐξηρεύ νησας; πάντα τοῖς σεαυτοῦ λογισμοῖς ὑπὸ διαίρε σιν ἤγαγες; οὐδὲν ἀνεξέταστον κατέλιπες; πάντα τῷ νῷ περιέλαβες; πάντα τῇ σεαυτοῦ καταλήψει συνέκλεισας; οἶδας τὰ ὑπὸ γῆν; οἶδας τὰ ἐν τῷ βυθῷ; ∆αιμόνων ἀλαζονεῖαι· Οἶδα ἐγὼ ψάμμου τ' ἀριθμὸν καὶ μέτρα θαλάσσης. Εἰ δὲ πολλὰ ἀγνοεῖς, καὶ μυριοπλάσια τῶν ἐγνω σμένων ἐστὶ τὰ ἀγνοούμενα, τί οὐχὶ μετὰ πάντων καὶ περὶ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς ὑπάρξεως τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύ ματος τὴν ἀκίνδυνον ἄγνοιαν ἀνεπαισχύντως ὁμολο γεῖς; Ἐγὼ δὲ σχολὴν μὲν οὐκ ἄγω ἐλέγχειν τῶν λογισμῶν σου τὴν ματαιότητα, οὐδὲ δεικνύναι πόσα ἐν τοῖς οὖσι τὴν κατάληψίν σου τῶν λογισμῶν διαπέ φευγεν· ἐκεῖνο δ' ἂν ἡδέως τοὺς ἐφ' ὑμῶν ἐρω τήσαιμι, καὶ διορίζομαι πεποιθότως, ὅτι μεταμελή σει σοί ποτε τῆς ἀθέου ταύτης σοφίας, κτίσμα λέγοντι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Οὐ φοβῇ τὴν ἀσυγχώρητον ἁμαρτίαν; Ἢ τί ποτε οἴει δυσσεβέστερον τούτου δύνασθαι βλασφημεῖν; Ἐκ γὰρ μιᾶς ταύτης φωνῆς πάντα ἐνέστη τὰ δεινότατα· ἀλλοτρίωσις ἀπὸ Θεοῦ κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν φύσιν, δουλείας ταπείνωσις, διακο νίαι λειτουργικαὶ, ἁγιασμοῦ στέρησις, τοῦ κατὰ φύ σιν οὐ προσόντος, καὶ περιστήσεται τῷ Πνεύματι, οὕτω μετέχειν ἁγιασμοῦ ἐκ τῆς κατὰ χάριν διανο μῆς, ὡς καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔχει ὅσα ἡγίασται. Καὶ ὥσπερ δίδοται ἡμῖν ἡ φανέρωσις τοῦ Πνεύματος πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον, καὶ ὡς ἐπιμετρεῖται ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως, οὕτως ἔσται καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ ἁγιασμοῦ μετέχον, εἴπερ ὄντως κτιστὸν κατὰ τὴν Πνευματομάχων ὑπόληψιν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ μὴ συγχωρήσωμεν τὴν ἄνοιαν αὐτῶν ἀνέλεγκτον, τῶν οἰομένων πάντα τῇ ἑαυτῶν διανοίᾳ κατειληφέναι. Ἀποκρινάσθωσαν τοίνυν ἡμῖν. Τί ποτε ἄρα ἡ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ ἡλίου οὐσία; Πότερον ἕν τι τῶν τεσσάρων ἐστὶν, ἢ σύνθετός ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων; Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὔτε γῆ ἐστιν, οὔτε ἀὴρ, οὔτε ὕδωρ ἐστὶν, οὔτε πῦρ. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἐπ' εὐθείας κι νεῖται· τὰ μὲν ἄνω φερόμενα, τὰ δὲ κάτω. Γῆ μὲν γὰρ καὶ ὕδωρ κατωφερῆ ἐστι διὰ τὸ βάρος· ἀὴρ δὲ καὶ πῦρ τὴν ἄνω φορὰν κινεῖται διὰ κουφότητα· τοῦ δὲ ἡλίου κυκλοφορική ἐστιν ἡ κίνησις. Οὐ τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἓν τῶν τεσσάρων. Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ σύνθετός ἐστιν ἐκ τούτων· διότι τὰ σύνθετα καμάτῳ συνέχεται, ἐκ μὲν τῶν ἐναντίων τὴν σύστασιν ἔχοντα, ἀντι σπώντων δὲ ἀλλήλοις τῶν ἐναντίων κατὰ τὴν κίνη σιν. Ἀκάματος δὲ τοῦ ἡλίου ἡ κίνησις, διὰ τοῦτο 31.616 καὶ ἄπαυστος. Ὥστε οὐ σύνθετος. Ἀλλὰ μὴν ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν ἢ ἁπλοῦν τί ἐστιν, ἢ σύνθετον. Οὔτε δὲ ἁπλοῦν σῶμα ὁ ἥλιος· οὐ γὰρ ἐπ' εὐθείας κινεῖται· οὔτε σύνθετον· οὐ γὰρ κάμνει κινούμενος. Οὐκ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ ἥλιος. Τοιαῦται ὑμῶν αἱ σοφαὶ διαιρέσεις, ὑπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐχόντων καταγελώμεναι. Πάλιν πῶς ὁρῶμεν οἱ ἄνθρωποι; Πότερον εἰσδεχόμενοι τοὺς τύπους τῶν ὁρατῶν, ἢ ἀφιέντες δύναμιν ἐξ αὐτῶν; Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὔτε δεχόμεθα τῶν ὁρατῶν τὰς εἰκόνας (πῶς γὰρ τὸ ἡμισφαίριον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ μικρῷ πόρῳ τῆς κόρης ἐμφαίνεται;), οὔτε μὴν ἀφίεμέν τι παρ' ἑαυτῶν· (πῶς γὰρ πάλιν τὸ ἐκπεμπόμενον ἐξαρκεῖ τῷ οὐρανῷ ἐφαπλοῦσθαι;) Εἰ δὲ μήτε δε χόμεθα τῶν ὁρατῶν τὰς εἰκόνας, μήτε τινὰ δύναμιν ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ἀποπέμπομεν, οὐκ ἄρα ὁρῶμεν. Τί οὖν; ἐλέγξω ὑμῶν