3._On the Spirit
2. ON THE SON incorporeal one. Do not use these mortal traits to dishonour his Godhead. It is that Godhead which makes glorious the earthly form which the everlasting Son took upon himself in gracious love for you.
3. On the Spirit Mino, why do you hesitate? Sing also the praise of the Spirit and do not in a form of words divide that which inherent nature has not dissevered. Let us bow in awe before the mighty Spirit, who is God in heaven, who to me is God, by whom I came to know God, and who in this world makes me God. All-powerful, manifold in gifts, theme of the hymn sung by the heavenly choir, giving life to heavenly and earthly beings, seated on high, coming from the Father, divine might, a self-determined being. He is not the Son (for there is a single good
Son of the one supreme excellence), nor is he outside the invisible Godhead, but is of equal glory.
Whoever desires in the tables ofdivinely inspired law to understand the divinity of the heavenly Spirit will see, if he is willing, many manifold ways converging on one point, if he draws anything of the Holy Spirit into his heart and his mind enjoys clear perception. But if what he longs for is a plain word concerning lovely Godhead, let him know that the expression he seeks is unwise. For it was not fitting, when the Godhead of Christ was not yet clear to most mortal men, to impose upon feeblest minds a burden of what was not credible. Nor is the more complete account appropriate for beginners. Who ever exposes the full beams of fire to eyes still weak or overstrains them with excessive light? You would do better to introduce gradually the glowing beams of fire, in case you should damage in any way the body's sources of sweet light.
For, just as in former times teaching brought to light the full Godhead of the sovereign Father, while enlightening only a few wise
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57 Aéyovs QL] Adyos 1 Iz 3. ON THE SPIRIT mortals by showing the great glory of Christ, so later, when revealing more clearly the Godhead of the Son, it manifested only half-hidden gleams of the shining Spirit's Godhead. Gradually the Spirit began to shine for these people, but he reserved the greater part for us, for whom in later times he was divided in tongues offire, bringing a token of his divinity when the Saviour had leapt up from the earth. For I know that God is fire to the wicked, as he is light to the good. This is how I sum up for you the case for Godhead. But if you are astonished to hear that the Son and one who is not Son are of one Godhead and trust in neatly turned contrary arguments, God himself will come to my help in giving me utterance at this point also.
His wife and Seth came into existence from Adam, the one progenitor, she cut from Adam's side and he the offspring of a couple joined by the laws ofmarriage. Eve was not begotten, while Seth was, yet both were equally human. With these in mind, refrain from dishonouring
Godhead in any way, bearing in front of you this analogy drawn from below. There exists a single nature, beyond measuring, uncreated, timeless, excellent, free, and to be worshipped equally, one God in his three gleaming facets keeping the universe on its whirling course.
Through these I am raised to a new and different life, when in baptism I spring again into light after the burial of death. For the threefold
Godhead has made me shoot up asa bearer of light. No, I shall not deny you, dear cleansing power of baptism.
If, being washed by Godhead, I should tear asunder that shining Godhead, then it were better ... But I tremble at the dreadful words which would follow, relying on the hope of divine grace in baptism. Ifhe has cleansed me fully, then God is to me a single whole calling for my worship. It would be a just recompense for any mortal who gives way to sin that he should divide his own Godhead, God's gift.
But if we hear anything about the Son or about the good Spirit in Scripture or among inspired writers, to the effect that they hold second place to God the Father, then I bid you recognize the words of profound Wisdom which show that that which goes back to the unoriginate root does not divide Godhead, that you may have one rl'. NEP] NNEYMATO2 réuvet, Obpa Kev olov €xns Kpatos, ov ToAvcerTov.
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86 @' atréy L g3 76 dé) réde Caill. mepi roo dyiov mvedpuatos Adyos y' V1, Aéyos y Cu, subscriptionem omittunt ceteri T4 3. ON THE SPIRIT single power not worshipped in plurality. Trinity comes from unity and unity again from Trinity. It is not a case of an underground passage, a spring, and a great river, one current directed down into the earth in three forms. Nor again is it like a torch from the pyre returning to its point of origin, nor like the word proceeding from the mind while remaining within it. Neither is it to be compared to some glint from the sun's rays moving off the water, reflected on a wall in its ceaseless motion, fleeing as it approaches and approaching in advance of its flight. For God's nature is not unstable, in flux, having to reassemble itself. Stability belongs to God. In thinking thus you would be offering a pure sacrifice in your heart.
The single nature is firmly established in three lights. It is not a unity unrelated to number, since it consists in three excellent forms.
Nor is it a Trinity to be worshipped as plural, since its nature is indivisible. The oneness inheres in Godhead; those to whom Godhead belongs are three in number. Each ofthem is the one God, when you mention only one. Again, the one God is unoriginate, whence comes the rich quality ofGodhead, when there is any reference to three, so as to bring about among mortal mena reverent proclamation ofthe three lights and also that we may glorify the clear-shining unity of rule, rather than finding pleasure in some Babel governance by a host of gods. For, as I see it, the rule ofmany in their strife amounts to no rule at all. Contest involves separation. Separation rushes towards dissolution. Thus, I think, the rule ofmany must be banished from all thought of Godhead. Let people call three gods those who are divided from one another by time or understanding, power, or will. For each would never be at one with himself nor free from strife. In the Trinity I teach there is one power, one understanding, one glory, one might. That is why the unity is beyond flux, possessing great glory in the single harmony ofGodhead. So great is the splendour which the Trinity has revealed to my eyes, from the wings of the cherubim and within the veil ofthe temple, under which the sovereign nature ofGod is hidden.
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