De Spiritu Sancto (Orat. 31)

Ἀλλ’ ἐμοί, φησιν, ἐκεῖνα συναριθμούμενα λέγεται, καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς οὐσίας, οἷς συνεκφωνεῖται καταλλήλως καὶ [*](3 γραμματι] πράγματι b || 5 λέων και] om καὶ g || 6 ενδημηγορων e || 7 τῆ ’δε φύσει bdf) [*](3. περιέχῃ τοῦ γρ.] ‘you are so attached to the letter of Scripture.’ The emendation τῷ πράγματι in the next clause is ingenious and tempting; but τῷ γράμματι will mean that in this instance they have the very letter of Scripture against them, — as he proceeds to shew.) [*](4. λάβε] seems to be an ironical invitation to prove the point, not= δέξαι i.e. ‘listen to my proofs.’) [*](5. εὐόδως πορεύεται] Pro v. xxx 29.) [*](8. δύο Χερουβὶμ] Ex. xxv 18, 19. If τῷ M. = ‘ by Moses,’ perh. the ref. is rather to Ex. xxxvii 7 ; but it may be the strict dat., ‘reckoned up singly to Moses.’) [*](10. ἀπερρηγμένα] ’so completely severed.’) [*](14. καἰ μᾶλλον γελ.] The same irony continued ; ‘I should be still more laughed at for my mode of numbering things together. ’ Matt. vi 24. Gr. does not observe that God and Mammon are not actually described as two masters, and that if they were, it would be ἃς masters that they would be numbered together, in which respect they are alike.) [*](19. If you tell me that numbers denote things of one nature and those only, then I will deny that you can say ‘three men,’ unless each three is an exact repetition of the others. St John was certainly not bound by your rule when he spoke of the three witnesses nor will it when you come to speak of things of different natures but bearing the same name.) [*](16. οἷς συνεκφ. καταλλ. κ. τ. ὀ.] The opponent explains that things ranged under a number, because they are of the same nature. he means cases where the noun is expressed and the numeral agrees with it (oἷς i.e. συναριθμουμένοις practically = ‘ the numeral’), like ‘three men,’ ‘three God.’ He does not mean that you can never lump together under a neuter numeral heterogeneous objects as so many ‘things.’ This, he says, is not a connumeration.)

Σκοπῶ δὲ κἀκεῖνο, καὶ ἴσως οὐκ ἔξω λόγου. τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ ἓν οὐκ εἰς δύο συντίθεται ; τὰ δύο δὲ οὐκ εἰς ἓν καὶ ἓν ἀναλύεται ; δῆλον ὅτι. εἰ οὖν ὁμοούσια μὲν τὰ συντιθέμενα κατὰ τὸν σὸν λόγον, ἑτεροούσια δὲ τὰ τεμνόμενα, τί συμβαίνει ; τὰ αὐτὰ ὁμοούσιά τε εἶναι καὶ ἑτεροούσια. γελῶ σου καὶ τὰς προαριθμήσεις, καὶ τὰς ὑπαριθμήσεις, [*](20. 16 om τε f) [*](3. τό τε ὄργανον] a pair of tongs.) [*](8. ἐληλεγμένος] from ἐλέγχω.) [*](10. ἢ τε τῶν ὁ. συνεκφ.] ‘and the nouns are expressed in both cases, along with the numeral,’ i.e. not merely ‘understood.’ Or. means both in the case of ὁμοούσια which are not numbered together, and in that of οὐχ ὁμοούσια which are.) [*](20. It will not bear the simplest test of addition or division. Your rules about the order of enumeration, and about the use of prepositions, are just as ridiculous. We will now proceed to give you the coup de grace.) [*](13. οὐκ εἰς δύο συντ.] ‘one and one make two,’ although ace. to the heretic’s logic ‘one and one’ would only be said of things of different nature, such as could never be united under a common numeral. Conversely ‘two is divided into one and οne,’ although ‘two’ can only be said of things of the same nature, which it would be unnatural to describe in that single fashion. The upshot is that the same things proved to be of the same nature and of different natures. Of course the argument is more or less of a piece of banter.) [*](17. προαριθμ. κ. ὑπαριθμ.] Elias says, probably without historical grounds, that this system of numbering (δεύτερος θεός, τρίτος θεός) was derived from the way in which the Neoplatonic writers arranged existences according to a scale, from the First Cause to the lowest. The phraseology is fully discussed by Basil l. c. (de Sp. S. 17.)῾Υπαριθμεῖν’, as distinguished from συναριθμ., is to reckon in a secondary position.)

Πάλιν καὶ πολλάκις ἀνακυκλεῖς ἡμῖν τὸ ἄγραφον. ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐ ξένον τοῦτο, οὐδὲ παρείσακτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς πάλαι καὶ τοῖς νῦν γνωριζόμενον καὶ παραγυμνούμενον, δέδεικται μὲν ἤδη πολλοῖς τῶν περὶ τούτου διειληφότων, ὅσοι μὴ ῥᾳθύμως μηδὲ παρέργως ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς ἐντυχόντες, ἀλλὰ διασχόντες τὸ γράμμα καὶ εἴσω παρακύψαντες, τὸ ἀπόθετον κάλλος ἰδεῖν ἠξιώθησαν, καὶ τῷ φωτισμῷ τῆς γνώσεως κατηυγάσθησαν. δηλώσομεν δὲ καἰ ἡμεῖς ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς, ὅσον ἐνδέχεται, τοῦ μὴ δοκεῖν εἶναι περιττοί τινες, μηδὲ φιλοτιμότεροι τοῦ δέοντος, ἐποικοδομοῦντες ἐπὶ θεμέλιον ἀλλότριον. εἰ δὲ τὸ μὴ λίαν σαφῶς γεγράφθαι θεὸν μηδὲ πολλάκις ὀνομαστί, ὥσπερ τὸν πατέρα πρότερον καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ὕστερον, αἴτιόν σοι γίνεται βλασφημίας, καὶ τῆς περιττῆς ταύτης γλωσσαλγίας καὶ ἀσεβείας, ἡμεῖς σοι λύσομεν ταύτην τὴν βλάβην, μικρὰ περὶ πραγμάτων καὶ ὀνομάτων καὶ μάλιστα παρὰ τῆ τῆς γραφῆς συνηθείᾳ φιλοσοφήσαντες.

τῶν πραγμάτων τὰ μὲν οὐκ ἔστι, λέγεται δέ· τὰ δὲ ὄντα οὐ λέγεται· τὰ δὲ οὔτε ἔστιν, οὔτε λέγεται· τὰ δὲ ἄμφω, καὶ ἔστι, καὶ λέγεται. τούτων ἀπαιτεῖς με τὰς ἀποδείξεις ; παρασχεῖν ἕτοιμος. ὑπνοῖ τῆ γραφῇ θεός, καὶ γρηγορεῖ, καὶ ὀργίζεται, καὶ βαδίζει, καὶ θρόνον ἔχει τὰ χερουβίμ· καίτοι πότε γέγονεν ἐμπαθής ; πότε δὲ σῶμα θεὸν ἀκήκοας ; τοῦτο οὐκ ὂν ἀνεπλάσθη. ὠνομάσαμεν γάρ, ὡς ἡμῖν ἐφικτόν, ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ. τὸ μὲν ἠρεμεῖν αὐτὸν ἀφ’ ἡμῶν, καὶ οἷον ἀμελεῖν, δι’ ἃς αὐτὸς οἶδεν αἰτίας, ὑπνοῦν. τὸ γὰρ ἡμέτερον ὑπνοῦν τοιοῦτον, ἀνενέργητόν τε καὶ ἄπρακτον. τὸ δὲ ἀθρόως εὖ ποιεῖν ἐκ μεταβολῆς, γρηγορεῖν. ὕπνου γὰρ λύσις ἐγρήγορσις, ὥσπερ ἀποστροφῆς ἐπίσκεψις. τὸ δὲ κολάζειν ὀργίζεσθαι πεποιήκαμεν· οὕτω γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐξ ὀργῆς ἡ κόλασις. τὸ δὲ νῦν μὲν τῇδε, νῦν δὲ τῇδε ἐνεργεῖν, βαδίζειν. ἡ γὰρ ἀπ’ ἄλλου πρὸς ἄλλο μετάβασις, βαδισμός. τὸ δὲ ἐναναπαύεσθαι ταῖς ἁγίαις δυνάμεσι, καὶ οἷον ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν, καθέζεσθαι καὶ θρονίζεσθαι. καὶ τοῦτο ἡμέτερον. οὐδενὶ γὰρ οὕτως ὡς τοῖς ἁγίοις τὸ θεῖον ἐναναπαύεται. τὸ δὲ [*](22. 9 αὐτὸς αἰτίας οἶδεν c: οἶδεν αὐτὸς αἰτίας e ΙΙ 10 om ὕπνουν secundo loco b || 16 εναναπαυεσθαι] εναπαυεσθαι (sic) c: ἀναπαύεσθαι df ΙΙ 19 εναναπαυεται] ἐπαναπαύεται be2 ‘Or. 1’) [*](22. There are four heads under which we may arrange the phenomena of Scripture language, (I) There are things said which are not literally true. Of this kind are all the anthropomorphic expressions concerning God.) [*](1. λέγεται δέ] sc. in Scripture.) [*](4. ὑπνοῖ] Ps. xliii 24 (xliv 23).) [*](5. γρηγορεῖ] Jer. xxxi 28.) [*](id. ὀργίζεται] e.g. Ps. lxxviii (lxxix) 5.) [*](ib. βαδίζει] The word does not seem to be used of God in LXX. The ref. is doubtless to passages like Gen. iii 8.) [*](ib. θρόνον ἔχει] Ps. lxxix 2 (lxxx 1); Ezek. i 26.) [*](6. ἐμπαθής] in ref. to ὑπνοῖ, γρηγορεῖ, ὀργίζεται; σῶμα, to βαδίζει, θρόνον.) [*](9. ἠρεμεῖν … ἀφ’ ἠμ’.] ‘letting alone’ (lit. ‘keeping quiet from us’).) [*](11. ἀθρόως] ‘suddenly; cp. ii 2.) [*](15. τῇδε. … τῇδε] ‘in this direction and in that.’) [*](17. ταῖς ἃγ. δυνάμεσι] sc. τοῖς χερουβίμ. ‘Resting in those holy Powers and, as it were, being fond of the place, is “sitting” and “being enthroned”.’) [*](18. οὐδενὶ γάρ] The γάρ explains, not the καὶ τοῦτο ἠμ’., but the choice of the expression ‘resting’ etc. God is in everything; but there is nothing in which He ‘rests’ as He does in the saints (and angelic beings).) [*](19. τὸ δέ ὀξυκ.] more instances of metaphorical language. God ‘flies,’ Ps. xvii li (xviii 10); we speak of His ‘face,’ e.g. Ps. iv 7 (6); His ‘hand,’ e.g. Ps. cxliv (cxlv) 16.)

Πάλιν σὺ πόθεν τὸ ἀγέννητον λαβὼν ἔχεις, ἢ τὸ ἄναρχον, τὰς σὰς ἀκροπόλεις, ἢ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸ ἀθάνατον ; δεῖξον ταῦτα ὀνομαστί, ἢ διαγράψομεν, καὶ τέθνηκας ἐκ τῶν σῶν ὑποθέσεων, καθαιρεθέντων σοι τῶν ὀνομάτων, καὶ τοῦ τείχους τῆς καταφυγῆς ἐφ’ ᾧ ἐπεποίθεις. [*](23. 6 om η e2 || 7 ὀνομαστὶ] + καὶ η ἀθετήσομεν ἐπειδὴ οὐ γέγραπται bed, nisi quod om καὶ cd || 9 ἐφ’ ω] ἐφ’ ο ac2) [*](2. προσίεσθαι] ‘to welcome’; ii 119.) [*](ib. ὅλως] ‘in short.’) [*](4. ἀνεζωγράφησεν] ‘has depicted,’ i.e. ‘has suggested the form of.’ should almost have expected the inversion of the sentence, — that bodily things depict the powers and operations of God; but either way is intelligible.) [*](23. (2) There are th ings not said which are nevertheless true, — among them facts of which you make a deal. (3) Things neither said nor true. (4) Things both true and said.) [*](5. πάλιν] Instances of true things not found in Scripture.) [*](6. τὰς σὰς ἀκροπ.] ‘those fortresses of yours’; cp. below τοῦ τῆς καταφυγῆς.) [*](7. ἢ διαγράψομεν] Cp. iii 8. The words ἢ ἀθετήσομεν, ἐπειδὴ οὐ γέγραπται seem to be an ancient gloss to explain ἢ διαγράψομεν. They offer no real alternative to it ; and the variation of the mss. which contain them between ἢ and καὶ ἢ indicates the uncertainty of their footing. If they are to be retained, the only sense that can be got out of them would be this: — Shew us the words ἀγέννητον, ἄναρχον in the Bible, and we will either reject the Holy Ghost’s Divinity for not being found there, or (if we can prove that it is there) we will erase both it and your two words together. But this would be very cumbrous. Omitting the words, the sense is plain. Gr. retaliates ; — Shew us ἀγένν., ἄναρχ. in the Bible, or we will discard them, and you will die by your own rules. The perf. τέθνηκας gives vividness to the argument. Probably the gloss was introduced because Gr. ’s word διαγράψομεν seemed itself to imply that the words ἀγέννητον etc. were to be found written in Scripture. How can that be erased which was never written? The scribe wished to substitute for διαγρ. the more general word ἀθετήσομεν, ‘because the expressions in question are not written.’ It may be that the correction might be due to Gr. himself; but (1) its place in the MSS. is against it; it ought to have followed διαγρ.; (2) by διαγρ. Gr. intended no reference to being found in Scripture ; he meant, if conscious of the metaphor at all, an erasure from the theological writings in which the expressions occurred.) [*](8. τῶν ὀνομάτων] sc. ἀγέννητον, ἄναρχον.)