Letter 60: Many people mock you as a grudge-bearer, and rightly so — for you use anger as a weapon of petty revenge.

To the same. On the same subject. That the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is clear from the very voice of the Lord saying, "Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him." And that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is avenged is manifest. But that the Holy Spirit is of the divine essence — this you have asked to be clearly demonstrated from Scripture. It is possible for you, if you apply your wits and proceed a little further from the words of the Lord that are at hand, to find the solution as well. "If I," he says, "cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?" "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." The other evangelist, having spoken more clearly, says, "But if I by the finger of God cast out demons" — calling the Holy Spirit the finger of God. And the finger, as in our own bodily example, is of the essence of the body. Therefore by the name of "finger" he made manifest the inseparable and kindred hypostasis of the Holy Spirit in relation to the divine essence. To Palladios and Maron. A great deal of talk flows and is confirmed through trustworthy persons, that the one who was allotted leadership over you, knowing most precisely from many proofs that his own advantage, not your benefit, was his love — not having considered what would benefit the common welfare of the Church — appointed you as collaborators in his own greed. If therefore these things are so, cease aiming your bows at heaven and warring against the lawgiver of poverty, through which you traffic in the misfortunes of others. To the same. If spiritual things are to be compared with spiritual things — namely words and names — as the divinely-inspired Paul decreed, it is fitting that we too, obeying this rule, should test the divine Scriptures. First, therefore, one must consider how the phrase "not being able" is used; and thus proceed to the solution of the question. Listen, then, first to the lawgiver Moses. For it is right to lay the foundation of the thought from the Old Testament, and to crown it from the New. What does he say to the people? "You shall not be able to keep the Passover in any of your cities, but only in the place which the Lord your God shall choose." The phrase "you shall not be able" is set in place of "it not being permitted, not being possible, not being allowed, not being feasible." For that they were able to keep the Passover in other cities as well is clear. For even now they do keep it — but unlawfully. What then is "you shall not be able"? It is not permitted to you, you shall not bring, you shall not do it. And that this is the meaning, hear also the apostles following the lawgiver and saying: "We are not able not to speak the things we have heard and seen." What then? Were they not able to keep silent? Certainly they were. What then did they mean to say? That it is not possible, nor fitting, for things that ought to be proclaimed brightly and clearly to be consigned to silence. And the Jews also said — and the testimony of enemies is assuredly venerable: "For that a notable sign has been done is manifest, and we are not able to deny it." By "not being able" they indicate that it is not possible. And the Apostle also says concerning God the Father: "In which it is impossible for God to lie." Not accusing the all-powerful might of some weakness, but rather showing the greatest strength — that the Father of truth is incapable of falsehood. And elsewhere, fortifying this very thought, he said: "If we deny him, he remains faithful; for he cannot deny himself." And this too is not a proof of weakness, but of unsurpassable constancy.

Ε. – ΤΟ ΛΥΤΩ. Εἰς τὸ αὐτό. Ὅτι μὲν ἔφης (58), κατὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἡ βλασφημία, δῆλον ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου φωνῆς λεγούσης, «ὡς ἂν εἶποι κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ. » Καὶ ὅτι ἡ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου ἐκδικεῖται ἡ βλασφημία, σαφές. Ὅτι δὲ τῆς θείας ἐστὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐσίας, τοῦτο σὺ ᾔτησας Γραφικῶς τρανωθῆναι. Ἔξεστί σοι ἀγχινοῦντι καὶ μικρὸν προελθόντι ἐκ τῶν ἐν χερσὶ τοῦ Κυρίου φωνῶν καὶ τὴν λύσιν εὑρεῖν. « Εἰ ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἐν [τῷ] Βεελζεβούλ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τίνι ἐκβάλλουσιν ; » Εἰ δὲ πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἐκβάλλω ταῦτα, ἄρα ἔφθασεν ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἡ βασι- λεία τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐν τῷ ἑτέρῳ σαφέστερον εἰρηκὼς εὐαγγελιστὴς, « Εἰ δὲ ἐγὼ ἐν δακτύλῳ Θεοῦ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια. » Δάκτυλον Θεοῦ, τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγων τὸ ἅγιον. Δάκτυλος δὲ, ὡς ἐν ὑποδείγματι τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς, τῆς οὐσίας ἐστὶ τοῦ σώματος. Τὴν τοίνυν ἀχώριστον καὶ συγγενῆ τῆς θείας οὐσίας τοῦ Πνεύ- ματος τοῦ ἁγίου ὑπόστασιν, τῷ τοῦ δακτύλου ὀνό ματι ἐφανέρωσε. Ξ. – ΠΑΛΛΑΔΙΟ ΚΑΙ ΜΑΡΩΝΙ. Πολὺς λόγος ῥεῖ, καὶ δι' ἀξιοπίστων προσώπων βεβαιοῦται, ὅτι μάλ᾽ ἀκριβῶς ἐπιστάμενος ἐκ πολ- λῶν τεκμηρίων ὁ ἡγεῖσθαι ὑμῶν λαχὼν [διὰ] τὸ ἑαυτοῦ συμφέρον, [οὐ] διὰ τὸ λυσιτελοῦν ὑμῖν ἀγα- πήσας, οὐχ ὅτι τῷ κοινῷ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας συνοίσει σκεψάμενος, συνεργοὺς ὑμᾶς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἐχειροτό- νησε πλεονεξίας. Εἰ τοίνυν ταῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχει, παύ σασθε εἰς οὐρανὸν τὰ τόξα τείνοντες, καὶ τῷ τῆς ἀκτημοσύνης πολεμοῦντες νομοθέτῃ, δι' ὧν τὰς ἄλ λοτρίας πραγματεύεσθε συμφοράς. ΤΛΕ. – ΤΟ ΑΥΤΩ (60). Εἰ πνευματικοῖς πνευματικά (δηλονότι ῥήματα καὶ ὀνόματα) συγκρίνειν ὁ θεσπέσιος ἐνομοθέτησε Παῦλος, προσήκει καὶ ἡμᾶς τῷ κανόνι τούτῳ πει- θομένους, τὰς θείας βασανίζειν (61) Γραφάς. Πρῶτον τοιγαροῦν, τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι πῶς εἴρηται, σκοπητέον· καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τὴν λύσιν τοῦ ζητουμένου βαδιστέον. ῎Αχουε τοίνυν πρῶτον τοῦ νομοθέτου Μωσέως. Δίκαιον γὰρ ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς Παλαιᾶς Διαθήκης θεμελιῶσαι τὸ νόημα· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Καινῆς στεφανῶσαι. Τί φησι τῷ λαῷ; · Οὐ δυνήσῃ τὸ Πάσχα ποιεῖν ἐν οὐδεμιᾷ τῶν πόλεών σου, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τὸν τόπον ὂν ἂν ἐκλέξηται Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου. » Το, οὐ δυνήσῃ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, μὴ ἐξόντος, μηδὲ ἐγχωροῦντος, μηδὲ συγκεχωρημένου, μηδὲ ἐνδεχομένου (62) τεθεικώς. Ὅτι γὰρ ἡδύ- ναντο ποιῆσαι τὸ Πάσχα καὶ ἐν ἄλλαις πόλεσι, δῆλόν ἐστι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ νῦν ποιοῦσι μὲν, παρα- νομοῦντες δὲ. Τί οὖν ἐστιν, « Οὐ δυνήσῃ;» Ούχ εξ- εστί σοι, οὐ προσάξεις, οὐ ποιήσεις. "Οτι δὲ ταύτῃ τῇ ἐννοίᾳ εἴρηται, ἄκουσον καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων τῷ νομοθέτῃ ἀκολουθούντων καὶ φραζόντων· « Ἡμεῖς οὐ δυνάμεθα, ἃ ἠκούσαμεν καὶ εἴδομεν, μὴ λαλεῖν.» Τί οὖν; οὐκ ἠδύναντο σιγῆσαι; Πάνυ μὲν οὖν. Τί οὖν εἰπεῖν ἐβουλήθησαν; Θὐκ ἐνδέχεται, οὔτε πρέπει σιγῇ παραδοθῆναι τὰ ἀνακηρυχθῆναι λαμπρῶς καὶ σαφῶς ὀφείλοντα. Καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ ἔφασαν (σεμνή δὲ δήπουθεν καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μαρτυρία)· "Ὅτι γὰρ γνωστὸν σημεῖον γέγονε, φανερὸν, καὶ οὐ δυνάμεθα ἀρνεῖσθαι. Διὰ τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαι, τὸ μὴ ἐγχωροῦν μηνύοντες. Καὶ ὁ ᾿Απόστολος θέ φησι περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός· ε ὧν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι Θεόν. » Οὐκ ἀσθένειάν τινα κατηγορῶν τῆς παγκρα τοῦς (63) δυνάμεως, ἀλλὰ μεγίστην ρώμην, ὅτι ἀνεπίδεκτός ἐστι τοῦ ψεύδους ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας πατήρ. Καὶ ἀλλαχόσε δὲ ταύτην ὀχυρῶν τὴν ἔννοιαν ἔφτο · Ἐὰν ἀρνησώμεθα αὐτὸν, ἐκεῖνος πιστὸς μένει· ἀρνήσασθαι γὰρ ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται. » Καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἀσθενείας ἐστὶν ἀπόδειξις, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνυπερβλήτου Ισχύος, ὅτι οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ τὴν θείαν φύσιν ἑαυτὴν ἀρνήσασθαι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, οὗ τὴν λέξιν πακούργως ἑρμηνεύειν ἐπιχειροῦσιν οἱ αἱρε- τικοί, μαρτυρίαν χρὴ προσαγαγεῖν, ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ φράζοντος « Οὐ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος νηστεύειν, ἐφ᾿ ὅσον μετ' αὐτῶν ἐστιν ὁ Νυμφίος. » Ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ, οὐ πρέπει, οὐ προσήκει, οὐκ ἐνδέχεται, οὐχ ἀρμόττει. Τούτων τοιγαροῦν οὕτως εἰρημένων, ὁ σκοπὸς ὁ σωτήριος δῆλός ἐστι. Τὸ γὰρ, • Οὐ δύναται ὁ Υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδὲν, οὐχ ἀσθένειαν αὐτοῦ κατηγορεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγίστην Σ. – ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΟ. Εἰς τὸ εἰρημένον· « Οὐ μόνον αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν. Ἐπειδὴ πάλιν ἀποστολικοὺς θησαυροὺς ἀνιχνεύειν ἡμᾶς παρεσκεύασας (ἔφης γὰρ· Τί ἐστι τὸ· « Οὐ μόνον αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνευδοκοῦσι τοῖς πράττουσι, » καὶ ἐπήγαγες · Εἰ τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ συνευ- δοκεῖν χαλεπώτερόν ἐστι, δι' ἣν αἰτίαν οὕτως αὐτὸ ἔταξεν ὁ Παῦλος ;)· ὀλίγον συναγαγὼν σαυτοῦ τὸν νοῦν, ὥστε θηρεῦσαι φεύγοντα τὸν ἀποστολικὸν νοῦν, ἄκουε. Τινὲς μὲν οὖν μὴ νοήσαντες τὸ εἰρημένον, ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ σὺ διαπορήσαντες, καὶ παραπεποιῆσθαι τὰς λέξεις τὰς ἀποστολικὰς νομίσαντες, οὕτως αὐ- τὰς ἡρμήνευσαν · · Οὐ μόνον οἱ ποιοῦντες αὐτὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ συνευδοκοῦντες τοῖς πράττουσιν. » Οὕτω γὰρ εἶχεν, ἔφασαν, τὸ παλαιὸν ἀντίγραφον, ἵνα μείζον ᾗ τὸ ποιεῖν (95) τοῦ συνευδοκεῖν. Ἐγὼ δ' οὔθ᾽ ἡμαρ- τῆσθαι ἐν τούτῳ φήσας τὰ ἀποστολικὰ βιβλία, οὔτε καταδραμὼν τῶν μὴ νενοηκότων (ἴσως γὰρ εἰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πλεονεκτοῦνται, ἐν ἄλλοις πλεονεκτοῦσι, καί τινα ἐνόησαν, ὧν αὐτὸς οὐδ᾽ εἰς ἔννοιαν ἀφικόμην), τὸ νενοημένον φράσας, τοῖς ἐντευξομένοις ἐπιτρέψω τὴν ψῆφον. Φημὶ τοίνυν, ὅτι, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ πλημ- μελεῖν τὸ ἐπαινεῖν τοὺς πλημμελοῦντας πολλῷ ἀργαλεώτερόν ἐστι, καὶ μεῖζον εἰς κολάσεως λόγον, εἰκότως εἴρηται · · Οὐ μόνον αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνευδοκοῦσι τοῖς πράττουσιν. » Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μετὰ τὸ πλημμελεῖν καταγινώσκων τῆς ἁμαρτίας, δυνήσεται χρόνῳ ἑαυτόν ποτε ἀνακτήσασθαι, μεγίστην βοήθειαν ἔχων εἰς τὸ μεταγνῶναι τὴν κατάγνωσιν τῆς ἁμαρ- τίας· ὁ δ᾽ ἐπαινῶν τὴν πονηρίαν, τῆς ἐκ τοῦ μετα- νοῆσαι βοηθείας ἑαυτὸν ἀποστερεῖ. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν Ξ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Εἰ ὁ μὴ βουλόμενος ἀμύνεσθαι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, ἀλλ᾿ ἀφελῶς μᾶλλον ζῶν τοὺς ἄλλους διελέγχειν ποτὲ δοκοῦν, τοῦτο ὁρᾷ τις, οὐ τῆς κακίας εὑρήσει τις ἀφορμὴν αἴτιος. ΡΟΖ΄. – ΚΟΜΙΤΙ Οὐ πάντας ἡ τοῦ πλούτου ἀσφάλεια σῴζει.