Letter 822: The priesthood is a sacred trust, not a career.
On the Holy Trinity: Those things which are spoken in the singular in the sacred Scriptures are characteristic of the divine nature; for the holy and most royal Trinity is consubstantial. Those things which are expressed beyond the singular number indicate the distinction of persons. The things spoken in the singular have been said so that both Sabellius and his followers might have their mouths stopped; those things that exceed the singular have been said so that Arius and Eunomius might be refuted. For if anyone introduces the property of numbers into the Holy Trinity and collapses the three Persons into one substance, he follows the madness of Sabellius. But if anyone separates the Persons so as to make them different in nature, he falls into the impiety of Arius. The orthodox faith holds both truths together: unity of nature and trinity of Persons. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God — yet they are not three gods but one God. For the divinity is one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated. And yet they are not three uncreated beings, but one uncreated. Thus the saving faith teaches us to worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, neither confusing the Persons nor dividing the substance.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Περὶ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος. Τὰ μὲν ἑνιχῶς εἰρημένα ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς Γραφαῖς τῆς θείας φύσεώς ἐστι χαραχτηριστιχά " ὁμοούσιος γάρ ἔστιν ἡ ἁγία καὶ βασιλικωτάτη Τριάς. Τὰ δ' ὑπὲρ τὸν ἑνιχὸν ἐξενηνεγμένα ἀριθμὸν, τῆς τῶν ὑποστά- σεών ἐστι διαφορᾶς. Πλατύνεται γὰρ ἡ θεότης εἰς τρεῖς ἰδιότηταξ, χαὶ συστέλλεται πάλιν εἰς μίαν οὐ- σίαν" ἵνα μήτε ἡ πολυθεῖα χώραν ἔχῃ ἐχ τῆς τῶν φύ- σεων διαφορᾶς " μή3᾽ ἡ Ἰουδαϊχὴ ὑπόνοια ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς προσώπου. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ταυτότης τῆς φύσεως, ὑπο- στάσεσι διαιρεῖται " ἡ δὲ τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἰδιότης, εἰς μίαν οὐσίαν συνάπτεται. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ πάντ᾽ εἰς μέσον φέροντες μηχύνωμεν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, ἕν ἣ δεύ- τερον μεταχειρισάμενοι, χαὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ὁδὸν ἔἐρμη- νείας ἀνατέμωμεν. Φησὶν ὁ Θεός" « Ἐγὼ πρῶτος, χαὶ ἐγὼ μετὰ ταῦτα" ἔμπροσθέν μου οὐχ ἐγένετο ἄλλος Θεὸς, χαὶ μετ᾽ ἐμὲ οὐχ ἔσται. » Τί οὖν ἂν φαῖεν οἱ ἑτερόδοξοι; τίς ἄρ᾽ ἐστὶν ὁ τοῦτο φράσας ; ὁ Πατὴρ ἣ ὁ Υἱός ; Εἰ μὲν οὖν ὁ Πατὴρ, πῶς φησι μὴ εἶναι μετ᾽ αὐτόν; χαθ᾽ ὑμᾶς γὰρ, μετ᾽ αὐτόν ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός. Εἰ δὲ ὁ Υἱός ἔστιν ὁ εἰπὼν, πῶς φησιν, «Ἔμπροσθέν ἘΡΙΒΤΟΙΑΒΕῸΜ . ]. -- ΕΡΙ5Τ, ΟΧΗΙ. ΟΧΙ. --- ΟΑ5510 ΡΙΙΕΒΒΥΤΕΠΟ. Μυϊὶ οχ εἷ8, ρϑηρΟΓ ἢ ΟΙΡΔ ΠῚ 5ΟΘΡΘΓΌΗΙ, (ἢ ρτίναιινν 4υϑίαπι (Δ δπὶ ἀδδίμυπι. ἰϑυἀ- αυσᾳιϑι ἱπιϊ τὶ οροτιοθῖ, Ὑδῦυτὴ σογγίξογα, , υἱ διηρ αἰϊᾳφυϊα ἀΐσδι!, ἰαπᾳυϑπὶ ροβε [ γ05 ἢ ΟΙΠἰ ἴυφοτα. ΠΠογαπὶ δαΐπὶ ραυρεγιδίοιη, ουἱ τπηοὐοτὶ ἀ6- θθιηὶ, οχυϊοογδηί. ΟΧΊΙ. ---- ΑἸΥΡΙΟ. θιυ5» ἴῃ ϑουιριυγὶβ β8ογὶ8 δἰ πρι γον ἀΐοσία βυηῖ, ἀϊνίηδι ηἠδίθγαιη ποίδῃϊ ἐν νδἰσοΐυμ! (ΠΟΠ [8η- εἶα δηΐηι βυπηηθαι8 Γαρία αϑἱ βαποία γί ); δυΐοιη Βυργα 5ἰπρη γα πο γυηὶ δηθη δ)πϊ, ρογϑοηάγυπι ἀἰβογίινθη δχργιμθμηί. ὈΪν . Θηΐην ἦτ [Γ68 ροΓβ0188 δ] αἰλιΓ : Τιιγθαπι ἴὰ ὑΠ8Πὶ Β ο556πιἴδπι σοπιγδὨΐιαγ : πἰῖγαν ἢ6 ῥἰαγίθιν ἀδογιπι . εὐτὺς. οὐ πιυγάγια αἰ Π ποι [-- οὐπὶ ἰᾶῦθϑι, μας δυύαὶοδ η1 Οἷ» υη8Π Ρ690 - πᾶπὶ. ϑἰαυϊάσδην παίαγβ ἰάδηι ΡῸΓ ρΟΓ801848 υἱ- διϊσυΐ αν, ἃ6. ΓΙΓΒΌΠῚ ΡΕΓΒΟΙΔΓΌΙΏ ρτοργίοιλ8. ἤὰ 5η8πι 6βεδηι πη ΟΟΡΟΪΆ1ΠΙΓ. Α΄ς πὸ οπηηΐὰ ἴῃ Ἰηοά τν ΡΓουΐδγθηιθθ, πἰμ . μιο χα δορὶ ϑιοἰη τοάάληνυς, ὑπ δὺϊ ἈΠ 6τιη ἀυπίαχαϊ ἰσσὰπι υὐδοίϑι , ΓΟ] - οἰΐαιπ ἱπιογργοίδιϊοι υἱὰπὶ ἀρογίθμ . ΑἸὶ θδι8: ε« Ερο θείην, οἱ οθοὸ βοβίθα, ἢ16 ἤθη [υἷι θδυ5, οἱ ροβῖ 'η6 ποη οδτὶι ν᾿. » Οιυι᾽ ἃ Ἰφίτεν ἀϊχαγίπι ηυἱ βθέῃϑ δὲ ποὸ8 βθηϊῃ1 ὕτογ ἐδὶ αυὶ ἰιος ἀϊχὶι Ρδίογηρ, δι ΕἸ δὶ Ῥδίθὺ, 4ηῃονᾶι ποήο ποιοίη δἰ" Ροϑὶ αἷϊ θ)ὲ νϑϑίγᾷ δηἶπὶ βοηιθηϊΐα ΕἾΠ08 ροδβίθγιοῦ δϑῖ. δ] δηίθηι βου οὐχ ἐγένετο ἄλλος Θεός; » Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τολμήσετε ( ΕἾΝ ᾿ΝὩς τατθδ δυηῖ, φιοηδπι ρᾷ610 αἰχὶϊ, « Ατιὸ θστέρου τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἀνελεῖν, Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ χαὶ δεύτερον ἐδογματίσατε. Τὸ δὲ μὴ εἶναι θάτερον, οὐδ᾽ ἐννοῆσαι, ὡς οἶμαι, ἀνάσχοισθε. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὴν ὁμοούσιον Τριάδα, χαὶ τοῦτο χαὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἰχλαμδάνοντες εὐσεθοῦμεν" ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ διαιροῦντες πῶς ἑρμηνεύσετε τὸ εἰρημένον ; Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν περὶ τούτων εἰρήσθω. “Ἥξωμεν δὲ χαὶ εἰς τὰ τὸν ἑνιχὸν ἀριθμὸν ὑπερδαίνοντα. « Ποιήσωμεν, φησὶν, ἄνθρω- πον. Καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον" χατ᾽ εἰ- κόνα Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόν. » --- ε Καὶ ἔθρεξε Κύριος παρὰ Κυρίου πῦρ χαὶ θεῖον. » -- « Καὶ Κύριος ὁ ϑεός σον, Κύριος εἷς ἔστι, ν Τί οὖν ἂν φαῖ:ν ἐνταῦθα Ἰουδαῖοι; Ἡμῖν μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ἐναντιοῦτα: οὐδὲν, τοῖς τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις μίαν οὐσίαν ὁριζομένοις - αὖ - 'θ6 πόῃ [Ἃυἰἰ [ θουβὴ » Νοη δηΐπὶ ργοίεοιο [ν8ς- εὐἀδοία οΥὶιἶ8, υἱ ΔΙ (6Υ γῆ ρμαγϑυμάῃν ( . ΡῪ[- ᾿0πΔ δε δϑοιπάιϊ «εἰθοι5ι158. Ὁ μοι] αυΐϊθηὶ αἰιδγαῖον ἰογυηὶ πη ,, πὲ οὐφ!διίοια αυϊύσιῃ ΟΡίμοῦ, ἤηζογα δυδιϊ . ΝῸ8 δι. εὐ κυ ἢ» δβίδη ἰδ! Τυϊηΐϊαι6 τὸ ᾿ΟΟ, τ . ᾿Ι0 . ., - εἰρίδι!, ρα δϑηϊυ5. Υο8 δυίΐει), Θδϑθηιίϑιῃ ἠϊδιϊησυϊιῖ5, φυοηδπὶ ὑ86 πὸ ἰθουπὶ Θχροποι ὅ΄ Α΄ εἰ [ φιυΐϊάδην ἃ πο ε[ 5ἰη1. γα ϊδηυδ. ἦλιη δὲ 4φυοφυδ, φυϑδ δἰ πφιδγθι συ πη6 γι ΘΧΟ6- ἄυμι. ε« Εποίδινι! Ποιλΐπαπὶ ,» ἰπηυϊί, ε« Εἰ [6οἷϊ Πδιι8 ον δ : ἃ πα ρίμοπι [6ο1 δα ᾽". ».ὄ Ας τιγϑυηι : ε Εἰ ρίυ! θομιΐυ8 ἃ Ποιηΐῆο ἰβπθιι οἱ δι "..» Εἰ ἰοοο : ς« δοιιίηυβ Ὠδυ5 ἴυ15, τῶν δὲ παντελῶς ἀποχλείει τὰ στόματα. Δῆλον οὖν ἢ θοπιίπυβ υὑπυ5 ". » Οἱ ἰρίτον "εἰς ἀΐσοτο ΄συδαηι ἐχ τούτων ὡς ἀναμφισθήτητός ἐστιν ὁ τῇς Ἐχχλη- αἰας στέφανος. δυΐιεὶ ἢ Νῥηιι8 δπὶπὶ πΟἰ ν᾽ , ΕΓῸΒ βαῦβοι δ Δ[( Π δυυδίιπι ) ΠΟΙ δ. ΠΛ ,
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