Gregory of Nazianzus, De Spiritu Sancto (Orat. 31), Arthur James Mason (Translator), 13

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Ἥκει δὲ ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος ἐπ’ αὐτὸ τὸ κεφάλαιον· καὶ στένω μέν, ὅτι πάλαι τεθνηκὸς ζήτημα, καὶ τῆ πίστει
παραχωρῆσαν, νῦν ἀνακαινίζεται· στῆναι δὲ ὅμως ἀναγκαῖον πρὸς τοὺς λογολέσχας, καὶ μὴ ἐρήμην ἁλῶναι, λόγον ἔχοντας, καὶ συνηγοροῦντας πνεύματι. εἰ θεός, φησι, καὶ θεός, καὶ θεός, πῶς οὐχὶ τρεῖς θεοί; ἢ πῶς οὐ πολυαρχία τὸ δοξαζόμενον ; ταῦτα τίνες; οἱ τελεώτεροι τὴν ἀσέβειαν,
ἢ καὶ οἱ τῆς δευτέρας μερίδος, λέγω δὲ τοὺς περὶ τὸν υἱόν πὼς εὐγνώμονας ; ὁ μὲν γὰρ κοινός μοι πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους λόγος, ὁ δὲ πρὸς τούτους ἴδιος. ὁ μὲν οὖν πρὸς τούτους τοιοῦτος. τί φατε τοῖς τριθείταις ἡμῖν οἱ τὸν υἱὸν σέβοντες, ¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹¹¹² εἰ καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀφεστήκατε ; ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐ διθεῖται ; εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀρνεῖσθε καὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς τὴν προσκύνησιν, σαφῶς τέταχθε μετὰ τῶν ἐναντίων· καὶ τί φιλανθρωπευόμεθα πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὡς οὐ πάντῃ νενεκρωμένους ; εἰ δὲ σέβεσθε,
καὶ μέχρι τούτου διάκεισθε σωτηρίως, ὑμᾶς ἐρωτήσομεν· τίς ὁ λόγος τῆς διθείασ ὑμῖν, ἂν τοῦτο ἐγκαλῆσθε ; εἰ ἔστι λόγος συνέσεως, ἀποκρίθητε, δότε καὶ ἡμῖν ὁδὸν ἀποκρίσεως. οἷς γὰρ ἂν ὑμεῖς τὴν διθείαν ἀποκρούσησθε λόγοις, οὗτοι καὶ ἡμῖν κατὰ τῆς τριθείασ ἀρκέσουσι. καὶ οὕτω νικῶμεν,
ὑμῖν τοῖς κατηγόροις συνηγόροις χρώμενοι· οὗ τί γενναιοτερον ;

De Spiritu Sancto (Orat. 31). Gregory of Nazianzus. Arthur James Mason (Translator). Germany. 2014.

Current edition First1KGreek

De Spiritu Sancto (Orat. 31) (Greek) (Gregory of Nazianzus. The Five Theological Orations. Mason, Arthur James, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1899.)

Notes on the current edition

De Spiritu Sancto (Orat. 31)

1. 13, 8 φησι] φασι cdf

2. 1. τὸ πᾶν ἔσῃ καθ’.] Cp. § 4.

3. 2. βέλτιον μικράν] ‘Better to have a notion of the union, incomplete, than to venture upon such thorough-going ungodliness.’

4. 13. It is painful to revive a long-dead controversy; but I must defend myself against the charge of Tritheism. It is brought against us both by those who go all lengths in unbelief, and by some who are fairly orthodox with regard to the Son. To the latter I would say that they are equally open to the charge of Ditheism.

5. 4. ἐπ’ αὐτὸ κεφ.] ‘to the fundamental question itself,’ viz. how reconcile the Godhead of the Three Persons with the unity of God.

6. 5. τῆ πίστει παραχ.] ‘that had yielded to faith.’

7. 7. λογολέσχας] like ἀδολέσχας, ‘praters.’

8. ib. μὴ ἐρ. ἁλῶναι] a law term, freq. in Demosth., ‘to have judgment given against us by default.’ agrees with δίκην understood, which is a kind of cognate ace. alter ἁλῶναι.

9. ib. λόγον ἔχ.] used m a kind of double sense, which after all is but one; ‘to have the Word,’ and have reason.’

10. 9. πολυαρχία τὸ δ.] ‘how can the object which you glorify not be polytheistic?’ Cp. iii 2.

11. 10. ταῦτα τίνες·] ‘who is it that says this? Is it those who go the whole length of ungodliness?’ i.e. Arians and the Eunomians? ‘or is it, as may well be the case (καί), who belong to the second division, and are more or less right-minded with regard to the Son?’ Cp. § 1 περὶ τὸν υἱὸν μετριάζοντες. Gr. asks, because part of his argument will apply to both sections, and part — that which comes next — only to the latter.

12. 14. τί φατε] ‘What do you say to us Tritheists?’ i.e. What argument can you urge against us, whom you call Tritheists, which will not equally apply to yourselves, who worship the Son, even if you have departed from the Spirit?

Gregory of Nazianzus De Spiritu Sancto (Orat. 31) 13

Arthur James Mason (Translator)

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