A then indeed made them, but now also us—and this for your sake—sufficient to be ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. You also know for certain that it is the property of a faithful minister, that whatever he has been entrusted by the good Master to dispense to his fellow-servants, these same things he should preserve for them undefiled and unadulterated. Wherefore I too, what I have learned from the divinely inspired Scripture, am bound to set before you in accordance with what is pleasing to God, for the common benefit. For if the Lord Himself, in whom the Father is well pleased, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, having received all power and all judgment from the Father, says: A commandment He gave me, what I should say and what I should speak; and again: What I speak, therefore, as the Father has said to me, so I speak; and if the Holy Spirit does not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears from Him, that He speaks: by how much greater right will it be both pious and secure for us to think and do this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ? B Therefore, while it was necessary to struggle against the heresies that arose at various times, following the examples of our predecessors, I considered it consistent, having regard for the impiety being sown by the devil, to restrain by opposing terms, or even to overthrow, the blasphemies being introduced; and at times I used other words, as the need of the suffering required, which, even if they were not often found written, yet did not depart from the pious sense of Scripture: which the Apostle also often did, who did not disdain to use Greek terms appropriately for his own purpose. But now, it seemed to me to conform to our common goal, both mine and yours, to fulfill in the simplicity of the sound faith the instruction of your love in Christ, by saying what I have learned from the divinely inspired Scripture; being sparing of those names and words that are not found in the divine Scripture in their very letters, yet preserving the meaning that is contained therein; but as for those which, in addition to the strangeness of the expression, also introduce into us a meaning that is foreign and not found to be proclaimed C by the saints, these I utterly reject as strange and foreign to the pious faith. Faith, therefore, is the unquestioning assent to what has been heard, the truth of those things which have been preached by the gift of God, D
A which Abraham demonstrated when he was testified to, in that he did not waver in unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that he who had promised is powerful also to perform. But if the Lord is faithful in all His words, and all His commandments are faithful, established for ever and ever, done in truth and uprightness, then it is a manifest falling away from the faith and an indictment of pride either to reject any of the things which are written or to introduce anything that is not written, since our Lord Jesus Christ says, "My sheep hear My voice," and before that He said, "They will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." And the Apostle, taking an example from men, forbids with greater vehemence the adding or taking away of anything in the divinely inspired Scriptures, by these words: "Though it is a man’s covenant, yet no one annuls it or adds to it."
2. B We have therefore determined to flee now, as we always have, from every voice and notion that is alien to the teaching of the Lord, since the scope which, as I said before, is set before us now and before you, differs greatly from those arguments by which we were previously led to write or to speak in one way or another. For then we were intent upon the refutation of heresy and the subversion of the devil's craft, but now the plain confession and manifestation of sound faith is before us. So, the same style of discourse does not befit us now. For just as a man C who is about to do battle and one who is about to apply himself to agriculture do not take into their hands the same instruments (for the instruments of those who live in security and toil to provide necessities for themselves are one thing, and the armaments of those who are arrayed in war are another), so he who encourages in sound doctrine and he who refutes those who contradict cannot use the same style of discourse. For one style of discourse is used for refutation, and another for exhortation. The simplicity of those who confess their piety in peace is one thing, and the sweats of those who stand against the discrepancies of falsely named knowledge are another. Wherefore we, too, by ordering our D speeches with judgment in this way, will everywhere employ what is appropriate and consonant for the keeping or the building up of the faith; resisting more valiantly those who attempt to destroy it by the devil's artifice, but explaining it more simply and familiarly to those who wish to be built up in it, doing nothing else than what was said by the Apostle: "Know how you ought to answer each one." But before coming to the confession itself of the
A faith, it is also worthy of note that the majesty and glory of God, since it is ineffable in speech and incomprehensible to the mind, could not be declared or understood by a single word or thought; but the divinely inspired Scripture, through many terms suited to our usage, has—with difficulty and as though through a mirror—dimly shadowed it forth for those who are pure in heart. For the face-to-face vision and the perfect knowledge have been promised to be rendered to the worthy in the age to come. But now, even if one be Paul, or even Peter, he sees indeed truly what he sees, and he does not err, nor is he deceived by imagination, yet he sees as through a mirror B and in a riddle, and receiving with thanksgiving what is now in part, he awaits with great joy what is perfect in the future. This the Apostle Paul confirms, constructing his argument in a certain way like this: "Just as, when I was a child," but recently taught the first elements of the oracles of God, "I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; but when I became a man," and am hastening to reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, "I have put away the things of a child." And I have had such progress and improvement in the understanding of divine things, that while the knowledge in the Jewish worship is to be likened to the stirrings of a childish mind, the knowledge acquired through the Gospel is becoming to a man now perfect in all respects. Thus, in comparison with the knowledge that will be revealed to the worthy in the age to come, even that which now seems perfect in knowledge is so small and much dimmer, that it falls short of the clarity of the age to come just as much as C seeing through a mirror and in a riddle falls short of the face-to-face vision. The disciples of the Lord, around blessed Peter and John, also confirm this, certifying by their own ever-increasing progress and advance toward what is greater in this present life that the knowledge kept in the age to come is no less transcendent. They who, after having been deemed worthy of the Lord's election, of their life with Him, of their mission from Him, and of the distribution of spiritual gifts, and after having heard: "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," and after such knowledge, after the revelation of things hidden from the rest, were nevertheless later on, concerning the very [nature] of the Lord himself.
A hearing: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."
3. From these and similar [examples] we learn that whereas the divinely inspired Scripture knows of the immensity of knowledge, it also knows that human nature is, in this life, unequal to the task of attaining the divine mysteries. For each person always progresses more and more, yet there is no one who ever reaches that ultimate summit, until "that which is perfect" comes, when "that which is in part shall be done away." Therefore, since no single name is sufficient to declare all the glories of God at once, nor is any individual name B assumed without danger. For if one says, "God," he has not declared "Father"; and with "Father," the term "Creator" is lacking. And to these, again, one needs "goodness," "wisdom," "power," and the rest that are found in the Holy Scripture. Conversely, if we take the word "Father" in its full sense, as used among us, and apply it to God, we think impiously; for it suggests passion, seminal generation, ignorance, infirmity, and other things of this kind. Similarly, the same must be said of "Creator." For its notion among us requires time, matter, instruments, and C aids; but a pious opinion of God must be as free as possible from all of these, as far as is lawful for man. For even if all minds were to join together in the search, and all tongues were to run to the task of declaring Him, yet no one, as I have said, could ever attain this according to the merit of the matter. This thought is clearly set before our eyes by the most wise Solomon, when he says: "I said, I will be wise: and this was far from me, deeper than it was"; not that it flees, but that it seems most incomprehensible to those to whom, by the grace of God, a greater D knowledge has been granted. Wherefore Holy Scripture necessarily uses many names and words to express some part—and that an obscure one—of the divine glory. Now, because you are pressing us, we have neither the ability nor the leisure to collect everything that has been said everywhere in divine Scripture concerning the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; but yet, if we set forth a few things from among the whole, we believe that your conscience will be satisfied, both that our opinion, resting upon the Scriptures, may become known, and that your own [opinion] and that of those who desire it [may be confirmed] for us. For as the many things declare to us one pious concept, so too from the few, I think, the sensible person recognizes the piety in all of them. [alt-version omitted]
A 4. We believe, therefore, and confess one only true and good God, and Father almighty, from whom are all things; the God and Father of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. And one only-begotten Son of His, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, alone true, by whom all things were made, both visible and invisible; and in whom all things consist: who in the beginning was with God, and was God; and after these things, according to the Scripture, was seen upon earth, and conversed with men: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, and by His birth from the Virgin, taking the form of a servant, and being found in fashion as a man, fulfilled all things which were written in Him and concerning Him, according to the commandment of the Father, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And after He had risen from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures, He was seen by His holy disciples, and by the rest, as it is written; and He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father; from whence He shall come at the completion of this age to raise all, and to render to every one according to his works: when the just indeed shall be taken up into eternal life and the kingdom of heaven, but the sinners shall be condemned to eternal punishment, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And one only Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, in whom we were sealed unto the day of redemption; the Spirit of truth, the B Spirit of adoption, in whom we cry: Abba, Father; who distributes and works the gifts which proceed from God to each one according to what is profitable, as He wills; who teaches and reminds of all things, whatsoever He may hear from the Son; who is good, who leads into all truth, and establishes all those who believe toward a sure knowledge, and an accurate confession, and a pious service, and a spiritual and true adoration of God the Father, and of His only-begotten Son, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, and of Himself; the property of each name clearly explaining to us the one who is named, C and concerning each of those who are named, certain particular properties being surely considered in a pious manner, the Father indeed in the property of the Father, D the Son indeed in the property of the Son, but the Holy Spirit in the property of the Holy Spirit.
Neither does the Holy Spirit speak from Himself, nor does the Son do anything from Himself. The Father sends the Son, and the Son sends the Holy Spirit. Thus we think, and thus we baptize into the consubstantial Trinity A according to the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who said: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." If we observe these things, we show our love for Him, and we are deemed worthy to remain in it, as it is written; but if we do not observe them, we are convicted of having a contrary disposition. For "he who does not love me," says the Lord, "does not keep my words." And again: "He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me."
5. B I marvel, indeed, exceedingly, that while our Lord Jesus Christ Himself says: "Do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice because your names are written in heaven," and again: "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another," the Apostle, proving the necessity of love in all things, testifies, saying: "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." And a little later: "Whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish," and the rest, to which he adds: "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." C Since, therefore, these and such like things are determined by both the Lord and the Apostle, I marvel, I say, how men pursue the things that are to be destroyed and to cease with such zeal and eagerness, while as for the things that remain—and especially love, the greatest of all, which constitutes the Christian by its own proper character—they not only take no care of them themselves, but even oppose those who do take care, and while fighting against them, fulfill what is written: "They neither enter themselves, nor do they allow those who are entering to go in." Wherefore, I exhort D you and I beseech you, that abandoning curious investigation, leaving aside
unseemly wars of words, you should be content with the things spoken by the saints and by the Lord himself, and should think things worthy of the heavenly calling; and that you should live in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, in the hope of eternal life and the heavenly kingdom, which is prepared for all who keep the commandments of God and the Father, which are according to the Gospel of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit and in truth. Being reminded of these things by your reverence, we deemed it necessary and incumbent upon us, in these last words, to make our own mind manifest to you, and through you to the brethren in Christ, for the assurance of both you and them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that by no means should the mind of any be swayed by the difference in the things set forth by us at various times—things which we were always constrained to set forth in response to arguments against the truth brought by its opponents B—nor should anyone be disturbed by the opposition of those who wish to attribute to us things alien, or who frequently, in order to draw away the simpler-minded, attribute to us their own errors in opposition to our position; you must necessarily beware of these people, as men alien to the evangelical and apostolic faith and love. You must remember the Apostle, who said: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel to you other than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed" (Galat. 1, 8); so that, keeping also that commandment, "Beware of false prophets" (Matth. 7, 15); and that, "Withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in disorder, and not according to the tradition which they received from us" (II Thess. 3, 6); we may walk according to the rule of the saints, as being "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, C Jesus Christ our Lord himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephes. 2, 20). May the God of peace sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Thess. 5, 23). Faithful is God who calls you, who will also do it, if we keep his commandments, by the grace of Christ in the Holy Spirit. D
6. Concerning those things that pertain to a sound faith.