Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers Series 2 - The Still Small ...

in Himself bestowing on them that love the vision of the truth the power of beholding the
Image, not making the exhibition from without, but in Himself leading on to the full
knowledge. “No man knoweth the Father save the Son.” 1106 And so “no man can say that
Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost.” 1107 For it is not said through the Spirit, but by
the Spirit, and “God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and
in truth,” 1108 as it is written “in thy light shall we see light,” 1109 namely by the illumination
of the Spirit, “the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” 1110 It
results that in Himself He shows the glory of the Only begotten, and on true worshippers
He in Himself bestows the knowledge of God. Thus the way of the knowledge of God lies
from One Spirit through the One Son to the One Father, and conversely the natural Goodness
and the inherent Holiness and the royal Dignity extend from the Father through the Onlybegotten
to the Spirit. Thus there is both acknowledgment of the hypostases and the true
dogma of the Monarchy is not lost. 1111 They on the other hand who support their subnumeration
by talking of first and second and third ought to be informed that into the undefiled
theology of Christians they are importing the polytheism of heathen error. No other
result can be achieved by the fell device of sub-numeration than the confession of a first, a
second, and a third God. For us is sufficient the order prescribed by the Lord. He who
confuses this order will be no less guilty of transgressing the law than are the impious heathen.
Enough has been now said to prove, in contravention of their error, that the communion
of Nature is in no wise dissolved by the manner of sub-numeration. Let us, however, make
a concession to our contentious and feeble minded adversary, and grant that what is second
to anything is spoken of in sub-numeration to it. Now let us see what follows. “The first
man” it is said “is of the earth earthy, the second man is the Lord from heaven.” 1112 Again
1106 Matt. xi. 27, “οὐδεὶς οἶδε τὸν πατέρα εἰ μὴ ὁ Υἱ& 231·ς” substituted for “οὐ δὲ τὸν πατέρα τὶς ἐπιγνώσκει
εἰ μὴ ὁ Υἱ& 231·ς.”
1107 1 Cor. xii. 3.
1108 John iv. 24.
1109 Ps. xxxvi. 9.
1110 John i. 9.
1111 cf. note on p. 27 and the distinction between δόγμα and κήουγμα in § 66. “The great objection which
the Eastern Church makes to the Filioque is, that it implies the existence of two ἀρχαὶ in the godhead; and if we
believe in δύο ἄναρχοι; we, in effect, believe in two Gods. The unity of the Godhead can only be maintained by
acknowledging the Father to be the sole ᾽Αρχὴ or πηγὴ θεοτήτος, who from all eternity has communicated His
own Godhead to His co-eternal and consubstantial Son and Spirit. This reasoning is generally true. But, as the
doctrine of the Procession of the Spirit from the Father and the Son presupposes the eternal generation of the
Son from the Father; it does not follow, that that doctrine impugns the Catholic belief in the Μία ᾽Αρχή.” Bp.
Harold Browne, Exp. xxxix Art., Note on Art v.
1112 1 Cor. xv. 47.
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