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

varied at Seleucia, at Constantinople, at Zela, 3109 at Lampsacus, and at Rome. My present
creed is not different from the former; it has remained ever one and the same. As we received
from the Lord, so are we baptized; as we are baptized, so we make profession of our faith;
as we make profession of our faith, so do we offer our doxology, not separating the Holy
Ghost from Father and Son, nor preferring Him in honour to the Father, or asserting Him
to be prior to the Son, as blasphemers’ tongues invent. 3110 Who could be so rash as to reject
the Lord’s commandment, and boldly devise an order of his own for the Names? But I do
not call the Spirit, Who is ranked with Father and Son, a creature. I do not dare to call
slavish that which is royal. 3111 And I beseech you to remember the threat uttered by the
Lord in the words, “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men, neither in this world,
neither in the world to come.” 3112 Keep yourselves from dangerous teaching against the
Spirit. “Stand fast in the faith.” 3113 Look over all the world, and see how small the part is
which is unsound. All the rest of the Church which has received the Gospel. from one end
of the world to the other, abides in this sound and unperverted doctrine. From their communion
I pray that I may never fall, and I pray that I may have part and lot with you in the
righteous day of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He shall come to give to every one according
to his conduct.
3109 cf. Letter ccxxvi. p. 268.
3110 cf. De Sp. S. chap. xii. p. 18.
3111 cf. Ps. li. 12, LXX.
3112 Matt. xii. 31, 32.
3113 1 Cor. xvi. 13.
To the people of Evæsæ.
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