There is one God, the Father of the living Word, who is His subsistent Wisdom and Power and Eternal Image: perfect Begetter of the perfect Begotten, Father of the only-begotten Son. There is one Lord, Only of the Only, God of God, Image and Likeness of Deity, Efficient Word, Wisdom comprehensive of the constitution of all things, and Power formative of the whole creation, true Son of true Father, Invisible of Invisible, and Incorruptible of Incorruptible, and Immortal of Immortal and Eternal of Eternal. And there is One Holy Spirit, having His subsistence from God, and being made manifest by the Son, to wit to men: Image of the Son, Perfect Image of the Perfect; Life, the Cause of the living; Holy Fount; Sanctity, the Supplier, or Leader, of Sanctification; in whom is manifested God the Father, who is above all and in all, and God the Son, who is through all. There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty, neither divided nor estranged. Wherefore there is nothing either created or in servitude in the Trinity; nor anything superinduced, as if at some former period it was non-existent, and at some later period it was introduced. And thus neither was the Son ever wanting to the Father, nor the Spirit to the Son; but without variation and without change, the same Trinity abides ever.

What man of sound mind, therefore, will affirm, while such is our character, that we are murderers? For we cannot eat human flesh till we have killed some one. The former charge, therefore, being false, if any one should ask them in regard to the second, whether they have seen what they assert, not one of them would be so barefaced as to say that he had. And yet we have slaves, some more and some fewer, by whom we could not help being seen; but even of these, not one has been found to invent even such things against us. For when they know that we cannot endure even to see a man put to death, though justly; who of them can accuse us of murder or cannibalism? Who does not reckon among the things of greatest interest the contests of gladiators and wild beasts, especially those which are given by you? But we, deeming that to see a man put to death is much the same as killing him, have abjured such spectacles. How, then, when we do not even look on, lest we should contract guilt and pollution, can we put people to death? And when we say that those women who use drugs to bring on abortion commit murder, and will have to give an account to God for the abortion, on what principle should we commit murder? For it does not belong to the same person to regard the very foetus in the womb as a created being, and therefore an object of God’s care, and when it has passed into life, to kill it; and not to expose an infant, because those who expose them are chargeable with child-murder, and on the other hand, when it has been reared to destroy it. But we are in all things always alike and the same, submitting ourselves to reason, and not ruling over it. — Chapter XXXV. The Christians Condemn and Detest All Cruelty.

Pastors are set over the flock, and give the sheep the food of life. Whosoever is watchful, and toils in behalf of his sheep, is careful for his flock, and is the disciple of our Good Shepherd, who gave Himself in behalf of His sheep (John 10:11). And whosoever brings not back his flock carefully, is likened to the hireling who has no care for the sheep. Be like, O Pastors, to those righteous Pastors of old. Jacob fed the sheep of Laban, and guarded them and toiled and was watchful, and so received the reward. For Jacob said to Laban:—”Lo! twenty years am I with you. Your sheep and your flocks I have not robbed and the males of your sheep I have not eaten. That which was broken I did not bring unto you, but you required it at my hands! In the daytime the heat devoured me and the cold by night. (Gen. 31:38,40) My sleep departed from my eyes. Observe, you Pastors, that Pastor, how he cared for his flock. He used to watch in the night-time to guard it and was vigilant; and he used to toil in the daytime to feed it. As Jacob was a pastor, so Joseph was a pastor and his brethren were pastors. Moses was a pastor, and David also was a pastor. So Amos was a pastor. These all were pastors who fed the sheep and led them well. — Demonstration X

O John, who sawest the Spirit,—”that abode on the head of the Son,—”to show how the Head of the Highest—”went down and was baptized—”and came up to be Head on earth!—”Children of the Spirit you have thus become,—”and Christ has become for you the Head:—”you also have become His members.

Consider and see how exalted you are;—”how instead of the river Jordan—”you have glorious Baptism, wherein is peace;—”spreading her wings to shade your bodies.—”In the wilderness John baptized:—”in Her pure flood of Baptism,—”purely are you baptized therein.

Infants think when they see its glory,—”that by its pomp its might is enhanced.—”But it is the same, and within itself—”is not divided.—”But the might which never waxes less or greater—”in us is little or again great;—”and he in whom is great understanding,—”great in him is Baptism.

A man’s knowledge, if it be exalted,—”exalted also is his degree above his brethren;—”and he whose faith is great,—”so also is his promise;—”and as is his wisdom, so also his crowning.—”As is the light, which though it be all goodly—”and equal all of it with itself,—”yet goodlier is one eye than another.

Jesus mingled His might in the water:—”put Him on my brethren as discerning men!—”For there are that in the water merely—”perceive that they are washed. With our body be our soul washed!—”The manifest water let the body perceive,—”and the soul the secret might;—”that both to the manifest and to the secret you may be made like!

How beautiful is Baptism—”in the eye of the heart; come, let us gaze on it!—”Like as by a seal you have been moulded;—”receive its image,—”that nought may be lacking to us of our image!—”For the sheep that are white of heart—”gaze on the glory that is in the water:—”in your souls reflect it!

Water is by nature as a mirror,—”for one who in it examines himself.—”Stir up your soul, you that discern —” and be like it!—”For it in its midst reflects your image;—”from it, on it, find an example;—”gaze in it on Baptism,—”and put on the beauty that is hidden therein!

What profits it him that hears—”a voice and knows not its significance?—”Whoso hears a voice and is devoid—”of the understanding thereof,—”his ear is filled but his soul is empty.—”Lo! since the gift is abundant,—”with discernment receive it.

Baptism that is with understanding—”is the conjunction of two lights,—”and rich are the fountains of its rays.—”……—”And the darkness that is on the mind departs,—”and the soul beholds Him in beauty,—”the hidden Christ of glory,—”and grieves when the glory fails.

Baptism without understanding—”is a treasure full yet empty;—”since he that receives it is poor in it,—”for he understands not—”how great are its riches into which he enters and dwells.—”For great is the gift within it,—”though the mean man perceives not—”that he is exalted even as it.

Open wide your minds and see, my brethren,—”the secret column in the air, whose base is fixed from the midst of the water—”unto the door of the Highest Place, like the ladder that Jacob saw.—”Lo! by it came down the light unto Baptism,—”and by it the soul goes up to Heaven,—”that in one love we may be mingled.

Our Lord when he was baptized by John—”sent forth twelve fountains;—”and they issued forth and cleansed by their streams—”the defilement of the peoples.—”His worshippers are made white like His garments,—”the garments in Tabor and the body in the water.—”Instead of the garments the peoples are made white,—”and have become for Him a clothing of glory.

From your garments learn, my brethren,—”how your members should be kept.—”For if the garment, which ever so many times—”may be made clean,—”is duly kept for the sake of its comeliness,—”the body which has but one baptism—”manifold more exceeding is the care of its keeping,—”for manifold are its dangers.

Again the sun in a house that is strait,—”is straitened therein though he be great:—”but in a house that is goodly and large,—”when he rises thereon—”far and wide in it he spreads his rays;—”and though the sun is one and the same in his nature,—”in various houses he undergoes changes:—”Even so our Lord in various men. — Hymn 9

This is He Who was begotten from the Godhead according to His nature, and from manhood not after His nature, and from baptism not after His custom; that we might be begotten from manhood according to our nature, and from Godhead not after our nature, and by the Spirit not after our custom. He then was begotten from the Godhead, He that came to a second birth; in order to bring us to the birth that is discoursed of, even His generation from the Father:—”not that it should be searched out, but that it should be believed;—”and His birth from the woman, not that it should be despised, but that it should be exalted.

It has come to the knowledge of the holy and great Synod that, in some districts and cities, the deacons administer the Eucharist to the presbyters, whereas neither canon nor custom permits that they who have no right to offer should give the Body of Christ to them that do offer. And this also has been made known, that certain deacons now touch the Eucharist even before the bishops. Let all such practices be utterly done away, and let the deacons remain within their own bounds, knowing that they are the ministers of the bishop and the inferiors of the presbyters. Let them receive the Eucharist according to their order, after the presbyters, and let either the bishop or the presbyter administer to them. Furthermore, let not the deacons sit among the presbyters, for that is contrary to canon and order. And if, after this decree, any one shall refuse to obey, let him be deposed from the diaconate. — Canon 18

The Apostles therefore, as we have said, being about to separate in order to preach the Gospel, settled upon this sign or token of their agreement in the faith; and, unlike the sons of Noah, who, when they were about to separate from one another, built a tower of baked bricks and pitch, whose top might reach to heaven, they raised a monument of faith, which might withstand the enemy, composed of living stones and pearls of the Lord, such that neither winds might overthrow it, nor floods undermine it, nor the force of storms and tempests shake it. Right justly, then, were the former, when, on the eve of separation, they built a tower of pride, condemned to the confusion of tongues, so that no one might understand his neighbour’s speech; while the latter, who were building a tower of faith, were endowed with the knowledge and understanding of all languages; so that the one might prove a sign and token of sin, the other of faith.

The doctrines of the Gospel were well known to holy and blessed David in his capacity of Prophet, and although it was under the Law that he lived his bodily life, he yet filled, as far as in him lay, the requirements of the Apostolic behest and justified the witness borne to him by God in the words: I have found a man after My own heart, David, the son of Jesse. He did not avenge himself upon his foes by war, he did not oppose force of arms to those that laid wait for him, but after the pattern of the Lord, Whose name and Whose meekness alike he foreshadowed, when he was betrayed he entreated, when he was in danger he sang psalms, when he incurred hatred he rejoiced; and for this cause he was found a man after God’s own heart. For although twelve legions of angels might have come to the help of the Lord in His hour of passion, yet that He might perfectly fulfil His service of humble obedience, He surrendered Himself to suffering and weakness, only praying with the words: Father into Your hands I commend My spirit (Luke 23:46). After the same pattern, David, whose actual sufferings prophetically foretold the future sufferings of the Lord, opposed not his enemies either by word or act; in obedience to the command of the Gospel, he would not render evil for evil, in imitation of his Master’s meekness, in his affliction, in his betrayal, in his fight, he called upon the Lord and was content to use His weapons only in his contest with the ungodly.

Here surely is an answer to your question as to what is the starting-point, and what the goal: we begin in faith, and are made perfect by sight. This also is the sum of the whole body of doctrine. But the sure and proper foundation of the catholic faith is Christ. “For other foundation,” says the apostle, “can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Nor are we to deny that this is the proper foundation of the catholic faith, because it may be supposed that some heretics hold this in common with us. For if we carefully consider the things that pertain to Christ, we shall find that, among those heretics who call themselves Christians, Christ is present in name only: in deed and in truth He is not among them. — Chapter V