Oration XLI. On Pentecost.

 I.  Let us reason a little about the Festival, that we may keep it spiritually.  For different persons have different ways of keeping Festival but to

 II.  Wherefore we must keep the feast spiritually.  And this is the beginning of our discourse for we must speak, even if our speech do seem a little

 III.  As to the honour paid to Seven there are many testimonies, but we will be content with a few out of the many.  For instance, seven precious spir

 IV.  And if we must also look at ancient history, I perceive that Enoch, the seventh among our ancestors, was honoured by translation.  I perceive als

 V.  We are keeping the feast of Pentecost and of the Coming of the Spirit, and the appointed time of the Promise, and the fulfilment of our hope.  And

 VI.  They who reduce the Holy Spirit to the rank of a creature are blasphemers and wicked servants, and worst of the wicked.  For it is the part of wi

 VII.  If, my friends, you will not acknowledge the Holy Spirit to be uncreated, nor yet eternal clearly such a state of mind is due to the contrary s

 VIII.  Confess, my friends, the Trinity to be of One Godhead or if you will, of One Nature and we will pray the Spirit to give you this word God.  H

 IX.  The Holy Ghost, then, always existed, and exists, and always will exist.  He neither had a beginning, nor will He have an end but He was everlas

 X.  Are you labouring to bring forth objections?  Well, so am I to get on with my discourse.  Honour the Day of the Spirit restrain your tongue if yo

 XI.  He wrought first in the heavenly and angelic powers, and such as are first after God and around God.  For from no other source flows their perfec

 XII.  And therefore He came after Christ, that a Comforter should not be lacking unto us but Another Comforter, that you might acknowledge His co-equ

 XIII.  This was proclaimed by the Prophets in such passages as the following:—The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and, There shall rest upon Him Seven

 XIV.  This Spirit shares with the Son in working both the Creation and the Resurrection, as you may be shewn by this Scripture By the Word of the Lor

 XV.  They spoke with strange tongues, and not those of their native land and the wonder was great, a language spoken by those who had not learnt it. 

 XVI.  But as the old Confusion of tongues was laudable, when men who were of one language in wickedness and impiety, even as some now venture to be, w

 XVII.  Next, since it was to inhabitants of Jerusalem, most devout Jews, Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, Egyptians, and Libyans, Cretans too, and Arab

 XVIII.  These questions have been examined before by the studious, and perhaps not without occasion and whatever else any one may contribute at the p

XVI.  But as the old Confusion of tongues was laudable, when men who were of one language in wickedness and impiety, even as some now venture to be, were building the Tower;70    Gen. xi. 7. for by the confusion of their language the unity of their intention was broken up, and their undertaking destroyed; so much more worthy of praise is the present miraculous one.  For being poured from One Spirit upon many men, it brings them again into harmony.  And there is a diversity of Gifts, which stands in need of yet another Gift to discern which is the best, where all are praiseworthy.  And that division also might be called noble of which David says, Drown O Lord and divide their tongues.71    Ps. lv. 9.  Why?  Because they loved all words of drowning, the deceitful tongue.72    Ib. lii. 4.  Where he all but expressly arraigns the tongues of the present day73    Arians, Macedonians, and kindred sects. which sever the Godhead.  Thus much upon this point.

Ι#2ʹ. Πλὴν ἐπαινετὴ μὲν καὶ ἡ παλαιὰ διαίρεσις τῶν φωνῶν (ἡνίκα τὸν πύργον ᾠκοδόμουν οἱ κακῶς καὶ ἀθέως ὁμοφωνοῦντες, ὥσπερ καὶ τῶν νῦν τολμῶσί τινες): τῇ γὰρ τῆς φωνῆς διαστάσει συνδιαλυθὲν τὸ ὁμόγνωμον, τὴν ἐγχείρησιν ἔλυσεν: ἀξιεπαινετωτέρα δὲ ἡ νῦν θαυματουργουμένη. Ἀπὸ γὰρ ἑνὸς Πνεύματος εἰς πολλοὺς χυθεῖσα, εἰς μίαν ἁρμονίαν πάλιν συνάγεται. Καὶ ἔστι διαφορὰ χαρισμάτων, ἄλλου δεομένη χαρίσματος, πρὸς διάκρισιν τοῦ βελτίονος: ἐπειδὴ πᾶσαι τὸ ἐπαινετὸν ἔχουσι. Καλὴ δ' ἂν κἀκείνη λέγοιτο περὶ ἧς Δαβὶδ λέγει: Καταπόντισον, Κύριε, καὶ καταδίελε τὰς γλώσσας αὐτῶν. Διατί; Ὅτι ἠγάπησαν πάντα τὰ ῥήματα καταποντισμοῦ γλῶσσαν δολίαν: μόνον οὐχὶ φανερῶς τὰς ἐνταῦθα γλώσσας καταιτιώμενος, αἳ θεότητα τέμνουσιν. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον.