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This being so, we declare that the addition which the vain-minded
Peter the Fuller made to the Trisagium or "Thrice Holy" Hymn is
blasphemous; for it introduces a fourth person into the Trinity,
giving a separate place to the Son of God, Who is the truly
subsisting power of the Father, and a separate place to Him Who was
crucified as though He were different from the "Mighty One," or as
though the Holy Trinity was considered possible, and the Father and
the Holy Spirit suffered on the Cross along with the Son. Have
done with this blasphemous and nonsensical interpolation! For we hold
the words "Holy God" to refer to the Father, without limiting the
title of divinity to Him alone, but acknowledging also as God the
Son and the Holy Spirit: and the words "Holy and Mighty" we
ascribe to the Son, without stripping the Father and the Holy
Spirit of might: and the words "Holy and Immortal" we attribute to
the Holy Spirit, without depriving the Father and the Son of
immortality. For, indeed, we apply all the divine names simply and
unconditionally to each of the subsistences in imitation of the divine
Apostle's words. But to us there is but one God, the Father, of
Whom are all things, and we in Him: and one Lord Jesus Christ by
Whom are all things, and we by Him And, nevertheless, we follow
Gregory the Theologian when he says, "But to us there is but one
God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus
Christ, through Whom are all things, and one Holy Spirit, in
Whom are all things:" for the words "of Whom" and "through
Whom" and "in Whom" do not divide the natures (for neither the
prepositions nor the order of the names could ever be changed), but
they characterise the properties of one unconfused nature. And this
becomes clear from the fact that they are once more gathered into one,
if only one reads with care these words of the same Apostle, Of Him
and through Him and in Him are all things: to Him be the glory for
ever and ever. Amen.
For that the "Trisagium" refers not to the Son alone, but to the
Holy Trinity, the divine and saintly Athanasius and Basil and
Gregory, and all the band of the divinely-inspired Fathers bear
witness: because, as a matter of fact, by the threefold holiness the
Holy Seraphim suggest to us the three subsistences of the
superessential Godhead. But by the one Lordship they denote the one
essence and dominion of the supremely-divine Trinity. Gregory the
Theologian of a truth says, "Thus, then, the Holy of Holies,
which is completely veiled by the Seraphim, and is glorified with
three consecrations, meet together in one lordship and one divinity."
This was the most beautiful and sublime philosophy of still another of
our predecessors.
Ecclesiastical historians, then, say that once when the people of
Constantinople were offering prayers to God to avert a threatened
calamity, during Proclus' tenure of the office of Archbishop, it
happened that a boy was snatched up from among the people, and was
taught by angelic teachers the "Thrice Holy" Hymn, "Thou Holy
God, Holy and Mighty One, Holy and Immortal One, have mercy
upon us:" and when once more he was restored to earth, he told what
he had learned, and all the people sang the Hymn, and so the
threatened calamity was averted. And in the fourth holy and great
(Ecumenical Council, I mean the one at Chalcedon, we are told
that it was in this form that the Hymn was sung; for the minutes of
this holy assembly so record it. It is, therefore, a matter for
laughter and ridicule that this "Thrice Holy" Hymn, taught us by
the angels, and confirmed by the averting of calamity, ratified and
established by so great an assembly of the holy Fathers, and sung
first by the Seraphim as a declaration of the three subsistences of the
Godhead, should be mangled and forsooth emended to suit the view of
the stupid Fuller as though he were higher than the Seraphim. But
oh! the arrogance! not to say folly! But we say it thus, though
demons should rend us in pieces, "Do Thou, Holy God, Holy and
Mighty One, Holy and Immortal One, have mercy upon us."
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