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be blessed and exalted! created all things, and gave life to all things by His
Word and His Spirit. We do not say three Gods ...God:
but we say that God and
His Word and His Spirit are one God and one Creator. This is like the disc of
the Sun which is in the heaven, and the rays which issue from the Sun, and the
heat which comes from the Sun, each from the other. We do not say that these are
three suns, but one Sun, and these are three names not to be distinguished from
one another. Also like the eye, and the pupil of the eye, and the light which is
in the eye; we do not say that there are three eyes, but one Eye with three
names in it. Also like the soul and the body and the spirit; we do not
distinguish them each from the other; we do not say there are three men but one
Man and three names in one person. Also like the root of the tree, and the
branches of the tree, and the fruit of the tree; we do not say that these are
three trees, but one Tree, one part of it from another part. And when it begins
to appear to men in its season, we know that all this is in the tree when it
appears and before it appears. Also like the fountain of water, which springs up
from the fountain and flows from it a river, and some of the water of the river
collects and becomes a lake. You cannot distinguish one part from another; and,
though its names are different, we do not say that it is three waters but one
Water in the fountain and the river and the lake.
Man and his mind and the word
which is born from his mind, one from the other, and the spirit which is in the
mind, and the word from the mind, one from the other; we do not distinguish
between them, and each of them has its beginning from the other and is known
from it. Also like the mouth and the tongue which is in the mouth, and the word
which issues from the tongue; so is our saying about the Father and the Son and
the Holy Ghost. By it the prophets prophesied, and said, "The mouth of the
Lord hath spoken." This all is the proof of our faith in the Father and the
Son and the Holy Ghost. We know God to be one Lord in His Word and His Spirit.
And in Him we adore and praise the Word of God and His Spirit. Thus man ought to
believe about it. Yet we ought to
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