← Back to Distinction 10

Dist. 10

Book I: On the Mystery of the Trinity · Distinction 10

Textus Latinus
p. 192

Distinctio X.

Cap. I.

De Spiritu sancto, quod amor Patris et Filii proprie dicitur, cum sit in Trinitate amor, qui est Trinitas, sicut Verbum proprie dicitur sapientia, et tamen tota Trinitas dicitur sapientia.

Nunc post Filii aeternitatem de Spiritu sancto, quantum Deo donante videre conceditur, disseramus. Spiritus sanctus amor est sive caritas sive dilectio Patris et Filii. Unde Augustinus in decimo quinto libro de Trinitate1 ait: « Spiritus sanctus nec Patris est solius nec Filii est solius, sed amborum, et ideo communem qua invicem se diligunt Pater et Filius nobis insinuat caritatem ».

Ioannes autem in Epistola canonica2 ait: Deus caritas est. « Non dixit: Spiritus sanctus caritas est; quod si dixisset, absolutior esset sermo, et non parva pars quaestionis decisa; sed quia dixit: Deus caritas est, incertum est3, et ideo quaerendum, utrum Deus Pater sit caritas, an Filius, an Spiritus sanctus, an Deus ipsa Trinitas, quia et ipsa non tres dii, sed unus est Deus ». Ad quod Augustinus in eodem libro ita dicit4: « Nescio, cur, sicut sapientia et Pater dicitur et Filius et Spiritus sanctus, et simul omnes non tres, sed una sapientia, non ita et caritas dicatur Pater et Filius et5 Spiritus sanctus, et simul omnes una caritas. Non ideo tamen quisquam nos inconvenienter aestimet caritatem appellare Spiritum sanctum, quia et Deus Pater et Deus Filius potest caritas nuncupari, sicut proprie Verbum Dei etiam sapientia Dei dicitur, cum et Pater et Spiritus sanctus sit sapientia ».

« Si ergo proprie aliquis horum trium caritas nuncupari debet, quis aptius quam Spiritus sanctus? ut scilicet in6 illa summa simplicique natura non sit aliud substantia, et aliud caritas, sed substantia ipsa sit caritas, et caritas ipsa sit substantia, sive in Patre sive in Filio sive in Spiritu sancto, et tamen Spiritus sanctus proprie caritas nuncupetur ». Ecce his verbis aperte ostendit7 Augustinus, quod in Trinitate caritas aliquando refertur ad substantiam, quae communis est trium personarum et tota in singulis, aliquando specialiter ad personam Spiritus sancti; sicut sapientia Dei aliquando pro substantia divina, aliquando pro Filio proprie accipitur; et hoc in multis fieri reperitur.

Cap. II.

Quod eadem nomina proprie et universaliter accipiuntur.

« Pluribus enim exemplis doceri potest, multa rerum vocabula et universaliter poni, et proprie quibusdam rebus adhiberi, sicut Legis nomine aliquando simul omnia veteris Instrumenti8 significantur eloquia, aliquando autem proprie vocatur Lex, quae data est per Moysen ». Multa alia suppetunt exempla, sed in re aperta vitanda est longitudo sermonis. Sicut ergo unicum Dei Verbum proprie vocamus nomine sapientiae, cum sit universaliter et Spiritus sanctus et Pater ipsa sapientia; ita Spiritus sanctus proprie nuncupatur vocabulo caritatis9, cum sit et Pater et Filius universaliter caritas ».

« Sed Dei Verbum, id est unigenitus Dei Filius, aperte dictus est Dei sapientia ore Apostoli dicentis1012 Christum Dei virtutem et Dei sapientiam. Spiritus autem sanctus ubi sit dictus caritas, invenimus, si diligenter Ioannis Apostoli eloquium1113 scrutemur, qui cum dixisset: Diligamus invicem, quia dilectio ex Deo est, adiunxit: Et omnis, qui diligit, ex Deo natus est, quia Deus dilectio est. Hic manifestavit se dixisse, eam dilectionem esse Deum, quam dixit ex Deo. Deus ergo ex Deo est dilectio; sed quia et Filius ex Deo Patre natus est, et Spiritus sanctus ex Deo Patre procedit, quem potius eorum hic debeamus accipere dictum esse dilectionem, merito quaeritur. Pater enim solus ita Deus

p. 193

est, ut non sit ex Deo; et ideo dilectio, quae ita Deus est, ut ex Deo sit, non ipse Pater est, sed aut Filius, aut Spiritus sanctus. Sed in consequentibus cum Dei dilectionem commemorasset Ioannes14, qua dilexit nos, et hinc hortatus esset, ut et nos invicem diligamus, atque ita Deus in nobis maneat, quia utique dilectionem Deum dixerat, statim, volens de hac re apertius aliquid eloqui, inquit: In hoc cognoscimus, quia in ipso manemus, et ipse in nobis, quia de spiritu suo dedit nobis. Spiritus itaque sanctus, de quo dedit nobis, facit nos in Deo manere, et ipsum in nobis. Hoc autem facit dilectio. Ipse igitur est Deus dilectio15. Deus igitur Spiritus sanctus, qui procedit ex Deo, significatur ubi legitur: Deus dilectio est, et dilectio ex Deo est16 ». Ecce his verbis aperte dicit Augustinus, Spiritum sanctum esse caritatem Patris et Filii; et in tantum quoque sermonem produxit, ut videatur dixisse, Spiritum sanctum non solum esse dilectionem Patris et Filii, qua se invicem et nos diligunt, sed etiam dilectionem, qua diligimus Deum. Sed utrum ipse sit caritas, qua nos diligimus Deum, in sequenti explicabitur17.

Nunc vero quod incepimus ostendere curemus, scilicet Spiritum sanctum dilectionem esse sive amorem Patris et Filii, quo scilicet Pater diligit Filium et Filius Patrem. De hoc Hieronymus super decimum septimum Psalmum18 ait: « Spiritus sanctus nec Pater est nec Filius, sed dilectio, quam habet Pater in Filium et Filius in Patrem ». Augustinus quoque in sexto libro de Trinitate19 ait: « In omnibus aequalis est Patri Filius et est unius eiusdemque substantiae. Quapropter etiam Spiritus sanctus in eadem unitate substantiae et aequalitate consistit ».

« Sive enim sit unitas amborum, sive sanctitas, sive caritas, manifestum est, quod non aliquis duorum est quo uterque coniungitur, quo genitus a gignente diligatur genitoremque suum diligat, sintque non participatione, sed essentia sua, neque dono superioris alicuius, sed suo proprio servantes unitatem spiritus in vinculo pacis20 ». Ecce hic habes Spiritum sanctum esse quo Filius diligitur a Patre et Pater a Filio, et quo illi duo servant unitatem pacis. « Spiritus ergo sanctus, ut ait Augustinus in eodem, commune est aliquid Patris et Filii, quidquid illud est. At ipsa communio consubstantialis et coaeterna est, quae si amicitia convenienter dici potest, dicatur, sed aptius dicitur caritas; et haec quoque substantia, quia Deus substantia est, et Deus caritas est21. Tria ergo sunt et non amplius: unus diligens eum qui de illo est, et unus diligens eum de quo est, et ipsa dilectio, quae si nihil est, quomodo Deus dilectio est? Si non est substantia, quomodo Deus substantia est? »

Cap. III.

Quod Spiritus sanctus, sicut Patri et Filio est communis, ita commune nomen habet proprium.

Hic notandum est, quod sicut Spiritus sanctus in Trinitate specialiter dicitur caritas, quae est Patris et Filii unio, ita et nomen tenet proprie, quod Patri et Filio communiter quodam modo congruit. Unde Augustinus in quinto decimo libro de Trinitate22: « Si caritas, inquit, qua Pater diligit Filium, et Patrem diligit Filius, ineffabilem communionem demonstrat amborum, quid convenientius, quam ut ille proprie dicatur caritas, qui spiritus est communis ambobus? Hoc enim sanius creditur et intelligitur, ut non solum Spiritus sanctus caritas sit in illa Trinitate, sed non frustra proprie caritas nuncupetur, propter illa quae dicta sunt; sicut non solus in illa Trinitate vel spiritus est vel sanctus, quia et Pater spiritus et Filius similiter spiritus, et Pater sanctus et Filius sanctus, et tamen ipse non frustra dicitur Spiritus sanctus. Qui enim est communis ambobus, id vocatur ipse proprie, quod ambo communiter. Alioquin si in illa Trinitate solus Spiritus sanctus est caritas, profecto et Filius non solius Patris, sed etiam Spiritus sancti Filius invenitur. Ait enim Apostolus23 de Deo Patre: Transtulit nos in regnum Filii caritatis suae. Si ergo non est in illa Trinitate caritas Dei nisi Spiritus sanctus, Filius est etiam Spiritus sancti. Sed quia hoc absurdissimum est, restat ut non solus ibi sit caritas Spiritus sanctus, sed propter illa, de quibus satis disserui, proprie sic vocatur ».

---

English Translation

Distinction X.

Chap. I.

On the Holy Spirit: that he is properly called the love of the Father and the Son, since in the Trinity love — which is the Trinity itself — exists, just as the Word is properly called wisdom, and yet the whole Trinity is called wisdom.

Now, after [the discussion of] the Son's eternity, let us discourse concerning the Holy Spirit, in so far as God grants us to see. The Holy Spirit is the love or charity or affection of the Father and the Son. Whence Augustine, in the fifteenth book of On the Trinity1, says: "The Holy Spirit is neither of the Father alone nor of the Son alone, but of both, and therefore he insinuates to us the common charity by which the Father and the Son love one another."

And John in his canonical Epistle2 says: God is charity. "He did not say: The Holy Spirit is charity; for if he had said this, the discourse would be more conclusive, and no small part of the question would be settled; but because he said: God is charity, it is uncertain3, and therefore it must be asked, whether God the Father is charity, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit, or God the Trinity itself, since these are not three gods but one God." To which Augustine, in the same book, thus says4: "I do not know why, just as wisdom is said both of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and all together not three but one wisdom, charity is not in the same way said of the Father and of the Son and of5 the Holy Spirit, and all together one charity. Yet not for that reason should anyone hold us to call the Holy Spirit charity inappropriately, since both God the Father and God the Son can be called charity, just as the Word of God is properly called also the Wisdom of God, although both the Father and the Holy Spirit are wisdom."

"If, then, any one of these three is properly to be called charity, who more fittingly than the Holy Spirit? — namely, that in6 that supreme and simple nature substance is not one thing and charity another, but substance itself is charity, and charity itself is substance, whether in the Father or in the Son or in the Holy Spirit, and yet the Holy Spirit is properly called charity." Behold, by these words Augustine plainly shows7 that in the Trinity charity is sometimes referred to the substance, which is common to the three persons and whole in each, and sometimes specially to the person of the Holy Spirit; just as the wisdom of God is sometimes taken for the divine substance, sometimes properly for the Son; and this is found to occur in many [terms].

Chap. II.

That the same names are taken both properly and universally.

"For by many examples it can be taught that many names of things are both put universally and applied properly to certain things, just as by the name of the Law sometimes are signified all the utterances of the Old Testament8 together, but sometimes that is properly called the Law which was given through Moses." Many other examples are at hand, but in a clear matter prolixity of speech is to be avoided. Therefore, just as we properly call the only Word of God by the name of wisdom, although universally both the Holy Spirit and the Father are wisdom itself; so the Holy Spirit is properly called by the name of charity9, although both the Father and the Son are universally charity."

"But the Word of God, that is, the only-begotten Son of God, has been openly called the Wisdom of God by the mouth of the Apostle, who says1012 that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Where, however, the Holy Spirit is called charity, we find, if we diligently search the discourse of John the Apostle1113, who, when he had said: Let us love one another, since love is from God, added: And everyone who loves is born of God, since God is love. Here he made it manifest that he had said that to be God which he had said to be from God. God therefore is from God love; but since both the Son is born from God the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father, which of them ought we rather to take here to have been called love, is rightly asked. For the Father alone is so God

p. 193

that he is not from God; and therefore the love which is so God as to be from God is not the Father himself, but either the Son or the Holy Spirit. But in what follows, when John14 had recalled God's love by which he loved us, and from this had exhorted that we also should love one another, and so God may abide in us — for he had certainly called love God — at once, wishing to speak more openly on this matter, he says: In this we know, that we abide in him, and he in us, since he gave us of his Spirit. The Holy Spirit, then, of whom he gave us, makes us abide in God, and Him in us. But this love does. He therefore is God love15. Therefore the Holy Spirit, who is God and who proceeds from God, is signified where it is read: God is love, and love is from God16.*" Behold, by these words Augustine plainly says that the Holy Spirit is the charity of the Father and the Son; and he extended his discourse so far that he seems to have said that the Holy Spirit is not only the love of the Father and the Son by which they love one another and us, but also the love by which we love God. But whether he himself is the charity by which we love God will be explained in the sequel17.

Now, however, let us take care to show what we have begun, namely, that the Holy Spirit is the love or affection of the Father and the Son, that is, by which the Father loves the Son and the Son the Father. Concerning this, Jerome on the seventeenth Psalm18 says: "The Holy Spirit is neither Father nor Son, but the love which the Father has toward the Son and the Son toward the Father." Augustine also, in the sixth book of On the Trinity19, says: "In all things the Son is equal to the Father and is of one and the same substance. Wherefore also the Holy Spirit subsists in the same unity of substance and equality."

"For whether it be the unity of both, or the holiness, or the charity, it is manifest that he is not some one of the two by whom each is joined, by whom the begotten is loved by the begetter and loves his begetter, and they are not by participation, but by their own essence, nor by the gift of any superior, but by their own proper [gift] keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace20." Behold, here you have the Holy Spirit to be that by which the Son is loved by the Father and the Father by the Son, and by which those two preserve the unity of peace. "The Holy Spirit, therefore, as Augustine says in the same [book], is something common to the Father and the Son, whatever it is. But that very communion is consubstantial and coeternal, which, if it can fittingly be called friendship, let it be so called, but it is more aptly called charity; and this also is substance, since God is substance, and God is charity21. There are therefore three and no more: one loving him who is from him, and one loving him from whom he is, and the love itself, which, if it is nothing, how is God love? If it is not substance, how is God substance?"

Chap. III.

That the Holy Spirit, just as he is common to the Father and the Son, so has a common name as proper.

Here it must be noted that, just as the Holy Spirit in the Trinity is specially called charity — which is the union of the Father and the Son — so also he holds as proper the name which fits the Father and the Son commonly in a certain way. Whence Augustine in the fifteenth book of On the Trinity22: "If charity," he says, "by which the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father, demonstrates the ineffable communion of both, what more fitting than that he be properly called charity who is the spirit common to both? For this is more soundly believed and understood, that not only is the Holy Spirit charity in that Trinity, but not in vain is he properly called charity, because of those things which have been said; just as he is not the only one in that Trinity who is either spirit or holy, since both the Father is spirit and the Son likewise spirit, and the Father is holy and the Son holy, and yet he himself is not in vain called the Holy Spirit. For he who is common to both is himself properly called by that which both are commonly. Otherwise, if in that Trinity the Holy Spirit alone is charity, then the Son is found to be the Son not of the Father alone but also of the Holy Spirit. For the Apostle says23 of God the Father: He has translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his charity. If, therefore, in that Trinity there is no charity of God except the Holy Spirit, the Son is also [Son] of the Holy Spirit. But since this is most absurd, it remains that not only is the Holy Spirit there charity, but, on account of those things of which I have sufficiently discoursed, he is properly so called."

---

Apparatus Criticus
  1. Cap. 17. n. 27. et 28. — In princip. dist. post Nunc codd. DE addunt vero.
    Ch. 17, nn. 27 and 28. — At the beginning of the distinction, after Nunc, codices DE add vero.
  2. 1. Ioan. 4, 16. — Omnia, quae sequuntur in hoc cap., excepta sunt ex Augustino, loc. cit. n. 27-31.
    1 John 4:16. — All that follows in this chapter is excerpted from Augustine, at the cited place, nn. 27–31.
  3. Edd. cum cod. A addunt est. Deinde ante Augustinus Vat. et ed. 4 ponunt hoc pro quod.
    The editions, with codex A, add est. Then, before Augustinus, the Vatican edition and ed. 4 read hoc in place of quod.
  4. In Vat. desideratur ipse, quod in mss. et edd. 1, 2, 3, 6 habetur.
    In the Vatican edition the word ipse is missing, although it is present in the manuscripts and in editions 1, 2, 3, 6.
  5. Vat. et ed. 4 omittunt et. — Infra ante Filius cod. C et ed. 8 omittunt Deus; in fine huius textus ante sapientia codd. BCD et edd. 1, 8 sint pro sit.
    The Vatican edition and ed. 4 omit et. — Below, before Filius, codex C and ed. 8 omit Deus; at the end of this text, before sapientia, codices BCD and editions 1, 8 read sint in place of sit.
  6. Vat. cum cod. cc repetit hic naturam, quod deest in antiquioribus mss. et ed. 1. Paulo infra post persona adiungunt aliqui codd. ut I T est.
    The Vatican edition, together with codex cc, here repeats naturam, which is absent from the older manuscripts and from ed. 1. A little below, after persona, some codices, such as I and T, add est.
  7. Vat. perperam omittit in. In fine huius textus Vat. et pleraeque edd. nuncupatur pro nuncupetur, refragantibus Augustino, codd. A C E et ed. 8.
    The Vatican edition wrongly omits in. At the end of this text, the Vatican edition and most other editions read nuncupatur in place of nuncupetur, against Augustine, codices A, C, E, and ed. 8.
  8. Fide plurimorum mss. et ed. 1 loco illa posuimus alia, sub qua intellige divinam naturam.
    On the authority of most manuscripts and of ed. 1, in place of illa we have set alia, under which understand the divine nature.
  9. Vat. dicit, contradicentibus mss. et edd. 1, 8. Mox solae edd. 1, 8 adiiciunt est post tota.
    The Vatican edition reads dicit, against the manuscripts and editions 1, 8. Soon after, only editions 1, 8 add est after tota.
  10. Vat. cum edd. 1, 4, 6, 8 Testamenti, sed omnes codd. ceteraeque edd. cum originali contradicunt.
    The Vatican edition, with editions 1, 4, 6, 8, reads Testamenti, but all the manuscripts and the other editions, with the original [text of Augustine], contradict [this reading].
  11. Vat. cum omnibus edd., exceptis 1, contra codd. et originale proprio vocabulo caritas. Deinde Vat. ceteraeque edd. exceptis 1, 8, contra codd. BDE omittunt et ante Pater.
    The Vatican edition, with all editions except ed. 1, against the codices and the original, reads proprio vocabulo caritas. Then the Vatican edition and the other editions except 1 and 8, against codices BDE, omit et before Pater.
  12. 1. Cor. 1, 24.
    1 Corinthians 1:24.
  13. 1. Ioan. 4, 7. Vulgata: quia caritas ex Deo est... Deus caritas est.
    1 John 4:7. The Vulgate reads: quia caritas ex Deo est... Deus caritas est ("since charity is from God... God is charity").
  14. Ibid. v. 11-13. — Vat. sola inepte quia pro qua.
    Ibid. vv. 11–13. — The Vatican edition alone, ineptly, reads quia in place of qua.
  15. Vat. cum ceteris edd. contra originale: Ipse ergo Deus est dilectio.
    The Vatican edition, with the other editions against the original, reads: Ipse ergo Deus est dilectio ("He therefore is God love").
  16. Omnia in hoc capitulo sunt ex Augustino, XV. de Trin. c. 17. n. 30. et 31. — Paulo ante finem textus post Deus dilectio Vat. cum paucis codd. omittit est.
    All in this chapter is from Augustine, On the Trinity XV, ch. 17, nn. 30 and 31. — A little before the end of the text, after Deus dilectio, the Vatican edition with a few codices omits est.
  17. Infra dist. XVII. — Vat. contra mss. et edd. 1, 5, 8 omittit dilectionem post sed etiam, et hic cum ed. 1 legit explicatur pro explicabitur.
    Below, distinction XVII. — The Vatican edition, against the manuscripts and editions 1, 5, 8, omits dilectionem after sed etiam, and here, with ed. 1, reads explicatur in place of explicabitur.
  18. Vers. 1. — Antea post Nunc edd. 1, 8 ergo pro vero.
    Verse 1. — Earlier, after Nunc, editions 1 and 8 read ergo in place of vero.
  19. Cap. 4. et 5. n. 6. et 7; ex ultimo cap. etiam sequentis huius capituli textus excerpti sunt. In fine primi textus pro consistit cod. D et edd. 1, 8 subsistit [small typographic glyph, ACCEPT-ILLEGIBLE], quod magis placeret, si faveret Augustinus.
    Ch. 4 and ch. 5, nn. 6 and 7; from the last chapter, also, the texts of the chapter following here are excerpted. At the end of the first text, in place of consistit, codex D and editions 1, 8 [read] subsistit [followed by a small typographic glyph in the printed footer; ACCEPT-ILLEGIBLE — not a Latin word], which would please more, if Augustine were to favor it.
  20. Ephes. 4, 8. — Paulo ante pro sintque mss. ACDE suntque ac forte melius. Deinde codd. AC incipiunt sequentem textum verbis: Spiritus quoque pro Spiritus ergo.
    Ephesians 4:8. — A little before, in place of sintque, manuscripts ACDE [read] suntque, and perhaps better. Then codices AC begin the following text with the words: Spiritus quoque in place of Spiritus ergo.
  21. 1. Ioan. 4, 16. — Vat. et ed. 4 post nihil est perperam omittunt; quomodo Deus dilectio est, si non est substantia.
    1 John 4:16. — The Vatican edition and ed. 4, after nihil est, wrongly omit: quomodo Deus dilectio est, si non est substantia ("how is God love, if it is not substance").
  22. Cap. 19. n. 37. — Cod. C brevius: Filius Patrem loco Patrem diligit Filius. Mox codd. BCD et edd. 1, 8 cum originali pro ineffabilem legunt ineffabiliter, et sic hoc adverbio determinari videtur diligit. Denique in fine huius propositionis cod. E et cod. 8 communis amborum pro communis ambobus.
    Ch. 19, n. 37. — Codex C [reads] more briefly: Filius Patrem in place of Patrem diligit Filius ("the Son the Father" instead of "the Father, the Son loves the Father"). Soon after, codices BCD and editions 1, 8, with the original, in place of ineffabilem, read ineffabiliter, and thus by this adverb the verb diligit appears to be determined. Finally, at the end of this proposition, codex E and ed. 8 [read] communis amborum in place of communis ambobus.
  23. Col. 1, 13. — Vat. cum pluribus edd. ante Trinitate ponit ista pro illa; postea idem fit ab edd. 3, 5, 9 post sed propter.
    Colossians 1:13. — The Vatican edition, with several editions, before Trinitate sets ista in place of illa; afterward the same is done by editions 3, 5, 9 after sed propter.
Dist. 10, Divisio Textus→