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Dist. 10

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

Textus Latinus
p. 192

Distinctio X

Cap. I

De Spiritu sancto, quod Pater et Filius eum dant, et tamen de ipso procedente datur, quod est Donum.

Nunc post Filii aeternitatem, post eiusdem ad Patrem coaeternitatem, de Spiritu sancto disseramus; qui Spiritus sanctus amor est sive caritas Patris et Filii. «De quo Augustinus in quinto decimo libro de Trinitate1 ita ait: Spiritus sanctus nec Patris est solius nec Filii est solius Spiritus, sed amborum; et ideo communem, qua invicem se diligunt Pater et Filius, nobis insinuat caritatem».

Item in nono2: «Non Spiritus sanctus Patris est tantum aut Filii tantum, sed amborum, et ideo communis nobis insinuat caritatem, qua Pater et Filius invicem se diligunt». «Si ergo caritas, qua Pater diligit Filium et Patrem diligit Filius, ineffabiliter communionem demonstrat amborum, quid convenientius, quam ut ille proprie dicatur caritas, qui Spiritus est communis amborum? Hoc enim sanius creditur et intelligitur, quod Spiritus sanctus non unius eorum, sed amborum, est caritas3. An et ipse Pater solus non est caritas? Vel ipse Filius solus non est caritas? Et tamen singulus quisque caritatem habet. Sicut autem una essentia et una deitas est Patris et Filii, sic una et eadem caritas Patris et Filii. Sed in hoc proprie caritas dicitur Spiritus sanctus, sicut4 singulari quodam modo verbum Dei dicitur sapientia Dei, cum sit et Pater et Spiritus sanctus sapientia».

Item in sexto libro5: «Si nulla in illis tribus personis minor est Spiritus sancto, utique idem Spiritus sanctus donum est beatissimae Trinitatis, per quod nos omnis charitas Dei diffunditur in cordibus nostris6».

«Pluribus etiam exempli festi petil, nullis in creaturis sancti exempli festi petil, nullis in creaturis reperiri, ubi quod de aliquo genitum est, ab eodem de quo est genitum procedat7, sed diligenter animadvertendum est, non in creaturis reperiri, ubi per omnia demonstretur quod intelligere voluerimus. Quae cum ita sint, nec ipse Filius de se genuit Spiritum sanctum; de Patre enim procedit Spiritus sanctus8. Verumtamen non quomodo natus, sed quomodo datus aut procedens; unde nec Filium eum dicimus, non enim natum, sed procedentem novimus9».

p. 193

Quod Spiritus sanctus, cum Pater sit et Filius, non tamen Spiritus sancti est Filius.

Sed quaeritur quomodo vel quare Spiritus sanctus, cum Patris sit et Filii, non tamen Spiritus sancti est Filius. «De quo Augustinus in quinto10 libro de Trinitate ita ait: Non possum Genitum vocare, non audeo dicere Ingenitum, ne aut in vocabulo duos Patres illius significem, aut duos Innatos»; «quem tamen aliquando sic dici Filium, non plane inveni: sed Spiritum sanctum eum esse doctrina christiana declarat11».

Quod vero non sit natus de Patre, non est de Trinitate dubitandum: nec ideo idem est quod Filius. Ita Augustinus super Ioannem12: «Est de Patre et Spiritus sanctus, et Filius, sed non est amborum alter natus, alter procedens. De quo Augustinus in quinto decimo de Trinitate13 ita ait: Cur ergo Spiritum sanctum non dicamus genitum nec Filium, quia de Patre procedit? Quia simul de Patre procedit ut Spiritus sancti et Filii Spiritus sit14, de quo evangelista dicit: Spiritus veritatis, qui a Patre procedit15; et si esset genitus, utriusque genitus esset, quod est absurdissimum; amborum enim genitus nullus est».

Cap. II

Quod Spiritus sanctus, dum datur nobis a Patre et Filio, et tamen a se ipso procedit et datur.

Supra dictum est, quod Spiritus sanctus amor et donum est Patris et Filii. Donum quidem, quia datur a Patre et Filio16; quod non solum ex Scripturae testimoniis, sed etiam rationibus confirmatur. Nam cum Spiritus sanctus sit amor et caritas, quo Pater et Filius se diligunt et nos, nec Pater nec Filius nos diligit nisi per Spiritum sanctum: hoc enim donum est, quo utuntur fruentes. Ex quo apparet, Spiritum sanctum a Patre et Filio mitti sive procedere. Unde Augustinus in quinto decimo libro de Trinitate17: «Spiritus sanctus habet, ut a Patre et Filio procedat: quod cum genuit eum, dedit ei Pater, et cum processit de Patre, dedit ei et Filius; nec potest dici Spiritus sanctus non procedere a Filio18». Non enim frustra idem Spiritus et Patris et Filii Spiritus dicitur.

Cap. III

Quomodo Spiritus sanctus mittatur vel detur a Patre vel a Filio, cum sit utrique coaequalis et coaeternus.

Sed potest quaeri, quomodo Spiritus sanctus mittatur vel detur, cum sit Deo Patri et Filio coaequalis et coaeternus. De hoc Augustinus in quarto de Trinitate19 ita ait: «Missus dicitur Spiritus sanctus, cum ex tempore a quoquam cognoscitur; datus vero, cum alicui proficit. Nec ista missio vel datio temporalis motum aliquem localem significat in Spiritu sancto, sed eius a temporali creatura processionem, qua cognoscitur, declarat20».

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English Translation

Distinction X

Cap. I

On the Holy Spirit: that the Father and the Son give Him, and yet the Gift, which is given concerning Him as proceeding, is itself He.

Now after the eternity of the Son, after His coeternity with the Father, let us discourse concerning the Holy Spirit; which Holy Spirit is the love or charity of the Father and the Son. «Concerning whom Augustine in the fifteenth book On the Trinity1 thus says: The Holy Spirit is not the Spirit 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 mutually love each other».

Likewise in the ninth book2: «The Holy Spirit is not of the Father only or of the Son only, but of both, and therefore He insinuates to us the common charity by which the Father and the Son mutually love each other». «If therefore the charity by which the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father ineffably demonstrates the communion of both, what is more fitting than that He should properly be called charity who is the Spirit common to both? For this is more soundly believed and understood, that the Holy Spirit is the charity not of one of them, but of both3. Or is the Father alone not charity? Or is the Son alone not charity? And yet each one singly has charity. But just as one essence and one deity is of the Father and the Son, so one and the same charity is of the Father and the Son. But in this the Holy Spirit is properly called charity, just as4 in a certain singular mode the Word of God is called the wisdom of God, although both the Father and the Holy Spirit are wisdom».

Likewise in the sixth book5: «If in those three persons none is less than the Holy Spirit, surely the same Holy Spirit is the gift of the most blessed Trinity, through whom the whole charity of God is poured out in our hearts6».

«By many examples it is sought, by no examples is it found in creatures, where what is begotten of someone proceeds from that same one of whom it is begotten7; but it must be diligently noted that there is not found in creatures anything in which is shown in every way what we have wished to understand. Since these things are so, neither did the Son Himself beget of Himself the Holy Spirit; for the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father8. Yet not in the manner of one born, but in the manner of one given or proceeding; whence we do not call Him Son, for we know Him not as born, but as proceeding9».

p. 193

That the Holy Spirit, although He be of the Father and the Son, is yet not the Son of the Holy Spirit.

But it is asked how or why the Holy Spirit, although He be of the Father and the Son, is yet not the Son of the Holy Spirit. «Concerning whom Augustine in the fifth10 book On the Trinity thus says: I cannot call Him Begotten, I dare not say Unbegotten, lest either by the term I should signify two Fathers of Him, or two Unborn»; «whom however to be called Son in such a manner I have plainly not found: but Christian doctrine declares that He is the Holy Spirit11».

But that He is not born of the Father, there is no doubt for the Trinity: nor for that reason is He the same as the Son. Thus Augustine on John12: «From the Father is both the Holy Spirit and the Son, but it is not that one of them is born and the other proceeding. Concerning whom Augustine in the fifteenth book On the Trinity13 thus says: Why therefore do we not call the Holy Spirit begotten or Son, since He proceeds from the Father? Because He proceeds from the Father at the same time so as to be the Spirit of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of the Son14, concerning whom the evangelist says: The Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father15; and if He were begotten, He would be begotten of both, which is most absurd; for there is none begotten of both».

Cap. II

That the Holy Spirit, while He is given to us by the Father and the Son, yet also proceeds and is given by Himself.

It was said above that the Holy Spirit is the love and gift of the Father and the Son. Gift indeed, because He is given by the Father and the Son16; which is confirmed not only from the testimonies of Scripture, but also by reasons. For since the Holy Spirit is the love and charity by which the Father and the Son love themselves and us, neither the Father nor the Son loves us except through the Holy Spirit: for this is the gift which those who enjoy use. From which it appears that the Holy Spirit is sent or proceeds from the Father and the Son. Whence Augustine in the fifteenth book On the Trinity17: «The Holy Spirit has it that He proceeds from the Father and the Son: this, when He begot Him, the Father gave to Him, and when He proceeded from the Father, the Son also gave to Him; nor can it be said that the Holy Spirit does not proceed from the Son18». For not in vain is the same Spirit called both the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son.

Cap. III

How the Holy Spirit is sent or given by the Father or by the Son, since He is coequal and coeternal to each.

But it can be asked how the Holy Spirit is sent or given, since He is coequal and coeternal to God the Father and the Son. Concerning this Augustine in the fourth book On the Trinity19 thus says: «The Holy Spirit is said to be sent when He is known by anyone in time; given indeed, when He profits someone. Nor does this temporal mission or giving signify any local motion in the Holy Spirit, but declares His procession from the temporal creature, by which He is known20».

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. Cap. 17. n. 31. — In principio distinctionis sola Vat. cum cod. cc post Nunc addit vero, contra mss. et ed. 1.
    Ch. 17, n. 31. — At the beginning of the distinction, only the Vatican edition with codex cc adds vero after Nunc, against the manuscripts and ed. 1.
  2. Cap. 2. n. 2.
    Ch. 2, n. 2.
  3. XV. c. 19. n. 37.
    XV, c. 19, n. 37.
  4. Vat. contra codd. et ed. 1 omittit sicut. Paulo infra multi codd. cum ed. 1 sanctus pro sancto.
    The Vatican edition, against the codices and ed. 1, omits sicut. A little below, many codices with ed. 1 read sanctus for sancto.
  5. Cap. 5. n. 7.
    Ch. 5, n. 7.
  6. Rom. 5, 5.
    Rom. 5:5.
  7. XV. c. 27. n. 50. Textus Augustini habet: Et diligenter animadvertendum est, quod in mss. et edd. nostris desideratur.
    XV, c. 27, n. 50. Augustine's text has: Et diligenter animadvertendum est, which is missing in our manuscripts and editions.
  8. Ioan. 15, 26.
    John 15:26.
  9. Codd. antiquiores procedentem dicimus, Vat. cum edd. procedentem novimus; utraque lectio habet auctoritatem Augustini.
    The older codices read procedentem dicimus, the Vatican edition with the other editions procedentem novimus; both readings have the authority of Augustine.
  10. Cap. 11. n. 12.
    Ch. 11, n. 12.
  11. Ibid. cap. 12. n. 13.
    Ibid., ch. 12, n. 13.
  12. Tract. 99. n. 9. in Ioan. — Mox ad Augustini verba: «De Patre procedit» cfr. I Sent. d. 11. c. 1.
    Tract. 99, n. 9, on John. — Shortly after, for Augustine's words: De Patre procedit, cf. I Sent., d. 11, c. 1.
  13. Cap. 26. n. 47.
    Ch. 26, n. 47.
  14. Vat. cum cod. cc legit sit Spiritus, inversione quae est contra mss. et ed. 1.
    The Vatican edition with codex cc reads sit Spiritus, an inversion that is against the manuscripts and ed. 1.
  15. Ioan. 15, 26.
    John 15:26.
  16. Cfr. supra in hac dist. et infra d. 14. — Plures codd. ut ACFGHIK etc. cum ed. 1 addunt sive procedit.
    Cf. above in this distinction and below d. 14. — Several codices, like ACFGHIK etc., with ed. 1, add sive procedit.
  17. Cap. 26. n. 47. — In principio huius loci Vat. cum aliquibus codd. hoc pro quod.
    Ch. 26, n. 47. — At the beginning of this passage, the Vatican edition with some codices reads hoc for quod.
  18. Vat. et cod. cc contra mss. et ed. 1 omittunt non.
    The Vatican edition and codex cc, against the manuscripts and ed. 1, omit non.
  19. Cap. 20. n. 28. — Sola Vat. quinto pro quarto; mox plures codd. ait pro dicit.
    Ch. 20, n. 28. — Only the Vatican edition reads quinto for quarto; shortly after, several codices read ait for dicit.
  20. Plurimi codd. cum ed. 1 declarat pro insinuat, quod habet Vat. Mox codd. AGHK etc. addunt et manifestat.
    Most codices with ed. 1 read declarat for insinuat, which the Vatican edition has. Shortly after, codices AGHK etc. add et manifestat. ---
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