Dist. 22
Book I: On the Mystery of the Trinity · Distinction 22
DISTINCTIO XXII.
Cap. I. De nominum differentiis, quibus utimur loquentes de Deo.
Post praedicta disserendum nobis videtur de nominum diversitate, quibus loquentes de Unitate ac Trinitate ineffabili utimur. Deinde ostendendum1 est, quibus modis de ea aliquid dicatur. «Illud ergo praecipue teneamus, quaedam esse nomina distincte ad singulas personas pertinentia, ut ait Augustinus in octavo libro de Trinitate2, quae de singulis tantum dicuntur personis; quaedam vero unitatem essentiae significantia sunt, quae et de singulis singillatim et de omnibus communiter dicuntur; alia vero sunt, quae translative et per similitudinem de Deo dicuntur». Unde Ambrosius in secundo libro de Trinitate3 ait: «Quo purius niteat fides, tripartita videtur derivanda distinctio. Sunt enim nomina quaedam, quae evidenter proprietatem deitatis ostendunt; et sunt quaedam, quae perspicuam divinae maiestatis exprimunt unitatem; alia vero sunt, quae translative et per similitudinem de Deo dicuntur. Proprietatis itaque indicia sunt generatio, Filius, Verbum et huiusmodi; unitatis vero aeternae sapientia, virtus, veritas et huiusmodi; similitudinis vero splendor, character, speculum et huiusmodi».
Cap. II. De his quae temporaliter Deo conveniunt et relative dicuntur.
His adiiciendum est, quaedam etiam esse nomina, ut Augustinus ait in quinto libro de Trinitate4, quae ex tempore Deo conveniunt et relative ad creaturam dicuntur, quorum quaedam de omnibus dicuntur personis, ut dominus, creator, refugium; quaedam autem non de omnibus, ut donatus, datus, missus.
Cap. III. De hoc nomine quod est trinitas.
Praeterea est unum nomen, quod de nulla persona singillatim dicitur, sed de omnibus simul, id est trinitas, quod non dicitur secundum substantiam, sed quasi collectivum pluralitatem designat personarum.
Sunt etiam quaedam nomina, quae ex tempore Deo conveniunt nec relative dicuntur, ut incarnatus, humanatus et huiusmodi. Ecce sex nominum differentias assignavimus, quibus utimur loquentes de Deo, de quibus singulis agendum est.
Cap. IV. De his quae proprie ad singulas personas pertinent, et de his quae unitatem essentiae significant.
Sciendum est igitur, quod illa quae proprie ad singulas personas pertinent, relative ad invicem dicuntur, sicut Pater et Filius, et utriusque Donum, Spiritus sanctus. Ea vero, quae unitatem essentiae significant, ad se dicuntur. Et ea quae ad se dicuntur, substantialiter utique dicuntur et de omnibus communiter et de singulis singillatim dicuntur personis et singulariter, non pluraliter accipiuntur in summa, ut Deus, bonus, potens, magnus et huiusmodi. Quae autem relative dicuntur substantialiter non dicuntur. Unde Augustinus in quinto libro de Trinitate5 ita ait: «Quidquid ad se dicitur, praestantissima illa et divina sublimitas substantialiter dicitur; quod autem ad aliquid dicitur, non substantialiter, sed relative dicitur. Tantaque est vis eiusdem substantiae in Patre et Filio et Spiritu sancto, ut quidquid de singulis ad se ipsos dicitur, non pluraliter in summa, sed singulariter accipiatur. Dicimus enim: Pater est Deus, Filius est Deus, et Spiritus sanctus est Deus, quod secundum substantiam dici nemo dubitat; non tamen dicimus, hanc Trinitatem esse tres deos, sed unum Deum. Ita dicitur Pater magnus, Filius magnus et Spiritus sanctus magnus; non tamen tres magni, sed unus magnus. Ita etiam6 omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotens Spiritus sanctus; non tamen tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens. Quidquid ergo ad se ipsum dicitur, Deus et de singulis personis similiter dicitur, et simul de ipsa Trinitate, non pluraliter, sed singulariter dicitur. Et quoniam non est aliud Deo esse et aliud magnum esse, sed hoc idem est illi esse quod est magnum esse, propterea, sicut non dicimus tres essentias, sic non dicimus tres magnitudines, sed unam essentiam et unam magnitudinem».
«Deus enim non est magnus ea magnitudine, quae non est quod ipse, ut quasi particeps eius sit; alioquin maior esset illa magnitudo quam Deus; Deo autem non est aliquid maius: ea igitur magnitudine magnus est, qua ipse est. Ideoque nec tres magnitudines dicimus, sed unam magnitudinem, nec tres magnos, sed
unum magnum, quia non participatione magnitudinis Deus magnus est, sed se ipso magno magnus est, quia ipse est sua magnitudo. Ita et de bonitate et aeternitate et omnipotentia Dei dicendum est et de omnibus omnino, quae de Deo possunt pronuntiari substantialiter, quibus ad se ipsum dicitur, non translative ac per similitudinem, sed proprie, si tamen de illo proprie aliquid ore hominis dici potest7». Ecce aperte docuit, quod nomina unitatem divinae maiestatis significantia et ad se dicuntur de Deo, id est sine relatione, et de omnibus personis communiter et de singulis divisim dicuntur nec pluraliter, sed singulariter in summa accipiuntur. Illa vero nomina, quae proprie ad singulas pertinent personas, relative, non substantialiter dicuntur. «Quod enim proprie singula in Trinitate persona dicitur, ut ait Augustinus in eodem8, nullo modo ad se ipsam, sed ad aliam invicem vel ad creaturam dicitur: et ideo relative, non substantialiter dici manifestum est».
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DISTINCTION XXII.
Cap. I. On the differences of names by which we speak of God.
After what has been said, it seems that we must discourse on the diversity of names which we use in speaking of the ineffable Unity and Trinity. Then it must be shown1 in what modes anything is said of it. "Let us therefore especially hold this," as Augustine says in the eighth book On the Trinity2, "that there are certain names pertaining distinctly to single persons, which are said only of single persons; certain others, however, signifying the unity of the essence, which are said both of single persons singly and of all in common; and others again which are said of God transferred and by likeness." Whence Ambrose in the second book On the Trinity3 says: "That faith may shine the more purely, a threefold distinction is seen to be drawn. For there are certain names which evidently show forth the property of the deity; and there are certain ones which express the manifest unity of the divine majesty; and others which are said of God transferred and by likeness. The marks, therefore, of property are generation, Son, Word, and the like; of unity, eternal, wisdom, power, truth, and the like; of likeness, splendor, character, mirror, and the like."
Cap. II. On those things which befit God in time and are said relatively.
To these it must be added that there are also certain names, as Augustine says in the fifth book On the Trinity4, which befit God from time and are said relatively to the creature, of which some are said of all the persons, as Lord, Creator, refuge; certain others, however, not of all, as given, granted, sent.
Cap. III. On this name, which is "trinity".
Furthermore, there is one name which is said of no person singly, but of all together, that is, trinity, which is not said according to substance, but, as it were collective, designates a plurality of persons.
There are also certain names which befit God from time and are not said relatively, as incarnate, made man, and the like. Behold, we have assigned six differences of names which we use in speaking of God, concerning each of which we must treat.
Cap. IV. On those things which properly pertain to single persons, and on those which signify the unity of the essence.
It must be known, therefore, that those things which properly pertain to single persons are said relatively to one another, as Father and Son, and the Gift of both, the Holy Spirit. But those which signify the unity of the essence are said to themselves. And those things which are said to themselves are said substantially, and are said both of all in common and of single persons singly, and they are taken in the singular, not the plural, in sum: as God, good, powerful, great, and the like. Those, however, which are said relatively are not said substantially. Whence Augustine in the fifth book On the Trinity5 thus says: "Whatever is said to itself, that most excellent and divine sublimity is said substantially; but what is said to something, is not said substantially, but relatively. And so great is the force of the same substance in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, that whatever is said of single persons in respect of themselves is taken in the sum not plurally, but singularly. For we say: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God — which no one doubts is said according to substance; yet we do not say that this Trinity is three gods, but one God. So the Father is called great, the Son great, and the Holy Spirit great; yet not three greats, but one great. So also6 omnipotent the Father, omnipotent the Son, omnipotent the Holy Spirit; yet not three omnipotents, but one omnipotent. Whatever therefore is said to itself, God is similarly said of single persons, and at once of the Trinity itself, not plurally, but singularly. And since to be God is not one thing and to be great another, but this is the same to Him: to be is what to be great is, therefore, just as we do not say three essences, so we do not say three magnitudes, but one essence and one magnitude."
"For God is not great by a magnitude which is not what He Himself is, as though He were as it were a partaker of it; otherwise that magnitude would be greater than God; but to God nothing is greater: He is therefore great by that magnitude by which He Himself is. And therefore we do not say three magnitudes, but one magnitude, nor three greats, but
one great, since God is not great by participation in magnitude, but is great by His very self being great, since He Himself is His magnitude. So too must it be said of the goodness and eternity and omnipotence of God, and of absolutely all those things which can be predicated of God substantially, by which He is said to Himself, not transferred and by likeness, but properly, if however anything can be properly said of Him by the mouth of man7." Behold, He has plainly taught that the names which signify the unity of the divine majesty are both said to themselves of God, that is, without relation, and are said both of all the persons in common and of single persons divisively, and are taken in sum not plurally, but singularly. Those names, however, which properly pertain to single persons are said relatively, not substantially. "For what each single person in the Trinity is properly called, as Augustine says in the same book8, is in no way said to itself, but to another in mutual relation, or to the creature: and therefore it is manifest that it is said relatively, not substantially."
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- Vat. et plures edd. contra codd. demonstrandum.The Vatican edition and several editions, against the manuscripts, read demonstrandum ("must be demonstrated").
- In prooemio. — De his tribus modis significationis verborum loquitur ibid. V. c. 8. n. 9. — Hic et in sequentibus tam codd. quam edd. promiscue scribunt modo sigillatim, modo singillatim, modo singulatim.In the prologue. — He speaks of these three modes of signification of words ibid. V, c. 8, n. 9. — Here and in what follows both the manuscripts and the editions write indiscriminately now sigillatim, now singillatim, now singulatim.
- Sive de Fide ad Gratianum. Prolog. n. 2; sed pro verbis: nomina quaedam, quae evidenter legitur evidentia indicia, quae etc.; tamen, ut notant Maurini, quidam cod. legit cum Magistro: Sunt enim nomina quaedam, et ipse Magister post Proprietates itaque adhibet vocem indicia. Propositionem: alia vero sunt, quae translative, Magister addit, dum Ambrosius dicit: Sint quae similitudinem Patris et Filii scil. ostendunt. — Vat. et plures edd. post vocem proprietatem addunt personamque contra originale et codd. Denique edd. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 contra contextum legunt exprimunt veritatem loco exprimunt unitatem.Or On the Faith, to Gratian. Prologue, n. 2; but for the words nomina quaedam, quae evidenter ("certain names which evidently") it reads evidentia indicia, quae ("evident marks, which"), etc.; however, as the Maurists note, a certain manuscript reads with the Master Sunt enim nomina quaedam ("For there are certain names"), and the Master himself, after Proprietates itaque, applies the word indicia ("marks"). The clause alia vero sunt, quae translative ("but there are others which transferred") is added by the Master, while Ambrose says Sint quae similitudinem ("Let there be those which … likeness"), namely of the Father and of the Son, ostendunt ("show forth"). — The Vatican edition and several editions, after the word proprietatem, add personamque against the original and the manuscripts. Finally editions 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, against the context, read exprimunt veritatem ("express the truth") in place of exprimunt unitatem ("express the unity").
- Cap. 16. n. 17. — Vat. et edd. 1, 5, 8, 9 paulo ante post quaedam omittunt etiam.Chapter 16, n. 17. — The Vatican edition and editions 1, 5, 8, 9 a little earlier omit etiam ("also") after quaedam.
- Cap. 8. n. 9. — Fere omnes edd. contra codd. ita.Chapter 8, n. 9. — Almost all the editions read, against the manuscripts, ita ("thus").
- Sola Vat. et male enim, ed. 1 et codd. ABCE et, Augustinus itaque, cod. D Ita omnipotens. Infra Vat. et ed. 6 ante idem est omittunt hoc, quod habet etiam Augustinus.The Vatican edition alone, and wrongly, reads enim ("for"); edition 1 and codices ABCE read et ("and"); Augustine reads itaque ("therefore"); codex D reads Ita omnipotens ("So omnipotent"). Below, the Vatican edition and edition 6, before idem est, omit hoc, which Augustine also has.
- Ex eodem loc. cit. c. 10. n. 12.From the same place cited, c. 10, n. 12.
- Cap. 11. n. 12. — Vat. et edd. 3, 4, 9 male se ipsum pro se ipsam.Chapter 11, n. 12. — The Vatican edition and editions 3, 4, 9 wrongly read se ipsum ("itself," masculine) in place of se ipsam ("itself," feminine).