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Pars 1, Cap. 3

Breviloquium · Pars I: De Trinitate Dei

Textus Latinus
p. 211

Capitulum III. De istius fidei intelligentia sana.

Ad istius autem fidei intelligentiam sanam docet doctrina sacra, quod in divinis sunt duae emanationes, tres hypostases, quatuor relationes, quinque notiones, et ex his tantum tres proprietates personales6.

Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia, cum primum et summum principium, hoc ipso quod primum, sit simplicissimum; hoc ipso quod summum, sit perfectissimum: ideo perfectissime se communicat, quia perfectissimum; et indivisionem omnimodam servat, hoc ipso quod simplicissimum: et ideo, salva unitate naturae, sunt ibi modi emanandi perfecte7. Modi autem emanandi perfecte sunt duo tantum, scilicet per modum naturae et voluntatis. Primus est generatio, secundus spiratio sive processio, et ideo hi sunt ibi.

Et quia duabus emanationibus substantificis necesse est emanare duas hypostases, necesse est

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etiam ponere, hypostasim primo producentem ab alio1 non emanare, ne sit in infinitum abire: ideo sunt ibi tres hypostases.

Et quia cuilibet emanationi respondet duplex habitudo relativa, ideo sunt ibi quatuor relationes, scilicet paternitas, filiatio, spiratio et processio.

Qui vero per has habitudines innotescunt nobis divinae hypostases; et praeter hoc etiam hypostasis illa, in qua est prima ratio principiandi, innotescit, quia non producitur — nam hoc est nobilitatis in ipsa — ideo quinque sunt notiones, scilicet quatuor relationes praedictae cum innascibilitate.

Et quia quaelibet personarum unam habet proprietatem, per quam principaliter innotescit; ideo tres tantum sunt proprietates personales, quae his nominibus exprimuntur proprie et principaliter, scilicet Pater et Filius et Spiritus sanctus.

Cum enim proprium sit Patris esse innascibilem sive ingenitum, esse principium non de principio et esse Patrem; innascibilitas notificat ipsum per modum negationis, licet ex consequenti per modum positionis, quia innascibilitas in Patre ponit fontalem plenitudinem; principium non de principio, per modum positionis cum negatione; esse Patrem, per modum positionis et habitudinis, proprie, complete et determinate2.

Similiter, cum Filius sit imago, verbum et filius; imago nominat illam personam ut similitudinem expressam; verbum, ut similitudinem expressivam; filius, ut similitudinem hypostaticam; rursus imago, ut similitudinem conformem; verbum, ut similitudinem intellectualem; filius, ut similitudinem connaturalem3.

Per hunc modum, cum proprium sit Spiritus sancti esse donum, esse nexum seu caritatem amborum, esse etiam Spiritum sanctum; donum nominat ipsum ut datum voluntarium; caritas sive nexus, ut datum voluntarium et praecipuum; Spiritus sanctus, ut datum voluntarium, praecipuum et hypostaticum4. — Hinc est, quod per haec tria nomina, quae sunt Pater et Filius et Spiritus sanctus, trium personarum proprietates personales insinuantur. — Haec igitur tenenda sunt ad fidei Trinitatis intelligentiam sanam.

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English Translation

Chapter III. On the sound understanding of this faith.

Now for the sound understanding of this faith, sacred doctrine teaches that in the divine there are two emanations, three hypostases, four relations, five notions, and from these only three personal properties6.

Now the reason for the understanding of the aforesaid is this: since the first and highest principle, by the very fact that it is first, is most simple; and by the very fact that it is highest, is most perfect: therefore it communicates itself most perfectly, because it is most perfect; and it preserves an altogether undivided character, by the very fact that it is most simple: and therefore, the unity of nature being preserved, there are in it modes of emanating perfectly7. But the modes of emanating perfectly are only two, namely by way of nature and of will. The first is generation, the second spiration or procession; and therefore these are there.

And because from two substance-producing emanations two hypostases must necessarily emanate, it is necessary

also to posit that the hypostasis first producing does not emanate from another1, lest there be a going off into infinity: therefore there are in it three hypostases.

And because to each emanation there corresponds a twofold relative disposition, therefore there are in it four relations, namely paternity, filiation, spiration, and procession.

But those by which the divine hypostases become known to us are these dispositions; and besides this, that hypostasis also becomes known in which is the first ground of originating, because it is not produced — for this belongs to its nobility — therefore there are five notions, namely the four aforesaid relations together with innascibility.

And because each of the persons has one property through which it principally becomes known; therefore there are only three personal properties, which are expressed properly and principally by these names, namely Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

For since it is proper to the Father to be innascible or unbegotten, to be a principle not from a principle, and to be Father; innascibility makes him known by way of negation, though consequently by way of position, because innascibility posits in the Father a fontal plenitude; a principle not from a principle, by way of position with negation; to be Father, by way of position and disposition, properly, completely, and determinately2.

Likewise, since the Son is image, word, and son; image names that person as an expressed likeness; word, as an expressive likeness; son, as a hypostatic likeness; and again image, as a conformed likeness; word, as an intellectual likeness; son, as a connatural likeness3.

In this manner, since it is proper to the Holy Spirit to be gift, to be the bond or charity of both, and to be also Holy Spirit; gift names him as something given voluntarily; charity or bond, as something given voluntarily and pre-eminently; Holy Spirit, as something given voluntarily, pre-eminently, and hypostatically4. — Hence it is that through these three names, which are Father and Son and Holy Spirit, the personal properties of the three persons are conveyed. — These things, then, are to be held for the sound understanding of faith in the Trinity.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 6
    De duabus emanationibus et tribus hypostasibus cfr. I. Sent. d. 2. q. 4; d. 9. q. 1. et d. 10. a. 1. q. 1; de relationibus, notionibus et proprietatibus vide I. Sent. d. 26. q. 4.
    On the two emanations and the three hypostases, cf. Book I of the Sentences, d. 2, q. 4; d. 9, q. 1; and d. 10, a. 1, q. 1; on the relations, notions, and properties, see Book I of the Sentences, d. 26, q. 4.
  2. 7
    Vat. hic et paulo inferius perfecti. Inferius ante duabus emanationibus A praefigit ex, pro quo Q habet vero.
    The Vatican edition here and a little below has perfecti. Further below, before duabus emanationibus A prefixes ex, for which Q has vero.
  3. 1
    S alia. Mox pro emanare K O V emanantem, et pro respondet B respondere debet. Subinde pro Et quia per substituimus ex A B D F S Quia vero per; porro pro et praeter hoc A et principaliter, denique pro nam hoc multi codd. quia hoc.
    S has alia. Shortly after, for emanare K O V have emanantem, and for respondet B has respondere debet. Thereupon, for Et quia per we have substituted, from A B D F S, Quia vero per; further, for et praeter hoc A has et principaliter; finally, for nam hoc many codices have quia hoc.
  4. 2
    Cfr. I. Sent. d. 27. p. 1. q. 2. et d. 28. q. 1. seqq. — Aliquanto superius post et esse Patrem B H addunt non de patre.
    Cf. Book I of the Sentences, d. 27, p. 1, q. 2, and d. 28, q. 1 ff. — Somewhat above, after et esse Patrem B H add non de patre.
  5. 3
    Vide I. Sent. d. 27. p. II. q. 1. seqq. et d. 31. p. II. a. 1. q. 1. seq. nec non d. 37. p. II. dub. 2. — Superius post rursus imago plures codd. repetunt nominat.
    See Book I of the Sentences, d. 27, p. II, q. 1 ff., and d. 31, p. II, a. 1, q. 1 f., and also d. 37, p. II, dub. 2. — Above, after rursus imago several codices repeat nominat.
  6. 4
    Cfr. I. Sent. d. 10. a. 1. et 2. et d. 18. q. 5. praecipue ad 4, ubi etiam de tribus nominibus Filii. — Plures codd., etiam M voluntarium primum et [K omittit et] hypostaticum. Superius post Per hunc K addit etiam. Subinde pro ipsum, quod non pauci codd. et 2 omittunt, A S illam personam.
    Cf. Book I of the Sentences, d. 10, a. 1 and 2, and d. 18, q. 5, especially at the reply to 4, where the three names of the Son are also treated. — Several codices, M among them, have voluntarium primum et [K omits et] hypostaticum. Above, after Per hunc K adds etiam. Thereupon, for ipsum, which not a few codices and 2 omit, A S have illam personam. ---
Cited by

1 place in the Opera Omnia citesthis question. Derived from Quaracchi’s own apparatus, never tagged by hand.

Whether generation is to be posited in God
Book I: On the Mystery of the Trinity · Distinction 9
Breviloq. p. 1. c. 3
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