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Pars 1, Cap. 5

Breviloquium · Pars I: De Trinitate Dei

Textus Latinus
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Capitulum V. De unitate divinae naturae in multiformitate apparitionum.

Secundo autem de pluralitate apparitionum docet divina doctrina hoc esse tenendum, quod cum Deus sit incircumscriptibilis, invisibilis et incommutabilis; nihilominus tamen habitat specialiter in sanctis viris, apparuit Patriarchis et Prophetis, descendit de caelis, misit etiam Filium et Spiritum sanctum ad salutem humani generis. — Et licet in Deo sint indivisa natura, virtus et operatio Trinitatis; missio tamen vel apparitio unius personae non est

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missio vel apparitio alterius. Licet etiam sit ibi summa aequalitas, solius tamen Patris est mittere et non mitti; Spiritus sancti est tantummodo mitti respectu divinarum personarum, nisi forte dicatur mittere hominem assumtum; Filii autem est mittere et mitti, sicut ex Scripturis potest colligi1.

Intelligentia autem et ratio praedictorum haec est: quia, licet primum principium sit immensum et incircumscriptibile, sit incorporeum et invisibile, sit aeternum et incommutabile; principium tamen est rerum spiritualium et corporalium, naturalium et gratuitarum, ac per hoc rerum etiam mutabilium, sensibilium et circumscriptarum, per quas, licet ipse sit immutabilis, insensibilis, incircumscriptibilis2, se ipsum reddit manifestum et notum. Reddit autem se manifestum et notum generaliter per universitatem suorum effectuum ab ipso emanantium, in quibus dicitur esse per essentiam, potentiam et praesentiam3, quod se extendit ad omnia creata. — Reddit etiam se specialiter notum per aliquos effectus, qui in ipsum specialiter ducunt, ratione quorum dicitur habitare, apparere, descendere, mitti et mittere. — Habitare namque dicit effectum spiritualem4 cum acceptatione, sicut est effectus gratiae gratum facientis, quae est deiformis et in Deum reducit et Deum facit nos habere, et haberi a nobis, ac per hoc et inhabitare in nobis. Et quia gratiae effectus communis est omnibus personis; ideo una persona non inhabitat sine alia, immo simul tota Trinitas5.

Apparere vero dicit effectum sensibilem cum expressa significatione, sicut Spiritus sanctus apparuit in columba. Et quoniam, sicut personae divinae distinctae sunt, sic distincte significari possunt et signis et nominibus; ideo quaelibet persona potest per se apparere, et apparitio potest omnibus competere, sive insimul, sive cuilibet per se. Unde quod Spiritus sanctus dicitur in linguis igneis et in columba apparuisse, hoc non est propter novum vinculum, vel effectum specialem; sed propter unionem, quae est inter signatum et signum sibi specialiter et modo et origine deputatum6.

Descendere autem dicit utrumlibet effectuum praedictorum cum inchoatione. Deus enim beatissimis Angelis semper est praesens in caelis, quia in eis semper inhabitat et apparet. Peccatoribus autem in terris est modo ut absens et quantum ad gratiam et quantum ad notitiam; et ideo, cum incipit apparere vel inhabitare, de praesente caelis7 et quasi absente nobis fit praesens terris: et ideo, licet in se non mutetur, nobis tamen descendere dicitur.

Mitti vero dicit effectus praedictos cum aeterna productione. Tunc enim Pater mittit Filium, quando, faciendo eum nobis praesentem per notitiam vel gratiam, insinuat, quod ab ipso procedit. Et quia Pater a nullo procedit, ideo nusquam dicitur mitti8. Quia vero Filius et producit et producitur, ideo mittit et mittitur. Quia vero Spiritus sanctus aeternaliter producitur, sed non producit nisi ex tempore; ideo ipsius est proprie mitti, mittere vero non competit sibi nisi respectu creaturae. — Ex quo apparet, quod hae sunt impropriae et exponendae: Spiritus sanctus mittit se; Spiritus sanctus mittit Filium; Filius mittit se ipsum, nisi intelligatur: in quantum est de Virgine natus. — Patet etiam, quare mittere et mitti non competit omnibus: quia, licet dicat effectum in creatura, dicit tamen relationem intrinsecam, ita quod mittere dicit auctoritatem, mitti subauctoritatem, ratione productionis aeternae interius importatae.

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English Translation

Chapter V. On the unity of the divine nature amid the multiformity of apparitions.

Second, concerning the plurality of apparitions, divine doctrine teaches that this is to be held: that although God is uncircumscribable, invisible, and unchangeable, nevertheless he dwells in a special way in holy men, appeared to the Patriarchs and the Prophets, came down from the heavens, and also sent the Son and the Holy Spirit for the salvation of the human race. — And although in God the nature, power, and operation of the Trinity are undivided, yet the mission or apparition of one person is not

the mission or apparition of another. And although there is in them the highest equality, yet it belongs to the Father alone to send and not to be sent; to the Holy Spirit belongs only to be sent in respect of the divine persons, unless perhaps he be said to send the assumed man; but to the Son belongs both to send and to be sent, as can be gathered from the Scriptures1.

Now the understanding and the reason for the aforesaid is this: although the first principle is immense and uncircumscribable, is incorporeal and invisible, is eternal and unchangeable, nevertheless it is the principle of things spiritual and corporeal, natural and gratuitous, and through this of things also mutable, sensible, and circumscribed — through which, although he himself is unchangeable, insensible, and uncircumscribable2, he renders himself manifest and known. Now he renders himself manifest and known generally through the totality of his effects emanating from him, in which he is said to be by essence, power, and presence3, which extends to all created things. — He renders himself known also specially through certain effects which lead specially to him, by reason of which he is said to dwell, to appear, to descend, to be sent, and to send. — For to dwell says a spiritual effect4 with acceptance, such as is the effect of sanctifying grace, which is deiform and leads back to God, and makes us have God, and be had by God, and through this also makes him indwell in us. And because the effect of grace is common to all the persons, therefore one person does not indwell without another, but rather the whole Trinity together5.

But to appear says a sensible effect with an express signification, as the Holy Spirit appeared in the dove. And since, just as the divine persons are distinct, so they can be distinctly signified both by signs and by names; therefore any person whatever can appear by himself, and apparition can belong to all, whether together or to each by himself. Hence, that the Holy Spirit is said to have appeared in fiery tongues and in the dove is not on account of a new bond or a special effect, but on account of the union which exists between the thing signified and the sign specially assigned to it, both in manner and in origin6.

But to descend says either of the aforesaid effects with an inception. For God is always present to the most blessed Angels in the heavens, because in them he always indwells and appears. But to sinners on earth he is at present as it were absent, both as to grace and as to knowledge; and therefore, when he begins to appear or to indwell, from being present to the heavens7 and as it were absent to us, he becomes present to the earth: and therefore, although in himself he is not changed, he is nevertheless said to descend with respect to us.

But to be sent says the aforesaid effects with an eternal production. For the Father then sends the Son, when, by making him present to us through knowledge or grace, he conveys that he proceeds from himself. And because the Father proceeds from none, therefore he is nowhere said to be sent8. But because the Son both produces and is produced, therefore he sends and is sent. But because the Holy Spirit is eternally produced, yet does not produce except in time; therefore it belongs to him properly to be sent, whereas to send does not belong to him except in respect of the creature. — From which it appears that these statements are improper and require exposition: the Holy Spirit sends himself; the Holy Spirit sends the Son; the Son sends himself — unless it be understood as: insofar as he is born of the Virgin. — It is also clear why to send and to be sent do not belong to all: because, although it says an effect in the creature, it nevertheless says an intrinsic relation, such that to send says authority, and to be sent sub-authority, by reason of the eternal production interiorly implied.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 1
    De habitatione Dei in viris sanctis cfr. I. Sent. d. 21. dub. 2; vide etiam ibid. d. 14. a. 2. q. 1. et d. 15. p. II. q. 1. seqq. De apparitione et missione visibili cfr. ibid. d. 16. per totam. De missione in genere, et cui competat mittere vel mitti, vide ibid. d. 15. p. I. q. 1-4, ubi etiam loci Scripturae afferuntur. — Plurimi codd. ex Scripturis apparet. Aliquanto superius post ad salutem B addit nostram vel. E L O T V hic prosequuntur: Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est etc.
    On the indwelling of God in holy men, cf. Book I of the Sentences, d. 21, dub. 2; see also ibid., d. 14, a. 2, q. 1, and d. 15, p. II, q. 1 ff. On visible apparition and mission, cf. ibid., d. 16, throughout. On mission in general, and to whom it belongs to send or to be sent, see ibid., d. 15, p. I, qq. 1–4, where the scriptural passages are also adduced. — Very many codices have ex Scripturis apparet. Somewhat above, after ad salutem B adds nostram vel. E L O T V continue here: Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est, etc.
  2. 2
    C I M O P Q incircumscriptus, B incircumscriptibilis in se. Pro sensibilium O V visibilium, et Q invisibilis pro insensibilis.
    C I M O P Q have incircumscriptus, B incircumscriptibilis in se. For sensibilium O V have visibilium, and Q has invisibilis for insensibilis.
  3. 3
    Vide I. Sent. d. 37. p. I. a. 3. q. 2. — Mox pro quod H qua. Inferius pro ducunt B diriguntur, et pro dicitur habitare E F H T dicitur inhabitare.
    See Book I of the Sentences, d. 37, p. I, a. 3, q. 2. — Shortly after, for quod H has qua. Further below, for ducunt B has diriguntur, and for dicitur habitare E F H T have dicitur inhabitare.
  4. 4
    Vat., 1 et 3 addunt et specialem.
    The Vatican edition, 1 and 3 add et specialem.
  5. 5
    Cfr. Ioan. 14, 23: Et ad eum veniemus et mansionem apud eum faciemus. Inferius respicitur Ioan. 1, 32, ubi de apparitione Spiritus sancti in columba, et subinde Act. 2, 3, ubi de ipsius apparitione in linguis igneis.
    Cf. John 14:23: And we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Further below, reference is made to John 1:32, where the apparition of the Holy Spirit in the dove is treated, and thereupon to Acts 2:3, where his apparition in fiery tongues is treated.
  6. 6
    Vide I. Sent. d. 16. q. 3. — Mox pro utrumlibet B I utrumque.
    See Book I of the Sentences, d. 16, q. 3. — Shortly after, for utrumlibet B I have utrumque.
  7. 7
    B in caelis, et post pauca cum C D F in terris. Inferius post nobis tamen I addit cum praesens est.
    B has in caelis, and shortly after, together with C D F, in terris. Further below, after nobis tamen I adds cum praesens est.
  8. 8
    August., II. de Trin. c. 5. n. 8: Pater enim solus nusquam legitur missus. — Superius post Tunc enim L M V addunt Deus. Inferius pro mittere vero non competit sibi edd. cum aliquot codd., inter quos est M, et non mittere, et pro apparet A S patet.
    Augustine, On the Trinity II, c. 5, n. 8: For the Father alone is nowhere read to have been sent. — Above, after Tunc enim L M V add Deus. Further below, for mittere vero non competit sibi the editions, together with some codices, among which is M, have et non mittere; and for apparet A S have patet. ---
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