Pars 1, Cap. 6
Breviloquium · Pars I: De Trinitate Dei
Capitulum VI. De unitate divinae naturae in multiplicitate appropriatorum.
Tertio vero de pluralitate appropriatorum hoc docet sacra Scriptura esse tenendum, quod licet omnia essentialia omnibus personis aequaliter et indifferenter conveniant; tamen Patri dicitur appropriari unitas, Filio veritas, Spiritui sancto bonitas. — Et iuxta hanc sumitur secunda appropriatio Hilarii9, scilicet « aeternitas in Patre, species in Imagine, usus in Munere ». — Iuxta hanc sumitur tertia, scilicet in
Patre ratio principiandi, in Filio ratio exemplandi, in Spiritu sancto ratio finiendi. — Et iuxta hanc sumitur quarta, scilicet omnipotentia Patri, omniscientia Filio, voluntas seu benevolentia Spiritui sancto. — Haec autem dicuntur appropriari, non quia fiant propria, cum semper sint communia; sed quia ducunt ad intelligentiam et notitiam propriorum, videlicet trium personarum.
Intelligentia autem et ratio praedictorum haec est. Quia enim primum principium est nobilissimum et perfectissimum, ideo conditiones entis nobilissimae et generalissimae in eo reperiuntur in summo. Hae autem sunt unum, verum, bonum, quae non contrahunt ens secundum supposita, sed secundum rationem. Nam unum nominat ens ut connumerabile, et hoc habet per indivisionem sui in se; verum, secundum quod cognoscibile, et hoc habet per indivisionem sui a propria specie; bonum, secundum quod communicabile, et hoc habet per indivisionem sui a propria operatione1. Et quia haec triplex indivisio se habet secundum ordinem quantum ad rationem intelligendi, ita quod verum praesupponit unum, et bonum praesupponit unum et verum: hinc est, quod haec attribuuntur primo principio in summo, quia perfecta et generalia; et appropriantur tribus personis, quia ordinata; et ideo summe unum Patri, qui est origo personarum; summe verum Filio, qui est a Patre ut verbum; summe bonum Spiritui sancto, qui est ab utroque ut amor et donum.
Et quia summe unum est summe primum, quia caret omni inceptione; et quia summe verum est summe aequale et pulcrum; et quia summe bonum est summe utile et proficuum: hinc oritur secunda appropriatio Hilarii, quae est aeternitas in Patre, quia non habet initium, sed est omnino primum; species in Imagine, id est in Verbo, quia summe pulcrum; usus in Munere, id est in Spiritu sancto, quia summe proficuum et communicativum. Quod per alia verba sic insinuat Augustinus2: « In Patre unitas, in Filio aequalitas, in Spiritu sancto unitatis aequalitatisque concordia ».
Rursus, quia summe unum et primum tenet rationem principiandi et originandi; summe pulcrum et speciosum tenet rationem exprimendi et exemplandi; summe proficuum et bonum tenet rationem finiendi, quia « bonum et finis idem3 »: hinc oritur tertia ratio appropriandi efficientiam Patri, exemplaritatem Filio, finalitatem Spiritui sancto.
Rursus, quia a primo et summo principio fluit omne posse, a primo et summo exemplari omne scire, ad summum finem tendit omne velle4; ideo necesse est, primum esse omnipotentissimum, omnisapientissimum et benevolentissimum. Unitas autem prima et summa, rediens supra se ipsam reditione completa et perfecta, est omnipotentissima, sic et veritas sapientissima, et bonitas benevolentissima; et haec appropriantur, quia ordinem insinuant. Voluntas enim dat praeintelligere cognitionem, et voluntas et cognitio praesupponunt potentiam et virtutem, quia « posse scire est aliquid posse5 ».
Ex his apparet, quae sint appropriata et quibus et qua de causa. Haec tamen ultima, scilicet potentia, sapientia et voluntas, sunt potissime illa, ex quibus in Scripturis laudatur Trinitas summa. Et ideo de his aliquid dicendum est breviter et summatim.
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Chapter VI. On the unity of the divine nature amid the multiplicity of appropriations.
Third, concerning the plurality of appropriations, sacred Scripture teaches that this is to be held: that although all essential attributes belong to all the persons equally and indifferently, nevertheless unity is said to be appropriated to the Father, truth to the Son, goodness to the Holy Spirit. — And in accordance with this is taken the second appropriation of Hilary9, namely, « eternity in the Father, beauty in the Image, enjoyment in the Gift ». — In accordance with this is taken the third, namely, in
the Father the ground of originating, in the Son the ground of exemplifying, in the Holy Spirit the ground of finalizing. — And in accordance with this is taken the fourth, namely, omnipotence to the Father, omniscience to the Son, will or benevolence to the Holy Spirit. — Now these are said to be appropriated, not because they become proper, since they are always common, but because they lead to the understanding and the knowledge of what is proper, namely of the three persons.
Now the understanding and the reason for the aforesaid is this. For since the first principle is most noble and most perfect, therefore the noblest and most general conditions of being are found in it in the highest degree. Now these are the one, the true, the good, which do not contract being according to supposits, but according to account. For one names being as countable, and it has this through its undividedness in itself; true, according as it is knowable, and it has this through its undividedness from its proper species; good, according as it is communicable, and it has this through its undividedness from its proper operation1. And because this threefold undividedness stands in an order as regards the account of understanding, such that the true presupposes the one, and the good presupposes the one and the true: hence it is that these are attributed to the first principle in the highest degree, because they are perfect and general; and they are appropriated to the three persons, because they are ordered; and therefore the highest one to the Father, who is the origin of the persons; the highest true to the Son, who is from the Father as Word; the highest good to the Holy Spirit, who is from both as love and gift.
And because the highest one is the highest first, since it lacks all inception; and because the highest true is highest equality and beauty; and because the highest good is highest usefulness and profit: hence arises the second appropriation of Hilary, which is eternity in the Father, because he has no beginning, but is altogether first; beauty in the Image, that is, in the Word, because he is highest beauty; enjoyment in the Gift, that is, in the Holy Spirit, because he is highest profit and most communicative. Which Augustine conveys in other words thus2: « In the Father unity, in the Son equality, in the Holy Spirit the concord of unity and equality ».
Again, because the highest one and first holds the ground of originating and of giving origin; the highest beautiful and comely holds the ground of expressing and of exemplifying; the highest profitable and good holds the ground of finalizing, since « the good and the end are the same3 »: hence arises the third ground for appropriating efficiency to the Father, exemplarity to the Son, finality to the Holy Spirit.
Again, because from the first and highest principle flows all power-to-be-able, from the first and highest exemplar all knowing, and to the highest end tends all willing4; therefore the first being must be most omnipotent, most all-wise, and most benevolent. Now the first and highest unity, returning upon itself by a complete and perfect return, is most omnipotent; and so truth is most wise, and goodness most benevolent; and these are appropriated, because they convey an order. For will gives us to understand cognition beforehand, and will and cognition presuppose power and strength, since « to be able to know is to be able for something5 ».
From these things it appears what things are appropriated, and to whom, and for what reason. These last, however — namely power, wisdom, and will — are chiefly those from which the highest Trinity is praised in the Scriptures. And therefore something must be said of these briefly and summarily.
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- 9Libr. II. de Trin. n. 1. Cfr. I. Sent. d. 31. p. II. a. 1. q. 3. De aliis appropriationibus vide ibid. a. 2. q. 3; d. 34. q. 4. et d. 3. p. I. dub. 3. et 4. — Superius pro sacra Scriptura plures codd. Scriptura divina, K sacra fides, M S legunt appropriatorum docet Scriptura. Subinde pro omnibus R tribus.Book II of On the Trinity, n. 1. Cf. Book I of the Sentences, d. 31, p. II, a. 1, q. 3. On the other appropriations see ibid., a. 2, q. 3; d. 34, q. 4; and d. 3, p. I, dub. 3 and 4. — Above, for sacra Scriptura very many codices have Scriptura divina, K sacra fides, M S read appropriatorum docet Scriptura. Thereupon, for omnibus R has tribus.
- 1Cfr. IV. Sent. d. 14. p. II. a. 1. q. 1. in corp. Vide August., de Vera Relig. c. 7. n. 13; 83 Qq. q. 18; XI. de Civ. Dei, c. 28. et VI. de Trin. c. 10. n. 12. — Pro seq. propositione Alex. Hal., S. p. I. q. 13. m. 2. in fine hanc affert rationem: Absolutior [est] intentio unius, quae est entis, in quantum consideratur absolutum, quam intentiones veri et boni, quae sunt entis comparati. Item, intentio veri absolutior est intentione boni, sicut esse rei consideratum sine sua utilitate vel ordine, et esse rei cum sua utilitate et ordine.Cf. Book IV of the Sentences, d. 14, p. II, a. 1, q. 1, in the body. See Augustine, On True Religion c. 7, n. 13; 83 Questions q. 18; City of God XI, c. 28; and On the Trinity VI, c. 10, n. 12. — For the following proposition Alexander of Hales, Summa p. I, q. 13, m. 2, at the end brings forward this reason: The intention of the one, which belongs to being insofar as it is considered absolutely, is more absolute than the intentions of the true and the good, which belong to being as compared. Likewise, the intention of the true is more absolute than the intention of the good, as the being of a thing considered without its usefulness or order, and the being of a thing with its usefulness and order.
- 2Libr. I. de Doctr. christiana, c. 5. n. 5.Book I of On Christian Doctrine, c. 5, n. 5.
- 3Secundum Aristot.; vide tom. II. pag. 808, nota 5. — Cfr. I. Sent. d. 27. p. I. q. 2. ad 3; d. 6. q. 3; d. 27. p. II. q. 2; d. 35. q. 1; d. 36. dub. 4. et Hexaëm. serm. 1. — Superius ante summe pulcrum et summe proficuum edd., excepta 2, repetunt quia.According to Aristotle; see vol. II, p. 808, note 5. — Cf. Book I of the Sentences, d. 27, p. I, q. 2, ad 3; d. 6, q. 3; d. 27, p. II, q. 2; d. 35, q. 1; d. 36, dub. 4; and the Hexaëmeron, sermon 1. — Above, before summe pulcrum and summe proficuum the editions, except 2, repeat quia.
- 4Aristot., I. Ethic. c. 2, loquens de fine ultimo seu summo bono, ait, quod sit ille, « quem propter ipsum et propter quem alia volumus ». — Paulo inferius respicitur Lib. de Causis, propos. 15: Omnis sciens, qui scit essentiam suam, est rediens ad essentiam suam reditione completa... et hoc non est ita, nisi quia sciens et scitum sunt res una etc. Cfr. ibid. propos. 17: Omnis virtus unita plus est infinita quam multiplicata [i. e. divisa]... Quod est quia virtus quando incipit multiplicari, tunc destruitur unitas eius, et quando destruitur eius unitas, destruitur eius infinitas... Virtus, quanto plus approximat uni puro et vero, fit vehementior eius unitas, et quanto vehementior fit eius unitas, est infinitas in ea magis apparens etc. — Huius loci rationem habentes, retinuimus lectionem Vat. (confirmatam ab edd. 1, 3 et Brixiana an. 1497), reditione [K reditio] pro reductione, quod plurimi codd. et 2 exhibent.Aristotle, Ethics I, c. 2, speaking of the ultimate end or highest good, says that it is that « which we will for its own sake and for the sake of which we will other things ». — A little below, reference is made to the Book of Causes, prop. 15: Every knower who knows his own essence is one returning to his own essence by a complete return… and this is not so except because the knower and the known are one thing, etc. Cf. ibid., prop. 17: Every unified power is more infinite than a multiplied [i.e. divided] one… And this is because when a power begins to be multiplied, then its unity is destroyed, and when its unity is destroyed, its infinity is destroyed… A power, the more it approaches the pure and true one, the more vehement its unity becomes; and the more vehement its unity becomes, the more its infinity appears in it, etc. — Taking account of the sense of this passage, we have retained the reading of the Vatican edition (confirmed by editions 1 and 3 and the Brescia edition of the year 1497), reditione [K reditio] for reductione, which very many codices and edition 2 exhibit.
- 5Ut dicit Richard. a S. Vict. supra pag. 39, nota 7. allegatus. Vide etiam Hexaëm. serm. 21. — Inferius pro Haec tamen C I L O et 1 Haec enim, et pro summatim B E T in summa.As Richard of St. Victor says, cited above at p. 39, note 7. See also the Hexaëmeron, sermon 21. — Below, for Haec tamen C I L O and 1 have Haec enim, and for summatim B E T have in summa. ---