Chapter 17.—How the Holy Spirit is Called Love, and Whether He Alone is So Called. That the Holy Spirit is in the Scriptures Properly Called by the Name of Love.

27. We have sufficiently spoken of the Father and of the Son, so far as was possible for us to see through this glass and in this enigma. We must now treat of the Holy Spirit, so far as by God’s gift it is permitted to see Him. And the Holy Spirit, according to the Holy Scriptures, is neither of the Father alone, nor of the Son alone, but of both; and so intimates to us a mutual love, wherewith the Father and the Son reciprocally love one another. But the language of the Word of God, in order to exercise us, has caused those things to be sought into with the greater zeal, which do not lie on the surface, but are to be scrutinized in hidden depths, and to be drawn out from thence. The Scriptures, accordingly, have not said, The Holy Spirit is Love. If they had said so, they would have done away with no small part of this inquiry. But they have said, “God is love;”988    1 John iv. 16 so that it is uncertain and remains to be inquired whether God the Father is love, or God the Son, or God the Holy Ghost, or the Trinity itself which is God. For we are not going to say that God is called Love because love itself is a substance worthy of the name of God, but because it is a gift of God, as it is said to God, “Thou art my patience.”989    Ps. lxxi. 5 For this is not said because our patience is God’s substance, but in that He Himself gives it to us; as it is elsewhere read, “Since from Him is my patience.”990    Ps. lxii. 5 For the usage of words itself in Scripture sufficiently refutes this interpretation; for “Thou art my patience” is of the same kind as “Thou, Lord, art my hope,”991    Ps. xci. 9 and “The Lord my God is my mercy,”992    Ps. lix. 17 and many like texts. And it is not said, O Lord my love, or, Thou art my love, or, God my love; but it is said thus, “God is love,” as it is said, “God is a Spirit.”993    John iv. 24 And he who does not discern this, must ask understanding from the Lord, not an explanation from us; for we cannot say anything more clearly.

28. “God,” then, “is love;” but the question is, whether the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit, or the Trinity itself: because the Trinity is not three Gods, but one God. But I have already argued above in this book, that the Trinity, which is God, is not so to be understood from those three things which have been set forth in the trinity of our mind, as that the Father should be the memory of all three, and the Son the understanding of all three, and the Holy Spirit the love of all three; as though the Father should neither understand nor love for Himself, but the Son should understand for Him, and the Holy Spirit love for Him, but He Himself should remember only both for Himself and for them; nor the Son remember nor love for Himself, but the Father should remember for Him, and the Holy Spirit love for Him, but He Himself understand only both for Himself and them; nor likewise that the Holy Spirit should neither remember nor understand for Himself, but the Father should remember for Him, and the Son understand for Him, while He Himself should love only both for Himself and for them; but rather in this way, that both all and each have all three each in His own nature. Nor that these things should differ in them, as in us memory is one thing, understanding another, love or charity another, but should be some one thing that is equivalent to all, as wisdom itself; and should be so contained in the nature of each, as that He who has it is that which He has, as being an unchangeable and simple substance. If all this, then, has been understood, and so far as is granted to us to see or conjecture in things so great, has been made patently true, I know not why both the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit should not be called Love, and all together one love, just as both the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is called Wisdom, and all together not three, but one wisdom. For so also both the Father is God, and the Son God, and the Holy Ghost God, and all three together one God.

29. And yet it is not to no purpose that in this Trinity the Son and none other is called the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit and none other the Gift of God, and God the Father alone is He from whom the Word is born, and from whom the Holy Spirit principally proceeds. And therefore I have added the word principally, because we find that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son also. But the Father gave Him this too, not as to one already existing, and not yet having it; but whatever He gave to the only-begotten Word, He gave by begetting Him. Therefore He so begat Him as that the common Gift should proceed from Him also, and the Holy Spirit should be the Spirit of both. This distinction, then, of the inseparable Trinity is not to be merely accepted in passing, but to be carefully considered; for hence it was that the Word of God was specially called also the Wisdom of God, although both Father and Holy Spirit are wisdom. If, then, any one of the three is to be specially called Love, what more fitting than that it should be the Holy Spirit?—namely, that in that simple and highest nature, substance should not be one thing and love another, but that substance itself should be love, and love itself should be substance, whether in the Father, or in the Son, or in the Holy Spirit; and yet that the Holy Spirit should be specially called Love.

30. Just as sometimes all the utterances of the Old Testament together in the Holy Scriptures are signified by the name of the Law. For the apostle, in citing a text from the prophet Isaiah, where he says, “With divers tongues and with divers lips will I speak to this people,” yet prefaced it by, “It is written in the Law.”994    Isa. xxviii. 11 and 1 Cor. xiv. 21 And the Lord Himself says, “It is written in their Law, They hated me without a cause,”995    John xv. 25 whereas this is read in the Psalm.996    Ps. xxxv. 19 And sometimes that which was given by Moses is specially called the Law: as it is said, “The Law and the Prophets were until John;”997    Matt. xi. 13 and, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”998    Matt. xxii. 40 Here, certainly, that is specially called the Law which was from Mount Sinai. And the Psalms, too, are signified under the name of the Prophets; and yet in another place the Saviour Himself says, “All things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the Law, and the Prophets, and the Psalms concerning me.”999    Luke xxiv. 44 Here, on the other side, He meant the name of Prophets to be taken as not including the Psalms. Therefore the Law with the Prophets and the Psalms taken together is called the Law universally, and the Law is also specially so called which was given by Moses. Likewise the Prophets are so called in common together with the Psalms, and they are also specially so called exclusive of the Psalms. And many other instances might be adduced to teach us, that many names of things are both put universally, and also specially applied to particular things, were it not that a long discourse is to be avoided in a plain case. I have said so much, lest any one should think that it was therefore unsuitable for us to call the Holy Spirit Love, because both God the Father and God the Son can be called Love.

31. As, then, we call the only Word of God specially by the name of Wisdom, although universally both the Holy Spirit and the Father Himself is wisdom; so the Holy Spirit is specially called by the name of Love, although universally both the Father and the Son are love. But the Word of God, i.e. the only-begotten Son of God, is expressly called the Wisdom of God by the mouth of the apostle, where he says, “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”1000    1 Cor. i. 24 But where the Holy Spirit is called Love, is to be found by careful scrutiny of the language of John the apostle, who, after saying, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God,” has gone on to say, “And every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.” Here, manifestly, he has called that love God, which he said was of God; therefore God of God is love. But because both the Son is born of God the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father, it is rightly asked which of them we ought here to think is the rather called the love that is God. For the Father only is so God as not to be of God; and hence the love that is so God as to be of God, is either the Son or the Holy Spirit. But when, in what follows, the apostle had mentioned the love of God, not that by which we love Him, but that by which He “loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiator for our sins,”1001    1 John iv. 10 and thereupon had exhorted us also to love one another, and that so God would abide in us,—because, namely, he had called God Love; immediately, in his wish to speak yet more expressly on the subject, “Hereby,” he says, “know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit.” Therefore the Holy Spirit, of whom He hath given us, makes us to abide in God, and Him in us; and this it is that love does. Therefore He is the God that is love. Lastly, a little after, when he had repeated the same thing, and had said “God is love,” he immediately subjoined, “And he who abideth in love, abideth in God, and God abideth in him;” whence he had said above, “Hereby we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit.” He therefore is signified, where we read that God is love. Therefore God the Holy Spirit, who proceedeth from the Father, when He has been given to man, inflames him to the love of God and of his neighbor, and is Himself love. For man has not whence to love God, unless from God; and therefore he says a little after, “Let us love Him, because He first loved us.”1002    1 John iv. 7–19 The Apostle Paul, too, says, “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.”1003    Rom. v. 5

CAPUT XVII.

27. Quomodo Spiritus sanctus dicatur charitas, et an solus. Spiritum sanctum in Scripturis proprie nuncupatum esse vocabulo Charitatis. Satis 1080 de Patre et Filio, quantum per hoc speculum atque in hoc aenigmate videre potuimus, locuti sumus. Nunc de Spiritu sancto, quantum Deo donante videre conceditur, disserendum est. Qui Spiritus sanctus secundum Scripturas sanctas, nec Patris solius est, nec Filii solius, sed amborum: et ideo communem, qua invicem se diligunt Pater et Filius, nobis insinuat charitatem. Ut autem nos exerceret sermo divinus, non res in promptu sitas, sed in abdito scrutandas et ex abdito eruendas, majore studio fecit inquiri. Non itaque dixit Scriptura, Spiritus sanctus charitas est; quod si dixisset, non parvam partem quaestionis istius abstulisset: sed dixit, Deus charitas est (I Joan. IV, 16); ut incertum sit, et ideo requirendum, utrum Deus Pater sit charitas, an Deus Filius, an Deus Spiritus sanctus, an Deus ipsa Trinitas. Neque enim dicturi sumus, non propterea Deum dictum esse charitatem, quod ipsa charitas sit ulla substantia , quae Dei digna sit nomine; sed quod donum sit Dei, sicut dictum est Deo, Quoniam tu es patientia mea (Psal. LXX, 5): neque enim propterea dictum est, quia Dei substantia est nostra patientia; sed quod ab ipso nobis est, sicut alibi legitur, Quoniam ab ipso est patientia mea (Psal. LXI, 6). Hunc quippe sensum facile refellit Scripturarum ipsa locutio. Tale est enim, Tu es patientia mea; quale est, Tu es, Domine, spes mea (Psal. XC, 9); et, Deus meus misericordia mea (Psal. LVIII, 18), et multa similia. Non est autem dictum, Domine charitas mea; aut. Tu es charitas mea; aut, Deus charitas mea: sed ita dictum est, Deus charitas est; sicut dictum est, Deus Spiritus est (Joan. IV, 24). Hoc qui non discernit, intellectum a Domino, non expositionem quaerat a nobis: non enim apertius quidquam possumus dicere.

28. Deus ergo charitas est: utrum autem Pater, an Filius, an Spiritus sanctus, an ipsa Trinitas, quia et ipsa non tres dii, sed unus est Deus, hoc quaeritur. Sed jam in hoc libro superius disputavi, non sic accipiendam esse Trinitatem quae Deus est, ex illis tribus quae in trinitate nostrae mentis ostendimus, ut tanquam memoria sit omnium trium Pater, et intelligentia omnium trium Filius, et charitas omnium trium Spiritus sanctus, quasi Pater nec intelligat sibi nec diligat, sed ei Filius intelligat, et Spiritus sanctus ei diligat, ipse autem sibi et illis tantum meminerit; et Filius nec meminerit nec diligat sibi, sed meminerit ei Pater, et diligat ei Spiritus sanctus, ipse autem et sibi et illis tantummodo intelligat; itemque Spiritus sanctus nec meminerit nec intelligat sibi, sed meminerit ei Pater, et intelligat ei Filius, ipse autem et sibi et illis non nisi diligat: sed sic potius, ut omnia tria et omnes et singuli habeant in sua quisque natura. Nec distent in eis ista, sicut in nobis aliud est memoria, aliud est intelligentia, aliud dilectio sive charitas: sed unum aliquid sit quod omnia valeat, sicut ipsa sapientia; et sic habeatur in uniuscujusque natura, ut qui habet, hoc sit quod habet, sicut immutabilis simplexque 1081 substantia. Si ergo haec intellecta sunt, et quantum nobis in rebus tantis videre vel conjectare concessum est, vera esse claruerunt; nescio cur non sicut sapientia et Pater dicitur et Filius et Spiritus sanctus, et simul omnes non tres, sed una sapientia; ita et charitas et Pater dicatur et Filius et Spiritus sanctus, et simul omnes una charitas. Sic enim et Pater Deus, et Filius Deus, et Spiritus sanctus Deus, et simul omnes unus Deus.

29. Et tamen non frustra in hac Trinitate non dicitur Verbum Dei nisi Filius, nec Donum Dei nisi Spiritus sanctus, nec de quo genitum est Verbum et de quo procedit principaliter Spiritus sanctus nisi Deus Pater. Ideo autem addidi, Principaliter, quia et de Filio Spiritus sanctus procedere reperitur. Sed hoc quoque illi Pater dedit, non jam existenti et nondum habenti: sed quidquid unigenito Verbo dedit, gignendo dedit. Sic ergo eum genuit, ut etiam de illo Donum commune procederet, et Spiritus sanctus spiritus esset amborum. Non est igitur accipienda transeunter, sed diligenter intuenda inseparabilis Trinitatis ista distinctio. Hinc enim factum est ut proprie Dei Verbum etiam Dei sapientia diceretur, cum sit sapientia et Pater et Spiritus sanctus. Si ergo proprie aliquid horum trium charitas nuncupanda est, quid aptius quam ut hoc sit Spiritus sanctus? Ut scilicet in illa simplici summaque natura, non sit aliud substantia et aliud charitas; sed substantia ipsa sit charitas, et charitas ipsa sit substantia, sive in Patre, sive in Filio, sive in Spiritu sancto, et tamen proprie Spiritus sanctus charitas nuncupetur.

30. Sicut Legis nomine aliquando simul omnia veteris Instrumenti sanctarum scripturarum significantur eloquia. Nam ex propheta Isaia testimonium ponens Apostolus, ubi ait, In aliis linguis et in aliis labiis loquar populo huic; praemisit tamen, In Lege scriptum est (Isai. XXVIII, 11; et I Cor. XIV, 21). Et ipse Dominus, In Lege, inquit, eorum scriptum est, quia oderunt me gratis (Joan. XV, 25); cum hoc legatur in Psalmo (Psal. XXXIV, 19). Aliquando autem proprie vocatur Lex, quae data est per Moysen, secundum quod dictum est, Lex et Prophetae usque ad Joannem (Matth. XI, 13); et, In his duobus praeceptis tota Lex pendet et Prophetae (Id. XXII, 40). Hic utique proprie Lex appellata est, de monte Sina. Prophetarum autem nomine etiam Psalmi significati sunt: et tamen alio loco ipse Salvator, Oportebat, inquit, impleri omnia quae scripta sunt in Lege, et Prophetis, et Psalmis de me (Luc. XXIV, 44). Hic rursus Prophetarum nomen, exceptis Psalmis, intelligi voluit. Dicitur ergo Lex universaliter cum Prophetis et Psalmis, dicitur et proprie quae per Moysen data est. Item dicuntur communiter Prophetae simul cum Psalmis, dicuntur et proprie praeter Psalmos. Et multis aliis exemplis doceri potest, multa rerum vocabula, et universaliter poni, et proprie quibusdam rebus adhiberi, nisi in re aperta vitanda sit longitudo sermonis. Hoc ideo dixi, ne quisquam propterea nos inconvenienter 1082 existimet charitatem appellare Spiritum sanctum, quia et Deus Pater et Deus Filius potest charitas nuncupari.

31. Sicut ergo unicum Dei Verbum proprie vocamus nomine sapientiae, cum sit universaliter et Spiritus sanctus et Pater ipse sapientia; ita Spiritus sanctus proprie nuncupatur vocabulo charitatis, cum sit universaliter charitas et Pater et Filius. Sed Dei Verbum, id est, unigenitus Dei Filius aperte dictus est Dei sapientia, ore Apostolico, ubi ait, Christum Dei virtutem et Dei sapientiam (I Cor. I, 24): Spiritus autem sanctus ubi sit dictus charitas invenimus, si diligenter Joannis apostoli scrutemur eloquium; qui cum dixisset, Dilectissimi, diligamus invicem, quia dilectio ex Deo est; secutus adjunxit, Et omnis qui diligit, ex Deo natus est: qui non diligit, non cognovit Deum, quia Deus dilectio est. Hic manifestavit eam se dixisse dilectionem Deum, quam dixit ex Deo. Deus ergo ex Deo est dilectio. Sed quia et Filius ex Deo Patre natus est, et Spiritus sanctus ex Deo Patre procedit, quem potius eorum hic debeamus accipere dictum esse dilectionem Deum, merito quaeritur. Pater enim solus ita Deus est, ut non sit ex Deo: ac per hoc dilectio quae ita Deus est, ut ex Deo sit, aut Filius est, aut Spiritus sanctus. Sed in consequentibus cum Dei dilectionem commemorasset, non qua nos eum, sed qua Ipse dilexit nos, et misit Filium suum litatorem pro peccatis nostris; et hinc exhortatus esset ut et nos invicem diligamus, atque ita Deus in nobis maneat, quia utique dilectionem Deum dixerat, statim volens de hac re apertius aliquid eloqui, In hoc, inquit, cognoscimus quia in ipso manemus, et ipse in nobis, quia de Spiritu suo dedit nobis. Spiritus itaque sanctus de quo dedit nobis, facit nos in Deo manere, et ipsum in nobis: hoc autem facit dilectio. Ipse est igitur Deus dilectio. Denique paulo post cum hoc ipsum repetiisset atque dixisset, Deus dilectio est; continuo subjecit, Et qui manet in dilectione, in Deo manet, et Deus manet in eo: unde supra dixerat, In hoc cognoscimus quia in ipso manemus, et ipse in nobis, quia de Spiritu suo dedit nobis. Ipse ergo significatur ubi legitur, Deus dilectio est. Deus igitur Spiritus sanctus qui procedit ex Deo, cum datus fuerit homini, accendit eum in dilectionem Dei et proximi, et ipse dilectio est. Non enim habet homo unde Deum diligat, nisi ex Deo. Propter quod paulo post dicit: Nos diligamus eum, quia ipse prior dilexit nos (I Joan. IV, 7-19). Apostolus quoque Paulus: Dilectio, inquit, Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris, per Spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis (Rom. V, 5).