§19De spiritu autem sancto nondum tam copiose ac diligenter disputatum est a doctis et magnis diuinarum scripturarum tractatoribus, ut intellegi facile possit eius proprium, quo proprio fit, ut eum neque filium neque patrem dicere possimus, sed tantum spiritum sanctum, nisi quod eum donum dei esse praedicant, ut deum credamus non se ipso inferius donum dare.
But concerning the Holy Spirit there has not yet been discussion by learned and great commentators of the divine scriptures so copiously and carefully that his proper character can be easily understood—by which proper character it comes about that we can call him neither Son nor Father, but only the Holy Spirit—except that they preach that he is the gift of God, so that we may believe that God does not give a gift inferior to himself.
seruant tamen, ut non genitum spiritum sanctum tamquam filium de patre praedicent — unicus enim est Christus — nec de filio tamquam nepotem summi patris nec tamen id quod est nulli debere, sed patri, ex quo omnia, ne duo constituamus principia sine principio, quod falsissimum et absurdissimum est et non catholicae fidei, sed quorundam haereticorum errori proprium.
Yet they take care that they do not preach the Holy Spirit as begotten from the Father like a son—for Christ is the only-begotten—nor from the Son like a grandson of the supreme Father, nor yet that he owes what he is to no one, but to the Father, from whom are all things, lest we should establish two principles without a principle, which is most false and absurd, and characteristic not of the catholic faith, but of the error of certain heretics.
ausi sunt tamen quidam ipsam communionem patris et filii atque, ut ita dicam, deitatem, quam Graeci dsotTj-ca appellant, spiritum sanctum credere: ut, quoniam pater deus et filius deus, ipsa deitas, qua sibi copulantur et ille gignendo filium et ille patri cohaerendo, ei a quo est genitus aequetur.
Some, however, have dared to believe that the Holy Spirit is the very communion of the Father and the Son, and, so to speak, the deity, which the Greeks call theotēs: so that, since the Father is God and the Son is God, the deity itself, by which they are coupled to each other (both the former by begetting the Son, and the latter by adhering to the Father), is equated with him by whom he was begotten.
hanc ergo deitatem, quam etiam dilectionem in se inuicem amborum caritatemque uolunt intellegi, spiritum sanctum appellatum dicunt multisque scripturarum documentis adsunt huic opinioni suae: siue illo, quod dictum est: quoniam caritas dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis, siue aliis multis talibus testimoniis, et eo ipso, quod per spiritum sanctum reconciliamur deo: unde etiam cum donum dei dicitur, satis significari uolunt caritatem dei esse spiritum sanctum.
Therefore they say that this deity, which they wish to be understood also as the mutual love and charity of both toward each other, is called the Holy Spirit; and they support this opinion of theirs with many testimonies of the scriptures: whether by that which is said, "Because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us," or by many other such testimonies, and by this very fact, that we are reconciled to God through the Holy Spirit; whence also, when he is called the gift of God, they want it to be sufficiently signified that the charity of God is the Holy Spirit.
non enim reconciliamur illi nisi per dilectionem, qua etiam filii dei appellamur, non iam sub timore tamquam serui, quia consummata dilectio foras mittit timorem, et spiritum libertatis accepimus, in quo clamamus: abba pater.
For we are not reconciled to Him except through love, by which we are also called children of God, no longer under fear like servants, because perfect love casts out fear, and we have received the spirit of freedom, in which we cry: Abba, Father.
et quia reconciliati et in amicitiam reuocati per caritatem poterimus omnia dei secreta cognoscere, propterea de spiritu sancto dicitur: ipse uos inducet in omnem ueritatem; propterea et confidentia praedicandae ueritatis, qua inpleti sunt in aduentu eius apostoli, recte caritati tribuitur, quia et diffidentia timori datur, quem consummatio caritatis excludit.
And because, having been reconciled and recalled into friendship through charity, we shall be able to know all the secrets of God, therefore it is said of the Holy Spirit: "He will guide you into all truth"; therefore also the confidence in preaching the truth, with which the apostles were filled at his coming, is rightly attributed to charity, because lack of confidence is attributed to fear, which the perfection of charity excludes.
et ideo donum dei dicitur, quia eo quod quisque nouit non fruitur, nisi id diligat.
And therefore he is called the gift of God, because no one enjoys that which he knows unless he loves it.
frui autem sapientia dei nihil est aliud quam ei dilectione cohaerere, neque quisquam in eo quod percipit permanet nisi dilectione; et ideo spiritus sanctus dicitur, quoniam ad permanendum sanciuntur quaecumque sanciuntur nec dubium est a sanciendo sanctitatem uocari.
But to enjoy the wisdom of God is nothing else than to cleave to it by love, nor does anyone remain in that which he perceives except by love; and therefore he is called the Holy Spirit, since whatever things are sanctioned are sanctioned in order to remain, nor is there any doubt that holiness is named from sanctioning.
maxime autem illo testimonio utuntur assertores huius sententiae, quod scriptum est: quod natum est de carne, caro est; et quod natum est de spiritu, spiritus est, quoniam deus spiritus est. hic enim regenerationem nostram dicit, quae non secundum Adam de carne est, sed secundum Christum de spiritu sancto.
But the assertors of this opinion chiefly use that testimony which is written: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, because God is a Spirit." For here He speaks of our regeneration, which is not according to Adam of the flesh, but according to Christ of the Holy Spirit.
quapropter si spiritus sancti hoc loco facta est commemoratio, cum dictum est, quoniam deus spiritus est, animaduertendum dicunt non dictum esse quoniam spiritus deus est), sed: quoniam deus spiritus est, ut ipsa deitas patris et filii hoc loco dicta sit deus, quod est spiritus sanctus.
Wherefore if mention was made of the Holy Spirit in this place, when it was said, "because God is a Spirit," they say we must observe that it was not said "because the Spirit is God", but: "because God is a Spirit," so that the very deity of the Father and the Son is in this place called God, which is the Holy Spirit.
huc accedit aliud testimonium, quod dicit Iohannes apostolus, quoniam deus dilectio est. etiam hic enim non ait \'dilectio deus est\', sed: deus dilectio est, ut ipsa deitas dilectio intellegatur.
To this is added another testimony, which the apostle John speaks: "because God is love." For here also he does not say "love is God", but: "God is love," so that the deity itself may be understood as love.
et quod in illa enumeratione conexarum sibi rerum, ubi dicitur: omnia uestra sunt, uos autem Christi, Christus autem dei, et: caput mulieris uir, caput uiri Christus, caput autem Christi deus, nulla fit commemoratio spiritus sancti, ad hoc pertinere dicunt, quia non fere in his, quae sibi conexa sunt, numerari solet ipsa conexio.
And as to the fact that in that enumeration of things connected with each other, where it is said, "All things are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's," and, "The head of the woman is the man, the head of the man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God," no mention is made of the Holy Spirit, they say this is because in those things which are connected with one another, the connection itself is not usually numbered.
unde in illo etiam loco trinitatem ipsam uidentur agnoscere, qui legunt adtentius, cum dicitur: quoniam ex ipso et per ipsum et in ipso sunt omnia: ex ipso, tamquam ex eo, qui nulli debet quod est; per ipsum, tamquam per mediatorem; in ipso, tamquam in eo, qui continet, id est copulatione coniungit.
Whence also in that place, those who read more attentively seem to recognize the Trinity itself, when it is said: "Because from him, and through him, and in him are all things": "from him", as from him who owes what he is to no one; "through him", as through a mediator; "in him", as in him who contains, that is, joins by coupling.