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De Trinitate

XV.

[XV 16] Interius autem quaeritur utrum quemadmodum filius non hoc tantum habet nascendo ut filius sit sed omnino ut sit, sic et spiritus sanctus eo quo datur habeat non tantum ut donum sit sed omnino ut sit; utrum ergo erat antequam daretur sed nondum erat donum, an eo ipso quo daturus erat eum deus iam donum erat et antequam daretur. Sed si non procedit nisi cum datur, nec procederet utique priusquam esset cui daretur. Quomodo iam erat ipsa substantia si non est nisi quia datur, sicut filius non tantum ut sit filius quod relative dicitur sed omnino ut sit ipsa substantia nascendo habet? An semper procedit spiritus sanctus et non ex tempore sed ab aeternitate procedit, sed quia sic procedebat ut esset donabile, iam donum erat et antequam esset cui daretur? Aliter enim intellegitur cum dicitur donum, aliter cum dicitur donatum. Nam donum potest esse et antequam detur; donatum autem nisi datum fuerit nullo modo dici potest.

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The Fifteen Books of Aurelius Augustinus, Bishop of Hippo, on the Trinity

Chapter 15.--Whether the Holy Spirit Was a Gift Before as Well as After He Was Given.

16. But it is asked further, whether, as the Son, by being born, has not only this, that He is the Son, but that He is absolutely; and so also the Holy Spirit, by being given, has not only this, that He is given, but that He is absolutely--whether therefore He was, before He was given, but was not yet a gift; or whether, for the very reason that God was about to give Him, He was already a gift also before He was given. But if He does not proceed unless when He is given, and assuredly could not proceed before there was one to whom He might be given; how, in that case, was He [absolutely] in His very substance, if He is not unless because He is given? just as the Son, by being born, not only has this, that He is a Son, which is said relatively, but His very substance absolutely, so that He is. Does the Holy Spirit proceed always, and proceed not in time, but from eternity, but because He so proceeded that He was capable of being given, was already a gift even before there was one to whom He might be given? For there is a difference in meaning between a gift and a thing that has been given. For a gift may exist even before it is given; but it cannot be called a thing that has been given unless it has been given.