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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput XXIV: De trinitate diuina, quae per omnia opera sua significationis suae sparsit indicia.

Credimus et tenemus et fideliter praedicamus, quod pater genuerit uerbum, hoc est sapientiam, per quam facta sunt omnia, unigenitum filium, unus unum, aeternus coaeternum, summe bonus aequaliter bonum; et quod spiritus sanctus simul et patris et filii sit spiritus et ipse consubstantialis et coaeternus ambobus; atque hoc totum et trinitas sit propter proprietatem personarum et unus deus propter inseparabilem diuinitatem, sicut unus omnipotens propter inseparabilem omnipotentiam; ita tamen, ut etiam cum de singulis quaeritur unusquisque eorum et deus et omnipotens esse respondeatur; cum uero de omnibus simul, non tres di uel tres omnipotentes, sed unus deus omnipotens; tanta ibi est in tribus inseparabilis unitas, quae sic se uoluit praedicari. utrum autem boni patris et boni filii spiritus sanctus, quia communis ambobus est, recte bonitas dici possit amborum, non audeo temerariam praecipitare sententiam; uerumtamen amborum eum dicere sanctitatem facilius ausus fuero, non amborum quasi qualitatem, sed ipsum quoque substantiam et tertiam in trinitate personam. ad hoc enim me probabilius ducit, quod, cum sit et pater spiritus et filius spiritus, et pater sanctus et filius sanctus, proprie tamen ipse uocatur spiritus sanctus tamquam sanctitas substantialis et consubstantialis amborum. sed si nihil est aliud bonitas diuina quam sanctitas, profecto et intellegentia rationis est, non praesumptionis audacia, ut in operibus dei secreto quodam loquendi modo, quo nostra exerceatur intentio, eadem nobis insinuata intellegatur trinitas, unamquamque creaturam quis fecerit, per quid fecerit, propter quid fecerit. pater quippe intellegitur uerbi, qui dixit ut fiat; quod autem illo dicente factum est, procul dubio per uerbum factum est; in eo uero quod dicitur: uidit deus, quia bonum est, satis significatur deum nulla necessitate, nulla suae cuiusquam utilitatis indigentia, sed sola bonitate fecisse quod factum est, id est, quia bonum est; quod ideo posteaquam factum est dicitur, ut res, quae facta est, congruere bonitati, propter quam facta est, indicetur. quae bonitas si spiritus sanctus recte intellegitur, uniuersa nobis trinitas in suis operibus intimatur. inde est ciuitatis sanctae, quae in sanctis angelis sursum est, et origo et informatio et beatitudo. nam si quaeratur unde sit: deus eam condidit; si unde sit sapiens: a deo inluminatur; si unde sit felix: deo fruitur; subsistens modificatur, contemplans inlustratur, inhaerens iucundatur; est, uidet, amat; in aeternitate dei uiget, in ueritate dei lucet, in bonitate dei gaudet.

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The City of God

Chapter 24.--Of the Divine Trinity, and the Indications of Its Presence Scattered Everywhere Among Its Works.

We believe, we maintain, we faithfully preach, that the Father begat the Word, that is, Wisdom, by which all things were made, the only-begotten Son, one as the Father is one, eternal as the Father is eternal, and, equally with the Father, supremely good; and that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit alike of Father and of Son, and is Himself consubstantial and co-eternal with both; and that this whole is a Trinity by reason of the individuality ¹ of the persons, and one God by reason of the indivisible divine substance, as also one Almighty by reason of the indivisible omnipotence; yet so that, when we inquire regarding each singly, it is said that each is God and Almighty; and, when we speak of all together, it is said that there are not three Gods, nor three Almighties, but one God Almighty; so great is the indivisible unity of these Three, which requires that it be so stated. But, whether the Holy Spirit of the Father, and of the Son, who are both good, can be with propriety called the goodness of both, because He is common to both, I do not presume to determine hastily. Nevertheless, I would have less hesitation in saying that He is the holiness of both, not as if He were a divine attribute merely, but Himself also the divine substance, and the third person in the Trinity. I am the rather emboldened to make this statement, because, though the Father is a spirit, and the Son a spirit, and the Father holy, and the Son holy, yet the third person is distinctively called the Holy Spirit, as if He were the substantial holiness consubstantial with the other two. But if the divine goodness is nothing else than the divine holiness, then certainly it is a reasonable studiousness, and not presumptuous intrusion, to inquire whether the same Trinity be not hinted at in an enigmatical mode of speech, by which our inquiry is stimulated, when it is written who made each creature, and by what means, and why. For it is the Father of the Word who said, Let there be. And that which was made when He spoke was certainly made by means of the Word. And by the words, "God saw that it was good," it is sufficiently intimated that God made what was made not from any necessity, nor for the sake of supplying any want, but solely from His own goodness, i.e., because it was good. And this is stated after the creation had taken place, that there might be no doubt that the thing made satisfied the goodness on account of which it was made. And if we are right in understanding; that this goodness is the Holy Spirit, then the whole Trinity is revealed to us in the creation. In this, too, is the origin, the enlightenment, the blessedness of the holy city which is above among the holy angels. For if we inquire whence it is, God created it; or whence its wisdom, God illumined it; or whence its blessedness, God is its bliss. It has its form by subsisting in Him; its enlightenment by contemplating Him; its joy by abiding in Him. It is; it sees; it loves. In God's eternity is its life; in God's truth its light; in God's goodness its joy.