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De Trinitate

VIII.

[VIII 9] Quapropter illud praecipue teneamus, quidquid ad se dicitur praestantissima illa et divina sublimitas substantialiter dici; quod autem ad aliquid non substantialiter sed relative; tantamque vim esse eiusdem substantiae in patre et filio et spiritu sancto ut quidquid de singulis ad se ipsos dicitur non pluraliter in summa sed singulariter accipiatur. Quemadmodum enim deus est pater et filius deus est et spiritus sanctus deus est, quod secundum substantiam dici nemo dubituat, non tamen tres deos sed unum deum dicimus eam ipsam praestantissimam trinitatem. Ita magnus pater, magnus filius, magnus et spiritus sanctus; nec tamen tres magni sed unus magnus. Non enim de patre solo sicut illi perverse sentiunt, sed de patre et filio et spiritu sancto scriptum est: Tu es solus deus, magnus. Et bonus pater, bonus filius, bonus et spiritus sanctus; nec tres boni sed unus bonus de quo dicutm est: Nemo bonus nisi unus deus. Etenim dominus Iesus ne ab illo qui dixerat: Magister bone, tamquam hominem compellans secundum hominem tantummodo intellegeretur ideo non ait: ‚Nemo bonus nisi solus pater,‘ sed: Nemo bonus nisi unus deus. In patris enim nomine ipse per se pater pronuntiatur, in dei vero et ipse et filius et spiritus sanctus quia trinitas unus deus.

Situs vero et habitus et loca et tempora non proprie sed translate ac per similitudines dicuntur in deo. Nam et sedere super cherubim dicitur, quod ad situm dicitur; et abyssus tamquam vestimentum amictus ipsius, quod ad habitum; et: Anni tui non deficient, quod ad tempus; et: Si ascendero in caelum, tu ibi es, quod ad locum. Quod autem ad faciendum attinet fortassis de solo deo verissime dicatur; solus enim deus facit et ipse non fit, neque patitur quantum ad eius substantiam pertinet qua deus est. Itaque omnipotens pater, omnipotens filius, omnipotens spiritus sanctus, nec tamen tres omnipotentes sed unus omnipotens; ex quo omnia, per quem omnia, in quo omnia; ipsi gloria.

Quidquid ergo ad se ipsum dicitur deus et de singulis personis ter dicitur patre et filio et spiritu sancto, et simul de ipsa trinitate non pluraliter sed singulariter dicitur. Quoniam quippe non aliud est deo esse et aliud magnum esse, sed hoc idem illi est esse quod magnum esse, propterea sicut non dicimus tres essentias, sic non dicimus tres magnitudines, sed unam essentiam et unam magnitudinem. Essentiam dico quae οὐσία Graece dicitur, quam usitatius substantiam vocamus.

[10] Dicunt quidem et illi ὑπόστασιν, sed nescio quid volunt interesse inter οὐσίαν et ὑπόστασιν ita ut plerique nostri qui haec Graeco tractant eloquio dicere consuerint μίαν οὐσίαν τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις, quod est Latine, unam essentiam tres substantias.

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

Chapter 8.--Whatever is Spoken of God According to Substance, is Spoken of Each Person Severally, and Together of the Trinity Itself. One Essence in God, and Three, in Greek, Hypostases, in Latin, Persons.

9. Wherefore let us hold this above all, that whatsoever is said of that most eminent and divine loftiness in respect to itself, is said in respect to substance, but that which is said in relation to anything, is not said in respect to substance, but relatively; and that the effect of the same substance in Father and Son and Holy Spirit is, that whatsoever is said of each in respect to themselves, is to be taken of them, not in the plural in sum, but in the singular. For as the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, which no one doubts to be said in respect to substance, yet we do not say that the very Supreme Trinity itself is three Gods, but one God. So the Father is great, the Son great, and the Holy Spirit great; yet not three greats, but one great. For it is not written of the Father alone, as they perversely suppose, but of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, "Thou art great: Thou art God alone." ¹ And the Father is good, the Son good, and the Holy Spirit good; yet not three goods, but one good, of whom it is said, "None is good, save one, that is, God." For the Lord Jesus, lest He should be understood as man only by him who said, "Good Master," as addressing a man, does not therefore say, There is none good, save the Father alone; but, "None is good, save one, that is, God." ² For the Father by Himself is declared by the name of Father; but by the name of God, both Himself and the Son and the Holy Spirit, because the Trinity is one God. But position, and condition, and places, and times, are not said to be in God properly, but metaphorically and through similitudes. For He is both said to dwell between the cherubims, ³ which is spoken in respect to position; and to be covered with the deep as with a garment, ⁴ which is said in respect to condition; and "Thy years shall have no end," ⁵ which is said in respect of time; and, "If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there," ⁶ which is said in respect to place. And as respects action (or making), perhaps it may be said most truly of God alone, for God alone makes and Himself is not made. Nor is He liable to passions as far as belongs to that substance whereby He is God. So the Father is omnipotent, the Son omnipotent, and the Holy Spirit is omnipotent; yet not three omnipotents, but one omnipotent: ⁷ "For of Him are all things, and through Him are all things, and in Him are all things; to whom be glory." ⁸ Whatever, therefore, is spoken of God in respect to Himself, is both spoken singly of each person, that is, of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and together of the Trinity itself, not plurally but in the singular. For inasmuch as to God it is not one thing to be, and another thing to be great, but to Him it is the same thing to be, as it is to be great; therefore, as we do not say three essences, so we do not say three greatnesses, but one essence and one greatness. I say essence, which in Greek is called ousia, and which we call more usually substance.

10. They indeed use also the word hypostasis; but they intend to put a difference, I know not what, between ousia and hypostasis: so that most of ourselves who treat these things in the Greek language, are accustomed to say, mian ousian, treis hupostaseis or in Latin, one essence, three substances. ⁹