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Fünfzehn Bücher über die Dreieinigkeit

SIEBENTES BUCH.

Hier beantwortet Augustinus die oben ungelöst gelassene Frage, in welchem Sinne der Sohn die Kraft und Weisheit des Vaters ist. Der Vater ist nicht nur der Erzeuger von Kraft und Weisheit, sondern selber Kraft und Weisheit, ebenso der Heilige Geist. Doch sind die drei Personen nur eine Kraft und Weisheit. Ferner erörtert er den Begriff Person und die Formel: Ein Wesen, drei Personen.

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

Book VII.

The question is explained, which had been deferred in the previous book, viz. that God the Father, who begat the Son, His power and wisdom, is not only the Father of power and wisdom, but also Himself power and wisdom; and similarly the Holy Spirit: yet that there are not three powers or three wisdoms, but one power and one wisdom, as there is one God and one essence. Inquiry is then made, why the Latins say one essence, three persons, in God; but the Greeks, one essence, three substances or hypostases: and both modes of expression are shown to arise from the necessities of speech, that we might have an answer to give when asked, what three, while truly confessing that there are three, viz. the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.