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12. But whereas, in the same Trinity, some things severally are
specially predicated, these are in no way said in reference to
themselves in themselves, but either in mutual reference, or in
respect to the creature; and, therefore, it is manifest that such
things are spoken relatively, not in the way of substance. For the
Trinity is called one God, great, good, eternal, omnipotent; and
the same God Himself may be called His own deity, His own
magnitude, His own goodness, His own, eternity, His own
omnipotence: but the Trinity cannot in the same way be called the
Father, except perhaps metaphorically, in respect to the creature,
on account of the adoption of sons. For that which is written,
"Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord," ought
certainly not to be understood as if the Son were excepted, or the
Holy Spirit were excepted; which one Lord our God we rightly call
also our Father, as regenerating us by His grace. Neither can the
Trinity in any wise be called the Son, but it can be called, in its
entirety, the Holy Spirit, according to that which is written,
"God is a Spirit;" because both the Father is a spirit and the
Son is a spirit, and the Father is holy and the Son is holy.
Therefore, since the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one
God, and certainly God is holy, and God is a spirit, the Trinity
can be called also the Holy Spirit. But yet that Holy Spirit, who
is not the Trinity, but is understood as in the Trinity, is spoken
of in His proper name of the Holy Spirit relatively, since He is
referred both to the Father and to the Son, because the Holy Spirit
is the Spirit both of the Father and of the Son. But the relation
is not itself apparent in that name, but it is apparent when He is
called the gift of God; for He is the gift of the Father and of the
Son, because "He proceeds from the Father," as the Lord says;
and because that which the apostle says, "Now, if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His," he says certainly of the
Holy Spirit Himself. When we say, therefore, the gift of the
giver, and the giver of the gift, we speak in both cases relatively in
reciprocal reference. Therefore the Holy Spirit is a certain
unutterable communion of the Father and the Son; and on that
account, perhaps, He is so called, because the same name is suitable
to both the Father and the Son. For He Himself is called specially
that which they are called in common; because both the Father is a
spirit and the Son a spirit, both the Father is holy and the Son
holy. In order, therefore, that the communion of both may be
signified from a name which is suitable to both, the Holy Spirit is
called the gift of both. And this Trinity is one God, alone,
good, great, eternal, omnipotent; itself its own unity, deity,
greatness, goodness, eternity, omnipotence.
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