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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.
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