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Objection 1: It would seem that there are not five notions. For
the notions proper to the persons are the relations whereby they are
distinguished from each other. But the relations in God are only four
(Question 28, Article 4). Therefore the notions are only four
in number.
Objection 2: Further, as there is only one essence in God, He is
called one God, and because in Him there are three persons, He is
called the Trine God. Therefore, if in God there are five
notions, He may be called quinary; which cannot be allowed.
Objection 3: Further, if there are five notions for the three
persons in God, there must be in some one person two or more notions,
as in the person of the Father there is innascibility and paternity,
and common spiration. Either these three notions really differ, or
not. If they really differ, it follows that the person of the Father
is composed of several things. But if they differ only logically, it
follows that one of them can be predicated of another, so that we can
say that as the divine goodness is the same as the divine wisdom by
reason of the common reality, so common spiration is paternity; which
is not to be admitted. Therefore there are not five notions.
Objection 4: On the contrary, It seems that there are more;
because as the Father is from no one, and therefrom is derived the
notion of innascibility; so from the Holy Ghost no other person
proceeds. And in this respect there ought to be a sixth notion.
Objection 5: Further, as the Father and the Son are the common
origin of the Holy Ghost, so it is common to the Son and the Holy
Ghost to proceed from the Father. Therefore, as one notion is
common to the Father and the Son, so there ought to be one notion
common to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.
I answer that, A notion is the proper idea whereby we know a divine
Person. Now the divine persons are multiplied by reason of their
origin: and origin includes the idea of someone from whom another
comes, and of someone that comes from another, and by these two modes
a person can be known. Therefore the Person of the Father cannot be
known by the fact that He is from another; but by the fact that He is
from no one; and thus the notion that belongs to Him is called
"innascibility." As the source of another, He can be known in two
ways, because as the Son is from Him, the Father is known by the
notion of "paternity"; and as the Holy Ghost is from Him, He is
known by the notion of "common spiration." The Son can be known as
begotten by another, and thus He is known by "filiation"; and also
by another person proceeding from Him, the Holy Ghost, and thus He
is known in the same way as the Father is known, by "common
spiration." The Holy Ghost can be known by the fact that He is
from another, or from others; thus He is known by "procession";
but not by the fact that another is from Him, as no divine person
proceeds from Him.
Therefore, there are Five notions in God: "innascibility,"
"paternity," "filiation," and "procession." Of these only four
are relations, for "innascibility" is not a relation, except by
reduction, as will appear later (Question 33, Article 4, ad
3). Four only are properties. For "common spiration" is not a
property; because it belongs to two persons. Three are personal
notions---i.e. constituting persons, "paternity,"
"filiation," and "procession." "Common spiration" and
"innascibility" are called notions of Persons, but not personal
notions, as we shall explain further on (Question 40, Article
1, ad 1).
Reply to Objection 1: Besides the four relations, another notion
must be admitted, as above explained.
Reply to Objection 2: The divine essence is signified as a
reality; and likewise the persons are signified as realities; whereas
the notions are signified as ideas notifying the persons. Therefore,
although God is one by unity of essence, and trine by trinity of
persons, nevertheless He is not quinary by the five notions.
Reply to Objection 3: Since the real plurality in God is founded
only on relative opposition, the several properties of one Person, as
they are not relatively opposed to each other, do not really differ.
Nor again are they predicated of each other, because they are
different ideas of the persons; as we do not say that the attribute of
power is the attribute of knowledge, although we do say that knowledge
is power.
Reply to Objection 4: Since Person implies dignity, as stated
above (Question 19, Article 3) we cannot derive a notion of the
Holy Spirit from the fact that no person is from Him. For this does
not belong to His dignity, as it belongs to the authority of the
Father that He is from no one.
Reply to Objection 5: The Son and the Holy Ghost do not agree in
one special mode of existence derived from the Father; as the Father
and the Son agree in one special mode of producing the Holy Ghost.
But the principle on which a notion is based must be something
special; thus no parity of reasoning exists.
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