Chapter V.

The Holy Spirit, since He sanctifies creatures, is neither a creature nor subject to change. He is always good, since He is given by the Father and the Son; neither is He to be numbered amongst such things as are said to fail. He must be acknowledged as the source of goodness. The Spirit of God’s mouth, the amender of evils, and Himself good. Lastly, as He is said in Scripture to be good, and is joined to the Father and the Son in baptism, He cannot possibly be denied to be good. He is not, however, said to progress, but to be made perfect in goodness, which distinguishes Him from all creatures.

62. The Holy Spirit is not, then, of the substance of things corporeal, for He sheds incorporeal grace on corporeal things; nor, again, is He of the substance of invisible creatures, for they receive His sanctification, and through Him are superior to the other works of the universe. Whether you speak of Angels, or Dominions, or Powers, every creature waits for the grace of the Holy Spirit. For as we are children through the Spirit, because “God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, Abba, Father; so that thou art now not a servant but a son;”88    Gal. iv. 6, 7. in like manner, also, every creature is waiting for the revelation of the sons of God, whom in truth the grace of the Holy Spirit made sons of God. Therefore, also, every creature itself shall be changed by the revelation of the grace of the Spirit, “and shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.”89    Rom. viii. 19, 21.

63. Every creature, then, is subject to change, not only such as has been changed by some sin or condition of the outward elements, but also such as can be liable to corruption by a fault of nature, though by careful discipline it be not yet so; for, as we have shown in a former treatise,90    De Fid. III. 3. the nature of Angels evidently can be changed. It is certainly fitting to judge that such as is the nature of one, such also is that of others. The nature of the rest, then, is capable of change, but the discipline is better.

64. Every creature, therefore, is capable of change, but the Holy Spirit is good and not capable of change, nor can He be changed by any fault, Who does away the faults of all and pardons their sins. How, then, is He capable of change, Who by sanctifying works in others a change to grace, but is not changed Himself.

65. How is He capable of change Who is always good? For the Holy Spirit, through Whom the things that are good are ministered to us, is never evil. Whence two evangelists in one and the same place, in words in differing from each other, have made the same statement, for you read in Matthew: “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children; how much more shall your Father, Who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask Him.”91    S. Matt. vii. 11. But according to Luke you will find it thus written: “How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?”92    S. Luke xi. 13. We observe, then, that the Holy Spirit is good in the Lord’s judgment by the testimony of the evangelists, since the one has put good things in the place of the Holy Spirit, the other has named the Holy Spirit in the place of good things. If, then, the Holy Spirit is that which is good, how is He not good?

66. Nor does it escape our notice that some copies have likewise, according to St. Luke: “How much more shall your heavenly Father give a good gift to them that ask Him.” This good gift is the grace of the Spirit, which the Lord Jesus shed forth from heaven, after having been fixed to the gibbet of the cross, returning with the triumphal spoils of death deprived of its power, as you find it written: “Ascending up on high He led captivity captive, and gave good gifts to men.”93    Ps. lxviii. [lxvii.] 18. And well does he say “gifts,” for as the Son was given, of Whom it is written: “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;”94    Isa. ix. 6. so, too, is the grace of the Spirit given. But why should I hesitate to say that the Holy Spirit also is given to us, since it is written: “The love of God is shed forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Who is given to us.”95    Rom. v. 5. And since captive breasts certainly could not receive Him, the Lord Jesus first led captivity captive, that our affections being set free, He might pour forth the gift of divine grace.

67. And He said well “led captivity captive.” For the victory of Christ is the victory of liberty, which won grace for all, and inflicted wrong on none. So in the setting free of all no one is captive. And because in the time of the Lord’s passion wrong alone had no part, which had made captive all of whom it had gained possession, captivity itself turning back upon itself was made captive, not now attached to Belial but to Christ, to serve Whom is liberty. “For he who is called in the Lord as a servant is the Lord’s freedman.”96    1 Cor. vii. 22.

68. But to return to the point. “All,” says He, “have gone aside, all together are become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, not even one.”97    Ps. xiv. [xiii.] 3. If they except the Holy Spirit, even they themselves confess that He is not amongst all; if they do not except Him, then they, too, acknowledge that He has gone aside amongst all.

69. But let us consider whether He has goodness in Himself, since He is the Source and Principle of goodness. For as the Father and the Son have, so too the Holy Spirit also has goodness. And the Apostle also taught this when he said: “Now the fruit of the Spirit is peace, love, joy, patience, goodness.”98    Gal. v. 22. For who doubts that He is good Whose fruit is goodness. For “a good tree brings forth good fruit.”99    S. Matt. vii. 17.

70. And so if God be good, how shall He Who is the Spirit of His mouth not be good, Who searcheth even the deep things of God? Can the infection of evil enter into the deep things of God? And from this it is seen how foolish they are who deny that the Son of God is good, when they cannot deny that the Spirit of Christ is good, of Whom the Son of God says: “Therefore said I that He shall receive of Mine.”100    S. John xvi. 15.

71. Or is the Spirit not good, Who of the worst makes good men, does away sin, destroys evil, shuts out crime, pours in good gifts, makes apostles of persecutors, and priests of sinners? “Ye were,” it is said, “sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.”101    Eph. v. 8.

72. But why do we put them off? And if they ask for statements since they do not deny facts, let them hear that the Holy Spirit is good, for David said: “Let Thy good Spirit lead me forth in the right way.”102    Ps. cxliii. [cxlii.] 10. For what is the Spirit but full of goodness? Who though because of His nature He cannot be attained to, yet because of His goodness can be received by us, filling all things His power, but only partaken of by the just, simple in substance, rich in virtues, present to each, dividing of His own to every one, and Himself whole everywhere.

73. And with good cause did the Son of God say: “Go and baptize all nations in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,”103    S. Matt. xxviii. 19. not disdaining association with the Holy Spirit. Why, then, do some take it ill that He Whom the Lord disdained not in the sacrament of baptism, should be joined in our devotion with the Father and the Son?

74. Good, then, is the Spirit, but good, not as though acquiring but as imparting goodness. For the Holy Spirit does not receive from creatures but is received; as also He is not sanctified but sanctifies; for the creature is sanctified, but the Holy Spirit sanctifies. In which matter, though the word is used in common, there is a difference in the nature. For both the man who receives and God Who gives sanctity are called holy, as we read: “Be ye holy, for I am holy.”104    Lev. xix. 2. Now sanctification and corruption cannot share the same nature, and therefore the grace of the Holy Spirit and the creature cannot be of one substance.

75. Since, then, the whole invisible creation (whose substance some rightly believe to be reasonable and incorporeal), with the exception of the Trinity, does not impart but acquires the grace of the Spirit, and does not share in it but receives it, the whole commonalty of creation is to be separated from association with the Holy Spirit. Let them then believe that the Holy Spirit is not a creature; or, if they think Him a creature, why do they associate Him with the Father? If they think Him a creature, why do they join Him with the Son of God? But if they do not think that He should be separated from the Father and the Son, they do not consider Him to be a creature, for where the sanctification is one the nature is one.

CAPUT V.

0719CSpiritum sanctum, cum creaturas sanctificet, nec creaturam esse, nec mutabilem: eum semper bonum esse, cum a Patre detur et a Filio; nec inter ea quae declinare dicuntur, numerandum; fontem bonitatis, Spiritum oris Dei, malorum emendatorem, bonum necessario confitendum: postremo cum in Scripturis bonus affirmetur, et Patri ac Filio conjungatur in baptismate, bonum negari neutiquam posse; nec tamen dici in bono proficientem, sed perficientem: quod eum ab omnibus distinguit creaturis.

62. Non ergo sanctus Spiritus de substantia corporalium; hic enim corporalibus incorpoream infundit gratiam: sed nec de substantia invisibilium creaturarum est; nam et illae sanctificationem hujus accipiunt, et per hunc reliquis mundi operibus antecellunt. 0719D Sive Angelos dicas, sive Dominationes, sive Potestates, omnis creatura exspectat sancti Spiritus gratiam. Sicut enim nos per Spiritum liberi, quia 0720Amisit Deus Spiritum Filii sui in corda nostra clamantem: Abba Pater. Itaque jam non est servus, sed filius (Galat. IV, 6, 7): ita etiam omnis creatura revelationem filiorum Dei exspectat, quos utique sancti Spiritus gratia filios Dei fecit (Rom. VIII, 19). Ergo et creatura ipsa omnis spiritualis gratiae revelatione mutabitur, et liberabitur a servitute corruptionis in libertatem gloriae filiorum Dei (Ibid. 21).

63. Omnis ergo creatura mutabilis, non solum ea quae jam peccato aliquo aut elementorum conditione mutata est; verum etiam quae corruptelae potest esse obnoxia vitio naturae, etsi nondum est studio disciplinae; nam ut in superioribus libris docuimus (Lib. III, de fide, cap. 2), et angelorum naturam liquet potuisse mutari. Utique aestimare convenit quia qualis 0720B unius natura, talis et caeterorum. Mutabilis ergo et reliquorum natura, sed melior disciplina.

64. [Alias cap. V.] Ergo omnis mutabilis creatura, sed bonus et non mutabilis Spiritus sanctus; neque enim aliquo vitio mutari potest, qui omnium 614 abolet vitia, peccata condonat. Quomodo ergo mutabilis qui sanctificando alios mutat ad gratiam, non ipse mutatur?

65. Quomodo mutabilis, qui bonus semper est? Neque enim umquam malus Spiritus sanctus, per quem nobis quae bona sunt, ministrantur. Unde et evangelistae duo in uno eodemque loco, diversis quidem inter se verbis, sed eadem designarunt; habes enim in Matthaeo: Si vos cum sitis mali, nostis bona data dare filiis vestris; quanto magis Pater vester, qui 0720Cin coelis est, dabit bona petentibus se (Matth. VII, 11)! Secundum Lucam autem invenies ita scriptum: Quanto magis Pater vester de coelodabit Spiritum sanctum petentibus se (Luc. XI, 13)! Advertimus ergo bonum esse Spiritum sanctum Domini judicio, evangelistarum testimonio: quando alius pro sancto Spiritu bona, alius pro bonis sanctum Spiritum nominavit. Si igitur quod bonum est, hoc est Spiritus sanctus, quomodo bonus non est?

66. Nec fallit quod nonnulli codices habent etiam secundum Lucam: Quanto magis Pater vester de coelo dabit bonum datum petentibus se! Hoc bonum datum gratia spiritalis est, quam Dominus Jesus effudit e coelo, postquam patibulo crucis fixus, triumphales revehens evacuatae mortis exuvias, victor mortis a 0720D mortuis resurrexit, sicut habes scriptum: ascendens in altumcaptivam duxit captivitatem: dedit data hominibus (Psal. LXVII, 19). Et bene ait, data; sicut 0721A enim Filius datus, de quo scriptum est: Puer natus est, filius datus est nobis (Esai. IX, 6), data est et gratia spiritualis. Quid autem dubito dicere quia datus est et Spiritus sanctus, cum scriptum sit: Charitas Dei effusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum sanctum, qui datus est nobis (Rom. V, 5). Quem utique quoniam pectora recipere captiva non poterant, prius Dominus Jesus captivam duxit captivitatem; ut liberis affectibus gratiae divinae munus effunderet.

67. Pulchre autem dixit: Captivam captivitatem. Christi enim victoria, victoria libertatis est, quae omnes gratiae vindicavit, nullum astrinxit injuriae. Ergo in omnium absolutione nemo captivus est. Et quia Dominicae tempore passionis sola feriabatur injuria, quae captivos omnes amiserat quos tenebat; 0721B in se recurrens captiva facta est ipsa captivitas, jam non Belial addicta, sed Christo, cui servire libertas est. Qui enim in Domino vocatus est servus libertus est Domini (I Cor. VII, 22).

68. Sed ut ad proposita revertamur: Omnes, inquit, declinaverunt, simul inutiles facti sunt; non est qui faciat bonum, non est usque ad unum (Psal. XIII, 3). Si excipiunt Spiritum sanctum, etiam ipsi eum non esse inter omnia confitentur: si non excipiunt, ergo et ipsum inter omnes declinasse fateantur.

69. Sed videamus utrum bonitatem habeat, cum fons sit principiumque bonitatis. Nam sicut 615 Pater bonitatem habet et Filius, ita etiam bonitatem habet et Spiritus sanctus. Quod etiam Apostolus docuit dicens: Fructus autem Spiritus pax, charitas, 0721Cgaudium, patientia, bonitas (Galat. V, 22). Quis autem dubitat quod bonus sit, cujus fructus est bonitas? Arbor enim bona bonos fructus facit (Matth. VII, 17).

70. Itaque si bonus Deus, quomodo non bonus qui oris ejus est Spiritus (Psal. XXXII, 6), qui scrutatur etiam alta Dei (I Cor. II, 10)? An in alta Dei contagio mali possit intrare? Unde et illud intelligitur, quam amentes sint, qui bonum Filium Dei abnegant, cum bonum Spiritum Christi negare non possint; de quo ait Dei Filius: Propterea dixi, de meo accipiet (Joan. XVI, 15).

71. An non bonus Spiritus, qui bonos de pessimis facit, peccatum abolet, malum delet, crimen excludit, bonum munus infundit, de persecutoribus apostolos 0721D facit, de peccatoribus sacerdotes? Eratis, inquit, aliquando tenebrae, nunc autem lux in Domino (Ephes. V, 8).

72. Sed quid differimus eos? Nam si verba exigunt, cum facta non abnuant, accipiant bonum Spiritum 0722A scriptum; dixit enim David: Spiritus tuus bonus deducet me in viam rectam (Psal. CXLII, 10). Quid est enim Spiritus, nisi plenus bonitatis? Qui cum sit inaccessibilis natura, receptibilis tamen propter bonitatem suam nobis est, complens virtute omnia, sed qui solis participetur justis, simplex substantia, opulentus virtutibus, unicuique praesens, dividens de suo singulis, et ubique totus.

73. Meritoque Filius Dei dixit: Ite, baptizate gentes in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti (Matth. XXVIII, 19), non dedignatus Spiritus sancti societatem. Cur igitur nunc quem Dominus non dedignatus est in baptismatis sacramento, moleste ferunt aliqui Patri vel Filio Spiritum nostra devotione conjungi?

74. Bonus ergo Spiritus: bonus autem, non quasi 0722B acquirens, sed quasi impertiens bonitatem. Non enim accipit a creaturis, sed accipitur Spiritus sanctus: sicut non sanctificatur, sed ipse sanctificat; creatura enim sanctificatur, sanctificat autem Spiritus sanctus. In quo licet verbi communio, discretio tamen naturae est. Sanctus enim dicitur et homo qui accipit, et Deus qui tribuit sanctitatem; quia legimus: Estote sancti, quoniam et ego sanctus sum (Levit. XIX, 2). Non ergo potest sanctificatio et corruptela unius esse naturae; et ideo non potest gratia sancti Spiritus et creatura unius esse substantiae.

75. Itaque cum omnis invisibilis praeter Trinitatem reliqua natura, cujus rationabilem et incorpoream jure quidam substantiam putant, non impertiat spiritalem gratiam, sed acquirat: nec participet, sed 0722C assumat; separanda utique est a societate Spiritus sancti communitas creaturae. Credant igitur quia creatura non est Spiritus sanctus: aut si creaturam putant, cur associant Patri? Si creaturam arbitrantur, cur Filio Dei jungunt? Quod si a Patre et Filio 616 non existimant separandum, non aestiment creaturam; quia ubi una sanctificatio, una natura est.