Chapter VII.  Argument.—Moreover, that When God is Called a Spirit, Brightness, and Light, God is Not Sufficiently Expressed by Those Appellations.

But when the Lord says that God is a Spirit, I think that Christ spoke thus of the Father, as wishing that something still more should be understood than merely that God is a Spirit.  For although, in His Gospel, He is reasoning for the purpose of giving to men an increase of intelligence, nevertheless He Himself speaks to men concerning God, in such a way as they can as yet hear and receive; although, as we have said, He is now endeavouring to give to His hearers religious additions to their knowledge of God. For we find it to be written that God is called Love, and yet from this the substance of God is not declared to be Love; and that He is called Light, while in this is not the substance of God.  But the whole that is thus said of God is as much as can be said, so that reasonably also, when He is called a Spirit, it is not all that He is which is so called; but so that, while men’s mind by understanding makes progress even to the Spirit itself, being already changed in spirit, it may conjecture God to be something even greater through the Spirit. For that which is, according to what it is, can neither be declared by human discourse, nor received by human ears, nor gathered by human perceptions. For if “the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him, neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor the heart of man, nor even his mind has perceived;”37    1 Cor. ii. 9. what and how great is He Himself who promises these things, in understanding which both the mind and nature of man have failed! Finally, if you receive the Spirit as the substance of God, you will make God a creature. For every spirit is a creature. And therefore, then, God will be made. In which manner also, if, according to Moses, you should receive God to be fire, in saying that He is a creature, you will have declared what is ordained, you will not have taught who is its ordainer. But these things are rather used as figures than as being so in fact. For as, in the Old Testament,38    [Ex. iii. 2. Not consuming. Heb. xii. 29, “consuming.”] God is for this reason called Fire, that fear may be struck into the hearts of a sinful people, by suggesting to them a Judge; so in the New Testament He is announced as Spirit, that, as the Renewer and Creator of those who are dead in their sins, He may be attested by this goodness of mercy granted to those that believe.

CAPUT VII. ARGUMENTUM.---Spiritus quoque cum Deus dicitur, claritas et lux, non satis Deum illis appellationibus explicari.

Sed illud quod dicit Dominus (Joan. IV, 24) Spiritum Deum, puto ego sic locutum Christum de Patre, ut adhuc aliquid plus intelligi velit quam Spiritum Deum. Hominibus enim licet in Evangelio suo intelligendi 0897B incrementa faciens disputet; sed tamen et ipse sic adhuc de Deo loquitur hominibus, quomodo possunt adhuc audire vel capere; licet, ut diximus, in agnitionem Dei religiosa jam facere incrementa nitatur. Invenimus enim scriptum esse quod (I Joan. IV, 8) Deus Charitas dictus sit; nec ex hoc tamen Dei substantia Charitas expressa est: et quod (I Joan. I, 5) Lux dictus est; nec tamen in hoc substantia Dei est, sed totum hoc de Deo dictum est quantum dici potest; ut merito et quando Spiritus dictus est, non omne id quod est, dictus sit; sed ut dum mens hominum intelligendo usque ad ipsum proficit Spiritum, conversa jam ipsa in spiritu, aliud quid amplius per Spiritum conjicere Deum esse possit. Id enim quod est, secundum id quod est, nec humano sermone edici, nec humanis 0897C auribus percipi, nec humanis sensibus colligi potest. Nam si (I Cor. II, 9) quae praeparavit Deus his qui diligunt illum, nec oculus vidit, nec auris audivit, nec cor hominis, aut mens ipsa percepit; qualis et quantus est ille ipse qui haec repromittit, ad quae intelligenda et mens hominis et natura defecit? Denique si acceperis Spiritum substantiam Dei, creaturam feceris Deum. Omnis enim spiritus creatura est. Erit ergo 0898A jam factus Deus. Quomodo et si secundum Moysen (Deut. IV, 24) Ignem acceperis Deum; creaturam illum esse dicendo, institutum expresseris, non institutorem docueris. Sed haec figurantur potius quam ita sunt. Nam et in Veteri Testamento ideo Deus Ignis dicitur, ut peccatori populo metus incutiatur, dum judex ostenditur. Et in Novo Testamento Spiritus esse profertur, ut refector et creator in delictis suis mortuorum, per hanc bonitatem collatae credentibus indulgentiae, comprobetur.