Book VIII.
Explains and proves that not only the Father is not greater than the Son, but neither are both together anything greater than the Holy Spirit, nor any two together in the same trinity anything greater than one, nor all three together anything greater than each severally. It is then shown how the nature itself of God may be understood from our understanding of truth, and from our knowledge of the supreme good, and from the innate love of righteousness, whereby a righteous soul is loved even by a soul that is itself not yet righteous. But it is urged above all, that the knowledge of God is to be sought by love, which God is said to be in the Scriptures; and in this love is also pointed out the existence of some trace of a trinity.
LIBER OCTAVUS. In quo ratione reddita monstrat, non solum Patrem Filio non esse majorem, sed nec ambos simul aliquid majus esse quam Spiritum sanctum, nec quoslibet duos simul in eadem Trinitate majus esse aliquid quam unum, nec omnes simul tres majus aliquid esse quam singulos. Deinde agit ut et ex veritatis intellectione, et ex notitia summi boni,et ex insito amore justitiae, propter quam diligitur animus justus ab animo etiam nondum justo, intelligatur ipsa natura Dei: maxime vero admonet ut Dei cognitio quaeratur per charitatem, quae in Scripturis Deus dicitur; qua in charitate etiam Trinitatis vestigium quoddam inesse observat.
0945