Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the Father and the Son do not love each other by the Holy Ghost. For Augustine (De Trin. vii, 1) proves that the Father is not wise by the Wisdom begotten. But as the Son is Wisdom begotten, so the Holy Ghost is the Love proceeding, as explained above (Question 27, Article 3). Therefore the Father and the Son do not love Themselves by the Love proceeding, which is the Holy Ghost.

Objection 2: Further, the proposition, "The Father and the Son love each other by the Holy Ghost," this word "love" is to be taken either essentially or notionally. But it cannot be true if taken essentially, because in the same way we might say that "the Father understands by the Son"; nor, again, if it is taken notionally, for then, in like manner, it might be said that "the Father and the Son spirate by the Holy Ghost," or that "the Father generates by the Son." Therefore in no way is this proposition true: "'The Father and the Son love each other by the Holy Ghost."

Objection 3: Further, by the same love the Father loves the Son, and Himself, and us. But the Father does not love Himself by the Holy Ghost; for no notional act is reflected back on the principle of the act; since it cannot be said that the "Father begets Himself," or that "He spirates Himself." Therefore, neither can it be said that "He loves Himself by the Holy Ghost," if "to love" is taken in a notional sense. Again, the love wherewith He loves us is not the Holy Ghost; because it imports a relation to creatures, and this belongs to the essence. Therefore this also is false: "The Father loves the Son by the Holy Ghost."

On the contrary, Augustine says (De Trin. vi, 5): "The Holy Ghost is He whereby the Begotten is loved by the one begetting and loves His Begetter."

I answer that, A difficulty about this question is objected to the effect that when we say, "the Father loves the Son by the Holy Ghost," since the ablative is construed as denoting a cause, it seems to mean that the Holy Ghost is the principle of love to the Father and the Son; which cannot be admitted.

In view of this difficulty some have held that it is false, that "the Father and the Son love each other by the Holy Ghost"; and they add that it was retracted by Augustine when he retracted its equivalent to the effect that "the Father is wise by the Wisdom begotten." Others say that the proposition is inaccurate and ought to be expounded, as that "the Father loves the Son by the Holy Ghost"---that is, "by His essential Love," which is appropriated to the Holy Ghost. Others further say that this ablative should be construed as importing a sign, so that it means, "the Holy Ghost is the sign that the Father loves the Son"; inasmuch as the Holy Ghost proceeds from them both, as Love. Others, again, say that this ablative must be construed as importing the relation of formal cause, because the Holy Ghost is the love whereby the Father and the Son formally love each other. Others, again, say that it should be construed as importing the relation of a formal effect; and these approach nearer to the truth.

To make the matter clear, we must consider that since a thing is commonly denominated from its forms, as "white" from whiteness, and "man" from humanity; everything whence anything is denominated, in this particular respect stands to that thing in the relation of form. So when I say, "this man is clothed with a garment," the ablative is to be construed as having relation to the formal cause, although the garment is not the form. Now it may happen that a thing may be denominated from that which proceeds from it, not only as an agent is from its action, but also as from the term itself of the action---that is, the effect, when the effect itself is included in the idea of the action. For we say that fire warms by heating, although heating is not the heat which is the form of the fire, but is an action proceeding from the fire; and we say that a tree flowers with the flower, although the flower is not the tree's form, but is the effect proceeding from the form. In this way, therefore, we must say that since in God "to love" is taken in two ways, essentially and notionally, when it is taken essentially, it means that the Father and the Son love each other not by the Holy Ghost, but by their essence. Hence Augustine says (De Trin. xv, 7): "Who dares to say that the Father loves neither Himself, nor the Son, nor the Holy Ghost, except by the Holy Ghost?" The opinions first quoted are to be taken in this sense. But when the term Love is taken in a notional sense it means nothing else than "to spirate love"; just as to speak is to produce a word, and to flower is to produce flowers. As therefore we say that a tree flowers by its flower, so do we say that the Father, by the Word or the Son, speaks Himself, and His creatures; and that the Father and the Son love each other and us, by the Holy Ghost, or by Love proceeding.

Reply to Objection 1: To be wise or intelligent is taken only essentially in God; therefore we cannot say that "the Father is wise or intelligent by the Son." But to love is taken not only essentially, but also in a notional sense; and in this way, we can say that the Father and the Son love each other by the Holy Ghost, as was above explained.

Reply to Objection 2: When the idea of an action includes a determined effect, the principle of the action may be denominated both from the action, and from the effect; so we can say, for instance, that a tree flowers by its flowering and by its flower. When, however, the idea of an action does not include a determined effect, then in that case, the principle of the action cannot be denominated from the effect, but only from the action. For we do not say that the tree produces the flower by the flower, but by the production of the flower. So when we say, "spirates" or "begets," this imports only a notional act. Hence we cannot say that the Father spirates by the Holy Ghost, or begets by the Son. But we can say that the Father speaks by the Word, as by the Person proceeding, "and speaks by the speaking," as by a notional act; forasmuch as "to speak" imports a determinate person proceeding; since "to speak" means to produce a word. Likewise to love, taken in a notional sense, means to produce love; and so it can be said that the Father loves the Son by the Holy Ghost, as by the person proceeding, and by Love itself as a notional act.

Reply to Objection 3: The Father loves not only the Son, but also Himself and us, by the Holy Ghost; because, as above explained, to love, taken in a notional sense, not only imports the production of a divine person, but also the person produced, by way of love, which has relation to the object loved. Hence, as the Father speaks Himself and every creature by His begotten Word, inasmuch as the Word "begotten" adequately represents the Father and every creature; so He loves Himself and every creature by the Holy Ghost, inasmuch as the Holy Ghost proceeds as the love of the primal goodness whereby the Father loves Himself and every creature. Thus it is evident that relation to the creature is implied both in the Word and in the proceeding Love, as it were in a secondary way, inasmuch as the divine truth and goodness are a principle of understanding and loving all creatures.

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod pater et filius non diligant se spiritu sancto.

Augustinus enim, in VII de Trin., probat quod pater non est sapiens sapientia genita. Sed sicut filius est sapientia genita, ita spiritus sanctus est amor procedens, ut dictum est.

Ergo pater et filius non diligunt se amore procedente, qui est spiritus sanctus.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, cum dicitur, pater et filius diligunt se spiritu sancto, hoc verbum diligere aut sumitur essentialiter, aut notionaliter.

Sed non potest esse vera secundum quod sumitur essentialiter, quia pari ratione posset dici quod pater intelligit filio.

Neque etiam secundum quod sumitur notionaliter, quia pari ratione posset dici quod pater et filius spirant spiritu sancto, vel quod pater generat filio. Ergo nullo modo haec est vera, pater et filius diligunt se spiritu sancto.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, eodem amore pater diligit filium, et se, et nos. Sed pater non diligit se spiritu sancto. Quia nullus actus notionalis reflectitur super principium actus, non enim potest dici quod pater generat se, vel spirat se. Ergo etiam non potest dici quod diligat se spiritu sancto, secundum quod diligere sumitur notionaliter. Item, amor quo diligit nos, non videtur esse spiritus sanctus, quia importatur respectus ad creaturam, et ita ad essentiam pertinet. Ergo et haec est falsa, pater diligit filium spiritu sancto.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Augustinus dicit, VI de Trin., quod spiritus sanctus est quo genitus a generante diligitur, genitoremque suum diligit.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod circa hanc quaestionem difficultatem affert quod, cum dicitur, pater diligit filium spiritu sancto, cum ablativus construatur in habitudine alicuius causae, videtur quod spiritus sanctus sit principium diligendi patri et filio; quod est omnino impossibile.

Et ideo quidam dixerunt hanc esse falsam, pater et filius diligunt se spiritu sancto. Et dicunt hanc esse retractatam ab Augustino in suo simili, cum scilicet retractavit istam, pater est sapiens sapientia genita.

Quidam vero dicunt quod est propositio impropria; et est sic exponenda, pater diligit filium spiritu sancto, idest amore essentiali, qui appropriatur spiritui sancto.

Quidam vero dixerunt quod ablativus iste construitur in habitudine signi, ut sit sensus, spiritus sanctus est signum quod pater diligat filium, inquantum scilicet procedit ab eis ut amor.

Quidam vero dixerunt quod ablativus iste construitur in habitudine causae formalis, quia spiritus sanctus est amor, quo formaliter pater et filius se invicem diligunt.

Quidam vero dixerunt quod construitur in habitudine effectus formalis.

Et isti propinquius ad veritatem accesserunt. Unde ad huius evidentiam, sciendum est quod, cum res communiter denominentur a suis formis, sicut album ab albedine, et homo ab humanitate; omne illud a quo aliquid denominatur, quantum ad hoc habet habitudinem formae. Ut si dicam, iste est indutus vestimento, iste ablativus construitur in habitudine causae formalis, quamvis non sit forma. Contingit autem aliquid denominari per id quod ab ipso procedit, non solum sicut agens actione; sed etiam sicut ipso termino actionis, qui est effectus, quando ipse effectus in intellectu actionis includitur. Dicimus enim quod ignis est calefaciens calefactione, quamvis calefactio non sit calor, qui est forma ignis, sed actio ab igne procedens, et dicimus quod arbor est florens floribus, quamvis flores non sint forma arboris, sed quidam effectus ab ipsa procedentes. Secundum hoc ergo dicendum quod, cum diligere in divinis dupliciter sumatur, essentialiter scilicet et notionaliter; secundum quod essentialiter sumitur, sic pater et filius non diligunt se spiritu sancto, sed essentia sua.

Unde Augustinus dicit, in XV de Trin., quis audet dicere patrem nec se nec filium nec spiritum sanctum diligere nisi per spiritum sanctum? et secundum hoc procedunt primae opiniones.

Secundum vero quod notionaliter sumitur, sic diligere nihil est aliud quam spirare amorem; sicut dicere est producere verbum, et florere est producere flores. Sicut ergo dicitur arbor florens floribus, ita dicitur pater dicens verbo vel filio, se et creaturam, et pater et filius dicuntur diligentes spiritu sancto, vel amore procedente, et se et nos.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod esse sapientem vel intelligentem in divinis non sumitur nisi essentialiter, et ideo non potest dici quod pater sit sapiens vel intelligens filio. Sed diligere sumitur non solum essentialiter, sed etiam notionaliter.

Et secundum hoc, possumus dicere quod pater et filius diligunt se spiritu sancto, ut dictum est.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod, quando in intellectu alicuius actionis importatur determinatus effectus, potest denominari principium actionis et ab actione et ab effectu; sicut possumus dicere quod arbor est florens floritione, et floribus. Sed quando in actione non includitur determinatus effectus, tunc non potest principium actionis denominari ab effectu, sed solum ab actione, non enim dicimus quod arbor producit florem flore, sed productione floris.

In hoc igitur quod dico spirat vel generat, importatur actus notionalis tantum. Unde non possumus dicere quod pater spiret spiritu sancto, vel generet filio. Possumus autem dicere quod pater dicit verbo, tanquam persona procedente, et dicit dictione, tanquam actu notionali, quia dicere importat determinatam personam procedentem, cum dicere sit producere verbum. Et similiter diligere, prout notionaliter sumitur, est producere amorem. Et ideo potest dici quod pater diligit filium spiritu sancto, tanquam persona procedente, et ipsa dilectione, tanquam actu notionali.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod pater non solum filium, sed etiam se et nos diligit spiritu sancto.

Quia, ut dictum est diligere, prout notionaliter sumitur, non solum importat productionem divinae personae, sed etiam personam productam per modum amoris, qui habet habitudinem ad rem dilectam. Unde, sicut pater dicit se et omnem creaturam verbo quod genuit, inquantum verbum genitum sufficienter repraesentat patrem et omnem creaturam; ita diligit se et omnem creaturam spiritu sancto, inquantum spiritus sanctus procedit ut amor bonitatis primae, secundum quam pater amat se et omnem creaturam. Et sic etiam patet quod respectus importatur ad creaturam et in verbo et in amore procedente, quasi secundario; inquantum scilicet veritas et bonitas divina est principium intelligendi et amandi omnem creaturam.