Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the notional acts do not proceed from anything. For if the Father begets the Son from something, this will be either from Himself or from something else. If from something else, since that whence a thing is generated exists in what is generated, it follows that something different from the Father exists in the Son, and this contradicts what is laid down by Hilary (De Trin. vii) that, "In them nothing diverse or different exists." If the Father begets the Son from Himself, since again that whence a thing is generated, if it be something permanent, receives as predicate the thing generated therefrom just as we say, "The man is white," since the man remains, when not from white he is made white---it follows that either the Father does not remain after the Son is begotten, or that the Father is the Son, which is false. Therefore the Father does not beget the Son from something, but from nothing.

Objection 2: Further, that whence anything is generated is the principle regarding what is generated. So if the Father generate the Son from His own essence or nature, it follows that the essence or nature of the Father is the principle of the Son. But it is not a material principle, because in God nothing material exists; and therefore it is, as it were, an active principle, as the begetter is the principle of the one begotten. Thus it follows that the essence generates, which was disproved above (Question 39, Article 5).

Objection 3: Further, Augustine says (De Trin. vii, 6) that the three persons are not from the same essence; because the essence is not another thing from person. But the person of the Son is not another thing from the Father's essence. Therefore the Son is not from the Father's essence.

Objection 4: Further, every creature is from nothing. But in Scripture the Son is called a creature; for it is said (Ecclus. 24:5), in the person of the Wisdom begotten,"I came out of the mouth of the Most High, the first-born before all creatures": and further on (Ecclus. 24:14) it is said as uttered by the same Wisdom, "From the beginning, and before the world was I created." Therefore the Son was not begotten from something, but from nothing. Likewise we can object concerning the Holy Ghost, by reason of what is said (Zach. 12:1): "Thus saith the Lord Who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him"; and (Amos 4:13) according to another version : "I Who form the earth, and create the spirit."

On the contrary, Augustine (Fulgentius, De Fide ad Petrum i, 1) says: "God the Father, of His nature, without beginning, begot the Son equal to Himself."

I answer that, The Son was not begotten from nothing, but from the Father's substance. For it was explained above (Question 27, Article 2; Question 33, Articles 2,3) that paternity, filiation and nativity really and truly exist in God. Now, this is the difference between true "generation," whereby one proceeds from another as a son, and "making," that the maker makes something out of external matter, as a carpenter makes a bench out of wood, whereas a man begets a son from himself. Now, as a created workman makes a thing out of matter, so God makes things out of nothing, as will be shown later on (Question 45, Article 1), not as if this nothing were a part of the substance of the thing made, but because the whole substance of a thing is produced by Him without anything else whatever presupposed. So, were the Son to proceed from the Father as out of nothing, then the Son would be to the Father what the thing made is to the maker, whereto, as is evident, the name of filiation would not apply except by a kind of similitude. Thus, if the Son of God proceeds from the Father out of nothing, He could not be properly and truly called the Son, whereas the contrary is stated (1 Jn. 5:20): "That we may be in His true Son Jesus Christ." Therefore the true Son of God is not from nothing; nor is He made, but begotten.

That certain creatures made by God out of nothing are called sons of God is to be taken in a metaphorical sense, according to a certain likeness of assimilation to Him Who is the true Son. Whence, as He is the only true and natural Son of God, He is called the "only begotten," according to Jn. 1:18, "The only begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him"; and so as others are entitled sons of adoption by their similitude to Him, He is called the "first begotten," according to Rm. 8:29: "Whom He foreknew He also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born of many brethren." Therefore the Son of God is begotten of the substance of the Father, but not in the same way as man is born of man; for a part of the human substance in generation passes into the substance of the one begotten, whereas the divine nature cannot be parted; whence it necessarily follows that the Father in begetting the Son does not transmit any part of His nature, but communicates His whole nature to Him, the distinction only of origin remaining as explained above (Question 40, Article 2).

Reply to Objection 1: When we say that the Son was born of the Father, the preposition "of" designates a consubstantial generating principle, but not a material principle. For that which is produced from matter, is made by a change of form in that whence it is produced. But the divine essence is unchangeable, and is not susceptive of another form.

Reply to Objection 2: When we say the Son is begotten of the essence of the Father, as the Master of the Sentences explains (Sent. i, D, v), this denotes the habitude of a kind of active principle, and as he expounds, "the Son is begotten of the essence of the Father"---that is, of the Father Who is essence; and so Augustine says (De Trin. xv, 13): "When I say of the Father Who is essence, it is the same as if I said more explicitly, of the essence of the Father."

This, however, is not enough to explain the real meaning of the words. For we can say that the creature is from God Who is essence; but not that it is from the essence of God. So we may explain them otherwise, by observing that the preposition "of" always denotes consubstantiality. We do not say that a house is "of" the builder, since he is not the consubstantial cause. We can say, however, that something is "of" another, if this is its consubstantial principle, no matter in what way it is so, whether it be an active principle, as the son is said to be "of" the father, or a material principle, as a knife is "of" iron; or a formal principle, but in those things only in which the forms are subsisting, and not accidental to another, for we can say that an angel is "of" an intellectual nature. In this way, then, we say that the Son is begotten 'of' the essence of the Father, inasmuch as the essence of the Father, communicated by generation, subsists in the Son.

Reply to Objection 3: When we say that the Son is begotten of the essence of the Father, a term is added which saves the distinction. But when we say that the three persons are 'of' the divine essence, there is nothing expressed to warrant the distinction signified by the preposition, so there is no parity of argument.

Reply to Objection 4: When we say "Wisdom was created," this may be understood not of Wisdom which is the Son of God, but of created wisdom given by God to creatures: for it is said, "He created her in the Holy Ghost, and He poured her out over all His works" (Ecclus. 1:9,10). Nor is it inconsistent for Scripture in one text to speak of the Wisdom begotten and wisdom created, for wisdom created is a kind of participation of the uncreated Wisdom. The saying may also be referred to the created nature assumed by the Son, so that the sense be, "From the beginning and before the world was I made"---that is, I was foreseen as united to the creature. Or the mention of wisdom as both created and begotten insinuates into our minds the mode of the divine generation; for in generation what is generated receives the nature of the generator and this pertains to perfection; whereas in creation the Creator is not changed, but the creature does not receive the Creator's nature. Thus the Son is called both created and begotten, in order that from the idea of creation the immutability of the Father may be understood, and from generation the unity of nature in the Father and the Son. In this way Hilary expounds the sense of this text of Scripture (De Synod.). The other passages quoted do not refer to the Holy Ghost, but to the created spirit, sometimes called wind, sometimes air, sometimes the breath of man, sometimes also the soul, or any other invisible substance.

Articulus 3

Argumentum 1

Ad tertium sic proceditur. Videtur quod actus notionales non sint de aliquo. Quia si pater generat filium de aliquo, aut de seipso, aut de aliquo alio. Si de aliquo alio, cum id de quo aliquid generatur, sit in eo quod generatur, sequitur quod aliquid alienum a patre sit in filio.

Quod est contra Hilarium, VII de Trin., ubi dicit, nihil in his diversum est vel alienum.

Si autem filium generat pater de seipso, id autem de quo aliquid generatur, si sit permanens, recipit eius praedicationem quod generatur; sicut dicimus quod homo est albus, quia homo permanet, cum de non albo fit albus, sequitur igitur quod pater vel non permaneat, genito filio, vel quod pater sit filius, quod est falsum. Non ergo pater generat filium de aliquo, sed de nihilo.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, id de quo aliquid generatur, est principium eius quod generatur. Si ergo pater generat filium de essentia vel natura sua sequitur quod essentia vel natura patris sit principium filii.

Sed non principium materiale, quia materia locum in divinis non habet. Ergo est principium quasi activum, sicut generans est principium geniti. Et ita sequitur quod essentia generet, quod supra improbatum est.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, Augustinus dicit quod tres personae non sunt ex eadem essentia, quia non est aliud essentia et persona.

Sed persona filii non est aliud ab essentia patris.

Ergo filius non est de essentia patris.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, omnis creatura est ex nihilo.

Sed filius in Scripturis dicitur creatura, dicitur enim Eccli. XXIV, ex ore sapientiae genitae, ego ex ore altissimi prodii, primogenita ante omnem creaturam; et postea ex ore eiusdem sapientiae dicitur, ab initio, et ante saecula, creata sum.

Ergo filius non est genitus ex aliquo, sed ex nihilo. Et similiter potest obiici de spiritu sancto, propter hoc quod dicitur, Zac. XII dixit dominus, extendens caelum et fundans terram, et creans spiritum hominis in eo; et Amos IV, secundum aliam litteram, ego formans montes, et creans spiritum.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Augustinus dicit, in libro de fide ad Petrum, pater deus de sua natura sine initio genuit filium sibi aequalem.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod filius non est genitus de nihilo, sed de substantia patris.

Ostensum est enim supra quod paternitas, et filiatio, et nativitas, vere et proprie est in divinis. Hoc autem interest inter generationem veram, per quam aliquis procedit ut filius, et factionem, quod faciens facit aliquid de exteriori materia, sicut scamnum facit artifex de ligno; homo autem generat filium de seipso. Sicut autem artifex creatus facit aliquid ex materia, ita deus facit ex nihilo, ut infra ostendetur, non quod nihilum cedat in substantiam rei, sed quia ab ipso tota substantia rei producitur, nullo alio praesupposito. Si ergo filius procederet a patre ut de nihilo existens, hoc modo se haberet ad patrem ut artificiatum ad artificem, quod manifestum est nomen filiationis proprie habere non posse, sed solum secundum aliquam similitudinem. Unde relinquitur quod, si filius dei procederet a patre quasi existens ex nihilo, non esset vere et proprie filius.

Cuius contrarium dicitur I Ioan. Ult., ut simus in vero filio eius iesu christo.

Filius igitur dei verus non est ex nihilo, nec factus, sed tantum genitus. Si qui autem ex nihilo a deo facti filii dei dicantur, hoc erit metaphorice, secundum aliqualem assimilationem ad eum qui vere filius est. Unde, inquantum solus est verus et naturalis dei filius, dicitur unigenitus, secundum illud Ioan. I unigenitus, qui est in sinu patris, ipse enarravit.

Inquantum vero per assimilationem ad ipsum alii dicuntur filii adoptivi, quasi metaphorice dicitur esse primogenitus, secundum illud Rom. VIII, quos praescivit, et praedestinavit conformes fieri imaginis filii sui, ut sit ipse primogenitus in multis fratribus.

Relinquitur ergo quod dei filius sit genitus de substantia patris. Aliter tamen quam filius hominis. Pars enim substantiae hominis generantis transit in substantiam geniti. Sed divina natura impartibilis est. Unde necesse est quod pater, generando filium, non partem naturae in ipsum transfuderit, sed totam naturam ei communicaverit, remanente distinctione solum secundum originem, ut ex dictis patet.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, cum filius dicitur natus de patre, haec praepositio de significat principium generans consubstantiale; non autem principium materiale. Quod enim producitur de materia, fit per transmutationem illius de quo producitur, in aliquam formam; divina autem essentia non est transmutabilis, neque alterius formae susceptiva.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod, cum dicitur filius genitus de essentia patris, secundum expositionem magistri, V dist. I Sent., designat habitudinem principii quasi activi, ubi sic exponit, filius est genitus de essentia patris, idest de patre essentia; propter hoc quod Augustinus, XV libro de Trin., dicit, tale est quod dico, de patre essentia, ac si expressius dicerem, de patris essentia.

Sed hoc non videtur sufficere ad sensum huiusmodi locutionis.

Possumus enim dicere quod creatura est ex deo essentia, non tamen quod sit ex essentia dei. Unde aliter dici potest quod haec praepositio de semper denotat consubstantialitatem. Unde non dicimus quod domus sit de aedificatore, cum non sit causa consubstantialis. Possumus autem dicere quod aliquid sit de aliquo, quocumque modo illud significetur ut principium consubstantiale, sive illud sit principium activum, sicut filius dicitur esse de patre; sive sit principium materiale, sicut cultellus dicitur esse de ferro; sive sit principium formale, in his dumtaxat in quibus ipsae formae sunt subsistentes, et non advenientes alteri; possumus enim dicere quod Angelus aliquis est de natura intellectuali. Et per hunc modum dicimus quod filius est genitus de essentia patris; inquantum essentia patris, filio per generationem communicata, in eo subsistit.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod, cum dicitur, filius est genitus de essentia patris, additur aliquid respectu cuius potest salvari distinctio.

Sed cum dicitur quod tres personae sunt de essentia divina, non ponitur aliquid respectu cuius possit importari distinctio per praepositionem significata. Et ideo non est simile.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod, cum dicitur, sapientia est creata, potest intelligi, non de sapientia quae est filius dei, sed de sapientia creata, quam deus indidit creaturis, dicitur enim Eccli. I, ipse creavit eam, scilicet sapientiam, spiritu sancto, et effudit illam super omnia opera sua.

Neque est inconveniens quod in uno contextu locutionis loquatur Scriptura de sapientia genita et creata, quia sapientia creata est participatio quaedam sapientiae increatae. Vel potest referri ad naturam creatam assumptam a filio, ut sit sensus, ab initio et ante saecula creata sum, idest, praevisa sum creaturae uniri.

Vel, per hoc quod sapientia creata et genita nuncupatur, modus divinae generationis nobis insinuatur.

In generatione enim, quod generatur accipit naturam generantis, quod perfectionis est, in creatione vero, creans non mutatur, sed creatum non recipit naturam creantis. Dicitur ergo filius simul creatus et genitus, ut ex creatione accipiatur immutabilitas patris, et ex generatione unitas naturae in patre et filio. Et sic exponitur intellectus huius Scripturae ab Hilario, in libro de synod..

Auctoritates autem inductae non loquuntur de spiritu sancto, sed de spiritu creato; qui quandoque dicitur ventus, quandoque aer, quandoque flatus hominis, quandoque etiam anima, vel quaecumque substantia invisibilis.