48. But, my opponent, the unity of Their nature is such, that the several action of Each implies the conjoint action of Both, and Their joint activity a several activity of Each. Conceive the Son acting, and the Father acting through Him. He acts not of Himself, for we have to explain how the Father abides in Him. He acts in His own Person, for in accordance with His birth as the Son, He does Himself what is pleasing. His acting not of Himself would prove Him weak, were it not the case that He so acts that what He does is pleasing to the Father. But He would not be in the unity of the divine nature, if the deeds which He does, and wherein He pleases, were not His own, and He were merely prompted to action by the Father abiding in Him. The Father then in abiding in Him, teaches Him, and the Son in acting, acts not of Himself; while, on the other hand, the Son, though not acting of Himself, acts Himself, for what He does is pleasing. Thus is the unity of Their nature retained in Their action, for the One, though He acts Himself, does not act of Himself, while the Other, Who has abstained from action, is yet active.

48. Filius qui per se, qui non ab se agat.---Sed naturae, qui contradicis, haec unitas est, ut ita per se agat, ne a se agat; et ita non ab se agat, ut per se agat. Intellige agentem Filium, et per eum agentem Patrem. Non ab se agit, cum Pater in eo manere monstrandus est. Per se agit, cum secundum Filii nativitatem agit ipse quae placita sunt. Infirmis sit non a se agendo, nisi adeo ipse agit, ut quae agit placeant. Non sit vero in unitate naturae, si non quae ipse 296 agit, et in quibus placet, non per se agit, 0319D sed manens in eo ad agendum Pater edocet. Ita et manendo docet Pater, et Filius agendo non ab se agit, et non ab se agens Filius, cum quae placita sunt facit, ipse agit. Ac sic unitas naturae retinetur in agendo: dum et ipse operans non operatur ab se, et ipse ab se non operatus operatur.