Chapter I.

Not only were the prophets and apostles sent by the Spirit, but also the Son of God. This is proved from Isaiah and the evangelists, and it is explained why St. Luke wrote that the same Spirit descended like a dove upon Christ and abode upon Him. Next, after establishing this mission of Christ, the writer infers that the Son is sent by the Father and the Spirit, as the Spirit is by the Father and the Son.

1. In the former book447    Bk. II. 12. we have shown by the clear evidence of the Scriptures that the apostles and prophets were appointed, the latter to prophesy, the former to preach the Gospel, by the Holy Spirit in the same way as by the Father and the Son; now we add what all will rightly wonder at, and not be able to doubt, that the Spirit was upon Christ; and that as He sent the Spirit, so the Spirit sent the Son of God. For the Son of God says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me, He hath sent Me to preach the Gospel to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind.”448    Isa. lxi. 1 [LXX.]. And having read this from the Book of Isaiah, He says in the Gospel: “To-day hath this Scripture been fulfilled in your ears;”449    S. Luke iv. 21. that He might point out that it was said of Himself.

2. Can we, then, wonder if the Spirit sent both the prophets and the apostles, since Christ said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me”? And rightly did He say “upon Me,” because He was speaking as the Son of Man. For as the Son of Man He was anointed and sent to preach the Gospel.

3. But if they believe not the Son, let them hear the Father also saying that the Spirit of the Lord is upon Christ. For He says to John: “Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending from heaven and abiding upon Him, He it is Who baptizeth with the Holy Spirit.”450    S. John i. 33. God the Father said this to John, and John heard and saw and believed. He heard from God, he saw in the Lord, he believed that it was the Spirit Who was coming down from heaven. For it was not a dove that descended, but the Holy Spirit as a dove; for thus it is written: “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven as a dove.”451    S. John i. 32.

4. As John says that he saw, so, too, wrote Mark; Luke, however, added that the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove; you must not think that this was an incarnation, but an appearance. He, then, brought the appearance before him, that by means of the appearance he might believe who did not see the Spirit, and that by the appearance He might manifest that He had a share of the one honour in authority, the one operation in the mystery, the one gift in the bath, together with the Father and the Son; unless perchance we consider Him in Whom the Lord was baptized too weak for the servant to be baptized in Him.

5. And he said fittingly, “abiding upon Him,”452    S. John i. 33. because the Spirit inspired a saying or acted upon the prophets as often as He would, but abode always in Christ.

6. Nor, again, let it move you that he said “upon Him,” for he was speaking of the Son of Man, because he was baptized as the Son of Man. For the Spirit is not upon Christ, according to the Godhead, but in Christ; for, as the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, so the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ is both in the Father and in the Son, for He is the Spirit of His mouth. For He Who is of God abides in God, as it is written: “But we received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit which is of God.”453    1 Cor. ii. 12. And He abides in Christ, Who has received from Christ; for it is written again: “He shall take of Mine:”454    S. John xvi. 14. and elsewhere: “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and death.”455    Rom. viii. 2. He is, then, not over Christ according to the Godhead of Christ, for the Trinity is not over Itself, but over all things: It is not over Itself but in Itself.

7. Who, then, can doubt that the Spirit sent the prophets and apostles, since the Son of God says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.”456    S. Luke iv. 18. And elsewhere: “I am the First, and I am also for ever, and Mine hand hath founded the earth, and My right hand hath established the heaven; I will call them and they shall stand up together, and shall all be gathered together and shall hear. Who hath declared these things to them? Because I loved thee I performed thy pleasure against Babylon, that the seed of the Chaldæans might be taken away. I have spoken, and I have called, I have brought him and have made his way prosperous. Come unto Me and hear ye this. From the beginning I have not spoken in secret, I was there when those things were done; and now the Lord God hath sent Me and His Spirit.”457    Isa. xlii. 12 ff. [LXX.]. Who is it Who says: The Lord God hath sent Me and His Spirit, except He Who came from the Father that He might save sinners? And, as you hear, the Spirit sent Him, lest when you hear that the Son sends the Spirit, you should believe the Spirit to be of inferior power.

8. So both the Father and the Spirit sent the Son; the Father sent Him, for it is written: “But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name.”458    S. John xiv. 26. The Son sent Him, for He said: “But when the Paraclete is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth.”459    S. John xv. 26. If, then, the Son and the Spirit send each other, as the Father sends, there is no inferiority of subjection, but a community of power.

665 CAPUT PRIMUM.

0777A

Non tantum prophetas et apostolos a Spiritu missos, verum etiam Filium Dei. Probatur id ex Esaia, et evangelistis, quamque ob causam eumdem Spiritum sicut columbam descendisse ac super Christum manere Lucas scripserit, exponitur. Dehinc eadem Christi missione confirmata, Filium a Patre et Spiritu non secus ac Spiritum a Patre et Filio mitti colligitur.

1. Superiori libro (Cap. 12) evidentibus testimoniis Scripturarum docuimus apostolos et prophetas, illos ad prophetandum, hos ad evangelizandum a sancto Spiritu, sicut a Patre et a Filio destinatos: nunc adjicimus quod omnes jure mirentur, et dubitare non possint, quod Spiritus super Christum; et quod sicut ille Spiritum misit, et Filium Dei Spiritus 0777B misit. Dicit enim Filius Dei: Spiritus Domini super me, propter quod unxit me, evangelizare pauperibus, misit me, praedicare captivis remissionem, et caecis visum (Esai. LXI, 1). Quod cum de libro Esaiae legeret, ait in Evangelio: Hodie completa est haec Scriptura in auribus vestris (Luc. IV, 21); ut de se dictum esse signaret.

2. Ergo mirari possumus si et prophetas et apostolos Spiritus misit cum Christus dixerit: Spiritus Domini super me (Ibid., 18)? Et bene, super me, dixit, quia quasi filius hominis loquebatur. Quasi filius enim hominis et unctus et missus est ad Evangelium praedicandum.

3. Sed si non creditur Filio, audiant etiam Patrem loquentem quia Spiritus Domini super Christum. Dicit enim Joanni: Super quem videris Spiritum descendentem 0777C de coelo, et manentem super eum, hic est qui baptizat in Spiritu sancto (Joan. I, 33). Dixit hoc Deus Pater Joanni: Joannes et audivit, et vidit, et credidit. Audivit a Deo, vidit in Domino, credidit quia Spiritus erat, qui descendebat de coelo. Non enim columba, sed sicut columba descendit; sic enim scriptum est: Et vidi Spiritum descendentem de coelo, sicut columbam (Marc. I, 10).

4. Sicut Joannes vidisse se dixit, ita scripsit et Marcus: Lucas autem addidit quod corporali specie descendit Spiritus sanctus, sicut columba (Luc. III, 22); ne incarnationem illam putares fuisse, sed speciem. Ideo autem speciem praetendit, ut per speciem crederet, qui Spiritum non videbat, et per speciem declararet unius honoris in imperio, unius operationis in mysterio, unius muneris in lavacro 0778A cum Patre et Filio sibi esse consortium, nisi forte invalidum credimus, ut in eo baptizetur servulus, in quo baptizatus est Dominus.

5. Pulchre autem dixit: Manentem super eum (Joan. I, 33); quia ad prophetas quoties volebat Spiritus, 666 vel inspirabat verbum, vel faciebat: semper autem manebat in Christo.

6. Nec rursum moveat, quod super eum dixit; de Filio enim hominis loquebatur, quia sicut Filius hominis baptizabatur. Nam secundum divinitatem non super Christum est Spiritus, sed in Christo; quia sicut Pater in Filio, et Filius in Patre, ita Dei Spiritus et Spiritus Christi et in Patre est et in Filio, quia oris est Spiritus. Manet enim in Deo qui ex Deo est, sicut scriptum est: Nos autem non spiritum hujus 0778B mundi accepimus, sed spiritum qui ex Deo est (I Cor. II, 12). Et manet in Christo, qui a Christo accepit: et in Christo est, quia iterum scriptum est: Ille de meo accipiet (Joan. XVI, 14): et alibi: Lex enim Spiritus vitae in Christo Jesu liberavit me a lege peccati et mortis (Rom. VIII, 2). Non ergo secundum divinitatem Christi super Christum est, quia non super se est Trinitas, sed supra omnia, supra se autem non est, sed in se est.

7. Quis ergo dubitet quia prophetas et apostolos Spiritus misit, cum dicat Dei Filius: Spiritus Domini super me (Luc. IV, 18)? Et alibi: Ego sum primus, et ego in aeternum: et manus mea fundavit terram, et dextera mea solidavit coelum: vocabo eos, et astabunt simul, et congregabuntur omnes, et audient. Quis illis haec denuntiavit? Diligens te, feci voluntatem tuam adversus Babylonem, ut tollatur semen Chaldaeorum. Ego 0778C locutus sum, et ego vocavi: adduxi eum, et prosperum iter ejus feci. Accedite ad me, et audite haec. Non ab initio in occulto locutus sum: cum fierent, illic eram. Et nunc Dominus Deus misit, et Spiritus ejus (Esai. XLVIII, 12 et seq.). Quis est, qui dicit: Misit me Dominus Deus, et Spiritus ejus; nisi qui venit a Patre, ut salvos faceret peccatores? Quem ut audis, et Spiritus misit; ne cum legis quia Filius Spiritum mittit, inferioris esse Spiritum crederes potestatis.

8. Ergo et Pater Filium misit, et Spiritus: Spiritum quoque et Pater misit, et Filius: Pater misit, quia scriptum est: Paraclitus autem ille Spiritus sanctus, quem mittet Pater in nomine meo (Joan. XIV, 26). Filius misit, quia dixit: Cum venerit autem ille paraclitus, quem ego mittam vobis a Patre, Spiritum 0779A veritatis (Joan. XV, 26). Si ergo se invicem Filius et Spiritus mittunt, sicut Pater mittit, non subjectionis injuria, sed communitas potestatis est.