Three Books of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, on the Holy Spirit.

 Book I.

 Chapter I.

 Chapter II.

 Chapter III.

 Chapter IV.

 Chapter V.

 Chapter VI.

 Chapter VII.

 Chapter VIII.

 Chapter IX.

 Chapter X.

 Chapter XI.

 Chapter XII.

 Chapter XIII.

 Chapter XIV.

 Chapter XV.

 Chapter XVI.

 Book II.

 Introduction.

 Chapter I.

 Chapter II.

 Chapter III.

 Chapter IV.

 Chapter V.

 Chapter VI.

 Chapter VII.

 Chapter VIII.

 Chapter IX.

 Chapter X.

 Chapter XI.

 Chapter XII.

 Chapter XIII.

 Book III.

 Chapter I.

 Chapter II.

 Chapter III.

 Chapter IV.

 Chapter V.

 Chapter VI.

 Chapter VII.

 Chapter VIII.

 Chapter IX.

 Chapter X.

 Chapter XI.

 Chapter XII.

 Chapter XIII.

 Chapter XIV.

 Chapter XV.

 Chapter XVI.

 Chapter XVII.

 Chapter XVIII.

 Chapter XIX.

 Chapter XX.

 Chapter XXI.

 Chapter XXII.

Chapter IV.

The Holy Spirit is one and the same Who spake in the prophets and apostles, Who is the Spirit of God and of Christ; Whom, further, Scripture designates the Paraclete, and the Spirit of life and truth.

55. But no one will doubt that the Spirit is one, although very many have doubted whether God be one. For many heretics have said that the God of the Old Testament is one, and the God of the New Testament is another. But as the Father is one Who both spake of old, as we read, to the fathers by the prophets, and to us in the last days by His Son;68    Heb. i. 1, 2. “and as the Son is one, Who according to the tenour of the Old Testament was offended by Adam,69    Gen. iii. 17. seen by Abraham,70    Gen. xviii. 22, 23. worshipped by Jacob;71    Gen. xxviii. 17. so, too, the Holy Spirit is one, who energized in the prophets,72    2 Pet. i. 21. was breathed upon the apostles,73    S. John xx. 22. and was joined to the Father and the Son in the sacrament of baptism.74    S. Matt. xxviii. 19. For David says of Him: “And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.”75    Ps. li. [l.] 11. And in another place he said of Him: “Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit?”76    Ps. cxxxix. [cxxxviii.] 7.

56. That you may know that the Spirit of God is the same as the Holy Spirit, as we read also in the Apostle: “No one speaking in the Spirit of God says Anathema to Jesus and no one can say, Lord Jesus, but in the Holy Spirit,”77    1 Cor. xii. 3. the Apostle calls Him the Spirit of God. He called Him also the Spirit of Christ, as you read: “But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.”78    Rom. viii. 9. And farther on: “But if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you.”79    Rom. viii. 11. The same is, then, the Spirit of God, Who is the Spirit of Christ.

57. The same is also the Spirit of Life, as the Apostle says: “For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath delivered me from the law of sin and death.”80    Rom. viii. 2.

58. Him, then, Whom the Apostle called the Spirit of Life, the Lord in the Gospel named the Paraclete, and the Spirit of Truth, as you find: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter [Paraclete], that He may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth, Whom this world cannot receive; because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him.”81    S. John xiv. 16, 17. You have, then, the Paraclete Spirit, called also the Spirit of Truth, and the invisible Spirit. How, then, do some think that the Son is visible in His Divine Nature, when the world cannot see even the Spirit?

59. Receive now the saying of the Lord, that the same is the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of Truth, for you read in the end of this book: “Receive the Holy Spirit.”82    S. John xx. 22. And Peter teaches that the same is the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of the Lord, when he says: “Ananias, why has it seemed good to thee to tempt and to lie to the Holy Spirit?”83    Acts v. 3. And immediately after he says again to the wife of Ananias: “Why has it seemed good to you to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?”84    Acts v. 9. When he says “to you,” he shows that he is speaking of the same Spirit of Whom he had spoken to Ananias. He Himself is, then, the Spirit of the Lord Who is the Holy Spirit.

60. And the Lord Himself made clear that the same Who is the Spirit of the Father is the Holy Spirit, when according to Matthew He said that we ought not to take thought in persecution what we should say: “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.”85    S. Matt. x. 20. Again He says according to St. Luke: “Be not anxious how ye shall answer or speak, for the Holy Spirit of God shall teach you in that hour what ye ought to say.”86    S. Luke xii. 11, 12. So, although many are called spirits, as it is said: “Who maketh His Angels spirits,” yet the Spirit of God is but one.

61. Both apostles and prophets received that one Spirit, as the vessel of election, the Doctor of the Gentiles, says: “For we have all drunk of one Spirit;”87    1 Cor. xii. 13. Him, as it were, Who cannot be divided, but is poured into souls, and flows into the senses, that He may quench the burning of this world’s thirst.

CAPUT IV.

Spiritum sanctum unum et eumdem esse qui locutus est in prophetis et in apostolis, qui Spiritus Dei et Christi est, quem praeterea Spiritum Paraclitum, Spiritum vitae ac veritatis Scriptura significat.

55. Unum autem esse Spiritum nemo dubitaverit, etsi de uno Deo plerique dubitaverunt. Alium enim dixerunt plerique haeretici Deum veteris, alium 0718A novi Testamenti. 612 Sed sicut unus Pater, qui et olim locutus est, ut legimus, patribus in prophetis: et in novissimis diebus nobis locutus est in Filio (Hebr. I, 1, 2): et sicut unus Filius, qui juxta veteris seriem Testamenti ab Adam offensus, ab Abraham visus, adoratus a Jacob est: ita etiam Spiritus sanctus unus est, qui efferbuit in prophetis, insufflatus est apostolis, copulatus est Patri et Filio in baptismatis sacramentis (II Petr. I, 21; Joan. XX, 22; Matth. XXVIII, 19). De ipso enim dicit David: Et Spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me (Psal. L, 13). De ipso etiam alibi dixit: Quo ibo a Spiritu tuo (Psal. CXXXVIII, 7).

56. [Alias cap. IV.] Ut scias quia idem Spiritus Dei est, qui est Spiritus sanctus, sicut et in Apostolo 0718B legimus: Nemo in Spiritu Dei loquens, dicit anathema Jesu; et nemo potest dicere Dominus Jesus, nisi in Spiritu sancto (I Cor. XII, 3), ipsum Apostolus Spiritum Dei dixit. Ipsum etiam Spiritum Christi appellavit, sicut habes: Vos autem in carne non estis, sed in Spiritu; si tamen Spiritus Dei inhabitat in vobis. Si quis autem Spiritum Christi non habet, hic non est ejus (Rom. VIII, 9). Et infra: Quod si Spiritus ejus qui suscitavit Jesum a mortuis, habitat in vobis (Ibid. 11). Ipse est ergo Spiritus Dei, qui Spiritus est Christi.

57. Ipse etiam est Spiritus vitae, sicut ait Apostolus: Lex enim Spiritus vitae in Christo Jesu liberavit me a lege peccati et mortis (Ibid., 2).

58. Quem igitur Spiritum vitae Apostolus dixit, 0718C ipsum Dominus in Evangelio paraclitum nominavit, ipsum Spiritum veritatis, sicut habes: Et rogabo Patrem, et alium Paraclitum dabit vobis; ut vobiscum sit in aeternum, Spiritum veritatis, quem hic mundus non potest accipere; quia non videt eum, nec cognoscit eum (Joan. XIV, 16, 17). Habes ergo et Paraclitum Spiritum, eumdem et Spiritum veritatis et Spiritum invisibilem designatum. Quomodo igitur secundum divinitatem quidam Filium visibilem putant, cum etiam Spiritum mundus videre non possit?

0719A 59. Accipe nunc ejusdem vocem Domini, quod ipse sit Spiritus sanctus, qui est Spiritus veritatis; habes enim in ultimo libri hujus: Accipite Spiritum sanctum (Joan. XX, 22). Ipsum quoque esse Spiritum sanctum, qui est Spiritus Domini, Petrus docet dicens: Anania, quid tibi visum est tentare et mentiri Spiritui sancto (Act. V, 3)? Et statim ad uxorem Ananiae idem ait: Quid vobis visum est tentare Spiritum Domini (Ibid., 9)? Cum dicit, vobis, ostendit de eo dictum Spiritu, de quo Ananiae dixerat. Ipse est ergo Spiritus Domini, qui Spiritus sanctus.

60. Ipsum etiam Spiritum sanctum, qui Spiritus 613 Patris est, declaravit Dominus, dicens secundum Matthaeum in persecutione non esse cogitandum quid loquamur: Non enim vos estis qui loquimini; sed 0719BSpiritus Patris vestri, qui loquitur in vobis (Matth. X, 20). Idem autem secundum Lucam ait: Nolite solliciti esse qualiter respondeatis aut dicatis; Spiritus enim sanctus Dei docebit vos in ipsa hora, quae oporteat dicere (Luc. XII, 11, 12). Ergo quamvis multi dicantur spiritus, quia lectum est: Qui facit Angelos suos spiritus (Psal. CIII, 4); unus tamen est Dei Spiritus.

61. Ipsum igitur unum Spiritum et apostoli et prophetae sunt consecuti. Sicut etiam vas electionis, doctor gentium dicit: Quia unum Spiritum potavimus (I Cor. XII, 13); quasi eum qui non queat scindi, sed infundatur animis, et sensibus allabatur, ut saecularis sitis restinguat ardorem.