the apostles. Ambrose says, "It was the same spirit by which Moses and Aaron performed miracles in Egypt, and who spake by Moses, the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles." + "The Spirit," says Cyril of Jerusalem, " operates in the law and the prophets."+

Hippolytus says, that "the fathers were inspired by the Spirit, and also honoured by the logos itself, being united together as the strings of an instrument, having the logos always in them, as a plectrum, by which being moved, the prophets declared whatever God chose."§

With respect to the Father and the Son, personally considered, it does not appear that any particular province or agency was assigned to the Spirit, except the mere proceeding from one or both of them, till Synesius called him the "centre of the Father and the Son;" || and M. Victorinus called him, "the copula of the Father and the Son."¶ But what they meant by these expressions is best known to themselves.

It was necessary, however, that the Spirit should be no cipher in the system; and that, being a person, he should have the power of voluntary action. Accordingly, it is observed by Basil, that, "though the Spirit be sent, according to the economy, he was no servant, but acted voluntarily."*

»**

Creationis generally ascribed to the Son; but Basil maintains, that "because it is said, 'By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by

"Unus enim et idem spiritus Dei, qui in prophetis quidem præconavit, quis et qualis esset adventus Domini, in senioribus autem interpretatus est bene quæ bene prophetata fuerant; ipse et in apostolis annunciavit, plenitudinem temporum adoptionis venisse, et proximasse regnum cœlorum, et inhabitare intra homines credentes in eum, qui ex virgine natus est Emmanuel." L. iii. C. xxv. p.

256. (P.)

"Iste est, in quo Moyses et Aaron coram Pharaone rege Ægypti signa fecerunt, et de quo magi dixerunt: Hic digitus Dei est. Iste est, qui in Moyse et in omnibus sanctis patriarchis et prophetis atque apostolis locutus est." Symbol. C. vi. Opera, IV. p. 91. (P.)

* Το εν νόμῳ και προφήταις ενεργησαν. Cat. iv. Opera, p. 55. (Ρ.)

In

§ Ουτοί γαρ πνευματι προφητικῳ δι παίερες κατηρτισμενοι, και ὑπ' αυτό το λόγο αξίως τελιμημενοι, οργανων δικὴν ἑαυτοῖς ἡνωμενοι, έχοντες εν ἑαυτοις αει τον λογον ὡς πλήκτρον, δι' ου κινέμενοι απηγΓελλον ταυία, άπερ ηθελεν ὁ Θεός, δι προφηται. De Antichristo, Opera, p. 5. (P.)

|| Χαίροις δ' ακραντα, πνοια

KEVτgov nogu Kaι warpos. Hymn v. Opera, p. 342. (P.)

¶ "Adesto Sancte Spiritus, Patris et Filii copula.

Tu cum quiescis Pater es, cum procedis Filius.

In unum qui cuncta nectis, tu es Spiritus Sanctus."

De Trinitate Hymnus, Bib. Pat. V. p. 360. (P.) Αποτέλλεται μεν οικονομικώς, ενεργει δε αυτεξέσιως. De Fide, Opera, I. p. 432. (Ρ.)

VOL. VI.

2 P

the breath of his mouth,' all things were created equally by the Son and the Spirit."* In another place he adds a farther argument from Psalm cxix. 73: "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me." He also says, that the supernatural body of Christ was the work of the Spirit. †

That the Holy Spirit can create, is evident," says Athanasius, or one who borrows his name, "from the body of our Lord; the angel saying, 'That holy thing which shall be born of thee is of the Holy Spirit."" "When the logos came into the Virgin, the Holy Spirit accompanied him, and the logos, by the Spirit, formed to himself a body." § To this making by the Holy Spirit, the Arians having objected that Christ must be the Son of the Spirit, the orthodox speaker, in the dialogue above-mentioned, admits, that "Jesus was produced by the Holy Spirit; but," he says, "it is a making, not a generating." ||

That the Spirit might be employed by the Father as well as the Son, was proved by things being said to be done by the finger of God. For the finger of God, they said, means the Spirit; as when Christ said, If I by the finger of God cast out demons. The two tables of stone, therefore, being said to be written by the finger of God, were thought to be engraved by the Spirit. This was the opinion of Ambrose, who proves it by shewing, that what is called the Spirit of God in one evangelist, is called the finger of God in another. ¶

The Spirit is generally styled the vivifier, as if Christ

* Επει ουν λογο μεν κυριε ὁ σωτηρ, και πνευμα το ςόματος αυτο το άγιον πνευμα, αμφότερα δε συνήργησε τη κτίσει των ερανών, και των εν αυτοίς δυναμεων· δια τελο ειρηται Τῷ λόγῳ κυριε δι ερανοι εςερεώθησαν, και τῷ πνεύματι το ςόματος αυτε πασα ἡ δύναμις avlwv. In Ps. xxxii. Opera, I. p. 175. (P.)

† Ότι δημιεργον το πνευμα.Οι ερανοι διηγενίαι δοξαν Θε8, ποιησιν δε χειρων αυτο αναγγέλλει το σερέωμα και εν ἑτερα και τα έργα των χειρών σε εισιν οι ερανοι αι χειρες σε έπλασαν με, και εποίησαν με—ει τοινυν το ὑπερκόσμιον σωμα Χριςε εκ πνεύματος ESI dyou. Adv. Eunomium, L. v. Opera, III. p. 778. (P.)

† Ότι δε δυναται κτισαι το πνεύμα το άγιον, εδείχθη εκ το κυριακο σωμαίος, του αγΓελε ειρηκολος. Το γαρ εν αυτῃ γεννηθεν εκ πνευματος εσιν ἁγιο. Con. Mac. Dial. i. Opera, II. p. 174. (P.)

§ Ουίως και επι την άγιαν παρθενον Μαρίαν επιδημενος του λόγε, συνηρχείο το πνευμα και ὁ λόγος εν τῷ πνευματι, επλατίε και ηρμοζεν ἑαυτῷ το σωμα. Ad Serapion, Opera, 1. p. 207. (P.)

"H YEYEσIS EITTEy, axı ǹ yevvnois. Dial. iii. Athanasii, Opera, II. p. 233. (P.) ¶ "Legem quoque ipsam per Spiritum Sanctum datam accepimus et scriptam. Dicit enim Moyses: Et dedit Dominus duas tabulas lapideas digito Dei scriptas. Digitum autem Dei Spiritum Sanctum dici, evangelia manifestant. Cum enim Dominus dæmonem ejecisset, et accusaretur à Judæis, quod in Beelzebub, principe dæmoniorum, dæmonia expelleret; secundum Lucam quidem respondisse perhibetur, Quod si ego in digito Dei expello dæmonia; secundum Matthæum vero, Si autem ego in spiritu Dei ejicio dæmones. Unde manifestum est Spiritum digitum Dei dici." De Spiritu Sancto, Opera, V. p. 523. (P.) See also supra, p. 313, Note t

made only the outward forms of things, whereas to give life and motion was the province of the Spirit. This is said to have been expressed by the Spirit moving upon the face of the waters. But on this subject a ray of good sense beams upon us in Theodoret, who says, that "this Spirit means the wind." * He seems, however, to have been singular in this

opinion.

The vivifying even the body of Christ was thought by Basil to be the office of the Holy Spirit. † And Cyril of Jerusalem says, that "the Holy Spirit was imparted to the humanity of Christ at his baptism." To this it might be said, that the proper divinity belonging to Christ himself might have sufficed. But Chrysostom says, "When God, the logos, took flesh of us, he fashioned it according to the form of man, or one of the prophets, or as one of the apostles, receiving the Holy Spirit; not that the divinity of the Son was not sufficient, but that the perfect knowledge of the Trinity might be shewn in that creation," that is, the flesh of Christ. §

Austin doubted whether it was right to call the Holy Spirit the goodness of the Father and of the Son; but he had less scruple to say that he was the sanctity of them both. This, however, could not respect the humanity of Christ, because the Father had no human nature. This might be construed to imply, that he thought the Spirit to be a property only, and not a person, if he had not been well known to hold the Holy Spirit to be the third person in the Trinity.

Still more has the language of Cyril of Alexandria the

• Τισι δοκει το πανάγιον πνευμα ζωογονεν των υδαίων την φυσιν, και διαγραφον την το βαπλισμαίος χαριν αληθέςερον μεντοι εκείνον οιμαι τον λογον, ότι το πνευμα ενταυθα τον αέρα καλει ειπων γαρ, ότι τον ερανον και την γην εποίησε, και των ύδαίων δια της αβυσσα μνησθεις, αναγκαίως και το αέρος εμνήσθη, εκ της τε ύδατος επιφάνειας μεχρι τα ερανε διηκοντος" αερος γαρ φυσις, το τοις κατω κειμενοις επιφέρεσθαι σωμασι. In Gen. Opera, I. p. 8. (P.)

+ Το δε πνευμα

ἁγιαζον την κτίσιν, και ζωοποιων, και χρισμα εφ' ήμιν ον, ηδη δε nai Ev Autη т8 xupie σapni. Hom. xvii. Opera, I. p. 439. (P.)

1 Εδει γαρ, ώς εξηγησαν ο τινες τας απαρχας, και τα πρώλεια το άγιο πνεύματος των βαπτιζομενων τη ανθρωποτηλι το σωτηρος παρασχειν, τε την τοιαυτην δίδοντος χαριν. Cat. xvii. Opera, p. 244. (P.)

§ Όταν δε αναλαβῃ ὁ Θεός λόγος την σαρκα την εξ ήμων ποιει αυτην κατα τον ανθρωπινον τυπον, ὡς ἕνα των προφητων, η ὡς ἕνα των αποςόλων, δεχομενην πνευμα άγιον ειπον προς λαβων, ουκ ώς μη αρκέσης της θεοίηλος τα ύις, αλλ' ίνα εντελης της τριαδος ή γνωσις εν τῷ whapali Tely den. De Spiritu Sancto, Opera, VI. p. 213. (P.)

66

Utrum autem boni Patris, et boni Filii, Spiritus Sanctus, quia communis ambobus est, recte bonitas dici potest amborum, non audeo temerariam præcipitare sententiam ; veruntamen ambobus eum dicere sanctitatem facilius ausus fuero, non amborum quasi qualitatem, sed ipsum quoque substantiam, et tertiam in Trinitate personam." De Civitate Dei, L. xi. C. xxiii. Opera, V. p. 639. (P.)

appearance of his supposing that the Holy Spirit was only a property, or some divine grace, when he says, "The peace which our Lord gave his disciples was the Holy Spirit."* With equal impropriety Gregory Nyssen says, that the glory which Christ had with the Father before the world was, meant the Holy Spirit. For then," he says, "nothing existed but the Father, the Son, and the Spirit; and that persons so distinct could not be united, but by the participation of the same spirit." This, if it had not been equally dark itself, might have thrown some light on the Spirit being called the copula of the Father and the Son, quoted above.

This uncertain distribution of offices not giving satisfaction to Ambrose and Austin, it was determined by them, that all the three persons in the Trinity always act jointly in all their respective operations. Indeed, Eusebius had said, that "the Father, Son, and Spirit, are all principles (apxa)."+ Also, that they were each capable of the functions of the others had been allowed; but it had been said that they chose to confine themselves to certain operations. "Christ,' says Cyril of Jerusalem, "made angels and archangels, thrones and dominions; not that the Father wanted a creative power, but that he chose that the Son should reign over the works of his own hands, and gave him the government of the things which he had made."§ "The Father," says Basil," had no need of the Son, though he operated by him; but he chose to do so; nor does the Son want assistance, when he operates like the Father; but he chose to perfect every thing by the Spirit." "As the Father," says Theo|| doret," could have created without the Son, but did it not, to shew the identity of his nature; so the Son could have sanctified man without the Spirit, but did it with the Spirit,

"Pax ergo quæ principatus-excedit, Christi spiritus est, in quo Deo patri universa filius reconciliavit." In Johan. L. x. C. vii. Opera, I. p. 936. (P.)

+ Δοξαν γαρ ενταύθα λέγειν αυτον οιμαι το πνεύμα το άγιον, ὁ ἔδωκεν τοις μαθηταις δια το προσφυσημαίος· ου γαρ εςιν αλλως ενωθηναι τες απ' αλληλων διεςηκοίας, μη τη ἑνο ηλι Te Trevμals ovupvoμeves. In Cor. xv. 28, Opera, I. p. 849. (P.)

† Οι δε YE θειοι λόγοι, την άγιαν και μακαρίαν τριαδα, πατρος και ύιο και άγιο πνευμαλος, εν αρχής λογῳ τατίεσι. Praeparatio, L. xi. C. xix. p. 541. (Ρ.)

§ Πανία εποίησεν ὁ Χρισος καν αγδελες λεγης, και αρχαγέλες, καν κυριοτητας, καν θρόνες εχ ὅτι ὁ πατηρ ηΐίνει περι την των δημιεργημαίων αυτεργιαν αλλ' ότι βασιλεύειν των ὑπ' αυτε πεποιημένων τον υιον η βεληθη, αυτός αυτῳ παρεχών των κατασκευαζομένων The phynow. Cat. xi. Opera, p. 146. (P.)

|| Ούτω γαρ αν ουτε πατήρ προσδεηθείη υιου, μονῳ τῳ θελειν δημιεργων, αλλ' όμως θελει και πέφυκε δια ὑις' ουτ' αν ὁ ύιος συνέργειας προσδεηθείη, καθ' ὁμοιο]ηλα τε πατρός ενεργων ὁ ὑιος θελει και πεφυκε δια το πνευματος τελειον. De Spiritu Sancto, C. xiv. Opera, II. p. 325. (P.)

αλλά και

that what was done might be the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit." *

As if an equal capacity for every thing had not been a sufficient argument of equal power, the three persons were represented as all actually bearing a part in every operation. A treatise ascribed to Athanasius is the first in which I have found this sentiment, as applied to the body of Christ. "How," says the Macedonian, "does Solomon say, 'Wisdom has builded herself a house'? Orthodox. Because all the works of the Father are also those of the Son, and of the Spirit; and, therefore, it is sometimes said to be the Father's, sometimes the Son's, and sometimes the Holy Spirit's."" t

But it is in Ambrose, as I have observed, that this system of joint operation appears most complete. "The holy and undivided Trinity," he says, "never does any thing separately." He instances in the "incarnation, the voice from heaven, at the baptism of Christ," &c. ‡ "What one

speaks, they all speak; for there is one voice of the Trinity."§ "The Father, Son and Spirit created the body of Christ; the Father, because it is said, God sent his Son made of a woman;' the Son, because it is said, Wisdom has builded her a house; and the Spirit, because Mary was with child by the Spirit."" He represents all the persons as present at the baptism of Jesus, "The Spirit under a corporeal form, and the Father, because he could not be seen, was heard."¶

Austin, who generally followed the steps of his master,

* Ωσπερ ὁ παίης, δυναμενος κτισαι τον ανθρωπον, μετα το ὑις κτίζει, ἵνα δειχθη το ταυλον της φύσεως• δυζω και ὁ ὑιος, δυναμένου κτίσαι άγιον τον ανθρωπον, μετά το πνευ μα το άγιο κτίζει, ἵνα δειχθη το γεγον έργον πατρος, και ύις, και άγιο πνευματο Dial. Adv. Macedonian, Opera, V. p. S43. (P.)

† Πως ειπεν ὁ Σολομων, Ἡ σοφια ωκοδόμησεν ἑαυτῇ οικον; ΟΡΘ. Τέτο γαρ εςιν ὁ λέγω, ότι παντα τα εργα τε πατρος, και τε ύις, και το άγιο πνευματος εςι και δια τελο ποτε το πατρος λεγεται, πόλε τε ύιθ, ποτε τε άγιε τε πνευματος Opera, II. p. 233. (P.)

"Quia sancta et inseparabilis Trinitas numquam aliquid extra se singillatim operari noverit." In Symb. Opera, IV. p. 93. (P.)

§ "Quod unus loquitur, tres loquuntur, quia vox una est Trinitatis." In Luc. L. x. Opera, II. p. 203. (P.)

"Et etenim sicut legimus quia creavit Pater dominicæ incarnationis sacramentum, creavit et spiritus: ita etiam legimus quod et ipse Christus suum corpus creavit. Creavit enim Pater, secundum quod scriptum est: Dominus creavit me— et alibi: Misit Deus Filium suum factum ex muliere, factum sub lege. Creavit et spiritus illud omne mysterium, secundum quod legimus; Quia inventa est Maria in utero habens ex Spiritu Sancto." De Spiritu Sancto, L. ii. C. viii. Opera, IV. p. 241. (P.)

T Videmus Spiritum, sed specie corporali: videamus et Patrem; sed qui videre non possumus, audiamus." In Luc. C. iii. Opera, II. p. 41. (P.)