Chapter 1: The Holy Spirit Must Be Clearly Understood as Part of the Head of Faith, That Is, from the Creed #

¹ The Catholic faith was spread throughout the entire world by the patriarchs, prophets, and stewards of grace through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The apostolic diligence and perfection, which had expanded this faith through the sacred writings, also gathered it into the saving hymn of the Creed with wondrous brevity. In doing so, it arranged the various remedies, once scattered, into a single body—like a precious ointment compounded from countless fragrant spices. The fragrance of this spiritual power has filled the entire earth, as Scripture declares: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world”. Thus, in the universal consent of the faithful, the power of the truth is made manifest.

² Since it is fitting to repeat the basic elements of Christian tradition for those who wander in ignorance, like little children, the Creed’s perfection clearly reveals both the unity and the Trinity of God. Through its threefold confession—of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—it expresses a single act of belief.

³ In these words, the sacred assembly of 318 bishops condemned the errors of Arius and Macedonius, declaring: “I believe in God the Father, I believe in His only Son, our Lord, and I believe in the Holy Spirit.” Even though the frailty of some individuals may have led them astray from this number, the mystery of the universal faith was not dissolved. This is why we call it a sacred number, for in Greek reckoning: 300 symbolizes the sign of the cross (τ, tau), while 18 represents the adorable name of Jesus (ΙΗ, the first two letters of Ἰησοῦς, Jesus).

⁴ Thus, in this number and mystery, in which holy Abraham triumphed over many nations, the devotion of the elders overcame the enemy of the faith through the unified proclamation of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. From this, it must be understood that those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and thereby incur eternal damnation are either: baptized without the full confession of the Creed, or deceitful at the very moment of baptism, denying the faith even at the font where every person renounces the devil and proclaims: “I believe in the Holy Spirit.”

⁵ I believe, I say, in the Holy Spirit. Let us acknowledge the privilege of His word. You can believe a man, but you should know that you ought to believe in majesty alone. Yet even this is different: to believe God is one thing, to believe in God is another. For even the devil is said to believe that God exists, according to the Apostle: “Even the demons believe—and shudder”.

⁶ But to believe in God is something only those who place their hope in Him with devotion are proven to do. Therefore, to believe in God is to seek Him faithfully and to surrender oneself to Him with total love. Thus, when I say, “I believe in Him,” it means: I confess Him, I honour Him, I adore Him, and I hand over and pour out my entire self into His authority and dominion. In reverence for this profession, all acts of devotion owed to the divine name are contained.

Chapter 2: That We Must Believe in the Catholic Church, but Not in the Same Way as We Believe in the Holy Spirit, Since the Preposition “in” Is Omitted #

¹ But you object and say that God cannot immediately be shown by the phrase when we say: “I believe in the Holy Spirit”, because it is followed by: “I believe in the holy Catholic Church.” First of all, I do not know how Macedonius dares to name the Catholic Church, since he is exiled from it, excluded from salvation, and counted among those of whom it is said: “The wicked prowl all around”.

² Thus, you say: “I believe in the holy Catholic Church.” By inserting this one small syllable (in), are you attempting to weave a great fog of confusion? We believe the Church as the mother of our regeneration, but we do not believe in the Church as the author of our salvation. For while the entire Church confesses this about the Holy Spirit, can the Church also believe in itself?

³ Therefore, since it is fitting to believe in the Trinity alone—a teaching confirmed by the doctrine of the fathers, proclaimed throughout the whole world—either remove this syllable (in) from the name of the Church, or else, if you insist on professing belief in the Church, then demonstrate it by clear testimony from the Scriptures. Prove it with divine oracles, refuting the presumption of your words with the authority of revelation.

⁴ Let us take what we must believe from the sacred volumes in every respect, from whose fountain the series of the Creed itself is derived. For the one who believes in the Church believes in man. Indeed, the man did not originate from the Church, but the Church came into being from the man.

⁵ Therefore, depart from this blasphemous persuasion that you should believe in any human creature, since we must not even believe in an angel or an archangel. For the things that follow the name of the Holy Spirit in the Creed refer back to the closing clause of the Creed by means of the preposition, so that we believe in God regarding the holy Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the flesh, and eternal life—that is, we confess that these are ordained by God and exist in God.

⁶ For the ignorance of some has caused them to misunderstand this preposition, as if it pertained to the next and adjacent phrase, and they have rashly and foolishly appended it superfluously. Yet, in none of the canonical Scriptures—on which the text of the Creed depends—do we find that we must believe in the Church in the same way as we believe in the Holy Spirit and the Son.

⁷ Therefore, regarding the Holy Spirit—since every creature is entirely excluded from this honour—the one in whom we are commanded to believe is God. This is the word that is specifically attributed to the divinity of our Lord and Saviour when He says: “Believe in God; believe also in me” and again: “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me but in the one who sent me”.

Chapter 3: Christ Was Not Begotten by the Holy Spirit as God, but Created #

¹ Since the Catholic Church confesses: “conceived by the Holy Spirit,” the Macedonians must be questioned at this point as to whether they consider the Holy Spirit to be the Creator or the Father of the Redeemer. If they answer that He is the Father, then, since they have already declared at the beginning of the Creed: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty,” they will be forced to admit, in confusion, that Christ has two fathers.

² However, if they rightly affirm that the Holy Spirit is the Creator, in accordance with the truth, they will be compelled—whether by reason or necessity—to proclaim with us that He is the Lord of the universe. Thus, through the prophet Isaiah, as through His trumpet, God speaks from His temple, foreshadowing the two natures in Christ: “Drop down dew, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth the Saviour. I, the Lord, have created him”.

³ The man assumed from Mary was the work of the Holy Spirit, not a part of Him, nor begotten by Him, but created by Him. He was conceived by power, not by substance; by operation, not by participation; by virtue, not by nature.

Chapter 4: On Asserting the Unity of the Godhead with Prophetic Testimonies #

¹ The Catholic faith venerates the threefold majesty within the confession of one divinity [receive the one divinity from the sacred volumes]: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God is one Lord”, and again: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him alone shall you serve”. Likewise: “I am the Lord, and there is no God besides me”, and in the Psalms: “You who work wonders, you alone are God”, and again: “You alone are the Most High over all the earth”.

² Through Isaiah also: “O God of Israel, who sits above the cherubim, you alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth”. Likewise: “I am the Lord, the first and the last; I am he”, and again: “I am the Lord; that is my name. I will not give my glory to another”.

³ Now, so that you may know that this testimony refers to Christ—namely, “the first and the last”—he said elsewhere concerning himself: “I am the beginning, who also speaks to you”, and again: “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and apart from me there is no saviour”. This specifically pertains to Christ, the Saviour of the human race.

⁴ Likewise: “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself”. This properly refers to Jesus, the Creator and Redeemer, concerning whom the Evangelist testifies: “All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made”.

⁵ Again: “There is no God besides me, and there is no saviour apart from me”. And: “I am the first and I am the last; my hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens”. In the same way, Jesus Christ clearly declares of himself elsewhere: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end”.

⁶ In these testimonies, the Holy Spirit is also included. For in them, the unity of the divine substance of the Holy Spirit is to be confessed, so that, at the same time, the distinct property of the persons and the indivisible plurality may be believed.

Chapter 5: On the Trinity or How Even the Liberal Arts Perceived the Three Persons #

¹ With the words of God, we have demonstrated the one divinity. Let us now teach the three within the one divinity: three names, but not three dominions; three titles, but not three powers; three essences or subsistences, but not three substances. It is evident that even secular wisdom perceived that the whole order of existence is contained within the concept of three persons. And what are these three? They are: I, you, and he. Thus, as we have said, even the liberal arts—borrowing from spiritual disciplines—recognized that there are only three persons in reality.

² They clearly understood that neither the second person alone suffices for perfection, nor can the third be surpassed, because duality is incomplete, whereas the fullness of perfection is found in the number three. The number four, however, is rejected, as perfection is already complete in three. Having briefly mentioned these observations, let us now affirm more firmly, through sacred testimonies, that the Trinity subsists in unity.

³ But you say: “Why do you offer me words like unity and trinity, which you do not find in the canonical Scriptures?” It is no wonder that someone who is not worthy to enter the inner chambers of salvation trembles and recoils even at the very doorway of truth. For what could be more fitting, more natural, or more proper than to refer to unity when speaking of the One, and trinity when speaking of the Three, in accordance with the definitions of the Catholic fathers? The words themselves are not meant to be examined in isolation, since they derive their meaning from the preceding truths. Nor is it reasonable to judge them as foreign, since they arise from the properties of the clearly revealed foundation—one and three.

⁴ Pay attention: these terms are not presumptuous but derivative. They are words that antiquity discovered in the time of the early Church, authority declared, and the passage of long ages has confirmed.

Chapter 6: When the Son is Called the Image of the Father, He is Recognized as Coeternal with the Father #

¹ Receive from the sacred Scriptures the truth of the Trinity: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”. The Father is the Creator, the Son is the coeternal Beginning, and the Holy Spirit was poured out over the waters. The Spirit hovering over the waters, I believe, already foreshadowed the gifts of baptism.

² Furthermore, in the creation of humanity, God reveals that the work is not the act of one person alone but of three, as demonstrated by the threefold repetition of divinity. Thus we read: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, according to our likeness’”. Notice how the sentence is singular in its subject but plural in its response: “God said, ‘Let us make man.’” What does this mean, if not that the substance of unity speaks, while the power of the Trinity acts?

³ Observe how the divine name is invoked three times in the creation of humanity, clearly indicating the Trinity: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man’”, then: “God created man”, and thirdly: “God blessed them”. God speaks, God creates, God blesses—three actions revealing one divinity, repeated three times for the three persons. In this, you can also discern the mystery of unity: behold, the image and likeness of God is given to each human being by the three persons, yet it is recognized as one image.

⁴ Pay close attention: while one speaks, not one alone acts. Again, the singular and the plural are intentionally interwoven. It does not say: “in our images and likenesses” (plural), nor simply: “in my image and likeness” (singular), but rather: “in our image and likeness”—the plurality of persons is indicated by the plural pronoun, while the singular form of image and likeness expresses the unity of the undivided divine essence.

⁵ When God appeared to Abraham at the entrance of his tent, and though he saw one, three miraculously presented themselves to his eyes, he, aware of the divine majesty, adored the three as one. Likewise, in the Psalms, the unity of the persons is clearly indicated: “Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me”. See how the prophet, in pleading with the Father, dreads offending not only the Father but also the Holy Spirit and the Son. He says, “Do not cast me away from your presence”—the Son is considered the image of the Father and thus also called the Father’s “face.” Hence, we read: “Philip, whoever has seen me has seen the Father”. Similarly: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”. Notice, you unbeliever, the mystery of the perfect confession of the Trinity: the prophet speaks to the Father, professes the Son as the Father’s face, and also declares the Holy Spirit as present everywhere.

⁶ Moreover, regarding the Son, the Lord speaks to Moses: “My face shall go before you”. The term “face” here refers both to the unity of substance and the co-eternity of majesty. If some think the Son is lesser because he was begotten, consider: what does it mean for God to be born of God if not that he naturally proceeds from God? But you say: “If he is from him, then he is younger than him.” Look: an arm comes forth from the body, and a face from the head, yet the face is not younger than the head, nor is the arm posterior to the body. If ever you have seen a head older than its own face, then you may dare to claim that the Father is older than his image, which exists in the perfect likeness and equality of Christ. Thus, the Son cannot be distinguished from the Father either in power or in time, just as a face cannot be separated from the head nor found to be younger than the head.

Chapter 7: The Spirit of the Father is the Same as the Holy Spirit #

¹ But you say: “Show me that the Holy Spirit exists in his own essence.” Whenever and wherever I read of the Spirit of the Father, or my Spirit, or the Spirit of God, you claim that these refer not to the person of the Holy Spirit but to the Father.

² First of all, by saying this, you heap upon yourselves the blasphemy of your own impiety, for you are effectively asserting that the Holy Spirit is either a creature or, indeed, that he is simply the Father himself. Therefore, those who do not confess the Holy Spirit ultimately fall into an offense against the Father, driven by their confused thinking. For if the Holy Spirit were a mere creature, he could not belong to the Father’s very substance. Yet if you think he is simply an extension of the Father’s power, how can you dare to debase him to the level of a creature, thereby insulting the divine majesty?

³ But we will show through clear and evident testimonies that the Spirit of God is not merely a reference to the Father but properly denotes the Holy Spirit himself. We read in Isaiah that the Spirit of the Lord descended upon the Lord Jesus—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and piety. Concerning this Spirit of the Lord, which descended upon the Saviour with a sacred infusion, the Son speaks through Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me”, and The evangelist Matthew says: “The heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him”.

⁴ This Spirit of God, which the Saviour received at his baptism, is clearly shown by the evangelist Luke to be the Holy Spirit when he says: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan”. We also read in the prophet Joel: “In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh”. It is clear that when he says “my Spirit,” he is speaking of the Holy Spirit. For when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles on the sacred feast of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter cited this very testimony from the prophet.

⁵ The Gospels, though using different wording, teach with consistent truth that the Spirit of the Father is the Holy Spirit. For when Matthew says: “It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you”, Mark clearly identifies this Spirit of the Father as the Holy Spirit, saying: “Whatever is given to you in that hour, speak it. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit”.

⁶ Likewise, Luke also demonstrates that this Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit, when he says: “Do not be anxious about how or what you are to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that hour what you should say”. Therefore, according to these passages, whenever you read of the Spirit of the Father or the Spirit of God, you must recognize—setting aside all error—that it specifically refers to the Holy Spirit.

⁷ Moreover, Isaiah also counts the Holy Spirit as one in the glory of the Trinity when he says: “I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the Seraphim stood above him. They cried out to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts’”. And later, the prophet continues: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: ‘Go and say to this people: You will indeed hear but never understand; you will indeed see but never perceive’”.

⁸ This Lord of hosts, who appeared to the prophet in a visible form and spoke through him, is identified by Paul in the Acts of the Apostles as none other than the Holy Spirit, when he says: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand; you will indeed see but never perceive’”.

⁹ Let us at least believe Paul, the most renowned herald of truth, when he says that the Holy Spirit was indeed the Lord of Hosts whom Isaiah saw and who spoke through Isaiah. But since the angels cry out in a triple repetition: “Holy, holy, holy”, let us consider whether this honour refers to the entire Trinity. When Isaiah says, “I saw the Lord of Hosts”, the Jews recognize him as proclaiming the Father. But John the Evangelist clearly asserts that he was speaking of the Son, saying: “For this reason they could not believe, because Isaiah said: ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they might not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts, and turn—and I would heal them.’”

¹⁰ John continues: “Isaiah said this because he saw His glory and spoke about Him”. Thus, John reveals that Isaiah saw the glory of the Son of God and spoke concerning Him. Now, regarding the passage where Isaiah says: “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying: ‘Go, and tell this people: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand; you will indeed see but never perceive.’”

¹¹ Paul, as we have said, confirms that this Lord is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, you see that the thrice-repeated “Holy, holy, holy” glorifies the entire Trinity. Just as there is no dissimilarity or difference in these three words, so there can be no division in the power of the Trinity.

Chapter 8: On the Finger of God #

¹ But you say: “From this it is evident that the Holy Spirit is lesser, since He is called the finger of God.” That is not the case. Rather, when you hear the Holy Spirit referred to as the finger of God—“If I drive out demons by the finger of God”—you should recognize not a diminution of His glory, but a demonstration of the unity of substance. This expresses not a difference in honour but a harmony of operation.

² What then? Because the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the finger of God, is He therefore believed to be inferior to the Son and the Father? Flee from the error of such a belief! Notice how, at times, this reference to the finger includes both the Father and the Son. Let us remember that it is not said of a single finger when we read: “When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers”.

³ But you might say that the term fingers in this passage only signifies the Son and the Holy Spirit, implying a sort of duality. Do not dare to argue that this refers to only two persons, for elsewhere Isaiah speaks explicitly of three fingers, symbolizing the Trinity: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, or marked off the heavens with a span, or gauged the dust of the earth in a measure, or weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the weight of the earth with three fingers?”

⁴ What could be clearer or more evident regarding the unity of the Trinity? Do you not see how the equality of a single power is represented under the symbol of three fingers, balanced upon the mysterious scales of divine wisdom? Therefore, as has been said, since you have now been instructed about the cooperation in divine works, do not doubt the equality of power. By saying: “Who has measured the weight of the earth with three fingers?” the prophet specifically speaks of the cooperation of divine power and the unity of substance, which is shown to be one and the same in the three fingers.

⁵ Nevertheless, in the prophet Isaiah, observe how the Holy Spirit is distinguished in the context of the Trinity. The Son, speaking of Himself, says: “I am the first and I am the last”, and then immediately adds: “And now the Lord God has sent me and His Spirit”.

⁶ Here, the distinction of persons is evident: one is God the Father, and another is the Spirit of the Father. Thus, when the Son is described as being sent by the Father and the Holy Spirit, it clearly reveals that the Holy Spirit, as a distinct person, subsists in Himself within the unity of the three persons. The same prophet, in another place, similarly distinguishes the essence of the Trinity: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen one, in whom my soul delights. I have put my Spirit upon him”.

⁷ Here, the Father calls His beloved Son “servant,” upon whom He bestows His Spirit. This is the very Spirit of whom Jesus Christ Himself testifies, saying: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me”. Furthermore, to make this Gospel truth clear even to the Gentiles, Christ commands: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

⁸ Here, by naming the three persons together, He affirms the indivisible majesty of their one operation and one name. As it is written in the Gospel according to Luke: “When Jesus had been baptized, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’”. In this scene, the Son is revealed in bodily form, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and the Father through His voice. However, it must be understood here that the dove represents a passing manifestation, not a permanent substance.

Chapter 9: The Deity of the Holy Spirit Is Not Diminished by the Fact That He Is Neither Unbegotten Nor Begotten #

¹ In this matter, as we demonstrate the distinct personhood of the Holy Spirit, we confess the Father as unbegotten and acknowledge the Son as only-begotten. You ask me whether the Holy Spirit should be confessed as unbegotten, begotten, or something else. Yet, while the Holy Scriptures speak of the power and divinity of the Holy Spirit, they do not specify whether He should be called begotten or unbegotten.

² Consider the blindness that unbelief brings upon itself: you refuse to know what God willed to be made known, and you seek to know what He did not command to be inquired into. He did not say that the Spirit is begotten, lest you mistake Him for the Son. He did not say that the Spirit is unbegotten, lest you confuse Him with the Father. Instead, in order to express the distinction of essence, Scripture testifies that the Spirit proceeds from the Father, as we read: “The Paraclete, who proceeds from the Father”.

³ Since this is the case, recognize that the Holy Spirit indeed has His own proper person. The distinct name shows that He is a third person besides the Father and the Son, while the unity of majesty demonstrates that He is not third in rank or degree. For He who proceeds from the depths of God is not a creature of God but is proven to be of the same substance as God.

⁴ Do not seek to scrutinize how God exists when it is evident that He exists as God. Here, reason is hidden, but the truth is not. Why inquire how He is the companion and equal of the King, when it is manifest that He is of the same royal nature and honour?

⁵ Thus, since the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, Paul affirms: “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him”. And in another place, it is written: “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”.

⁶ You ask whether the Holy Spirit is unbegotten or begotten. The sacred Scriptures have spoken nothing on this matter, and it is sacrilegious to intrude upon divine silence. What God did not deem necessary to reveal in the Scriptures, He willed that you should neither inquire into nor know through idle curiosity. He judged that only what pertains to your salvation should reach your conscience.

⁷ If we wish to know what we must believe about the Holy Spirit, let us consult the sacred Scriptures. For consider this: would you dare to say that the Son is begotten unless you had learned it through the testimony of the Scriptures from heaven? Or would you presume to assert that Christ the Lord was either born of a virgin or begotten from the co-eternal and co-equal Father, unless you had drawn this knowledge from reading the Scriptures and questioned the divine words about God? Therefore, if you want to form a right understanding of the Holy Spirit, you must return to the apostles and the Gospels, for it is through them and in them that you do not doubt God has spoken.

⁸ To return, then, to your unnecessary proposition: does the glory or the substance of the Holy Spirit depend on whether He is proven to be unbegotten or begotten? For the Son loses nothing by not being described as unbegotten, nor does the Father lose anything by not being called begotten. In such discussions, we are dealing with distinctions of designation, not with differences in power or majesty. Begotten and unbegotten indicate a distinction of person, not of nature.

⁹ Therefore, when you speak or hear about the begotten and the unbegotten in a way that is useless, unnecessary, and only suitable for slander, will you be satisfied to stop at this point? Surely, you will still go on to ask whether He is God. But once you have learned from the Scriptures that He is indeed God, you will no longer have further questions. For when you begin to grasp what is strong and complete, you will no longer feel the need to inquire into what is empty and meaningless. Wherever the fullness of truth and the measure of its usefulness is understood, let your pursuit be directed toward what is salvific.

Chapter 10: The Holy Spirit as the Giver of Perfect Gifts #

¹ The very name of the Holy Spirit, as the giver of heavenly gifts and the dispenser of sanctification, testifies to His nature. His majesty was also revealed in the Old Testament, for there, His grace was granted only to certain individuals—namely, the patriarchs, the prophets, and the holy elect. Through the perfection of the gifts, one may understand the dignity of the Giver.

² As is most clearly discerned in the Holy Scriptures, the Father performs certain works by Himself, others specifically through the Son, and others through the Holy Spirit, although all are carried out under the shared power of the one divine nature. What we are, in terms of existence itself, is properly attributed to the Father, in whom, as the Apostle says, “we live and move and have our being”. The fact that we are capable of reason, wisdom, and justice is particularly assigned to the Son, who is Himself reason, wisdom, and justice.

³ However, the fact that we are called, regenerated, renewed, and sanctified is clearly ascribed in the divine Scriptures to the person of the Holy Spirit. Yet, the sacred text speaks of these works in such a way that, although the distinction of each person’s operation is evident, the unity of will within the undivided Trinity remains.

⁴ Therefore, pagans and catechumens participate in the dispensation of the Father and the Son, but they do not easily partake in the sanctification and infusion of the Holy Spirit unless they have already received baptism, been purified, and made spiritual. This is especially true for those who have become apostolic, following the apostles, and have been entirely prepared by the Spirit for martyrdom.

⁵ Shall the impious still dare to regard as a mere creature the one who, in the work of human salvation, bestows the greatest and most perfect gifts through the undivided Trinity? Yet perhaps you will say: “The Holy Spirit must be greater, since His works are greater and more noble.” Not so. For it is the custom of the Trinity that the work is attributed to the person entrusted with its administration, while the effect is ascribed to the whole Trinity. Thus, although the work may appear diverse, the purpose remains common. Even if each person performs a particular action, the general counsel of the three remains one. Therefore, although they have distinct roles in their operations, they maintain a single consent in their governance.

⁶ After the Lord’s ascension, the Holy Spirit is described as descending to complete and perfect His gifts. The Saviour Himself speaks of this in the Gospel of John: “The Spirit of truth, whom the Father will send in my name”. When He says, “The Father will send in my name”, He clearly reveals the Trinity. For what creature has ever been said, written, or heard of as coming into the world in the name of God? Therefore, the one about whom Christ the Lord and God declares: “Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you”, is undoubtedly God. He is sent in the place of God to confirm God’s gifts. In these two statements, the distinct person of the Holy Spirit is plainly revealed within the Trinity.

⁷ Thus, it is no wonder that the equality of divinity is affirmed by the fact that, just as the Son is called the Paraclete in Scripture, so too is the Holy Spirit. And how can we prove this? Certainly by the authority of the Apostle John, who says: “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins”. Here, “Paraclete” refers to the Son as an Advocate, while it also denotes the Comforter, which refers to the Holy Spirit. The Greek word used carries both meanings.

⁸ In John’s Gospel, we read: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete”. The phrase “another Paraclete” implies one of equal power, equal glory, and the same nature. Now, if you were to consider the Holy Spirit to be merely a creature, it would be unworthy for a creature to confirm the gifts of the Creator. It would be as if the power of the Maker were ineffective and the completion of His work were reserved for a superior, yet still finite, creature. This would absurdly suggest that the Spirit, though a creature, would be required to fulfil what the Creator had left incomplete—a claim that is both irrational and irreverent.

⁹ Thus, you insult the Holy Spirit as if He were a mere creature, even though the Son of God has, by divine testimony and by His own declaration, equated Himself with Him. When Christ refers to “another Paraclete”, recognize in this both a distinction of persons and an equality of substance.

¹⁰ Perhaps you will object that Christ appears to have equated Himself with the Holy Spirit simply by using the same title of “Paraclete,” since you claim that the Holy Spirit is merely a work and creation of God—just as you argue that Jesus Himself is proved to be created because He was born of Mary. But this argument is as weak as it is faithless.

¹¹ For if you believe that Christ was likened to the Paraclete only in His human nature, even this does not hold true. As Scripture says, He was “made a little lower than the angels” and became one of us; yet He could not be compared to a supposedly superior, heavenly, and excellent creature, as you claim. But if Christ spoke these words in reference to His divine nature, then it is certain that the Creator should never be compared to a creature. If a mere human equates himself with a superior creature, it is arrogance; if God is reduced to the level of a creature, it is blasphemy.

¹² Since, therefore, this comparison cannot be valid if the Holy Spirit were merely a creature, it follows that both Christ and the Spirit must be believed to be God, and their divinity must be acknowledged as equal. For when the Saviour speaks through John, saying: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive”, He reveals that the Spirit, who can be given to the entire world, must manifestly be God over the world.

¹³ Here, too, recognize the Trinity: the Father, who is the one being asked; the Son, who is the one making the request; and the Holy Spirit, who is promised to be sent by the Father. Observe that the person of the Holy Spirit is not associated with other creatures, as you claim, but is joined in all things to the Trinity—equal in works and power.

Chapter 11: The Assertion of the Trinity is Repeated in the Acts of the Apostles, Where Christ is Also Declared to Have Been Sent to Grant Repentance, Contrary to the Novatians #

¹ In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter, speaking about the Lord Jesus, says: “Exalted, therefore, at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this that you both see and hear”.

² Here, the Son is at the right hand, the Father is in God, and the Holy Spirit is designated by His proper name. Further on, we read: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands before you whole’”.

³ Observe here the clear distinction of the Trinity. Peter, bearing the Holy Spirit within himself, speaks of the Son who died in the flesh and the Father who raised Him. The apostolic oracle also repeats this truth: “And now, Lord, look upon their threats…” “…and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness”. Notice, once again, how the Holy Spirit is included within the Trinity in this passage. The Father is invoked in prayer, the Son is recognized in the Word of God, and the fire of the Holy Spirit works in the steadfastness of the apostles.

⁴ “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit”. This makes it clear that the majesty of God can pour out many things at once, with the subtlety of an incorporeal divinity, while remaining whole and undiminished. Similarly, when the apostles said about Jesus: “God exalted Him at His right hand as Prince and Saviour, to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him”. Here, understand that within the order of the Trinity, the Son is sent by the Father not only to proclaim repentance but to grant it. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is poured out upon those who obey, rewarding their obedience.

⁵ Stephen, at the moment of his suffering, is filled with the Holy Spirit, and as the gates of righteousness are opened to him, the Son is revealed at the right hand of the Father. As he, filled with the Holy Spirit, declares: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God”. See how, in this vision of the Trinity, he received the reward of his suffering.

⁶ Peter speaks to Cornelius the centurion, saying: “Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit”. God anointed Him—that is, His power filled Him, His blessing was poured upon Him, His divinity penetrated Him. “How God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit”—here, three realities are distinctly present: the gift, the giver, and the one who receives it; the one who anoints, the one anointed, and the anointing itself. As divine Scripture also says elsewhere: “God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness”.

⁷ In the assumed humanity, God is anointed, and God anoints, and under the descent of the heavenly dove, the power of the Father is recognized. It is not right to believe that this Holy Spirit—by whom Christ, the Son of Man, though already the Son of God, is filled—could be anything other than God. For if He were a mere creature, how could He penetrate the incorporeal nature that pervades all things? The Trinity is self-contained, as we have in Scripture: “I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me”, and again: “The Spirit searches even the deep things of God”, and also: “The Spirit who proceeds from the Father”. Unless the Holy Spirit were from the Father and naturally dwelled within the innermost being of the Father, He could not proceed from Him.

⁸ But you ask whether the Spirit always proceeds from the Father. He is always with Him, always from Him, just as heat comes from fire—unceasingly brought forth, so that He knows how to go forth but does not know how to be separated. For if the procession of the Holy Spirit were not eternal, then His substance would seem to be localized. If the incorporeal and self-sufficient radiance does not penetrate into another without mixture, then divinity would be mingled with earthly matter. For mixture destroys the distinct properties of the threefold essence, whereas mutual infusion reveals a distinct essence, which may be seen as something between substance and persons. What subsists pertains to substance, while what subsists in a distinct manner pertains to persons.

⁹ Paul addresses his disciples, saying: “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Be on guard for yourselves and for the whole flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God, which He acquired with His own blood”. How clearly the entire Trinity is designated by their respective persons! He proclaims the counsel of God the Father, affirms that bishops are appointed by the Holy Spirit, and demonstrates that Christ is also God, for it is by His blood that the Church has been acquired.

¹⁰ In the Letter to the Romans, the Trinity is also distinguished according to the proper names of each person: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you”. The Father raises, the Son is raised, and because of the indwelling Spirit, life is promised to the bodies of mortals who will be resurrected. And further: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him”.

¹¹ Observe how, when he says “the Spirit of God” and then immediately after “the Spirit of Christ,” he is designating the person of Christ under the title of God. Or, if in this passage he refers to the Father—whose Spirit it is—under the name of God, then here the Holy Spirit is revealed, through the unity of substance between the Father and the Son, to be their common Spirit. Thus, He is rightly understood to proceed from both, and in the bond of the Trinity, He is seen to have His own distinct person.

¹² Moreover, it is shown that whoever does not have the Holy Spirit does not have Christ either. Thus, the Holy Spirit is God, and whoever denies Him also denies Christ. And since Christ said, “No one comes to the Father except through me”, whoever lacks the Holy Spirit does not belong to Christ and has lost the way that leads to the Father.

Chapter 12: God’s Essential Nature is to Sanctify His Creation #

¹ First Letter to the Corinthians: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”. Here, under the mention of “our God,” that is, the Father, the Holy Spirit sanctifies the faithful of Corinth, with Christ cooperating. No creature can completely sanctify another; the gift of sanctification belongs solely to the majesty of divine generosity. In this passage, recognize the three persons: in the name of Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

² Second Letter to the Corinthians: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”. This verse clearly expresses the three persons: the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

³ Again, in the Second Letter to the Corinthians: “Now, the one who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who has also sealed us and given us the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts”. Observe here the unity in the work of the indivisible Trinity: the Father strengthens and seals us through Christ and, in giving himself, already grants as a pledge the Holy Spirit.

⁴ In earthly transactions, a deposit (arrha) represents a portion of the total contract, while a pledge (pignus) surpasses mere security and pertains to the value of the thing for which it is given. However, when it comes to the majesty of God, His pledge cannot be subordinate but must be equal. Perfection cannot be surpassed; thus, the Father grants the Holy Spirit as His pledge.

⁵ Therefore, nothing in the Holy Spirit should be considered partial or incomplete, for He is compared to fullness. Indeed, the one who is given as God’s pledge cannot be believed to be anything other than God. As it is written in Titus: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ”. Here again, within the manifest Trinity, the Father pours out the abundance of the Holy Spirit through the Son. And what must be especially noted is that the power of regeneration and renewal is attributed to the Holy Spirit Himself.

⁶ Likewise, Peter, in his epistle, explains the inseparable Trinity of persons, saying: “According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification by the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied to you”. Here, the Father is revealed in foreknowledge, the Holy Spirit in sanctification, and Christ in the sprinkling of His blood.

Chapter 13: The Holy Spirit is Not Limited to a Particular Place #

¹ Let us demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is God through His powers and works. Every created thing, just as it is subject to the beginning of time, also recognizes itself as being confined within specific spaces and boundaries. But the Holy Spirit is not enclosed within any limits like a created thing; rather, because of the very freedom of His boundless majesty, He must be acknowledged as God.

² The Lord and Saviour spoke to the apostles, saying: “The Father will give you the Spirit of truth, who will be with you forever”. If He were confined to a place and remained perpetually within them, He could not be elsewhere. Let us examine whether His nature is indeed restricted by spatial boundaries.

³ The Lord said to the apostles: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. After His ascension, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and “there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them”.

⁴ Let us consider why, at first, the gift of different tongues was granted—clearly, so that the apostles might be made fit to instruct the faithful among the nations. But the fact that the Spirit is said to have rested upon each of them individually serves to show that He was not divided among many but remained whole in each one, just as fire naturally behaves. For, as we know, the nature of kindled fire is such that however many approach it, however many gaze upon the crimson glow of its brilliance, it imparts its light to all and grants its service to each, while nonetheless remaining undiminished in itself. In the same way, the power of the Holy Spirit, no matter how much it flows forth, no matter how abundantly divine grace is poured out upon many, neither receives nor requires any limitation. It is never diminished, though it is given freely.

⁵ Consider God’s greatness as revealed in His works: the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit and destined to spread the treasures of salvation throughout the world, carried this heavenly gift within themselves and imparted it to others by the laying on of hands. The gain of the recipient does not result in any loss to the giver. The Spirit is given entirely to those who believe, and yet those who impart Him still fully possess Him. By His outpouring, the whole world is filled; He expands without being diminished, and He is spread abroad without being divided.

⁶ On that most sacred night of regeneration, from east to west, from the rising of the sun to its setting, from the north and the sea, the same one and full Spirit operates everywhere. He is believed to be present in all things through invocation, perceived through blessing, and in countless multitudes, people are cleansed in one baptism. As the Apostle said, they are made to drink of one Spirit, and they are reborn into the one flock of adoption.

⁷ Thus, God says: “In those days, I will pour out a portion of my Spirit upon all flesh”. Notice that He said, “I will pour out of my Spirit,” and not, “I will pour out my Spirit.” That is, He dispenses only as much as the world can receive. You see, the Spirit proceeds from the Father yet is not separated from Him; He is sent forth but not lost, poured out but still retained. And in being described as “poured out,” the greatness of His fullness is revealed.

⁸ The sacred book of Genesis attests from the very beginning: “The Spirit of the Lord was moving over the waters”. The phrase “was moving over the waters” suggests the abundance of the One who fills all things and the majesty of the One who reigns over all. The prophet likewise proclaims the boundless magnificence of the Spirit, unrestricted by spatial limits, with equal testimony, saying: “Where shall I go from your Spirit?”. That is, where can I hide from His presence, when I have no doubt that He is present in all things, both within and without? His eyes penetrate the depths of the abyss, and I tremble before Him, knowing He sees even into the secret places of my heart. I recognize that all creation, which He has made, is subject to His presence. Because He is “a consuming fire”, I understand the meaning of the words: “There is no one who can hide from His heat”.

⁹ His ineffable greatness enters the depths of the underworld, spreads over the waves of the sea, extends across the lands, reaches the heights of the heavens—He fills all things, surpasses all things, and transcends all things.

¹⁰ The Holy Spirit is said to be sent by the Father and the Son and is known to proceed from their very substance, working as one with them. For this reason, the Son speaks of Him, saying: “The Paraclete, who proceeds from the Father”. He did not say, “is created by the Father,” but rather “proceeds from the Father,” meaning that He shares in the power of the Father and belongs to the same divine nature. Moreover, from the very expression “proceeds from the Father,” it is shown that He has no beginning with the Father.

¹¹ But what does it mean that the Son is said to be begotten from God the Father, while the Holy Spirit is signified as proceeding? If you ask what distinguishes the one who is begotten from the one who proceeds, it is evident that the difference lies in this: the Son is begotten from one (the Father), while the Spirit proceeds from both (the Father and the Son). Therefore, the fact that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father demonstrates three privileges of divinity in Him: that He subsists in His own person, that He exists without any limitation of time, and that He is entirely proven to exist from the substance of the Father. Since He is said to proceed, by the very nature of this term, He is understood to be unrestricted by the laws of time, having neither beginning nor end. And because we read: “I am who I am” and “He who is has sent me”, the statement “proceeds” similarly expresses the same truth. For to be and to proceed are expressions of the same eternal existence. Thus, His very procession, being neither first nor last, is understood to be subject to neither beginning nor end.

¹² We should not therefore believe that the Holy Spirit is confined to a particular place simply because we read that He is sent by the Father. After all, we also read that the Father and the Son descend and come as if by a certain movement. Let us consider where this is said. The Lord declares: “I and my Father will come and make our dwelling with him”. Again, when the giants sought to build a tower reaching to heaven, the Father speaks: “Come, let us go down and confuse their language”.

¹³ In these instances, the effectiveness of divine actions is conveyed to our understanding through human language. However, divine power is not subject to local movement, for it does not arrive by advancing nor depart by retreating. He who transcends all things—where would He withdraw to? Regarding the Holy Spirit, we learn from Sacred Scripture: “The Church throughout all Judea had peace, walking in the fear of God and was filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit”. How, then, can anyone presume to assert that He is a created being confined to a place, when He is shown to fill the Church, which consists of an innumerable multitude? It is evident, therefore, that what the Apostle declares pertains to Him as well: “The Father of mercies and the God of all consolation”.

¹⁴ We also find in the Psalms: “The river of God is full of water; it makes the city of God joyful”. What is this river’s rushing stream? Clearly, it is the one of whom the Lord speaks through John: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture says, rivers of living water shall flow from within him.” And the Evangelist adds: “This He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive”.

¹⁵ Behold the magnificence of divine majesty! The Holy Spirit is given to the Church on earth, yet at the same time, He brings joy to the city of God in heaven. This city of God consists of the citizens of the heavenly kingdom—the hosts of the celestial army, the principalities, powers, and dominions—whom He refreshes with ineffable joys, flooding them with the abundance of gladness that springs from the awareness of eternal beatitude. He stirs up the harmony of heaven in exultation through the torrent of His sanctification. If you suppose that such great gifts could be bestowed by any created being, you leave nothing as proper to divine power. If, I say, you believe these things are granted through some mere creature, you do injury to the angels and archangels themselves, for you reduce such great and marvelous gifts to the mere generosity of fellow servants.