Chapter 1: That No Rational Creature can Infuse Itself into Another of the Same Nature #

¹ We read about the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan”. Who, then, except one of the same fullness, could fill all things with the One who fills all? Concerning the apostles, the divine word recounts: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness”, and shortly after: “For the grace of the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon the nations”. It is said that entire nations were filled, and yet He is known to remain inexhaustible and full in Himself. If the Holy Spirit were a created being, where do we ever read that any angel or archangel has been received inwardly and infused into a soul? Tell me if you have ever read of any created power or virtue that can simultaneously fill and possess many, and what is more, remain undiminished and indivisible. It is impossible for a spiritual and rational creature to be infused into another of the same nature. Likewise, a material thing cannot penetrate another material substance.

² Only God, in whom the Holy Spirit is understood, who is simple, subtle, and pure, enters by the power of incorporeal divinity into either the angelic or human creation. He alone, as the penetrator of His own work, enters the hidden depths of the human heart. But no created being from heaven can infuse or fill a human being to the extent of knowing the secret thoughts of the human mind. Therefore, we read only of God: “Who alone knows the hearts of men”, and again: “For He knows the secrets of the heart”. If knowing the hidden things of man belongs uniquely to divinity, how much more is it the distinctive mark of the supreme majesty of the Holy Spirit to search the deep things of God?

³ This privilege belongs only to the Creator—to be able to enter the secret depths of consciences. A soul may be joined to another soul, or an angel to another angel, but it cannot be infused into another, for creatures of this kind are capable of receiving only the Holy Spirit, that is, only God. As vessels of their Maker, they can be filled only by Him, by whom they were made from nothing and without whom they remain empty. Thus, the substance of the soul, being a corporeal material in its own way, is entirely incapable of being infused into another rational creature.

⁴ Compared to the grossness of the outer man, the soul may be called incorporeal, but in relation to its Creator—who comprehends its nature, perceives His own creation as tangible, and has the power to enclose it within the body, bind it, and consign it to everlasting fire—it is, without doubt, corporeal to Him as its Maker, by the right of its Creator. As it is written: “Depart into the eternal fire, which has been prepared for the devil and his angels”.

⁵ But perhaps you may say: “It is evident that the violent assault of demons often infuses itself into humans when they are given over to temptation”. This is not the case. For they may enter the hidden recesses of the body, but they cannot reach the inner depths of the soul. It must therefore be understood that the deceitful cunning of spiritual wickedness disturbs those parts of the body into which it intrudes, just as excessive wine or the heat of fevers can agitate them. Thus, the enemy’s temptation can creep into the senses of the soul through malice, but by its very nature, it cannot flow into the soul’s inner depths.

⁶ For this reason, unclean spirits do not take possession of human minds and hearts by infusing themselves into their nature, but rather by the corruption of human will. It is therefore clear that they cannot penetrate the substance of souls, for they cannot know the conscience within them. And if demons ever come to know such things, it is due to betrayal through collusion, not through the power of their nature.

⁷ Only the divine power, which is in the Holy Spirit, both infused into and encompassing rational creatures, can truly intermingle with them. This is just as grace rested abundantly and uniquely in the body of the Lord, received from His mother Mary, as the Son of God Himself declares: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me”. If, therefore, as some claim, the Holy Spirit were a created being subject to a lower condition, it would be as impossible as it would be unworthy of God for such a creature to fill the soul or body in which the Son of God, that is, God Himself, already dwelt—where, as the Apostle says, “the fullness of divinity dwells bodily”.

⁸ If the Holy Spirit were a creature, how could corruption take hold of incorruptibility, and how could a fragile condition possess that which is capable of majesty? If the Holy Spirit were merely one among the multitude of created beings, how could a creature presume to share the same dwelling within the Saviour’s soul as the Creator—that is, the Son of God—as if an equal? How could a servant reside with his Lord in one place and, as if insufficient in itself, a mere servant of the Creator add itself to the fullness of holiness? This is not the case. Rather, the heavenly assembly recognizes its own companion in the temple of the Lord. And it is no wonder that in that glorious and blessed body’s soul, both the Son and the Holy Spirit share one dwelling—for they also share heaven itself.

Chapter 2: Whether, According to the Opinion of the Emperors, the Holy Spirit was Incarnate like the Son, since he also came upon Mary, or whether only the Son was born of the Virgin #

¹ But it is said: “If the Holy Spirit dwelt in the body and soul of the Redeemer, then he too would seem to have assumed incarnation”. This is not the case. For before the beginning of creation, the sacred body of Mary was filled by the Holy Spirit, and at the beginning of creation, the Virgin’s Son was conceived with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit. However, he was infused specifically by the person of the Son, who was to possess him for nine months and be brought forth into the light with him. The person of the Holy Spirit did not partake of this period of union within the hidden recess of the Virgin’s womb.

² Therefore, the man whom the Son of God assumed from the very beginning was entered by the Holy Spirit, not as one who assumed him, but as one who sanctified him. Just as the Holy Spirit acted as a companion to Christ, so Christ was the author. For Christ is born, whereas the Holy Spirit is infused. The soul or flesh of the Son of God can properly and specifically be called the Son of the Virgin, but in no way can it be called the soul or flesh of the Holy Spirit.

³ In him, who is called the Lord of Glory and the Son of God, crucified, it cannot in any way be said that the Holy Spirit suffered. Therefore, there is a distinction in their works, not in their substances. For just as we cannot say that the Father descended in the form of a dove, or that the Son spoke in the Father’s voice when he said, “This is my Son”, so too we cannot assert that the Holy Spirit was either born of the Virgin, lived in the flesh of the Redeemer in a special manner, was crucified in his Passion, restored to his body in the Resurrection, or exalted to the heavens in the Ascension. These things necessarily belong to the work and person of the Son, but although the unity of will remains intact, they cannot be ascribed to the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Among these matters, Macedonius asserts that the Holy Spirit is a creature. Let him therefore attempt to prove this, provided that he does not presume to argue on the basis of his own words, nor stray from the path of sacred law by introducing arguments foreign to the holy Scriptures. Rather, let him, if he is able, present authoritative testimony that is both numerous and powerful enough to prevail against the faith of the whole world.

⁵ Without doubt, great, abundant, and exceedingly clear evidence is required to prove that he is merely one among created beings—the very one whom all the kingdoms of the earth glorify with the Father and the Son as possessing the same honour and glory, whom the Catholic Church, regenerated in him, acknowledges as her Creator. And rightly so, for she does not hesitate to believe that the one she recognizes as her Restorer is also her Author.

Chapter 3: The Objection of Macedonius, who Impiously Claims that the Holy Spirit is a Creature Superior to All Others #

¹ You say, “I call Him a creature, but a creature superior to all other creatures.” We have already stated that our discussion should not be guided by our own reasoning but by the authoritative teachings of the Catholic faith. Therefore, as we speak about God, let the prophet, the apostle, and the evangelist respond. You claim that the Holy Spirit is a creature, though superior to all others—show me in which books you have read these words concerning the Holy Spirit. Surely, you will not be able to demonstrate this from either the Old or the New Testament. Since you cannot provide such proof, and since you fail to explain your own claim, you actually confirm ours—because by not proving the Holy Spirit to be a creature, you implicitly show, even without our argument, that He is the Creator.

² Thus, since your assertion does not align with the Catholic faith and has no place at all within true Christian teaching, recognize it as a deception of the devil. When he sees a soul’s house empty of the Holy Spirit, he enters with a wicked company of sevenfold malice, as an opposing spirit. For whoever excludes the Holy Spirit invites the evil one. The being you refer to as a “superior creature” was once adorned with heavenly splendor, aware of his gift but ignorant of its source. He saw that he possessed glory but did not understand that he had received it. Because he did not recognize the blessedness given to him, he became prideful and lost it, saying: “I will ascend above the stars of the clouds; I will set my throne on high, and I will be like the Most High”.

³ At that time, he saw no one among the creatures greater than himself—no one standing between him and God. Driven by the ambition of pride, he dared to exalt himself. If he had recognized anyone superior to himself in the heavenly order, he would have sought to rival or surpass that being instead.

⁴ There are two in heaven: the one who rules and the one who is ruled—the Creator and the creature. No third kind exists between these, which would be greater than the second but lesser than the highest. Perhaps one might say that the most excellent creature is from among the archangels, although they surpass others more by rank than by nature. Yet even the Holy Spirit is served by the archangels, one of whom, as a minister, announced His coming to the Blessed Mary.

⁵ But you say: “Look, where the prophet Amos clearly designates the Holy Spirit as a creature, saying: ‘Behold, I establish thunder and create the spirit’.” First, the simple name “spirit” cannot be referred to the person of the sanctifying Spirit unless you add “the Spirit of God,” “the Holy Spirit,” or “the Spirit blows where it wills”; that is, unless you include either the dignity of His work or His proper name.

⁶ Furthermore, if you consider the order of the passage, this supposedly superior creature, as you claim, has been shown to be greatly debased, for it is described as having been created after thunder. It would be inconsistent, then, for such a principal work of God to be placed after—or even associated with—an irrational and insensible element. I will not even speak of an angel, but it would be unworthy to believe this of any just person.

⁷ It therefore seems more reasonable and fitting to understand that, after thunder, what is meant is the blowing of the winds. This is like what is said in the Psalms: “The stormy wind fulfilling His word”, or “Sulfur, a stormy wind”, or again, “With a violent wind, He shatters the ships of Tarshish”. The word spirit is understood in different ways when it is not specifically designated with its unique privileges.

⁸ But setting these aside, examine the truth of the Hebrew translation, and there you will discover the confusion and error of your argument. For you will find that the passage is simply stated as: “Behold, I form the mountains and create the wind”. See how you have believed words that are both bare and empty in reference to God. See how great a case you think you have made against the power of His majesty! And after all this, do you not fear clinging to such a weak little branch when you are hanging over such a dreadful abyss?

Chapter 4: Macedonius Asserting Duality Denies That the Holy Spirit Has a Proper Personhood #

¹ Then, you introduce duality and claim that the Holy Spirit does not have a distinct personhood—yet you do not realize that in doing so, you have lost the grace of regeneration. You are setting yourself against the very One who regenerates, whom divine truth testifies to be united in the communion of majesty and power, saying: “Go therefore and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”.

² He says, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The singular name speaks of unity, while the diversity of designations speaks of the Trinity. Thus, there is one in name, but not one in the distinction of persons. What does the singular designation of the three signify, if not the undivided harmony of the Godhead? Make your case, if you can, that there is anything beyond the one God, as attested by His own witness.

³ You hear three, so that the Sabellian impiety does not mix and confound unity; you hear one, so that the Arian perversity does not divide the Trinity; you hear the Holy Spirit, so that the clear expression of a distinct name strikes down Macedonius. Thus, this is not the work of a creature, but of the Creator, whose incomprehensible operation bestows the remission and absolution of sins. Yet within this inseparable embrace of majesty, in the distinction of persons, the Father is one, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another—yet in divinity, they are not different beings. Indeed, if the Holy Spirit were not God, He could not, alongside the Father and the Son, possess a distinct personhood.

⁴ Furthermore, when the Word became flesh, and God took on the form of man, making His dwelling among us, veiling His radiance in the shadows of our frailty, and making darkness His hiding place, there were indeed two substances—one divine, one human—yet only one person. Why is this? Because when God, taking on the form of a servant, was joined to His servant, the humility of the lesser was concealed within reverence for the greater, and the brilliance of the superior consumed the diminished. Thus, under the overshadowing and preeminence of divinity, humanity did not retain a distinct personhood.

⁵ Personhood can be equal only where merit and dignity are equal. Therefore, you must recognize that the Holy Spirit, along with the Father and the Son, possesses the same majesty, since He possesses a distinct right of personhood.

⁶ Yet, if someone objects and asks, “If we confess two substances in Christ, both divine and human, why should we not also believe in two persons by the same reasoning?”—this is not so. For whoever asserts two persons in Christ introduces the impiety of a quaternity, which is utterly foreign to the order of reality. From two rational and distinct substances—especially that of God and man, of Creator and creature—one person cannot be made. However, from two persons, one can be formed, as we read that Christ and the Church, as head and body, constitute a single person: “And the two shall become one flesh”.

⁷ Just as among humans, a son under his father’s authority or a servant under his master does not possess a distinct personal standing apart from them, so too, in the case of God and man, there are indeed two substances, but not two persons. For personhood can absorb personhood, whereas substance cannot absorb substance. Indeed, personhood pertains to legal standing, while substance pertains to nature.

⁸ It seems necessary in this context to affirm, with supporting testimonies, that in Christ, who is both God and man, there is one person and two natures. There is one person in the Redeemer, who is both God and man—this very person is the one the Apostle speaks of when he says: “If they had understood the wisdom of God, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory”.

⁹ If you ask how the inviolable One could suffer and how the incomprehensible One could be crucified, it is the unity of the person that ensures that what the man endured is believed to have been endured by God. Likewise, when the Evangelist states: “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven”, how is it that here the Son of Man is said to have descended from heaven and to remain in the heavens, even before His passion, resurrection, or the day of His ascension? This can only be resolved by the truth of the unity of the person.

¹⁰ In another passage, the person of the head and body is joined together, as it is written: “I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink”. What does the unity of the person accomplish here? The man eats, and God is nourished; the feet are refreshed, and the head testifies that it has received comfort.

¹¹ Therefore, he says: “They would never have crucified the Lord of glory”, and conversely: “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven”. See how, due to the unity of the person, human attributes are attributed to the divine, and divine attributes to the human. Thus, God is said to be crucified, and man is said to have descended from heaven and to remain in heaven.

¹² Since this is a theological passage rich in biblical interpretation, I will translate it with clarity while preserving its meaning and theological depth. Here is the modern, faithful, and accurate English translation:

¹³ Given these points, let us examine the distinction between the two natures in the sacred Scriptures. The blessed Moses says: “You shall eat the head with the feet, and you shall devour its entrails.” In the feet, let us recognize Christ’s humanity, and in the head, His majesty. Thus, when we examine these words through faith, uncovering what lies hidden beneath the literal meaning, we partake of the lamb’s entrails—that is, the hidden mysteries. For the eagerness to search is understood as the desire to devour, just as in another passage, the same divine revealer suggests the distinction between the two natures, saying: “The foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

¹⁴ This means that deceitful heresies and the dark or aerial powers have established their dwelling places deep within human hearts through oppressive dominion. But as for me, they do not believe that the one they see in the flesh as a man is also God hidden within humanity. For “dens” and “nests” do not signify temporary or fleeting shelters but rather fixed and secure places, established with lasting possession, which multiply the serpent-like growth of vices.

¹⁵ The Apostle also clearly expounds upon the two natures, removing any obscurity of the mystery, when he says: “From them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever.”

¹⁶ But you say: “The Apostle acknowledges only two persons in the volume of his writings,” as he speaks to the Corinthians: “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God,” and to the Galatians: “Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” And again: “There is one God, the Father, from whom all things come, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things exist, and we exist through Him.”

¹⁷ Based on these passages, you claim that no mention is made of the Holy Spirit. To answer briefly, you have forgotten that the Apostle, being filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed these things to the people under His very inspiration, preaching about the Father and the Son. So, when speaking about the work of the Father and the Son, the One who inspired his words was not absent, in accordance with what is written: “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁸ Thus, whoever is to believe, confess, or proclaim Christ, you see that he must first have the Holy Spirit dwelling within him. Therefore, do not let it trouble your faith that, at times, mention is made of the Father and the Son without explicit reference to the Holy Spirit. For often, the work of the Son and the Holy Spirit is proclaimed while the name of the Father is not mentioned.

¹⁹ Saint Ananias said to Paul: “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Here, the connection between two persons is clearly expressed. See, Paul is struck blind by Christ and is enlightened and filled with the Holy Spirit—yet no mention of the Father is made in this passage.

²⁰ When Paul asked some of the disciples, “Into what were you baptized?"—knowing that they had been baptized with John’s baptism after the Lord’s ascension—he proclaimed the baptism of the Trinity. Even that mystery in which John had been accustomed to baptize, that is, into the One who was to come, was found to be omitted in their baptism. As the Apostle Paul said to them: “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus”.

²¹ When Paul asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"—for the Holy Spirit was to be conferred after the baptism of the Saviour through the laying on of hands upon those who were rightly baptized—they answered: “We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit”. Upon hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. Notice that when they are baptized in the name of Jesus, they afterward receive the Holy Spirit and the gift of prophecy through the invocation of the Paraclete. Truly, He is God, who bestows fullness and then grants increase upon His divine gift.

²² Behold, in this baptism, only two persons are explicitly mentioned, and there is no written record of the Father being invoked. Yet, as must be believed, He acts together with the Son and the Holy Spirit in the unity of power and divinity. The sacred text is silent about His presence, but it does not deny it. Thus, when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. Consider how great the power of the Holy Spirit is: in baptism, sins are forgiven; in the coming of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of power are bestowed, and through those who have been confirmed, miracles are performed.

²³ Those who are estranged from the truth often raise objections even over mere syllables. For although we know that it has been absolutely stated regarding the Trinity: “For from Him and through Him and in Him are all things”, they claim that “from Him” is greater than “through Him” and that the preposition “through” has greater significance than “in Him.” But if they assume that saying “in Him” with reference to the Holy Spirit implies a diminution of His power, let them hear the grandeur of this preposition and recognize that, by their own reasoning, it applies to the Holy Spirit as well.

²⁴ For it is written: “In Him we live and move and have our being”, and rightly so, for in Him we have been restored and reborn. Yet we also understand that “through Him” can be applied to the Holy Spirit, as it is written: “To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, to another the utterance of knowledge”. Likewise, in Hebrews: “Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God”, and again: “The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us”.

²⁵ Even if we consider the Father, we frequently find “from Him” applied similarly to the Holy Spirit, as we read in the Gospel of John: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”, and later in the same passage: “So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit”.

²⁶ Thus, the Holy Spirit is not excluded when the works of the Father and the Son are mentioned without explicitly naming Him, just as the Father and the Son are not denied when a work or power of the Holy Spirit is specifically affirmed. As we read in the Acts of the Apostles: “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now”. Likewise, the Gospel speaks of the Holy Spirit in particular: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”.

²⁷ Would anyone believe that the Father and the Son were absent from this great and divine gift simply because they are not named here? Certainly not. For without a doubt, they are joined with the Holy Spirit—since they share one substance with Him—in mysteries and blessings. Even if they are not explicitly mentioned, they are nevertheless present through the unity of divine love and action.

Chapter 5: Objection—That the Passage We Read, “Unless One Is Born of Water and the Holy Spirit,” Testifies That Both Water and the Holy Spirit Are Created Beings #

¹ But you say: “The Holy Spirit is a creature, as it appears to be joined with the element of water, which is mentioned first in order in the Gospel passage previously cited: ‘Unless one is born of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God’.” It is clear that the one who speaks this way does not understand either the divine power of the Holy Spirit or the very nature of baptism itself.

² However, the Apostle says: “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him”. But how can we die and rise with Christ? If you wish to understand, pay attention: All who are immersed in the sacred font imitate the death and burial of the Redeemer, just as the same Apostle says: “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death”.

³ Just as Christ was enclosed in the tomb for three days in death, so too are we, when we are immersed three times in the water—the embrace of a kindred element—buried as we descend and raised as we emerge. Thus, through the water, the imitation of burial is enacted, while through the Holy Spirit, the reality of life and the hope of eternal salvation is granted.

⁴ Indeed, remove the invocation of the Holy Spirit, and let us see whether the mere pouring of that water can accomplish anything. The water, then, is a created thing that serves as an instrument of burial, but God is the one who bestows the grace of rebirth. Therefore, recognize that the one you perceive as the author of renewal is also the author of resurrection.

⁵ Of Him, the prophet speaks to the Father, saying: “Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth”. What, then, is the difference between the action of water and that of the Holy Spirit? Through water, we appear to be led into the tomb; through the Holy Spirit, we are prepared for the kingdom.

Chapter 6: On Whether the Title “Holy Spirit” Should Be Considered a Proper Name or an Epithet #

¹ But among these matters, you believe it is necessary to ask whether the designation “Holy Spirit”—which must also be called God—is a name or perhaps an epithet. However, consider this: what we commonly attach to a name among humans does not befit the majesty of God, for in His name, nothing is merely an addition; rather, everything is undoubtedly eternal by nature.

² Even grammatical teaching distinguishes between common nouns, which are called appellatives, and specific nouns, which are called proper names. Let us see if we can find anything similar in our discussion here. Assign a special or proper name to God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are so proper to each that “Father” cannot be said of the Son, nor is it easily read that “Holy Spirit” is said of the Father. Likewise, consider proper distinctions: Unbegotten, Begotten, and Proceeding from both.

³ Now, give a general and common name: Majesty, Immensity, Fullness, One, the only God. But when you hear “One,” this does not indicate the beginning of a number but rather encompasses infinite perfection. What does “One” mean if not an incommunicable name, which neither admits a predecessor nor a successor? What is “One” if not a simple, uncompounded, and indivisible substance? What is “One” if not immutable, equal, and ever the same, never differing from itself?

⁴ Thus, the common designation speaks of unity, while the proper name speaks of the Trinity. When you say “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” you specifically explain the persons of each. When you say “One God,” you declare the common substance and common glory of the Trinity. Here, then, ignorance wraps itself in the darkness of error, for by suppressing the title of Majesty, it considers the Holy Spirit only in the sense of His proper name, as we have said, rather than in what He has in common with the Father and the Son.

Chapter 7: That the Holy Spirit Especially Fills the Prophets and Is Equally Believed and Called God, as Confirmed by Clear Testimonies #

¹ Since it is reported that the Holy Spirit specifically spoke through Moses, David, Isaiah, and other prophets, divine speech itself proclaims that it was God who spoke. This is frequently stated in the book of the Pentateuch: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying…”.

² Let us inquire more carefully whether the Holy Spirit speaks specifically in the prophets. As we mentioned earlier, we find this in the Acts of the Apostles, where Paul rebukes the Jews, saying: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah to our ancestors, saying: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand…’”. Likewise, in the same passage: “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David.”.

³ And in the Epistle of Peter, we read: “For no prophecy ever came by human will, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”. From this, we clearly recognize that the gift of prophecy belongs to the power of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is written regarding a psalm of David: “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear His voice…’”. Here again, it is most clearly testified that the Holy Spirit spoke through David.

⁴ Let us now consider whether this God, through whom all prophecy is said to be inspired, is indeed the true God. Luke affirms that it is the Lord God who has spoken through the prophets, as he states: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people”. And he adds: “As he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old”. Thus, the Gospel proclamation clearly declares that the Holy Spirit, who inspired the prophets, is the Lord and God of Israel.

⁵ Further on, we see that Simeon, being filled with the Holy Spirit, received a revelation from the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. When he saw Him and took Him into his arms, he blessed God—namely, the one from whom he had received the revelation—and said: “Now, Lord, you may let your servant depart in peace”. Behold, he explicitly calls the Holy Spirit “Lord” and “God,” for it was by His word and revelation that he had received the promise of seeing Christ. Thus, you see that when it is said in the prophets: “The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken”, and, “I will hear what the Lord God will speak within me”, this name, “the Lord God,” must be understood as referring to the person of the Holy Spirit, who spoke in David. Or at the very least, in the one God, you must recognize the will, the power, and the substance of the three persons. For when you say “Father,” you understand a single person, but when you say “God,” you designate the entire Trinity.

⁶ We also read in the Acts of the Apostles that the one who foretold the sufferings of Christ through the prophets is undoubtedly God. For it says: “But God, who foretold through the mouth of all the prophets that His Christ would suffer, has thus fulfilled it”. That is, He fulfilled it in Christ, who was infused with the anointing of His grace. And again: “What God spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from of old”. He says, “what God spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets,” and they are called “His holy prophets” because sanctification properly pertains to the Holy Spirit.

⁷ We read in Isaiah: “Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord”. Who is this Lord, who declares through Isaiah that He fills heaven and earth, if not the Holy Spirit, who infused Isaiah himself with prophetic power and the spirit of purity?

⁸ Just as the Holy Spirit was active in the prophetic dispensation, so also the grace of the second birth is particularly attributed to Him, according to the will of the Trinity. As it is written in John: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. And elsewhere, the power to renew humanity is ascribed to the Holy Spirit: “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now”. And as was said earlier: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”. Likewise, in the letter to Titus: “He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit”.

⁹ Now let us consider who this is, by whose grace we become children through adoption. Scripture says: “He gave them the power to become children of God”. And again: “Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God”.

¹⁰ You can see most clearly that this Holy Spirit, through whom we are reborn, is God, by whose fatherhood we are granted adoption. He makes this even clearer elsewhere, saying: “I will be a Father to them, and they shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty”. And rightly is He called Almighty, for He erases the record of sin, loosens the bonds of conscience, strips away the corruption of fallen nature from those who believe in Him, and clothes them with the garment of innocence, the beauty of righteousness, and the robe of immortality. In His loving fatherhood, He elevates His children to the status of angels.

¹¹ Let no one think that the Holy Spirit should be counted among created beings. He is beyond the condition of servitude, for He is the one who grants eternal freedom. As the Apostle says: “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”. Without doubt, He is God, for it is by the forgiveness of sins that He makes us children of God.

¹² The entire created order, including angels and archangels, was subject to sin. However, the downfall of the transgressors established the obedience, vigilance, and love of those who remained faithful to God. The recognition of frailty confirmed humility, submission, and steadfastness. The Holy Spirit, unless He were supremely free above all, could not make slaves into free people. For if He were merely a creature, even if God had granted Him the grace of holiness, He would still remain aware of being indebted. This is why Scripture says: “No one can forgive sins except God alone”.

¹³ Whoever considers this must make a choice: either confess that the Holy Spirit, who forgives sins, is truly God in every way, or, if they deny that forgiveness of sins can come through Him, they nullify within themselves the grace of regeneration and the sacrament of baptism. It belongs to God alone to release those bound by sin, to restore what is corrupted, and to cleanse what is stained. Therefore, in awareness of both our weakness and His majesty, we cry out with deep sorrow: “Against You alone have I sinned”—that is, against the One who alone is not bound by the law of sin, who alone is not merely free from sin in action but is by nature entirely untouched by it.

¹⁴ Thus, You alone can release debtors, for You alone are free from all debt. What You have, You did not receive from another, nor are You filled with virtues derived from elsewhere, nor have You received anything transferred into You from another source. Rather, You are the very fountain of Your own river, and Your glory is Your own. Your nature, like Your beginning, knows no origin, nor has it received anything from any prior source.

Chapter 8: Where It Is Shown That the Temple of God Is the Temple of the Holy Spirit #

¹ The sacred Scriptures specifically define the indweller of the human heart as the Holy Spirit. “The Father will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever”. And to the Corinthians, it is written: “He will give life even to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who dwells in you”. Therefore, we rightly understand what has been written concerning the Holy Spirit: “The kingdom of God is within you”. Surely, those who prepare themselves to be a temple of God deserve to be called His kingdom—not a kingdom belonging to any created being.

² Listen to the words of our indwelling Lord spoken through the Apostle: “You are the temple of the living God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you”. And elsewhere: “As God says: I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God”. Behold, He Himself, who dwells in the temple of the human heart, declares that He is God.

³ Ananias, one of those who, in honouring God, sold their possessions from their just labours and laid them at the apostles’ feet, is known to have made a vow to God. Yet he was accused of lying to the Holy Spirit, as the Apostle Peter said: “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?”. He then added: “You have not lied to men, but to God”. What does this mean? Did he sin against the Creator, and yet Scripture downplays his offense, as if he had sinned only against a creature, making him guilty of a lesser crime—one of dishonouring a lesser being rather than a greater one? Certainly not! The one against whom this sacrilege was committed is clearly endowed with divine power, for elsewhere it is said: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the age to come”.

⁴ Therefore, since he transgressed by putting God to the test, it is said that he lied to the Holy Spirit. Recognize, then, that the Holy Spirit and God share the same nature, the same glory, and the same reverence. For this reason, the passage clearly concludes with these words: “You have not lied to men, but to God”.

⁵ As Peter was speaking to Cornelius, the believers from the circumcision who had come with him were astonished because the grace of the Holy Spirit had also been poured out upon the Gentiles. You see that the Holy Spirit granted grace not from something foreign to Him, but from what was His own. If you ask who it was that gave this grace, the text immediately teaches, saying: “If then God gave them the same grace”. The one who was previously called the Holy Spirit as the giver of grace is here explicitly declared to be God. The former name is proper to Him, while the latter is a more general designation—yet both testify to the same reality.

⁶ And when it is said, “The grace of the Holy Spirit has been poured out even upon the Gentiles”, it is God Himself by nature who is the author of grace. It belongs to God alone to grant gifts of His own charisms, just as the Apostle seems to affirm when he says: “I have laboured more abundantly than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me”. Rightly, then, is He proclaimed as God, since He is the dispenser of grace and of human salvation. Peter further adds: “Who was I that I could hinder God?"—referring to God Himself, who poured Himself out upon the Gentiles and upon Cornelius with the overwhelming force of His grace.

Chapter 9: Where It Is Shown Against the Novatians That God Granted Repentance Leading to Life to the Gentiles—And That This God Is the Holy Spirit, As Demonstrated by the Order of the Narrative #

¹ Observe how, in the person of the Holy Spirit—who suddenly filled Cornelius and his companions—the name of God is glorified through multiple attestations. “When they heard these things, they fell silent and glorified God, saying, ‘Then even to the Gentiles, God has granted repentance that leads to life’”.

² In this passage, we must take note—especially against the Novatians—that repentance is said to be granted by God, even though He bestows it through the ministry of His servants. Therefore, when Peter says, “Who was I that I could hinder God?”, and again, “Then God has granted repentance to the Gentiles, leading to life”, what further interpretation is needed? How could anyone, whether ignorant or unbelieving, fail to recognize the repeated confession of the divine name in the coming of the Holy Spirit?

Chapter 10: Where It Is Shown—Through the Distribution of Gifts in 1 Corinthians—That the Holy Spirit Is God #

¹ Take what is written to the Corinthians, which alone is sufficient to affirm the divinity of the Holy Spirit. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is said: “God confirmed their testimony by signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will”. Let us ask the Apostle himself whether this distributor of gifts is merely one of the creatures. We have in the First Letter to the Corinthians: “I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit”. Notice how absolutely he identifies the Spirit of God as the Holy Spirit here. Regarding the Holy Spirit, whom he previously referred to as the Spirit of God, consider what follows and how clearly it testifies that He is both God and Lord: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit; there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord; there are different kinds of workings, but the same God who works all in all”.

² It is as if the blessed Apostle had been asked about the divinity of the Holy Spirit, for, after saying “the same Spirit,” he immediately adds, “the same God, who works all in all.” He could not work all things if He were merely one among all things. Here, the Holy Spirit is either explicitly expressed as both Lord and God in His own name, or at least He is clearly recognized as associated with the Trinity. Yet, in speaking of the distribution of gifts, divine Scripture seems to emphasize that the Holy Spirit is particularly designated, since earlier we learned that the grace of distribution belongs specifically to the Holy Spirit by a unique dispensation. And when it says, “the same Lord” and “the same God,” the following passage makes it clear that this must be referred to the Holy Spirit, as it continues: “To one is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these are the work of one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one as He wills”. He is subject to no one, but is the heavenly Lord who grants heavenly gifts according to His own will and by the authority of His power.

Chapter 11: It Must Be Noted That Just as There Is One God, So Too the Holy Spirit Is One, Which Cannot Be Said of a Common Creature, Nor of One Who Distributes to Each as He Wills #

¹ You see that just as there is one Father and one Son, so too there is one Holy Spirit, as the passage continues: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized”. If He belonged to the multitude of created beings, He could in no way be called “one.” And here, when it says, “To another is given faith in the same Spirit”, who is it that grants this faith? The same Apostle explains in Corinthians: “To each one God has assigned a measure of faith”. You see that he undeniably proclaims this distributor of faith to be God.

² Even though the sheer abundance of such numerous and great gifts speaks for itself of the power of their Author, yet he concludes concerning Him: “But all these are the work of one and the same Spirit, distributing to each as He wills”. Likewise, elsewhere it is said: “The Spirit blows where He wills”, and again: “The gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed according to His will”. Thus, this is not the ministry of a subordinate servant, but the exercise of sovereign authority, and in the distribution of heavenly gifts, His inexhaustible generosity is the highest expression of divine goodness.

³ When it speaks of “the gifts of the Holy Spirit,” is this distributor—this giver—not God? The Apostle clarifies this to the Corinthians, saying: “There are different kinds of workings, but the same God”. We read in the Acts of the Apostles: “Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops to shepherd the Church of God”. The one who appointed bishops in the Church—who else can He be but God? The Apostle, the chosen vessel, affirms this to the Corinthians, saying: “God has appointed some in the Church”. Who is this God but the Holy Spirit, whose role is revealed through the distribution of graces? As the passage continues, “God has appointed in the Church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, and various kinds of tongues”. When he says, “God has appointed some in the Church,” he is referring to the Holy Spirit, as is clearly demonstrated by His dispensation of sanctification and divine powers.

⁴ For He is the one who fills the mouths of the prophets, dispenses the remedies of healing, and multiplies the gifts of grace. It is through His influence on the Apostles that they proclaimed God, and through His power that the miracles, the signs, and the various kinds of tongues bore witness to Him as the Lord of all.

Chapter 12: Where He Says That Those Who Have Become the Temple of the Holy Spirit Must Progress in Such a Way That They May Be Worthy to Bear God in Their Body #

¹ The Apostle therefore says to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit?” The preceding parts of the same letter clearly indicate that the temple of the Holy Spirit is the temple of God, as it says: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?”. And again: “The Holy Spirit dwells in you”. Who would doubt that they are the temple of the very God whose dwelling place they are proven to be? And after saying, “Do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit?”, he concludes this passage with clear truth: “Glorify God and bear Him in your body”. Therefore, whoever diligently prepares a temple for the Holy Spirit in their heart through purity, chastity, and the mortification of the flesh carries God in their body, for it is necessary to bear bodily the One who spiritually possesses us. Thus, whoever is worthy to be a temple should be known as one to be honoured with divine reverence, venerated in prayer, and celebrated with offerings and sacrifices.

² The Teacher of the Gentiles, therefore, speaks to the universal Church: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?”. This is impossible for any creature, but it is the distinctive mark of divine majesty that He fills peoples individually through each person while still remaining in the fullness of His immeasurable being. It is, I say, unique and proper to the divine nature to be present everywhere, to enter into all things, and to contain all things. It is, I repeat, a special prerogative of God to strip the children of perdition of their natural debts, to renew purified consciences, to make them children of God, and to raise them to the glory of the heavenly kingdom.