all to demonstrate by the modern scientific method that this dogma is truly and clearly revealed by God, that it is solidly founded in Christian Tradition, and that it does not, as unbelievers allege, involve a contradiction. 4. Since theistic philosophy is unable to establish this dogma on the basis of unaided human reason, the Catholic theologian is compelled to adhere closely to the teaching of the Church. He must first believe; then he may inquire. 11 The most perfect and complete Trinitarian formula that has come down to us from Patristic times is that composed by the Eleventh Council of Toledo, A. D. 675.11 We prefer to base our exposition on the briefer and more perspicuous formula contained in the Athanasian Creed, which has the additional advantage of being vested with the primary authority due to an ancient Christian symbol. The dogma of the Most Holy Trinity is there set forth in the following terms: 12 "Fides ca tholica haec est, ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in unitate veneremur; neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam separantes; alia est enim persona Patris, alia Filii, alia (et) Spiritus Sancti; sed Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas, aequalis gloria, coaeterna maiestas. . . . Pater a nullo est factus nec creatus nec genitus. Filius a Patre solo est, non 11 Denzinger-Bannwart, Enchiridion, nn. 275 sqq. This symbol first treats of the Three Divine Persons in succession; then, in three further sections, it develops and sets forth the general doctrine, viz.: (1) the true unity of substance; (2) the real Trinity of the Persons; (3) the inseparable union of the Three Divine Persons, demanded by their very distinction. In later times the dogma received a more distinct for mulation only in two points, both directed against most subtle forms of separation and division in God. Cfr. Wilhelm-Scannell, A Manual of Catholic Theology Based on Scheeben's "Dogmatik," Vol. I, p. 262, London 1899. 12 Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 40. factus nec creatus, sed genitus. Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio, non factus nec creatus nec genitus, sed procedens - The Catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. . . . The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding." 13 The chief points of our dogma may therefore be summarized thus: In essence, substance, and nature there is but one God. However, the Divine Nature does not subsist in one single Person or Hypostasis, but in three distinct Persons, i. e., Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who do not coalesce after the manner of mere logical momenta, but are really distinct from one another, so much so that the one is not the other. They are not distinct in virtue of their nature, which is numerically the same in all three, but solely in virtue of the relative opposition by which the Son is begotten by the Father, while the Holy Ghost proceeds alike from the Father and the Son. The mystery peculiar to this sublime dogma arises from the mutual relations of the two principal concepts" Nature" and "Person." Within the domain of human experience every 13 The full English text of the Athanasian Creed, together with a critical account of its provenance and probable authorship, may be found in Vol. II of the Catholic Encyclopedia, S. v. Cfr. PohlePreuss, God: His Knowability, Essence, and Attributes, p. 318, note 6; F. J. Hall, The Trinity, pp. 18 sqq., New York 1910. complete nature is at the same time a separate hypostasis; in other words, every rational nature is eo ipso a distinct person. Hence the axiom, "Tot sunt hypostases, quot sunt naturae." But this axiom has no metaphysical value, and cannot be applied to God, since Revelation expressly teaches that "Nature" and 66 Person "do not coincide either in reality or in conception. As we acknowledge three Persons in the one Divine Nature, so conversely we believe that there are in Christ two complete natures, the one divine, the other human, both subsisting in one and the same person, i. e., the Divine Person of the Logos-Son. This revealed truth compels Catholic philosophy to draw a sharp distinction between "Nature" and "Person," as we shall show more fully further down. Since the essence of the mystery consists in this that "we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity," we may consider the Blessed Trinity first as Trinity in Unity (Trinitas in Unitate), or threefold personality; and, secondly, as Unity in Trinity (Unitas in Trinitate) or Triunity. We shall accordingly divide the subject-matter of this treatise into two parts. - GENERAL READINGS: Above all St. Aug., De Trinit. 11. XV (translated into English by A. W. Haddan in Dods's Works of Aurelius Augustine, Vol. VII, Edinburgh 1873); and, by way of commentary, Th. Gangauf, Des hl. Augustinus spekulative Lehre von Gott dem Dreieinigen, 2nd ed., Ratisbon 1883.The Monologium S. Anselmi and Petr. Lomb., Sent., I, dist. 1 sqq.— Rich. a S. Victore, De Trinitate 11. VI, takes a rather independent attitude.- Besides St. Bonaventure (Comment. in Libros Sent., I) cfr. *St. Thomas, S. Theol., 1a, qu. 27-43 (Bon - joannes-Lescher, Compendium, pp. 71 sqq.) and Contr. Gent., IV, 1-26, together with the various commentaries on these great works. A very good treatise is *Ruiz, De Trinit., Lugd. 1625. -The student will also find it profitable to consult Greg. de Valentia, De Trinit. 11. V; and Ysambert, De Mysterio Trinitatis; Wilhelm-Scannell, A Manual of Catholic Theology Based on Scheeben's "Dogmatik," Vol. I, pp. 257-354, 2nd ed., London 1899; S. J. Hunter, S. J., Outlines of Dogmatic Theology, Vol. II, pp. 145-215, 2nd ed., London and New York s.a.; F. J. Hall (Anglican), The Trinity, New York 1910. The teaching of the Fathers can be studied in the copious quotations extracted from their works by Petavius, Dogm., t. II, and Thomassin, Dogm., t. III. In addition to the various manuals of special dogmatic theology, consult particularly *Kuhn, Christliche Lehre von der göttlichen Dreieinigkeit, Tüb. 1857; Franzelin, De Deo Trino, ed. 3, Romae 1883; Régnon, Etudes sur la Ste Trinité, 4 vols., Paris 1872-1898; L. Janssens, De Deo Trino, Friburgi 1900; Stentrup, De SS. Trinitatis Mysterio, Oeniponte 1898; Lépicier, De SS. Trinitate, Parisiis 1902; Souben, Théologie Dogmatique, II: "Les Personnes Divines," Paris 1903; Newman, Select Treatises of St. Athanasius, Vol. II, pp. 315 sqq.- Further references in the text.- For the history of the dogma, see Newman, "Causes of the Rise and Successes of Arianism (Tracts Theological and Ecclesiastical, new ed., London 1895, pp. 139–299); Adrian Fortescue, The Orthodox Eastern Church, pp. 110, 135 sqq., London 1907; IDEM, The Greek Fathers, passim, London 1908.- Bardenhewer-Shahan, Patrology, pp. 66, 65, 185, 210, 259, 281, 291, 300, 308.-*J. Lebreton, S. J., Les Origines du Dogme de la Trinité, Vol. I, Paris 1910; J. Tixeront, History of Dogmas (English tr.), Vol. I, pp. 33, 68, 83, 92, 107, 115 sqq., 122, 134, 175, 215, 221, 233, 247, 263, 303, 310 sqq., 327 sqq., 381 sq., 383, 389, 416 sq., 421, St. Louis 1910. *The asterisk before an author's name indicates that his exposition of the subject is especially clear and thorough. As St. Thomas is invariably the best guide, the omis sion of the asterisk before his name never means that we consider his work in any way inferior to that of others. There are vast stretches of dogmatic theology which he scarcely touched. PART I THE HOLY TRINITY IN UNITY, OR THE THREEFOLD PER SONALITY OF GOD' Both the fact that (in eoru), and the intrinsic reason why (bór torw) there are Three Persons in God, is positively revealed to us in the doctrine of the innerdivine processions (Filiation and Spiration). They form part of the immediate deposit of the faith, and constitute the dogma of the Divine Trinity. We have first to prove the fact of the threefold personality of God from Sacred Scripture (Chapter I) and Tradition (Chapter II); then (Chapter III) we shall enter into a dogmatic consideration of the cause of this fact, viz.: the mysterious vital processes immanent in the Godhead which are called "Filiation" and "Spiration." In a concluding Chapter (IV) we shall discuss the speculative theological development of the dogma. 1 Cfr. Newman, Select Treatises of St. Athanasius, Vol. II (Being an Appendix of Illustrations), "The Holy Trinity in Unity," pp. 315325, 9th ed., London 1903. |