Magistri Petri Lombardi
Arch. Episc. Parisiensis

Master Peter Lombard
Archbishop of Paris

Sententiarum Quatuor Libri

The Four Books of Sentences

LIBER PRIMUS SENTENTIARUM.

 

DE DEI UNITATE ET TRINITATE

THE FIRST BOOK OF THE SENTENCES

 

ON THE UNITY AND TRINITY OF GOD

DISTINCTIO XVI.

DISTINCTION 16

Opera Omnia S. Bonaventurae,
Ad Claras Aquas, 1882, Vol 1, pp. 276-277.
Cum Notitiis Editorum Quaracchi

Latin text taken from Opera Omnia S. Bonaventurae,
Ad Claras Aquas, 1882, Vol. 1, pp. 276-277.
Notes by the Quaracchi Editors.

Cap. I.

 

De missione Spiritus sancti, quae fit duobus modis, visibiliter et invisibiliter.

Chapter I

On the mission of the Holy Spirit, which comes to be in two manners, visibly and invisibly. 

Nunc de Spiritu sancto videndum est, praeter illam ineffabilem et aeternam processionem, qua procedit a Patre et Filio, et non a se ipso, quae sit eius temporalis processio, quae dicitur missio sive donatio.1  Ad quod dicimus, quia sicut Filius duobus modis dicitur mitti:  uno, quo visibiliter apparuit, altero, quo invisibiliter2 castis mentibus percipitur; ita et Spiritus sanctus a Patre et Filio ac a se ipso duobus modis procedere sive mitti sive dari dicitur:  uno visibiliter, altero invisibiliter.  Datus est enim visibilis creaturae demonstratione, sicut in die Pentecostes aliisque vicibus, et datur quotidie invisibiliter illabendo mentibus fidelium.

Now concerning the Holy Spirit it must be seen, besides that ineffable and eternal procession, by which He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and not from Himself, what is His temporal procession, which is said (to be) a mission or donation.1  To which we say, that just as the Son is said to be sent in two manners: in one, whereby He has visibly appeared, in the other, whereby He is invisibly2 perceived by chaste minds; so also the Holy Spirit is said either to be sent or to be given by the Father and the Son and by Himself in two manners:  in one visibly, in the other invisibly.  For He has been given by the demonstration of a visible creature, just as (He was) on the day of Pentecost and at other times, and He is given daily by invisibly gliding into the minds of the faithful.

Et primo agamus de illo missionis modo, qui fit visibili specie.  De hoc Augustinus in secundo libro de Trinitate3 ita ait:  « In promptu est intelligere de Spiritu sancto, cur missus et ipse dicatur. Facta est enim quaedam creaturae species ex tempore, in qua visibiliter ostenderetur Spiritus sanctus, sive cum in ipsum Dominum corporali specie columbae descendit, sive cum in dei Pentecostes factus est subito de caelo sonus, quasi ferretur flatus vehemens, et visae sunt illis linguae divisae sicut ignis, qui et insedit super unumquemque eorum.  Haec operatio visibiliter expressa et oculis oblata mortalibus missio Spiritus sancti dicta est, non ut appareret eis4 ipsa substantia, qua et ipse invisibilis et incommutabilis est, sicut Pater et Filius, sed ut exterioribus visis corda hominum commota a temporali manifestatione venientis ad occultam aeternitatem semper praesentis converterentur ».  Ecce his verbis aperit Augustinus illum modum missionis, qui visibiliter exhibetur, cum tamen ipse Spiritus in sui natura non videatur, qui nec in illis creaturis magis erat quam in aliis, sed ad aliud.  In illis enim erat, ut per eas ad homines veniens5 ostenderetur esse in illis, ad quos illae creaturae veniebant.  Non enim Spiritus sanctus temporali motu tunc venit vel descendit in homines, sed per temporalem motum creaturae significata est spiritualis et invisibilis Spiritus sancti infusio.  Et ut apertius dicam, per illum modum missionis Spiritus sancti corporaliter exhibitum monstrata est spiritualis et interior missio sancti Spiritus sive donatio, de qua agendum est.

And first let us deal with that manner of mission, which comes to be by visible species.  Of this (St.) Augustine in the second book On the Trinity3 thus says:  « It is easy [in promptu] to understand of the Holy Spirit, why He is also said (to have been) sent.  For a certain visible species of a creature was wrought in time, in which the Holy Spirit was visibly shown, either when, in the corporal species of a dove, He descended upon the Lord Himself, or when on the day of Pentecost there suddenly came to be a sound from Heaven, like a vehement blowing was put in motion [ferretur], and by them were seen divided tongues, as of a fire, which settled [insedit] upon each of them.  This working visibly expressed and offered to the eyes of mortals is said (to be) he mission of the Holy Spirit, not that there appeared to them4 the Substance Itself, in which He Himself is also invisible and incommutable, just as the Father and the Son (are), but so that men’s hearts moved completely by exterior sights [visis] might be converted by a temporal manifestation of the One coming, to the hidden eternity of the One always present ».  Behold, with these words (St.) Augustine reveals [aperit] that manner of mission, which is exhibited visibly, even though [cum tamen] the Holy Spirit is not seen in His own Nature, Who was not even in those creatures more than in others, but (rather was there) for another (purpose). For He was in those, so that coming5 through them to men He might show that He is in those, to whom those creatures came.  For the Holy Spirit did not then come and/or descend into men by a temporal movement, but through the temporal movement of a creature there was signified the spiritual and invisible infusion of the Holy Spirit.  And to speak more openly, through that manner of the Holy Spirit’s mission, exhibited corporally, there was demonstrated the Holy Spirit’s spiritual and interior mission or donation, which is (yet) to be dealt with.

Sed prius quaerendum est, cum Filius dicatur minor Patre secundum missionem, qua in forma creata apparuit, cur et Spiritus sanctus non dicatur similiter minor Patre, cum in forma creata apparuerit.6  Nam de Filio, quod minor sit Patre secundum formam, qua missus apparuit, aperte ostendit Augustinus in quarto libro de Trinitate7 dicens:  « Misit Deus Filius suum factum ex muliere, factum sub lege, usque adeo parvum, ut factum; eo itaque missum, quo factum.  Fateamur ergo factum minorem, et in tantum minorem, in quantum factum, et in tantum factum, in quantum missum ».  Ecce habes, quia Filius, in quantum est missus, id est factus, minor est Patre.  Cur ergo Spiritus sanctus non dicitur minor Patre, cum et ipse creaturam assumserit in qua apparuit?  Quia aliter Spiritus assumsit creaturam, in qua apparuit, aliter Filius.  Nam Filius accepit per unionem,8 Spiritus vero non.  Filius enim accepit hominem ita, ut fieret homo: Spiritus vero sanctus non ita accepit columbam, ut fieret columba.  De hoc Augustinus in secundo libro de Trinitate9 ita ait:  « Ideo nusquam scriptum est, quod Deus Pater maior sit Spiritu sancto, vel Spiritus sanctus minor Patre, quia non sic est assumta creatura, in qua appareret Spiritus sanctus, sicut assumtus est Filius hominis, in qua forma ipsius Verbi Dei persona praesentaretur, non ut haberet Verbum Dei, sicut alii Sancti sapientes, sed quod ipsum Verbum erat.  Aliud est enim Verbum in carne, aliud Verum caro, id est, aliud est Verbum in homine, aliud Verbum homo.  Caro enim pro homine posita est in eo quod ait:10  Verbum caro factum est.  Non ergo sic est . . .

But before (this) there must be asked, since the Son is said (to be) less than the Father according to the mission, whereby He appeared in a created form, why the Holy Spirit is not also said similarly (to be) less than the Father, since He appeared in a created form.6  For of the Son, that He be less than the Father according to the form, whereby He appeared as One sent, (St.) Augustine openly shows in the fourth book On the Trinity7 saying:  « God sent His own Son, made out of a woman, made under the Law, even to the extent that (He was) tiny, as one made; and thus sent for the reason that (He was) made.  Let us admit, therefore, that (He has been) made less, and inasmuch as (He is) less, insomuch (Has he been) made, and inasmuch as (He has been) made, insomuch (Has he been) sent ».  Behold you have, that the Son, inasmuch as He has been sent, that is made, is less than the Father.  Why, therefore, is the Holy Spirit not said (to be) less than the Father, when He Himself has assumed the creature in which He appeared?  Because, the Spirit assumed the creature, in which He appeared, in one manner, the Son in another manner.  For the Son accepted it through a union,8 but the Spirit (did) not.  For the Son accepted the man thus, that He became Man:  but the Holy Spirit did not accept the dove thus, that He became a dove.  Of this (St.) Augustine in the second book On the Trinity9 thus says:  « For that reason it has never been written, that God the Father is greater than the Holy Spirit, and/or that the Holy Spirit is less than the Father, because the creature, in which the Holy Spirit appeared, was not assumed in the same manner, as was assumed the Son of Man, in which form the Person of the Word of God Himself was presented, not so that (that Man) would have the Word of God, just as the other wise Saints (did), but because He was Word Itself.  For one thing is the Word in the flesh, another the Word (made) flesh, that is, one thing is the Word in a man, another the Word (made) Man.  For flesh is posited for man in that (verse) which says:10  The Word was made flesh.  Not, therefore, in the same manner was . . .

1  Vat. cum aliis edd., exceptis 1, 8, contra codd. datio.  Paulo ante codd. A B E repetunt a ante Filio.  Denique post Ad quod dicimus edd. 1, 6, 8 quod loco quia.

2  Vat. et edd. 2, 4, 5, 9 contra codd. et alias edd. post invisibiliter addunt a, e contra paulo post ante se ipso codd. B C E et edd. 1, 8, omittunt a.  Mox edd. 1, 7 post mitti omittunt sive dari. Denique ante creaturae edd. 2, 3, 7 legunt visibiliter loco visibilis.

3  Cap. 5. n. 10.  —  Vat. et edd. 4, 6 omittunt ita ante ait.

4  Codd. D E cum originali legunt eius; cod. A eis eius.

5  Codd. B C D E et edd. 1, 6 venientes, referendo hoc participium ad eas, quod displicet.

6  Vat. cum aliis edd. contra codd. et edd. 1, 8 non bene apparuit.  Paulo ante codd. D E et edd. 1, 8 omittunt et ante Spiritus sanctus.

7  Cap. 19. n. 26.  —  Locus Scripturae est Gal. 4, 4.

8  Solummodo Vat. et edd. 5, 6 addiciunt personae.

9  Cap. 6. n. 11.  —  Vat. et ed. 6 iterum omittunt ita ante ait.

10  Ioan. 1, 14.

1  The Vatican edition together with the other editions, except 1 and 8, contrary to the codices, reads giving [datio].  A little before this codices A B and E repeat from [a] before the Son [Filio].  Then after To which we say [Ad quod dicimus] editions 1, 6 and 8, have that [quod] in place of that [quia].

2  The Vatican edition and editions 2, 4, 5 and 9, contrary to the codices and the other editions, after invisibly [invisibiliter] add (the implicitly understood) by [a], and contrariwise a little afterwards, before Himself [se ipso], codices B C and E, and editions 1 and 8, omit by [a].  Then editions 1 and 7 omit or to be given [sive dari].  Next editions 2, 3 and 7 read of a creature visibly [visibiliter creaturae] in place of of an visible creature [visibilis creaturae].

3  Chapter 5, n. 10.  —  The Vatican edition and editions 4 and 6 omits thus [ita] before says [ait].

4  Codices D and E, together with the original, read His very Substance [eius ipsa substantia] for to them the Substance Itself [eis ipsa substantia]; codex A reads to them His very Substance [eius eis ipsa substantia].

5  Codices B C D and E and editions 1 and 6 reads so that through those (creatures) coming to men He might show etc. [ut per eas ad homines venientes ostenderetur etc.].

6  The Vatican edition together with the other editions, contrary to the codices and editions 1 and 8, has not so well when He appeared [cum apparuit].  A little before this codices C and E and editions 1 and 8 omit also [et].

7  Chapter 19, n. 26.  —  The passage from Scripture is Gal. 4:4.

8  Only the Vatican edition and editions 5 and 6 add of Person [personae].

9  Chapter 6, n. 11.  —  The Vatican edition and edition 6 again omit thus [ita] before says [ait].

10  John 1:14.

p. 277

assumta creatura, in qua apparuit Spiritus sanctus, sicut assumta est caro illa et humana forma ex virgine Maria.  Non enim columbam vel illum flatum vel illum ignem beatificavit sibique in unitatem pesonae coniunxit in aeternum ».  Ex praedictis aperte ostensum est, secundum quid Filius dicatur minor Patre, et quare Filius dicatur minor Patre, et non Spiritus sanctus.

the creature, in which the Holy Spirit appeared, assumed, as was assumed that flesh and human form from the Virgin Mary.  For He did not beatify the dove and/or that blowing (of the wind) and/or that fire and join it for ever together with Himself in the unity of (His) Person ».  From the aforesaid it has been openly shown, according to what the Son is said (to be) less than the Father, and for what reason the Son is said (to be) less than the Father, and the Holy Spirit not.

Cap. II.

 

 Quod Filius secundum quod homo non modo Patre, sed Spiritu sancto etiam minor est.

Chapter II

 

 That the Son according to which (He is) man, is not merely (less) than the Father, but also less than the Holy Spirit.

Notandum autem, quod Filius, secundum quod homo factus est, non tantum Patre sed Spiritu sancto et etiam se ipso minor dicitur.  Et quod etiam se ipso minor dicatur secundum formam servi, Augustinus ostendit in primo libro de Trinitate1 dicens:  « Erraverunt homines, ea quae de Christo secundum hominem dicta sunt, ad eius substantiam, quae sempiterna est, transferentes, sicut illud quod ipse Dominus dicit:2  Pater maior me est, quod propter formam servi Veritas dicit, secundum quem modum etiam se ipso minor est Filius.  Quodmodo enim non etiam se ipso minor factus est, qui se ipsum exinanivit, formam servi accipiens ?3  Non enim sic accepit formam servi, ut amitteret formam Dei, in qua erat aequalis Patri.  In forma servi etiam se ipso minor est.  Non ergo immerito Scriptura dicit utrumque, scilicet et aequalem Patri Filium, et Patrem maiorem Filio; illud enim propter formam Dei, hoc autem propter formam servi intelligitur ».  De hoc eodem in secundo libro de Trinitate4 Augustinus ait:  « Dei Filius est aequalis Patri secundum Dei formam, in qua est, et minor Patre secundum formam servi, quam accepit, in qua non modo Patre, sed etiam Spiritu sancto, nec hoc tantum, sed etiam se ipso minor inventus est ».  « Propter quam, ut idem in Epistola ad Maximum5 ait, non tantum Patre, sed etiam se ipso et Spiritu sancto minor factus est et etiam minoratus paulo minus ab Angelis ».  « Est ergo Dei Filius, ut ipse ait in primo libro de Trinitate,6 Deo Patri natura aequalis, habitu minor, id est in forma servi, quam accepit ».  His auctoritatibus aperte ostenditur Filius secundum formam servi minor Patre et se ipso et Spiritu sancto.

Moreover, it must be noted, that the Son, according to which He has been made Man, is not only said (to be) less than the Father but (less) than the Holy Spirit and even (less) than Himself.  And that He, according to the form of a servant, is also said (to be) less than Himself, (St.) Augustine shows in the first book On the Trinity1 saying:  « Men have erred, transferring those things which have been said of Christ according to the Man, to His Substance, which is sempiternal, as that which the Lord Himself says:2  The Father is greater than I, which the Truth says on account of (His) form of a servant, according to which manner the Son is even less than Himself.  For in what manner has He not also been made less than Himself, Who emptied Himself, accepting the form of a servant ?3  For He did not so accept the form of a servant, as to lose [amitteret] the form of God, in which He was equal to the Father. In the form of a servant He is also less than Himself.  Therefore, not unmeritedly does Scripture say each, that is, both that the Son (is) equal to the Father, and that the Father (is) greater than the Son; for the former is understood on account of the form of God, but the latter on account of the form of a servant ».  On this same (verse St.) Augustine says in the second book On the Trinity:4  « The Son of God is equal to the Father according to the form of God, in which He is, and less than the Father according to the form of a servant, which He accepted, in which He has been found not merely less than the Father, but also (less) than the Holy Spirit, and not this only, but also (less) than Himself ».  « On account of which, as he says in (his) Letter to Maximus,5 He has not only been made less than the Father, but also (less) than Himself and the Holy Spirit and even lessened for a little while less than the Angels ».  « Therefore, the Son of God is », as he says in the first book On the Trinity,6 « equal to God the Father according to Nature, less according to condition [habitu minor], that is in the form of a servant, which He accepted ».  With these authorities the Son is openly shown (to be), according to the form of a servant, less than the Father and Himself and the Holy Spirit.

Hilarius autem dicere videtur, quod Pater sit maior Filio, nec tamen Filius sit7 minor Patre.  Pater enim dicitur maior propter auctoritatem, quia in eo est auctoritas generationis, secundum quam dicit:8  Pater maior me est; et Apostolus:  Donavit ei nomen, quod est super omne nomen.  Cum ergo ait:  Pater maior me est, hoc est ac si diceret, donavit mihi nomen.  « Si igitur, inquit Hilarius in nono libro de Trinitate,9 donantis auctoritate Pater maior est, nunquid per doni confessionem minor Filius est?  Maior itaque donans est, sed minor iam non est, cui unum esse donatur; ait enim:  Ego et Pater unum sumus.  Si non hoc donatur Iesu, ut confitendus sit in gloria Dei Patris, minor Patre est.  Si autem in ea gloria donatur ei esse, qua Pater est, habes et in donantis auctoritate, quia maior est, et in donati10 confessione, quia unum sunt.  Maior itaque Pater Filio est et plane maior, cui tantum donat esse, quantus est ipse, cui innascibilitatis esse imaginem sacramento nativitatis impertit, quem ex se in forma sua generat ».  Audisti lector, quid super hoc dicat Hilarius, cuius verba, ubicumque occurrerint, diligenter nota pieque intellige.

Moreover, (St.) Hilary seems to say, that the Father is greater than the Son, and yet (that) the Son is7 not less than the Father.  For the Father is said (to be) greater on account of authorship, because in Him there is the authorship of generation, according to which (the Son Himself) says:8  The Father is greater than I; and the Apostle:  He has granted to Him a Name, which is above every name.  Therefore when He says:  the Father is greater than I, this is as if He said, ‘He has granted Me a Name’.  « If, therefore », says (St.) Hilary in (his) ninth book On the Trinity,9 « the Father, in the authorship of one granting, is greater, is not the Son less through the confession of the gift?  And thus the One granting is greater, but He is not now less, to whom the One “Being” is granted; for He says:  I and the Father are One.  If it were not granted to Jesus, that He shall be confessed (to be) in the glory of God the Father, He is less than the Father.  But if it is granted to Him to be in that glory, where the Father is, you have also in the authorship of the One giving, that He is greater, and in the confession of the given (“Being”),10 that They are One.  And so the Father is greater than the Son and plainly greater (than He), to Whom He grants to be as much as He Himself is, to Whom He imparts the Image of (His own) innascible “Being” by the sacrament of a Nativity, Whom He generates out of Himself in His own form ».  You have hear, O reader, what (St.) Hilary says on this (matter), of whose words, wheresoever they occur, diligently take note and piously understand!

1  Cap. 7. n. 14, sed multis a Magistro omissis.  —  Paulo ante cod. D Quod autem pro Et quod;  cod. C Quod.

2  Ioan. 14, 28.  —  Edd. legunt ait pro dicit contra codd. et originale.

3  Phil. 2, 7.

4  Cap. 1. n. 2.

5  Epist. 170. (olim 66) n. 9.  —  Omnes codd. et edd. male citant sic:  in libro contra Maximinum (vel Maximianum); Vat. in libr. Epist. ad Maximum.  Maximus fuit medicus ab haeresi Ariana conversus.  —  In fine huius loci textus S. Scripturae est Hebr. 2, 9:  qui modico quam Angeli minoratus est.

6  Cap. 7. n. 14.  —  Hic Vat. cum ceteris edd. addit in ante natura contra originale, nostros codd. et etiam contextum, cum sibi correspondeant verba natura et habitu.  Deinde solummodo Vat. et cod. C omittunt id est.

7  Vat. cum plurimis edd., sed contra codd. et edd. 1, 8 omittit sit.

8  Ioan. 14, 28; et mox Phil. 2, 7.  —  Ed. 8 verbo dicit praemittit ipse Filius, quod ceterae subaudiunt.

9  Num. 54.  —  Textus Scripturae est Ioan. 10, 30.

10  Contra originale, omnes codd. et edd. 6, 8, 9 Vat. cum aliis edd. male legit donantis.  Paulo post ead. Vat. et ed. 4 perperam addunt et ante Filio.

1  Chapter 7, n. 14, but with many words omitted by Master (Peter).  —  A little before this Codex D has But that [Quod autem] for And that [Et quod]; codex C has That [Quod].

2  John 14:28.  —  The editions read says [ait] for says [dicit] contrary to the codices and the original.

3  Phil. 2:7.

4  Chapter 1, n. 2.

5  Epistle 170 (previously 66), n. 9.  —  All the codices and editions badly cite: in the book Against Maximinus (or Maximianus) [in libro contra Maximinum (vel Maximianus)]; the Vatican edition has in the book “The Epistle to Maximus” [in libr. Epist. ad Maximum].  Maximus was a doctor converted from the Arian heresy.  —  At the end of this passage, the text of Sacred Scripture is Hebrews 2:9:  who for a little while became lesser than the Angels [qui modico quam Angeli minoratus est].

6  Chapter 7, n. 14.  —  Here the Vatican edition together with all the other editions reads in Nature  [in natura], contrary to the original, to our codices and even to the context, since nature and condition are in a parallel construction.  Then only the Vatican edition and codex C omit that is [id est].

7  The Vatican edition together with very many editions, but contrary to the codices and editions 1 and 8, omits is [sit].

8  John 14:28; and then Phil. 2:7.  —  Edition to the verb says [dicit] prefaces the Son Himself [ipse Filius], which all the others understand.

9  Number 54.  —  The text of Scripture is John 10:30.

10  Against the original, all the codices and editions 6, 8, and 9, the Vatican edition together with the other editions, reads badly of the One giving [donantis].  A little after this, the Vatican edition and edition 1 faultily add even [et] before the Son [Filio].

 The English translation here has been released to the public domain by its author. The / symbol is used to indicate that the text which follows appears on the subsequent page of the Quaracchi Edition. The translation of the notes in English corresponds to the context of the English text, not that of the Latin text; likewise they are a freer translation that that which is necessitated by the body of the text. Items in square [ ] brackets contain Latin terms corresponding to the previous English word(s), or notes added by the English translator. Items in round ( ) brackets are terms implicit in the Latin syntax or which are required for clarity in English.