Articulus 4 Article 4 Utrum hoc nomen persona non significet relationem, sed substantiam, in divinis Whether this word ‘person’ signifies relation? Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod hoc nomen persona non significet relationem, sed substantiam, in divinis. Dicit enim Augustinus, in VII de Trin., cum dicimus personam patris, non aliud dicimus quam substantiam patris; ad se quippe dicitur persona, non ad filium. Objection 1: It would seem that this word person, as applied to God, does not signify relation, but substance. For Augustine says (De Trin. vii, 6): When we speak of the person of the Father, we mean nothing else but the substance of the Father, for person is said in regard to Himself, and not in regard to the Son. Praeterea, quid quaerit de essentia. Sed, sicut dicit Augustinus in eodem loco, cum dicitur, tres sunt qui testimonium dant in caelo, pater, verbum et spiritus sanctus; et quaeritur, quid tres? Respondetur, tres personae. Ergo hoc nomen persona significat essentiam. Obj. 2: Further, the interrogation What? refers to essence. But, as Augustine says: When we say there are three who bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and it is asked, Three what? the answer is, Three persons. Therefore person signifies essence. Praeterea, secundum Philosophum, IV Metaphys., id quod significatur per nomen, est eius definitio. Sed definitio personae est rationalis naturae individua substantia, ut dictum est. Ergo hoc nomen persona significat substantiam. Obj. 3: According to the Philosopher (Metaph. iv), the meaning of a word is its definition. But the definition of person is this: The individual substance of the rational nature, as above stated. Therefore person signifies substance. Praeterea, persona in hominibus et angelis non significat relationem, sed aliquid absolutum. Si igitur in Deo significaret relationem, diceretur aequivoce de Deo et hominibus et angelis. Obj. 4: Further, person in men and angels does not signify relation, but something absolute. Therefore, if in God it signified relation, it would bear an equivocal meaning in God, in man, and in angels. Sed contra est quod dicit Boetius, in libro de Trin., quod omne nomen ad personas pertinens, relationem significat. Sed nullum nomen magis pertinet ad personas, quam hoc nomen persona. Ergo hoc nomen persona relationem significat. On the contrary, Boethius says (De Trin.) that every word that refers to the persons signifies relation. But no word belongs to person more strictly than the very word person itself. Therefore this word person signifies relation. Respondeo dicendum quod circa significationem huius nominis persona in divinis, difficultatem ingerit quod pluraliter de tribus praedicatur, praeter naturam essentialium nominum; neque etiam ad aliquid dicitur, sicut nomina quae relationem significant. I answer that, A difficulty arises concerning the meaning of this word person in God, from the fact that it is predicated plurally of the Three in contrast to the nature of the names belonging to the essence; nor does it in itself refer to another, as do the words which express relation. Unde quibusdam visum est quod hoc nomen persona simpliciter, ex virtute vocabuli, essentiam significet in divinis, sicut hoc nomen Deus, et hoc nomen sapiens, sed propter instantiam haereticorum, est accommodatum, ex ordinatione Concilii, ut possit poni pro relativis; et praecipue in plurali, vel cum nomine partitivo, ut cum dicimus tres personas, vel alia est persona patris, alia filii. In singulari vero potest sumi pro absoluto, et pro relativo. Sed haec non videtur sufficiens ratio. Quia si hoc nomen persona, ex vi suae significationis, non habet quod significet nisi essentiam in divinis; ex hoc quod dictum est tres personas, non fuisset haereticorum quietata calumnia, sed maioris calumniae data esset eis occasio. Hence some have thought that this word person of itself expresses absolutely the divine essence; as this name God and this word Wise; but that to meet heretical attack, it was ordained by conciliar decree that it was to be taken in a relative sense, and especially in the plural, or with the addition of a distinguishing adjective; as when we say, Three persons, or, one is the person of the Father, another of the Son, etc. Used, however, in the singular, it may be either absolute or relative. But this does not seem to be a satisfactory explanation; for, if this word person, by force of its own signification, expresses the divine essence only, it follows that forasmuch as we speak of three persons, so far from the heretics being silenced, they had still more reason to argue. Et ideo alii dixerunt quod hoc nomen persona in divinis significat simul essentiam et relationem. Quorum quidam dixerunt quod significat essentiam in recto, et relationem in obliquo. Quia persona dicitur quasi per se una, unitas autem pertinet ad essentiam. Quod autem dicitur per se, implicat relationem oblique, intelligitur enim pater per se esse, quasi relatione distinctus a filio. Quidam vero dixerunt e converso, quod significat relationem in recto, et essentiam in obliquo, quia in definitione personae, natura ponitur in obliquo. Et isti propinquius ad veritatem accesserunt. Seeing this, others maintained that this word person in God signifies both the essence and the relation. Some of these said that it signifies directly the essence, and relation indirectly, forasmuch as person means as it were by itself one; and unity belongs to the essence. And what is by itself implies relation indirectly; for the Father is understood to exist by Himself, as relatively distinct from the Son. Others, however, said, on the contrary, that it signifies relation directly; and essence indirectly; forasmuch as in the definition of person the term nature is mentioned indirectly; and these come nearer to the truth. Ad evidentiam igitur huius quaestionis, considerandum est quod aliquid est de significatione minus communis, quod tamen non est de significatione magis communis, rationale enim includitur in significatione hominis, quod tamen non est de significatione animalis. Unde aliud est quaerere de significatione animalis, et aliud est quaerere de significatione animalis quod est homo. Similiter aliud est quaerere de significatione huius nominis persona in communi, et aliud de significatione personae divinae. Persona enim in communi significat substantiam individuam rationalis naturae, ut dictum est. Individuum autem est quod est in se indistinctum, ab aliis vero distinctum. Persona igitur, in quacumque natura, significat id quod est distinctum in natura illa sicut in humana natura significat has carnes et haec ossa et hanc animam, quae sunt principia individuantia hominem; quae quidem, licet non sint de significatione personae, sunt tamen de significatione personae humanae. To determine the question, we must consider that something may be included in the meaning of a less common term, which is not included in the more common term; as rational is included in the meaning of man, and not in the meaning of animal. So that it is one thing to ask the meaning of the word animal, and another to ask its meaning when the animal in question is man. Also, it is one thing to ask the meaning of this word person in general; and another to ask the meaning of person as applied to God. For person in general signifies the individual substance of a rational figure. The individual in itself is undivided, but is distinct from others. Therefore person in any nature signifies what is distinct in that nature: thus in human nature it signifies this flesh, these bones, and this soul, which are the individuating principles of a man, and which, though not belonging to person in general, nevertheless do belong to the meaning of a particular human person. Distinctio autem in divinis non fit nisi per relationes originis, ut dictum est supra. Relatio autem in divinis non est sicut accidens inhaerens subiecto, sed est ipsa divina essentia, unde est subsistens, sicut essentia divina subsistit. Sicut ergo deitas est Deus, ita paternitas divina est Deus pater, qui est persona divina. Persona igitur divina significat relationem ut subsistentem. Et hoc est significare relationem per modum substantiae quae est hypostasis subsistens in natura divina; licet subsistens in natura divina non sit aliud quam natura divina. Now distinction in God is only by relation of origin, as stated above (Q. 28, AA. 2, 3), while relation in God is not as an accident in a subject, but is the divine essence itself; and so it is subsistent, for the divine essence subsists. Therefore, as the Godhead is God so the divine paternity is God the Father, Who is a divine person. Therefore a divine person signifies a relation as subsisting. And this is to signify relation by way of substance, and such a relation is a hypostasis subsisting in the divine nature, although in truth that which subsists in the divine nature is the divine nature itself. Et secundum hoc, verum est quod hoc nomen persona significat relationem in recto, et essentiam in obliquo, non tamen relationem inquantum est relatio, sed inquantum significatur per modum hypostasis. Similiter etiam significat essentiam in recto, et relationem in obliquo, inquantum essentia idem est quod hypostasis; hypostasis autem significatur in divinis ut relatione distincta; et sic relatio, per modum relationis significata, cadit in ratione personae in obliquo. Et secundum hoc etiam dici potest, quod haec significatio huius nominis persona non erat percepta ante haereticorum calumniam, unde non erat in usu hoc nomen persona, nisi sicut unum aliorum absolutorum. Sed postmodum accommodatum est hoc nomen persona ad standum pro relativo, ex congruentia suae significationis, ut scilicet hoc quod stat pro relativo, non solum habeat ex usu, ut prima opinio dicebat, sed etiam ex significatione sua. Thus it is true to say that the name person signifies relation directly, and the essence indirectly; not, however, the relation as such, but as expressed by way of a hypostasis. So likewise it signifies directly the essence, and indirectly the relation, inasmuch as the essence is the same as the hypostasis: while in God the hypostasis is expressed as distinct by the relation: and thus relation, as such, enters into the notion of the person indirectly. Thus we can say that this signification of the word person was not clearly perceived before it was attacked by heretics. Hence, this word person was used just as any other absolute term. But afterwards it was applied to express relation, as it lent itself to that signification, so that this word person means relation not only by use and custom, according to the first opinion, but also by force of its own proper signification. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod hoc nomen persona dicitur ad se, non ad alterum, quia significat relationem, non per modum relationis, sed per modum substantiae quae est hypostasis. Et secundum hoc Augustinus dicit quod significat essentiam, prout in Deo essentia est idem cum hypostasi, quia in Deo non differt quod est et quo est. Reply Obj. 1: This word person is said in respect to itself, not to another; forasmuch as it signifies relation not as such, but by way of a substance—which is a hypostasis. In that sense Augustine says that it signifies the essence, inasmuch as in God essence is the same as the hypostasis, because in God what He is, and whereby He is are the same. Ad secundum dicendum quod quid quandoque quaerit de natura quam significat definitio; ut cum quaeritur, quid est homo? Et respondetur, animal rationale mortale. Quandoque vero quaerit suppositum; ut cum quaeritur, quid natat in mari? Et respondetur, piscis. Et sic quaerentibus quid tres? Responsum est, tres personae. Reply Obj. 2: The term what refers sometimes to the nature expressed by the definition, as when we ask, What is man? and we answer: A mortal rational animal. Sometimes it refers to the suppositum, as when we ask, What swims in the sea? and answer, A fish. So to those who ask, Three what? we answer, Three persons. Ad tertium dicendum quod in intellectu substantiae individuae, idest distinctae vel incommunicabilis, intelligitur in divinis relatio, ut dictum est. Reply Obj. 3: In God, the individual—i.e., distinct and incommunicable substance—includes the idea of relation, as above explained. Ad quartum dicendum quod diversa ratio minus communium non facit aequivocationem in magis communi. Licet enim sit alia propria definitio equi et asini, tamen univocantur in nomine animalis, quia communis definitio animalis convenit utrique. Unde non sequitur quod, licet in significatione personae divinae contineatur relatio, non autem in significatione angelicae personae vel humanae, quod nomen personae aequivoce dicatur. Licet nec etiam dicatur univoce, cum nihil univoce de Deo dici possit et de creaturis, ut supra ostensum est. Reply Obj. 4: The different sense of the less common term does not produce equivocation in the more common. Although a horse and an ass have their own proper definitions, nevertheless they agree univocally in animal, because the common definition of animal applies to both. So it does not follow that, although relation is contained in the signification of divine person, but not in that of an angelic or of a human person, the word person is used in an equivocal sense. Though neither is it applied univocally, since nothing can be said univocally of God and creatures (Q. 13, A. 5). Quaestio 30 Question 30 De pluralitate personarum The Plurality of Persons in God Deinde quaeritur de pluralitate personarum. Et circa hoc quaeruntur quatuor. We are now led to consider the plurality of the persons: about which there are four points of inquiry: Primo, utrum sint plures personae in divinis. (1) Whether there are several persons in God? Secundo, quot sunt. (2) How many are they? Tertio, quid significent termini numerales in divinis. (3) What the numeral terms signify in God? Quarto, de communitate huius nominis persona. (4) The community of the term person. Articulus 1 Article 1 Utrum sit ponere plures personas in divinis Whether there are several persons in God? Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod non sit ponere plures personas in divinis. Persona enim est rationalis naturae individua substantia. Si ergo sunt plures personae in divinis, sequitur quod sint plures substantiae, quod videtur haereticum. Objection 1: It would seem that there are not several persons in God. For person is the individual substance of a rational nature. If then there are several persons in God, there must be several substances; which appears to be heretical. Praeterea, pluralitas proprietatum absolutarum non facit distinctionem personarum, neque in Deo neque in nobis, multo igitur minus pluralitas relationum. Sed in Deo non est alia pluralitas nisi relationum, ut supra dictum est. Ergo non potest dici quod in Deo sint plures personae. Obj. 2: Further, plurality of absolute properties does not make a distinction of persons, either in God, or in ourselves. Much less therefore is this effected by a plurality of relations. But in God there is no plurality but of relations (Q. 28, A. 3). Therefore there cannot be several persons in God. Praeterea, Boetius dicit, de Deo loquens, quod hoc vere unum est, in quo nullus est numerus. Sed pluralitas importat numerum. Ergo non sunt plures personae in divinis. Obj. 3: Further, Boethius says of God (De Trin. i), that this is truly one which has no number. But plurality implies number. Therefore there are not several persons in God. Praeterea, ubicumque est numerus, ibi est totum et pars. Si igitur in Deo sit numerus personarum, erit in Deo ponere totum et partem, quod simplicitati divinae repugnat. Obj. 4: Further, where number is, there is whole and part. Thus, if in God there exist a number of persons, there must be whole and part in God; which is inconsistent with the divine simplicity. Sed contra est quod dicit Athanasius, alia est persona patris, alia filii, alia spiritus sancti. Ergo pater et filius et Spiritus Sanctus sunt plures personae. On the contrary, Athanasius says: One is the person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit are several persons. Respondeo dicendum quod plures esse personas in divinis, sequitur ex praemissis. Ostensum est enim supra quod hoc nomen persona significat in divinis relationem, ut rem subsistentem in natura divina. Supra autem habitum est quod sunt plures relationes reales in divinis. Unde sequitur quod sint plures res subsistentes in divina natura. Et hoc est esse plures personas in divinis. I answer that, It follows from what precedes that there are several persons in God. For it was shown above (Q. 29, A. 4) that this word person signifies in God a relation as subsisting in the divine nature. It was also established (Q. 28, A. 1) that there are several real relations in God; and hence it follows that there are also several realities subsistent in the divine nature; which means that there are several persons in God. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod substantia non ponitur in definitione personae secundum quod significat essentiam, sed secundum quod significat suppositum, quod patet ex hoc quod additur individua. Ad significandum autem substantiam sic dictam, habent Graeci nomen hypostasis, unde sicut nos dicimus tres personas, ita ipsi dicunt tres hypostases. Nos autem non consuevimus dicere tres substantias, ne intelligerentur tres essentiae, propter nominis aequivocationem. Reply Obj. 1: The definition of person includes substance, not as meaning the essence, but the suppositum which is made clear by the addition of the term individual. To signify the substance thus understood, the Greeks use the name hypostasis. So, as we say, Three persons, they say Three hypostases. We are not, however, accustomed to say three substances, lest we be understood to mean three essences or natures, by reason of the equivocal signification of the term. Ad secundum dicendum quod proprietates absolutae in divinis, ut bonitas et sapientia, non opponuntur ad invicem, unde neque realiter distinguuntur. Quamvis ergo eis conveniat subsistere, non tamen sunt plures res subsistentes, quod est esse plures personas. Proprietates autem absolutae in rebus creatis non subsistunt, licet realiter ab invicem distinguantur, ut albedo et dulcedo. Sed proprietates relativae in Deo et subsistunt, et realiter ab invicem distinguuntur, ut supra dictum est. Unde pluralitas talium proprietatum sufficit ad pluralitatem personarum in divinis. Reply Obj. 2: The absolute properties in God, such as goodness and wisdom, are not mutually opposed; and hence, neither are they really distinguished from each other. Therefore, although they subsist, nevertheless they are not several subsistent realities—that is, several persons. But the absolute properties in creatures do not subsist, although they are really distinguished from each other, as whiteness and sweetness; on the other hand, the relative properties in God subsist, and are really distinguished from each other (Q. 28, A. 3). Hence the plurality of persons in God. Ad tertium dicendum quod a Deo, propter summam unitatem et simplicitatem, excluditur omnis pluralitas absolute dictorum; non autem pluralitas relationum. Quia relationes praedicantur de aliquo ut ad alterum; et sic compositionem in ipso de quo dicuntur non important, ut Boetius in eodem libro docet. Reply Obj. 3: The supreme unity and simplicity of God exclude every kind of plurality of absolute things, but not plurality of relations, because relations are predicated relatively; and thus the relations do not import composition in that of which they are predicated, as Boethius teaches in the same book. Ad quartum dicendum quod numerus est duplex, scilicet numerus simplex vel absolutus, ut duo et tria et quatuor; et numerus qui est in rebus numeratis, ut duo homines et duo equi. Si igitur in divinis accipiatur numerus absolute sive abstracte, nihil prohibet in eo esse totum et partem, et sic non est nisi in acceptione intellectus nostri; non enim numerus absolutus a rebus numeratis est nisi in intellectu. Si autem accipiamus numerum prout est in rebus numeratis, sic in rebus quidem creatis, unum est pars duorum, et duo trium, ut unus homo duorum, et duo trium, sed non est sic in Deo, quia tantus est pater quanta tota Trinitas, ut infra patebit. Reply Obj. 4: Number is twofold, simple or absolute, as two and three and four; and number as existing in things numbered, as two men and two horses. So, if number in God is taken absolutely or abstractedly, there is nothing to prevent whole and part from being in Him, and thus number in Him is only in our way of understanding; forasmuch as number regarded apart from things numbered exists only in the intellect. But if number be taken as it is in the things numbered, in that sense as existing in creatures, one is part of two, and two of three, as one man is part of two men, and two of three; but this does not apply to God, because the Father is of the same magnitude as the whole Trinity, as we shall show further on (Q. 42, AA. 1, 4).