Augustine: Earlier Writings
FAITH AND THE CREED 363
18. Many learned and spiritual men have discoursed in many books about the Father and the Son, trying to explain, as far as men can explain to men, how the Father and the Son are not one Person but one substance, and what the Father is in himself and what the Son is in himself: how the Father begets, and the Son is begotten; how the Father is not of the Son, but the Son is of the Father; how the Father is the principle of the Son, whence he is called the Head of Christ (I Cor. 11:3), though Christ also is principle but not of the Father. He is the image of the Father, though in no way dissimilar but altogether and indistinguishably equal. These things are dealt with at greater length by those whose purpose it is to expound more fully than we are doing the profession of the whole Christian faith. The Son as Son has received existence from the Father, while the Father has not received existence from the Son. So far as, according to the temporal dispensation, the Son in ineffable compassion assumed human nature, a mutable creature, in order to change it for the better, many things are found written in Scripture which mislead the impious minds of heretics who wish to teach rather than to learn, and give them an excuse for thinking that the Son is not equal to the Father, nor of the same substance. Such are: "The Father is greater than I" (John
14:28). "The head of the woman is the man; and the head of the man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God" (I Cor. 11:3). "Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him." (I Cor. 15:28) "I go to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (John 20:17). And some other similar passages. These things are not written to other passages would be false:—"I and the Father are one" signify any inequality of nature or substance. Otherwise these (John 10:30); "He who hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9); "The Word was God" (John i :i)—for he was not made, since all things were made through him; "He thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Phil. 2:6). And there are other such passages. The former passages are written partly on account of the economy of the incarnation, for it is said that he emptied himself—not that Wisdom was changed, for he is completely unchangeable, but that he wished to make himself known to men in this humble manner. Partly, then, on account of this economy these passages were written which the heretics falsely interpret; but partly also for this reason that the Son owes the Father his existence, but owes him also his equality with the Father. The Father on the other hand owes his existence to none.