Locus 1 — God

Locus 1 — God

though the Turks say that they worship the one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, yet they reject the true

God because they deny that He who sent His Son as the Mediator is the true God. Thus they do not worship correctly. For there is an eternal and immutable rule set forth in John 5:23, "He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father." The Turks err first regard ing the essence of God because they create for them selves a god who is not the Father of Jesus Christ. demonstrable evidence, nevertheless are in need of an addition to tell us what kind of God He has revealed

Himself to be. Therefore we must turn to the second definition: God is a spiritual, intelligent essence, eternal, truthful, good, pure, just, merciful, free, immeasurably powerful and wise, the eternal Father who has begotten

His Son from eternity as His own image; the Son who is the coeternal image of the Father; and the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son, as the Deity has been revealed in the sure Word; that the eternal

Father with the Son and the Holy Spirit created and preserves the heaven and the earth and all creatures; and among the human race, which was created to be in His image and to be obedient to Him, He has chosen for Himself the church so that by this church the one and true Deity might be revealed with sure and certain witness through the Word which has been given by the prophets and apostles, so that He might be recognized, invoked, and worshiped according to that divinely given

Word; and all religions should be condemned which devise other gods, and this true Deity should be glo rified in eternal life.

They err in the second place concerning the will of God, since they are ignorant of His promises and deny that the Son is the Mediator. They remain in un ending doubt and cannot be certain that they have been received by God or are heard by Him. Those who re main in this doubt do not worship God but flee from Him and run either into contempt for God or into eternal hopelessness and blasphemy.

, i On the other hand, the church of God affirms that He is God and Creator of all things who has revealed

Himself in the Son whom He has sent, in the Gospel which He has given, and in the great testimonies which He has made and which are recorded in the writings of the prophets and evangelists. Thus a person first judges concerning the essence of God not on the basis of human imagination but on the basis of the Word of God and the sure testimonies which have been re vealed to us in the Word. In the second place, con cerning the will of God, we know with certainty that the Son of God has been set forth as our Mediator. With wondrous, sure, and indescribable wisdom God ac cepts and hears us when we pray for the sake of the Mediator. When these distinctions are kept in mind from the very beginning, which indeed must be considered every day in our worship, then we will correctly under stand how God is to be sought, recognized, and wor shiped, rather than on the basis of speculations such as those gathered together in the commentaries of Lombard.

This definition more accurately describes who God is, and it leads us to divine revelation, as has always been the case with the church. The first chapter of Genesis testifies that God is an intelligent essence, for it says that God spoke and it was done, Gen. 1:9.

The ability to speak is a quality of an intelligent essence, not of a brute. The creation of man testifies that God is of good essence, pure, righteous, and of a completely free will. When man was created, God made him in the divine image and added the knowledge which admon ishes man to do good, just, and proper works. He also gave man a free will. After the fall of our first parents these good attributes were marred. Furthermore, the creation itself bears witness to the nature of the eternal essence and its omnipotence, concerning which the Word says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," Gen. 1:1.

In order that we may come to a definition of God, The three persons of the Godhead, although in the first chapter of Genesis they are referred to in a rather obscure way, yet are gradually revealed more and more clearly. The Father, by speaking, begets the Word who is the image of the eternal Father. And of the Holy Spirit it is expressly said, "And the Spirit of the Lord was moving over the surface of the waters,"

Gen. 1:2. But afterwards the teaching was more clearly shown to the fathers and the prophets. David and Isaiah clearly placed the Messiah above the angels and all creatures and called Him God, as in Ps. 45:11 and Is.

9:6.

Finally, in the New Testament the three persons are most clearly revealed in the baptism of Christ, where the Father says, "This is My beloved Son," and the Son is seen standing publicly in the river, and the Holy Spirit sits in visible form upon the Son, Matt. 3:17;

Mark 1:9 ft; Luke 3:21 ft We should look carefully at this revelation, separate our thoughts about God and I will make a comparison of two of them. One definition is a truncated endeavor by Plato. The other is a com plete one which has been handed down in the church and derives from the words of John the Baptist. Plato says, "God is the eternal mind, the cause of good in nature." Now, although this definition by Plato is set up in so learned a way that it is difficult to judge without great effort as to what is lacking, nevertheless, because it still does not describe God as He has revealed Him self, a clearer and more appropriate definition is re quired. The definition is: God is an eternal mind, that is. a spiritual essence, intelligent, the eternal cause of good in nature, that is, a truthful, good, just, almighty

Creator of all good things, of the whole order in nature, and of human nature, all of which are directed to a certain orderly goal, that is, obedience. Plato has in cluded all of these things. But they are still the thoughts of the human mind which, even though they are true and learned and developed on the basis of sure and

our worship of Him from pagan, Turkish, and Jewish notions, and worship only the eternal Father who has revealed Himself in sending His Son Jesus Christ and in showing His Holy Spirit. Let us worship the eternal

Father together with the Son and the Holy Spirit as the Creator of all good things and the One who aids us.

We should often think of these things in our worship.

How the persons are to be distinguished will be dis cussed at a later point. But first we must discuss the rest of the definition.

Creator, the eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the God whom you know to be recon ciled to us through Jesus Christ, the Son of the eternal

Father, and in this faith you will call upon Him who rules you through the Holy Spirit and restores you to eternal life, as His divine promises guarantee, for example,

Joel 2:28 and John 14:16.

When we think about God, whether in teaching or in worship, we should turn our attention to the doc trine of Baptism and the promise connected with it; and we should consider not only the number [of the sac raments] but the reasons as to why the Son has been sent. We should also consider the promise of recon ciliation, His marvelous rule over the saints who are defended by Christ against the devil and are miracu lously given life by the Holy Spirit. For even though the devil, who is a murderer, lays intricate traps for the individual Christian in order that he may pluck him off and turn him away from God, yet Christ fights against him on behalf of His sheep, no matter how weak and miserable they are, as He says in John 10:27-28. And whenever we recite the words of Baptism, we should remember the marvelous blessings of God given to us for the sake of His Son.

We have said that the creatures were created by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is stated in various places in the Old and New Testaments, such as in John 1:3 in connection with the Logos, and in Gen. 1:2 in connection with the Holy Spirit. Thus we must always keep in mind the principle that the creation of things and their preservation is expressly the work of the entire Trinity, the eternal Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. v Finally, in the definition of God we must mention the fact that our minds are bound to this God who has revealed Himself in the church. And we should know that He is truly the Creator of things, who in His Word and by sure witnesses has revealed Himself from the very beginning of the world. We should also think of Him as He has revealed Himself. The heathen and the Turks also boast that they worship this God who cre ated the heaven and earth, but they boast in vain be cause they err in their minds and do not wish to listen to the Creator as He reveals Himself in His Word and by the sending of His Son. Therefore they stray from the true Creator and make for themselves creators ac cording to their own speculations. Thus in every thought about God and in all of our worship we must keep our minds on Christ, who has been sent in the flesh and was crucified and raised from the dead. We must firmly believe that He is truly God the Creator, who has sent this Son and has given the church His Gospel.

Testimonies on the Unity of God The eternal divine essence is one, according to the description which has been set forth, namely, the eternal Father, the Son who is the image of the Father, and the Holy Spirit. And the persons are distinguished whenever the Deity is described within itself: but when it is set in opposition to created beings, we must men tion the one eternal essence, as in Deut. 6:4. And pious people should note the name. I have said that the wor ship of the church must be distinguished from that of the Gentiles. For the people of Israel give a peculiar name to God, namely, Jehovah, in order to distinguish the true God, the Creator who has revealed Himself among this people, from idols and the common deities of the Gentiles.

I have run through the details of the definition by which we should know those virtues which we have attributed to God, in whom there are no accidental qual ities, such as there are in man and the angels, who possess wisdom, righteousness, and goodness as ac cidents or changeable qualities. But attributes such as God's power are not to be distinguished or separated from His essence. Nor is the attribute one thing and the essence another. The wisdom, truth, righteous ness, and goodness of God are not something different, but they are His very essence, which is something which lives and subsists by itself, intelligent, eternal, omnipotent, good, and righteous.

This God has revealed Himself among the people of Israel, Deut. 4:35. He alone is God, Deut. 32:39; Is.

44:6; Is. 45:5-7. Again, w. 21b-22; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Eph.

4:6.

The Three Persons in the Godhead In this article it is necessary to establish what the word "person" means. Therefore I shall first deal with the definition which is pertinent to this article. A person

In order that the church might keep this definition of God in mind, as distinct from pagan opinions, Christ has commended it to us in a primary and most notable ceremony, namely, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," that is, I bear witness by this washing which has been commanded by Christ that you have received all things from your

(as this term is used in the church) is an undivided substance, intelligent and incommunicable. It was suf ficient for the ancient writers of the church to be able to distinguish between the terms substance (ousia) and person {hypostasis), and to say that there is one substance, that is, the one essence of the eternal Fa

ther, Son, and Holy Spirit, but three hypostaseis, that is, three truly subsisting [beings] which are indestruc tible, unconfused, distinct or individual, and intelligent.

Holy Spirit. There are no other persons in the Godhead.

Now, although all the minds of men and of angels stand in wonderment in admiration of this mystery, that God has begotten a Son and that the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, proceeds from the Father and the Son, yet we must concur in this, because, as has already been said so many times, we must believe concerning God as He has revealed Himself. The heathen wander about in their hearts seeking a god according to their own speculations; but the church knows the eternal and al mighty God, our Creator, as He has revealed Himself.

Although we cannot probe this mystery to the depths, yet in this life God has willed that there be at least a beginning of knowledge of this subject and that our worship be distinguished from the worship of false gods. He has given in His Word a revelation by sure testimonies. In this Word, like a fetus who draws nour ishment in the womb of the mother through the umbilical cord and the organs of reproduction, we sit enclosed, drawing our knowledge of God and of life from the Word of God, so that we may worship Him as He has revealed

Himself.

For the word hypostasis the Latins used the term per sona, and although the Greek word is clear, yet be cause the insolence of learned men often upsets even statements which have been correctly formulated, thus quarrels arose regarding the word hypostasis. There fore the Greeks gave way and following the Latins, be gan at this point to speak of three persons, using the term prosopa. But we shall omit all arguments about words and simply retain the meaning of the church and use those words which have been already used and accepted in the church without any ambiguity.

A fanatical man named Servetus' played games with the word "person" and argued that the Latin word persona originally meant "a role or a character"; or it referred to the distinction of duties, as when we say,

Roscius at one point played the role of Achilles and at another the role of Ulysses; or the role of the consul is one thing and that of the servant another. As Cicero says, "It is important in the state to observe the role of the prince" [Brutus, 20.80]. And this ancient meaning of the term "person" Servetus deceitfully twisted to ap ply to the article concerning the three persons of the Deity.

The Son Now the Son is described thus: In John 1 He is called Word (logos ). In Col. 1:15 He is called the image of God. In Heb. 1:3 He is called "the brightness of glory," that is, the likeness or image of the substance of the Father. And it is evident that the text is speaking of the divine nature of the Son, because John 1:3 says,

"All things were made by Him." In the [Nicene] Creed He is called "Light of Light." A comparison of these designations brings us to these conclusions: The Son is called the image and the Word. He is therefore the image begotten by the deliberation of the Father. In order that it may be possible for us to consider this matter in some way, we must take examples from our own experience.

But we must flee these ungodly tricks, reject them, and know in this article that the church speaks differently, and that the term "person" refers to an un divided, intelligent, and incommunicable substance. In this discussion it is profitable to keep in mind the bap tism of Christ, where this distinction between the three persons is clearly demonstrated. The Father speaks the words, "This is My beloved Son"; the Son stands in the river visibly; and the Holy Spirit is sent in visible form. And to this demonstration we add the clear tes timonies of Scripture, which tell us who and of what nature the Son is and who and of what nature the Holy

Spirit is.

God has willed that His marks be observed in man. If the nature of man had retained this first light, it would have been a clearer mirror of the divine nature.

But now these marks are in darkness but still can be observed. The human mind by thinking paints a fair image of the thing it is thinking about, but we do not pour our essence into these images, and these thoughts are hazy and the actions soon forgotten. But the eternal Father, looking within Himself, begets the concept of Himself, which is His image, one that does not fade away but remains the essence communicated to Himself.

Thus we must first maintain this distinction: The eternal Father is a person, unbegotten, who has be gotten from eternity the Son as the image of Himself.

The Son is the image of the Father, begotten from eter nity by the Father. The Son afterward, at a particular moment in time, assumed in the womb of Mary a human nature, as will be described later. The Holy Spirit sets things in motion. He proceeds from the Father and the Son and is sent to sanctify our minds, that is, to kindle new light, righteousness, and a life which is pleasing to God and is eternal for those who are the heirs of eternal life.

Thus there are three persons in the Godhead, immeasurable, coeternal, of the same substance: the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son, who is called the Word and the image of the eternal Father, and the Therefore this image is the Second Person and the designations are appropriate. He is called the Word because He is begotten by consideration. He is called the image because the consideration is the image of the thing considered. He is called "the brightness of glory" which in Greek is more appropriately written apaugasma, that is, a splendor which arises from an ' Michael Servetus (1511-53) opposed the doctrine of the Trinity and was burned by Calvin at Geneva.

bestows on us. "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," that is, I bear witness that you are received by the eternal Father and by the Son and by the Holy Spirit, in order that by their mercy and power you might be freed from sin and from eternal death and be given righteousness and eternal life. Therefore you will pray, not as the Gentiles who stray from the true God who has revealed Himself, but you will hold that it is God, the Creator of all things, who by this Word has with sure testimonies revealed

Himself from the beginning of the world, made a cov enant with you in baptism, affirms that He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and has established the Son as peace-maker and sends the Holy Spirit to begin in you righteousness and life eternal, x other light. Thus the Son is the brightness which arises from the light of the Father, as we read in the Creed,

"Light of Light." Likewise, the likeness of the substance of the Father, that is, an image which does not fade away but which remains the communicated essence.

Therefore just as in the case of human nature we speak of a son as being begotten [genitum] of the substance of his father and being similar to his father, so the Sec ond Person is called the Son because He is born [nafus] of the substance of the Father and is His image. Thus the property which distinguishes the Son from the other persons is that He is begotten and is the image [of the Father]. And this distinction becomes clearer when we add that this Second Person at a certain time assumed a human nature in the womb of Mary. For the Father did not assume a human nature, nor did the Holy Spirit assume a human nature, but the Son is the Christ, that is, the promised Redeemer, one person with two na tures miraculously united, namely that eternal image of the Father or the Word and a human nature. For the common custom of the church uses the word "union" in this article.

You know that the sum of the Gospel is well com prehended in the words of baptism and that they show who God is. "I baptize you in the name," that is, in the invocation and in the command, and unto the acknowl edgment and invocation of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I invoke the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit upon you, bearing witness that you ac cepted, that you heard, etc. This is the meaning of the words of Baptism.

These are great mysteries and far above all hu man comprehension. But we know that these holy mys teries have been revealed to the church, in order that we might pray to God properly and consider reasons for this marvelous kindness, that God, by an eternal association, joined a human nature to Himself. There fore He truly cares for us and loves us and sent this

Son that He might be the Redeemer and soften His wrath against sin, as needs to be said repeatedly later.

And since those words confess that the Father is God, is omnipotent, that He is to be addressed in prayer, and the Son and the Holy Spirit are added to share this honor, it is necessary that the power be equal. And since the power is equal, they are homoousioi. Furthermore, it is evident that the Father and Christ the Son are distinct persons. Therefore also by the name of the Holy Spirit a distinct person is desig nated. For if "Spirit" signified only the Father Himself moving or impelling things, it would have named the Father twice and this would be a useless repetition.

Basil also wisely and impressively argues for this mean ing on the basis of this statement of Christ that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are homoousioi.

He says, "It is necessary for us to be baptized, just as we receive; and to believe, just as we are baptized; and to glorify, just as we believe the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

The Third Person, the Holy Spirit, is said to pro ceed from the Father and from the Son. This property is attributed to this Third Person. There is also attributed this property that He is the person who is sent into the hearts of the regenerate, that is, the person through whom the Father and the Son kindle the new light that revives new God-pleasing emotions, righteousness, and life in their hearts. And to be sure, the Holy Spirit is then present in hearts when He rules, moves, and kindles them, as is said in 1 Cor. 3:16, "You are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you." This governance and sanctification are called the special action of God. Moreover, just as the Son is begotten by deliberation, so the Holy Spirit proceeds by the will of the Father and of the Son. And it is a property of the will to move things and to love, just as also the human heart does not produce images but spirits or attitudes.

But because here and there prooftexts are scat tered throughout the prophetic and apostolic Scrip tures, some of which speak only of the Son and some of the Holy Spirit, we must first gather testimonies about the Son. Now there is an especially strong proof in the first chapter of John, who indeed is said to have written his gospel because Ebion2 and later Cerinthus had spread abroad a Jewish opinion and divested Christ of His divine nature and imagined He had only a human nature.

Testimonies Matt. 28:19—"Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." This passage lists the three persons by name and attributes to each of them equal power and honor. For Christ has willed that the sum of the Gospel be included in this first ceremony. Therefore He at the same time both testifies that we are received by God and teaches who God is, which God we should worship, and what He

But before I take up John's gospel I am going to posit two lines of thought drawn from Scripture, which in my judgment have useful and comforting advice for pious souls. First, it is-necessary to confess that Christ

2 For Ebion, cf. Eusebius, H.E., 3.27-28, MPG 20.273.

is the begotten Son of God. For the gospel distin guishes the sons by adoption from the Son Christ. For John calls Christ the only begotten Son in John 1:14,

"We beheld His glory, as of the only begotten of the Father." Further, since He is undoubtedly the Son by nature, it is necessary that in Him the divine nature exist substantially. And whatever is beyond the person of the Father in whom is the divine nature, this of necessity is a person. Thus Paul says of Christ: "In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily," Col. 2:9, that is, this Christ is a divine person, as if he were to say that the deity dwells in Him, not only as in David, effectively and separately, but in such a way that the very sub sistence (hypostasis ) of Christ is divine. For the Greeks use the word soma as we in popular speech use the word "person." names the Son of God, who later assumed a human nature; then John says of Him, "And the Word was made flesh," 1:14. But first, in speaking of the nature that existed before the incarnation, he affirms that the Word is eternal For he says that He was before the creation and says, "All things were made through Him,"

John 1:3.

And he calls this Word God, saying, "And the Word was God." For the Greek article testifies that the term Word (logos) must be given the place of the sub ject and God the place of the predicate. Nor is there ambiguity in the name "God." For the narrative has been undertaken to describe the divine essence.

Therefore the name of God is to be understood not with reference to divine duties which human beings carry out, as is said elsewhere, "I said, you are gods," John

The second line of thought is that thq entire pro phetic and apostolic Scripture with great consensus prescribes that Christ is to be worshiped and addressed in prayer, and it calls for trust in Him. It therefore attri butes to Him infinite power, because He is omnipresent, sees into hearts, hears prayers, bestows righteousness and eternal life. Thus it is necessary that the divine nature be in Christ.

10:34, but most appropriately with reference to the eter nal, omnipotent, intelligent, good essence, the founder, as John also says later that all things were created through this Word; he therefore says that the Word is the eternal God and creator.

Good minds understand that this is a firm testi mony, and they acquiesce to the voice of the Gospel and do not advance sophistries and corruptions of the Gospel. But some crafty and godless men, like Paul of Samosata and later Photinus, and recently Servetus, wickedly presumed to evade and corrupt this statement of John and held that the word logos does not indicate a person, but just as in the case of a human being we do not say that his thinking or speaking is a person but a quality or a passing emotion, so they wanted it to be understood that in John logos is not a person but the thought or design of the Father, because it is the Father

Now there are clear testimonies about address ing Christ in prayer and about faith in Christ: Matt.

11:28; John 3:16; Is. 11:10; Ps. 45:11; 72:5, 15; Acts 7:59; 1 Thess. 3:11; 2 Thess. 2:16; Gen. 48:15-16.

In these and similar testimonies the continuous invocation of Christ is spoken of, also when He does not dwell with mankind visibly. Therefore this adoration cannot be understood, as the Jews sophistically rea son, of the external sign of honor that is given to one who, as at present, legally rules a political realm. But these passages speak loudly of the Messiah who hears prayers, brings help and preserves His church every where on earth and at all times. These are properties of the omnipotent nature. Therefore it is useful to study this doctrine of the invocation of the Messiah in the books of the prophets. And it is evident that the patri archs, the prophets, and other pious people of the Old

Testament, by means of invocation itself, professed the deity of the Messiah, and these statements not only educate us concerning the nature of the Son but also comfort us and rouse us to prayer.

Himself, just as we say that the intention or the good ness of the Father is the Father Himself.

Finally they accommodated the narrative of John to the example of man as an architect: as in an architect there is an idea of a future work which is not a person but a design and a thought in the mind of the architect, so in God the Creator, they said, there was the idea and the design that He wanted to reveal Himself through the creation of the world and through Christ as an excellent teacher who would transmit the doctrine of salvation and bear witness concerning God. This thought or design, they said, was the Father Himself, and concerning this thought they said that in Genesis it is written, "God said," that is, decreed, proposed. And in John 1:3, "All things were made through Him," that is, all things were created through this thinking of the architect, or through the word which commanded that the things come into being.

Therefore let this line of thought always be in mind whenever giving instruction regarding the invo cation of Christ: We must confess that the divine nature is in Christ. For the invocation ascribes almighty power to Him who is absent, who is not visibly seen. For it holds that He sees the emotions of the hearts of all people throughout the world. Here let us remember also the example of the church, which often repeats the prayer, "Christ, have mercy." This prayer is a confes sion of the deity of Christ.

But what John says, "The Word was made flesh," they corrupted in this way, that Christ was born of a virgin only according to that design and they said that John was raised up to point out that the Gospel is not a human invention, but the eternal design of God was to send this teacher Christ and through Him to bear witness to the teaching.

Now, I come to John who, as he undertakes to describe the natures in Christ, starts with the divine:

"In the beginning was the Word," John 1:1. Thus he

thought outside of Christ, nor does it mean a passing word, but rather the nature, Creator with the Father, that remains in Christ. Therefore the Word is a person.

Because this sophistic corruption alludes to a hu man example, because its smoothness deludes by wicked clever notions, and has often brought great ruin, therefore strong testimonies must be gathered which show that here "Word" must be understood as a per son. And the chief controversy pertaining to the Gospel of John is whether "Word" here indicates a person, as the universal church of God has always held and main tained. For also then, when Paul of Samosata created a disturbance, the old bishops gathered at Antioch from neighboring regions, men who had been taught by dis ciples of the apostles, and they refuted Paul of Sa mosata, and, when he had been condemned, they expelled him from the church.

It is also in the epistle of John, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seenx which our hands have handled, the Word of life, this we declare," 1 John 1:1-3. Here also it is attested that in the same Christ who was born of a virgin there is and remains that Word which was in the be ginning. More passages below that speak of the divine nature in Christ point out the same thing; for example,

"Before Abraham was born, I am," John 8:58.

When pious minds—which know that one must believe concerning God as He has revealed Himself— see that these testimonies from the Gospel are clear, they recognize that we must most firmly hold fast to this belief, that in Christ there is the divine nature and that "Word" in this narrative indicates a person, and those who give attention to these testimonies pray to the Son of God.

Gregory, an aged bishop of Neocaesarea, came to the same conclusion. The church of his day judged his doctrine to be most pure. He has left a written confession long before the Council of Nicaea. This confession is found in Eusebius, Bk. 6, p. 173: "One

God the Father of the living Word of wisdom that sub sists, and who begot His own perfect image, the Father of the only begotten Son, one Lord, the only one from the only one, the image of the Father, the efficacious

Word, the eternal Son from eternity, one Holy Spirit, having substance from God, who appeared through the Son as Sanctifier, through whom God, over all and in all, is known."3

Let us now also seek out statements of the an cient writers who lived before the time of the Council of Nicaea, concerning whom Servetus perfidiously de ceives readers; he cites mutilated passages from Ire naeus and Tertullian, as if they would not have the Word be a person or a hypostasis before Christ was born of the virgin; but he does great harm to both. For Tertullian, Adversus Praxeam, expressly raises this question:

Is the Word a subsisting nature, or (as we now say) a person? And he replies by affirming that the logos is a person or a hypostasis. And he sets forth this view in a long discourse in which are these words: "Therefore whatever the substance of the Word was, I say call it a person, and I claim the name "Son" for Him, and I acknowledge Him as the Son, and defend Him as the second from the Father" [MPL 2.167].

I have cited this confession not only because it contains a clear testimony of the ancient and purer church, but also because it clearly teaches a difference of the persons. It says that the Son is the image; it says that the Holy Spirit is the sanctifier through whom the Father is known, that is, who kindles new light in hearts, as it says in 2 Cor. 3:18, "We are changed into the same image as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Furthermore, that in John's account "Word" in dicates a person is shown first from the account itself, for John later says of Christ, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him," 1:10. For it is ob vious that the world was not made through the human nature of Christ; therefore it is necessary that in the Christ who was born of a virgin there also be and remain a second nature, also Creator with the Father.

Irenaeus also openly affirms that the Word was a person before He assumed the human nature. For he says thus, Adv. Haer., 2.2: "I point out clearly that the Word existing in the beginning with God, through whom all things were made, who also was always pres ent with the human race—this one He sent in the last times according to the time set in advance by the Fa ther, united with His image, a man made capable of suffering" [MPG 7.713-16].

Similar passages elsewhere also show the same thing, that in Christ there are two natures, cf. Col. 1:16Likewise Origen clearly affirms in his On First

Principles that the Word is a person. "No one should think," he says, "that we speak of some unsubstantial thing when we mention the wisdom of God." And later on: " ... if, therefore, it has been rightly understood once and for all that the only begotten Son of God is

His wisdom subsisting substantially."4 Later he says the same when he discusses the Incarnation. But even clearer and stronger are the testimonies of Gregory of Neocaesarea and Irenaeus that I have cited above.

17, "All things were created by Him and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."

And Heb. 1:2, "By the Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world, who is the splendor of brightness and the likeness of His substance, upholding all things, by the word of His power." These passages clearly testify that the divine nature, co-Creator with the Father, is and remains in Christ. Therefore "Word" does not mean a design or 3 Eusebius, 7.28, MPG 20.322. Cf. Grillmeier, Christ in Christian Tradition, 1975, who supports the authenticity of this confession. Also cf. Eusebius 7.28, MPG 20.705.

4 MPG 11.1130. Both quotations are on the same page in MPG.

But I return to John, who, when he says, "The Word was made flesh," first testifies that the Father and the Word are not the same person. For the Father does not put on the human nature. For He distinguishes

Himself from the Son, saying, "This is My beloved Son."

Then, when it is said, "The Word is made flesh," a person must be understood. For as I have shown above, in the Christ who is born of a virgin, the divine nature remains as Creator. Therefore the Word is a person. Likewise, if the Word were only an intention which is the Father Himself, this intention was not made flesh. For the Father is not made flesh, nor can it be said of some passing word that it is made flesh, for it passes on and vanishes. But the Word remains in Christ, who was born of a virgin. of God is here used in a metaphorical sense, let tes timonies be added which attribute to Christ those qual ities which are proper to the divine nature, namely, to create, to revive the dead, to sanctify, to hear prayer, to give eternal life, and similar things. John 5:17-19,

"My Father works until now, and I work ... The things which He does the Son does likewise." Again, v. 21,

"As the Father raises the dead and gives life, so the Son also quickens whom He wills." In this discourse

Christ clearly affirms that He creates together with the Father, sustains creation, preserves the church, returns life to the dead, all of which without any doubt are prop erties of an omnipotent nature. John 10:28, "I give them eternal life ... and no one snatches them out of My hand." John 14:13, "Whatever you will ask in My name, that will I do." Here He openly testifies that He answers prayer and does the things which we ask, each of which There are, therefore, in the Christ, who was born of the virgin Mary, two natures, the Word and the human nature, so united that Christ is one person. For the church has used the word "union," a term which we also have adopted. For the term "to intermingle," which the ancients sometimes used, must be understood with care lest a confusion of the natures result. Although

Origen denied that any similitude appropriate to this union could be suggested yet he compared it to heated iron. Just as fire penetrates iron and is everywhere mixed with it, so the Word, assuming a human nature, shines in all of it, and the human nature, like a kindled light, is united with the Word. is proper to the divine and immeasurable nature. John

15:5, "Without Me you can do nothing." These pas sages testify that Christ is present with, protects, aids, and governs those who pray—qualities which belong to God. Matt. 18:20, "Wherever two or three are gath ered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them." To be present everywhere, to answer prayer, and to bring help everywhere—these are properties of the divine nature. John 20:22, Christ gives the Holy

Spirit, this also is a property solely of the divine nature.

John 10:17, "I will lay down My life, and I will take it up again." John 6:40, "I will raise him up on the last day."

Again, v. 62, "What if you were to see the Son of man ascending to where He was before?" John 8:58, "Be

We have already with sufficient clarity refuted the ravings of Paul of Samosata, Photinus, and Servetus when we established that it is necessary that the Word be understood as a person. Then the refutation of Arius is easy. He agrees that the term "Word" indicates a person in John, but later contends that this person is not God by nature. But John most firmly refutes Arius when he expressly affirms that the Word is God; lest there be ambiguity in the word "God," he attributes to the Word that through this person all things were made.

Therefore, since this person is the Creator and omni potent, He is truly God by nature and not only in a nominal sense. fore Abraham was born, I am." Here He testifies that He existed before He assumed the human nature. John

17:5, "Glorify Me, Father, in Your presence with that glory which I had in your presence before the world was." Col. 1:16-17, "By Him and in Him were all things created ... and by Him all things consist." Therefore the divine nature, the Creator of things, is in Christ.

Therefore later, in Col. 2:9 it is said, "In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily," that is to say, in others God dwells by His Spirit, kindling the new light and new emotions; but in Christ He dwells not only by His Spirit but also so that by the personal union the human nature is united with the divine. For as now in our time we commonly speak of persons, so the ancient

Greeks used the word somata. Heb. 1:2-3, "He ap pointed Him heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who is the splendor of glory and the image of His substance and upholds all things," etc. Acts 7:59,

"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." This prayer attributes to Christ that He keeps the souls of the dying and will again unite bodies and soul. 1 Thess 3:11, "God Him

Furthermore, each refutation, that of Paul of Sa mosata and that of Arius, is strengthened by the fol lowing testimonies, which show that in the Christ who was born of a virgin there are and remain two natures, the divine, Creator of things, and the human nature.

In John 20:28 Thomas clearly calls Christ God, saying, "My Lord and my God." This was said in the common Hebrew idiom, whereby the proper name of God is joined, distinguishing true prayer from that of the Gentiles, as in Ps. 19:8, "We will call upon the name of the Lord our God" [Vulgate]. Therefore there was a marvelous and new light in Thomas when he attributed to Christ the name of the true God and when he ac knowledged that in Him was not only the human nature but also the divine. Rom. 9:5, "From whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all things, blessed forever." And lest anyone cavil that the name self and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to You." 2 Thess. 2:16-17, "Our Lord Jesus

Christ Himself and God and our Father strengthen you."

Ps. 110:1, "The Lord said to my Lord." Hence Christ argues that He is not only the Son but also the Lord of David. Now both in the political realm and in nature a son or a successor is never the lord of the father or of the previous king; e.g., Augustus is nowise the lord of Julius Caesar. Hence the kingdom of the Messiah will not be a state that will perish but eternal

From the Old Testament Jer. 33:16, ''And this is the name which they shall call Him, the Lord our justifier." This attributes to Christ the proper name of God and asserts that He is the justifier. Therefore it attributes to Him the glory which belongs solely to God. Again, no one but God can jus tify, take away sin and the anger of God, and bring righteousness and eternal life. And even though the Jews craftily evade this passage, yet it is easy to refute them. The prophet clearly says that He is to be called the Messiah, that is, He is to be invoked in this faith that He is Himself God our justifier. The name Messiah applies to this same person in Is. 7:14, "His name will be called Emmanuel, that is, God with us." Still stronger is what follows in Is. 9:6, "His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the Father of everlasting life." Here too the Jews raise captious ob jection to the word El, but it is certain that God is meant by this word. And the very text that follows refutes their tricks: "The Father of everlasting life." Since Christ is the author and giver of everlasting life after this life, as life and eternal righteousness, and in Christ there will be the divine nature, which brings eternal life. Likewise, the other parts of the Psalm teach things which must all be adhered to: "You'are a priest forever," v. 4. This says that He is an everlasting priest who leads us to the Father and gives eternal life. "Sit at My right hand," that is, rule with power equal to that of the eternal Fa ther. And since the power is infinite, it i§ necessary that the divine nature be in Christ.

Ps. 2:7, "This day I have begotten You." This is spoken only of Christ. Likewise, John calls Christ the only begotten Son of God, 1:14, that is, the Son not by adoption but by nature. Moreover, He is by nature the Son into whom the substance of the Father has been propagated.

He says, "I give them eternal life" [John 10:28], it is necessary that He be God by nature. Micah 5:2, "His going forth is from the beginning, before the days of the world." Although this testimony is brief, yet it asserts that the Messiah existed before the creation of the world. Therefore He is eternal and God. Therefore the Fathers recognized Him from the beginning, and knew that He was present with the church, as the statement of Jacob cited above shows. And Daniel speaks with Him, 12:5-12, and though very frightened, he was strengthened, and new light and new life was instilled from Him. And in 1 Cor. 10:4 He is said to have been present with the people in the wilderness. "They drank of the spiritual rock that followed them; and the rock was Christ." Ps. 45:11, "The King will greatly desire your beauty, for He is your God." Here the proper name of God is attributed to the Messiah King. And it is a sweet promise. Although the church in this life is de formed with enormous hardships and still is feeble, yet the Messiah King loves her and declares her to be beautiful. Pious minds sustain themselves with this promise as they wrestle with their infirmity.

And if someone objects that the divine nature does not suffer or die, but Christ died, the answer is well-known, true, and necessary. Since there are two natures in Christ, the things which are proper to one nature do not hinder the presence of the other nature.

Further, these are properties of the human nature, that its members become mutilated, suffer, and die. There fore Peter clearly said, "Christ suffered in the flesh,"

1 Peter 4:1. And Irenaeus with learning and piety says, "Christ was crucified and buried with the Word in qui escence, so that He could be crucified and die" [Bk.

3.19; MPG 7.941], that is, the divine nature indeed was not mutilated or dead but was obedient to the Father, remained quiet, yielded to the wrath of the eternal Fa ther against the sin of the human race, did not use its power or exercise its strength. If you carefully consider this statement of Irenaeus, you will understand that the differences between the natures are reverently de scribed, and that at the same time light is shed both on the greatness of God's anger against sin poured out against Christ and on the humility of the Son who re mained quiet and obedient to the Father and did not exercise His power.

Ps. 72:17-19 says that the Messiah is eternal and is always to be worshiped. "His name has been forever and will continue as long as the sun." Likewise,

And this statement agrees with that in Phil. 2:68, "Who, although He was in the form of God," that is, in wisdom and power equal to the Father, "did not insist v. 5, "They will fear Him as long as the sun and the moon endure." Worship is given to deity. For it is certain that the everlasting prayer is spoken about by which the Messiah is invoked, also when not seen with eyes, nor is it said only of a gesture by which honor is ascribed to present rulers. In the same passage eternity is also described: "His name was before the sun," that is, be fore the sun was created, the Son was here. For the Hebrew psalm here uses a notable word indicating without doubt that the Son was born before the creation of the sun. on using His equality with God," that is, when He was sent to be obedient to God in suffering, He did not act contrary to the bidding, did not use His power to thwart

His calling, "but emptied Himself," that is, He did not show His power, "and humbled Himself taking on the form of a servant," that is, putting on mortality with the human nature, "found in fashion as a man," that is, in afflictions, fear, sadness, and sorrow. Therefore the dif ference between the natures must be maintained, but at the same time let it be known that because of the

personal union these propositions are true: God suf fered, was crucified and died; you must not think that the human nature alone is Redeemer and not the whole

Son of God. For even though the divine nature is not tortured, does not die, yet you must understand that this Son Himself, coeternal with the Father, is the Re deemer. Therefore rules are taught in this doctrine con cerning the communication of attributes, that is, concerning the predication of the properties which are said of each nature in common but in the concrete, namely, that the properties must be understood as being attributed to the person.

Him and given Him the doctrine and the command to teach it. And he says that the Father is greater, because

He was the one who sent, the source of the doctrine, the one who approves and defends this doctrine and the church. The Son sent here endured the cross, and the church is full of weakness, but Christ cries out con cerning the Father, "The Father is greater than I," John

14:28; "He works with me," John 14:10; He defends this doctrine and His church.

In another place He says, "Father, glorify Me,"

John 17:5. This statement could have been cited by the Arians, as well as the other, but it distinguishes duties and does not speak of the essence: Now I have been sent to endure the cross and I fulfill My calling.

Now then restore to me the glory which I had with You before the creation of the world. And this passage speaks of the essence. John 1:1, "The Word was God."

Care behooves the pious, for the sake of har mony, to speak in line with the church. And it was not without good reasons that the ancient church approved some ways of speaking and rejected others. Let us then avoid zeal for caviling and retain the forms received with weighty and true authority. This proposition is not true: the divine nature is the human. But this is true:

God is man; the Word is man, Christ is man, Christ is God, God is born of a virgin, He suffered, because this person, in which the divine nature has been united by the personal union with the human nature, was born and crucified. They call this form of speaking in the concrete "the communication of attributes," that is, a predication in which the properties of the natures are correctly attributed to the person, so that the Son of God is the Redeemer, not only that the human nature

Often worthy of note is also this response which has to be observed in the writings of the prophets.

Some passages refer to the reigning Christ, for ex ample, John 5:19, "The things which the Father does, these the Son does also." Some passages speak of the humiliated and suffering Christ, such as Ps. 22:1,

"My God, why have You forsaken Me?" This is not said of the essence but it describes His obedience at the time when God poured out His wrath upon the Son against the sins of the human race. And this rule must be maintained that the Son of God assumed the human nature complete and uncorrupted, which had all the proper and inordinate powers and drives of nature.

Likewise it was not sinful, but still capable of suffering without sin, and mortal. He willingly assumed these infirmities for us in order that He might become the sacrifice. Thus it is said in Heb. 4:15, "We do not have is the Redeemer. Likewise, these statements are true and accepted: The Word was made flesh; the Word was made man; God began to be a man. On the con trary, these statements are rejected: The Word is a creature; Christ is a creature; Christ began to be; Christ was made. The prudent man avoids ambiguity and pit falls. For the Arians, in talking this way, did not speak of the human nature of Christ as assumed, but held that a second nature in Christ, prior to the human, was created out of nothing, and was not the image of the eternal Father, begotten of His substance, of the same substance as, and coeternal with, the Father. a high priest who cannot have compassion on our in firmities, but was in all things tempted like we are, yet without sin."

Therefore, although Christ saw the Father and was blessed, yet His human nature had its drives, but He kept them under control. And these are often listed:

He was hungry, He thirsted, He was happy, He became angry, He grieved, He wept, He was afflicted with great sadness, as He Himself says, "My soul is sorrowful even unto death," Matt. 26:38. And because the emo tion of the heart in sorrow beats us down, as we all experience, so great was the emotion in Christ that blood was expelled and sweat was like drops of thick and coagulated blood. For this is the meaning of thromboi in Luke 22:44. No one else could have endured such distress. These feelings in Christ were not feigned but true and great emotions.

It is acceptable to say that the Word is man be cause it is understood that the Word assumed the hu man nature. "The Word is a creature" is a statement which is rejected, because assumption of another na ture is not understood, but the predicate indicates that the Word is created, which is false. I have reviewed these matters in order to remind the learned to use the care in speaking that behooves pious minds and to use the language of the orthodox church.

This answer must also be maintained. Certain things are said about the essence and other things re garding the duties. The Arians cited this passage, "The Father is greater than I," John 14:28, which manifestly speaks of the difference between the one who sends and the one who is sent, about the essence. For since the Jews accused Christ of teaching contrary to the authority of God, it was necessary for Christ to appeal to the authority of the Father, who, He said, had sent

Nor should we think that Christ was a stone or a stoic, but He truly was happy and truly suffered anguish, and this great suffering in agony had many causes; not only does He fear lacerations of the body, but He feels an even greater burden, namely, the wrath of God against the sins of the human race, which He knew to be poured out on Him just as if He had defiled Himself

with all horrendous sins. Likewise, He mourned over the huge number of people who were going to perish, having spurned this blessing of God. We can neither understand nor endure such great sorrows. But still for the church to be nourished, it is necessary to think about these important matters because it is burdened by the cross in order that it might recognize how great the anger of God is against sin. look for other answers, the judgment of which I leave to the readers.

The Holy Spirit The term "spirit" in general refers to the state of being in motion, or nature, or a moving force; and we must take note of the variety of uses in the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures, so that we do not carelessly mix up all these different ways in which the term "spirit" is used. Sometimes it means winds, sometimes the life spirit of man, sometimes it refers to movements or forces created by men, both good and evil. In this case it refers to a spiritual essence, that is, a living, intelligent, incorporeal, efficacious being. God is, a spirit. In this setting the term is applied in common both to the Father and other persons of the Godhead. Therefore, we must be selective in gathering prooftexts and judge prudently when Scripture is actually speaking about the Holy

Spirit, whom the Gospel announces has been given to us through Christ in order to sanctify and vivify our bodies, and whom the church confesses is a divine person, who makes alive and justifies.

Therefore, since exceptional wrath was poured out on the Son, it was necessary that the sorrow be tremendous with which He grieved that God is offended by the human race, and He wrestled with temptation caused by rejection. Therefore an angel was sent to strengthen Him. These things must be pondered so that we might in some way thereby estimate the magnitude of sin and give thanks to Christ for undergoing the pun ishment for us and at the same time being made in tercessor for us. And with this consideration let us stir up faith, prayer, and fear.

But some dispute whether escape from death was incomplete in Christ, since the inferior part did not yield to the superior. My first reply is that wounds in the flesh naturally produce pains, even without sin. Again, some of the sufferings in heart and will are natural, in Christ they were without sin; He suffered, but not, like we, inordinately.

And so it is to be affirmed that the Holy Spirit is a person. For many impious and bold men in various churches have contended that the Holy Spirit is not a person but merely signifies a motion created within peo ple, or certainly signifies.the powerful Father moving without another person [being involved].

In the second place, beyond that natural sorrow there is in Christ also the feeling of the wrath of God against the sin of the human race. He knows and grieves that God is rightly and horribly offended be cause of the sins of the human race, and He wrestles with temptation over rejection [by the Father]. There fore, although in this wrestling there is a certain trepi dation because nature universally cries out when it is burdened beyond its powers, yet this trepidation or this groaning is different in Christ than in other men. Christ bears terrors without resentment against the Father, and He recognizes that He must be obedient to the Father. Therefore this trepidation is without sin and is in no way an evil thing. But in other men, when escape

To this blasphemous sophistry the true church brings in opposition passages given us in Scripture, the first and clearest of which is the divinely given revelation set forth in the baptism of Christ, where we can clearly discern the three persons. The Father says, "This is

My beloved Son," Matt. 3:17. There is thus one person of the Father and a second of the Son. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove. Now if the Holy Spirit were only a motion created among an imate things, He would not appear in a special bodily form; or if it were the Father Himself, John would not have specifically designated the Holy Spirit when he says, "Upon whom you see the Holy Spirit," John 1:33. is possible, there is an outcry against the judgment of God, and those who do not overcome by taking refuge

So also at Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared in a particular bodily form. These revelations did not take place in vain; indeed, they are preeminent blessings from God in which God reveals Himself to the church and testifies that the Holy Spirit is a person. in Christ's victory add horrible blasphemies. I shall not prolong the debate, for their tribulations will lead the pious to a knowledge of these things. But it is helpful that we be reminded, and a comparison of similar strug gles in the Psalms and the prophets will shed some light on this matter.

To these testimonies are added passages con cerning Baptism: "I baptize you in the name of the Fa ther, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," Matt. 28:19, that is,

But some say regarding this struggle that a blessed one, since he is in supreme happiness, is not at the same time in great consternation. But it must be replied that there was a certain time of suffering when

I bear witness that you have been received by God whom I invoke upon you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Further, since prayer is directed to the Holy

Spirit, just as to the Father and the Son, the Spirit must be a person and not merely some motion or stirring created in man. For in no way does Christ teach us to invoke motion or stirring created in man. Therefore when prayer is directed to the Holy Spirit equally with He did not so shine with that glory of blessedness as at another time. For there was a time destined for this agony, in which Christ truly was the victim, while the Word was quiescent, as Irenaeus says. Let us be con tent with this distinction of the circumstances. Others

the Father and the Son, this point teaches that not only is the Holy Spirit a person, but He is also omnipotent, same Holy Spirit both the fathers and the apostles and pious men down through the ages, that is, all the elect in all times, have been sanctified.

He hears our prayers, and He saves us. All these ele ments are included in a prayer which attributes equal honor to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus the Holy Spirit is the Third Person and is to be distin guished from the Father and the Son, as we have said above, in that He proceeds from the Father and the Son and is sent into the regenerated hearts by the word of the Gospel, so that with new light they confess and invoke God, and eternal life is begun in them whereby in faith they find consolation.

Even more clearly the words of Is. 59:21 shed light on this teaching, " 'This is My covenant with them,' says the Lord: 'My Spirit who is upon you and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed,' says the Lord, 'henceforth and forever.' " He is saying that the same Spirit is in Isaiah and in the whole church to all eternity. Therefore, not only after the resurrection of Christ was the Holy Spirit to be poured into the hearts of the saints, but always all the elect have been sanc tified by the same Holy Spirit. Indeed, the statement of John 14:16, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter." When He speaks of an other, He is distinguishing this Comforter from the Fa ther and the Son. Thus the term "Spirit" does not indicate the Father Himself in motion. For that would not be "another." Nor does it signify some created mo tion. For He would not be sent from the Son if it were the Father in motion or only some motion created by the Father. But Christ says, John 15:26, "When the Paraclete comes whom I will send to you from the Fa ther, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father,"

Isaiah offers us the sweetest teaching and comfort. It affirms that the church of God shall remain forever, and will remain wherever the voice of the Gospel sounds, and with that voice the Holy Spirit accomplishes His work. In Zech. 7:7 it speaks of the "words which the Lord of Hosts sends by the Holy Spirit through the hand of the former prophets." By this statement both points are affirmed, that the prophets are governed by the Holy

Spirit and that the Word of God is not proclaimed in vain but the Holy Spirit is present with it and by this

Word He moves and kindles our minds. This is some thing which must firmly be established for the faithful, in order that they may know that God is truly efficacious through His Word in the minds of believers and that He lights in them the flame of eternal life. Note Gal. 3:14, where it says, "That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." I will say more on this matter in the following section.

He is saying that the Holy Spirit is sent by the Son Himself. Thus the Holy Spirit is neither the Father in motion nor only a motion created by the Father.

This person also possesses properties. "There is another who will teach you and will speak the things which He hears," John 16:13. If the term "Spirit" only signifies a created stirring, then the teaching would be that there is not another teacher who hears and re ceives from the Father and the Son.

Thus also Paul, in 1 Cor. 12:8, clearly distin guishes the Holy Spirit from His created gifts, the author from his effects, saying, "The one and the same Spirit works all these things," v. 11.

Thus also in Is. 63:11 ff. the prophet states that the Holy Spirit was the leader and guide of Moses and the people in the desert, by which he signifies that the Holy Spirit has always been present in the church of God. Cf. John 14:16-17.

He speaks in the same way in Rom. 8:16: "The Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit." Here also he distinguishes the moving and comforting Holy Spirit from the comfort with which the heart is guided and made alive.

These words show that the teaching concerning the Holy Spirit existed in the church of the patriarchs and the prophets. Therefore, even the ancients under stood this statement in the Book of Genesis as referring to the Holy Spirit, who is a person in the Godhead, "And the Spirit of God was moving over the waters," Gen.

Likewise in 2 Cor. 3:18, "We are changed by the Spirit of the Lord." Here he also distinguishes the one who produces the light from the light which has been created in us, when he says, "We are changed into the same image by a clear and firm knowledge," that is, by strong faith and prayer.

1:2. Basil understands it this way too, that what is even more true, and has been stated by those who came before us, is said of the Holy Spirit. Scripture observes this point, that when the term "Spirit of God" is used, the Holy Spirit who is the Third Person of the Trinity is understood. If you understand the statement of Moses in this way, it will be of greater value to you. For how does He move above the waters? I will tell you the words of a certain Syrian who said that the term used here has the same meaning as to keep something warm with one's vital or body heat (foveo), as a setting hen warms her eggs. Thus far Basil.

In the same passage he expressly says, "The Spirit is the Lord," that is, God. For when he says, "The Lord is the Spirit," v. 17, the article attributes to the word "Spirit" the position and the intellect of a person.

Basil cites this passage with the same meaning.

Moreover, that the Spirit existed before the Son of God took on flesh, is clearly testified to by Peter when he says, 1 Peter 1:10-11, concerning the prophets,

"The Spirit of Christ who was in them prophesied that Christ should suffer." Here He is specifically called the "Spirit of Christ" who was in the prophets. Thus by the The testimonies drawn from the New Testament are even more illustrative. But, however you explain this statement in Genesis, it still means that the church

is moved by the Holy Spirit who warms, nourishes, teaches, and kindles in her light and prayer. This we must cling to with firm faith, as it says in Acts 2:33,

"Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father in order that He might give His Holy Spirit." Cf. Eph. 4:8. There fore in this faith let us pray that the Son of God may rule over us through His Holy Spirit.

But among other statements is this saying by Eu sebius of Palestine, "Calling upon the holy God, the creator of light, through our Savior Jesus, with the Holy

Spirit. "These words show that the ancients clearly in cluded the three persons in their prayers, and used that form of speaking concerning the Son so that the souls of men were admonished at the same time both by the intercession of the Mediator and by His promises. Here pertains also the passage which we confess in the creed: "I believe in the Holy Spirit." For as has been said above, "I believe in God the Father ... and in Jesus Christ," a form of speech with which we address the persons and beseech good things from them and rest with confidence in the help of the Father and the Son. Thus, when it says in the creedN"l believe in the Holy Spirit," a person is understood, and we pray that the Comforter {paracletos) may be sent into our hearts, that He may guide and direct us in all the perils of life, as He led Moses through the Red Sea, as Isaiah tells us in 63:11 ff.

I have reviewed the testimonies which convince us that the Holy Spirit is a person. To these passages

I should add 1 John 5:7 [Textus Receptus], "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." The words which he uses, "bear record," instruct us to con fess that He reveals Himself as God. God testifies con cerning Himself as to who He is and of what nature, namely, that He is the true God, the creator of things, the preserver and helper. He bears witness concerning

His teaching, concerning His will toward us; and He affirms that there are three in heaven who bear this witness.

Up to this point I have reviewed the true and saving doctrine of the persons, and because I have pointed out that the witness of the true church must not be ignored, serious-minded people ought to read the histories and discover in which councils these teach ings have been faithfully defended and described. The Council of Antioch refuted John of Samosatenus; Ni caea developed the Nicane Creed and shed particular light on the statement dealing with the two natures in Christ. Constantinople defended the article that the Holy Spirit is a person proceeding from the Father and the Son. Ephesus condemned Nestorius, who imag ined that there are not two united natures in Christ but that God the Word {logos) stood beside Christ as a friend stands beside his friend. Chalcedon condemned

Eutyches, who confused the natures and tried to argue that the human was changed into the divine, so that just as the wine was made from water, there was no Therefore we should cling to these testimonies which distinguish among the persons. The Father re veals Himself and distinguishes Himself from the other persons when He declares, "This is My beloved Son,"

Matt. 3:17. Cf. John 12:28. The Son testifies concerning the Father, concerning Himself and concerning the Holy

Spirit in His teaching, which He also confirmed with miracles and by His own resurrection. The Holy Spirit is distinguished because with a special appearance He is poured out on Christ and the apostles, and He later testifies in invocation and confession and with miracles, by giving strength to bear torments, etc. Thus, it is not in vain that John mentions the testimony; and therefore he speaks this way in order to instruct us to understand

God as He has revealed Himself and to strengthen ourselves by the study of these testimonies.

Although there are clearer statements in the New Testament, yet there are testimonies in the prophets which agree with them. The divine person is indicated in this statement of Joel 2:28, when God says, "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh." The fact that He uses the word "My" shows that it was not some created movement which had been sent, but something of the essence of God. Further, it is necessary that He be a distinct person which is a part of God, and yet is not the Father. Moreover, how great the mercy, how great the love toward the human race that God has poured out upon mankind this heavenly fire of His love, a fire which is consubstantial with Himself! longer the two united natures. These are the major church councils whose judgments we remember and embrace.

On the other hand, we should also in the histories consider what uproars often arose in opposition to the true teaching concerning the essence of God. Marcion and the Manichaeans imagined that there are two gods, equally eternal, contending with each other, one good and the other evil. The good they called "light" and the evil "darkness." They said that good natures were cre ated by the good god and that defective matter was made by the evil god.

Basil has gathered the testimonies of many writ ers whose authority in the church previous to his time was preeminent, and it is useful to recall these. For believers will be strengthened in their faith when they hear that this teaching has been handed down with the clear testimonies of the pure and true ancient church, just as has been written in regard to hearing the church,

"If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you would not have found out," Judg. 14:18.

We must learn to refute these monstrous notions.

For there is one Creator of all things, and He is good, as we have said above in defining God. In Is. 45:6 ff. we read "There is no other God beside Me. I form the light and create darkness," the creatures of the dark,

"I make peace and create evil," that is, harmful bodies.

Let us also flee from the monstrous errors of the Valentinians, who imagine that there are countless

helper, with Your coeternal Son, our Lord Jesus Christ who reigns with You and was revealed in Jerusalem, and with Your Holy Spirit who was poured out upon the apostles. O wise, good, merciful judge and fortress,

You have said, "As I live, I do not wish the death of the sinner, but that he be turned and live," Ezek. 33:4, and You have said, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble and gods; or they pile up mere names in an allegorical fash ion, as Hesiod piled up the names of Chaos, Night,

Erebos, Saturn, Jove, and others; or they actually be lieved that there were countless eternal gods because it seemed a matter of wonderment that one individual should dwell in eternal solitude. From the very begin ning of the world the devil has spread and continues to spread his horrible insanity that brings shame upon the true God and insults Him with the weakness of mankind. Against these ravings God has given to us the sure and certain teaching through the patriarchs, the prophets, Christ, and the apostles, and through this light He wills to rule His church and to allow no other opinions. As a baby lies protected in the womb of his mother, so we know that we are enclosed in the Word of God until the time when we have emerged into eter nal life. Then we will behold God face to face. Mean while we give thanks to God because He has revealed

Himself to us, and we reverently accept this revelation.

I will deliver you," Ps. 50:15. Have mercy upon me and for the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, whom

You have willed to be the sacrifice for us, as well as our mediator and our advocate, sanctify, rule, aid, kin dle also my heart and soul by Your Holy Spirit in order that I may truly confess You, call upon You and truly believe in You, give You thanks and obey You; rule and preserve Your church, as You have promised when

You said, "This is My covenant with them: My Spirit is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of the mouth of your seed forever,"

Is. 59:21: Always let the light of Your Gospel shine upon us and rule and strengthen our hearts by Your Holy

Spirit lest we run into the ravings of the Epicureans and fanatics; govern the endeavors of Your church and de fend governments which show kindness to Your churches.

We should know that there are not more persons in the Godhead than three; that one is the coeternal

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; that one is the Son, Jesus Christ the eternal image of the Father; and that one is the Holy Spirit; that these three persons are nevertheless consubstantial (homoousios) with one another and at the same time have created all things.

We must learn that there is a difference, as we have detailed above, and we must understand the blessings which belong to each of the persons. Because God reveals Himself in this way, He wishes to be known in this way and the persons to be distinguished. The Fa ther is the source of all blessings; the Son is properly the mediator and reconciler, and has been made the sacrifice for us when He assumed the human nature.

The Holy Spirit is sent into the hearts of believers in order to kindle new light, righteousness, and eternal life, as when Zechariah calls Him "the Spirit of grace and prayer," 12:10, that is, the one who testifies within us that we have been received into grace and who moves our heart to believe this and stand firm in it.

Likewise, He is the one who moves us to prayer be cause we believe that He has already heard us.

In daily prayer of this kind we ponder over the essence of God, His revelation, His blessings, and His promises. For at the same time as we meditate we also are instructed concerning the persons, our faith is kin dled, and our prayers are necessarily distinguished from those of the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Turks.

For no prayer is pleasing to God unless it be with the knowledge and faith in Christ the mediator, as it is writ ten, "Whatsoever you ask the Father in My name" (that is, by using My name, you show that I am the inter cessor), "He will give you," John 16:23. Likewise, "No one comes to the Father but by Me,"John 14:6. More over, we will find that this true invocation, which is de livered to us in the Gospel, is not without effect.

Our mind and eyes should give careful attention to revelatory actions which shed light on the subject, such as, the baptism of Christ; Christ raising the dead; and after His resurrection how He showed Himself to many people in familiar conversation; and also the sending of the Holy Spirit. These visible testimonies are so clear that they teach the church and strengthen it; and because these things have been demonstrated,

God wills that we study them and understand them. His deity did not reveal itself at that time only for the sake of John the Baptist, but by means of this testimony God wishes to strengthen the entire church both of that time and of later ages. Indeed, He even taught the angels to marvel at the sight of God proceeding from His hiding place and showing Himself to His church. These tes timonies, together with our thoughts on them, kindle the flame in our hearts, so that they more firmly believe that God is present, receives our prayers and helps us as He promised. For it is necessary that this faith be added to our prayers.

This doctrine of the three persons is daily con fessed in our prayers, in which we ardently and above all must petition that God rule our hearts so that we believe rightly about Him and invoke Him correctly and in no way wander away from Him, as the Gentiles and modern Jews, Mohammedans, heretics, Marcion, the Manichaeans, the Valentinians, the Samosatenians, the Arians and other fanatics do.

Therefore we must cling to a certain definite and true form, the very recitation of which admonishes us concerning the true doctrine: O omnipotent, eternal and living God, the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

You have revealed Yourself in Your measureless good ness and have shouted from heaven concerning Your

Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, "Hear ye Him," Matt. 17:5.

O Creator of all things, You are our preserver and

Christ has promised to us for the sake of His Son; be our Comforter in all our deliberations and dangers, and kindle our minds so that with true obedience we may ever worship the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and His Son our Redeemer, and You the Holy Spirit.

Likewise, let us reverently use this form of prayer which is directed to the Mediator, a form which also includes the three persons: Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, crucified and raised again for us, You who rule at the right hand of the Father in order that You may give gifts unto men and become the one who in tercedes for us; have mercy upon me and intercede for me with Your eternal Father; sanctify me by Your Holy

Spirit, as You have promised, saying, "I will not leave you desolate," John 14:18.

If in our prayer we think this way about the per sons and their benefits, our minds will grow in learning and devotion. In summary, let the studious know that the designations of power and virtues are common to all the persons, as well as such titles as wisdom, good ness, righteousness, mercy, strength and purity. Nor are these virtues distinct from the essence. For just as the power of the Father is the Father Himself, so the We also reverently use this form of prayer: Holy

Spirit who has been poured into the apostles, whom the Son of God our Redeemer has promised to us in order to kindle in us the true knowledge and worship of God, as it is written, "I shall pour out on you the Spirit of grace and prayer," Zech. 12:10; arouse in our hearts the true fear of God, true faith, and an understanding of His mercy which the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus righteousness of the Father is the Father Himself and so the righteousness of the Son is thexSon Himself. We must consider how these titles are used in the prophetic

Scriptures and we must be careful in speaking properly and correctly.

Locus 2 Creation God willed to become known and to be recog nized. Therefore He created all creatures and in the process used great artistry to convince us that things do not just exist by accident, but that there is an eternal mind, an architect, a good and righteous One who watches over and judges the deeds of men. But, al though this consideration of universal nature does in deed teach us about God, as I shall discuss again later, yet at the very beginning let us direct our mind and our eyes to all of the testimonies by which God reveals

Himself to His church—to His leading out from Egypt, to His voice sounding at Sinai, to Christ raising the dead, His own resurrection and ascension into heaven, to the voice of the eternal Father saying about Christ,

"Hear Him," and to the sending of the Holy Spirit. These testimonies have been published and set forth so that in the weakness of our nature they may more clearly teach, strengthen, and convince us. Therefore our shrouds our minds in darkness and creates only doubts.

Some, such as the Stoics, have the idea that God is bound to secondary causes and that nothing can take place except what secondary causes produce. Others, like the Epicureans, believe that all things are in a state of flux and confusion by mere accident. Both errors create great doubts in people's minds. [If we think this way, then] whenever we are in dangers which are be yond human understanding, we [will] think of the causes only in terms of nature, with the result that we

[will] believe that evil is incurable because we think that nature functions this way without the working of God.

In the face of these doubts we must strengthen our minds with the correct thinking about the article of creation, and we must establish the fact that not only have things been created by God but that the substance of things is forever preserved and sustained by God.

God makes the earth fruitful with annual crops, He pro duces fruit from the earth. He commands life to living things. This sustaining or preserving of things is com monly called "a general action of God" which yet does not so bind Him to secondary causes that He can do nothing else except that which the secondary causes put into motion. But God is a totally free agent; He preserves the order of His work, and yet for the sake of man He mitigates many things. The nature of things yields to the prayers of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, and all pious people, as Christ says in Matt. 21 [:22, 21 ],

"All things which you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. If you say to this mountain, 'Cast yourself into the sea,' it shall be done." Likewise, "Cast your cares upon God, and He will sustain you" [Ps. 55:22], minds should always be fixed on a consideration of these testimonies, and having been strengthened by them, our minds should meditate on the article of cre ation and finally should consider the evidences of God which have been left in nature.

Now the article of creation set forth expressly in Genesis 1 and in many other passages states that God, the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, together with the co-eternal Son and the Holy Spirit, created out of nothing the heaven and the earth, the angels, men, and all other physical things. Thus it is also said of the Son in John 1:3, "All things were made by Him" (that is, the Son). And concerning the Holy Spirit in creation it is said in Ps. 33:6, "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the power of them by the breath (Spiritus) of His mouth. "Furthermore, that things were created out of nothing is taught by this statement: "He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it was created," Ps. 33:9. Under the speaking or commanding of God things came into being. Thus they were not made of some previously existing material, as the Stoics with their two eternal principles, mind and matter, have imagined. But when God speaks, even though things do not exist, they come into existence, and when John says, "All things were made by Him," he is refuting the Stoic notion which imagines that mat ter was not created. We must keep these things in mind in the church regarding the article of creation.

God is present with His creation. He is not pres ent as a Stoic God, but as One who acts in complete freedom, sustaining His creation and governing it with His measureless mercy, bestowing good things upon it, aiding or restraining secondary causes. The earnestminded must be cautioned on this distinction. Thus we must cling to the testimonies which show us that God is present with the nature of things and that He governs and guides nature, so that we are not torn apart in our difficulties by either Epicurean or Stoic ideas; so that we do not think that we are under the oppression of blind chance or that the order of causes is a matter of fate and immutability or that secondary matters are only left to chance or to physical causes. But rather we con fess that God is truly bestowing His blessings and gov erning nature. Acts 17:28, "In Him we live and move and have our being," that is our life is given through Him, sustained and nourished. Heb. 1:3, "Upholding all things by the word of His power." Col. 1:17, "By Him all things consist." 1 Tim. 6:13, adds a descriptive

But not enough has yet been said about this very important article. The weakness of humanity, even if it recognizes that God is the Creator, yet afterwards imagines that just as the carpenter leaves the ship when he has finished building it and turns it over to the sailors, so God left His work and put it into the hands of His creatures to govern it properly. This notion

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