that canonical book, wherein the Acts of the body of the flesh. 5 For as the body of the
CHAP. XIX.] ON THE TRINITY. 219 fore, is called captivity, which He led captive who ascended up on high, and gave gifts to men, or received gifts in men.
the gift of God, that when they hear of '' the gift of the Holy Spirit,'' they should recognize therein that mode of speech which is found in the words, ''In the spoiling of the body of the flesh. 5 For as the body of the flesh is nothing else but the flesh, so the gift of the Holy Spirit is nothing 'else but the
35. And Peter the apostle, as we read in that canonical book, wherein the Acts of the Apostles are recorded,—when the hearts of the Jews were troubled as he spake of Christ, and they said, "* Brethren, what shall we do? tell us,''—said to them, "' Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins: and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.''* And we read likewise in the same book, that Simon Magus desired to give money to the apostles, that he might receive power from them, whereby the Holy Spirit might be given by the laying on of his hands, And the same Peter said to him, *' Thy money perish with thee: because thou hast thought to purchase for money the gift of God.''? And in another place of the same book, when Peter was speaking to Cornelius, and to those who were with him, and was announcing and preaching Christ, the Scripture says, '' While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all them that heard the word; and they of the circumcision that believed, as many as came with Peter, were astonished, because that upon the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God."?3 And when Peter afterwards was giving an account to the brethren that were at Jerusalem of this act of his, that he had baptized those who were not circumcised, because the Holy Spirit, to cut the knot of the question, had come upon them before they were baptized, and the brethren at Jerusalem were moved when they heard it, he says, after the rest of his words, '' And when I began to speak to them, the Holy Spirit fell
Holy Spirit. He is then the gift of God, so far as He is given to those to:whom He is given. But in Himself He is God, although He were given to no one, bechuse He was God co-eternal with the Father 'and the Son before He was given to any one, Nor is He less than they, because they give, and He is given. For He is given as a gift of God in such way that He Himself ls fe Himself as being God. For He cannot Be said not to be in His own power, of whom it is said,
The Spirit bloweth where it listeth;''*® and the apostle says, as I have already mentioned above, '' All these things worketh that selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.'' We have not here the creating of Him that is given, and the rule of them that give, but the concord of the given and the givers.
37. Wherefore, if Holy Scripture proclaims that God is love, and that love is of God, and works this in us that we abide in God and He in us, and that hereby we know this, because He has given us of His Spirit, then the Spirit Himself is God, who is love. Next, if there be among the gifts of God none greater than love, and there is no greater gift of God than the Holy Spirit, what follows more naturally than that He is Himself love, who is called both God and of God? And if the love by which the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father, ineffably demonstrates the communion of both, what is more suitable than that He should be speCially called love, who is the Spirit common to both? For this is the sounder thing both to believe and to understand, that the Holy Spirit is not alone love in that Trinity, yet is not specially called love to no purpose, for the reasons we have alleged; just as He is not alone in that Trinity either a Spirit or holy, since both the Father is a Spirit, and the Son is a Spirit; and both the Father is holy, and the Son is holy,—as piety doubts not. And yet it is not to no purpose that He is specially called the Holy Spirit; for because He is common to both, He is specially called that which both are in common. Otherwise, if in that Trinity the Holy Spirit alone is love, then doubtless the Son too turns out to be the Son, not of the Father only, but also of the Holy upon them, as upon us in the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, that John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. If, therefore, He gave a like gift to them, as also to us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could hinder God from giving to them the Holy Spirit?" 4 And there are many other testimonies of the Scriptures, which unanimously attest that the Holy Spirit is the gift of God, in so far as He is given to those who by Him love God. But it is too long a task to collect them all. And what is enough to satisfy those who are not satisfied with those we have alleged ?
36. Certainly they must be warned, since they now see that the Holy Spirit is called
2 Acts viii. 18-20, t Acts ii. 37, 38.
5 Col. 11. x, © John ii, 6,
4 Acts xi. 15-17. 3 Acts x. 44, 46.