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| Chapter VII. The Holy Spirit is not a creature, seeing that He is infinite, and was shed upon the apostles dispersed through all countries, and moreover sanctifies the Angels also, to whom He makes us equal. Mary was full of the same likewise, so too, Christ the Lord, and so far all things high and low. And all benediction has its origin from His operation, as was signified in the moving of the water at Bethesda.
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Chapter VII.
The Holy Spirit is not a creature, seeing that He is
infinite, and was shed upon the apostles dispersed through all
countries, and moreover sanctifies the Angels also, to whom He makes us
equal. Mary was full of the same likewise, so too, Christ the
Lord, and so far all things high and low. And all benediction has
its origin from His operation, as was signified in the moving of the
water at Bethesda.
81. Since then,
every creature is confined within certain limits of its own nature, and
inasmuch as those invisible operations, which cannot be circumscribed
by place and bounds, yet are closed in by the property of their own
substance; how can any one dare to call the Holy Spirit a creature, Who
has not a limited and circumscribed power? because He is always in all
things and everywhere, which assuredly is the property of Divinity and
Lordship, for: “The earth is the Lord’s and the
fulness thereof.”890
81. And so, when the Lord appointed His
servants the apostles, that we might recognize that the creature was
one thing and the grace of the Spirit another, He appointed them to
different places, because all could not be everywhere at once.
But He gave the Holy Spirit to all, to shed upon the apostles though
separated the gift of indivisible grace. The persons, then, were
different, but the accomplishment of the working was in all one,
because the Holy Spirit is one of Whom it is said: “Ye
shall receive power, even the Holy Spirit coming upon you, and ye shall
be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto
the ends of the earth.”891
82. The Holy Spirit, then, is
uncircumscribed and infinite, Who infused Himself into the minds of the
disciples throughout the separate divisions of distant regions, and the
remote bounds of the whole world, Whom nothing is able to escape or to
deceive. And therefore holy David says: “Whither
shall I go from Thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from Thy
face.”892
Of what
Angel does the Scripture say this? of what Dominion? of what Power? of
what Angel do we find the power diffused over many? For Angels
were sent to few, but the Holy Spirit was poured upon whole
peoples. Who, then, can doubt that that is divine which is shed
upon many at once and is not seen; but that that is corporeal which is
seen and held by individuals?
83. But in like manner as the Spirit sanctifying
the apostles is not a partaker of human nature; so, too, He sanctifying
Angels, Dominions, and Powers, has no partnership with creatures.
But if any think that the holiness of the Angels is not spiritual, but
some other kind of grace belonging to the property of their nature,
they will forsooth judge Angels to be inferior to men. For since
themselves also confess that they would not dare to compare Angels to
the Holy Spirit, and they cannot deny that the Holy Spirit is shed upon
men; but the sanctification of the Spirit is a divine gift and favour,
men who possess a better kind of sanctification will certainly be found
to be preferred to the Angels. But since Angels come down to men
to assist them, it must be understood that the nature of Angels is
higher as it receives more of the grace of the Spirit, and that the
favour awarded to us and to them comes from the same author.
84. But how great is that grace which makes even
the lower nature of the lot of men equal to the gifts received by
Angels, as the Lord Himself promised, saying: “Ye shall be
as the Angels in heaven.” Nor is it difficult, for He Who
made those Angels in the Spirit will by the same grace make men also
equal to the Angels.
85. But of what creature can it be said that
it fills all things, as is written of the Holy Spirit: “I
will pour My Spirit upon all flesh.”893
This cannot be said of an
Angel. Lastly, Gabriel himself, when sent to Mary, said:
“Hail, full of grace,”894
plainly
declaring the grace of the Spirit which was in her, because the Holy
Spirit had come upon her, and she was about to have her womb full of
grace with the heavenly Word.
86. For it is of the Lord to fill all
things, Who says: “I fill heaven and earth.”895
If, then, it is the Lord Who fills
heaven and earth, Who can judge the Holy Spirit to be without a share
in the dominion and divine power, seeing that He has filled the world,
and what is beyond the whole world, filled Jesus the Redeemer of the
whole world? For it is written: “But Jesus, full of
the Holy Spirit, departed from Jordan.”896
Who, then, except one who
possessed the same fulness could fill Him Who fills all
things?
87. But lest they should object that this
was said according to the flesh, though He alone from Whose flesh went
forth virtue to heal all, was more than all; yet, as the Lord fills all
things, so, too, we read of the Spirit: “For the Spirit of
the Lord filled the whole world.”897
And you find it said of
all
who had consorted
with the Apostles that, “filled with the Holy Spirit they spoke
the word of God with boldness.”898
You
see that the Spirit gives both fulness and boldness, Whose operation
the archangel announces to Mary, saying: “The Holy Spirit
shall come on thee.”899
88. You read, too, in the Gospel that the
Angel descended at the appointed time into the pool and troubled the
water, and he who first went down into the pool was made
whole.900
What did the Angel declare in this type
but the descent of the Holy Spirit, which was to come to pass in our
day, and should consecrate the waters when invoked by the prayers of
the priest? That Angel, then, was a herald of the Holy Spirit,
inasmuch as by means of the grace of the Spirit medicine was to be
applied to our infirmities of soul and mind. The Spirit, then,
has the same ministers as God the Father and Christ. He fills all
things, possesses all things, works all and in all in the same manner
as God the Father and the Son work.
89. What, then, is more divine than the
working of the Holy Spirit, since God Himself testifies that the Holy
Spirit presides over His blessings, saying: “I will put My
Spirit upon thy seed and My blessings upon thy
children.”901
For no blessing
can be full except through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Wherefore, too, the Apostle found nothing better to wish us than this,
as He himself said: “We cease not to pray and make request
for you that ye may be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding walking worthily of
God.”902
He taught,
then, that this was the will of God, that rather by walking in good
works and words and affections, we should be filled with the will of
God, Who puts His Holy Spirit in our hearts. Therefore if he who
has the Holy Spirit is filled with the will of God, there is certainly
no difference of will between the Father and the
Son.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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