Duplication in WItness
FIRST BOOK. (PL 67 0534C), Chapter 3. Which one of the Trinity suffered.
1-24
9. In fact the apostle John also, in his letter speaks thus of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
"There are three who bear witness on earth - the spirit, the water and the blood - and these three are one,”
By "the spirit," he means the Father, as the Lord did when he said to the Samaritan woman, according to the
Gospel of the same Saint John: "Believe me, the hour will come when it will not be in this mountain, nor in
Jerusalem that you will worship the Father. You worship what you do not know, we worship what we know, for
salvation comes from the Jews. But the hour comes, and it is now, where the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and in truth. Such, in fact, are the worshipers whom the Father desires. God is spirit, and those
who worship him should worship him in spirit and in truth."
10. By "water," he means the Holy Spirit, as when he reveals in his same Gospel the words of the Lord who says:
"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture says, rivers of living
water will flow from his bosom." He adds immediately after: "Now he said these words concerning the Spirit which
those were to receive who would believe in him, for the Spirit was not yet given, since Jesus had not yet been
glorified," and
by "blood" he means the Son, since it is he of the Holy Trinity who participated in flesh and blood.
So the apostle John when he speaks of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit does not say: "There are
three persons who testify on earth - the spirit, the water and the blood - and these three persons are one”,
but rather he says:“There are three that bear witness on earth - the spirit, the water and the blood - and
these three are one”.
23. However, looking closely at the problem and looking deeper into the cause, it would appear that we do not say
"one" for "one person", but rather "one person" for "one of the Trinity". In fact, the Church of Christ (even when
the name "of persons" was not yet used to distinguish Father, Son and Holy Spirit) has always believed
and preached three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as we have shown before with the testimony of the
apostle John, where it says: "There are three who bear witness on earth, spirit, water and blood, and
these three are one."
24. However the name "person" was not assumed in the use of preaching except out of necessity when Sabellius
began to fight against the Church, for which those in whom it has always been believed and who have been
called three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are now called together with the one and common name of
"persons". Then "subsistences" were also said, as pleased the Church, to indicate the Trinity and to attribute this
name to the distinction of persons. And so it was that one day the question arose about this new vocabulary: is it
necessary, in order to express the Trinity which is God, to admit "person" and "subsistence", as the very term of
"Trinity" has also been admitted? But it has never disputed what the Church has always held firm and
preached, namely that there are three who bear witness on earth and "these three are one".
5. Greek Fathers Quote Leo's Tome
a. Facundus (fluent in Greek) : Quotes verse 8 with”in earth"
Which one of the Trinity suffered (Defense of the Three Chapters, Book 1, Chapter 3).
9. In fact, the apostle John also in his letter writes about the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit:”There are three who testify on earth, spirit, water and blood and these three are one”(1 Jn
5, 8). With”spirit”it indicates the Father, as does the Lord, who in the Gospel of John himself says to the
Samaritan woman:”Jesus saith to her: Woman, believe me that the hour cometh, when you shall neither
on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, adore the Father. You adore that which you know not: we adore that
which we know. For salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh and now is, when the true adorers shall
adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeketh such to adore him. God is a spirit: and
they that adore him must adore him in spirit and in truth."(Jn 4: 21-24).
11. By”blood”instead it indicates the Son, since he was part of the flesh and blood of the Holy Trinity. So
the apostle John speaking of Father, Son and Holy Spirit does not say that there are three
‘persons’ who testify on earth, that is spirit, water and blood, and that these three are one, but
rather says:”There are three who testify on earth, spirit, water and blood and these three are
one.”(I Jn v. 8)
23. However, by carefully examining the problem and looking more deeply into the cause, it would
emerge that we do not say”one”for”one person", but rather one says”one person”for”one of the Trinity". In
fact, the Church of Christ, even when the name of persons was not yet used to distinguish Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, has always believed and preached three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as we
have shown before with the testimony of the apostle John where it says:”Three are who testify on
earth, spirit, water and blood, and these three are one.”(1 Jn 5: 8)
24. However the name of person was not assumed in the use of preaching except out of necessity when
Sabellio began to fight against the Church, so those in whom it has always been believed and who have
been called [PAGE 71] three (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are now called together with the common
name of”person”. Then subsistences were also said, as the Church liked, to indicate the Trinity and to
attribute this name to the distinction of”persons”. Once upon a time there was a discussion about the new
name of”person”or of”subsistence”, if it were to be admitted to indicate the Trinity which is God, as the
name of Trinity itself was also admitted; but there was never any discussion about what the Church
has always held firm and preached, namely that there are three who bear witness on earth
and”these three are one."
