Steven Avery
Administrator
Witness of God is Greater
The Mystery of the Trinity
1. The testimonies of the New Testament. After the testimonies of the Old Testament concerning our
faith in the holy trinity and unity, let us now approach the authorities of the New Testament. In this way,
truth can be known "in the midst of two animals;" (cf. Hab. 3:2) and "with tongs" can taken "from the
altar the coal" (cf. Is. 6:6) 2 with which the mouths of the faithful may be touched.
2. And the Lord Christ plainly indicates the unity of the divine essence and the trinity of persons,
saying to the Apostles: "God, baptize all the nations, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit." (Matt 28:19) As Ambrose says in "On the Trinity," book 1: "He said specifically in the
name, and not 'in the names,'" so that the unity of essence should be shown; by adding the three
names, he made clear that there are three persons. And as Ambrose says in the same book: "He also
says: 'I and the Father are one.'4 He said 'one,' so that there should be no differentiation of power or
nature; but he added 'are,' so that you can know the Father and the Son, namely that the perfect Father
may be believed to have begotten the [PAGE 18] perfect Son, and that the Father and the Son are one,
not in confusion, but in unity of nature." (cf. Ambrose, De fide, bk 1 chapter 1 nn8-9)
3. John too says in the canonical Epistle: "There are three who shall give witness in heaven:
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." (1 Jn 5:7) The same [John]
says at the beginning of his Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God," (Jn 1:1) where he manifestly shows that the Son was always and eternally with the
Father, as one with another.
Lombard, Sentences. Book 1. The Mystery of the Trinity. Distinction II. 8. Of the witness of the New
Testament; Translated by Giulio Silano, The Sentences by Peter Lombard, 2007, p. 17-18.
De Mysterio Trinitatis.
1. Nunc vero post testimonia veteris Testamenti, de fide sanctae Trinitatis et unitatis, ad novi
Testamenti auctoritates accedamus; ut in medio duorum animalium, id est, testamentorum,
cognoscitur veritas: et forcipe de altari sumatur calculus quo tangantur ora fidelium.
2. Dominus itaque Christus unitatem divinae essentiae ac personarum trinitatem aperte
insinuat, dicens apostolis: Ite, baptizate omnes gentes in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus
sancti. In nomine utique ait, ut Ambros. ait in lib. 1 de Trin. (de Fide, l. 1, c. 1, 2) , non in
nominibus, ut unitas essentiae ostendatur. Per nomina tria quae supposuit, tres esse personas
declaravit. Ipse etiam ait: Ego et Pater unum sumus; unum dixit, ut ait Ambr. in eodem, ne fiat
discretio potestatis naturae; et addidit, sumus, ut Patrem Filiumque cognoscas; scilicet ut
perfectus Pater Filium perfectum genuisse credatur; et quod Pater et Filius unum sint, non
confusione personae, sed unitate naturae.
3. Ioannes quoque in Epistola 1 canonica ait: Tres sunt qui testimonium perhibent in
coelo, Pater, Verbum et Spiritus sanctus; et hi tres unum sunt. Ipse etiam in initio Evangelii
sui ait: In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum; ubi aperte
ostendit Filium semper et aeternaliter fuisse apud Patrem; ut alium apud alium.
Petri Lombardi. Sententiae. Liber Primus. De Mysterio Trinitatis. Distinctio II. De Mysterio
Trinitatis et Unitatis. 8. De testimoniis novi Testamenti; Migne Latina, PL 192.528
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The Mystery of the Trinity
1. The testimonies of the New Testament. After the testimonies of the Old Testament concerning our
faith in the holy trinity and unity, let us now approach the authorities of the New Testament. In this way,
truth can be known "in the midst of two animals;" (cf. Hab. 3:2) and "with tongs" can taken "from the
altar the coal" (cf. Is. 6:6) 2 with which the mouths of the faithful may be touched.
2. And the Lord Christ plainly indicates the unity of the divine essence and the trinity of persons,
saying to the Apostles: "God, baptize all the nations, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit." (Matt 28:19) As Ambrose says in "On the Trinity," book 1: "He said specifically in the
name, and not 'in the names,'" so that the unity of essence should be shown; by adding the three
names, he made clear that there are three persons. And as Ambrose says in the same book: "He also
says: 'I and the Father are one.'4 He said 'one,' so that there should be no differentiation of power or
nature; but he added 'are,' so that you can know the Father and the Son, namely that the perfect Father
may be believed to have begotten the [PAGE 18] perfect Son, and that the Father and the Son are one,
not in confusion, but in unity of nature." (cf. Ambrose, De fide, bk 1 chapter 1 nn8-9)
3. John too says in the canonical Epistle: "There are three who shall give witness in heaven:
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." (1 Jn 5:7) The same [John]
says at the beginning of his Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God," (Jn 1:1) where he manifestly shows that the Son was always and eternally with the
Father, as one with another.
Lombard, Sentences. Book 1. The Mystery of the Trinity. Distinction II. 8. Of the witness of the New
Testament; Translated by Giulio Silano, The Sentences by Peter Lombard, 2007, p. 17-18.
De Mysterio Trinitatis.
1. Nunc vero post testimonia veteris Testamenti, de fide sanctae Trinitatis et unitatis, ad novi
Testamenti auctoritates accedamus; ut in medio duorum animalium, id est, testamentorum,
cognoscitur veritas: et forcipe de altari sumatur calculus quo tangantur ora fidelium.
2. Dominus itaque Christus unitatem divinae essentiae ac personarum trinitatem aperte
insinuat, dicens apostolis: Ite, baptizate omnes gentes in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus
sancti. In nomine utique ait, ut Ambros. ait in lib. 1 de Trin. (de Fide, l. 1, c. 1, 2) , non in
nominibus, ut unitas essentiae ostendatur. Per nomina tria quae supposuit, tres esse personas
declaravit. Ipse etiam ait: Ego et Pater unum sumus; unum dixit, ut ait Ambr. in eodem, ne fiat
discretio potestatis naturae; et addidit, sumus, ut Patrem Filiumque cognoscas; scilicet ut
perfectus Pater Filium perfectum genuisse credatur; et quod Pater et Filius unum sint, non
confusione personae, sed unitate naturae.
3. Ioannes quoque in Epistola 1 canonica ait: Tres sunt qui testimonium perhibent in
coelo, Pater, Verbum et Spiritus sanctus; et hi tres unum sunt. Ipse etiam in initio Evangelii
sui ait: In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum; ubi aperte
ostendit Filium semper et aeternaliter fuisse apud Patrem; ut alium apud alium.
Petri Lombardi. Sententiae. Liber Primus. De Mysterio Trinitatis. Distinctio II. De Mysterio
Trinitatis et Unitatis. 8. De testimoniis novi Testamenti; Migne Latina, PL 192.528
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