By Henry Aloysius Barry
CHAPTER XVIII. CATHOLIC IDEA OF "THROUGH THE SON."
The so-called Greeks are constrained to admit that the Holy Ghost proceeds "from the Father through the Son," but they mangle this statement in such a way as impresses one with their insincerity. The particle or preposition "through," designates an efficient cause with sub-ordination to the more principal cause, but, in the divine realm there is, and can be, no subordination excepting that of origin. In the language of Holy Writ and the Church works ad extra are said to be from the Father through the Son; where though there is one nature and hence one principle quo of operation and one indistinct operation, distinction between persons, however, is so indicated as that nature, one, in number, and the working power and operation is communicated by the Father to the Son. Though it can be said that apart and alone or by Himself, all things are created by the Father,— per patrem, and all things are created by the Son,— a filio, it is absurd to assert that He does so "through" the Son, because the 'through' signifies not only causality but communication of nature and operative power from one person to another. St. Basil sustains this meaning as against the Arians—"because the Father creates through the Son, this does not insinuate imperfection in the Father's will (or the substantial will which is the Divine Essence), so that the particle 'through' contains the confession of a primordial cause." (De. Sp. Sanct. c. 8. n. 21.) (Franz p. 530.)
St. Chrysostom explains the "all things were made by Him," and shows that the particle or preposition dia, that is to say "through" does not signify "diminution", as the Arians alleged, but rather expresses one dignity of creative operation on the part of Father and Son—"If herein, we find 'by Him', this is so for no other reason than that one should not think that the Son is unbegotten." (In Joan. Horn, v.) St. Cyril speaks directly of the Holy Ghost and says that the meaning of the Father's sending the Holy Ghost "through" the Son is unity of principle in mission —Father and Son—with a distinction observed between the Father generating and the Son generated. "The Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father. The Father by Himself does not give the Paraclete or Holy Ghost, but, the Son by Himself doth give, nay, the Holy Ghost is given to the' saints from the Father, through the Son; and, therefore, whilst the Father is said to give, the Son giveth through Whom are all things; whilst the Son is said to give, the Father giveth from Whom are all things." (In Joan. p. 810.) 'From'the Father signifies the principle of spiration, so, also, on the other hand, 'through' 1 the Son signifies the same principle with the further signified distinguishing of persons in Father and Son, that namely the virtue and act of spiration is communicated by the Father to the Son, and so the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father through the Son. As in creation by the Father through the Son, there is not one cause and another, but one, two Persons, and at the same time the origin of the Son from the Father are signified. For similar reason in the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father through the Son, one principle of procession is exhibited, because as there is one essence so is there one spirative force, but there are two Persons shown, of Whom the essence is in the formal manner also of spirative force, though in such a way as that the Father is principium without principium, the Son is not principle without principle, but, with the Father one principle of the Holy Ghost as He is one with the Father, God and Creator inasmuch as by generation He has all things that are the Father's communicated —except Fatherhood—and thence also the spirative force. Neither are the Father and Son distinguished from each other more by spiration than Godhead or absolute attributes inasmuch as there is no other distinction between them than the formal relationship of Paternity and Sonship." (Franz, p. 532.) At heart there is no difference between the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father "through the Son" and "Filioque " from the Son. In the latter, unity of principle is better expressed, whilst the order of origin between the Father and Son is not so explicitly set forth as regards the spiration itself, namely that it is communicated "by" the Son. In the prior method of expression—'through the Son,'—direct significance is made of the order of origin between the two persons spirating; that, namely, the Father is the primordial font from whom the spirative force, just as the essence, is communicated to the Son.
