By Henry Aloysius Barry
CHAPTER XX. THE LATIN FATHERS ON THE PROCESSION OF THE HOLY GHOST FROM THE FATHER AND SON.
After the middle of the fourth century, St. Hilary, although most exclusively occupied in his works on the Blessed Trinity with the consubstantiality of the Son, incidentally, still with none the less positiveness, teaches by parity of reason that the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and Son is matter of faith delivered down by Holy Scripture. "The Holy Ghost," says the Saint, "proceedeth ex aequo from the Father and Son." (lib. ii, de Trinit.) "I would adore Thee, our Father," says the saint, "Thy Son, Who is one with Thee, Thy Holy Spirit which is from Thee by Thy only begotten." St. Hilary makes use of the two prepositions 'from' and 'by' to denote distinctiveness of Persons and in doing so has done what the Scriptures had done before him and the Father's since. St. Hilary and St. Augustine have kept in the foreground the fact of the Father being the primordial Principle. They have done so by alluding to Him as the 'Author.' The former calls the Three Persons in the order of relationship 'Author','Only-Begotten'and 'Gift'. Says St. Augustine:—"If you say the Father is called 'Author' because the Son is of Him and because from Him and the Son the Holy Ghost so proceeds that He (the Father) by begetting shall have given to the Son to have the Holy Ghost proceed from Him, what you say agrees with us." (contra Maximin. I. ii c. 5; c. 14. n, 1.) En Passant, St. Hilary in this connection gives expression to the idea of liberty in matters of faith. He tells the Arians, "The Lord hath not left the matter in uncertainty." The saint says substantially that Christ takes away this liberty by His doctrine. Of course when faith speaks, one cannot remain free to question the truth. Yet this is what a rebellious religious element in the world is all the time battling for. All their sympathies go out to combat for such a liberty as leaves men free and unbound before, and by, the Eternal King. In other words, according to their idea, truth cannot compel. St. Hilary tells us that this is "the liberty of a wicked intelligence." This Father would have the Arians know that it is not He Who offers violence to their liberty, but Christ. How much of virulent invective is exploded in the air every day about the Church supplanting liberty and reason with assertion and dogma; whereas, in reality, she is only the mouth-piece of Christ. The deepest faith is the most perfect freedom. "If you continue in My words," says our Lord, "you shall be My disciple indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The Jews rose up in their might and surged in tumult of violence against the Messiah—"You seek to kill Me because My word hath no place in you." So may the Church say, "You seek to kill Me, a Man Who hath spoken the truth to you." "But if I say the truth you believe Me not." (John viii.) Freedom is the child of truth. That child may be bound up in a mother's deep affections, locked in the inner cells of her bosom, aye one must hate Father and Mother for God. Our Lord spoke of the eternal captive—let the unbelieving world pause to examine the root of His reprobation: —"You are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you will do, and he was a murderer from the beginning and he stood not in truth because truth is not in him." (v. 44.) A father's tears, a wife's devotion, a child's temporal welfare, position in the world, mercantile, social,—all stand between the soul and the truth. Let us all examine ourselves on this point.
CHAPTER XX. THE LATIN FATHERS ON THE PROCESSION OF THE HOLY GHOST FROM THE FATHER AND SON.
After the middle of the fourth century, St. Hilary, although most exclusively occupied in his works on the Blessed Trinity with the consubstantiality of the Son, incidentally, still with none the less positiveness, teaches by parity of reason that the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and Son is matter of faith delivered down by Holy Scripture. "The Holy Ghost," says the Saint, "proceedeth ex aequo from the Father and Son." (lib. ii, de Trinit.) "I would adore Thee, our Father," says the saint, "Thy Son, Who is one with Thee, Thy Holy Spirit which is from Thee by Thy only begotten." St. Hilary makes use of the two prepositions 'from' and 'by' to denote distinctiveness of Persons and in doing so has done what the Scriptures had done before him and the Father's since. St. Hilary and St. Augustine have kept in the foreground the fact of the Father being the primordial Principle. They have done so by alluding to Him as the 'Author.' The former calls the Three Persons in the order of relationship 'Author','Only-Begotten'and 'Gift'. Says St. Augustine:—"If you say the Father is called 'Author' because the Son is of Him and because from Him and the Son the Holy Ghost so proceeds that He (the Father) by begetting shall have given to the Son to have the Holy Ghost proceed from Him, what you say agrees with us." (contra Maximin. I. ii c. 5; c. 14. n, 1.) En Passant, St. Hilary in this connection gives expression to the idea of liberty in matters of faith. He tells the Arians, "The Lord hath not left the matter in uncertainty." The saint says substantially that Christ takes away this liberty by His doctrine. Of course when faith speaks, one cannot remain free to question the truth. Yet this is what a rebellious religious element in the world is all the time battling for. All their sympathies go out to combat for such a liberty as leaves men free and unbound before, and by, the Eternal King. In other words, according to their idea, truth cannot compel. St. Hilary tells us that this is "the liberty of a wicked intelligence." This Father would have the Arians know that it is not He Who offers violence to their liberty, but Christ. How much of virulent invective is exploded in the air every day about the Church supplanting liberty and reason with assertion and dogma; whereas, in reality, she is only the mouth-piece of Christ. The deepest faith is the most perfect freedom. "If you continue in My words," says our Lord, "you shall be My disciple indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The Jews rose up in their might and surged in tumult of violence against the Messiah—"You seek to kill Me because My word hath no place in you." So may the Church say, "You seek to kill Me, a Man Who hath spoken the truth to you." "But if I say the truth you believe Me not." (John viii.) Freedom is the child of truth. That child may be bound up in a mother's deep affections, locked in the inner cells of her bosom, aye one must hate Father and Mother for God. Our Lord spoke of the eternal captive—let the unbelieving world pause to examine the root of His reprobation: —"You are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you will do, and he was a murderer from the beginning and he stood not in truth because truth is not in him." (v. 44.) A father's tears, a wife's devotion, a child's temporal welfare, position in the world, mercantile, social,—all stand between the soul and the truth. Let us all examine ourselves on this point.
