Breviloquium

Third, concerning the plurality of appropriated attributes, Sacred Scripture teaches that this is to be held: although all essential attributes belong equally and without distinction to all the persons, nevertheless unity is said to be appropriated to the Father, truth to the Son, and goodness to the Holy Spirit. — On this basis Hilary’s second appropriation is taken,¹ namely, « eternity in the Father, beauty in the Image, use in the Gift ». — On this basis the third is taken, namely

in the Father, the principle of originating; in the Son, the principle of exemplifying; in the Holy Spirit, the principle of bringing to an end. — On this basis the fourth is taken, namely, omnipotence to the Father, omniscience to the Son, will or benevolence to the Holy Spirit. — These are said to be appropriated, not because they become proper, since they are always common, but because they lead to the understanding and knowledge of what is proper, namely, of the three persons.

Now the understanding and reason of the foregoing is this. For since the first principle is most noble and most perfect, the noblest and most general conditions of being are therefore found in it in the highest degree. These are unity, truth, and goodness, which do not contract being according to supposits but according to an intelligible account. For unity names being as countable, and it has this through the indivision of itself in itself; truth, insofar as knowable, and it has this through the indivision of itself from its proper species; goodness, insofar as communicable, and it has this through the indivision of itself from its proper operation.²

And because this threefold indivision is ordered with respect to the mode of understanding, such that truth presupposes unity, and goodness presupposes unity and truth, it follows that these are attributed to the first principle in the highest degree because they are perfect and general, and are appropriated to the three persons because they are ordered; and thus supreme unity is appropriated to the Father, who is the origin of the persons; supreme truth to the Son, who is from the Father as Word; supreme goodness to the Holy Spirit, who is from both as love and gift.

And because supreme unity is supreme firstness, since it lacks every beginning; and because supreme truth is supreme equality and beauty; and because supreme goodness is supremely useful and profitable, there arises Hilary’s second appropriation, which is eternity in the Father, because it has no beginning but is altogether first; beauty in the Image, that is, in the Word, because supremely beautiful; use in the Gift, that is, in the Holy Spirit, because supremely profitable and communicative. Augustine intimates this in other words:³ « In the Father, unity; in the Son, equality; in the Holy Spirit, the harmony of unity and equality ».

Again, because supreme unity and firstness have the character of originating and giving rise; supreme beauty and comeliness have the character of expressing and exemplifying; supreme profitability and goodness have the character of bringing to an end, because « good and end are the same »:⁴ there arises the third reason for appropriating efficient causality to the Father, exemplarity to the Son, and finality to the Holy Spirit.

Again, because all power flows from the first and highest principle, all knowing from the first and highest exemplar, and all willing tends toward the highest end,⁵ it is therefore necessary that the first be supremely omnipotent, supremely wise, and supremely benevolent. But the first and highest unity, returning upon itself with a complete and perfect return, is supremely powerful; likewise truth is supremely wise, and goodness supremely benevolent. These are appropriated because they indicate order. For will makes cognition antecedently intelligible, and will and cognition presuppose power and virtue, because « being able to know is being able to do something ».⁶

From these points it is clear what the appropriated attributes are, to whom they are appropriated, and for what reason. These last, however—namely, power, wisdom, and will—are especially those through which the supreme Trinity is praised in the Scriptures. And therefore something must be said briefly and summarily about them.