Sentences, Books I–II

Unique Chapter unicum (101).

1. What is signified by the words one, two or two things, three or three things, triune or Trinity, many or plurality, distinction or distinct, when we use them while speaking of God. Since there is no diversity or singularity in the Trinity, nor multiplicity or solitude, it is necessary to inquire carefully what is signified by these words: one or one thing, two or two things, three or three things, many or plurality, distinct or distinction, when we say "one God," "two persons" or "three persons," "many persons," or "the persons are distinct"; or when we say "distinction of persons," "plurality of persons," "Trinity of persons," and the like. For in saying these things we seem to posit quantities of number and a multitude or multiplicity of things in God. Let us therefore take care to indicate what these expressions signify there, with him of whom we speak disclosing it.

2. These expressions are said more to exclude what is not in God than to posit anything. If we attend carefully to the words of the authorities cited above, so as to grasp the meaning of what was said, it seems that these expressions were introduced more to remove and exclude from the simplicity of the Godhead what is not there than to posit anything.

3. What is signified by one when one God is said. When "one God" is said, a multitude of gods is excluded, and no numerical quantity is posited in the Godhead; it is as though one said: God exists, and there are not many or several gods. Hence Ambrose says in The Trinity: "When we say one God, unity excludes the number of gods; it does not posit quantity in God, because there is neither number nor quantity there."

¹ et MNR. 15 ponendum] ponenda OP.]

²

³

4. In what sense it is said that the Father is one or the Son is one. Similarly, when it is said that "the Father is one" or "the Son is one" and the like, the reason for the statement is that there are not many Fathers or many Sons; the same applies to similar expressions.

5. In what understanding persons are said to be many. When we say that there are many persons, we exclude singularity and solitude; we do not posit diversity or multiplicity there. It is as though we said: we confess persons without solitude or singularity. Hence Hilary says in Book IV of The Trinity: "God said: Let us make man in our image and likeness. I now ask whether you think that God spoke only to himself, or whether you understand his speech to have been addressed to another. If you say that he was alone, you are refuted by his own words: Let us make, and our. For the profession of fellowship removed the notion of singularity and solitude, since there can be no fellowship for one who is solitary. Solitude does not admit the words Let us make, nor would one alien from himself say our."

Attend to these words, reader, and see that by fellowship he signified plurality; the profession of fellowship is therefore a profession of plurality, which he professed by saying Let us make and our. But by this profession he did not posit plurality; rather, he denied solitude and singularity. We do not, he says, posit the quantity of number in the Godhead by plurality; we signify an understanding not directed to another, so that the meaning is this: There are three persons, or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three—that is, not only the Father, nor only the Son, nor only the Holy Spirit, but this one and that one and the other, and no other besides them. Likewise, it is not only this person who is there, but this and that and the other, and no other. Augustine also makes this sufficiently clear when he says: "Human poverty, seeking what it should call the three, said three persons or substances; by these names it did not wish diversity to be understood, but it did not wish singularity."

6. What is signified by the number three when three persons are said. Likewise, when we say three persons, or that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three, we do not posit numerical quantity in the Godhead, but signify an understanding not directed to another besides them.

7. What is signified by two when two persons are said. Similarly, when we say that the Father and the Son are two, we do not posit duality there, but signify this: it is not only the Father, nor only the Son, but the Father and the Son, and this one is not that one; and likewise in other such cases. — Thus too, when we say that the Father and the Son are two persons, we signify that the Father alone is not a person and the Son alone is not a person, but the Father is a person and the Son is a person, and this person is not that one.

8. In what sense distinction is said to be in the persons or the persons are distinct. When we say that the persons are distinct, or that there is distinction in the persons, we exclude confusion and mixture, and signify that this is not that. When we add that the persons are distinct or different by their properties, we signify that this person is one and that person another by their properties. When we say "one and another," we do not posit diversity or alienation there, but exclude Sabellian confusion.

9. How discretion is understood there. Likewise, when the persons are called discrete, or discretion is said to be in the persons, we adopt the same understanding. For distinction is taken there in the same way as discretion. It is appropriately said that there is discretion or distinction there, not diversity, division, or separation. Hence Ambrose says in Book I of The Trinity: "The Father is not the Son himself, but there is a clear distinction between the Father and the Son."

10. How Trinity is understood there. When Trinity is said, it seems to signify what is signified by saying three persons: just as one cannot say that the Father is three persons, or that the Son is three persons, so one should not say that the Father is the Trinity, or that the Son is the Trinity.

11. What seems contrary to the foregoing. We must not pass over the fact that, although it was said above that God must be confessed neither singular nor multiple, and this was confirmed by the authorities of the saints, Isidore seems to think the contrary when he says: "A distinction must be made between Trinity and unity. Unity is simple and singular, but Trinity is multiple and countable, because Trinity is the unity of three." Behold, he calls unity singular, and Trinity multiple and countable. — To this we reply that he took singular in the sense in which others take one, and multiple and countable in the sense in which others say triune.

⁴ estimes BOPW. 18 Faciamus] vero BOP. 17 dicitur ibi] trp. BNVX. 25 praedictis] supradictis BWX. 21 idque] id quod BNX.]

⁵

⁶