Chapter II.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One in
counsel.
20.
For
the Spirit
Himself is Power, as you read: “The Spirit of Counsel and
of Power (or might).”
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And as the
Son is the Angel of great counsel, so, too, is the Holy Spirit the
Spirit of Counsel, that you may know that the Counsel of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit is One. Counsel, not concerning any
doubtful matters, but concerning those foreknown and
determined.
21. But that the Spirit is the Arbiter of
the Divine Counsel, you may know even from this. For when
above
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we showed that the Holy Spirit was the
Lord of baptism, and read that baptism is the counsel of God, as you
read, “But the Pharisees despised the counsel of God, not being
baptized of Him,”
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it is quite
clear that as there can be no baptism without the Spirit, so, too, the
counsel of God is not without the Spirit.
22. And that we may know more completely
that the Spirit is Power, we ought to know that He was promised when
the Lord said: “I will pour out of My Spirit upon all
flesh.”
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He, then,
Who was promised to us is Himself Power, as in the Gospel the same Son
of God declared when He said: “And I will send the promise
of the Father upon you, but do you remain in the city until ye be
endued with power from on high.”
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23. And the Evangelist so far shows that the
Spirit is Power, that St. Luke relates that He came down with great
power, when he says: “And suddenly there was a sound from
heaven, as though the Spirit were borne with great
power.”
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24. But,
again, that you may not suppose that this is to be referred to bodily
things and perceptible to the senses, learn that the Spirit so
descended as Christ is to descend, as you find: “They shall
see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and
majesty.”
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25. For how should not the power and might be one,
when the work is one, the judgment one, the temple one, the life-giving
one, the sanctification one, and the kingdom also of the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit one?
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Isa. xi. 2
.
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Book I. vi.
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S.
Luke vii. 30
.
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Joel ii. 28
.
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S.
Luke xxiv. 49
.
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Acts ii. 2
.
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S.
Matt. xxiv. 30
.