29. Concerning the Holy Spirit I ought not
to be silent, and yet I have no need to speak; still, for the sake of
those who are in ignorance, I cannot refrain. There is no need to
speak, because we are bound to confess Him, proceeding, as He does,
from Father and Son Qui Patre et Filio
auctoribus confitendus est; A comparison with dum et usum
et auctorem eius ignorant in § 4 makes this appear the
probable translation. It might, of course, mean confess Him on
the evidence of Father and Son.. For my own
part, I think it wrong to discuss the question of His existence.
He does exist, inasmuch as He is given, received, retained; He is
joined with Father and Son in our confession of the faith, and cannot
be excluded from a true confession of Father and Son; take away a part,
and the whole faith is marred. If any man demand what meaning we
attach to this conclusion, he, as well as we, has read the words of the
Apostle, Because ye are sons of God, God hath sent the Spirit of His
Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father Gal. iv. 6.,
and Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in Whom ye have been
sealed Eph. iv. 30., and again, But
we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit which is
of God, that we may know the things that are given unto us by
God 1 Cor. ii. 12., and also But ye are not in the flesh but
in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God is in you. But if
any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His Rom. viii. 9., and further, But if the Spirit of Him
that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up
Christ from the dead shall quicken also your mortal bodies for the sake
of His Spirit which dwelleth in you Ib.
11.. Wherefore since He is, and is
given, and is possessed, and is of God, let His traducers take refuge
in silence. When they ask, Through Whom is He? To what end does
He exist? Of what nature is He? we answer that He it is through Whom
all things exist, and from Whom are all things, and that He is the
Spirit of God, God’s gift to the faithful. If our answer
displease them, their displeasure must also fall upon the Apostles and
the Prophets, who spoke of Him exactly as we have spoken. And
furthermore, Father and Son must incur the same displeasure.