Autor: Lonergan, Bernard J.F.

Buch: The Trinune God: Systematics

Titel: The Triune God: Systematics

Stichwort: Hervorgang (processio) - Sendung (missio); S.: Konstitution, Schöpfung: aktiv und passiv (Unterschiede); Inkarnation, Gabe des Geistes: materialer äußerer Term; Kategorie der Substanz - Qualität (heiligmachende Gnade); 4 übernatürliche Realitäten

Kurzinhalt: QUESTION 26 - In what ways is an appropriate external term consequent upon a constituted mission? ... In the incarnation the material external term is the nonsubsistent human nature, since ... but in the giving of the Holy Spirit the material ...

Textausschnitt: 467c To understand the previous assertion, note that God is both being by intellect and agent by intellect. God is being by intellect since God's being is God's understanding and willing; God is agent by intellect since God's creating is again God's understanding and willing. For this reason, by the very fact that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit conceive1 and will the sending of a divine person, the constituted mission itself and the appropriate created external term are already present.2 The constitution is present because God is being by intellect and therefore what God understands about God is God. There is the creation because God is agent by intellect and therefore what God understands to be outside God is outside God. (Fs) (notabene)

467d Therefore, if the following are distinguished, (1) constitution in the active sense, (2) constitution in the passive sense, (3) creation in the active sense, and (4) creation in the passive sense, then
(1) constitution in the active sense is common to the three persons, since the Three conceive and will both that the Father send the Son and that the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit;
469a

(2) constitution in the passive sense is proper to the one sending and to the one sent, since the Three conceive and will, not that three send and that three be sent, but that the Father send the Son and the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit;

(3) creation in the active sense is common to the three persons, since the Three conceive and will that the appropriate external term be created, and since the very conceiving, together with the will, is the omnipotent act of creating;

(4) although constitution in the active sense and creation in the active sense are common to the three persons, still they are common to the Three not confusedly but distinctly; for the fact itself that the Son understands and wills that he be sent by the Father he has from the Father, just as he has his substance from the Father; and the fact itself that the Holy Spirit understands and wills that he be sent by the Father and the Son he has from the Father and the Son, just as he has his substance from them; and the same must be said concerning creation in the active sense;

(5) creation in the passive sense is the appropriate external term itself as dependent upon its first efficient cause;

(6) nothing real and intrinsic is added to the intrinsically immutable divine persons, whether by constitution in the active sense or by constitution in the passive sense or by creation in the active sense;

(7) and yet through their infinite and unlimited divine perfection, either common or proper according to the case, the Three really and truly constitute, are really and truly constituted as sending and sent, respectively,3 and the three persons really and truly equally create the appropriate terms;
(8) for just as divine immutability makes impossible a real, intrinsic addition, so also divine infinity renders such an addition superfluous. (Fs)

469b Furthermore, the incarnation of the Son and the giving of the Holy Spirit are similar as to the manner of their constitution and creation but differ as to what is constituted and created. They are similar as to the manner, because the above eight statements are verified in each; but as to what is constituted and created, they are in many respects entirely different. (Fs)

469c In the incarnation the material external term is the nonsubsistent human nature, since the union is in the person; but in the giving of the Holy Spirit the material external term is a subsistent human nature, since the union of grace is between persons. Therefore, just as the latter nature subsists through its proper proportionate act of existence, so the former nature does not subsist, since it lacks a proper proportionate act of existence. (Fs) (notabene)

471a Besides, in the incarnation the Son is both God and man through his own divine act of existence. This contingent truth as contingent has its correspondence of truth through a secondary act of existence by which the nonsubsistent nature is assumed; and since this assumption exceeds the proportion of nature, this secondary act of existence likewise exceeds the proportion of the assumed nature.1 But in the giving of the Holy Spirit, it is through his own proper perfection that the Holy Spirit is gift and is given to the just. This contingent truth as contingent has its correspondence of truth through sanctifying grace whereby a subsistent nature is rendered holy and pleasing to God; and since both the uncreated gift and the created holiness exceed the proportion of this nature, sanctifying grace also exceeds the proportion of nature. (Fs) (notabene)

In the incarnation, therefore, the formal external term is a secondary act of existence that is reduced to the category of substance; but in the giving of the Spirit the formal external term is sanctifying grace, which is in the category of quality. (Fs) (notabene)

471b Moreover, although in the incarnation the Son as God is not alone, it is the Son alone who becomes incarnate. But in giving the Spirit, although the Spirit alone according to his proper perfection is gift, still, since to give one's entire love is the same as to give oneself, and since the Father and the Son give their entire proceeding Love, they also give themselves and therefore are said to come and dwell in the just. (Fs) (notabene)

From this we conclude that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit understand, will, constitute, and accomplish different things in the incarnation and in the giving of the Spirit. (Fs)

471ca But if one asks about the supernatural character of the formal terms, it is pertinent to note the following. First, there are four real divine relations, really identical with the divine substance, and therefore there are four very special modes that ground the external imitation of the divine substance. Next, there are four absolutely supernatural realities, which are never found uninformed,1 namely, the secondary act of existence of the incarnation, sanctifying grace, the habit of charity, and the light of glory. It would not be inappropriate, therefore, to say that the secondary act of existence of the incarnation is a created participation of paternity, and so has a special relation to the Son; that sanctifying grace is a participation of active spiration, and so has a special relation to the Holy Spirit; that the habit of charity is a participation of passive spiration, and so has a special relation to the Father and the Son; and that the light of glory is a participation of sonship, and so in a most perfect way brings the children of adoption back to the Father. (Fs)

473a But if one says that God operates externally not according to the relations but according to the common nature, and therefore the real divine relations cannot be participated in in this way, we must answer with a distinction. The objection would be true if God were a natural agent that could produce only something similar in nature, as fire always produces heat and water always causes moisture. But the divine nature common to the Three is intellectual, and just as God by the divine intellect knows the four real relations, so also by the divine intellect, together with the divine will, God can produce beings that are finite yet similar [to the four real relations] and absolutely supernatural. (Fs)