Pars 1, Cap. 5
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/5/d/1/q/bon-brev-p1-c5
----------------------------------------
### Chapter V. *On the unity of the divine nature amid the multiformity of apparitions.*

Second, concerning the plurality of *apparitions*, divine doctrine teaches that this is to be held: that although God is uncircumscribable, invisible, and unchangeable, nevertheless he *dwells in a special way* in holy men, *appeared* to the Patriarchs and the Prophets, *came down* from the heavens, and also *sent* the Son and the Holy Spirit for the salvation of the human race. — And although in God the nature, power, and operation of the Trinity are undivided, yet the *mission* or *apparition* of one person is not

the mission or apparition of another. And although there is in them the highest equality, yet it belongs to the Father alone *to send* and *not to be sent*; to the Holy Spirit belongs only *to be sent* in respect of the divine persons, unless perhaps he be said to send the assumed man; but to the Son belongs both *to send* and *to be sent*, as can be gathered from the Scriptures.

Now the understanding and the reason for the aforesaid is this: although the first principle is immense and uncircumscribable, is incorporeal and invisible, is eternal and unchangeable, nevertheless it is the principle of things spiritual and corporeal, natural and gratuitous, and through this of things also mutable, sensible, and circumscribed — through which, although he himself is unchangeable, insensible, and uncircumscribable, he renders himself manifest and known. Now he renders himself manifest and known *generally* through the totality of his effects emanating from him, in which he is said to be by *essence, power*, and *presence*, which extends to all created things. — He renders himself known also *specially* through certain effects which lead specially to him, by reason of which he is said *to dwell, to appear, to descend, to be sent*, and *to send*. — For *to dwell* says a *spiritual* effect with acceptance, such as is the effect of sanctifying grace, which is deiform and leads back to God, and makes us have God, and be had by God, and through this also makes him indwell in us. And because the effect of grace is common to all the persons, therefore one person does not indwell without another, but rather the whole Trinity together.

But *to appear* says a *sensible* effect with an express signification, as the Holy Spirit appeared in the dove. And since, just as the divine persons are distinct, so they can be distinctly signified both by signs and by names; therefore *any person whatever* can *appear by himself*, and *apparition* can *belong to all*, whether together or to each by himself. Hence, that the Holy Spirit is said to have appeared in fiery tongues and in the dove is not on account of a *new bond* or a special *effect*, but on account of the union which exists between the *thing signified* and the *sign* specially assigned to it, both in manner and in origin.

But *to descend* says either of the aforesaid effects with an *inception*. For God is always present to the most blessed Angels in the heavens, because in them he always *indwells* and *appears*. But to sinners on earth he is at present as it were absent, both as to *grace* and as to *knowledge*; and therefore, when he *begins* to appear or to indwell, from being present to the heavens and as it were absent to us, he becomes present to the earth: and therefore, although in himself he is not changed, he is nevertheless said to *descend* with respect to us.

But *to be sent* says the aforesaid effects with an *eternal production*. For the Father then sends the Son, when, by making him present to us through knowledge or grace, he conveys that he proceeds from himself. And because the Father proceeds from none, therefore he is nowhere said *to be sent*. But because the Son both produces and is produced, therefore he *sends* and *is sent*. But because the Holy Spirit is eternally produced, yet does not produce except in time; therefore it belongs to him properly *to be sent*, whereas *to send* does not belong to him except in respect of the creature. — From which it appears that these statements are improper and require exposition: the Holy Spirit sends himself; the Holy Spirit sends the Son; the Son sends himself — unless it be understood as: insofar as he is born of the Virgin. — It is also clear why *to send* and *to be sent* do not belong to all: because, although it says an effect in the creature, it nevertheless says an intrinsic relation, such that *to send* says authority, and *to be sent* sub-authority, by reason of the eternal production interiorly implied.

---