Dist. 22
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/1/d/22/q/bon-sent-I-d22-littera
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### DISTINCTION XXII.

#### Cap. I. *On the differences of names by which we speak of God.*

After what has been said, it seems that we must discourse on the diversity of names which we use in speaking of the ineffable Unity and Trinity. Then it must be shown in what modes anything is said of it. "Let us therefore especially hold this," as Augustine says in the eighth book *On the Trinity*, "that there are certain names pertaining distinctly to single persons, which are said only of single persons; certain others, however, signifying the unity of the essence, which are said both of single persons singly and of all in common; and others again which are said of God transferred and by likeness." Whence Ambrose in the second book *On the Trinity* says: "That faith may shine the more purely, a threefold distinction is seen to be drawn. For there are certain names which evidently show forth the property of the deity; and there are certain ones which express the manifest unity of the divine majesty; and others which are said of God transferred and by likeness. The marks, therefore, of property are *generation*, *Son*, *Word*, and the like; of unity, *eternal*, *wisdom*, *power*, *truth*, and the like; of likeness, *splendor*, *character*, *mirror*, and the like."

#### Cap. II. *On those things which befit God in time and are said relatively.*

To these it must be added that there are also certain names, as Augustine says in the fifth book *On the Trinity*, which befit God from time and are said relatively to the creature, of which some are said of all the persons, as *Lord*, *Creator*, *refuge*; certain others, however, not of all, as *given*, *granted*, *sent*.

#### Cap. III. *On this name, which is "trinity".*

Furthermore, there is one name which is said of no person singly, but of all together, that is, *trinity*, which is not said according to substance, but, as it were collective, designates a plurality of persons.

There are also certain names which befit God from time and are not said relatively, as *incarnate*, *made man*, and the like. Behold, we have assigned six differences of names which we use in speaking of God, concerning each of which we must treat.

#### Cap. IV. *On those things which properly pertain to single persons, and on those which signify the unity of the essence.*

It must be known, therefore, that those things which properly pertain to single persons are said relatively to one another, as Father and Son, and the Gift of both, the Holy Spirit. But those which signify the unity of the essence are said *to themselves*. And those things which are said *to themselves* are said substantially, and are said both of all in common and of single persons singly, and they are taken in the singular, not the plural, in sum: as *God*, *good*, *powerful*, *great*, and the like. Those, however, which are said relatively are not said substantially. Whence Augustine in the fifth book *On the Trinity* thus says: "Whatever is said *to itself*, that most excellent and divine sublimity is said substantially; but what is said *to something*, is not said substantially, but relatively. And so great is the force of the same substance in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, that whatever is said of single persons in respect of themselves is taken in the sum not plurally, but singularly. For we say: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God — which no one doubts is said according to substance; yet we do not say that this Trinity is three gods, but one God. So the Father is called great, the Son great, and the Holy Spirit great; yet not three greats, but one great. So also *omnipotent* the Father, *omnipotent* the Son, *omnipotent* the Holy Spirit; yet not three omnipotents, but one omnipotent. Whatever therefore is said *to itself*, *God* is similarly said of single persons, and at once of the Trinity itself, not plurally, but singularly. And since to be God is not one thing and to be great another, but this is the same to Him: to be is what to be great is, therefore, just as we do not say three essences, so we do not say three magnitudes, but one essence and one magnitude."

"For God is not great by a magnitude which is not what He Himself is, as though He were as it were a partaker of it; otherwise that magnitude would be greater than God; but to God nothing is greater: He is therefore great by that magnitude by which He Himself is. And therefore we do not say three magnitudes, but one magnitude, nor three greats, but

one great, since God is not great by participation in magnitude, but is great by His very self being great, since He Himself is His magnitude. So too must it be said of the goodness and eternity and omnipotence of God, and of absolutely all those things which can be predicated of God substantially, by which He is said *to Himself*, not transferred and by likeness, but properly, if however anything can be properly said of Him by the mouth of man." Behold, He has plainly taught that the names which signify the unity of the divine majesty are both said *to themselves* of God, that is, without relation, and are said both of all the persons in common and of single persons divisively, and are taken in sum not plurally, but singularly. Those names, however, which properly pertain to single persons are said relatively, not substantially. "For what each single person in the Trinity is properly called, as Augustine says in the same book, is in no way said *to itself*, but to another in mutual relation, or to the creature: and therefore it is manifest that it is said relatively, not substantially."

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