168.当我们说到父、子、圣灵是一个神的三要素，如同人里面的灵魂、身体与活动时，在人类心智看来，这三要素似乎就是三位格，但这是不可能的。不过，若我们理解为，构成灵魂的父之神性，构成身体的子之神性，和圣灵的神性，或发出并构成活动的神性是这一个神的三要素，那么这个说法就可以理解了。因为父神是祂自己的神性，出于父的子是祂自己的，出于这二者的圣灵也是祂自己的。由于这三者同属一个本质和一个心智，故它们构成一个神。然而，若这三神性被认为是三位格，每一位都有归给祂的自己的属性，分配归给父，调解归给子，活动归给圣灵，那么，神性本质就被分割了。然而，神性是一，是不可分割的。在这种情况下，这三者无一是全神，而是每一个都是具有三分之一权柄的神，凡理智正常的人都无法接受这种观点。
168. 當我們說到父,子,聖靈是一位上帝的三個要素, 如同靈魂,身體與活動在一個人之中, 或許有人會想到有三位分別扮演三個各自不同的角色, 但實際上不能有三個分開的位格。
當我們理解為父的神性構成靈魂,子的神性構成身體,聖靈的神性或(由父與子)發出的神性構成活動, 是一位上帝的三要素, 這樣就能明白。因為父有祂自己的神性; 子由父而有自己的神性; 聖靈則是由父與子而來的神性。由於三者共用同一靈魂和本質, 祂們組成一位上帝。
然而, 如果這三神性被稱為三位, 且歸給每一位各自的屬性——父,歸算; 子,調解; 聖靈,行動——那麼神性的本質就被分割了。然而, 神性是一,不可分割。假若這樣, 沒有一位是完全的上帝, 而是每一位分得三分之一的能力, 沒有哪個正常的理性會接受這個觀點。
168. When told that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the three essential components of the one God as our soul, our body, and our actions [are the essential components of a human being], the human mind may still think that three persons play the roles of these three essential components, when in fact there could not be three separate persons. When, however, we see the Father's divinity as the soul, the Son's divinity as the body, and the Holy Spirit's divinity (or divinity emanating) as action, and we see them as three essential components of one single God, then they become understandable. For the Father has his own divinity; the Son derives his divinity from the Father; and the Holy Spirit derives its divinity from them both. Since they share the same soul and essence, they constitute one God.
If we called these three divine components persons, however, and assigned each one its own responsibility - if we saw the Father as assigning spiritual credit or blame, the Son as mediating, and the Holy Spirit as putting things into effect - then we would be splitting a divine essence that is actually unified and indivisible. We would have made none of the three fully God; we would have given each one only a third of the power - an arrangement that a sound intellect has no choice but to reject.
168. When we say that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the three essentials of a single God, in the same way as soul, body and activity are in man, it may look to the human mind as if the three essentials are three persons. This is impossible. But when we understand that the Father's Divine which makes up the soul, and the Son's Divine which makes up the body, and the Holy Spirit's Divine or the Divine which proceeds and makes up the activity, are the three essentials of a single God, then it can be grasped by the understanding. For God the Father is His own Divine, the Son out of the Father is His own, and the Holy Spirit out of both is His own. Since these are of one essence and one mind, they make up a single God. If, however, those three Divines are called persons, and each has attributed to Him His own property, imputation to the Father, mediation to the Son, and activity to the Holy Spirit, then the Divine essence is divided. Yet it is one and indivisible. In this case none of the three is fully God, but each is God to the power of one third 1 , a proposition no sane understanding can accept.
Footnotes:
1. i.e. the cube root.
168. When it is said that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the three essentials of the one God, like soul, body, and operation in man, it seems to the human mind as if these three essentials are three persons, which is impossible. But when it is understood that the Divine of the Father, which constitutes the soul, and the Divine of the Son, which constitutes the body, and the Divine of the Holy Spirit or the proceeding Divine, which constitutes the operation, are the three essentials of the one God, the statement is comprehensible. For God the Father is His Divine, the Son from the Father is His Divine, and the Holy Spirit from both is His Divine; and as these are one in essence and one in mind they constitute one God. But if these three Divine essentials are called persons, and if to each person is attributed his own property, to the Father imputation, to the Son mediation, and to the Holy Spirit operation, the Divine Essence, which in fact is one and not divisible, becomes divided: and thus none of the three is God in fullness, but each has a sub-triple power; and this a sound understanding must needs reject.
168. When it is said that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three essentials of one God, like the soul, body and operation in man, it appears to the human mind as if these three essentials were three Persons, which is impossible; but when it is understood that the Divine of the Father which constitutes the soul, and the Divine of the Son which constitutes the body, and the Divine of the Holy Spirit or the proceeding Divine which constitutes the operation, are the three essentials of one God, the statement becomes comprehensible. For there is His own Divine which is the Father, and that which is the Son from the Father, and also that which is the Holy Spirit proceeding from both; and these, being of one essence and of one mind, together constitute one God. If, however, these Divinities are called Persons, and peculiar properties are attributed to each, as imputation to the Father, mediation to the Son, and operation to the Holy Spirit, then the Divine Essence is divided, which yet is one and indivisible, so that no one of the three is God in fullness, but each in power that is shared by three. This is a conception which every man of sound understanding must reject.
168. Quando dicitur, quod Pater, Filius et Spiritus Sanctus, sint tria Essentialia unius Dei, quemadmodum anima, corpus et operatio apud hominem, coram Mente humana apparet sicut tres Personae sint tria illa Essentialia, quod non dabile est; sed dum intelligitur, quod Divinum Patris, quod facit Animam, et Divinum Filii, quod facit Corpus, et Divinum Spiritus Sancti seu Divinum procedens, quod facit Operationem, sint tria Essentialia unius Dei, tunc cadit id in intellectum: est enim Deus Pater suum Divinum, Filius ex Patre suum, et Spiritus Sanctus ex utroque suum, quae quia unius essentiae ac unanima sunt, faciunt unum Deum. Si autem tria illa Divina dicuntur Personae, et unicuique attribuitur sua proprietas, ut Patri imputatio, Filio mediatio, et Spiritui Sancto operatio, tunc fit Essentia Divina divisa, quae tamen est una et individua, ita non aliquis ex tribus in plenitudine est Deus, sed quisque in potentia subtriplicata, quod intellectus sanus non potest non rejicere.