Sunday, August 27, 2006

Q40 A2: Whether the persons are distinguished by the relations?

Yes. It is better to say that the persons or hypostases are distinguished rather by relations than by origin because, although in both ways they are distinguished, nevertheless in our mode of understanding they are distinguished chiefly and firstly by relations.

The persons are the subsisting relations themselves. Hence it is not against the simplicity of the divine persons for them to be distinguished by the relations.

The divine persons are not distinguished as regards being, in which they subsist, nor in anything absolute, but only as regards something relative. Hence relation suffices for their distinction.

Relation presupposes the distinction of the subjects, when it is an accident; but when the relation is subsistent, it does not presuppose, but brings about distinction. For when it is said that relation is by nature to be towards another, the word "another" signifies the correlative which is not prior, but simultaneous in the order of nature.