The Lantern

Dialogues · Dialogue 314

CCEL

Eran. -Agreed.

Orth. -But it calls God the Word only begotten Son.

Eran. -It does.

Orth. -It nowhere so names the Holy Ghost.

Eran. -No.

Orth. -Yet the Holy Ghost also has Its subsistence of the Father and God.

Eran. -True.

Orth. -We grant then that both the Son and the Holy Ghost are both of God the Father; but would you dare to call the Holy Ghost Son?

Eran. -Certainly not.

Orth. -Why?

Eran. -Because I do not find this term in the divine Scripture.

Orth. -Or begotten?

Eran. -No.

Orth. -Wherefore?

Eran. -Because I no more learn this in the divine Scripture.

Orth. -But what name can properly be given to that which is neither begotten nor created?

Eran. -We style it uncreated and unbegotten.

Orth. -And we say that the Holy Ghost is neither created nor begotten.

Eran. -By no means.

Orth. -Would you then dare to call the Holy Ghost unbegotten?

Eran. -No.

Orth. -But why refuse to call that which is naturally uncreate, but not begotten, unbegotten?

Eran. -Because I have not learnt so from the divine Scripture, and I am greatly afraid of saying, or using language which Scripture does not use.

Orth. -Then, my good sir, I maintain the same caution in the case of the passion of salvation; do you too avoid all the divine names which Scripture has avoided in the case of the passion, and do not attribute the passion to them.

Eran. -What names?