Rom. 11, 33-36.
O what a depth of riches, both of wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and his ways inscrutable! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given him something before, that he might be repaid? For from him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be glory forever and ever! Amen.
1. this epistle is read on this day, because this feast is kept of the holy trinity or three persons of the divine being, which is the first, high, incomprehensible main article to preserve it in Christianity by God's word, so that God may be known as he wanted to be known. For although St. Paul, in this epistle, does not presume to act on this article, but touches on it with few words at the end, as we shall hear: nevertheless, he wants to teach that in these high things, when one wants to speak of God (be it of His divine nature, or of His will and works), one should not reason and judge according to human wisdom, but only according to God's word; for these divine things are far too high and far above all reason, and can never be grasped and understood by human understanding.
(2) Although I have taught and written about this article much and often enough, we must also say something about it here in summary. It is probably not a delicious German, nor is it fine, to call God thus with the word "Trinity" (as also the Latin trinitas is not delicious); but since one has no better, we must speak as we can. For, as I have said, this article is so high above human understanding and speech that God, as a father, must give credit to His children that we stammer and babble as best we can, if only faith is pure and right. For one wants to say so much with this word, that it should be believed that the divine majesty is three different persons, one, true being.
For this is the revelation and knowledge of God to Christians, that they know not only that there is one true God, apart from and above all creatures, and that he can be no more than that one God; but also what that one God is in his inward unfathomable nature.
For human reason and wisdom can nevertheless come so far from itself that it concludes (however weakly) that there must be a unified, eternal, divine being, which creates, sustains and governs all things; because it sees such a beautifully excellent creature, both in heaven and earth, so marvelous, orderly and certain, composed and walking in its regiment, that it must say: It is not possible that it should be made and walk in this way by chance or by itself, but there must be a Creator and Lord from whom it all comes and is governed, and thus must recognize God in the creatures; as St. Paul Rom. 1:20 also says: "That God's invisible essence, which is His eternal power and Godhead, is seen when it is perceived in the works, namely, in the creation of the world." This is a knowledge (a posteriori), since one looks at God from the outside by His works and rule, as one looks at a castle or house by heart and thereby feels the master or landlord.
5. but (a priore) from within no human wisdom has ever been able to see what and how God is in Himself or in His inner being, nor can anyone know or speak anything about it, because it has been revealed to Him through the Holy Spirit. For just as no one knows, says St. Paul 1 Cor. 2, 11, what is in man.
The spirit of man that is in him, so also what is in God, no one can know but the spirit of God. From the outside I may see what you do, but I cannot see what you have in mind and think. And again, neither can you know what I am thinking, unless I make you understand it by word or sign. So we can see and know much less what God is in His own secret nature, until the Holy Spirit, who also searches and sees the depths of the Godhead, says Paul there, reveals this to us; As he does by the preaching of this article, in which he teaches us that in the divine majesty there is no more than one undivided being, and yet in the same it is done in this way, that there is first of all the person who is called the Father; and from this the other, which is the Son, born from eternity; and the third, proceeding from these two, namely, the Holy Spirit. These three persons do not separate from each other as two or three brothers or sisters, but remain in one eternal, undivided and inseparable being.
(6) These things, I say, are not investigated, climbed, or ascended by human reason, but are revealed from heaven above; therefore only Christians can speak of them, both what is the essential Godhead in Himself, and also how He shows Himself from without, in His creatures, and what He has in mind for men, that they may be saved. For they hear all this from the Holy Spirit, who reveals and proclaims it through the Word.
7. But the others, who do not have such a revelation and judge according to their own wisdom, as Jews, Turks and pagans, must consider such preaching to be the greatest error and highest heresy and say that we Christians are mad and foolish that we make three gods, when according to all reason, yes, even according to God's word, there cannot be more than One God; for it does not rhyme that there is more than one host in one house, more than one lord and prince in one regiment; much less that more than one God reigns over heaven and earth; they think that with such wisdom they have
and, with our faith, made a mockery of all the world; as if we were so very coarse-headed and great fools that we could not also see this, since we, praise God, have so much common sense, and argue and prove, as well as they do, if not better and with more reasons than they do with all their Alkoran and Talmud, that there is no more than one God.
(8) But we say, and we also know from Scripture, that to speak of this divine matter is not nearly enough to speak from reason and to proceed with great wisdom; but it requires a higher knowledge to speak of this and all the articles of our faith than all men's understanding can attain. There is still a small part of the knowledge that one should have of God, if one does not know more about it, than even the pagans see from their reason and conclude from such reasonable causes. As the pagan Aristotle also concludes in his best book, from the saying of their wisest poet Homer: There can be no good regiment in which there is more than one lord, than where in a house more than one householder or woman wants to rule and command the servants; therefore in every regiment there must be only one lord and regent. This is right and true; for God has also implanted such light and understanding in human nature, in order to give it an indication and, as it were, an image of His divine rule, that He is one Lord and Creator of all creatures. With this, however, the high, eternal, divine essence has not yet been sufficiently explored nor fathomed. For although I have already learned that one divine majesty governs all things, I still do not know what and how it happens inside the divine being; no one will tell me, as has been said, except where God himself reveals it through his word.
(9) Now we Christians have the Scriptures, of which we are certain that they are the Word of God, which also the Jews themselves have and which came to us from their fathers; from them also and from no other all that is known of God and divine works, even among the Turks.
and Gentiles (if not publicly fabled and invented) was taken from the beginning of the world, confirmed and proven with great miracles to this day. This article tells us that there is no God or divine being except the one God; but it does not only present God to us from the outside, but also leads us into his inner being, and shows that in him there are three persons, but not three gods or three kinds of divinity, but one kind of undivided divine being.
10. Such revelation follows and breaks forth from the highest work of God, which is an indication of His divine counsel and will, which He decreed from eternity, and according to the same also proclaimed in the promises, that His Son should become man and die to reconcile the human race to God; because we could not be helped from our horrible fall into sin and eternal death by any other means than by an eternal person who would have power over sin and death to erase them and give righteousness and eternal life instead; this could not be done by any angel or creature, but had to be God Himself. Now this could not be done by the person of the Father, who was to be reconciled, but had to be the other person with whom this council was decided, through whom and for whose sake the reconciliation was to take place.
(11) Therefore here are two distinct persons: one who is being reconciled, and the other who is sent to be reconciled and becomes man. The one is called the Father, as the first, having its origin from no other; the other, the Son, eternally born of the Father. The Scripture shows and testifies to this, because it calls God's Son, as Psalm 2, 7: "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; item, Gal. 4, 4: "When the time was fulfilled, God sent his Son" etc. The consequence itself forces that the Son, since he is called a person, must be distinguished from the person of the Father.
12. item, so the Spirit of God is also called special and different as a person who is sent or goes out from God the Father and the Son; as when he says Joel 3, 1.
Spirit over all flesh" etc. There is poured out a spirit, which must be God's or a divine spirit and of the same divine essence; otherwise he would not say: "of my spirit"; and yet another person, not of him who sends or pours out. Item, because he reveals himself in his mission or appears, coming down in visible form, as, of doves and flames of fire, he must be something else in person, than both the Father and the Son.
13. But with this piece, since we say that God's Son became man, of the same nature as we are, to redeem us from sin and death and to bring us eternal life, without any merit or effort on our part, we give both Jews and Turks no less to laugh at and mock, than when we say of three persons. For this is a much more inconsistent pretence of human wisdom, which thus, with its Jewish and Turkish, yes, pagan preaching, cleverly says: God is one, almighty Lord over all, who created all men and gave them the law by which they should live; from this it follows that he is merciful to the pious and obedient, but punishes and condemns the disobedient. Therefore, whoever does good works and refrains from sins, he will reward etc. These are vain pagan thoughts, taken from this earthly worldly being and things, as if it must be so in God's regiment, as a householder rules among his children and servants; for such are called pious rulers and masters, who keep this distinction from their own.
14 Such pagan wisdom, holiness and worship is also taught and practiced by the pope; as we all believed under him and did not know otherwise, I as well as others; otherwise we would have taught and done otherwise. And in short: He who does not have this revelation and God's word cannot believe or teach otherwise. With such faith, how are we better than the Gentiles and the Turks? Yes, how have we been able to resist some seduction and lying, which one may pretend for a good work and service? There we have every stumbling block,
who came with his cap and rope, must follow in Christ's stead, and thought that whoever kept this would be saved by it; and thus all the world became full of vain false worship (which the Scripture actually calls idolatry) out of human wisdom, which is caught as soon as it is presented as a good work and done in obedience to God. For she does not know better; and how should she know it, because it is not revealed to her? Or where it is preached, she does not want to hear it, but despises it and follows her own conceit, and thus remains hidden and incomprehensible to her; as St. Paul says here, "Who has known the mind of the Lord?"
(15) But to us is revealed and declared such counsel and mind of God, how and why God sent and gave His Son into our flesh; for we have this wisdom from God's word, that no man can be righteous before God by himself, but whatsoever we live and do is all under wrath and condemned, because we are wholly born in sins and by nature disobedient to God. But if we are to be freed from sin and saved, we must believe in this Mediator, the Son of God, who took our sin and death upon Himself, paid for it by His blood and death, and redeemed us from it by His resurrection. We remain in this, despite the fact that for the sake of this faith we are ridiculed by the pagan wisdom that teaches us that God rewards the pious, which we understand just as well and better than they do, without their mastery. But here we must have a higher wisdom, which was not invented by us, nor did it fall into our minds, but was given to us by divine revelation out of pure grace.
(16) For we do not want to search out God's counsel, mind and ways with our heads and our own thoughts, and become His counselors, as they reach into His divinity, and, contrary to this saying of St. Paul, do not dare to take from Him nor to learn, but to give Him that He may repay them. And thus make so many gods, so many of their thoughts are (according to which they paint themselves God and dream), that each shabby monk's cap, or at
who chooses his own work, must do and apply as much to them as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit decides and does in his eternal divine council. So there is nothing else left but to carry caps and to teach works, which even those who do not know anything about God and are public bad boys can do; and even if they deal with such things for a long time, they still do not know how they are with God, and so it remains, as St. Paul says: "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or, who has been his counselor?"
17 For this does not mean that you have recognized the mind of God, which you have spun out of your own head, and which everyone can find, think out and understand for himself without all divine revelation from his own reason. And what does it help you if you can say nothing more, because God is merciful to the pious and punishes the wicked? Who makes you sure that you are pious and please God with your papal and Turkish monasticism and holiness? Is it enough for you to say: Whoever keeps such an order, may God give him heaven? No, dear brother, it is not a matter of imagining or saying what seems good to you, for I could do that as well as you; just as it happens that everyone imagines something special, this one a gray, that one a black monk's cap etc.but to hear and know what is God's counsel, will and mind; which no man shall tell thee out of his own head, no book on earth shall teach thee, but the one word and scripture given by God Himself, which declares to us that He sent His Son into the world to redeem it from sins and God's wrath, that whosoever believeth in Him should have everlasting life.
(18) In this epistle, St. Paul wants to show Christians that these high divine things, that is, both His divine essence and His will, rule and work, are and remain incomprehensible, unfathomable and hidden to all human reason, and that everything that it undertakes to investigate, teach and discuss is in vain, even darkness and lies. And such a thing of this is to be learned, recognized and met, that must be done alone.
through revelation, that is, God's word given from heaven.
19 For we do not apply these words of St. Paul to the question of the divine disposition over every man in particular, who will be saved or not saved. For God does not want us to ask or inquire about this. For this reason he gives no special revelation, but points all men to the word of the gospel, according to which they are to judge themselves, so that they may hear and know it: if they believe in it, they shall be saved. Just as all the saints were not saved and saved by a special revelation of their salvation, but by the faith of Christ, their election and eternal life. Therefore St. Paul does not want anyone to ask or inquire whether he is provided or not (since he speaks of the provision in three chapters before this text), but holds out the gospel and faith to everyone. As he taught before that we are saved by the faith of Christ, and says Rom. 10, 8. 12. 13: "The word is near in your heart and in your mouth," etc., and declares himself that such a word should be preached to all men, that they should all believe it, as he says v. 12. 13: "There is one Lord first of all, rich above all who call on him; for whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
20 And he speaks of the wonderful rule of God in his church, that those who have the name and glory of the people of God and of the church (as the people of Israel) are rejected because of their unbelief. But the others, who before were not God's people and were under unbelief, now accepting the gospel and believing in Christ, become the right church in the sight of God and are saved; so that it is only their own unbelief that causes them to be rejected; for on the other hand, God's grace and mercy are offered in Christ, to eternal life, without all merit, to those who before were in unbelief and sins, who only accept and believe; as he says: "God has decreed it all under unbelief, that He might have mercy on all." Rom. 11, 32.
21) Hereupon follows this text, that it begins from great wonders concerning the rule and work of God in His Church, saying:
O what a depth of riches, silk of wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are His judgments, and His ways inscrutable!
22. These are the high thoughts and counsel of God, which far and above all human, even all creatures' senses and understanding, that He pours out His goodness so abundantly, and out of pure grace and mercy chooses the poor, the miserable, the unworthy, who have fallen into sin, that is, to acknowledge themselves worthy and guilty of eternal wrath and condemnation before God, so that they may both know what he is in the depths of his divine being and what he has in his heart, namely, that he wants to give eternal life and salvation through his Son to those who believe; But the others, who proudly and surely boast of the great gifts, that they are God's people, called by God above all, having special promise, prophets and fathers etc., and think that God cannot and will not recognize any other people on earth than them for His people and church, He rejects and condemns them because of their unbelief, in which the pride and conceit of their own wisdom and holiness holds them.
23 This is called a rich, inexpressible, divine wisdom and knowledge, which only those who believe in Christ have, so that they can see into the deep abyss what is the meaning and opinion of the divine heart; although they cannot fully reach it in their weakness, nor fathom it further, than as much as they grasp in the faith of the revealed word, as in a mirror and image, as St. Paul says 1 Cor. 13:13. Paul 1 Cor. 13, 12, but it is foreign and hidden to the blind unbelieving reason, and nothing at all comes into its mind or thoughts; indeed, it does not want to hear or know anything about it, even if it is revealed to it.
24 St. Paul saw and experienced this, how especially the trustworthy Jewish people resisted so harshly and stubbornly.
This sermon of the Gospel, that he must be astonished and say: What shall I say much? I can see that it is nothing other than a deep, unfathomable wisdom of God, and His incomprehensible judgments and inscrutable ways etc. As he also says elsewhere, "We preach a secret, hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the world, for our glory, which none of the nobles of this world has known," 1 Cor. 2:7, 8.
25. We Christians are to recognize such depth and richness of wisdom and knowledge through faith (for otherwise, as he himself says, it cannot be grasped or understood); So that we may certainly believe, since the world does not, and give God the glory from the heart, that he is true, a wise, just, and gracious God and Lord, whose riches and depth cannot be spoken of, and who is to be praised and glorified by all creatures, because he so wonderfully governs his church through his word and revelation: that those who hear and accept the same receive such light from it that they turn to him and have the knowledge of their blessedness, which others can never attain; and shows such unspeakable kindness to all who are in sin and under God's wrath, that he transfers them unworthy, condemned ones from the power of death and hell into the kingdom of eternal grace and life, where they only seek grace and believe in his Son Christ; But again, as a right judge, he also justly rejects and condemns those who do not want to believe or respect such a revelation and testimony of his will in his Son, but defy and insist on their own blind conceit of wisdom and righteousness, so that they too, deprived of such light, grace and comfort, must be eternally separated and cast out from the kingdom of God, regardless of how great a name and profession they have, that they are considered God's people and church.
26. and these are the incomprehensible judgments and unsearchable ways of God; this is His rule and work. For "judgments" means what is right or wrong in his sight, what pleases him or displeases him, to praise or to punish in his sight, and in short, to follow or not to follow.
to be avoided. Item "his ways", what he wants to show and do to mankind. Men cannot and may not see this from their reason, nor investigate it with their thoughts, and should only leave God unmastered in this with their judgment and conceit as to what is right or wrong, divinely done and governed; but humble themselves before him, and confess that they can neither understand nor advise nor teach anything about it, and give him the honor that he, as their God and Creator, knows and understands better what he is and how he should govern than we wretched, poor worms.
For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Or who has given him what before, that he might be recompensed?
(27) Three things, he says, that the world may be deprived of all glory in divine things. To know the mind of the Lord, what he is thinking and planning, or has decided for himself from eternity. To give or instruct counsel as to what and how he should undertake, attack and do. And also to give him, that is, to help him with their ability, strength and action. All this is impossible for human nature, for since it cannot recognize his mind, it will much less be able to give him advice or do anything with its wisdom and action.
28. Therefore, it is a shameful presumption that the world should presume to do so; They think that they can not only see and do God's nature, will and work through themselves, but also give him advice on how he should do it and what he should put up with, yes, even earn him with their works, and do so much that he should repay them for it, and they have the glory and honor that they have done great, excellent things in his regiment of the church, strengthened and preserved it, and filled heaven with their great holiness. etc.
29 Therefore, in order to overthrow such a wrong mind, God must, in His rule and work, only do the opposite of what they think and do, so that they, being fooled by their wisdom, may be offended and angry at it; so that He may prove by deed and experience that it is not to be done.
as we think and propose to him, and must confess that we have not understood such his mind, counsel, and will, nor have been his counselors; for no man nor angel first conceived it, nor can say beforehand, much less that he should now have to counsel us, or pay us for anything we have given him.
(30) This is evidenced by the three kinds of people on earth among whom Christians must live. The first are the very coarse swine, who ask nothing about what God is or how he rules, think nothing of any word of God or faith, without believing in their mammon and belly, thinking only how they live themselves, like the swine on their bed. To them one must not preach anything of this text: "O what depth of riches, wisdom and knowledge of God" etc. For they will understand nothing of it, if one preaches of it forever, rather they hear if one says of their Träbern and Säumahl, so that they fill their belly; therefore we let them also be sows and remain as they are, and are already separated from each other, so that it is annoying that one must see and hear such (also among the Christians).
(31) The others are those who are sensible, and are concerned about God's mind and opinion, judgments and ways, and how to be saved; after which the pagans and we under the papacy have also argued according to reason. This is the beginning of all idolatry on earth, for everyone comes and teaches about God according to his own thoughts. The Mahomet: He who keeps his Alkoran and faith pleases God. A monk: Whoever keeps this rule and order will be blessed. The Pope: Whoever keeps his law and service, goes to Rome to the apostles, and keeps his indulgences, obtains forgiveness of sins; but whoever despises it, he is in God's wrath etc. These are also called judgments and ways, so that the consciences are governed and directed to eternal life, and think that they are God's judgments and ways.
32 But against this God's word says that he does not want this, and that it is vain error, darkness and vain service,
that is, idolatry, which is most hostile to God and enrages Him. Thus, all the world itself must confess that even if they deal with such their own self-chosen works for a long time, they cannot certainly say or conclude that God is certainly gracious to them and pleased with them for such their lives and deeds; Nevertheless, they will always go on adventuring in blind delusion and conceit, until God strikes their hearts with the revelation of the law, so that they will be shocked to realize that they have lived without God's knowledge and have known nothing of His will, and that they no longer have any counsel or help, unless they take hold of the word of the gospel of Christ.
33. We have all been such until now; for I too, as a spiritual, learned doctor, neither knew nor understood otherwise, but dreamed that my monk's cap should fall to God and would be the way to heaven; thought I had well recognized the Lord's mind, and also wanted to be his counselor, and earn him that he should repay me; But now I see that this is false and blind, and I must learn from his word that nothing else is valid before him, but to believe in Christ crucified, his Son, and in such faith to live and do what every man's profession and station demands. Thus one can be certain of what is right or wrong in his sight, because we have not invented it ourselves, but have it through revelation, in which he shows us what he has in mind; as St. Paul also says 1 Cor. 2:10, 16: "We have the mind of Christ"; item: "God has revealed it to us through his Spirit" etc.
34. the third are those who also go against it, who also hear the word or revelation (for I am not speaking now of those who knowingly pursue it, who belong among the first group, as those who do not ask anything about God; but of those who leave the revelation in place) and, led by the devil, go over and beside it, wanting to take hold of God's ways and judgments, which He has not revealed; who, if they were Christians, should well be content, and thank God for having given His word, in which He Himself shows what is to Him.
and how they shall be saved. But now they let themselves be led by the devil and want to seek other revelations, and ponder what God is in his invisible majesty, and how he secretly governs the world, what he has decided about everyone in particular in the future; so nature and reason cannot let it go, it wants to reach into his judgment with its wisdom and be in God's most secret counsel, and teach and master him. This is the sorrowful devil's hope, because of which he is cast into the abyss of hell, because he wanted to reach into the divine majesty, and because of which he wanted to bring down and overthrow man with him, as he did in the beginning in paradise, and also challenged the saints and Christ himself with it, when he placed him on the pinnacle of the temple. etc.
35 Against these, St. Paul introduces these words in particular, in response to the rash question of prudent reason: Why does God so punish and reject the Jews, and allow the damned Gentiles to come to the Gospel? Item: Why does he rule in such a way that he exalts godless, evil people, and lets the pious go bad and be oppressed? Why he chooses Judam as an apostle, and afterwards rejects him, and accepts the murderer and the avenger? And I hereby forbid such to leave their climbing into the secret majesty, and to keep to the revelation that he has given us; for such searching and climbing is not only futile, but also harmful, because if you search for it forever, you will gain nothing everywhere and fall down the neck because of it.
36. But if thou wilt go right, thou canst do no better than to concern thyself with his word and works, wherein he hath revealed himself, and let himself be heard and taken hold of, namely, how he presented his Son, Christ, to thee on the cross; this is the work of thy salvation, whereby thou mayest assuredly lay hold on God, and see that he will not condemn thee because of thy sin, if thou believest, but giveth eternal life, as Christ saith unto thee: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish. "etc., Jn. 3, 16. In this Christ, says St. Paul.
Paul Col. 2, 3, all his treasures of wisdom and knowledge are already hidden; you will have more than enough to learn, study and think about, and you will be amazed at such a high revelation of God and gain pleasure and love for God; for it is such a work that can never be learned in this life, and as St. Peter says in 1 Petr. 1, 12, even the angels cannot get enough of it, but never cease to see their joy and joy in it.
I say this so that one may know how to instruct and instruct those who are challenged and afflicted with such thoughts of the devil, who tempt God by tempting them apart from revelation, to search out his ways, and to grope about what God has in mind for them, leading them into such trepidation and doubt that they do not know how to stay. These words are to be held up to them, and herewith, like St. Paul punished his Jews and his disciples, they want to seize God with their wisdom and lead him to school, as his counselors and masters, and deal with him through themselves without means, and give him so much that he has to repay them. For nothing will come of it; he has built so high before it that you will not climb it with your climbing, and so much wisdom, counsel and wealth that you will never be able to fathom or exhaust, and you should be glad that he gives you something to know and receive through revelation, as follows:
For from him, and through him, and in him are all things. To him be glory forever and ever.
(38) What much do we want to boast about, he wants to say, since all things that have essence, of course also all our wisdom and abilities, do not originate from themselves, but both have their beginning from him, are sustained by him and must exist in him; as he says in Acts 17:28: "In him we live, weave and we are. 17, 28. says: "In him we live, weave and are" etc.; item Ps. 100, 3.: "He has made us, and not we ourselves", that is, what we are and are able to do, that we live, have peace and protection, and in short, what happens to us good and bad, this does not happen by chance and accident, but everything from and through his divine counsel and
He is pleased with us because he cares for us as his people and sheep, governs us, gives us good things, helps us in times of need and sustains us. etc. Therefore, he alone deserves all the honor and glory of all creatures.
39 But that he speaks thus: From him, through him, in him are all things, which is most simply said: Beginning, means and end is all of God; that all creatures have their origin from him, and also their increase, how great, long, wide and far they shall go. As we speak in the grossest terms, the beginning of every grain is that from the dead seed in the earth a root grows, after which it grows out and becomes a stalk and a leaf, an ear and a grain; there it remains and stands, and has its three parts, which it should have. Thus all creatures have their beginning, means and end, as long as they last and remain, so that when it ceases, all creatures are nothing; and even if it begins and grows, yet does not reach its end, so that it becomes perfect, it is also nothing. Summa, it must be all God's, that where he does not begin, there nothing can be nor become; where he ceases, there nothing can stand; for he did not create the world as a carpenter builds a house and then goes away, leaving it standing as it is; but remains with it, and preserves everything as he made it, otherwise it could neither stand nor remain.
40 But that St. Paul does not speak badly (as elsewhere): From him are all things, but adds two more, makes a third, and yet brings all three pieces together again and concludes in one, when he says: "To him be glory" etc., with this he undoubtedly wanted to indicate this article of the three persons of the divine being differently, although he does not express them by name, as was not necessary here; as also the ancient teachers considered this saying as a testimony of the holy trinity; namely, that all things are created by God the Father and through the Son (as he then through the
(The Son does all things) and are preserved in the Holy Spirit by God's good pleasure; as St. Paul also uses to speak elsewhere, as, 1 Cor. 8, 6: "We have only one God, the Father, from whom are all things; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things" etc. And of the Holy Spirit, Gen. 1:31: "God saw in all His works that they were very good."
41 Thus Scripture teaches us that the work of creating all creatures is of the one God, or the whole Godhead, and yet in the one Being the three Persons are thus distinguished, that all things are said to come from, consist in, and remain of the Father, as of the first Person, through the Son, who is of the Father, and in the Holy Spirit, both proceeding from the Father and the Son, which nevertheless all three remain in one undivided Godhead.
But how and in what way such a difference of persons takes place in the divine being from eternity, we should and must leave unfathomed. After all, according to that crude understanding, we cannot fathom God's creature, and no creature is so intelligent that it could understand in itself the three parts, beginning, middle and end; which, even though they are distinguished in themselves, are so interdependent that one cannot separate one from the other with external senses. Who has ever seen or been able to say how it happens that a leaf grows from a tree, or a grain becomes a root, and a cherry grows from a blossom through wood and kernel? Item, how a man's body and limbs grow and increase by degrees; or what is the sight of the eyes; how it happens that the tongue makes so many different voices and words, which go into so many ears and hearts differently? Much less what are the inner powers of the soul with its thoughts, senses, memory etc. What is it then that we presume to measure and grasp God's eternal, invisible being with reason?