1 Objection 1: It would seem that there are not several persons in God. For person is the individual substance of a rational nature. If then there are several persons in God, there must be several substances; which appears to be heretical.
1 Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod non sit ponere plures personas in divinis. Persona enim est rationalis naturae individua substantia. Si ergo sunt plures personae in divinis, sequitur quod sint plures substantiae, quod videtur haereticum.
2 Objection 2: Further, Plurality of absolute properties does not make a distinction of persons, either in God, or in ourselves. Much less therefore is this effected by a plurality of relations. But in God there is no plurality but of relations Question 28, Article 3). Therefore there cannot be several persons in God.
2 Praeterea, pluralitas proprietatum absolutarum non facit distinctionem personarum, neque in Deo neque in nobis, multo igitur minus pluralitas relationum. Sed in Deo non est alia pluralitas nisi relationum, ut supra dictum est. Ergo non potest dici quod in Deo sint plures personae.
3 Objection 3: Further, Boethius says of God De Trin. i), that this is truly one which has no number. But plurality implies number. Therefore there are not several persons in God.
3 Praeterea, Boetius dicit, de Deo loquens, quod hoc vere unum est, in quo nullus est numerus. Sed pluralitas importat numerum. Ergo non sunt plures personae in divinis.
4 Objection 4: Further, where number is, there is whole and part. Thus, if in God there exist a number of persons, there must be whole and part in God; which is inconsistent with the divine simplicity.
4 Praeterea, ubicumque est numerus, ibi est totum et pars. Si igitur in Deo sit numerus personarum, erit in Deo ponere totum et partem, quod simplicitati divinae repugnat.
5 On the contrary, Athanasius says: One is the person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Ghost. Therefore the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are several persons.
5 Sed contra est quod dicit Athanasius, alia est persona patris, alia filii, alia spiritus sancti. Ergo pater et filius et spiritus sanctus sunt plures personae.
6 I answer that, It follows from what precedes that there are several persons in God. For it was shown above Question 29, Article 4) that this word person signifies in God a relation as subsisting in the divine nature. It was also established Question 28, Article 1) that there are several real relations in God; and hence it follows that there are also several realities subsistent in the divine nature; which means that there are several persons in God.
6 Respondeo dicendum quod plures esse personas in divinis, sequitur ex praemissis. Ostensum est enim supra quod hoc nomen persona significat in divinis relationem, ut rem subsistentem in natura divina. Supra autem habitum est quod sunt plures relationes reales in divinis. Unde sequitur quod sint plures res subsistentes in divina natura. Et hoc est esse plures personas in divinis.
7 Reply to Objection 1: The definition of person includes substance, not as meaning the essence, but the suppositum which is made clear by the addition of the term individual. To signify the substance thus understood, the Greeks use the name hypostasis. So, as we say, Three persons, they say Three hypostases. We are not, however, accustomed to say Three substances, lest we be understood to mean three essences or natures, by reason of the equivocal signification of the term.
7 Ad primum ergo dicendum quod substantia non ponitur in definitione personae secundum quod significat essentiam, sed secundum quod significat suppositum, quod patet ex hoc quod additur individua. Ad significandum autem substantiam sic dictam, habent Graeci nomen hypostasis, unde sicut nos dicimus tres personas, ita ipsi dicunt tres hypostases. Nos autem non consuevimus dicere tres substantias, ne intelligerentur tres essentiae, propter nominis aequivocationem.
8 Reply to Objection 2: The absolute properties in God, such as goodness and wisdom, are not mutually opposed; and hence, neither are they really distinguished from each other. Therefore, although they subsist, nevertheless they are not several subsistent realities, that is, several persons. But the absolute properties in creatures do not subsist, although they are really distinguished from each other, as whiteness and sweetness; on the other hand, the relative properties in God subsist, and are really distinguished from each other Question 28, Article 3). Hence the plurality of persons in God.
8 Ad secundum dicendum quod proprietates absolutae in divinis, ut bonitas et sapientia, non opponuntur ad invicem, unde neque realiter distinguuntur. Quamvis ergo eis conveniat subsistere, non tamen sunt plures res subsistentes, quod est esse plures personas. Proprietates autem absolutae in rebus creatis non subsistunt, licet realiter ab invicem distinguantur, ut albedo et dulcedo. Sed proprietates relativae in Deo et subsistunt, et realiter ab invicem distinguuntur, ut supra dictum est. Unde pluralitas talium proprietatum sufficit ad pluralitatem personarum in divinis.
9 Reply to Objection 3: The supreme unity and simplicity of God exclude every kind of plurality of absolute things, but not plurality of relations. Because relations are predicated relatively, and thus the relations do not import composition in that of which they are predicated, as Boethius teaches in the same book.
9 Ad tertium dicendum quod a Deo, propter summam unitatem et simplicitatem, excluditur omnis pluralitas absolute dictorum; non autem pluralitas relationum. Quia relationes praedicantur de aliquo ut ad alterum; et sic compositionem in ipso de quo dicuntur non important, ut Boetius in eodem libro docet.
10 Reply to Objection 4: Number is twofold, simple or absolute, as two and three and four; and number as existing in things numbered, as two men and two horses. So, if number in God is taken absolutely or abstractedly, there is nothing to prevent whole and part from being in Him, and thus number in Him is only in our way of understanding; forasmuch as number regarded apart from things numbered exists only in the intellect. But if number be taken as it is in the things numbered, in that sense as existing in creatures, one is part of two, and two of three, as one man is part of two men, and two of three; but this does not apply to God, because the Father is of the same magnitude as the whole Trinity, as we shall show further on Question 42, Articles 1, 4).
10 Ad quartum dicendum quod numerus est duplex, scilicet numerus simplex vel absolutus, ut duo et tria et quatuor; et numerus qui est in rebus numeratis, ut duo homines et duo equi. Si igitur in divinis accipiatur numerus absolute sive abstracte, nihil prohibet in eo esse totum et partem, et sic non est nisi in acceptione intellectus nostri; non enim numerus absolutus a rebus numeratis est nisi in intellectu. Si autem accipiamus numerum prout est in rebus numeratis, sic in rebus quidem creatis, unum est pars duorum, et duo trium, ut unus homo duorum, et duo trium, sed non est sic in Deo, quia tantus est pater quanta tota Trinitas, ut infra patebit.