1 Objection 1: It would seem that the notional acts are understood before the properties. For the Master of the Sentences says Sent. i, D, xxvii) that the Father always is, because He is ever begetting the Son. So it seems that generation precedes paternity in the order of intelligence.
1 Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod actus notionales praeintelligantur proprietatibus. Dicit enim Magister, XXVII dist. I Sent., quod semper pater est, quia genuit semper filium. Et ita videtur quod generatio, secundum intellectum, praecedat paternitatem.
2 Objection 2: Further, in the order of intelligence every relation presupposes that on which it is founded; as equality presupposes quantity. But paternity is a relation founded on the action of generation. Therefore paternity presupposes generation.
2 Praeterea, omnis relatio praesupponit, in intellectu, id supra quod fundatur; sicut aequalitas quantitatem. Sed paternitas est relatio fundata super actione quae est generatio. Ergo paternitas praesupponit generationem.
3 Objection 3: Further, active generation is to paternity as nativity is to filiation. But filiation presupposes nativity; for the Son is so called because He is born. Therefore paternity also presupposes generation.
3 Praeterea, sicut se habet generatio activa ad paternitatem, ita se habet nativitas ad filiationem. Sed filiatio praesupponit nativitatem, ideo enim filius est, quia natus est. Ergo et paternitas praesupponit generationem.
4 On the contrary, Generation is the operation of the person of the Father. But paternity constitutes the person of the Father. Therefore in the order of intelligence, paternity is prior to generation.
4 Sed contra, generatio est operatio personae patris. Sed paternitas constituit personam patris. Ergo prius est, secundum intellectum, paternitas quam generatio.
5 I answer that, According to the opinion that the properties do not distinguish and constitute the hypostases in God, but only manifest them as already distinct and constituted, we must absolutely say that the relations in our mode of understanding follow upon the notional acts, so that we can say, without qualifying the phrase, that because He begets, He is the Father. A distinction, however, is needed if we suppose that the relations distinguish and constitute the divine hypostases. For origin has in God an active and passive signification, active, as generation is attributed to the Father, and spiration, taken for the notional act, is attributed to the Father and the Son; passive, as nativity is attributed to the Son, and procession to the Holy Ghost.
For, in the order of intelligence, origin, in the passive sense, simply precedes the personal properties of the person proceeding; because origin, as passively understood, signifies the way to a person constituted by the property. Likewise, origin signified actively is prior in the order of intelligence to the non-personal relation of the person originating; as the notional act of spiration precedes, in the order of intelligence, the unnamed relative property common to the Father and the Son. The personal property of the Father can be considered in a twofold sense: firstly, as a relation; and thus again in the order of intelligence it presupposes the notional act, for relation, as such, is founded upon an act: secondly, according as it constitutes the person; and thus the notional act presupposes the relation, as an action presupposes a person acting.
5 Respondeo dicendum quod, secundum illos qui dicunt quod proprietates non distinguunt et constituunt hypostases, sed manifestant hypostases distinctas et constitutas, absolute dicendum est quod relationes, secundum modum intelligendi, consequuntur actus notionales; ut dici possit simpliciter quod quia generat, est pater. Sed supponendo quod relationes distinguant et constituant hypostases in divinis, oportet distinctione uti. Quia origo significatur in divinis active et passive, active quidem, sicut generatio attribuitur patri, et spiratio, sumpta pro actu notionali, attribuitur patri et filio; passive autem, sicut nativitas attribuitur filio, et processio spiritui sancto. Origines enim passive significatae, simpliciter praecedunt, secundum intellectum, proprietates personarum procedentium, etiam personales, quia origo passive significata, significatur ut via ad personam proprietate constitutam. Similiter et origo active significata, prior est, secundum intellectum, quam relatio personae originantis quae non est personalis, sicut actus notionalis spirationis, secundum intellectum, praecedit proprietatem relativam innominatam communem patri et filio. Sed proprietas personalis patris potest considerari dupliciter. Uno modo, ut est relatio, et sic iterum, secundum intellectum, praesupponit actum notionalem; quia relatio, inquantum huiusmodi, fundatur super actum. Alio modo, secundum quod est constitutiva personae, et sic oportet quod praeintelligatur relatio actui notionali, sicut persona agens praeintelligitur actioni.
6 Reply to Objection 1: When the Master says that because He begets, He is Father, the term Father is taken as meaning relation only, but not as signifying the subsisting person; for then it would be necessary to say conversely that because He is Father He begets.
6 Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, cum Magister dicit quod quia generat est pater, accipit nomen patris secundum quod designat relationem tantum, non autem secundum quod significat personam subsistentem. Sic enim oporteret e converso dicere quod quia pater est, generat.
7 Reply to Objection 2: This objection avails of paternity as a relation, but not as constituting a person.
7 Ad secundum dicendum quod obiectio illa procedit de paternitate, secundum quod est relatio, et non secundum quod est constitutiva personae.
8 Reply to Objection 3: Nativity is the way to the person of the Son; and so, in the order of intelligence, it precedes filiation, even as constituting the person of the Son. But active generation signifies a proceeding from the person of the Father; wherefore it presupposes the personal property of the Father.
8 Ad tertium dicendum quod nativitas est via ad personam filii, et ideo, secundum intellectum, praecedit filiationem, etiam secundum quod est constitutiva personae filii. Sed generatio activa significatur ut progrediens a persona patris, et ideo praesupponit proprietatem personalem patris.