Chapter 031 - Of What Pertains to Unity or Plurality in the Divinity

We use the word "Trinity" speaking of the Divinity, because Plurality of Persons is admitted; and this term has been seen to signify one Essence of Three Persons, as though the Trinity were called, if one may so speak, a Unity of Three. Therefore we must beware of falling into the error of Arius, and avoid names expressive of diversity, division, disparity and so on, of which there exists nothing in the Trinity. We must avoid also, as in Sabellianism, words expressing the unique or singular, confusion and solitude; for Hilary tells us that God is to be confessed as neither solitary nor diverse.

The word "other" may be used because it implies no distinction except that of personality; hence we may properly say: The Son is other than the Father, because He is another Personality in the Divine Nature.

The word "alone" cannot be added substantively to Essential terms, in speaking of the Divinity, because it would follow that God was solitary; but it may be used in a qualifying sense, as excluding the association of any other Personality; as when we say God alone is Eternal, meaning that nothing is Eternal except God.