Of God and His Creatures
How the Son of God is called the Wisdom of God
WISDOM in man is a habit whereby our mind is perfected in the knowledge
of the highest truths: such are divine truths. Wisdom in God is His
knowledge of Himself. But because He does not know Himself by any
presentation of Himself other than His essence, and His act of
understanding is His essence, the wisdom of God cannot be a habit, but
is the very essence of God. But the Son of God is the Word and Concept
of God understanding Himself. The Word of God, thus conceived, is
properly called 'begotten Wisdom': -- hence the Apostle names Christ
the wisdom of God (1 Cor. i, 24). This Word of wisdom, conceived
in the mind, is a manifestation of the wisdom of the mind which thereby
understands: as in us acts are a manifestation of habits. Also the
divine wisdom is called 'light,' as consisting in a pure act of
knowledge; and the manifestation of light is the brightness thence
proceeding: the Word of divine wisdom therefore is fittingly called the
'brightness of light,' according to the text: being the brightness
of his glory (Heb. i, 3).* But though the
Son, or Word of God, is properly called 'conceived wisdom,'
nevertheless the name of Wisdom, when used absolutely, must be common
to the Father and the Son; since the wisdom that is resplendent through
the Word is the essence of the Father, and the essence of the Father is
common to Him with the Son.
4.8 : Explanation of the Texts which Arius used to allege for himself
4.17 : That the Holy Ghost is true God