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Summa Theologiae · I, q. 43

Question 43. The Mission of the Divine Persons

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, First Part. 8 articles.

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Text: Summa Theologiae, Project Gutenberg #17611, First Part (Prima Pars), translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The First Part of the Summa in the English Dominican translation (first printed 1911 to 1925; second and revised edition from 1920). A sample check on 2026-11-09 against pre-1931 printings at the Internet Archive (first printings of 1915 and 1916 and the second and revised edition of the 1920s) found that the article text matches, with no 1947 introduction, synopsis, or index. The phrase “From the Complete American Edition” in Gutenberg's catalog title is a provenance note only. Question and article numbers were added by the transcriber. Rights: Public domain (US)

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We next consider the mission of the divine persons, concerning which there are eight points of inquiry:

(1) Whether it is suitable for a divine person to be sent?

(2) Whether mission is eternal, or only temporal?

(3) In what sense a divine person is invisibly sent?

(4) Whether it is fitting that each person be sent?

(5) Whether both the Son and the Holy Ghost are invisibly sent?

(6) To whom the invisible mission is directed?

(7) Of the visible mission.

(8) Whether any person sends Himself visibly or invisibly?

Articles

  1. Whether a Divine Person Can Be Properly Sent?
  2. Whether Mission Is Eternal, or Only Temporal?
  3. Whether the Invisible Mission of the Divine Person Is Only According to the Gift of Sanctifying Grace?
  4. Whether the Father Can Be Fittingly Sent?
  5. Whether It Is Fitting for the Son to Be Sent Invisibly?
  6. Whether the Invisible Mission Is to All Who Participate Grace?
  7. Whether It Is Fitting for the Holy Ghost to Be Sent Visibly?
  8. Whether a Divine Person Is Sent Only by the Person Whence He Proceeds Eternally?

Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, First Part. Project Gutenberg #17611. Project Gutenberg record. Public domain in the USA. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Project Gutenberg notices retained. The full Project Gutenberg license is kept in the hosted text.