of his Son,
and, secondly, because he gave it himself); V. 18. 21, 3 ("pater
conditionem simul et verbum suum portans"--"verbum portatum a
patre"--"et sic unus deus pater ostenditur, qui est super omnia et per
omnia et in omnibus; super omnia pater quidem et ipse est caput
Christi"--"verbum universorum potestatem habet a patre"). "This is not a
subordination founded on the nature of the second person, but an
inequality that has arisen historically," says Zahn (l.c., p. 241); but
it is doubtful whether such a distinction can be imputed to Irenaeus. We
have rather simply to recognise the contradiction, which was not felt by
Irenaeus because, in his religious belief, he places Christ on a level
with God, but, as a theologian, merely touched on the problem. So also
he shows remarkable unconcern as to the proof of the unity of God in
view of the distinction between Father and Son.]

[Footnote 555: Irenaeus very frequently emphasises the idea that the
whole economy of God refers to mankind, see, e.g., I. 10. 3: [Greek:
ekdiegeisthai ten pragmateian kai oikonomian tou Theou ten epi te
anthropoteti genomenen], IV, 20. 7: "Verbum dispensator paternae gratiae
factus est ad utilitatem hominum, propter quos fecit tantas
dispositiones." God became a creator out of goodness and love; see the
beautiful expression in IV. 20. 7: "Gloria dei vivens homo, vita autem
hominis visio dei," or III. 20. 2: "Gloria hominis deus, operationes
vero dei et omnis sapientias eius et virtutis receptaculum homo." V. 29.
1: "Non homo propter conditionem, sed conditio facta est propter
hominem."]

[Footnote 556: Irenaeus speaks about the Holy Spirit in numerous
passages. No doubt he firmly believes in the distinction of the Spirit
(Holy Spirit, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Father, Spirit of the Son,
prophetic Spirit, Wisdom) from the Father and Son, and in a particular
significance belonging to the Spirit, as these doctrines are found in
the _regula_. In general the same attributes as are assigned to the Son
are everywhere applicable to him; he was always with the Father before
there was any creation (IV. 20. 3; Irenaeus applies Prov. III. 19: VIII.
22 to the Spirit and not to the Son); like the Son he was the instrument
and hand of the Father (IV. pref. 4, 20. 1: V. 6. 1.). That Logos and
Wisdom are to be distinguished is clear from IV. 20. 1-12 and
particularly from Sec. 12: IV. 7. 4: III. 17. 3 (the host in the parable of
the Good Samaritan is the Sp