25.

Apostle Paul, who fays, that we ought to in2 Tim. II. ftruct thofe that oppofe themselves with great LongSuffering. We anfwer then, that Light is either Unbegotten or Begotten; and we ask whether when Light is fpoken of an Unbegotten Being, and of a Being Begotten, it fignifies differeatly,or has the very fame fignification? If the very fame, 'tis plain, that that must be a compounded thing which confifts of different things Now what is compounded, is not Unbegotten: But if it has a different fignification,then as much difference as there is between an Unbegotten and a Begotten Being, fo much difference ought there to be fuppos'd between Light and Light, Life and Life, Power and Power. For there is but one Rule and Method for the Refolution of all fuch Difficulties.

If therefore every Character of the Father, which concerns his Subftance, be equivalent to that of Unbegotten, as to its proper fignification, on account of his being free from Parts, and not compounded; and if the Cafe be the fame as to the Only-begotten, that every Character must be equivalent to that of a Begotten Being, and yet they will still say these Characters may be convertible; who can further endure that they should ase the word Likeness of Subftance? or that they Bould determine one to have a Supereminence above the other as to Greatness, even tho all Confideration of Quantity, and of Time, and the like Circumstances are fet afide? and tho the Substance be, and is own'd to be fimple and Conftit. one? And in the first place, they who preL. VIII. fume to compare that Subftance, which has no Superior, and is above all Caufe, and free from all Laws, to that which is Begotten, and

c. 5. P. 391. & alibi paf

fin.

is

is fubfervient to the Laws of its Father, feem either not at all to confider the nature of Things, or not to form their Judgments about them with an uncorrupt Mind. For there are plainly two ways cut out for the Difcovery of the Truth in fuch Queftions; the one of which is a priori, whereby we confider the Subftances of things themselves, and by fair and clear Reafoning we determine about every one of them; the other of which

pofteriori, whereby we make the Enquiry from the Effects to the Caufe, and fo diftinguish Substances by the Creatures they make, and by their Operations. Nor is it poffible to perceive that either of these ways can difcover this Likeness of Subftance.

For in cafe any one takes the Rife of his Enquiries from the Substances themselves, and finds that One is fuperior to all Dominion, and Ubi priabove all Generation,and all Indigency; This will us. teach a Mind that comes with a fincere Defire after Truth, and oblige it to reject with the greatest Indignation, from the very Law and Rule of Nature, all Comparison between them; and will give us to understand, that the Operation must be futable and agreeable to the Dignity of the Subftance. But in cafe he first regards the Creatures made, and thence goes back to the Substances, when he finds the Son to be the Being made by the Ubi priUnbegotten Being, and the Comforter the Be- ùs. ing made by the Only Begotten, and is fatif- Conftit. fy'd of the difference of the Operations by the Supereminence of the Only Begotten; he will thence perceive an indifputable Demonftration of the Difference of their SubRances. Not here to add a third Difference, B 2

that

L.VI. c.

11.p.340.

399. &

L. VIII. that he who creates by his own Power, muft C. 12. P. be vaftly fuperiour to him that does it at the alibi paf pleasure of bis Father, and confeffes that he does fim. nothing of himself; and he that is ador'd, from Joh.V.19. him that adores.

340.

If therefore they esteem it not at all abfurd to afcribe all these things equally to both, as for inftance, Subftance, Energy, Power, and Name, as intending to take away all diftinction both as to Names and Things; let them plainly call them both Unbegotten Beings. But if this be a notorious piece of Impiety, let them not, under a colour, by using the word Likeness, hide that which is by all own'd for Impiety.

But left we should feem to offer violence to the Truth by our own Fictions and Reafonings, as we are falfly accus'd to do; and that falfe Accufation is laid heavily to our charge by abundance of People: we will demonstrate what we aim at out of the Scriptures themfelves.

Conftitut. There is but one God, who is declar'd both L. VI. C. by the Law and the Prophets and he is own'd 11. P.339, by our Saviour himself to be the God of the Joh. XX. Only-begotten. For fays he, I go unto my God 17. and your God. The only True God, the only XVII.3. Wife, and only Good, and only Powerful Being, 1 Tim. I. who only has Immortality. Nor let any one be

17.

Mat.XIX.

15, 16.

Conftitut.

diforder'd or disturb'd in his mind at this.

16, 17. For we do not ufe this Language in order to ITim. VI. take away the Divinity of the Only-begotten, or his Wifdom, or his Immortality, or his L. VIII. Goodness, but in order to put a difference be tween things; and to own the fupereminent Dignity of the Father. For we acknowledg the only-begotten God and our Lord Jefus,

C. 5. P.

391.

to

to be Incorruptible, and Immortal, and Wife, and Good; but we affirm that the Father is the Caufe of his intire Being, and of every thing that he is; who himself has no caufe of his own Substance, or of his Goodness; as being Unbegotten the foregoing Premises affording us this Notion. If therefore he be the only True God, as being only Wife, and only Unbegotten, the Son is his Only Begotten, becaufe he alone is a Being begotten by the Unbegotten Ubi priBeing: which yet he would not be alone, if us. the Nature was common to both, on account of their Likeness.

We ought therefore to lay afide the Notion of Likeness as to Subftance, and to embrace that of the Likenefs of a Son to the Father, in agreement with his own words; that is, fo to reduce the intire Cause and Origin of all to the One and Only Being, that the Son may be esteem'd fubject to his Father. Paffim. We ought also exactly to purify our Notions about thefe matters, and not to cfteem the manner of his Operation to be after the manner of Men; but with ease, and divine: and not to esteem his Operation to be any fort of division, or removal of his Substance; fuch as thofe cannot avoid who are led by the Sophistry of the Greeks, and connect the Energy to the Substance; and because they fuppofe the World to be coeval with God, fall into all forts of Abfurdities on that account. For those that allow'd no Period to the World, no wonder that they affiga'd to it no Beginning: nor would that ceafe or come to an end which was not deriv'd from a certain Beginning. But as to these Greeks, which never look'd on the difference of things

B 3

things with clear eyes, nor can be equitable Arbitrators, let them not be concern'd in thefe matters: fince the juft Judgment of God has hidden the Truth from them, on account of the Pravity of their Difpofitions.

But then, as to our felves, we do not think it fafe, as we have faid a little before, to connect the Operation with the Substance: fince we judg of it by its Works, and know the Subftance to be without beginning, fimple, and without end: but the Operation not to be without beginning; for if it were, the Work it felf would be without beginning alfo, as well as without end: fince 'tis not poffible for the Works to ceafe, and yet the Operation never to do fo. For 'tis very childish, and the reafoning of a very weak Mind, to fay the Operation is unbegotten, and without end: and while they fuppofe it the fame with the Subftance, yet to own that none of the Works can be made fo as to be Unbegotten, or as to be without end. For one of thefe two things would hence follow, either that the Operation of God did not operate, or the Work must be Unbegotten: but if both of thofe Hypothefes are without question abfurd, what remains muft be true; that because the Works have a beginning, the Operation was not without beginning; and because they must cease, so muft the Operation ccafe alfo.

Wherefore we ought not to acquiefce in the Opinions of the Greeks, taken up without examination; and fo to connect the Operation with the Subftance; but to esteem the Will of God to be the trueft Operation; which is moft worthy of God, and fufficient

for