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for the Being and Prefervation of all things; as the words of the Prophet do alfo atteft: For he hath done whatfoever he pleafed. For Pf. CXV. he does not stand in need of any Being for 3. Conftitut. the Constitution of those things he is pleas'd L. VIII. to make but at the fame time that he wills, C. 12. what he pleases is made.

P. 399.

Wherefore if the Word of God demonftrates that his Will is his Operation, and not that his Substance is fuch; and that the Onlybegotten fubfifted by the Will of the Father; 'tis certainly neceffary that the Son preferve this Likeness, not as to Subftance, but as to Operation, which is alfo his Will. Whence alfo we ought to be perfuaded to preferve that true Notion of his being his Father's Image, which the bleffed Apostle Paul declar'd, when he faid, Who is the Image of the Coloff I. Invifible God, the first-born of every Creature ; 15, 16. for in him were all things created, both things in Heaven, and things on Earth, vifible and invifible. For therefore is he call'd, The Image of God. Now these words, All things were created in him, together with the Appellation of the First-born, do not give us the Character of an Unbegotten Subftance: for here is nothing about Subftance, but about that Operation whereby he, as a Son, performs all things. The Expreffion of Image does not bear any resemblance to the Subftance, but to that Operation which was hidden, without any Generation, in God's Foreknowledg, even before the Conftitution of the Son, and of thofe things which were created in him. For who is there that knowing the Only-begotten himself, and confidering that all things Joh. I. 3. were made by him, will not acknowledg that

he at once contemplates the whole Power of the Father? To which the most bleffed Apostle Paul has respect, when he does not fay by him, but in him; altho he adds the Character of First-born: that when himself is alfo included, together with all the Beings made by him, he may make manifeft to all that are able to comprehend the whole at one view, the Operation of the Father. We therefore call him the Image of the Father, not as comparing a Begotten Being with that which is Unbegotten; for that is certainly dif agreeable, and in all Beings impoffible; but as owning him the Only begotten, and Firstbern of the Father: the appellation of Son declaring the Subftance, as does that of Father the Operation of him that begat him. But if any one out of the love of Contention, and as fixt in his own Opinions, will not apply his Mind to what has been faid; but vet is forc'd to own that the Character of Father is fignificative of the Substance; let him attribute the like Character to the Son, to whom he has already attributed the like Subftance. Or rather let him attribute both Characters to each of them; we mean the Character of Son to the Father, and that of Father to the Son. For the Similitude of Subftance obliges thofe who are of that opinion to characterize them both by the fame Appellations.

Having now spoken fufficiently concerning the Only-begotten, Order requires that we difcom fe next concerning the Comforter; not following the Opinions of the many, which are taken up without examination, but keep

ing

ing close to the Doctrine of Holy Men in all things. From whom we have learn'd that he is the Third in Dignity and Order; Paffim. and do therefore believe that he is the Third in Nature also: not changing the Dignity and Nature according to the political Changes among Men, no more than we can change their Order, fo that their Substances shall be contrary to their Creation, but agreeably to the Rules of Harmony; that fo the First in order may not be Second in nature; nor that which is First in nature, may have only the Second or Third place in order. Wherefore if the Order of Creation be the best Order in intelligent Beings, the Holy Spirit, which is the third as to Order, cannot be the first as to Nature: which is no other than God -the Father. For is it not foolish and vain, that the fame Being fhould fometime have the First, and at other times the Third place? and in both of them to be ador'd according to his nature, as the Lord God is a Spirit, John IV. and they that worship him must worship him in 24. Spirit and in Truth. Nor is he the fame with the Only-begotten; for then he would not have been enumerated after him, as having a Subfiftence of his own. Our Saviour's words being here in the first place fufficient, whereby he said exprefly that he should be fent afterward, for the inftruction and teach-XVI. 16, ing of the Apostles. Nor is he numerically different from God, and yet Unbegotten withal. For there is only One Unbegotten Being, from whom all things were made. Nor is he a Being different from the Son, and yet a Being begotten. For our Lord is but One; Ubi priand the Only-begotten; by whom are all things, us

as

26.

Col. I. 16.

Conftitut. as the Apostle fays: but he is the third in L. VI. C. Nature and Order, made by the Command of 1.P.340. the Father, and by the Operation of the Son;

fim.

and honour'd in the third place, as the first, and greatest, and indeed the only Being of this fort made by the Only-begotten: not endu'd with equal Power, Divinity, and the Power of Creating, but endu'd with the compleat Power of Sanctification and Inftruction. For as to thofe that believe the Comforter to be only a certain Energy of God, and yet do ftill enumerate him after the two real Substances, they feem fo very foolish, and fo intirely remote from Truth, that one muft have great leifure indeed to think it worth while to confute them. But that we may not tire our Readers by the prolixity of our Discourse, we will contract the Sum of what has been faid into a fhort compafs, and fay;

Ubi pri- "That there is only One true God, the us, & paf- « God of all things, Unbegotten, without Begin"ning, and beyond Compare; fuperior to all "Cause, the Caufe of Existence to all Beings "that are: not creating the World in com"mon with another Being, [or by commu"nicating himself to another:] Not the "first in Order only, not fomewhat greater

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upon the comparifon only, and a little fu"perior to them all; but by way of Super"eminence, beyond all compare, as to his "Subftance, his Power, and his Authority: "One who before all things begat, and made "the Only-begotten God, our Lord Jefus "Chrift; by whom all things were made; "the Image and Reprefentation of his own "Power and Operation; who is himself not

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"to be compar'd with him that begat him, "as to his Subitance; nor to that Holy Spi"rit which was made by him: for he is in"ferior to the one, as a Being made by him; "and fuperior to the other, as his Maker."

I Cor.

Now that Chrift was made, Peter, who, as our Lord himself attefts, had his Knowledg Mat.XVI. from God, is an authentick Witness, when he 17. fays, Let all the House of Ifrael know affuredly A&s II, that God hath made him both Lord and Chrift. 36. And he that spake in the Person of the Lord, when he faid, The Lord created me the Be- Prov. ginning of his ways. And he that faid, There VIII. 22. is one God, from whom are all things; and one Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom are all things. And VIII. 6. the Bleffed Apostle John, when he said, All things were made by him; and without him was John I. 3. not any thing made. From whence it will follow, that either the Spirit is Unbegotten; which is a piece of Impiety: or if he were made, he must have been made by him. For Ubi priwe profess that the Son alone was made by us. the Father; fubordinate both in Substance, and Will and himself owns that he lives on John VI, account of the Father, and does nothing of him- 57• felf. Nor do we acknowledg him confubftantial; for that denotes fuch a Generation as implies Divifion of the Substance. For neither is the Father Begotten, nor the Son Unbegotten: but what he ever is, that is he truly call'd, a Begotten Being, an Obedient Son, Ubi pria most perfect Minifter, as fubfervient in the us. whole Creation to the Will of his Father, in order to the Conftitution of things, and to their Preservation; and for the giving of Laws to Men, making ufe of the Comforter as his Paffim, Minister,

V. 19.

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