adfuerit ad condendam creaturam. Simil. 9. infomuch that he was pre- And again: If any one confeffes the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; and praises the Creation, [viz. acknowledges all the Creatures of God to be good, ] &c. Ὃς προ αιώνων τα Πατα v, [in the larger Copy, walei Hurndeis,] xj cv réπρα γυνηθείς,] ἐν τές espávn. Ad Magnes.epift. contractior, $6. Εάν τις πατέρᾳ καὶ τὸν καὶ yov @vevμa óμology, ỳ ✈ Tio wavy, &c. Epift.ad Philadelph. largior five interpol. $6. Ὁ δὲ ὑὸς ἐκείνη, ὁ μόνο λεγόμμΘ κυρίως ὑ;, ὁ λό[Θ πρὸ β ποιημάτων και συνὼν καὶ Huraw©, öT! 7 ásxl dir αὐτό πάντα ἔκλισε κι εκόσμησε. Apol. 1. And Juftin Martyr: But the Son of the Father, even he who alone is properly called his Son, The Word which was with him and was begotten of him before the Creation, because by Him He in the Beginning made and And again: But This Perfon who was really begotten and produced of the Father before all Creatures were made, was with the Father, and the Father converfed with him. difpofed all things; He &c. Αλλὰ τότο τὸ τῷ ὄντι ἀπὸ τὸ παλεὶς προβληθὲν γύνημα προ πάντων * ποιημάτων σωῆν της παλεί, κ τέτῳ ὁ πατὴρ προσομιλέ, [forte προσωμί. Ae] Dial. cum Tryph. And in all other places of his Works he speaks with the like caution; calling Christ, wewτToxov De POÌ TÁVTWV X/10μÁTwv, the first-begotten of God before all I 3. Creatures; Crediures ; and, γύνημα προ πάντων ἁπλῶς 7 κλισμάτων, a Perfon begotten abfolutely before all Creatures, and the like. And Irenaus, reckoning up the several Words, by which the Generation of the Son [or Word] might be expreffed; fuch as Production, Generation, Speak ing forth, or Birth not think fit (as I before obferved) to add, Creation. did Prolationem iftam, five Generationem, five Nuncapationem,five Adapertionem. Lib. 2. c. 48. Origen calls the Son, (πρεσβύτατον πάντων 7 δημικρα yuav contr. Celf. lib. 1.) antienter than All Creatares, (fo the learned Bp Bull tranflates the Words; in like manner as the phrafe, garis ue, in St John, must be rendred, Before me:) But I think the Words fhould rather be rendred, the Antientest of All Derivative Beings: For fo the Word [] may be understood in a larger Sense; as appears from that paffage in Athanafius contra Gentes, κύριον, καὶ πάσης ὑπος άσεως δημιεργό", The Lord of all Crea tures,and the Author of every Subsistence; ] where he calls God the [ Anyos ] Author of [sages] Subfiftencies, which are diftinguished from [liots] the Creature. And Eufebius : The Ἡ ἐκκλησία ὲ ἕνα θεὸν καὶ Church (faith he preaches One God, and that He is the Father and Supreme over all: The Father indeed of Chrift alone, but of all other things the God and Creator and Lord. And Athanafius: What perfon, fays he, when be bears Him, whom be believes to be the Only God, fay, This is my beloved Son; purl autor (1) ný malien j παντοκράτορα διδάσκεσα τα τέρα μουὺ ἑνὸς ἢ χεις μόνο, * λοιπῶν ἁπάντων Θεὸν καὶ shvverov. De Ecclef. Theol. lib. 1. c. 8. as Τίς ἀνθρώπων ακέσας πα λέτε, ὃν ἐπίςευσε μόνον τη θεὸν négoût, "Outés Day 6 yós μs, λέγονΘ, Θυτίς ὅταν ψός με i dyaπhlòs, tikμñol eteV, ὅτι ὁ τὸ θεῖ λόγΘ ξ ἐκ ὄν ζων De fentent. dares affirm that the Word των γέγονε ; S XV. The Scripture, in declaring the Sons Derivation from the Father, never makes mention of any Limitation of Time; but always supposes and affirms him to have exifted with the Father from the Beginning, and before All Worlds. See the Texts, N° (567, 569, 574, 584, 586, 588, 591, 607, 612, 619, 641, 642, 658, 666, 667, 668, 672, 686. See above, § 2; and below, § 17. S XVI." They therefore have also justly been cenfured, who pretending to be wife above what is written, and intruding into things which they have not feen; have prefumed to affirm [OTI hY OTE En hv] that there was a time when the Son was not. See beneath, § 17. T 4 S XVII. S XVII. Whether the Son derives his Being from the Father, by Neceffity of Nature, or by the Power of his Will, the Scripture hath no where exprefly declared. Notes on S 17. Yet it cannot be denied but the Terms [SON and BEGET,] feem rather to imply an Act of the Will. And, fince the Attributes and Powers of God are as eternal as his Being; and there never was any Time, wherein God could not will what he pleased, and do what he willed; it will not at all follow, that That which is an Effect of his Will and Power, muft confequently be limited to any definite Time. Wherefore not only those Antient Writers who were efteemed Semi-Arians, but also the learnedeft of the moft Orthodox Fathers who afferted the eternal gene ration of the Son, did yet nevertheless affert it to be an Act of the Fathers eternal Power and Will. Wisdom, Angel, God, Lord, wargès Dexnous gesorg and Word,] from his miniString to his Fathers Will, and from his being begotten Again: And that he was produced from the Father before All Creatures, by his Power and Will. of Ibid. the Father by his Will. Καὶ πρὸ πάντων ποιημάτων ἀπὸ τὸ πατρὶς δυνάμει αὐτὸ boxy wegenborta. Ibid. And in That remarkable paffage, where he compares the Generation of the Son from the Father, to One Light derived from another; he adds, I have faid That This Power [meaning the Son] was begotten of the Father, by his Power and Will. Ἐιπὼν 7 διαμιν ταύτην γεgluñas So Tateis, Sundues πατρίς, δυνάμει Boxy auto. Ibid. Irenaus frequently ftiles the Son, [aternum Dei Verbum] the eternal Word of God; and affirms, that [fem. per cum Paire erat] he always was with the Father, that [adeft ei femper] he is always prefent with the Father, that [femper coexiftebat Patri] he did always co-exist with the Father; and blames those who did [prolationis initium donare] afcribe a Beginning to his ProduEtion: And yet (I think) there is no paffage in This Writer, that fuppofes him to be derived from the Father by any abfolute Neceffity of Nature. Origen fpeaks Thus concerning the Time of the Sons generation, Thefe Words, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee; are Spoken to him by God, with whom it is alrays To day : For there is no Evening nor Morning with Him: But the Time co-extended, if I may fo fpeak, with His Un. begotten and Eternal Life, is the To day in which the Son . w Υιός με ὦ συ, ἐγὼ σήμε eveɣóvnná oe, xége) teis αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὸ θεῖ· ᾧ ἀεὶ ὅτι τὸ σήμερον· ἐκ ἔνι τὰ ἑσπέρα θεός ἐγὼ ἢ ἡγᾶμαι ὅτι ἐδὲ πρωία. 2 της ὁ συμπαρεκτείνων των εξεν 2 |