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S XIII.

In what particular Metaphyfical Manner, the Son derives his Being or Effence from the Father, the Scripture has no where diftinctly declared; and therefore men ought not to presume to be able to define.

See the Texts, N° 619, 658.
See beneath, § 21.

Notes on S 13.

For Generation, when applied to God, is but a figurative Word; fignifying only in general, immediate derivation of Being from God himself: And Onlybegotten, fignifies, being fo derived from the Father in a fingular and inconceivable manner, as thereby to be diftinguished from all other Beings.

'Tis obfervable that St John, in That paffage, where he not only speaks of the Word before his Incarnation, but carries his Account of him further back, than any other place in the whole New Teftament; gives not the leaft Hint of the Metaphyfical Manner, how he derived his Being from the Father; does not fay He was created, or emitted, or begotten, or was an emanation from him; but only that he WAS, that he WAS in the Beginning, that he WAS with God, and that he was [ss] Partaker of Divine Power and Glory with and from the Father before the World Was. Accordingly

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Accordingly Irenæus : If any one (aith he) inquire of us, How then was the Son produced by the Father? We anfwer that This his Production, or Generation, or Speaking forth, or Birth, [alluding , I fuppofe, to the Hebrew Phrafe, adaperiens vulvam,] or bow elfe foever you in words endeavour to exprefs his generation, which in reality is ineffable; it is understood by no man, neither by Valentinus nor Marcion, neither by Saturninus nor Bafilides, neither by Angels nor Archangels nor Principalities nor Powers, but by the Father only which begat, and by the Son which is begotten of him. Wherefore, fince his generation is And Novatian: Of whom, and by whofe Will, was generated The Word His Son. The Secret Manner of whofe facred and divine Generation, neineither have the Apoftles known, nor the Prophets difcovered, nor the Angels understood, nor any Creature comprebended: It is known only to the Son, who understands the Fathers

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Siquis itaque nobis dixerit, Quomodo ergo filius prolatus a patre eft? dicimus ei, quia prolationem iftam, five generationem, five nuncupationem, five adapertionem, 'tis obfervable He does not add, five creationem,] aut quomodolibet quis nomine vocaverit generationem ejus inenarrabilem exiftentem, nemo novit, Valentinus, non Marcion, neque Saturninus, neque Bafilides, neque Angeli, neque Archangeli, nec principes, neque poteftates, nifi Solus qui generavit pater, & qui natus eft filius. Inenarrabilis itaque generatio ejus cùm fit, &c. lib. 2, cap. 48...

ineffable, &c.

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Ex quo, quando ipfe voluit, Sermo Filius natus eft. Cujus facræ & divinæ Nativitatis Arcana nec Apoftolus didicit lus didicit, nec Prophetes comperit, nec Angelus fcivit, nec Creatura cognovit: Filio foli nota funt, qui Patris fecreta novit. De Trinit. c. 31.

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And Alexander Bishop of Alexandria: The Pions Apostle St John, (faith he,) confidering that the Manner of Exifence of God the Word, was far different from That of the things created by Him; avoided faying of Him, that he was Made; [but faid only, that he WAS.] Not as if he were Self-exiftent; (For Nothing is Self-exiftent befides the Father) but because the inefable Manner how the Only-begotten God received his Subfiftence, is far beyond the comprehenfion not only of the Evangelifts, but probably even of the Angels also. - For if the Knowledge of many things vastly inferiour to This, be hid from humane Understanding ;---

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Μακρὶν γέν θεωρήσεις το θεῖ oyu tò ñv,njúπegaer 724vnrav Naroías, i curacésa T'Iávons, Húnow a’ure y ποίησιν ἀπηξίωσεν ἐπῶν προ 'Oux ötι áŸévvÛT☺ uv. (év δ αγέννητον ὁ πατηρ·) ἐη ὅτι diavoías elù off ĉuay [enesår, Táxαj dsgénwv xætenńJews isgewinevá bani î μονους θεός ανεκδιήγητο ὑπόςασις. Ἐν γ' ἑτέρων πολλῶν ἡ γνῶσις, καὶ τέτων dσυγκρίτως κολοβωτέρων, και κρυπται ἢ ἀνθρωπίνην κατά πῶς περιεργά aner Tus ar weerszá σαιτό τις 7 τὸ θεῖο λόγο υπό περὶ ἧς τὸ προφη sasiv, — Tindy πrełμd onas, τικὸν πνεῦμά φησι, * γε νεαν αυτό τις διηγήσεται; Εpist. ad Alex, apud Theodorit.lib. 1, cap. 4.

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how dare any man curiously pry into the Manner how God the Word received his Subsistence; concerning which the Holy Ghost faith, Who shall declare his generation?

And Eufebius: The Church (faith he) preaches Jefus Chrift, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all Ages: being, not the fame Person with the Father, but having a real Subfifence and Life of his own, and being with him as his Son; God of

Ὑιὸν θεῖ μονογυή Ιησέν Χρι sivy♪idwo,, † wej ráven αἰώνων ἐκ * πατρὶς γελυνημέ F vorsè dulòrovla Tâ walei· nať ἑαυτὸν ἢ ὄντα καὶ ζῶντα, κι ας andãs ÿòv owórta, deòr ån deš, xỳ qús in Qwπùs, xj (aanv ἐκ ζωῆς· ἀλέκτοις καὶ ἀῤῥήτοις warrά@o ȧyvásos nμïr παντάπασιν ἀγνώτοις ἡμῖν, axatanńwtois Róyos, En F

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God, Light of Light, Life of Life: Begotten of the Father after an unfpeakable & ineffable and to Uswhol

πατρός, ἐπὶ σωτηείᾳ τῇ ὅλων, γελυνημθύον. De Ecclef.Theol. lib. I, c. 8.

ly unknown and unconceivable manner, for the Salvation of the World.

Ει ἢ περιεργάζοιτίτις, καὶ πῶς ἂν χυνήσειεν ὁ Θεὸς; τολμηρὸν ἡ παύσεως κατασι γάση ὁ φήσας· βαθύτερα σε μή ζήτει, καὶ ὑψηλότερα σε μὴ ξέταζει ο προσελάχη σου, ταῦτα διανός· ἐ γδ ὄτίσοι χρεία * κρυπτῶν. — Τὸν περαι τέρω χωρείν τολμώντα πειθέτω λέγων πρότερον αυ τὸς, ἃ δή φησιν ἐξ ἐκ ὄντων γεγονέναι, πῶς καὶ τίνα τρόπον ὑπέςη, μηδαμή μηδαμώς όντα πρότερον. Ὥσπερ ἢ τότο τῇ φύσει ἀμήχανον, ὅσον ἐπ ἀνθρώποις, - ἔτω καὶ πολὺ πλέον ἡ τὸ μονοθεῖς αὐτὸ γύνησις ανεξερεύνητΘ καὶ ἀνεξιχνίας ἂν ἔn, ἐχ ἡμῖν (ὡς ἂν φάιν τις μόνοις, διὰ καὶ πάσαις τις) 'anga * κρείττοσιν ἤ καθ ̓ ἡμᾶς διά

And again : If any one (faith he will be fo curious as to inquire, How God begat the Son; the Boldnefs of this Queftion is juftly reproved by him that faid, (Écclus. iii, 21.) feek not out the things that are too hard for thee, neither search the things that are above thy ftrength; But what is commanded thee, think thereupon with reverence ; for it is not needful for thee to fee with thine eyes the things that are in fecret. H that would prefume to go further, let him himfelf frft fhow, how and in what manner thofe things, which he fays were made out of nothing, received their Subfiftence, having before had no Being at all. For as This is impofible in Nature, for Men to explain; fo, and much more,the Manner how the only-begotten was produced, is Unlearchable and Infcrutable, not only to Us (as a Man

may fay,) but also to all the

And Bafil: Thou belie veft that he was begotten,

μεσιν. De Ecclef. Theol. lib. I. cap. 12.

Powers far beyond us.
Πιςεύεις ὅτι γεγύνη; μὴ
ζήτει, πῶς. Ἐι τὰ ἐνδέχε
Ει γδ
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They are therefore equally worthy of Cenfure, who either on the one hand presume to affirm, that the Son was made (in VTV) out of Nothing; or, on the other hand, that He is the Self-exiftent Subftance.

Notes on $ 14.

That the Son is not Self-exiftent, fee above in § 12. That, on the other hand, the Antients were careful not to reckon Him among Beings made (§ ¿n ovTwv) out of Nothing, but (on the contrary) thought themfelves oblig'd to keep to the Scripture-language, which ftiles him The only-begotten of the Father, and (TeToToxov) The first-born, (not EWTONTISOV The firstcreated) of every Creature; may be judged from the following paffages.

The Son of God (faith the Paftor of Hermas) is antienter than All Creatures,

Filius quidem Dei omni creaturâ antiquior eft, ita ut in confilio Patri fuo

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