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hath begotten a Son of a nature and essence so totally like, so totally the same, that no accidental disparity can imaginably consist with that identity?

That God is the proper and eternal Father of his own 34 eternal Son is now declared: what is the eminency or excellency of this relation followeth to be considered. In general then we may safely observe, that in the very name of father there is something of eminence which is not in that of son1; and some kind of priority we must ascribe unto him whom we call the first, in respect of him whom we term the second person; and as we cannot but ascribe it, so must we endeavour to preserve it.

Now that privilege or priority consisteth not in this3, that the essence or attributes of the one are greater than the essence or attributes of the other (for we shall hereafter demonstrate them to be the same in both); but only in this, that the Father hath that essence of himself, the Son by communication from the Father. From whence he acknowledgeth that he is from him, that he liveth by him, that the Father gave him to have life in himself, and generally referreth all things to him, as received from him. Wherefore in this sense some of the John xiv. 28. ancients have not stuck to interpret those words, the Father is greater than I, of Christ as the Son of God, as the second

John vii. 29.

John vi. 57.

John v. 26.

1 Αὐτὸ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς μειζόν ἐστι τοῦ υἱοῦ. Syn. Sardie. Theod. l. ii. c. 8. 'Insinuatur nobis in Patre auctoritas, in filio nativitas.' S. August. [Serm. 71. § 18. vol. v. p. 392 E.]

2 Τῷ μὲν ἀγεννήτῳ πατρὶ οἰκεῖον ἀξίωμα φυλακτέον, μηδένα τοῦ εἶναι αὐτῷ τὸν αἴτιον λέγοντας. Alex. apud Theod. 1. i. c. 4.

3 Ημεῖς δὲ κατὰ μὲν τὴν τῶν αἰτίων πρὸς τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν σχέσιν, προτετάχθαι τοῦ υἱοῦ τὸν πατέρα φαμέν, κατὰ δὲ τὴν τῆς φύσεως διαφορὰν οὐκέτι. S. Basil. contra Eunom. 1. i. § 20. [Vol. 1. p. 232 B.]

4 Μείζων, εἶπεν, οὐ μεγέθει τινί, οὐδὲ χρόνῳ ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς γέννησιν. S. Athanas. contra Arianos, 1. i. § 58. [Vol. 1. p. 462 E.] Λείπεται τοίνυν κατὰ τὸν τῆς αἰτίας λόγον ἐνταῦθα τὸ μεῖζον λέγεσθαι. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡ ἀρχὴ τῷ υἱῷ, κατὰ τοῦτο μείζων ὁ πατήρ, ὡς αἴτιος καὶ ἀρχή. διὸ καὶ ὁ κύριος οὕτως εἶπεν,

Ο πατήρ μου μείζων μου ἐστί, καθὸ πατὴρ δηλονότι. τὸ δὲ πατὴρ τί ἄλλο σημαίνει, ἢ οὐχὶ τὸ αἰτία εἶναι καὶ ἀρχὴ τοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννηθέντος; S. Basil, contra Eunom. 1. i. § 25. [Vol. 1. p. 236 c.] And the same S. Basil doth not only acknowledge this to be true in respect of the divine nature of Christ, but thinketh the divinity of the Son may be proved from hence: Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἐκ ταύτης τῆς φωνῆς, τὸ ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τῷ πατρὶ δηλοῦσθαι πεπίστευκα, τὰς γὰρ συγκρί σεις οἶδα κυρίως ἐπὶ τῶν τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως γινομένας· ἄγγελον γὰρ ἀγγέ λου λέγομεν μείζονα, καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἀνθρώπου δικαιότερον, καὶ πτηνὸν πτηνοῦ ταχύτερον. εἰ τοίνυν αἱ συγκρίσεις ἐπὶ τῶν ὁμοειδῶν γίνονται, μείζων δὲ κατὰ σύγκρισιν εἴρηται ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ υἱοῦ, ὁμοούσιος τῷ πατρὶ ὁ υἱός. Ad Casarienses Epist. 141. [viii. § 5. vol. 111. Ρ. 84 Β.] Τὸ μεῖζον μέν ἐστι τῆς αἰτίας, τὸ δὲ ἴσον τῆς φύσεως. S. Greg. Νaz.

person in the blessed Trinity; but still with reference not unto his essence, but his generation, by which he is understood to have his being from the Father, who only hath it of himself, and is the original of all power and essence in the Son. I can John v. 30. of mine own self do nothing, saith our Saviour, because he is not of himself'; and whosoever receives his being, must receive his power from another, especially where the essence

Orat. 36. [Orat. 30 § 7. Vol. I. p. 544 E.] et Orat. 40. [§ 43. p. 725 D.] οὐ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν τὸ μεῖζον, τὴν αἰτίαν dé. Vide S. Epiphan. in Ancor. c. 17. [Vol. I. p. 22.] El dè λÉYOI TIS μείζονα εἶναι τὸν πατέρα καθὸ αἴτιος τοῦ υἱοῦ, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἀντεροῦμεν. S. Chrys. Homil. in Ioan. 75. [Vol. vin. p. 443 D.] Ἴσος τοιγαροῦν κατὰ τὸν τῆς οὐσίας λόγον ὑπάρχων ὁ υἱὸς τῷ πατρί, καὶ ὅμοιος κατὰ πάντα, μείζονα αὐτόν φησιν ὡς ἄναρχον, ἔχων ἀρχὴν κατὰ μόνον τὸ ἐξ οὗ, εἰ καὶ σύνδρομον αὐτῷ Tỳν vñaρživ ĕxol. S. Cyril. Alex. Thesaur. c. xi. [Vol. v. p. 85 E.] And Isidore Pelusiota [1. iii. Epist. 334, p. 386] cites this saying of an ancient father: Καὶ τὸ μεῖζον ἵσταται ᾗ γεννήτωρ, καὶ τὸ ἴσον καθ ̓ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ὁμοούσιος. Το Vigilius professes to believe the Son: 'æqualem per omnia Patri, excepto eo quod ille ingenitus est, et iste genitus.' De Trin. 1. xi. [p. 285.] Ideo totum quod habet, quod potest, non tribuit sibi, sed Patri, quia non est a seipso, sed a Patre. Equalis est enim Patri, sed hoc quoque accepit a Patre.' S. August. Epist. 66. [Ep. 170. § 8. Vol. I. p. 610F.] 'Necesse est quodammodo prior sit, qua Pater sit; quoniam aliquo pacto antecedat necesse est, eum qui habet originem, ille qui originem nescit. Simul ut hic minor sit, dum in illo esse se scit habens originem, quia nascitur.' Novatianus de Trin. c. 31. 'Major itaque Pater filio est, et plane major, cui tantum donat esse quantus ipse est, cui innascibilitatis esse imaginem sacramento nativitatis impertit, quem ex se in formam suam generat.' S. Hilar. de Trin. 1. ix. c. 54. [p. 1020 E.] 'Non præstantem quemquam cuiquam genere substantiæ, sed subjectum alte

rum alteri nativitate naturæ. Patrem in eo majorem esse quod pater est, Filium in eo non minorem esse quod filius est.' Id. de Synod. contra Arianos, c. 64. [p. 1187 D.] 'Quis non Patrem potiorem confitebitur, ut ingenitum a genito, ut Patrem a Filio, ut eum qui miserit ab eo qui missus sit, ut volentem ab eo qui obediat? et ipse nobis erit testis, Pater major me est.' Id. de Trin. 1. iii. c. 12. [p. 813 E.] 'In eo enim quod in sese sunt, Dei ex Deo divinitatem cognosce; in eo vero quod Patermajor est, confessionem paternæ auctoritatis intellige.' Id. 1. xi. c. 12 [p. 1089 D.] And before all these Alexander bishop of Alexandria: Τὸ δὲ ἀγέννητον τῷ πατρὶ μόνον ἰδίωμα παρεῖναι δοξάζοντες, ἅτε δὴ καὶ αὐτοῦ φάσκοντος τοῦ σωτῆρος, Ο πατήρ μου μelswv μov Orl. Theodor. Hist. 1. i. c. 4. Lastly, we have the testimony of Photius, that many of the ancient fathers so expounded it: Τήν, Ο πατήρ μου μείζων μου ἐστί, τοῦ εὐαγγελίου φωνήν, διαφόρως οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐξειλήφασιν.—οἱ μὲν γάρ φασι τῷ αἰτίῳ μείJova elpĥobal. Epist. 176. [ad Amph. Quæst. 95. vol. 1. 605.] Æqualis Patri; sed major Pater, quod ipse dedit ipsi omnia, et causa est ipsi Filio ut sit, ut isto modo sit.' Victor. Afer adv. Arium, 1. i. c. 13. 'Pater, inquit, major me est; merito major, quia non Ipse descendit in Virginem.' Phœbadius, [contra Arianos, c. 13.]

1 'Quicquid Filius habet ut faciat, a Patre habet ut faciat. Quare habet a Patre ut faciat? quia a Patre habet ut Filius sit. Quare a Patre habet ut Filius sit? quia a Patre habet ut possit: quia a Patre habet ut sit.' S. August. Tract. 20. in Ioan. § 4. [Vol. III. Part 2. p. 450 D.]

John v. 19.

and the power are undeniably the same, as in God they are. The Son then can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do, because he hath no power of himself but what the Father gave1: and being he gave him all the power, as com- 35 municating his entire and undivided essence, therefore what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise, by the same power by which the Father worketh, because he had received the same Godhead in which the Father subsisteth. There is nothing more intimate and essential to any thing than the life thereof, and that in nothing so conspicuous as in the Godhead, where life and truth are so inseparable, that there can be no living God but the true, no true God but the living. The Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King, saith the prophet Jeremy: and St Paul 1 Thess. 1. 9. putteth the Thessalonians in mind, how they turned from idols to serve the living and true God. Now life is otherwise in God than in the creatures: in him originally, in them derivatively; in him as in the fountain of absolute perfection, in them by way of dependence and participation; our life is in John v. 26. him, but his is in himself: and as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself"; both

Jer. x. 10.

1 'Non alia potentia est in Filio, et alia substantia; sed ipsa est potentia quæ et substantia; substantia ut sit, potentia ut possit. Ergo quia Filius de Patre est, ideo dixit, Filius non potest a se facere quicquam; quia non est Filius a se, ideo non potest a se.' Ibid. [p. 450 F.] Totum quod est, de Patre est; totum quod potest, de Patre est; quoniam quod potest et est, hoc unum est, et de Patre totum est. Ibid. [§ 8. p. 452 F.] 'Non potest Filius a se facere quicquam, nisi quod viderit Patrem facientem: quia de Patre est totus Filius, et tota substantia et potentia ejus ex illo est qui genuit eum.' Id. Tract. in Ioan. 21. § 2. [p. 456 c.] Et primum Filium cognosce, cum dicitur, Non potest Filius ab se facere quidquam,nisi quod viderit Patrem facientem. Habes nativitatem Filii, quæ ab se nihil possit facere nisi videat. In eo autem quod ab se nihil potest, innascibilitatis adimit errorem. Ab se enim non potest

posse nativitas.' S. Hilar. de Trin. 1. vii. c. 21. [p. 929 c.] 'Dum non ab se facit, ad id quod agit secundum nativitatem sibi Pater auctor est.' Ibid. 1. xi. c. 12. [p. 1089 E.] 'Auctorem discrevit cum ait, Non potest ab se facere: obedientiam significat cum addit: Nisi quod viderit patrem facientem.' Id. de Syn. c. 75. [p. 1192 c.]

2

Sicut habet Pater vitam in semetipso, sic dedit et Filio vitam habere in semetipso: ut hoc solum intersit inter Patrem et Filium, quia Pater habet vitam in semetipso quam nemo ei dedit, Filius autem habet vitam in semetipso quam Pater dedit.' S. August. Tract. 19. in Ioan. § 11. [Vol. III. p. 442 c.] 'Incommutabilis est vita Filii, sicut Patris, et tamen de Patre est: et inseparabilis est operatio Patris et Filii; sed tamen ita operari Filio de illo est, de quo ipse est, id est, de Patre.' Id. de Trin. 1. ii. c. 1. [§ 3. Vol. VIII. p. 773 E.]

the same life, both in themselves, both in the same degree, as the one, so the other; but only with this difference, the Father giveth it, and the Son receiveth it'. From whence he professeth of himself, that the living Father sent him, and that he John vi, 57. liveth by the Father2.

We must not therefore so far endeavour to involve ourselves in the darkness of this mystery, as to deny that glory which is clearly due unto the Father; whose pre-eminence undeniably consisteth in this, that he is God not of any other, but of himself, and that there is no other person who is God, but is God of him. It is no diminution to the Son, to say, he is from another, for his very name imports as much; but it were a diminution to the Father to speak so of him; and there must be some pre-eminence, where there is place for deroga⚫tion. What the Father is3 he is from none; what the Son is, he is from him: what the first is, he giveth; what the second is, he receiveth. The first is a Father indeed by reason of his Son, but he is not God by reason of him; whereas the Son is not so only in regard of the Father, but also God by reason of the same.

1 'Sicut habet, dedit; quod habet dedit; qualem habet, talem dedit; quantam habet, tantam dedit.' Id. contra Maxim. 1. ii. c. 14. [§ 7. Vol. vin. p. 706 F.] 'Ergo quod dicitur dedit Filio, tale est ac si diceretur, genuit Filium; generando enim dedit. Quomodo dedit ut esset, sic dedit ut vita esset, et sic dedit ut in semetipso vita esset.' Id. Tract. 22. in Ioan. § 10. [Vol. I. part 2, p. 469 G.] 'Connectitur tali confessione originis suæ, indiscretæ naturæ perfecta nativitas. Quod enim in utroque vita est, id in utroque significatur essentia. Et in vita quæ generatur ex vita, id est, essentia quæ de essentia nascitur, dum non dissimilis nascitur, scilicet quia vita ex vita est, tenet in se originis suæ indissimilem naturam; quia natæ et gignentis essentiæ, id est, vitæ quæ habetur et data est, similitudo non discrepet.' S. Hilar. de Synod. advers. Arianos, c. 16. [p. 1160 c.] 'Quia ergo apparet vita Patris hoc esse quod ipse est; sicut habet vitam in se, sic dedit; sic dedit Filio habere vitam, id est,

PEARSON.

sic est Esse Filii, sicut Esse Patris.'
Vigil. Taps. Disput. [Dial. contra
Arianos etc. 1. ii. c. 13, p. 155.] 'In
vita naturæ et essentiæ significatio
est: quæ sicut habetur, ita data esse
docetur ad habendum.' S. Hilar. de
Synod. c. 19. [p. 1163 A.]

2 Propter Patrem vivit Filius,
quia ex Patre Filius est: propter
Patrem, [quia unius substantiæ cum
Patre: propter Patrem] quia eructatum
est Verbum ex Patris corde, quia a
Patre processit, quia ex paterno gene-
ratus est utero, quia fons Pater Filii
est, quia radix Pater Filii est.' S.Am-
bros. de Fide, 1. iv. c. 10. [§ 126. Vol.
II. p. 545 B.]

3 'Pater de nullo patre, Filius de Deo Patre: Pater quod est, a nullo est; quod autem Pater est, propter Filium est. Filius vero et quod Filius est, propter Patrem est, et quod est, a Patre est.' S. August. Tract. 19. in Ioan. [§ 13. Vol. I. p. 443 D.] 'Filium dicimus Deum de Deo; Patrem autem Deum tantum, non de Deo. Unde manifestum est, quod Filius habeat

5

Heb. iii. 1.

Upon this pre-eminence (as I conceive) may safely be 36 grounded the congruity of the divine mission. We often read that Christ was sent, from whence he bears the name of an Apostle himself, as well as those whom he therefore named so, John xx. 21. because as the Father sent him, so sent he them; the Holy Ghost is also said to be sent, sometimes by the Father, sometimes by the Son: but we never read that the Father was sent at all1, there being an authority in that name which seems inconsistent with this mission. In the parable, a certain householder which planted a vineyard, first sent his servants to the husbandmen, and again other servants, but last of all he sent unto them his son: it had been inconsistent even with the literal sense of an historical parable, as not at all consonant to the rational customs of men, to have said, that last of all the son sent his father to them. So God, placing man in the vineyard of his Church, first sent his servants the prophets, by whom he spake at sundry times and in divers manners, but

Matt. XXL

33, &c.

Heb. i. 1,

alium de quo sit, et cui Filius sit;
Pater autem non Filium de quo sit
habeat, sed tantum cui Pater sit.
Omnis enim filius de patre est quod
est, et patri filius est: nullus autem
pater de filio est quod est.' Id. de
Trin. 1. ii. c. 1. [§ 2. Vol. VIII. p. 773
A.] Filius non hoc tantum habet
nascendo, ut Filius sit, sed omnino ut
sit.' Ibid. 1. v. c. 15. [§ 16. p. 841 D.]
'Filius non tantum ut sit Filius quod
relative dicitur, sed omnino ut sit,
ipsam substantiam nascendo habet.'
Ibid. c. 15. [§ 16.] 'Pater non habet
Patrem de quo sit; Filius autem de
Patre est ut sit, atque ut illi coæternus
sit.' Ibid. 1. vi. c. 10. [§ 11. Vol. VIII.
p. 850 D.] Ab ipso, inquit, sum; quia
Filius de Patre, et quicquid est Filius,
de illo est cujus est filius. Ideo Do-
minum Jesum dicimus Deum de Deo,
Patrem non dicimus Deum de Deo,
sed tantum Deum; et dicimus Domi-
num Jesum Lumen de Lumine, Patrem
non dicimus Lumen de Lumine, sed
tantum Lumen. Ad hoc ergo pertinet
quod dixit, Ab ipso sum. Id. Tract. 31.
in Ioan. [§ 4. Vol. 1. Pt. 2, p. 521 f.]
'Pater non est si non habeat Filium,
et Filius non est si non habeat Pa-
trem: sed tamen Filius Deus de Patre,

Pater autem Deus, sed non de Filio: Pater Filii, non Deus de Filio; ille autem Filius Patris, et Deus de Patre.' Id. Tract. 29. in Ioan. [§ 5. p. 514 F.] 'Hoc tamen inter Patrem et Filium interest, quia Pater a nullo hoc accepit, Filius autem per generationem omnia Patris accepit.' S. Ambros. in Epist. ad Eph. c. 2. [v. 3. Inter spuria. Vol. I. App. p. 234 F.] 'Est ergo Deus Pater omnium, institutor, et creator, solus originem nesciens.' Novat. de Trinit. c. 31; whereas he speaks after of the Son: 'Est ergo Deus, sed in hoc ipsum genitus, ut esset Deus.' 'Pater est Deus de quo Filius est Deus, de quo autem Pater nullus est Deus.' S. August. Epist. 66. [Ep. 170. § 7. Vol. VIII. p. 610 E.]

1 'Pater enim solus nusquam legitur missus.' S. August. de Trin. 1. ii. c. 5. [§ 8. Vol. VII. p. 776 A.]

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2 Solus Pater non legitur missus, quoniam solus non habet auctorem a quo genitus sit, vel a quo procedat. Et ideo non propter naturæ diversitatem, quæ in Trinitate nulla est, sed propter ipsam auctoritatem, solus Pater non dicitur missus: non enim splendor aut fervor ignem, sed ignis mittit sive splendorem sive fervorem.'

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