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Notes on S 12.

Thus Bafil: But the Title of Unbegotten, [or Self-exiftent,] no man can be fo abfurd as to prefume to give to any other than to the Supreme God; no, not even to the Son himfelf.

And the learned Bishop Bull They (fays he) who contend that the Son can properly be filed God of Himfelf, or Self-exift ent;] their Opinion is contrary to the Catholic Do.

arine.

And again: The Council of Nice it felf decreed, that the Son was only God of God: Now He that is only God of God, cannot without a manifeft contradiction be faid to be God of Himself, or Self-exiftent.] I earnestly exhort all pious and fludious young Men, to take beed of fuch a Spirit, from

̓Αγέννητον δε, ἰδὼς ὅτως Tarteras on to deguer, äse Torμñsaι étegv πλùv tõ Θεῖ τῶν ὅλων προσαγορεῦσαι· in pv åðè yóv. contr. Eunom. lib. z.

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Qui filium propriè dici poffe durior, hoc eft, a Seipfo Deum, pertinaci ftudio contendunt: Hæc fententia-Catholico confenfui repugnat. Defenf. Sect. 4. cap. 1. § 7.

Ipfa Synodus Nicæna decrevit, Filium effe Deum de Deo: Qui verò Deus de Deo eft, dici non potest a Seipfo Deus fine manifeftâ contradictione. Piam ac ftudiofam juventutem feriò hortor, ut a fpiritu fibi caveat, ex quo talia profecta fuerint. Ibid.

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whence fuch things as thefe viz. ridiculing the diftinction between God self-existing, and God of God,] do proceed.

See above, §5; and below, § 34.

S XIII.

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, No 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 [es] Partaker of Divine Power and Glory with and from the Father before the World Was. Accordingly

eft?

Siquis itaque nobis dixerit, Quomodo ergo fi lius prolatus a patre 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, non Valentinus, non Marcion, neque Saturninus, neque Bafilides, neque Angeli, ncque Archangeli, nec principes, neque potefta tes, nifi Solus qui gene ravit pater, & qui natus eft filius. Inenarrabilis itaque generatio ejus cùm fit, &c. lib. 2, cap. 48.

Accordingly Irenæus : If any one (laith he) inquire of us, How then was the Son produced by the Father? We answer that This his Production, or Generation, or Speaking forth, or Birth, [alluding, I fuppofe, to the Hebrew Phrafe, adaperiens vulvam,] or how elfe foever you in words endeavour to exprefs bis 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, neither have the Apoftles known, nor the Prophets difcovered, nor the Angels understood, nor any Creature comprehended: It is known only to the Son, who understands the Fathers Secrets.

ineffable, &c.

Ex quo, quando ipfe voluit, Sermo Filius na tus eft. - Cujus facræ & divinæ Nativi tatis Arcana nec Apofto lus didicit, nec Prophe tes comperit, nec Ange lus fcivit, nec Creatura cognovit: Filio foli nota funt, qui Patris fecreta novit. De Trinit. c. 31.

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And

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And Alexander Bishop of Alexandria: The Pious Apolle St John, (faith he,) confidering that the Manner of Exilence of God the Word, was far diferent 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 belides 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 alfo. For if the Know

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ledge of many things vaftly inferiour to This, be hid from humane Understanding;---

Μακρὸν γῖν θεωρήσας τὸ θεῖ λόγο τὸ ἦν, καὶ ὑπεραιρον 7 γενητῶν διανοίας, ὁ συλαβέςα τῷ Ἰωάννης, γύησιν αυτό και ποίησιν ἀπηξίωσεν εἰπεῖν — ουχ ὅτι ἀγέννητα ἦν, (εν δ αγέννητον ὁ πατης) δ ̓ ὅτι διανοίας μας που ευαγγελισῶν, τάχα ἢ καὶ ἀγγέλων καταλή ψεως ὑπερεπέκεινα ὄξιν ἡ τὸ μονολυες θεῖ ἀνεκδιήγητο υπός ασις. - Ει δ' ἑτέρων Ἐι πολλῶν ἡ γνῶσις, κ τέτων ασυγκρίτως κολοβωτέρων, κέκρυπται ἢ ἀνθρωπίνην κατάληψεν — πῶς ἂν περιεργάσαιτό τις ἢ τὸ θεῖο λόγο ὑπό ςασιν, - περὶ ἧς τὸ προφή

τικὸν πνεῦμά φησι, * γε νεαν αυτό τίς διηγήσεται; Εpift. ad Alex. apud Theodorit.lib.r, cap. 4.

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

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

γιόν θεῖο μονογυή Ιησέν Χρι siv eαδίδωσι, ἢ πρὸ πάντων αἰώνων ἐκ * πατρὶς γεγυνημέ vov αυ]ὸν ὄν & 1ῶ πα]εί· καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἢ ὄντα καὶ ζῶντας καὶ ἀληθῶς ὑὸν σωόντα, θεὸν ἐκ θεῖ, καὶ φώς ἐκ φωτός, καὶ ζωὴν on Ζωῆς· ἀλέκτοις καὶ ἀῤῥήτοις και παντάπασιν ἀγνώςοις ἡμῖν καὶ ἀκαταλήπτοις λόγοις, ἐκ τ

God, Light of Light, Life
of Life: Begotten of the Fa-
ther after an unfpeakable
& ineffable and to Us whol
Ly unknown and unconceivable
of the World.

πατος, ἐπὶ σωτηρία της ὅλων,
γελωνημθύον. De Ecclef. Theol.
lib. 1, c. 8.

manner, for the Salvation

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Ει ἢ πειεργάζοιτίτις, καὶ πῶς ἂν υνήσειεν ὁ Θεὸς ; τολμηρὸν ἢ παύσεως κατασι γάση ὁ φήσας· βαθύτερα σε μή ζήτει, καὶ ὑψηλότερα σε μὴ ξέταζει ο προσελάχη σου, τοῦτα διανός· ἐ γδ ὄξίσοι χρεία Η κρυπτών. - Τον περασ τέρω χωρείν τολμῶντα πειθέτω λέγων πρότερον αὐ τις, & δή φησιν ἐξ ἐκ ὄντων γεγονέναι, πῶς καὶ τίνα τείπον ὑπέση, μηδαμή μηδαμῶς ὄντα πρότερον. Ὥσπερ ἢ τότο τῇ φύσει ἀμήχανον, ὅσον ἐπ ανθρώποις, - έτω καὶ πολὺ πλέον ἡ τὸ μονοχρᾶς αὐτό γύνησις ἀνεξερεύνητΘ κὶ ἀνεξιχνίας Θ ἂν ἔη, ἐχ ἡμῖν (ὡς ἂν φάση τις) μόνοις, οδηγώ κ πάσαις 7 κρείττοσιν ἤ καθ ̓ ἡμᾶς διά

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And again : If any one (faith he) will be so curions as to inquire, How God begat the Son ; the Boldnefs of this Oneftion is juftly reproved by him that said, (Ecclus. iii, 21.) feck 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. He that would prefume to go further ; let him himfelf frf Jhow, how and in what manner thofe things, which he fays were made out of nothing, received their Subffence, having before had no Being at all. For as This is impoffible in Nature, for Men to explain; fo, and much more,the Manner how the only-begotten was produced, is Unfearchable and Infcrutable, not only to Us (as a Man may say, but also to all the And Bafil: Thou believeft that he was begotten?

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

Powers far beyond us.
Πιςεύεις ὅτι γεγύνης με
ζήτει, πῶς. Ἐι δ ἐνδέχε
* Τ 2

ζητ

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