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tinued) with me from the beginning. Thus Nonnus, E agxüs yelawtes öλwv Inńroges eglwv. John. 6. 24. “Ore Sv eider ¡öxλ& öte 'Inoỡs &x sce. When the people faw that Jefus was not there. Nor only doth S. John use thus the prefent tenfe for that which is past, but as frequently for that which is to come. For as before, too&Tv xegrov μet" i'mμāv ciμs, fo on the contrary isi mixogo xogrov med var ein, John 7. 33. and one cipi iya, 'n Aláxoro inos isa, John 12. 26. 14,3. 17.24. Wherefore it is very indifferent whether (John 7. 34.) we read, on ciμi byà, or öz μ. For Nonnus feems to have read it εἶμι by his tranfation, εἰς ἀτραπὸν — περ ὁδούσω· and the queftion, πε τα μέλλει που guia; shews they understood it fo: for this elu, though of a prefent form, is of a future fignification. Hefych. Eiu, πορεύσομαι. And fo it agreeth with that which follows, John 8. 21. ὅτε ἐγὼ ὑπάγω, ὑμεῖς ἡ διύαθε ἐλθεῖν. If we read cipi, as the old tranflation, ubi ego fum, it will have the force of "oopas, and agree with the other, iva in cins EyW. VμS ATE Howfoever it is clear, S. John useth the prefent eius either in relation to what is past, or what is to come, and is therefore to be interpreted as the matter in hand requireth. And certainly the place now under our confideration can admit no other relation but to the time already past, in which Abraham lived. And we find the prefent tenfe in the fame manner joined with the Aorift elsewhere: as Pial. 90. 2. weg 78 ögn fonetwas, in wadliwas I ghi my I oizxpílu, xj do αião, tws To αiavC C. What can be more parallel than, weg röen gunelion, to weir Abeacèria Sveas, and Cù et, to, iyá eini; in the fame manner, though by another word, way to den idegod times, way way Bay rar, juve me, Prov. 8. 25.

E

maintaineth, and the nature of the place abfolutely requireth, that it should not here denote a present being, but a priority of existence, together with a continuation of it till the prefent time. And then the words will plainly fignify thus much do you queftion how I could fee Abraham, who am not yet fifty years old? Verily, verily, I fay unto you, * Before ever Abraham, * So the Æthe person whom you fpeak of, was born, I had a real being and existence, thiopick Ver(by which I was capable of the fight of him) in which I have continued un- dico vobis, til now. In this fenfe certainly the Jews understood our Saviour's anfwer, priufquam Aas pertinent to their question, but in their opinion blafphemous; and there- ceretur, fui fore they took up ftones to cast at him.

fion, Amen

braham naf

ego; and the

vere vobis di

braham factus

hift of the

this speech of

Quod verò

This literal and plain explication is yet farther neceffary; because those Perfian, Vere, who once recede from it, do not only wreft and pervert the place, but also co, quod invent and fuggeft an anfwer unworthy of and wholly misbecoming him nondum Athat fpake it. For (fetting afide the addition of the light of the world, erat, cùm ego which there can be no † fhew or reafon to admit ;) whether they interpret eram. the former part (before Abraham was) of fomething to come, as the cal-This is the ling of the Gentiles, or the latter (I am) of a pre-existence in the divine Socinians, foreknowledge and appointment; they reprefent Christ with a great affeve- who make ration highly and strongly afferting that which is nothing to the purpose to Chrift elliptiwhich he speaks, nothing to any other purpose at all; and they propound cal, and then the Jews fenfelefly offended and foolishly exafperated with thofe words, Supply it from which any of them might have spoken as well as he. For the first inter- I am the light pretation makes our Saviour thus to fpeak: Do you so much wonder how of the world. Ifhould have feen Abraham, who am not yet fifty years old? Do ye ima- ea verba, Ego gine fo great a contradiction in this? I tell you, and be ye most affured fum, fint ad that what I fpeak unto you at this time is most certainly and infallibly fupplenda, ac true, and moft worthy of your obfervation, which moves me not to deli- fi ipfe fubjever it without this folemn affeveration, (Verily, verily, I say unto you) ciffet iis, Ego Before Abraham fhall perfectly become that which was fignified in his name, di, fuperius è fum lux munthe father of many Nations, before the Gentiles fhall come in, I am. Nor principio ejus be ye troubled at this anfwer, or think in this I magnify my felf: for what orationis, y. I fpeak is as true of you, as 'tis of me; before Abraham be thus made quod Chriftus Abraham, ye are. Doubt ye not therefore, as ye did, nor ever make that bis feipfum queftion again, whether I have seen Abraham. The fecond explication Jum, lucem makes a fenfe of another nature, but with the fame impertinency. Do ye mundi vocacontinue still tó question, and that with fo much admiration? Do you look upon my age, and ask, Haft thou feen Abraham? I confefs 'tis more than

eum modum.

12. & hinc

iifdem, Ego

verit, v. 24.

& 28. deprehendi poteft, Catech. Ra

cou. Whereas there is no ground for any fuch connection. That difcourfe of the light of the world was in the treasury, N. 20. that which followeth was not, at least appeareth not to be fo. Therefore the ellipfis of the 24. and 28. verfes is not to be Supplied by the 12, but the 24, from the 13. iya cu avalir ein, and the 28, either from the fame, or that which is most general, his Office, iya ciuixessós. Again, .31. 'tis very probable that a new difcourfe is again begun, and therefore if there were an ellipfis in the words alledged, it would have no relation to either of the former fupplies, or if to either, to the latter; but indeed it hath to neither.

eighteen

19, 20.

Απειθήσασί

παξ ἐξεδέχετο

ή το Θεό μα

regovuía cv

quéegis Nãe.

eighteen hundred years fince that Patriarch died, and less than forty fince I was born at Bethlehem: but look not on this computation, for before Abraham was born, I was. But mistake me not, I mean in the foreknowledge and decree of God. Nor do I magnify my felf in this, for ye were fo. How either of these anfwers fhould give any reasonable fatisfaction to the question, or the leaft occafion of the Jews exafperation, is not to be understood. And that our Saviour fhould speak any fuch impertinencies as these interpretations bring forth, is not by a Chriftian to be conceived. Wherefore being the plain and most obvious fenfe is a proper and full anfwer to the question, and most likely to exafperate the unbelieving Jews; being those strained explications render the words of Christ, not only impertinent to the occafion, but vain and useless to the hearers of them; being our Saviour gave this anfwer in words of another language, most probably uncapable of any fuch interpretations: We must adhere unto that literal fenfe already delivered, by which it appeareth Chrift had a being, as before John, fo alfo before Abraham, (not only before Abram became Abraham, but before Abraham was Abram) and confequently that he did exist two thousand years before he was born, or conceived by the Virgin.

.

Thirdly, we fhall extend this pre-existence to a far longer space of time, to the end of the first world, nay, to the beginning of it. For he which was before the Flood, and at the Creation of the world, had a being before he was conceived by the Virgin. But Chrift was really before the Flood, for he preached to them that lived before it; and at the Creation of the world, for he created it. That he preached to thofe before the Flood, is evident by the words 1 Pet. 3. 18, of S. Peter, who faith, that Chrift was put to death in the Flesh, but quickned by the Spirit; By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prifon, which fometimes were disobedient, when once the long-fuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing. From which words it appeareth, that Chrift preached by the fame Spirit by the virtue of which he was raised from the dead: but that Spirit was not his Soul, but fomething of a greater power. Secondly, that those to whom he preached were fuch as were difobedient. Thirdly, that the time when they were dif wol, Tobedient was the time before the Flood, while the Ark was preparing. It is certain then that Chrift did preach unto thofe perfons which in the days of Noah were difobedient all that time the long-fuffering of God waited, and confequently, fo long as repentance was offered. And it is as certain that he never preached to them after they died; which I fhall not need here to prove, because those against whom I bring this Argument deny it not. It followeth therefore, that he preached to them while they lived, and were disobedient; for in the refufing of that mercy which was offered to them by the preaching of Chrift, did their difobedience principally confift. In vain then are we taught to understand S. Peter of the promulgation of the Gospel to the Gentiles after the Holy Ghoft defcended upon the Apoftles, when the words themselves refuse all relation to any fuch times or perfons. For all those of whom S. Peter fpeaks, were difobedient in the days of Noah. But none of those to whom the Apostles preached, were ever disobedient in the days of Noah. Therefore none of those to which the Apostles preached were any of those of which S. Peter fpeaks. It remaineth therefore that the plain interpretation be acknowledged for the true, that Chrift did preach unto thofe Men which lived before the Flood, even while they lived, and confequently that he was before it. For though this was not done by an immediate act of the Son of God, as if he perfonally had appeared on earth, and actually preached to that old world; but

by

0

a *

by the ministry of a Prophet, by the fending of Noah, the eighth preacher Prophere of righteousness: yet to do any thing by another not able to perform it ab ipfo hawithout him, as much demonftrates the existence of the principal caufe, as he did it of himself without any intervening inftrument.

bentes do

if num in illum

prophetaverunt. Barnabe

Fpift. 22 Pet. 2. 5. Ihave thus tranflated this place of S. Peter, because it may add fome advantage to the argument : for if Noah were the eighth Preacher of Righteousness, and he were fent by the Son of God; no man, I conceive, will deny that the feven before him were fent by the fame Son: and fo by this we have gained the pre-existence of another 1000 years. However thofe worls, ἀλλ ̓ ὀγδοον Νῶς δικαιοσιώης κήρυκα ἐφύλαξε,may be better interpreted than they are, when we tranflate them, but faved Noah the eighth perfon, a preacher of righteoufnefs. For, first, if we look upon the Greek Phrafe, oyoo Nãe, may not be the eighth perfon, but one of eight, or Noah with feven more; in which it fignifieth not the order in which he was in respect of the rest, but only con-fignifieth the number which were with him. As when we read in the Supplices of #fchylus, Τὸ γδ τεκόντων (έξας, Τρίτον τόδ' ἐν θεσμίοις δίκας γέγραπ) με ισολίμα, we muf not under fand it, as if Honour due to Parents were the third Commandment at Athens, but one of the three remarkable Laws left at Eleufis by Criptolemus. So Porphyrius, Φασι ἢ καὶ Τριπόλεμον Αθηναίοις νομοθετῆσαι, καὶ Ἡ νόμων αὐτῇ τρεῖς ἔτι Ξενοκράτες ὁ φιλόσοφος λέγει διαρθύειν. Ἐλευσῖνι τὰς δὲ Γονείς τιμῶν· Θεὸς καρποῖς ἀγάλλειν· Ζωα μη σίνες. De abftinent. l. 4. Which words are thus tranflated by St. Hierom, who hath made use of most part of that fourth Book of Porphyrius: Xenocrates Philofophus de Triptolemi legibus apud Athenienfes tria tantum præcepta in Templo Eleufine refidere fcribit; Honorandos Parentes, Venerandos Deos, Carnibus nch vefcendum. adv. Jovinian. 1. 2. Where we fee Honour due to Parents the first precept, though by fchylus called the third, not in respect of the order, but the number. Thus Dinarchus the Orator, Καὶ τὰς Σεμνάς θεας αἷς ἐκεῖνο ἱεροποιὸς καλαςὰς δέκατΘ αὐτὸς. From whence we must not collect that the perfon of whom he speaks was the tenth in order of that office, so that nine were neceffarily before or above him, and many more might be after or below him, but from hence it is inferred, that there were ten isogooi waiting on the Zuvai Deai, and no more, of which number that man was one. After this manner speak the Attick Writters, efpecially Thucydides. And fo we may understand S. Peter, that God preferved Noah (a preacher of righteousness) with seven more, of which he deferveth to be named the firft, rather than the last or eighth. But, fecondly, the Ordinal bydoov may poffibly not belong to the name or person of Noah, but to his title or office; and then we must tranflate, öydoor Nãs dixasoccurs xxgxa, Noah the eighth preacher of righteoufnefs. For we read at the birth of Enos, that men began to call upon the name of the Lord, Gen. 4. 26. which the ancients understood peculiarly of his perfon as the LXX. & HAZITE Ezized to óvoμa Kveis To ✪8, and the vulgar Latin, Ifte cœpit invocare nomen Domini. The Jews have a tradition, that God fent in the Sea upon mankind in the days of Enos, and deftroyed many. From whence it feems Enos was a Preacher or Prophet, and fo the reft that followed him; and then Noah is the eighth.

a

αἰῶνας ἐποίησ

κατηργιας τὰς

II, 12.

The fecond part of the Argument, that Chrift made this world, and confequently had a real being at the beginning of it, the Scriptures manifeftly and plentifully affure us. For the fame Son, by whom in thefe laft days God Heb. 1. 2. Spake unto us, is he, by whom alfo be made the worlds. So that as through Heb. 11.3. faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, to muft we falfo believe that they were made by the Son of God. Which the It being in t Apostle doth not only in the entrance of his Epiftle deliver, but in the fe- both places exquel prove. For fhewing greater things have been spoken of him than ever fame phrase by preffed in the were attributed to any of the Angels, the most glorious of all the Creatures the fame Auof God; amongst the rest he faith, the Scripture fpake Unto the Son, thy thor di & THE Throne, O God, is for ever and ever. And not only fo, but alfo, Thou, or, Heb. 1.2. Lord, in the beginning haft laid the foundation of the earth, and the hea-wise vo vens are the work of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou remaineft: vas pal and they all hall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou is. fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the fame, and thy *Heb. 1.8, 10, years fhall not fail. Now whatsoever the perfon be to whom these words were fpoken, it cannot be denied but he was the Creator of the world. For he must be acknowledged the maker of the earth, who laid the foundation of it; and he may juftly challenge to himself the making of the Heavens, who can fay they are the work of his hands. But these words were spoken to the Son of God, as the Apostle himfelf acknowledgeth, and it appeareth out of the order and series of the Chapter; the defign of which is to declare the fupereminent excellency of our Saviour Chrift. Nay, the conjunction And refers this place of the Pfalmift plainly to the former, of which he had faid expreffly, The Answer but unto the Son he faith. As fure then as Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and of Socinus to ever, was faid unto the Son: fo certain it is, Thou, Lord, haft laid the foun- tion is very this Conjundations of the earth, was faid unto the fame. Nor is it poffible to avoid the weak, relying only upon the want of a Comma after Kai in the Greek, and Et in the Latin. And whereas it is evident that there are diftinétions in the Latin and Greek Copies after that Conjunction, he flies to the ancientest Copies, which all men know were most carelefs of diftinétions, and urgeth that there is no addition of rurfum or the like after Et, whereas in the Syriack Tranflation we find exprefly that addition

Apostle's

Col. I. 14.

17.

Apoftle's connexion by attributing the deftruction of the Heavens, out of the lait words to the Son, and denying the Creation of them, out of the firft, to the fame. For it is most evident that there is but one person spoken to, and that the Destruction and the Creation of the Heavens are both attributed to the fame. Whofoever therefore fhall grant that the Apostle produced this Scripture to fhew that the Son of God fhall deftroy the Heavens, muft withal acknowledge that he created them: whofoever denieth him to be here fpoken of as the Creator, must also deny him to be understood as the Deftroyer. Wherefore being the words of the Pfalmift were undoubtedly spoken of and to our Saviour, (or else the Apostle hath attributed that unto him which never belonged to him, and confequently the fpirit of S. Paul miftook the fpirit of David ;) being to whomfoever any part of them belongs, the whole is applicable, because they are delivered unto one; being the literal expofition is fo clear that no man hath ever pretended to a metaphorical: it remaineth as an undeniable truth, grounded upon the profeffion of the Pfalmift, and the interpretation of an Apostle, that the Son of God created the world. Nor needed we fo long to have infifted upon this teftimony, because there are fo many which teftifie as much, but only that this is of a peculiar nature and different from the reft. For they which deny this truth of the Creation of the world by the Son of God, notwithstanding all thofe Scriptures produced to confirm it, have found two ways to avoid or decline the force of them. If they speak fo plainly and literally of the work of Creation, that they will not endure any figurative interpretation, then they endeavour to fhew that they are not spoken of the Son of God. If they fpeak fo expreffly of our Saviour Chrift, as that by no machination they can be applied to any other perfon, then their whole defign is to make the Creation attributed unto him appear to be merely metaphorical. The place before alledged is of the firft kind, which fpeaketh fo clearly of the Creation or real production of the world, that they never denied it: and I have fo manifeftly fhewed it spoken to the Son of God, that it is beyond all poffibility of gain-faying.

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Thus having afferted the Creation acknowledged real unto Chrift, we shall the cafier perfuade that likewife to be fuch which is pretended to be metaphorical. In the Epiftle to the Coloffians we read of the Son of God, in whom we have redemption through his blood; and we are fure those words can be spoken of none other than Jefus Chrift. He therefore it must be who Col. 1. 15, 16, was thus defcribed by the Apoftle; who is the image of the invifible God, the first born of every creature. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible; whether they be thrones er dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things confift. In which words our Saviour is expreffly ftiled the *The first born first born of every Creature, that is, begotten by God, as the Son of his † of every crea- love, antecedently to all other emanations, before any thing proceeded from by Origen for him, or was framed and created by him. And that precedency is presentan expression ly proved by this undeniable Argument, that all other emanations or proDivinity of ductions came from him, and whatfoever received its being by Creation, was by him created. Which affertion is delivered in the moft proper, full, and pregnant expreffions imaginable. First, in the vulgar phrase of Mofes, as moft confonant to his defcription; for by him were all things created that his Humanity are in heaven, and that are in earth; fignifying thereby, that he speaketh fame. of the fame Creation. Secondly, by a divifion which Mofes never used, as ̓Ελέδο μθρο ἢ καὶ

ture is taken

Chrift, and used by him as a phrafe in oppofition to

to express the

*

ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω, ὅτι οἱ μέν τινες εἰσὶ φωναὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ Ἰησε προβολάκι πάσης κλίσεως, ὡς ε, ΕΓὼ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή, καὶ αἱ τέτοις παραπλήσιαι· αἱ 5 το κατ' αὐτὸν νοερώς ανθρώπει, ὡς ή, Να ἢ με ζητείτε Σποκτεῖναι, ἄνθρωπον ὃς τὰ ἀλή θειαν ὑμῖν λελάληκα. lib. 2. adv. Celfum. In relation to the precedent words, rõ ýõ ♪ álánns auty, for that ÿòs áfαπητὸς was the 4ος πρωτότοκΘ.

4

defcri

defcribing the production only of corporeal fubftances: left therefore thofe immaterial beings might feem exempted from the Son's Creation, because omitted in Mofes his defcription, he addeth visible and invifible; and left in that invifible world, among the many degrees of the celeftial Hierarchy, any Order might seem exempted from an effential dependence upon him, he nameth those which are of greatest eminence, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, and under them comprehendeth all the reft. Nor doth it yet fuffice, thus to extend the object of his power by afferting all things to be made by him, except it be fo understood as to acknowledge the fovereignty of his Perfon, and the authority of his Action. For left we should conceive the Son of God framing the World as a mere inftrumental cause which worketh by and for another, he fheweth him as well the final as the efficient caufe; for all things were created by him and for him. Lastly, whereas all things first receive their being by creation, and when they have received it, continue in the fame by virtue of God's confervation, in whom we live, and move, and have our being; left in any thing we should be thought not to depend immediately upon the Son of God, he is defcribed as the Conferver, as well as the Creator; for he is before all things, and by him all things confift. If then we confider the two last cited verfes by themselves, we cannot deny but they are a most compleat description of the Creator of the World; and if they were fpoken of God the Father, could be no way injurious to his Majefty, who is no where more plainly or fully fet forth unto us as the Maker of the World.

Now although this were fufficient to perfuade us to interpret this place of the making of the World, yet it will not be unfit to make use of another reafon, which will compel us fo to understand it. For undoubtedly there are but two kinds of Creation in the language of the Scriptures, the one literal, the other metaphorical; one old, the other new; one by way of formation, the other by way of reformation. If any man be in Chrift he is 2 Cor. 5. 17. a new creature, faith S. Paul; and again, In Chrift Jefus neither cir- Gal. 6. 15. cumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumfion, but a new creature. In- and 5. 6. stead of which words he had before, faith working by love. For we are the Ephef. 2. 10. workmanship of God, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God bath before ordained that we should walk in them. From whence it is evident, that a new creature is fuch a perfon as truly believeth in Chrift, and manifesteth that faith by the exercise of good works; and the new Creation is the reforming or bringing man into this new condition, which by nature and his first Creation he was not in. And therefore he which is fo created is called a new man, in oppofition to the old man, which is corrupt according Ephef. 4. 22, to the deceitful lufts: From whence the Apostle chargeth us to be renewed 23, 24. in the spirit of our mind, and to put on that new man, which after God is Col. 3. 10. created in righteousness and true holiness; and which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him. The new Creation then

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the new man

VEC

is defcribed to us as confifting wholly in *renovation, or a tranflation from Avis or a worfe unto a better condition by way of reformation; by which thofe avais as which have loft the image of God, in which the first man was created, are restored to the image of the fame Gcd again, by a real change, though not, or xauvos fubftantial, wrought within them. Now this being the notion of the new . The Creation in all thofe places which undoubtedly and confeffedly speak of it,, the last it will be necessary to apply it unto fuch Scriptures as are pretended to require vaxauluthe fame interpretation. Thus therefore I proceed. If the fecond or new fame. Suidas,

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first à avaves

, both the

̓Ανακαίνωσις, ἡ ἀνανέωσις λέ[ε) ἢ καὶ ανακαίνωσις· which is the language of the New Teftament. This Renovation being thus called καινὴ κλίσις, the Ancients framed a proper word for it, which is, ανάκλισις· ε ἡ γίνει πάντων ἢ ἐν ἀνθρώποις καὶ τ Luxli x x to Câμa xaxŵy avaigeois. Juft. Qu. Refp. ad Gracos. This new creation doth fo neceffarily infer an alteration, that it is called by S. Paul a Metamorphofis; claμoes do ty dvaxováσd to voos vμay. Rom. 12. 2. Q 2

Creation

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