was made ( x ) out of Nothing; or, on the other hand, that he is the felfexiftent Substance. They are certainly worthy of Cenfure, who presume to affirm, that the WORD (or Divine Nature of the Son) was made out of Nothing: but they are certainly in the Right, who fay, that the WORD is effential to, or neceffarily exifts in, and in that fenfe is, the felfexiftent Subftance. His Fifteenth Propofition. "The Scripture, in declaring the Son's Derivation from the Father, never makes mention of any Limitation of Time; but always fuppofes and affirms him to have exifted with the Father from the Beginning, " and before all Worlds. 1. The Scripture never declares the WORD's Derivation from the Very God. 2. The Scripture fuppofes and affirms, that the WORD existed with, and is, the Very God, from the Beginning, and before all Worlds. See Chap. 12. His Sixteenth Propofition. "They therefore have also justly been cenfured, who pretending to be wife above what is written, and in"truding into things which they have not seen; bave prefumed to affirm [ön v öte x iv] that there was a time when the Son was not. I heartily affent to this, provided by the Son be meant the WORD, or the Son's Divine Nature. His Seventeenth Propofition. Whether the Son derives his Being from the Father, by neceffity of Nature, or by the Power of his Will, the Scripture bath no where exprefly declared. The WORD does not derive his Being from the Very God, as from a Diftinct Being; but neceffarily exists in him, and is effential to him. His Eighteenth Propofition. The [the] Word or Son of the Father; fent into the World to affume our Flesh, and die for the "Sins of Mankind; was not the [aó évd, the] "internal Reason or Wisdom of God, an Attribute 86 or Power of the Father; but a real Perfon, the fame who from the beginning had been the Word, or Revealer of the Will, of the Father to the World. σε 1. The WORD of the Very God did affume our Flesh. 2. The Scriptures, tho' they declare that the Man Chrift Jefus was fent, yet do never fay that the WORD was fent. 3. The WORD, by reafon of the Flesh he af fumed, did die for the Sins of Mankind; that is, the Human Nature of that Perfon; which was perfect God and perfect Man, did die for them. 4. I do not affirm, that the WORD is the internal Reason or Wisdom of God, an Attribute or Power of him; because the Scriptures have not declared any fuch thing: but I deny his being, in your fenfe, a real Perfon, that is, a Being diftin& from God; tho' I own him a real Perfon in my R fenfe, fenfe, as fubfifting in the Very God. See Chap. 14. P. 218. 5. It does not appear, that the WORD was from the beginning the Reveler of God's Will to the World. That Office was, in a great Measure at leaft, discharged by our Saviour's preexiftent Human Soul. See Chap. 7. Thus I understand your N° 616 617 Šviz. Acts 7.30,31,32,35,38. See ch.7.p.51,&c. 618 6. Others alfo of your Texts relate, not to the WORD, but to Chrift's preexiftent Human Soul. For Inftance, touching 7. I have alfo largely fhewn, in the Seventh Chapter, that No 638. which is Phil. 2. 5---11. relates not to the WORD, but to Chrift's Human Nature. 8. So do diverfe other Texts here quoted by you; particularly concerning 9. The fame must be faid of N° 654. which is Heb. 2. 16. Compare what I have written in Chap. 3. p. 11, &c. 10. As alfo of N° 569. which is John 1. 18. See Chap. 8. p. 120, 121. II. There remain therefore but three of your whole Number, which relate to the WORD, or the Divine Nature of the Son. The firft is N° 535. that is, John 1. 1. which proves that the WORD is the Very God; and confequently not a distinct Being from him. See the 12th Chapter, p. 175, &c. To this may be reduc'd your fecond, viz. N° 680. that is, Rev. 19. 13. Your third is N° 642. that is, Col. 1. 17, 18, 19, zo. of which fee Chap. 11. p. 164, 166, 171. In fhort, the Apoftle there fpeaks partly of Chrift's Human Nature, and partly of the WORD or his Divine Nature. But in all that he fays of the Divine Nature, there is not the leaft Shadow of Proof, that 'tis a diftinct Being from the Very God. His Nineteenth Propofition. CC The Holy Spirit (or third Perfon) is not felfexiftent, but derives his Being or Effence from the Father (by the Son) as from the fupreme Cause. 1. The Holy Spirit is not the Third Perfon in your sense of the Word Perfun; that is, he is not a Being diftinct and feparat from the Very God and the WORD, but one and the fame Being with the Very God and the WORD; that is, In the Very God there are (in my fenfe of the Word, already often mentioned) three Perfons, viz. the Father, R 2 the the WORD and the Spirit; all wich do neceffarily exift in the Very God, and are coeffential to each other. 2. The Holy Spirit therefore does not derive his Being from the Very God (whom you mean by the Father) as from the fupreme Cause; and confequently he does not fo derive his Being from the Very God by the Son, or WORD: but is, in the fenfe before given, felfexiftent; that is, he exists neceffarily in, and is coeffential with, the Father and the WORD, in the fame Very God. 3. Touching your No 1148 1154 which is Matt. 3.16. t Sch.13. p. 202. fee Sch.13.p.202. 13. 202,&c. 4. Your other Texts, viz. from N° 1149 to N° 1197, are accounted for in Chap. 13. Сс : His Twentieth Propofition. "The Scripture, Speaking of the Spirit of God, never mentions any Limitation of Time, when be derived "bis Being or Effence from the Father; but fuppofes him 6.6 to have exifted with the Father from the Beginning. 1. Since the Scripture never mentions the Spirit's deriving his Being or Effence from the Very God; 'tis certain that it does not mention any Limitation of Time, when he derived it. 2. Of the Spirit's exifting with the Father, fee the Third Propofition. |