gotten, according to both the senses of being unbegotten, who hath not any god or gods either before or after himself; having none coeternal with himself; none subject or opposite to himself, having an incorruptible nature and irresistible power, the Maker of the whole world." Athenagoras m also speaks the same thing, though in other words: "But all our discourse is only to show there is but one God, the Maker of the universe, who himself being not made (for that is not made which is, but that which is not), created all things by his word." And St. Cyprian" to the same purpose: "Therefore there is one God, Lord of all; for his Majesty or Highness cannot have an equal, seeing himself hath all power in his own hands." And presently after, "Neither do thou wonder at it, seeing nature itself doth always consent to it; the bees have one king, the flock one captain, and the herds one leader, much more hath the world but only one Governor, who commandeth all things with his word, dispenseth all things with his wisdom, and perfecteth them by his power. This God cannot be seen, he is more clear than sight; nor comprehended, he is more pure than touch; nor valued, for he is beyond all calculation; and, therefore, we esteem of God the most worthily, when we say he is inestimable." And Ruffinus not only και Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ λόγος ἡμῶν ἕνα Θεὸν ἄγει, τον τοῦ δὲ τοῦ παντὸς ποιητὴν, αυτὸν μὲν οὐ γενόμενον (ὅτι τὸ ὄν οὐ γίνεταὶ ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ ὄν) παντα δὲ διὰ τοῦ παρ αυτοῦ λόγου TETONóra.-Athenag. Leg. pro Christian. Ed. Oxon. 1682. p. 18. Unus igitur omnium Dominus est Deus: neque enim illa sublimitas potest habere consortem, cùm sola omnem teneat potestatem.-Cyprian. de · Idolorum Vanitate, p. 14. Ed. Oxon. 1682. Nec hoc tantum de homine Rex unus est apibus, et dux mireris, cùm in hoc omnis natura consentiat. unus in gregibus, et in arinentis rector unus: multo magis mundi unus est rector, qui universa, quæcunque sunt, verbo jubet, ratione dispensat, virtute consummat. Hic nec videri potest, visu clarior est: nec comprehendi, tactu purior est: nec æstimari, censu major est; et ideò sic eum [Deum] dignè æstimamus, dum inestimabilem dicimus.-Ibid. And Minutius Fœlix, in his Octavius, useth not only the saine arguments, but the selfsame words too. From whence we may well gather, that one not only had seen, but borrowed from the other: and it is probable Cyprian from Minutius, who was about thirty years his senior. • Quòd autem diximus Orientis Ecclesias tradere unum verum Deum, -Patrem omnipotentem et unum Dominum, hoc modo intelligendum est; unum non numero dici, sed universitate. Verbi gratiâ. Si quis dicit unum hominem, aut unum equum, hic unum pro numero posuit; potest enim et alius homo esse, et tertius, vel equus. Ubi autem secundus, vel tertius tells us that, but shows us how God is said to be one: "But that which we said that the Eastern church delivered, that the Father is omnipotent, and one only Lord, is to be understood after this manner; one, not numerically (or in number), but universally. As, for example, if one should say one man, or one horse, here he puts one for a number, for there may be another man or horse, yea, a third: but where a second or third cannot be added, if any thing be called one, that doth not denote number, but universality: as, for example, if we should say one sun, that is so called one, that a second or third cannot be added. Much more when God is called one; one is a word, not of number, but universality; that is, he is therefore called God, because there is no other. And so we must think also of our Lord, that there is one Lord Jesus Christ, &c." And so God is one, and no one besides him is: he is so one God, as that there is not, there cannot be another God besides him. And so doth Tertullian P interpret it too: "The state of the one God challengeth this rule, no otherwise one, than because alone, nor otherwise alone, than because there is nothing with him." Shall I thrust in a learned Rabbi amongst these learned Fathers? Moses Maimonides speaks fully to the purpose. "This God is one, not two, or more than two; one, whose unity is not like that of the ones or individuals that are found in this world; nor one by way of species containing several ones or non potest jungi, unus si dicatur, non unitatis, sed universitatis est nomen : ut si, exempli causâ, dicamus unum solem, hic unus ita dicitur, ut alius vel tertius addi non possit: unus est enim sol. Multo magis Deus, cùm unus 'dicitur, unus non numeri, sed universitatis vocabulo nuncupatur, id est, qui proptereà unus dicitur, quod alius non sit. Similiter, et de Domino accipiendum est, quod unus sit Dominus noster Jesus Christus, per quem Deus Pater dominatum omnium tenet.-Kuffin. in Exp. Symb. P Unici Dei status hanc regulam vindicat; non aliter unici, nisi quia solius, nec aliter solius, nisi quia nihil cum illo.-Tertull. adv. Herm. cap. 17. Par. 1634. אלוה זה אחד הוא ואינו לא שנים ולא יותר על שנים אלא אחד שאין כייהורה אחד מן 4 האחרים הנמצאים בעולם ילא אחד כמין שהוא כולל אחדים הרבה יולא אחד כגוף שהוא -Maimon. de Fun- נחלק למחלקות ולקצוות אלא אחד שאין ייחוך אחד כמותו בעולם הני מאמין באמונה שלמה שהבורא יתברך שמו הוא יהיד ,ואין יהירות כמוהו בשום פנים והוא לברו אלהינו היההוה ויהיה et ספר עקוים .Vid dument. Leg. cap. i. sect. 4. Maimon. in Sanh. cap. x. v. et Buxt. Synag. Jud. cap. i. individuals under it; nor one as a body is, which may be divided into several parts and extremities; but he is so one, as none but himself is." And it is one of the articles of the Jewish faith, "I verily believe that the Creator, whose name is blessed, is one, and there is no unity like to his, and he alone was, is, and will be our God.” I shall conclude this with that of Lactantius": "Let us come to * Veniamus ad auctores, et eos ipsos ad veri probationem testes citemus, quibus contra nos uti solent; poëtas dico ac philosophos. Ex his unum Deum probemus, necesse est: non quòd illi habuerint cognitam veritatem, sed quòd veritatis ipsius tanta vis est, ut nemo possit esse tam cæcus, qui non videat ingerentem se oculis divinam claritatem. Poëtæ igitur, quamvis Deos carminibus ornaverint, et eorum res gestas amplifiverint summis laudibus, sæpissimè tamen confitentur, spiritu vel mente una contineri regique omnia.—Lactant. de Falsa Relig. cap. v. And truly there are many of the ancient poets which have left this truth upon record in their writings. As Orpheus, cited not only by this author, but Justin Martyr, who tells us, that though Orpheus was the first author of Polytheism, yet afterwards he taught that there was but one God, in these verses: Φθέγξομαι, οἷς θεμὶς ἐστὶ, θύρας δ ̓ ἐπίθεσθε βέβηλοι Πάντες ὅμως· σύ δ' ἄκουε φαοσφόρου ἔκγονε μήνης Εν στήθεσσι φανέντα φίλης αιῶνος αμέρσῃ And again, Just. Mart. ad Græc. Cohort. Ed. Par. 1636. p. 15. D. Εἷς ζεὺς, εἷς Αίδης, εἷς Ήλιος, εἷς Διόνυσος, Εἷς Θεὸς ἐν πάντεσσι· Τί σοι δίχα ταῦτ ̓ ἀγορεύω ; Ibid. p. 16. To these we may add those of Sophocles, cited by the same author, as also by Athenag. (in Legat. pro Christ. Ed. Oxon. 1682. p. 20). Εἷς ταῖς ἀληθείαισιν, εἷς ἐστιν Θεός, Ος οὐρανὸν τ' ἔτευξε καὶ γαῖαν μακράν, Phocylides also, ver. 49 : P. 17. ibid. line ult. Εἷς Θεὸς ἐστὶ σοφὸς, δυνατὸς θ ̓ ἅμα καὶ πολύολβος. Ζεὺς πρῶτος γένετο, Ζεὺς ὅσατος αρχικέραυνος, authors, and cite those very persons for the proof of the truth which they use to bring against us. I mean the poets and philosophers. It is necessary that out of these we should prove there is but one God: not as if they had the right knowledge of the truth, but because, so great is the power of truth, that none can be so blind as not to see the divine splendour forcing itself into his eyes. The poets, therefore, though they set out the gods with verses, and extol their acts with their highest praises, yet often they confess, that by one spirit and mind all things are contained and governed. Whence we may conclude, that not only Scripture and reason, and fathers, but Jews and Gentiles, the very heathens themselves, cannot but acknowledge this truth, and therefore we may well subscribe to it, "that there is but one living and true God." And Xenophanes Colophonius, Εἷς Θεὸς ἐν τε θεοῖσι καὶ ἀνθρώποισι μέγιστος, Οὔτε δέμας θνητοῖσιν ὁμοιίος οὔτε νόημα. To which we may add that of Horace. Lib. iii. Od. 4. : Qui terram inertem, qui mare temperat The Sibyls, so frequently quoted by Justin Martyr, Lactantius, (lib. i. de Fal. Rel. p. 28, et alibi ed. Ox. 1684), and others of the Fathers, shall end this scene: Εἷς θεὸς ὃς μόνος ἐστιν ὑπερμεγέθης ἀγένητος And again, Just. Martyr. Par. 1636, ad Græc. Cohort. p. 16. Εἷς θεός ἐστι μόναρχος, αθέσφατος, αἰθέρι ναίων, Αὐτοφυὲς, αόρατος, ὁρῶν μόνος αὐτὸς ἅπαντα· And truly these ancient poets, Orpheus, Sophocles, &c. and particularly the Sibyls, the Fathers of the infancy of the church made great use of, to convince the Gentiles from their own authors, that there was but one God which they ought to worship. And so, indeed, St. Paul himself, Acts, xvii. 28. disputing with the Greeks, cites their own poet Aratus against them in these words, Τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἔσμεν. EVERLASTING. After the unity of the Godhead asserted, here we have the nature of that one God described; and that by those properties which the Scriptures that he hath revealed to us, and the reason that he hath implanted in us, attribute and ascribe unto him. Where by properties we are not to understand several faculties, habits, or qualities, as they are in us for there is nothing in God but what is Gods. The mercy of God is the same with the God of mercy; the power of God, the same with the God of power; the love of God, the same with the God of love; and the truth of God, the same with the God of truth. These properties as they are in us, are accidents, and so really distinguished both from our souls and from one another: but as they are An totus ille visus est et totus auditus? Fortè ita: imò non fortè, sed verè ita, dum tamen et ipsum ejus videre, et ipsum ejus audire longè alio modo quam nostrum sit. Et videre et audire simul in verbo est; nec aliud ibi est audire et aliud videre, sed auditus visus, et visus auditus. - Aug. in John, 5. tract. 18. And again, Homo aliud est quod est, aliud quod potest. Aliquando enim et est homo, et non potest quod vult: aliquando autem sic est homo, ut possit quod vult: itaque aliud est esse ipsius, aliud posse ipsius. Si enim hoc esset esse ipsius quod est posse ipsius, cùm vellet, posset. Deus autem, cui non est alia substantia ut sit, et alia potestas ut possit, sed consubstantiale illi est quicquid ejus est, et quicquid est ; quia Deus est, non alio modo est, et alio modo potest, sed esse et posse simul habet, quia velle et facere simul habet.—Ibid. tract. 20. Again; Non alia visio ejus, et alia substantia ejus, nec alia potentia ejus, alia substantia ejus totum quod est (Filius), de Patre est, totum quod potest, de Patre est: quoniam quod potest et est, hoc unum est, et de Patre totum est. And again, Si enim, quod pauci intelligunt, simplex est natura veritatis; hoc est Filio (Deo) esse quod nôsse. Ab illo ergo habet ut noverit, à quo habet ut sit: non ut prius ab illo esset, et ab illo posteà nôsset; sed quemadmodum illi gignendo dedit ut esset, sic gignendo dedit ut nôsset: quia simplici, ut dictum est, naturæ veritatis esse et nôsse, non est aliud atque aliud, sed hoc ipsum. Ibid. tract. 40. sec. 5. And Justin Martyr, Ο Θεός ὥσπερ ὅλος ἐστὶ πανταχοῦ, καὶ ὅλος εν ἑκάστω, καὶ ὅλος ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ τούτου πίστιν μὲν ἔχομεν, οὕτως καὶ τὸ απλοῦν αὐτοῦ ὅλον υἱός ἐστὶ, καὶ ὅλον υἱὸν ἔχόν ἐστὶ· καὶ ὅλον βούλή ἐστὶ, καὶ ὅλον βούλην ἔχόν ἐστὶν. οὐ γὰρ ἐστὶ κατὰ τὴν κτιστὴν φύσιν ὁ Θεὸς, ὥστε τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ ἔχειν, νοηθῇ ἐν συνθέσει ὥσπερ . ἀλλ ̓ ὥσπερ τὴν φύσιν ἂν οὕτως καὶ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν nai Tò Exew, iσTìv, úπep Tùv σúvDeow.-Justin. Resp. ad Quæst. 144. ad Orthodox. And Austin again, Nefas est autem dicere ut subsistat et subsit Deus bonitati suæ, atque illa bonitas non substantia sit vel potius essentia, neque ipse Deus sit bonitas sua, sed in illo sit tanquam in subjecto.—Aug. de Trinit. Ed. Ben. Par. 1694. lib. vii. cap. 5. |