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BASIL THE GREAT.

ACCORDING to the habit of causes to those things which are from them, we say that the Father has precedence before the Son. -Ever. lib. 1.

Because the Son has his [principium] source from the Father; according to this, the Father is the greater, as the cause and the source. Wherefore our Lord also has said, "My Father is greater than I," that is, because He is the Father. But what other signification can the word "FATHER" have, than the Cause and the Beginning of Him who is begotten from Him ?—Ibid.

The Father is the root and the fountain of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.-Discourse against the Sabellians and Arius.

When I have said "one essence," I do not understand two [persons] distinguished from one, but the Son subsisting from [principio] the source of the Father, not the Father and Son from one superior essence. For we do not call them "brothers,” but we confess them to be "the FATHER and the SON." But essence is identity, because the Son is from the Father, not made by command, but begotten from nature; not divided from the Father, but [manente perfecto, perfectè relucens] while He remains perfect, reflecting perfectly back again the light. But that you may not be able to charge these our assertions against us as a crime, and lest you should say, "He preaches two gods; he announces a multitude of deities;" there are not two gods, neither are there two fathers. He who produces two [principia] original sources, preaches two gods.-Ibid.

The way of the knowledge of God is, by one Spirit, through one Son, to one Father. And, on the contrary, natural goodness, natural sanctification, and royal dignity [transit] are transmitted from the Father, through the only-begotten Son, to the Spirit. Thus we confess the Persons [in the Godhead] and at the same time the pious doctrine [Monarchia] of the Unity is not undermined.—On the Holy Spirit, cap. 18.

GREGORY NAZIANZEN.

THE [esse] essence is common and equal to the Son with the Father, though the Son has it from the Father.-Fourth Discourse on Theology.

How is it possible for the same thing to be greater than itself and yet equal to itself! Is it not, therefore, plain, that the word

"greater," which is attributed to the Father in reference to the Son, must be referred to CAUSE; but the word "equal," which is attributed to the Son, as to his equality with the Father, must be referred to NATURE?—Ibid.

It may indeed be truly said, but not therefore so honourably, that," with regard to the Humanity, the Father is greater than the Son:" For what is there wonderful in God being greater than man ?—Ibid.

AMBROSE.

THOUGH Christ has redeemed us, yet "all things are of God," because from Him is all the Paternity: It is therefore of necessity, that the person of the Father [præferri] have the precedence.

On 2 Cor. v. 18.

Consult also his remarks On 1 Cor. xv.

AUGUSTINE.

IF THAT which begets is [principium] the original source to that which is begotten, the Father is the source to the Son, because He begets Him.-On the Trinity, lib. 5, cap. 14.

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He did not say, "Whom the Father will send from me;' as He said, "Whom I will send from the Father:" That is, plainly shewing the Father to be the source of the entire Deity.-Ibid. lib. 4, cap. 10.

Therefore this was said concerning the Father, "He doeth the works;" because from Him also is the origin of the works, from whom the co-operating Persons [in the Deity] have their existence For both the Son is born of Him, and the Holy Spirit principally proceeds from Him, from whom the Son is born, and with whom the same Spirit is common [illi] with the Son.-Idem, tom. 10, fol. 11, col. 1.

Indeed God the Father is not God from another God: But God the Son is God from God the Father. But the Son is as much from the Father, as the Father is from no one.-Against Maximinus, lib. 3, cap. 23, col. 2.

HILARY.

THERE is no God who is eternal and without beginning, and who is God to that God from whom are all things. But the Father is God to the Son; for from Him He was born God.Lib. 4, fol. 60.

The confession of the true faith is, God is so born of God, as light is from light, which, without detriment to itself, offers its own nature from itself, that it may bestow that which it has, and that it may have what it bestows, &c.-Lib. 6, fol. 87.

It is apparent from these passages, according to the sentiments of the Ancient Church, that the Son, even as He is God, is from the Father, because He has received his Deity, according to which He is called [Deus] " God," by being born of the Father; though the name of God does not indicate this mode of being or existence. From these quotations it is also evident, that because the Father is [principium] the source of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, He is called [principium] the source of the whole Deity; not indeed because God has any beginning or source, but because [illa] the Deity is communicated by the Father to the Son and the Holy Spirit.—So far, therefore, is this from being a correct expression, "The Son of God as He is God, is from no one; and, "with respect to his essence, is from himself or from no one." For He who has received his essence by being born of the Father, is from the Father with respect to his essence.

I consider, therefore, that those who desire to think and to speak with Orthodox Antiquity, ought to abstain from these methods of expression; because, by adopting them, they seem to become the patrons of the opposing heresies of the Tritheists and the Sabellians. Peruse the Preface to the Dialogues of St. Athanasius On the Trinity, by Theodore Beza; who excuses Calvin by saying, that he did not so solicitously observe the difference between the two phrases, " He is the Son per se, through himself," and "He is the Son a se, from himself.”

If any one be desirous of knowing from me any thing further on this point, I will not refuse to hold a placid conference with him either in writing or by conversation. I now proceed to the other topics, in the discussion of which I will consult brevity.

II. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

My sentiments respecting the Providence of God are these:— It is present with, and presides over, all things: And all things, according to their essences, quantities, qualities, relations, actions, passions, places, times, stations and habits, are subject to its governance, conservation, and direction. I except neither [singu laria] particular, sublunary, vile, nor contingent things, not even the free wills of men or of angels, either good or evil: And, what is still more, I do not take away from the government of the Divine Providence even sins themselves, whether we take into

our consideration their Commencement, their Progress, or their Termination.

1. With respect to the BEGINNING of sin, I attribute the following acts to the Providence of God:

FIRST. Permission, and that not idle, but which has united in it four positive acts:-(1.) The Preservation of the creature according to essence, life, and capability. (2.) Care lest a greater or an equal power be placed in opposition. (3.) The Offering of an object against which sin will be committed. (4.) The destined Concession of its Concurrence, which, on account of the dependence of a Second on the First Cause, is a necessary Concurrence. SECONDLY. The Administration of arguments and occasions, soliciting to the perpetration of sin.

THIRDLY. The Determination of place, time, manner, and of similar circumstances.

FOURTHLY. The immediate Concurrence itself of God with the act of sin.

2. With respect to the PROGRESS of sin, I attribute also the following four acts to the Divine Government :—

The FIRST is the Direction of sin, that is already begun, to a certain object, at which the offending creature either has not aimed, or has not absolutely aimed.

The SECOND act is the Direction of sin to the end which God himself wills, whether the creature intend or do not intend that end, nay, though he intend another and quite opposite end.

The THIRD act is the Prescribing and Determination of the time during which He wills or permits sin to endure.

The FOURTH act is the Defining of its magnitude, by which [modus] limits are placed on sin, that it may not increase and assume greater strength.

The whole of these acts, both concerning the Commencement and the Progress of sin, I consider distinctly in reference to the act itself, and to the anomy or transgression of the law, a course which, according to my judgment, is necessary and useful.

3. Lastly, With respect to the END and COMPLETION of sin, I attribute to Divine Providence either Punishment through severity, or Remission through grace; which are occupied about sin, in reference to its being sin and to its being a transgression of the law.

But I most solicitously avoid two causes of offence,—that God be not proposed as the author of sin,-and that its liberty be not taken away from the human will: These are two points which if any one knows how to avoid, he will think upon no act which

I will not in that case most gladly allow to be ascribed to the Providence of God, provided a just regard be had to the Divine pre-eminence.

But I have given a most ample explanation of these my sentiments, in the Theses which were twice publicly disputed on the same subject in the University. On this account, therefore, I declare that I am much surprised, and not without good reason, at my being aspersed with this calumny ;-that I hold corrupt opinions respecting the Providence of God. If it be allowable to indulge in conjecture, I think this slander had its origin in the fact of my denying, that, with respect to the decree of God, Adam necessarily sinned;-an assertion which I yet constantly deny, and think it one that ought not to be tolerated, unless the word "necessarily" be received in the acceptation of " infallibly,” as it is by some persons; though this change does not agree with the etymology of the two words: For, necessity is an affection of being, but infallibility is an affection of the mind. Yet I easily endure the use of the First of these words, provided those two inconveniences to which I have recently alluded be faithfully avoided.

III-DIVINE PREDESTINATION.

WITH respect to the article of Predestination, my sentiments upon it are the following:-It is an eternal and gracious decree of God in Christ, by which He determines to justify and adopt believers, and to endow them with life eternal, but to condemn unbelievers, and impenitent persons; as I have explained in the Theses on the same subject, which were publicly disputed,† and in which no one found any thing to be reprehended as false or unsound. Only it was the opinion of some persons, that those Theses did not contain all the things which belong to this decree; nay, that the predestination about which there is the greatest controversy at this time, is not the subject of investigation in those Theses. This indeed I confess : For I considered it the best course to discuss that decree of predestination which is the foundation of Christianity, of our salvation, and of the assurance of salvation; and upon which the apostle treats in the Eighth and Ninth chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, and in the First chapter of that to the Ephesians.

But such a decree as I have there described is not that by which God resolves to save some particular persons, and, that He

* See pages 162, 177.

+ See page 226.

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