ALL THINGS,

and above whom there is no God, willed that he should do and say.

I will endeavour to convince you, that there is another who is called God, and Lord, besides HIM THAT MADE ALL THINGS, who is also called an angel (or messenger), from his delivering to man, whatever he who is the MAKER OF ALL THINGS, and above whom there is no other God, wills that he should deliver.

ἄλλος οὐκ ἐστὶ θεὸς, βεβουλῆται, καὶ πράξαι καὶ ὁμιλῆσαι. Dial. p. 252.

̔Α λέγω πειράσομαι ὑμᾶς πεῖσαι, νοησάντας τὰς γράφας, ὅτι ἐστὶ καὶ λεγέται θεὸς καὶ κυρίος ἕτερος, ὑπὲρ τὸν ποιήτην τῶν ὅλων, ὃς καὶ ἄγγελος καλεῖται, διὰ τὸ ἄγγελλειν τοῖς ἄνθρωποις ὅσαπερ βουλέται αὐτοῖς ἀγ. γεῖλαι ὃ τῶν ὅλων ποιητὴς, ὑπὲρ ὃν äñños Deòs oûx kot.. Dial. p. 249.

IRENÆUS, A. D. 178.

This father was the disciple of Polycarp, and afterwards made bishop of Lyons, in Gaul. He has always been esteemed, on account of his learning and piety, an ornament of the Christian religion.

Dominus ipse, Filius Dei, ipsum judicii diem concessit scire solum Patrem; manifeste dicens, De die autem illa et hora nemo scit, neque Filius, nisi Pater solus. Si igitur scientiam diei illius, filius non erubuit referre ad Patrem, sed dixit quod verum est; neque nos erubescimus, quæ sunt in quæstionibus majora secundum nos reservare Deo.

He says: Our Lord himself, the Son of God, acknowledged that the FATHER only knew the day of judgment; declaring expressly, that of that day and hour knoweth no man, neither the Son, but the FATHER only. Now if the Son himself was not ashamed to leave the knowledge of that day to the FATHER, but declared the truth, neither ought we to be ashamed to leave to GOD such questions as are too high for us. And in continuation of the same subject, he says: Since our Lord is the only teacher of truth, we should learn of him, that the FATHER is above all: for the FATHER, saith he, is greater than I. The FATHER, therefore, is by our Lord declared to be superior even in knowledge, to this end, that we, while we continue in this world, may learn to confess GoD only to have perfect knowledge, and resign such (difficult) questions to him.

We hold fast the rule of truth, which is, that there is ONE GOD ALMIGHTY, who created all things,

Quoniam cum solus verax magister est dominus, ut discamus per ipsum, super omnia esse Patrem: Etenim Pater, ait, major me est. Et secundum agnitionem itaque præpositus esse Pater annunciatus est a Domino nostro, ad hoc ut et nos, in quantum in figura hujus mundi sumus, perfectam scientiam, et tales quæstiones concedamus Deo. Lib. ii. cap. 48 et 49.

Cum teneamus autem nos regulam veritatis, id est, quia sit Unus Deus Omnipotens, qui omnia condidit per

through his Word. This is the

FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This GoD is the FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of Him it is that Paul declared, There is ONE GOD, even the FATHER, who is above all, and through all, and in us all. We believe in ONE GOD, the MAKER of heaven and earth, and of all things therein, through Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Verbum suum.
nostri Jesu Christi. Lib. i.

-Hic Pater domini
cap. 19.

Hic Deus est Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, et de hoc Paulus Apostolus dixit, unus Deus Pater, qui super omnes, et per omnia, et in omnibus nobis. Lib. ii. cap. 2.

In unum Deum credentes, fabricatorem cœli et terræ, et omnium quæ in iis sunt, per Christum Jesum Dei filium. Lib. iii. cap. 4. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, A. D. 194.

He presided over the Christian catechetical school in Alexandria, and has the title of presbyter given to him by several of the ancients.

He says: Be thou initiated, and join the chorus with the angels, about HIM who is the UNBEGOTTEN, and IMMORTAL, the ONLY TRUE GOD; God the Word accompanying us in our songs of praise. This perpetual Jesus, the one great High Priest of the OΝΕ Gop, who is also his FsTHER, prays for men, and encourages men.

Our Lord taught, that GOD THE FATHER only is supreme over all, whom none knew but the Son.

The Mediator performs the will of the FATHER. The Word is the Mediator, being common to both, the Son of God and the Saviour of 'men. Of the one (viz. GoD) he is the servant, but our instructor.

Εἰ βούλει, καὶ σὺ μυοῦ, και χορεύο σεις μετ' ἄγγελων ἀμφὶ τὸν ἀγεννη τὸν καὶ ἀνώλεθρον καὶ μόνον ὀντῶς Θεὸν, συνυμνοῦντος ἡμῖν τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγου. Αϊδιος οὗτος ̓Ιησοῦς εἷς ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς θεοῦ τὲ ἕνος τοῦ αὔτου καὶ πάτρος, ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπων εὔχεται, καὶ ἄνθρωποις ἐγκελευέται. Ad. Gentes. p. 74.

Οτι Θεὸς καὶ πάτηρ εἷς καὶ μόνος ὃ παντοκρατὼς, ὃν οὔδεις ἔγνω εἰ μὴ ὅ υἱός. Strom. 7.

Καὶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πάτρος ὁ μεσί της ἔκτελει. μεσίτης γὰρ ὁ λόγος, ὁ κοῖνος ἀμφοῖν. Θεοῦ μὲν υἱὸς, σώτηρ δὲ ἄνθρωπων. Καὶ τοῦ μὲν διάκονος, nμão de Taidaɣwyos. Pædag. Lib. iii. cap. 1.

TERTULLIAN, A. D. 200.

He was born at Carthage, and was a presbyter of the church in that city. He was skilled in various kinds of learning, and wrote with considerable ability. This writer has ascribed very high power to Jesus Christ as the Son of God; but with the express caution, that it was of a delegated nature, having been given to him as the instrument of the ALMIGHTY FATHER's will. And to make this sufficiently clear, he represents the authority of Christ as similar to that of the angels, in so far as he, like them, holds a share in the Divine Monarchy, without dividing it any more than they do when they execute authority at the command of God. Ad. Praxeam. Sect. 3. p. 502. In continuation of this view he says:

But I, who derive the Son from Cæterum, qui Filium non aliunde

deduco, sed de substantia Patris, nihil facientem sine Patris voluntate, omnem a Patre consecutum potestatem, quomodo possum de fide destruere monarchiam, quam a Patre Filio traditam in Filio servo. Ad. Praxeam. Sect. 3. p. 502.

no other original than the substance of the FATHER, supposing him to do nothing but by the will of the FATHER, and to have received all his power from the FATHER, how is it that I destroy the belief of the (divine) Monarchy which I preserve in the Son, being delivered by the FATHER to him (or in so far as it has been delivered by the FATHER to him). Of course Tertullian could only have been speaking of what he considered to be Christ's highest state of existence in the above passage, as well as in the following, in which the delegated nature of Christ's authority is stated with equal distinctness.

He says: The Son always appeared, and the Son always acted, by the authority and will of the FATHER; because the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the FATHER do.

6

Filius visus est semper, et Filius operatus est semper, ex auctoritate Patris et voluntate; quia Filius nihil a semetipso potest facere, nisi viderit Patrem facientem. Adversus Praxeam, sect. 15.

Referring to John x. 30, ' I and my Father are one,' he thus explains this verse, in conformity with his view of Christ's subordination.

He (Christ) says 'one,' using a neuter term, which does not convey the idea of singleness (of person or of being) but of unison, likeness, conjunction, the love of the FATHER to the Son, and the obedience of the Son to the FATHER'S will.

Unum dicit, neutrali verbo, quod non pertinet ad singularitatem, sed ad unitatem, ad similitudinem, ad conjunctionem, ad dilectionem Patris, qui Filium diligit, et ad obsequium Filii, qui voluntati Patris obsequitur. Ad. Prax. sect. 22. Tertullian's conviction of the sole supremacy of the FATHER ALMIGHTY is properly shown in his application of the term God to him only, when the Son should at any time be mentioned along with him; the Son merely receiving the title of Lord, which is an inferior appellation.

He says I do not absolutely say, that there are Gods and Lords, but I follow the apostle ;* and if the FATHER and the Son are to be named together, I call the FATHER GOD, and Jesus Christ Lord; though I can call Christ God when speaking of himself alone.

Itaque deos omnino non dicam, nec dominos; sed apostolum sequar, ut si pariter nominandi fuerint Pater et Filius, Deum Patrem appellem, et Jesum Christum Dominum nominem. Solum autem Christum potero Deum dicere, &c. Ad. Prax. sect. 13. p. 507.

* 1 Cor. viii. 6. But to us there is but ONE GOD, the FATHER, of (or from) whom are all things, and we in him; and One Lord (or Master), Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

ORIGEN, A. D. 230.

He was a native of Egypt, and, like Clement, presided over the catechetical school in Alexandria. He was one of the most distinguished theologians of his age, whose writings have had no small reputation and influence.

He says: We maintain, that the Saviour and the Holy Spirit are as much, or even more excelled by the FATHER than he (Christ) and the Holy Spirit excel other things, &c.; and he (Christ), though excelling such and such great things (viz., thrones, principalities, and powers), in essence, and office, and power, and godhead, is by no means to be

We may, by this means, solve the doubts of many men, who profess great piety, and who are afraid of making two gods ; for we must tell them, that he who is God of himself, is THE God, as even our Saviour afirms in his prayer to his FATHER, that they may know THEE, THE ONLY TRUE GOD; but that whosoever is God besides that self-existent person, being divine by partaking of his divinity, cannot be styled THE God, but severally A God; among whom especially is the first born of all things (that is, Christ).

If we would learn what prayer is, we must take care not to pray to any creature ; no, nor even to Christ himself, but to the Gon and FATHER of the universe alone, to whom our Saviour himself offered up his prayers. *

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φαμὲν τὸν σωτῆρα, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἁγίον, ὑπερεχόμενον τοσοῦτον ἢ καὶ πλέον ἀπὸ τοῦ πάτρος ὅσῳ ὑπερέχει αὔτος καὶ τὸ ἁγίον πνεῦμα τῶν λοιπῶν, οὐ τῶν τυχόντων. ̓Αλλ' ὁμῶς τῶν τοσαῦτων καὶ τηλικούτων ὑπερέχων οὔσιᾳ, καὶ πρεσβείᾳ, καὶ δυν άμει καὶ θειότητι, οὐ συγκρίνεται κατ' οὐδὲν τῷ πάτρι. Com. vol. ii. p. 218. compared with the FATHER.

Καὶ τὸ πόλλους φιλόθεους εἶναι εὔχομενους ταράσσον εὔλαβουμενους δύο ἀναγορεύσαι θέους, κ. τ. λ. ἐντεῦθεν λυέσθαι δύναται· λεκτέον γὰρ αὐτοις ὅτι τότε μὲν αὐτοθεος ὁ Θεὸς ἐστὶ, διόπερ καὶ ὁ σωτὴς φησὶν ἐν τῇ πρὸς τὸν πάτερα εὐχῇ· ἵνα γινώσκωσι σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θέον· πᾶν δὲ παρὰ τὸ αὔτοθεος μετοχῇ τῆς ἐκεῖνου Θεότητος θεοποιοῦμενον, οὐχ ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ Θεὸς κυρίωτερον ἂν λεγοῖτο, ὧν παντῶς ὁ πρωτότοκος πᾶσης κτίσεως, ἅτε πρῶτος τῷ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εἶναι. Comment. vol. ii. p. 47.

Εαν δὲ ἄκουωμεν ὅτι πότε ἐστὶ προσεύχη, μήποτε οὐδένι τῶν γεννητὼν προσεύκτεον ἐστὶν, οὐδὲ αὔτῳ τῷ Χριστῷ ἀλλὰ μόνῳ τῷ Θέῳ τῶν ὅλων καὶ πάτρι, ᾧ καὶ αὐτος ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν προσεύχετο ὡς πρόπαρεθέμεθα. De Oratione, p. 48.

* Yet Origen, in another place, allows prayer to be addressed to Christ in an inferior sense, that is, if the supplicant can distinguish between what is prayer properly (which must be paid to the Father), and what is so only in a secondary light. He says: We ought to send up all supplication, and prayer, and intercession, and thanksgiving, to the SUPREME GOD over all, through our High Priest, who is above all angels, even him who is the living Word and God. Yet we may also offer up

tians.

NOVATIAN, A. D. 251.

He was a presbyter of Rome, and the founder of the sect of the NovaThis sect, however, was not distinguished by any peculiar notions in theology. It differed only in refusing to those who had committed great crimes re-admission to church communion.

He taught rhetoric at Sicca, in Africa, and wrote several books on behalf of Christianity.

He says: Then at length the omnipotent and ONLY GOD sent Christ.

Tum demum emiserit Christum, Deus omnipotens, Deus solus. Lib. ii. p. 57.

supplication, and intercession, and thanksgiving, and prayer, to the Word himself, if we can distinguish between that which is prayer strictly and directly, and that which is so figuratively and obliquely.

Πᾶσαν μὲν γὰρ δέησιν καὶ προσευχὴν καὶ ἔντευξιν καὶ εὐχαριστίαν ἀναπεμτέον τῷ ἐπὶ πᾶσι Θεῷ, διὰ τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων ἀγγέλων ἀρχιερέως, ἐμψύχου λόγου καὶ θέου. Δεησόμεθα δὲ τὲ αὖτου τοῦ λόγου, καὶ ἔντευξόμεθα αὕτῳ, καὶ εὐχαριστησομεν, καὶ προσεύξομεθα δὲ, ἐὰν δύνωμεθα κατακούειν τὸ περὶ προσευχῆς κυριολεξίας καὶ καταχρήσεως. Contra Celsum, Lib. v.

* Doubtless Novatian alludes here to Philippians ii. 6; a verse which the common English Bible has not well translated. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.' The verse would be rendered with greater accuracy and propriety, and more in accordance with the interpretation of at least two other ancient authorities besides Novatian; Who, ALTHOUGH in the form of God, thought it not his RIGHT to aim at a parity with God, but (ON THE CONTRARY), made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,' &c., so that he obtained AFTERWARDS high power and honour from God Almighty, the giver of every good and perfect gift. See on this verse Mr Belsham's "Calm Inquiry into the Scripture doctrine concerning the Person of Christ," pp. 133-138.