Church of that Age did not believe that our Saviour was ὁ επὶ πᾶσι θεὸς, the fupreme God, or one of the fame numerical Effence with the Father; and therefore could not interpret those Words of fuch an Unity, but only of an Unity of Concord, Mind, and Will. Hence, in his Comment upon St. John, p. 227, he faith, that this Unity of Will, is the Cause why Christ said, I and my Father are one. And in his next Page adds, that the Will which is in Christ is the Image of the first Will; and the Divinity which is in Christ is the Image of the true Divinity. Novatian is, if possible, still more express in this Interpretation. For in Answer to the Objection of the Sabellians from this place, he faith, that Unum being here put in the Neuter Gender, denotes not an Unity of Person, but a Concord of Society between them; they being defervedly stiled one, by Reason of their Concord and Love, and because whatsoever the Son is, he is from the Father. The Apostle, faith he, knew this Unity of Concord with the Distinction of Persons, by writing to the Corinthians thus : I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the Increase. For who understands not that Paul is one Perfon, and Apollos another? And that they had diverse Offices, one to Plant, and another to Water? And yet the Apostle Paul faith of these two, ἐν ἑισι, they are one, though as to the Distinc tion tion of Persons they are two ; with other things of like Nature. And here it is to be observed, that Pamelius's Note upon these Words, is this; Nempe in hoc loco, non fatis accuratè fcribere Novatianum, quod nullam Effentiæ Patris & Filii Communicationem adferat, fed Exemplum ab Apoftolo Unitati Effentiæ veluti contrarium; in quo certè hallucinatum fuisse Auctorem non vereor dicere, quum posteà Ecclefia in diverfis Conciliis, diverfum definiverit. That is, Novatian did not write accurately in this Place, as making no mention of the Communion of the Effence betwixt the Father and the Son, but introducing an Example from the Apoftle, as it were contrary to it; in which thing I doubt not to pronounce him erroneous, feeing the Church afterwards in diverse Councils defined the contrary. And yet 'tis certain, that many of the AnteNicene Fathers in effect said the fame thing. For (a) Justin pronounces the Son to be ἕτερ ἀπὸ τῷ παλρὸς ἀριθμῷ ἐ γνώμη, Another from the Father in Number, but not in Consent. And his Reason follows thus, because he never would do any thing but what ὁ τὸν κόσμον ποιήσας, ὑπες ὃν ἀλλ ἐκ ἔσι θεὸς, βεβύληται καὶ καὶ ὁμιλῆσαι, the Maker of the World would πράξαι have him do and speak. Where, First, This God the Father is plainly stiled Another in F2 Number 1 (a) Dial. cum Tryph. p. 276. Number from him that made the World. And Secondly, the Son is represented as one not doing his own Will, but being in all things subservient to, and delivering the Words of that God, from whom he is thus distinguished. (a) Lactantius faith, that the Father and Son are one, quia unanimes incolunt Mundum, because they unanimously dwell in the World. (b) Eufebius pronounces the Father and Son to be one, & καθ' ὑπόφασιν ἀλλὰ κει τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς δόξης, not as to the Effence, but as to Communion of Glory. And lastly, The Council of Antioch pronounceth the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to be τρία ἱ ὑποτάσει τῆ δὲ συμφωνίᾳ ἕν, that is, three in Subsistence, but one only in Consent, or Concord. (c) Tertullian declares, in Answer to this Objection of the Sabellians, that these Words, I and the Father, duorum esse significationem, fignifie two; and then adds, that, Unum neutrali verbo non pertinet ad Singularitatem, fed ad Unitatem, ad Similitudinem, ad Conjunctionem, ad Delectionem Patris qui Filium diligit; & ad Obfequium Filii qui Voluntati Patris obfequitur: Which laft Words shew that it is impossible that this Text should be interpreted of the numerical Effence, or Unity of the Father and Son; feeing one and the fame Effence cannot be obsequious or obedient (a) Lib. 4. c. 29. dient to itself. And yet there is nothing more common among the Ante-Nicene Fathers, than to say with Novatian, who having affirmed that the Son, obedierit Patri, & obediat, always did, and always doth obey the Father, thence makes this Inference ;-Quid tam evidens effe poteft hunc non Patrem effe, Jed Filium, quam quod obediens Patri Deo proponitur ? What more evidently shews that Chrift is not the Father, but the Son, than this, that Christ is obedient to the Father? Cap. 23. And again, Cap. 30. Filius nihil ex Arbitrio fuo gerit, nec ex Concilio fuo fecit, nec a se venit; fed Imperiis Paternus omnibus, & Preceptis obedit, ut quamvis probet illum Nativitas Filiúm, tamen morigera Obedientia afSerat ipsum Paterna Voluntatis, ex quo est, Ministrum. Ita dum fe Patri in omnibus obtemperantem reddit, quamvis fit & Deus, Unum tamen Deum Patrem de Obedientia fua oftendit, ex quo & traxit Originem : That is, in short; The Son of God by his dutiful Obedience to all his Father's Commands, and to his Will, (he doing nothing by his own Will and Counsel,) by this demonstrated, that, though he was God, yet the Father from whom he came forth, and whom he obeyed, was the one God, even that one God, of whom he faith, Nos fcimus & legimus & credimus & tenemus, Unum effe Deum, qui fecit Calum pariter ac Terram, quoniam nec alterum novimus, aut nofcere (cùm multus fit) aliquando poterimus; that is, we Christians know, believe, and hold, that there is one only God the Creator of Heaven and Earth; nor know we, nor can we know any other, because there is no other. And again, God the Father is, Unus Deus, cujus neque Magnitudem, neque Majeftati, neque Virtuti quicquam non dixerim præferri, fed nec comparari potest; that is, that one God, to whose Greatness, Majesty, and Power, nothing can be compared, Cap. 30. And indeed all the Greek Fathers, from Justin to Eufebius inclusive, do frequently inform us that the Son did ὑπηρετεῖν τῷ θελήματι τῷ Πατ τρὸς obey the Will of the Father, that he did ὑπεργεῖν, διακονεῖν, ὑπηρετεῖν, minifter, and was fubfervient to him, And all that writ in Latin, from Tertullian to Lactantius inclusively, that he did, Patris voluntati administrare, adminifter to the Will of the Father; That he did, obedire in omnibus Patri, obey the Father in all things; That the Son, voluntati Patris fideliter paret nec unquam faciat aut fecerit, nifi quod Pater aut voluit aut juffit, faithfully obeyed the Will of his Father, and never doth, or would do any thing, but what the Father willed, or ordered him to do, 1. 4. C. 29. It being therefore certain, that one and the same Effence, can have but one and the fame Will, and that one fingular and numerical Ef fence, cannot administer to the Will, obey, and be subservient to the Will and Commands of |