children of this world, we are his sons, because he is the original Author of our being, and has bestowed upon us the exalted nature we pos

sess.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, not by adoption and grace, which supposes the granting of some favour, separate from the existence of the adopted and favoured: Jesus Christ is the Son of God by his eternal generation from the Father, by means of which, he derived from him the same impeccable and all-perfect nature, and became partaker of the fulness of the Godhead".

Q. What difference is there between the generation of a man from his father, and that of Christ from God?

A. Man is born by derivation from his parents in such a way as to make a separate and additional substance. The generation of Christ from God was by communication of himself, the sub

- Εις ουν ταις αληθείαις εστιν ο των παντων Θεος, ετ Πατρι, και Υιῳ, και αγιῳ Πνευματι γνωριζομενος. Επει γαρ εκ της οικείας ουσιας ο Πατηρ τον Υιον απεγενησεν, εκ δε της αυτης το πνευμα προηγαγεν, εικοτως αν τα της αυτης και μιας ουσιας μετέχοντα της αυτης και μιας

Georηtos neiwvrai. Just. Mart. Exposit. Fid. 4. 373.

Generationem Filii ex Patris essentiâ describens (Justinus Martyr) dixerat, Filium ex Patre genitum esse non per dispertitionem Paternæ essentiæ sed per simplicem communicationem, qualis est inter ignem accendentem et ignem accensum. Ignis accensus naturâ plane idem est quod ignis a quo accenditur. Bulli Def. Fid. Nic. sect. iv. cap. 2. § 2. See also Novat. de Trin. сар. xxxi.

stance remaining indivisible, and, by reason of the infinity of the essence, incapable of addition by participation'. In natural conceptions, the parents precede the offspring; whereas, the being which God always had without beginning, without beginning he did communicate, "being always Father, as always God'.'

Q. What nature did Christ inherit by his birth from the Virgin Mary?

A. He became partaker of the nature of man, subject to the same passions as other men, and exposed to the same mental and bodily sufferings. St. John says, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." In St. Paul it is written, "When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law"." Thus again, "Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man." He grew in stature, and increased in wisdom; he was

Filium sane cum andis, nolo cogitationem carnalis nativitatis assumas, sed memento hæc de incorporeâ dici substantiâ et naturâ simplici. Ruffinus, Expos. in Symbol. Apost.

• Sicut semper Deus, ita semper Pater, semper habens Filium quem semel gennit ex suâ æqualem sibi naturâ. Augustin. App. De Divers. Serm. XXX.

' John i. 14.

" Gal. iv. 4.

Philip. ii. 6, 7.

subject to his parents; he hungered; he thirsted; he was weary; he was moved with anger; he was moved with compassion; he was in an agony; he died, and was buried'. Thus was he in all things like unto man, sin only excepted 2.

Q. What was his nature before he was born of the Virgin?

A. It was the Essence of the Divinity; by which he was one with God, and was God, though at the same time, as to personality, he was distinguished from the Father.

1st. We have shewn that he created all things. From that it follows, he is God; for, as St. Paul says, "He that built all things is God,”—must be God".

y Luke ii. 51, 52. iv. 2. John iv. 6, 7. Mark iii. 5. Matt. ix. 36. Luke xxii. 44. John xix. 30. 42.

z 2 Cor. v. 21.

a Heb. iii. 4. St. Augustin observes, "Liquido apparet Ipsum factum non esse per quem facta sunt omnia. Et si factus non est, creatura non est. Si autem creatura non est, ejusdem cum Patre substantiæ est. Omnis enim substantia quæ Deus non est, creatura est: et quæ creatura non est, Deus est. Et si non est Filius ejusdem substantiæ cujus est Pater, ergo facta substantia est; Si facta substantia est, non omnia per Ipsum facta sunt. At omnia per Ipsum facta sunt, unius igitur ejusdemque cum Patre substantiæ est, et ideo non tantum Deus, sed et Verus Deus." Tom. iii. p. 88. De Trinitate, lib. 1. Also Waterland on Christ's Divinity, Sermons II. and III.

2dly. Again it is written, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"." But God is a Divine Essence; therefore the Word, which is Christ, must be a Divine Essence. And we have shewn in the first Article, that there can be but one such Essence. Therefore Christ is one with the Father.

3dly. Again, St. Paul addressing the Elders at Ephesus, said, "Take heed unto yourselves, and all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." In this sentence, he must refer to the word God. But God the Father could not purchase our salvation by his own blood; for he is

b John i. 1. What volumes of controversy have been written to undermine the irrefragable testimony afforded by the opening verses of St. John's Gospel in proof of the divinity of Jesus Christ! But all in vain. They are of themselves alone sufficient to ground and establish our faith in Christ as God, the Son of God.

Acts xx. 28.

Si Deus salvare se dicit (Osec I.) in Deo, non autem salvat nisi in Christo Deus: cur ergo homo dubitat Christum Deum dicere, quem Deum a patre animadvertit positum per Scripturas esse? Immo si non salvat nisi in Deo Pater Deus, salvari non potuerit a Deo patre quicquam nisi confessus fuerit Christum Deum, in quo se et per quem se repromittit pater Salutem daturum. Novatian De Trinitate, cap. xii.

not clothed with a body, and could not die. It was Christ who shed his own blood on the cross for us. Christ must then be here meant under the name of God, i. e. Christ is God.

4thly. Again, Isaiah says, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a

high way for our Godd." That this prophecy

"I

refers to the coming of our Saviour, we are sure, because John the Baptist, his forerunner, thus applied it: "He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the Prophet Esaias." 5thly. In another place also, Isaiah says, saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. Above it stood the Seraphims. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." Soon after he says, "Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." St. John, quoting these last words, adds, "These things said Esaias, when

Isaiah xl. 3.

Isaiah vi. 1. 3. 9, 10.

• John i. 23,