' " Atqui illi e Scripturis illam divinam in Christo naturam asserere conantur ? — Co • nantur quidem variis modis; idquc dum student aut e scripturis quibusdam evincere qufe in iis non habentur, aut dum ex iis quae in scripturis habentur pei'pcram ratio- cinantur, ac male rem suam conficiunt."
2 " Quje vcro sunt ilia qua3 illi de Christo e Scripturis evincere laborant qua3 illic non habentur ? — Est illius, ut loquuntur, prjieajternitas, quam duplici scripturarum genere approbare nituntur. Primum ejusmodi est, in quo proe-ajtcrnitatem banc cxpressam putant. Secundum, in quo licet exprcssa non sit, earn tamen colligi arbitrantur,"
* " Quaenam sunt testimonia Scripturae quae videntur ipsis cam prae-aeternitatem ex- primere ? — Sunt ea in quibus Scriptura testatur de Christo, ipsum fuisse in principle, fuisse in coelo, fuisse ante Abrahamum, Job. i. 1, vi. G2, viii. 68."
21 G VINDICI^ EVANGELiaS.
divine nature ; for as to the incarnation of any pre-existing creature (which was the Arians' madness), they disavow and oppose it.
2. That those three places mentioned are very far from being all wherein there is express confirmation of the eternity of Christ ; and therefore, when I have gone through the consideration of them, I shall add some others also, which are of no less evidence and perspi- cuity than those whose vindication we are by them called unto.
To the first place mentioned they thus proceed: —
•Q. What dost thou answer to the first ?
A. In the place cited there is nothing about that pre-eternity, seeing here is mention of the beginning, which is opposed to eternity. But the word '• beginning " is almost always in the Scripture referred to the subject-mattei", as may be seen, Dan. viii, 1 ; John xv. 27, xvi. 4; Acts xi. 15: and therefore, seeing the subject- matter here is the gospel, whose description John undertakes, Avithout doubt, by his word " beginning," John understood the beginning of the gospel.
This place being express to our purpose, and the matter of great importance, I shall first confirm the truth contended for from thence, and then remove the miserable subterfuge which our catechists have received from their great apostles, uncle and nepliew.
1. That John, thus expressly insisting on the deity of Christ in the beginning of his Gospel, intended to disprove and condemn sundi'y that were risen up in those days denying it, or asserting the creation or making of the world to another demiurgus, we have the unques- tionable testimony of the first professors of the religion of Jesus Christ, with as much evidence and clearness of truth as any thing can be tendered on uncontrolled tradition; which at least will give some insight into the intendment of the Holy Ghost in the words.^
2. That by o Aoyoj, howsoever rendered, Verhum or Sermo, or on what account soever he be so called, either as being the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father, or as the great Revealer of his will unto us (which yet of itself is not a sufficient cause of that appellation, for others also reveal the will of God unto us, Acts xx. 27, Heb. i. 1), Jesus Christ is intended, is on all hands confessed, and may be unde- niably evinced from the context. This 6 Aoyog came into the world and was rejected by his own, verse 11 ; yea, expressly, he " was made flesh," and was " the only-begotten of the Father," verse 14.
' " Quid vcro ad primum respondes ? — In loco citato niliil habetur de ista prosteter- nitate, cum hie principii mentio fiat, quod prss-seternitati opponitur. Principii vero vox in Scripturis fere semper ad subjectam refertur materiam, ut videre est, Dan. viii. 1 ; Job. XV. 27, xvi. 4; Act. xi. 15: cum igitur hie subjecta sit materia evangelium, cujus descriptionem suscepit Johannes, sine dubio per vocem hsxxic principii, principium evan- gelii Johannes intellexit."
' Iron. adv. Hoeres. lib. iii. cap. xi. ; Epipban. lib. i. tom. ii. basres. 27, 28, 30, etc., lib. ii. tom. ii. literes. G9 ; Tbcod. Epitom. Hasrct. lib. ii. ; Euscb. Hist. lib. iii. cap. xxvii. " Causam post alios hsec sciibendi prajcipuam tradunt omnes (vetercs), ut veneno in Ecclcsiani jam tum sparse, autboritate sua, quae apud omnes Cbristianum nomen pro- fitentes non poterat non esse maxima, medicinam faceret." — Grot. Prtefat. ad Armotat. in Evang. Johan.
DEITY OF CHRIST PROVED, ETC. 2 1 7
3. That the whole of our argument from this place is very far from consisting in that expression, "In the beginning," though that, re- lating to the matter whereof the apostle treats, doth evidently evince the truth pleaded for. It is part of our catechists' trade so to divide the words of Scripture that their main import and tendence may not be perceived. In one place they answer to the first words, " In the beginning;'' in another, to "He was with God, and he was God;" in a third, to that, "All things were made by him ;" in a fourth (all at a great distance one from another), to " The Word was made flesh:" which desperate course of proceeding argues that their cause is also desperate, and that they durst not meet this one testimony, as by the Holy Ghost placed and ordered for the confirmation of our faith, without such a bold mansflinof of the text as that instanced in.