2 " Nisi Scriptura dixissct, non licuisset dicere, sed ex quo scriptura est dici potest." — Rabb. Ruben, apud Galat. lib. iii.
238 VINDICI^ EVANGELIC^.
the Vulgar are "from the days of eternity," in the Hebrew are "from the days of seculi," — the days of an age ; and " dies secuU " are the same with " dies antiqui," as Isa. Ixiii. 9, 11 ; Mai. iii. 4. The sense of this place is, that Christ should have the original of his nativity from the beginning, and from the ancient years ; that is, fi"om that time wherein God established a king among his people, which was done really in David, who was a Bethlehemite, and the author of the stock and family of Christ.'
A71S. 1. Who necessitated our catecliists to urge this place to prove the generation of Christ, when it is used only to prove his generation to be eternal, the thing itself being proved by other testimonies in abundance ? That he was begotten of the Father is confessed : that he was begotten of the essence of his Father was before proved. Yea, that which is here called VriN^'iO^ Ins "goings forth," is his generation of his Father, or somewhat else that our adversaries can assign ; that it is not the latter shall immediately be evinced.
2. Here is no mention of the ^"li^P, "beginning;" and those who in the latter words reject the Vidgar edition cannot honestly insist on the former from thence because it serves their turn. Yet how that word is sometimes used, and in what sense it may be so, where "eter- nity" is intended, hath been declared in the last chapter.
8. That "days" are not used with and to express " eternity" in Scrip- ture, though strictly there be no days or time in eternity, is absurd negligence and confidence to affirm : Job x. 5, "Are thy days as the days of man ? are thy years as man's days?" Hence God is called " The Ancient of days," Dan. vii. 9. " Thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail," Heb. i. 12.
4. For the word gnolam ['^^^J'], translated "seculi," it hath in the Scripture various significations. It comes from a word signifying " to hide," ^ and denotes an unknown, hidden duration. Principally " per- petuum, seternum, sempiternum," — that which is pre-eternal and eternal. Sometimes a very long time. Gen. ix. 12, and verse 16, that is perpetual: so Gen. xvii. 13, and in other places, with a re- ference to the sovereignty of God. Gen. xxi. 33, it is ascribed to God as a property of his, and signifies " eternal," Jehova gnolam [DPiy njn^ J ; go Ps. Ixxxix. 2, as also Isa. xlv. 17. Let all places where
* " Qui tamen ad primum Scripturae testimonium respondendum est ? — Id testimo- nium de gcnerationc ex essentia Patris nihil prorsus habct ; generationcm vero pra?- seternam nulla probat ratioue : hie enim mentio fit initii et dierum, quK in ajternitate locum non habent. Et verba htec, qua? in Vulgata leguntur, a dicbus xternitatis, in Hajbra^o extant, a dicbus seculi: dies vero seculi idem quod dies antiqui notant, ut Esa. Ixiii. 9, 11 ; Mai. iii. 4. Sententia vero loci hujus est, Christum originem nativitatis suae ab ipso principio et annis antiquis ducturum; id est, ab eo tempore, quo Dcus in populo suo regem stabilivit, quod reipsa in Davide factum est, qui et Bethlehemita fuit, ct autor stirpis et fomilite Christi."
* °?^i latere, abscouderc, oceultare, 2 Chron. ix. 2, Lev. iv. 13; in nipbal latuit, absconditus, occultatus fuit ; in hipUil abscondit, cclavit, occultaVit: inde ~'3">y, Virgo, quia viro occulta, Gon. xxiv. 43.
DEITY OF CHRIST PROVED, ETC. 239
tlio word in Scripture in this sense is used be reckoned up (which are above three hundred), and it will appear that in far the greatest number of them it signifies absolutely " eternity." In the places of Isa. Ixiii. 9, 11, and Mai. iii. 4, only a long time, indeed, is signified, but yet that which reaches to the utmost of the thing or matter treated of. And upon the same rule, where it is put absolutely it signifies " eternity." So doth aiwv in the New Testament, by which the LXX. often render gnolam [^^^J^]; whence Tpo ^P^^'^^ a/uvluv may be " from eternity," 2 Tim. i. 9, Tit. i. 2 ; wherein, also, with a like ex- pression to that under consideration, the "times of eternity" are mentioned, though perhaps with a peculiar respect to something at the beginning of the world. This, then, is here expressed: He that was in the fulness of time born at Bethlehem, had his goings forth from the Father from eternity.
5. The pretended sense of our adversaries is a bold corruption of the text ; for, — (1.) It applies that to David and his being born at Bethlehem which the Holy Ghost expressly applies to Jesus Christ, Matt. ii. 5, 6, and John vii. 42. (2.) The goings forth of Christ in this sense are no more from everlasting than every other man's who is from Adam, when yet this is peculiarly spoken of him, by way of incomparable eminency. (8.) They cannot give any one instance of the like expression, — that "his goings forth are from eternity" should signify he had his original from an ancient stock. (4.) If only Christ's original of the tribe of Judah and of the house of David were intended, why was not that expressed in plain terms, as it is in other places, and as the place of his birth, namely, Bethlehem, is in this? So that we have already met our catechists and stopped them at this wall, their attempt at it being very faint and absiu'd. And yet this is the sum of what is pleaded by Socinus against Weik, cap. vii. p. 424; Smalcius against Smiglecius, cap. xxvi.; Ostorod. Instit. cap. vii., with the rest of them. He, then, who was born at Beth- lehem in the fulness of time, of the house of David as concerning the flesh, Bom. i. 3, had also his " goings forth," his birth or gene- ration of the Father, " of old, from the days of eternity;" which is that which this testimony confirms.