The second [chapter] of Titus, verse 13, must be more fully insisted on ; " Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
Q. What dost tliov, answer to this?
A. In this place they strive to evince by two reasons that the epithet of the "great God" is referred to Christ. The first is the rule foremen tioned, of one article prefixed to all the words ; the other, that we do not expect that coming of the Father, but of the Son. To the first you have an answer already in the answer to the fourth testimony; to the other I answer, Paul doth not say, "Expecting the coming of the great God," but, "Expecting the appearance of the glory of the great God." But now the words of Christ show that the glory of God the Father may Ije said to be illustrated when Christ comes to judgment, when he saith that he shall come in glory, that is, with the glory of God his Father, Matt. xvi. 27; Mark viii. 38. Besides, what inconvenience is it if it shall be said that God the Father shall come (as they cite the words out of the Vulgar), when the Son comes to judge the world? Shall not Christ sustain the person of the Father, as of him from whom he hath received this office of judging?'
About the reading of the words we shall not contend with them.
' " Ad quintum quid respondes ? — Quintum testimonium est, Expectantes bealam spem, etc. Quo in loco epitheton magni Dei ad Christum referri duabus ratiouibus evincere conantur. Prior est, superius de articulo uno prtefixo regula ; posterior, quod adven- turn non expectemus Patris, sed Filii. Verum ad primum argumentum responsum habes in responsione ad quartum testimonium. Ad alterum respondeo, Paulum noa dicere, Erpcdantes adventum magni Dei, verum dicere, Expectantes apparil ioncm glories magni Dei. Posse vero dici gloriam Dei Patris illnsti-atam iri, cum Christus ad judi- cium vcnerit, verba Christi ostendunt, cum ait, quod vcntums sit in gloria, id est, cum gloria Dei Patris sui. Matt. xvi. 127 ; !Marc. viii. 38. Prajtcrea, quod est inconveniens si dicatur, Deus Pater ventui'us (prout illi e Vulgata citant) cum Fillus ad mundum judicandum venerit ? An Christus Dei Patris personam, in judicio mundi, tanquam ejus a quo munus judicandi acccpit, non sustinebit ?"
VOL. XII. 17
'258 VINDICI^ EVANGELICJE.
It is the original we are to be tried by, and there is in that no am- biguity. That 'ETKpdvBia rr^g Bo^ns, " The appearance of the glory," is a Hebraism for " The glorious appearance" cannot be questioned. A hundred expressions of that nature in the New Testament may be produced to give countenance to this. That the blessed hope looked for is the thing hoped for, the resurrection to life and im- mortality, is not denied. Neither is it disputed whether the subject spoken of be Jesus Christ and his coming to judgment. The sub- ject is one; his ej^ithets here two: — 1. That belonging to his essence in himself, he is " the great God;" 2. That of ofice unto us, he is " our Saviour." That it is Christ which is spoken of appears, — 1. From the single article that is assigned to all the words, ToD fisydXou Qsov Ktt,! "^uT^pog 7]ijjmv 'Itjcov Xpiffrov' which no less signifies one person than that other expression, 'O Qihg zai Harnp 'Irjsov Xpisrou, — "The God and Father of Jesus Christ." Should I say that one person is here intended, and not two (God and the Father of Jesus Christ being the same), our catechists may say, "No ; for it is found in another place that there is but one article prefixed where sundry persons are after spoken of" But is it not evident in those places, from the sub- ject-matter, that they are sundry persons, as also from the several conditions of them mentioned, as in that of Matt. xxi. 12, "He cast out the sellers and buyers?" The proper force, then, of the expression enforces this attribution to Jesus Christ. 2. Mention is made r^$ i'ffKpaniag, — of the glorious appearance of him of Avhom the apostle speaks. That Christ is the person spoken of, and his employment of coming to judgment, primarily and directly, is confessed. This word is never used of God the Father, but frequently of Christ, and that, in particular, in respect of the things here spoken of; yea, it is properly expressive of his second coming, in opposition to his first coming, under contempt, scorn, and reproach: 1 Tim. vi. 14, "Keep this commandment, [J^iyji Ttjg lir/<pave!ag tov Xp/oroiJ." 2 Tim. iv. 8, "Which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that love rriv I'XKpdvuav aurou." Neither, as was said, is it ever used of the Father, but is the word continually used to express the second coming of Jesus Christ. Some- times irapovaia hath the same signification ; and is therefore never ascribed to the Father. 3. It is not what may be said to be done, whether the glory of the Father may be said to be illustrated by the coming of Christ, but what is said. " The glorious appearance of the great God" is not the manifestation of his glory, but his glory is manifested in his appearance. 4. It is true, it is said that Christ shall " come in the glory of his Father," Matt. xvi. 27, Mark viii. 88; but it is nowhere said that the glory of the Father shall come or appear. 5. Their whole interpretation of the words will scarce admit of any good sense; nor can it be properly said that two persons come