a vineyard, first sent his servants to the husbandmen, and again other servants, but last of all he sent unto them his son :" (Matt. xxi. 33, &c.) it had been inconsistent even with the literal sense of an historical parable, as not at all consonant to the rational customs of men, to have said, that last of all the son sent his father to them. So God, placing man in the vineyard of his Church, first sent his servants the prophets, by whom he "spake at sundry times and in divers manners, but in the last days he sent his Son :" (Heb. i. 1, 2.) and it were as incongruous and inconsistent with the divine generation, that the Son should send the Father into the world. "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father," (John vi. 57.) saith our Saviour, intimating, that by whom he lived, by him he was sent, and therefore sent by him, because he lived by him, laying his generation as the proper ground of his mission. Thus he which begetteth sendeth, and he which is begotten is sent. "For I am from him, and he hath sent me," (John vii. 29.) saith the Son: from whom I received my essence by communication, from whom also received I this commission. As therefore it is more worthy to give than to receive, to send than to be sent; so in respect of the Sonship there is some priority in the divine paternity: from whence divers of the ancients read that place of St. John with this addition, "the Father (which sent me) is greater than I." (John xiv. 28.) He then is that God who sent forth his Son, made of a woman, that God who hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. iv. 4. 6.) So that the authority of sending is in the Father: which therefore ought to be acknowledged, because upon this mission is founded the highest testimony of his love to man; for "herein is love (saith St. John), not that

portat processionem originis:' as Thom. Aquin. 10. q. 43. art. 1. ad prim. or: auctoritatem Principii:' as Durand. 1. i. dist. 15. q. 1.

† Λέγουσι γὰς γὸ ῥητὸν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου και κῶς ἑρμηνεύοντες, ὅτι ὁ ἀποστείλας με πατής μείζων μου ἐστὶ, saith Epiphanius of the Arians; and answering, grants in these words which follow: καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ὁ ἀποστείλας με πατὴς, φάσκει, καὶ οὐχ ὁ xτicaç us. Hares. Ixix. §. 53. To the same purpose Athanasius de Hum. Nat. susc. §. 4. and Cyril Thesaur. log. xi. p. 85. ed. Aubert. 1638. read it, i riulas μe Taτng. And St. Basil makes Eunomius read it so, in his first book against him, c. 21. and with that addition answers it. So the second confession of the council of Sirmium, both in the Latin original, and Greek translation. S. Hilar. de Syn. §. 11. 5. Athanas. de Synod. §. 28. et Socra. 1. i.

c. 30.

we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John iv. 10.)

Again, the dignity of the Father will farther yet appear from the order of the persons in the blessed Trinity, of which he is undoubtedly the first. For although in some passages of the apostolical discourses the Son may first be named (as in that of St. Paul, “ the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all ;" (2 Cor. xiii. 14.) the latter part of which is nothing but an addition unto his constant benediction); and in others the Holy Ghost precedes the Son (as "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of opera tions, but it is the same God which worketh all in all :” (1 Cor xii. 46.) yet where the three Persons are barely enumerated, and delivered unto us as the rule of faith,* there that order is observed which is proper to them; witness the form of baptism, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost which order hath been perpetuated in all confessions of faith, and is for ever inviolably to be observed. For that which is not instituted or invented by the will or design of man, but founded in the nature of things themselves, is not to be altered at the pleasure of man. Now this priority doth pro perly and naturally result from the divine paternity; so that the Son must necessarily be second unto the Father,§ from

Παραδιδοὺς ὁ κύριος τὴν σωτήριον πίστιν τοῖς μαθητευομένοις τῷ λόγῳ, τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ υἱῷ συνάπτει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. S. Basil. Epist. 80.

† ̓Ακίνητον καὶ ἀπαρεγχείρητον φυλάσσειν προτήκει τὴν ἀκολουθίαν, ἣν ἐξ αὐτῆς τοῦ κυ μίου τῆς φωνῆς παρελάβομεν, εἰπόντος, Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα, &c. S. Basil. Epist. 78.

* Εστι τάξεως εἶδος οὐκ ἐκ τῆς παρ' ἡμῶν θέσεως συνιστάμενον, ἀλλ ̓ αὐτῇ τῇ κατὰ φύσιν ἀκολουθία συμβαῖνον, ὡς τῷ περὶ πρὸς τὸ φῶς ἐστὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ· ἐν τούτοις γὰρ πρότερον τὸ αἴτιον λέγομεν, δεύτερον δὲ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, πῶς, οὖν εὔλογον ἀρνεῖσθαι τὴν τάξιν ἐφ ̓ ὧν ἐστὶ πρότερον καὶ δεύτερον, οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν θέσιν, ἀλλ ̓ ἐκ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν αὐτοῖς ἐνυπαρχούσης ἀκολουθίας ; S. Basil, advers. Eunom. I. i. §. 20.

§ Δευτερεύει μὲν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ πατρὸς τῷ αἰτίων δευτερεύει δὲ καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ κατὰ τὸν τῆς αἰτίας λόγον. S. Basit, apud Georg. Pachym. Hist. 1. 7. Ως μὲν γὰρ υἱὸς τάξει μὲν δεύτερος τοῦ πατρὸς, ὅτι ἀπ' ἐκείνου, καὶ ἀξιώματι, ὅτι ἀρχὴ καὶ αἰτία τοῦ εἶναι αὐτοῦ ὁ πατὴς, καὶ ὅτι δι' αὐτοῦ ἡ πρόοδος καὶ προ προ σαγωγὴ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν πατέρα, φύσει δὲ οὐκέτι δεύτερος, διότι ἡ θεότης ἐν ἑκατέρῳ μία· οὕτω δηλονότι καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, εἰ καὶ ὑποβέ Βηκε τὸν υἱὸν τῇ τε τάξει καὶ τῷ ἀξιώματι, οὐκέτ ̓ ἂν εἰκότως ὡς ἀλλοτρίας ὑπάρχον φύσ

σεως. S. Basil. contra Eunom. 1. iii. f. 1. 'Si unum Deum singulariter nominamus, excludentes vocabulum secundæ personæ, furorem ejus hæresis approbamus quæ ipsum asserit Patrem passum.' Phabad. contra Arian. p. 111. Illi cui est in Filio secunda persona, est et tertia in Spiritu Sancto.' Ibid. p. 112. 'Sic alius a Filio Spiritus, sicut a Patre Filius: sic tertia in Spiritu, ut in Filio secunda persona.' Ibid. 'Omne quod prodit ex aliquo, secundum sit ejus necesse est de quo prodit, non tamen est separatum. Secundus autem ubi est, duo sunt; et tertius ubi est, tres sunt tertius enim est Spiritus a Deo et Filio.' Tertull. advers. Praxeam, c. 8.

Sic alium a se Paracletum, quomodo et nos a Patre alium Filium; ut tertium gradum ostenderet in Paracleto, sicut nos secundum in Filio. Ibid. c. 9. * Hic interim acceptum a Patre munus effudit Spiritum Sanctum, tertium numen divinitatis, et tertium nomen majestatis. Ibid. ε. 50. Ὁ ἐξ αἰτίου γεγονὸς υἱὸς, δεύτερος οὗ ἐστὶν υἱὸς καθέστηκε, παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τὸ εἶναι καὶ τοιόσδε εἶναι εἰληφώς. Εuseb. Dem. Evang. 1. iv. c. 3. Et quidem confessione communi secunda quidem ab auctore nativitas est, quia ex Deo est; non tamen separabilis ab auctore, quia in quantum sensus noster intelligentiam tentabit ex

whom he receiveth his origination, and the Holy Ghost unto the Son. Neither can we be thought to want a sufficient foundation for this priority of the first person of the Trinity, if we look upon the numerous testimonies of the ancient doctors of the Church, who have not stuck to call the Father the origin,* the cause,† the author, the root,§ the fountain, and the head of the Son, or the whole Divinity.

For by these titles it appeareth clearly, First, That they made a considerable difference between the person of the Fa

ther, of whom are all things," and the person of the Son, "by whom are all things." (1 Cor. viii. 6.) Secondly, That the difference consisteth properly in this, that as the branch is from the root, and river from the fountain, and by their origination from them receive that being which they have; whereas the root receiveth nothing from the branch, or fountain from the river; so the Son is from the Father, receiving his subsistence by generation from him; the Father is not from the Son, as being what he is from none.

Some indeed of the ancients may seem to have made yet a farther difference between the persons of the Father and the Son, laying upon that relation terms of greater opposition. As if, because the Son hath not his essence from himself, the Father had; because he was not begotten of himself, the Father+ had been so; because he is not the cause of himself, the Fathert were. Whereas, if we speak properly, God the Father hath neither his being from another, nor from himself; not from another, that were repugnant to his paternity; not from himself, that were a contradiction in itself. And therefore those expressions are not to be understood positively and affirmatively, but negatively and exclusively, that he hath,

the first chapter of St. John, p. 12. 'Adıκήσει δὲ ὅλως οὐδὲν τὸ, ὡς ἐν πηγῇ, τῷ πατρὶ τὸν υἱὸν ὑπάρχειν ἐννοεῖν· μόνον γὰρ τὸ ἐξ οὗ τὸ τῆς πηγῆς ἐν τούτοις ὄνομα σημαίνει. Ραtrem quidem non genitum, non creatum, sed ingenitum profitemur; ipse enim a nullo originem ducit, ex quo et Filius nativitatem, et Spiritus Sanctus processionem accepit. Fons ergo ipse et origo est totius divinitatis.' Concil. Tolet. can. 11. Quanto magis Dei vocem credendum est et manere in æternum, et sensu ac virtute comitari, quam de Deo Patre tanquam rivus de fonte traduxit?' Lactan. de ver. Sap. 1. 4. c. 8. et rursus, c. 29. Cum igitur et Pater Filium faciat, et Filius Patrem, una utrique mens, unus spiritus, una substantia est: sed ille quasi exuberans fons est, hic tanquam defluens ex eo rivus; ille tanquam sol, hic tanquam radius a sole porrectus.'

¶ Caput, quod est principium omnium, Filius: caput autem, quod est principium Christi, Deus.' Concil. Sirm. accepted and expounded as Orthodox by St. Hilary: Caput enim omnium Filius, sed caput Filii Deus.' de Synod. c. 60. Cum ipse sit omnium caput, ipsius tamen caput est Pater. Ruff. in Symb. §. 9. Tu capitis primique caput, tu fontis origo.' S. Hilar. ad Leonem, v. 9. Οὔτε δύο εἰσὶν ἀρ χαὶ, ἀλλὰ κεφαλὴ τοῦ υἱοῦ ὁ πατὴρ, μία ἡ Apx. S. Cyril. Heros. Catech. 11. Caput Filii Fater est, et caput Spir tus Sancti Filius, quia de ipso accepit. S. August. Quæst. Vet. Test. 9. St. Chry

sostom is so clearly of the opinion that 1 Cor. xi. 3. is to be understood of Christ as God, that from thence he proves him to have the same essence with God: El γὰρ κεφαλὴ γυναικὸς ὁ ἀνῆς, ὁμοούσιος δὲ ἡ κε. φαλὴ τῷ σώματι· κεφαλὴ δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ ὁ Θεὸς, ὁμοούσιος ὁ υἱὸς τῷ πατρί. So likewise Theodoret upon the same place, t. iii. p. 171. Ἡ δὲ γυνὴ οὐ ποίημα τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλ ̓ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ ἀνδρός. οὐδὲ ὁ υἱὸς ἄρα ποίημα του Θεοῦ, ἀλλ ̓ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ. So St. Cyril: Κεφαλὴ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἐξ αὐτοῦ κατὰ φύσιν· γεγέννηται γὰρ ὁ λόγος ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πατρός. Ad Regin. Εp. 1.

• Lactan. 1. i. c. 8. S. Hilar. 1. ii. Zach. Mitylen. p. 214. seqq. + Lactan. ib. Synes. Hymn.

S. Hieron. in c. 3. ad Eph. Ο ̓́Αναρχος οὖν ὁ πατὴς, οὐ γὰς ἑτέρωθεν αὐτ τῷ, οὐδὲ παρ ̓ ἑαυτοῦ τὸ εἶναι. S. Greg. Nat. Orat. 30. Ὁ ἀγέννητος οὐ γεγέννηται, οὔθ ̓ ὑφ' éauroù, qüê' up' étéçov. S. Athan. Si rursum quod a semetipso sit accipias, nemo sibi ipse et munerator et munus est.' S. Hilar. de Trin. 1. 2. c. 7. Qui putant Deum ejus potentiæ esse ut seipsum ipse genuerit, eo plus errant, quod non solum Deus ita non est, sed neque corporalis neque spiritualis creatura. Nulla enim omnino res est quæ seipsam gignat ut sit. Et ideo non est credendum, vel dicendum, quod Deus genuit se.' S. August.

This appeareth by those expositions which have been given of such words as seem to bear the affirmation; as auroyive θλος, αὐτοφυής, αὐτόγονος, αὐτογενής, δις. Αὐτ