Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Such a doctrine precludes all real distinctions of personality in the Divine Nature. Illustration of the Scripture doctrine from 2 Cor. vi. 11, &c.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
§§13, 14. Such a doctrine precludes
all real distinctions of personality in the Divine Nature. Illustration
of the Scripture doctrine from 2 Cor. vi. 11, &c.
13. This perhaps he3329
| 3329 i.e.
Marcellus, cf. §§14, 25, &c. |
borrowed from the Stoics, who maintain that their God contracts and
again expands with the creation, and then rests without end. For what
is dilated is first straitened; and what is expanded is at first
contracted; and it is what it was, and does but undergo an affection.
If then the Monad being dilated became a Triad, and the Monad was the
Father3330
, and the Triad is Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, first the Monad being dilated, underwent an affection and
became what it was not; for it was dilated, whereas it had not been
dilate. Next, if the Monad itself was dilated into a Triad, and that,
Father and Son and Holy Ghost, then Father and Son and Spirit prove the
same, as Sabellius held, unless the Monad which he speaks of is
something besides the Father, and
then he ought not to speak of dilatation, since the Monad was to make
Three, so that there was a Monad, and then Father, Son, and Spirit. For
if the Monad were dilated, and expanded itself, it must itself be that
which was expanded. And a Triad when dilated is no longer a Monad, and
when a Monad it is not yet a Triad. And so, He that was Father was not
yet Son and Spirit; but, when become These, is no longer only Father.
And a man who thus should lie, must ascribe a body to God, and
represent Him as passible; for what is dilatation, but an affection of
that which is dilated? or what the dilated, but what before was not so,
but was strait indeed; for it is the same, in time only differing from
itself.
14. And this the divine Apostle knows, when he
writes to the Corinthians, ‘Be ye not straitened in us, but be ye
yourselves dilated, O Corinthians3331
;’ for he
advises identical persons to change from straitness to dilatation. And
as, supposing the Corinthians being straitened were in turn dilated,
they had not been others, but still Corinthians, so if the Father was
dilated into a Triad, the Triad again is the Father alone. And he says
again the same thing, ‘Our heart is dilated3332
;’ and Noah says, ‘May God dilate
for Japheth3333
,’ for the same heart and the
same Japheth is in the dilatation. If then the Monad dilated, it would
dilate for others; but if it dilated for itself, then it would be that
which was dilated; and what is that but the Son and Holy Spirit? And it
is well to ask him, when thus speaking, what was the action3334
| 3334 ἐνέργεια [Prolegg. ch. ii. §3 (2) c.] | of this dilatation? or, in very truth,
wherefore at all it took place? for what does not remain the same, but
is in course of time dilated, must necessarily have a cause of
dilatation. If then it was in order that Word and Spirit should be with
Him, it is beside the purpose to say, ‘First Monad, and then
dilated;’ for Word and Spirit were not afterwards, but ever, or
God would be wordless3335
, as the Arians
hold. So that if Word and Spirit were ever, ever was it dilated, and
not at first a Monad; but if it were dilated afterwards, then
afterwards is there a Word. But if for the Incarnation it was dilated,
and then became a Triad, then before the Incarnation there was not yet
a Triad. And it will seem even that the Father became flesh, if, that
is, He be the Monad, and was dilated in the Man; and thus perhaps there
will only be a Monad, and flesh, and thirdly Spirit; if, that is, He
was Himself dilated; and there will be in name only a Triad. It is
absurd too to say that it was dilated for creating; for it were
possible for it, remaining a Monad, to make all; for the Monad did not
need dilatation, nor was wanting in power before being dilated; it is
absurd surely and impious, to think or speak thus in the case of God.
Another absurdity too will follow. For if it was dilated for the sake
of the creation, and while it was a Monad the creation was not, but
upon the Consummation it will be again a Monad after dilatation, then
the creation too will come to nought. For as for the sake of creating
it was dilated, so, the dilatation ceasing, the creation will cease
also.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
