that God the Father is not wise, except byof power and wisdom. And, in truth, the
BOOK VI.
THE QUESTION IS PROPOSED, HOW THE APOSTLE CALLS CHRIST '* THE POWER OF GOD, AND THE WISDOM OF GOD.?''
AND AN ARGUMENT IS RAISED, WHETHER THE FATHER IS NOT WISDOM
BUT
HIMSELF, BUT ONLY THE FATHER OF WISDOM ; OR WHETHER WISDOM BEGAT WISDOM.
THE ANSWER TO THIS IS DEFERRED FOR A LITTLE, WHILE THE UNITY AND EQUALITY OF THE
FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST, ARE PROVED ; AND THAT WE OUGHT TO BELIEVE IN A TRINITY, NOT IN A THREEFOLD (TRIPLICEM) GOD, LASTLY, THAT SAYING
OF HILARY IS EXPLAINED, ETERNITY IN THE FATHER, APPEARANCEIN THE IMAGE, USE IN THE
GIFT.
CHAP. I.—THE SON, ACCORDING TO THE Apos-|God did not begin to be in time.
But among the arguments which those on our side used to hold against them who said that there was a time when the Son was not, some were wont to introduce such an argument as this: If the Son of God is the power and wisdom of God, and God was never without power and wisdom, then the Son is co-eternal with God the Father; but the apostle says, '* Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God;'' and a man must be senseless to say that God at any time had not power or wisdom; therefore there was no time when the Son was not.
TLE, IS THE POWER AND WISDOM OF THE FATHER. HENCE THE REASONING OF THE CATHOLICS AGAINST THE EARLIER ARIANS, A DIFFICULTY IS RAISED, WHETHER THE FATHER IS NOT WISDOM HIMSELF, BUT ONLY THE FATHER OF WISDOM.
1. Some think themselves hindered from admitting the equality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, because it is written, '° Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God;"'' in that, on this ground, there does not appear to be equality; because the Father is not Himself power and wisdom, but the begetter of power and wisdom. And, in truth, the question is usually asked with no common earnestness, in what way God can be called the Father of power and wisdom. For the apostle says, *' Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.''* And hence some on our side have reasoned in this way against the Arians, at least against those who at first set themselves up against the Catholic faith. For Arius himself is reported to have said, that if He is a Son, then He was born; if He was born, there was a time when the Son was not: not understanding that even to be born is, to God, from all eternity; so that the Son is co-eternal with the Father, as the brightness which is produced and is spread around by fire is co-eval with it, and would be coeternal, if fire were eternal. And therefore some of the later Arians have abandoned that Opinion, and have confessed that the Son of
2. Now this argument compels us to say that God the Father is not wise, except by having the wisdom which He begat, not by the Father in Himself being wisdom itself. Further, if it be so, just as the Son also Himself is called God of God, Light of Light, we must consider whether He can be called wisdom of wisdom, if God the Father is not wisdom itself, but only the begetter of wisdom. And if we hold this, why is He not the begetter also of His own greatness, and of His own goodness, and of His own eternity, and of His own omnipotence; so that He is not Himself His own greatness, and His own goodness, and His own eternity, and His own omnipotence; but is great with that greatness which He begat, and good with that goodness, and eternal with that eternity, and omnipotent with that omnipotence, which was born of Him; just as He Himself is not
His own wisdom, but is wise with that wisdom which was born of Him? For we need not be afraid of being compelled to say tx Cor. i. 24.