Part 7 (2/2)

Him as to be His fellow:--

”The Logos was G.o.d.”

That is, though numerically distinct, He partook of the same Divine Nature:

”All Things were made by Him.”

Because, partaking fully of the nature, He partook fully of the power of G.o.d, and so of His creating power.

”That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

”The Logos was made flesh.”

He was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

The first enunciation, then, of St. John is that--

”IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD.”

In Justin we read:--

”His Son, Who alone is properly called Son, the Word, Who also was with Him, and was begotten before the works.” (Apol. ii. ch. vi.)

Again:--

”When you [Justin] say that this Christ existed as G.o.d before the ages.” (Dial. ch. xlviii.)

Again:--

”G.o.d begat before all creatures a Beginning, [74:1] [who was] a certain rational Power from Himself, Who is called by the Holy Spirit, now the Glory of the Lord, now the Son, again Wisdom, again an Angel, then G.o.d, and then Lord and Logos.” (Dial. ch. lxi.)

Now it is to be here remarked, that though the Logos is continually declared to be ”begotten of,” ”derived from,” ”an offspring of” the Father, yet in no case is He declared to be ”created” or ”made,”

antic.i.p.ating the declaration which we confess in our Creed, ”The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten.”

St. John proceeds:--

”THE WORD WAS WITH G.o.d.”

In Justin we read:--

”This Offspring, which was truly brought forth from the Father, was with the Father before all the creatures, and the Father communed with Him.” (Dial. ch. lxii.)

Again, a little before, in the same chapter:--

”From which we can indisputably learn that G.o.d conversed with some One who was numerically distinct from Himself.”

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