2i$ THE ARIAN INVITED TO ORTHODOX FAITH. It is plain also, that severàl of the primitive christian wri. tors include, if not chiefly intend, the idea of reason, in some places where they speak of that divine logos, which was always with God, even from eternity: For it was a common notion among them, that God was always noye oç, that is, rational ; never anoyC , or avo(Pí^ that is, irrational, never without his word, or, rather, his reason, or wisdom. Tertullian makes the logos tobe eternal, as it signifies reason ; and more ancient than the logos as it signifies a word, or speech : His language is this, Non sermonalis Deus, á principio sed rationalis Deus etiam ante principium. That several of the Greek fathers speak of the logos, as divine wisdom is manifeste and that some of the Latin fathers, both elder and later, use the terms, ratio and sapientia, to express the logos, as well as verbum or sermo, .I suppose will not be denied. And even in scripture, the term logos sometimes seems to denote reason as well as word ; for Christ who is the Logos, or Word of God, in several scriptures, is also supposed to be re- presented by divine wisdom in other places of the sacred writ- ings, both in the Old and New Testament : As Prov. viii. where wisdom is described, which wholechapter is generally interpreted concerning our blessed Saviour, in his pre-existent state. Luke vii. 34, 35. The Son of man is come eating and drinking, and ye say, behold a wine-bibber,. 84-c. but wisdom is justified of her children. Luke xi. 42. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets, Sçc. that is, the eternal word or wis- dom, by whomGod transacted his a$àirs of the government of the Jewish church. And, indeed, there is a plain affinity between both these senses of logos; for a word or speech, is but the external repre- sentation of inward thought or reason ; and reason itself is but a sort of internal speech, or the language of the mind. Thus by one we speak inwardly to ourselves, and by the other we speak to other persons. Anti therefore Christ, who is the divine wis- dom ; Prov. viii. is also the divine Word ; John i. manifesting the wisdom of God ; and the name logos implies both. So Cal- vin, both in his institutions, and'his commentaries on John i. 1. represents Christ as the Logos, partly because lie is the wisdom of God, and partly because he reveals the mind of God to men. John, saith he, calls the Son of God, serinò, quia primum (sterna sit dei sapientia et roluntas, deride e:rpressa cous2lzz plus effigies. And many other writers are of the same mind. Yet I think in Our theological discourses on the Messiah, since we have not one single term in English that signifies both reason and word, it may be proper generally to translate logos by the termWord, rather than reason. I. Because the scripture in the New Testament seems rather
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