case since there is no generated being, which can claim exemption from corruption, he only excepted, of whom it was prophesied, "Thou wilt not "suffer thine holy one to see corruption." This high privilege the Platonists assigned to the ' το αγαθον, their first person. They or second person, they always term ' &c.—that is, the 'first generated begotten,' &c. The consequence of which appellation, they perhaps neither designed nor foresaw. Such was the effect of human- wisdom, jumbling its own fancies with Hebraic traditions, literally verifying St Paul's character of them

γέννημα πρωτογένη,

64 Φασκοντες είναι σοφοί εμωράνθησαν τ

Setting up to be philosophers, they became idiots,'

Yet this Platonic philosophy, which set out with admitting a kind of a Trine theology, soon got into great repute, whether from the preferable nature of the system itself, or from the veneration paid to its author. And this repute it continued to enjoy, through a succession of professors, down to the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus. This monarch, the second of the Macedonian kings of Egypt, after Alexander's conquest, established, in the city of Alexandria, a school, expressly for the purpose of disseminating the philosophy of Plato. There, under a series of able masters, such as Potamon, Armnonius, Plotinus, Porphyry, Jamblichus, (who was contemporary with Constantine and his sons), &c.

1 Romans i. 22.

it

it was taught with much celebrity; until, from the many sects into which it had been progressively divided, it landed in downright scepticism; and will be found, upon examination, to be at the bottom of all the woeful and alarming infidelity of the present day.

But before I proceed to apply these historical facts to the subject in hand, I must not overlook what, in my idea, appears to have afforded the second and third causes, to which may be assigned the introduction of the term eternal g neration, into theological language. The Septuagint translation of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek, in my opinion, merits, after the Platonic philosophy, to be ranked as the

IId cause for this introduction. This translation, you have no need to be informed, is generally reported to have been executed at the desire of that same Ptolemy Philadelphus, who erected the Platonic school at Alexandria. But whether this be the case or not, is unimportant, since the version of the Septuagint was certainly in vulgar use at the time of our Saviour's appearance, and was, for a long time after, the only translation to which the christian writers could have recourse; some of whom went so far in its favour, as even to prefer it to the original.

That there are in this translation many beautiful elucidations of the Hebrew original, I am ready

to own. And I am equally ready to own, that wherever its language is, totidem verbis, adduced in the New Testament, its authority is unquestionable. Yet as these instances are but few, we are at full liberty to examine what is not so adduced, by the Hebrew standard, and to admit or reject accordingly. Now, with reference to our present subject, there are three passages, which the Septuagint tranlators have rendered in a manner which the Hebrew original disclaims, and have thereby tended not a little to introduce the doctrines to which I am objecting. The first is the passage in the 110th Psalm, already quoted '-" from the womb before the morning star I have begotten thee—“ ex yasgos πgo 'εwoCopy eyevnoa σs," which rendering, I repeat, is not only different from the words of the Psalmist, but, as usually applied, is contrary to the Psalmist's obvious meaning.

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The 110th Psalm is evidently directed to the Adoni," on the right hand of Jehovah; that is, to the "made-Lord"," to the " man of the right hand 3," "to Christ 4," to the " priest after the order of Melchisedec 5," to him" who was "to drink of the torrent in the way;" consequently either to the humanity singly, or (in Origen's

1 See Letter VI. p. 49.

2 Acts ii. 36. God hath MADE that same Jesus, &c. both LORD, &c.

3 Ps. Ixxx. 17.

5 Heb. v. 4. 10.

4 St Matth. xxii. 41—45.

6 St Matth. xxvi. 42.

gen's style) to the "TOT," the compound person; but, in no way restrictive to pure Deity. In this case, although the Psalmist's noun 7, “thy "birth," (as our translators have literally rendered it,) should bear to be transformed into the " εγέννησα “σ—I have begotten thee," of the Septuagint; yet still must it have the same object of address, with the psalm of which it is a part; and, without admitting of the sense of "ETERNALLY begotten would convey no other meaning, than that which I have shewn to be the import of the words "begotten before all worlds," in the Nicene creed'.

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The second passage, to the rendering of which, as given in the Septuagint, I feel in duty bound to object, is the following from the book of Proverbs, The Lord possessed' me, in the beginning," &c. This is rendered in a manner still more corrupted, and more dangerous than that above discussed. 66 KURI EXTITE μE, &c.—The Lord CREATED me," &c. a translation, for which there is no palliative whatever-as its effects will, in the sequel, shew.

The third objectionable passage is one which, though not differing so glaringly from the original as the other two, has, I suspect, been the means of introducing, not only in the early times, but in latter ages, a peculiarity both of sentiment and of

N 2

ex

I See Letter V. p. 34 et seq.

2 Prov. viii. 2.

expression. It is no less than the grand declaration of the evangelical prophet Isaiah-" his name shall "be called wonderful, counsell r'" &c. which the Septuagint have tran lated in terms sufficiently consonant with the prophet's meaning, but not fully expressive of it—_" μεγάλης βουλης αγγελώ,” &c. "the angel of the great counsel," &c.

This paraphrase, for it deserves not the name of a translation, has, in my opinion, paved the way for that much agitated, and much misunderstood doctrine of " angels," which perhaps, with some Platonic mixture, has constituted the

IIId cause of the introduction of the terms'eter•nal generation,' and been the parent of the many various, and scarcely reconcileable opinions, regarding the LOGOS,' as well as the great support of the debasing system of belief which began at so early a period of christianity, and which has prevailed to this very day.

Isaiah ix. 6.

LET