Observations, censures, and confutations of notorious errours in Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan and other his bookes to which are annexed occasionall anim-adversions on some writings of the Socinians and such hæreticks of the same opinion with him / by William Lucy ...

Sect. 17.

[The word was with God) that is (saith he) was known to God, and God onely, before the preaching of John Baptist,* 1.1] thus Smalcius likewise, and Valkelius; what concerne's Angels in this exclusive word (Soli) I have already touched; as likewise how he did falsify Socinus, to say, he did not use it; but they are all peremptory, that no man knew he was the word, before the preaching of the Baptist; but then being pinched by Smiglecius with an objection, that he was known to the Shepheards, to the wise men, to Anna and Simeon, he answer's in his 26. chap. to the third part of Smig. page 234. thus; that he was known to God, not onely that he was, but his quality, that

he was the word: that, before the preaching of John Bap∣tist, he was known to neither Men, nor Angels; they knew him that he should be the deliverer of Gods people from the hands of their earthly enemies, but not to be the word; some knew that he should deliver his people from their Sins, but this word they knew not. Well, let my Text con∣fute all this, which saith, the word was with God in the beginning, therefore he was then the word; if they fly to God's fore-knowledge in his decree (as I have said) it could not be affirmed of him, that he was with God, but should hereafter be with him: then secondly, that he should be the word, in their sense, is no more, but that he should manifest the will of God concerning mens Salvation, his Gospel-will, and that was known be∣fore; I know not how Smiglecius pressed his Argument, whether in those general terms, which Smalcius produ∣ceth, or particular; but to this very distinction of his I shall presse old Simeon's nunc dimittis, Luke 2.32. where our Saviour is said to be a light, to lighten the Gen∣tiles; now let any man imagine how he should be this light, but by revealing this will of God to them; for my part, I can conceive no other; and yet this is the whole matter, which they make to be expressed by this Term, word; for although the Term its self be not expressed, yet it is clea••ly implyed, in that the whole sense of it is either a Metaphor, or a Metonymie, is evi∣dent; to this I could adde, that the Prophets foresaw this, so Isaiah 60.3. The Gentiles shall come to thy light, that is, the light which his Sermons, his miracles did give, and that evidence of God's will for our Salvation which he did hold forth; this is enough to shew, that the Socinians were over-seen in saying, that, according to their sense, no man foresaw that our Saviour should be

the word, as well as in saying, that God did know him to be such, when he was not such, that is, before the preach∣ing of the Baptist; and, to conclude; I have no more to do with this phrase concerning their objections, but set down the true meaning of them, which is thus. The Word, which I have shewed was in the beginning, the internall Word, was with God, it would not else indeed be from him, for being an internall effect of his understand∣ing, it proceeded not in••o any externall existence, but remained there eternally, in Sinu Patris, in the bosome of the Father; but lest any man should doubt that this word might be some accident of another nature then God was, the Text adde's, the word was God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Discourse resumed con∣cerning the knowledge of the Word be∣fore the preaching of St. John Bap∣tist.