CONCERNING THE TRINITY. 327 remits sins; and if,whereas it isthe portionof no man to come from heaven,He descended by coming from heaven ; and if,whereas thisword can be trueof no man, " I and the Father are one,"1 Christalonedeclaredthisword out of the consciousnessof His divinity;and if,finally,the Apostle Thomas, instructedin all the proofs and conditionsof Christ'sdivinity,says in reply to Christ,"My Lord and my God ;" 2 and if,besides,the Apostle Paul says,u Whose are the fathers,and of whom Christ came accordingto the flesh,who is over all,God blessedfor evermore,"3 writing in hisepistles; and ifthe same apostledeclaresthat he was ordained" an apostlenot by men, nor of man, but by Jesus Christ;"4 and if the same contends that he learnedthe gospel not from men or by man, but received it from Jesus Christ,reasonablyChrist is God. Therefore,in this respect,one of two thingsmust needs be established.For since it is evident that allthings were made by Christ, He iseitherbeforeallthings,sinceallthingswere by Him, and so He is justlyGod ; or becauseHe isman He issub sequent to allthings,and justlynothingwas made by Him. But we cannot say thatnothingwas made by Him, when we observe itwrittenthat allthingswere made by Him. He is not thereforesubsequentto allthings; that is,He isnot man only,who is subsequent to all things,but God also, sinceGod ispriorto allthings. For He isbeforeallthings, because allthings are by Him, whileif He were only man, nothing would be by Him ; or if allthingswere by Him, He would not be man only,because if he were only man, allthingswould not be by Him ; nay, nothingwould be by Him. -What,then,do they reply1 That nothingisby Him, so thatHe isman only? How then are allthingsby Him ? Therefore He isnot man only,but God also,sinceallthings are by Him ; so thatwe reasonablyought to understandthat Christ isnot man only,who is subsequentto allthings,but God also,sinceby Him allthingswere made. For how can you say thatHe isman only,when you see Him alsoin the 1Johnx.80. 2Johnxx.28. * Rom.ix.5.. 4 Gal.i.1 and 12.