CONCERNING THE TRINITY. 329 againstman may be forgiven? If Christ is only man, how comes John the Baptistto testifyand say," He who cometh afterme has become before me, because He was priorto me ;"1 when, ifChristwere onlyman, being born afterJohn, He could not be before John, unlessbecause He preceded him, in that He is God ? If Christ is only man, how isit that" what thingsthe Father doeth,thesealsodoeth the Son likewise,"1 when man cannot do works liketo the heavenly operationsof God ? If Christ is only man, how is it that " even astheFather hath lifeinHimself,so hath He givento the Son tohave lifein Himself,"3 when man cannot have life in him afterthe example of God the Father,because he is not gloriousin eternity,but made with the materialsof mortality? If Christisonly man, how does He say," I am the bread of eternallifewhich came down from heaven,"* when man can neitherbe the bread of life,he himself being mortal,nor couldhe have come down from heaven, sinceno perishablematerialis establishedin heaven ? If Christ is only man, how does He say that " no man hath seen God at any time,save He which isof God ; He hath seenGod ?" 5 Because ifChristisonlyman, He couldnot seeGod, because no man has seen God ; but if,being of God, He has seen God, He wishes it to be understood that He ismore than man, in that He has seen God. If Christisonly man, why does He say," What if ye shallseethe Son of man ascend ing thitherwhere He was before? " 6 But He ascendedinto heaven, thereforeHe was there,in that He returned thither where He was before. But if He was sent from heaven by the Father, He certainlyis not man only; for man, as we have said,could not come from heaven. Therefore as man He was not therebefore,but ascendedthitherwhere He was not. But the Word of God descendedwhich was there,— the Word of God, I say, and God by whom all things were made, and withoutwhom nothing was made. It was not thereforeman that thus came thence from heaven,but the Word of God ; thatis,God descended thence. 1 Johni.15. sJohnv.19. 8Johnv.26. *Johnvi.51. *Johnvl 46. 6Johnvi.62.