75. Although general conviction and divine
authority sanction no difference between likeness and equality, since
both Moses and John would lead us to believe the Son is like the Father
and also His equal, yet let us consider whether the Lord, when the Jews
were angry with Him for calling God His Father and thus making Himself
equal with God, did Himself teach that He was equal with God. He
says, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the
Father do John v. 19.. He shewed
that the Father originates by saying Can do nothing of Himself,
He calls attention to His own obedience by adding, but what He seeth
the Father do. There is no difference of might, He says He
can do nothing that He does not see because it is His nature and not
His sight that gives Him power. But His obedience consists in His
being able only when He sees. And so by the fact that He has
power when He sees, He shews that He does not gain power by seeing but
claims power on the authority of seeing. The natural might does
not differ in Father and Son, the Son’s equality of power with
the Father not being due to any increase or advance of the Son’s
nature but to the Father’s example. In short that honour
which the Son’s subjection retained for the Father belongs
equally to the Son on the strength of His nature. He has Himself
added, What things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son
likewise Ib.. Surely
then the likeness implies equality. Certainly it does, even
though we deny it: for these also doeth the Son
likewise. Are not things done likewise the same?
Or do not the same things admit equality? Is there any other
difference between likeness and equality, when things that are done
likewise are understood to be made the same? Unless perchance any
one will deny that the same things are equal, or deny that similar
things are equal, for things that are done in like manner are not only
declared to be equal but to be the same things.