[Milton-L] Re: Milton-L Digest, Vol 23, Issue 41

[Michael Gillum]

Apparently John Basinger reads "he" in the second line here as referring to
the Son:

The Filial Power arrived and sat him down
With his great father, for he also went
Invisible yet stayed (such privilege
Hath Omnipresence) and the work ordained,
Author and end of all things, and from work
Now resting blessed and hallowed the seventh day
As resting on that day from all his work. . . . (7.587-93)

I take that "he" to refer to the Father, who went invisible with the visible
Son to do the work that the Father had ordained, and who thus equally rests
after work. In line 602 following, the angels address their hymn to
"Jehovah" (the Father) but praise his victory over the rebel angels as well
as his act of creation. In other words, the Son did these things through the
power of the Father. Do others see it this way?

I don't think the passage asserts the Son's omnipresence or his equality
with the Father. It seems subordinationist. The Son generally acts as the
Father's "effectual might" or external agency. Perhaps the Son performs a
different and more independent kind of agency when he chooses to sacrifice
himself for humankind, but that was according to the Father's plan as well.

Michael


On 10/24/08 10:41 AM, "JBasinger" <jbasinger at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Though not absolutely direct, but yet a pretty strong statement, Milton's
> words near the end of Book VII, (approximately)  "And now on earth the seventh
> evening arose in Eden, for the sun was set and twilight from the East came on,
> when at the holy mount of Heav'ns high seated top, the Filial Power arrived
> and sat him down by his great father, for he also went invisible yet stayed,
> such privilege hath Omnipresence, and the work ordained, author and end of all
> things, and from work now resting blessed and hallowed the seventh day as
> resting on that day from all his work." apparently makes the Son equal to the
> Father in Omnipresence and in the words, 'author and end of all things' though
> acting through his father's might, is nonetheless declared by Milton to be
> author and end of all things which makes the Son, at least to that degree,
> co-terminus with the Father.   Or so it seems to me.  John Basinger
> 
> -----Original Message-----