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On Matt. xxiv. 36. Of Knowledge of that Day and of that Hour. [377]

"If the Son is the Creator of the world, and does not know the time of the judgment, then He does not know what He created. For He said that He was ignorant not of the judgment, but of the time. How can this be otherwise than absurd?

"If the Son has not knowledge of all things whereof the Father has knowledge, then He spake untruly when He said All things that the Father hath are mine' [378] and As the Father knoweth me so know I the Father.' [379] If there is a distinction between knowing the Father and knowing the things that the Father hath, and if, in proportion as every one is greater than what is his, it is greater to know the Father than to know what is His, then the Son, though He knew the greater (for no man knoweth the Father save the Son), [380] did not know the less.

"This is impossible. He was silent concerning the season of the judgment, because it was not expedient for men to hear. Constant expectation kindles a warmer zeal for true religion. The knowledge that a long interval of time was to elapse would have made men more careless about true religion, from the hope of being saved by a subsequent change of life. How could He who had known everything up to this time (for so He said) not know that hour also? If so, the Apostle vainly said In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.' [381]

"If the Holy Spirit, who searcheth the deep things of God,' [382] cannot be ignorant of anything that is God's, then, as they who will not even allow Him to be equal must contend, the Holy Ghost is greater than the Son." [383]

[377] cf. Letter viii. p. 118.

[378] John xv. 16.

[379] John x. 15.

[380] Matt. xi. 27.

[381] Col. ii. 3.

[382] 1 Cor. ii. 10.

[383] cf. this passage more fully treated of in Letter ccxxxvi. p. 276. The above is rather a tentative memorandum than an explanation.
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Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/basil/life-works.asp?pg=54