icent, the Thought rich and bright, and, in some respect, truly
sublime: But the Authorities fail most wretchedly, and the miss-timing
of it, is unsufferably gross, as is noted in the Introduction to this
Work; for Christ is not declar'd the Son of God but on Earth; 'tis true,
'tis spoken from Heaven, but then 'tis spoken as perfected on Earth; if
it was at all to be assign'd to Heaven, it was from Eternity, and there,
indeed, his eternal Generation is allow'd; but to take upon us to say,
that _On a day, a certain day_, for so our Poet assumes, lib. v. fol.
137.

------ 'When on a day,
------ 'On such a day
'As Heaven's great Year brings forth, the empyreal Host
'Of Angels by imperial Summons call'd,
'Forthwith from all the ends of Heaven appear'd.

This is, indeed, too gross; at this meeting he makes God declare the Son
to be _that day begotten_, as before; had he made him not begotten that
day, but declared General that day, it would be reconcileable with
Scripture and with sense; for either the begetting is meant of ordaining
to an office, or else the eternal Generation falls to the ground; and if
it was to the office (Mediator) then Mr. _Milton_ is out in ascribing
another fix'd day to the Work; see lib. x. fo. 194. But then the
declaring him _that day_, is wrong chronology too, for Christ is
declar'd _the Son of God with power_, only _by the Resurrection of the
dead_, and this is both a Declaration in Heaven and in Earth. _Rom._ i.
4. And _Milton_ can have no authority to tell us, there was any
Declaration of it in Heaven before this, except it be that dull
authority call'd _poetic License_, which will not pass in so solemn an
affair as that.

But the thing was necessary to _Milton_, who wanted to assign some cause
or original of the _Devil_'s Rebellion; and so, _as I said above_, the
design is well laid, it only wants two Trifles call'd _Truth_ and
_History_; so I leave it to struggle for itself.

This Ground-plot being laid, he has a fair field for the _Devil_ to play
the Rebel in, for he immediately brings him in, not satisfy'd with the
Exaltation of the Son of God. The case must be thus; _Satan_ being an
eminent _Arch-angel_, and perhaps, the highest of all the Angelic Train,
hearing this Sovereign Declaration, that the _Son of God_ was declar'd
to be Head or Generalissimo of all the heavenly Host, took it ill to see
another put into the high station _over his head_, as the Soldie