nations would not be
something sudden, but long ago decreed by God. I know that some
pertinaciously insist that the prophet speaks here of Christ's eternal
essence, and as far as I am concerned, I _willingly_ acknowledge that
Christ's eternal Godhead is here proved to us; but as we shall never
succeed in convincing the Jews of this, I prefer to hold that the words
of the prophet signify that Christ would not thus suddenly proceed from
Bethlehem, as if God had formerly decreed nothing concerning Him." He
speaks indeed of his "_willingly_ acknowledging;" but that he was not
very much in earnest in his willingness, appears from what follows:
"Others advance a new and ingenious view," etc. It is only from the
relation of _Calvin_ to the earlier interpreters, that we can account
for his advancing an exposition so very arbitrary. These had, _ad
majorem Dei gloriam_, advanced a multitude of forced expositions.
Calvin, who very properly hated such interpretations ("I do not like
such distorted explanations," he says, in his commentary on Joel ii.),
always regarded them with suspicion; and whensoever there was the
appearance of any motive which may possibly have guided them in
adopting a certain explanation, he himself, rather than concur with
them, falls upon the most unnatural explanations in return. The best
refutation of his exposition is to be found in _Pococke_. It is absurd
to suppose that the actual going forth of Christ from Bethlehem is here
contrasted with one which is merely imaginary,--the action, with a mere
decree. It is without any analogy that some one should be designated
as actually existing, or going forth, who exists merely in the divine
foreknowledge, or the divine predestination.--The other view, which
regards the last words of this verse as referring to the Messiah's
descent from the ancient family of David, is found among all
interpreters who, from some cause, were prevented from adopting the
sound one. It is thus with the Socinians (compare, _e.g._, _Volkel de
vera religione_, l. 5, c. 2), some of whom, in order the more surely to
set aside a passage so damaging to their system, supposed that,
according to its proper sense, it did not refer to Christ at all;
_e.g._, _Jo. Crellius_, who, in his exposition of Matt. ii., asserts
that it refers indefinitely to [Pg 503] some one of the family of David
who, after the Babylonish captivity, was to rule the nation. It is thus
with _Grotius_ also, who says: "He (