I must own the Invention, indeed, is very fine; the Images exceeding magnificent, 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 Soldiers call it; he, perhaps, thinking himself the senior Officer, and disdaining to submit to any but to his former immediate Sovereign; in short, he threw up his Commission, and, in order not to be compel'd to obey, revolted and broke out in open Rebellion.