upon his suffering and resurrection, and things belonging to the flesh. And Paul, when he speaks of his being the Son of David according to the flesh, teaches us nothing farther, that what belonged to the humanity might be acknowledged ; but the Son of Thunder discourses concerning his mysterious and eternal existence; so that, omitting what he did, he relates what he was.'

The same writer says, that the apostles concealed the doctrine of the miraculous conception on account of the incredulity of the Jews with respect to it, and that when they began to preach the gospel, they insisted chiefly on the resurrection of Christ. With respect to the former, (and the same, may, no doubt, be applied to the latter,) he says, " He did not give his own opinion only, but that which came by tradition from the fathers and eminent men. He, therefore, would not have his hearers to be alarmed, or think his account of it extraordinary."†

Thus, he says, that " it was not to give offence to the Jews, that Peter, in his first speech to them, did not say that Christ did the wonderful works of which he spake, but that God did them by him; that by speaking more modestly he might conciliate them to himself." The same caution he attributes to him in "not saying that Christ, but that God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, that by these means he might bring them gradually to the faith." §

After treating pretty largely of the conduct of the apostles, with respect to their insisting on the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ, rather than that of his divinity, immediately after the descent of the Holy Spirit, he says, "As to the Jews who had daily heard and been taught out of the law, Hear, Ο Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord, and besides

Δια τελο και ὁ Πετρο, εν αρχη τελῳ κεχρηναι τῷ τρόπῳ· και γαρ ταυλην (πρωίην) προς Πεδαιες εδημηγορει δημηγοριαν και επειδη εδεν περι της θεοτητα αυτό τεως σαφες μαθειν ισχύον, δια τετο τοις περι της οικονομιας ενδιατρίβει λογοις· ἵνα τείοις ἡ ακοη γυμνασθεισα τῇ λοιπῇ προοδοποίηση διδασκαλια και ει βελοιίο τις την δημηγοριαν πασαν ανωθεν διελθειν, ευρήσει τεῖο ὁ λεγω σφοδρα διαλαμπον και γαρ ανδρα αυτον καλει και αυτός, και τοις τε παθες και της αναςάσεως και της κατα σαρκα γεννησεως ενδιατρίβει λογοις. Και Παύλος δε, όταν λεγῇ, το γενομενε εκ σπερμαίος Δαβίδ κατα σαρκα, ουδεν ἕτερον ἡμας παιδεύει, αλλ' ότι το εποίησεν επί της οικονομίας παρείληπται· ὁ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμολογέμεν· αλλ' ὁ της βροντης ύιος περι της αρῥητε και προαιωνιο ἡμῖν ὑπαρξεως διαλεγείαι νυν δια τελο το εποίησεν άφεις, το ην εθηκεν. in Johan. Hom. ii. Opera, VIII. p. 20. (Ρ.)

* Αλλα μη θορυβείσθε προς το παραδοξον το λεγόμενες ουδε γαρ εμος ὁ λόγος αλλα πατέρων ἡμετέρων θαυμαςών και επισημων ανδρων. In Matt. C. i. Hom. iii. VI. p. 20. (Ρ.)

† Ουκελι λεγει ότι αυτό, αλλ' ότι δι' αυτε ὁ Θεός, ἵνα μαλλον τω μετριάζειν εφελκυ σηται In Acta Apostolorum, C. ii. Hom. vi. VIII. p. 491. (Ρ.)

§ Ου λεγει ὧν εἶπεν ὁ Χρις, αλλ ̓ ὧν ελάλησεν ὁ Θεός, ἔτι τῷ συσκιάζειν μαλλον αυτές επαγόμενος εις πιςιν ήρεμα. In ibid. Hom, ix. VIII. p. 5 1. (Ρ.)

him there is no other,' having seen him (Jesus) nailed to a cross, yea, having killed and buried him themselves, and not having seen him risen again; if they had heard that this person was God equal to the Father, would not they have rejected and spurned at it?" I want words in English to express the force of the Greek in this place. The Latin translator renders it, Nonne maxime omnes ab his verbis abhorruissent, ac resiliissent et oblatrassent. "On this account," he adds, "they (the apostles) brought them forwards. gently and by slow degrees, and used great art in condescending to their weakness."*

Chrysostom represents the apostle as beginning his Epistle to the Hebrews with saying, that " It was God who spake by the prophets, and not that Christ himself had spoken by them, because their minds were weak, and they were not able to bear the doctrine concerning Christ." He even says, that "when he there speaks of Christ as above the angels," he still spake of his humanity. "See," says he, "his great caution, όρα την συνεσιν την πολλην,” the very expression used by Athanasius on a similar occasion.

But we find no trace of either Jews or Gentiles having received these sublime doctrines that Chrysostom alludes to, in the age of the apostles. Nay we see that he himself represents the apostle Paul as obliged to use the same caution with respect to the Jews, when he wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews, which was so late as A.D. 62, about two years before his death.

Theodoret observes, that " in the genealogy of Christ given by Matthew, this writer did not add according to the flesh,'

Πως δε αν Ιεδαίοι οι καθ' έκαςην ήμεραν, μανθανονίες ὑπο το νομο, Ακεε, Ισραηλ, κύριος ὁ Θεός σε κυριος εις εςιν, και πλην αυτε ουκ εςιν αλλος, επι ξυλο ςαυρο ιδονίες προσηλωμένον αυτον, μαλλον δε και ςαυρωσανίες και θαψανίες, και ουδε αναςανία θεασαμένοι, ακεονίες ότι Θεός εςιν αὐτῷ όντα, και τῳ πατρι ισος, ουκ αν μαλιςα παντων απεπήδησαν και απερράγησαν. Διατι τελο ήρεμα, και κατα μικρον, αυτές προσβιβάζεσι, και πολλή μεν κεχρηνίαι τη της συγκαταβασεως οικονομιᾳ. In Acta, Hom.i. Opera, VIII. p. 447. (P.)

† Και θεα τι συνείως αυτο ειρηκε· ου γαρ ειπεν ὁ Θεός ελάλησεν και οιγε αυτό nu λαλησας· αλλ' επειδη ασθενεις αυτων ησαν αι ψυχαι, και εδεπω ακ8ειν ηδύναντο τα περι τα Xpice, prov & ε di' avlov eλaλnov. (In Heb. C. i. Opera, X. p. 1756.) That is, "See how prudently he spoke: for he said, God spake though it was himself that spake; but because their minds were weak and they were not able to bear the things concerning Christ, he says, God spake by him.”

N.B. The ov in the second clause of this passage must be inserted by mistake for Ka, or some other particle, as it contradicts what is said in the close of the sentence, and the obvious sense of the whole. Or, perhaps, the first should have been Xps. (P.)

Perhaps an easier emendation would be, ύιος' ου γαρ ειπεν ὁ (ύιος) ελάλησεν καίτοιγε κ. λ., αλλ' επειδη κ. λ. φησιν ὁ Θεὸς δι' αυτό (the text 15 εν ύιφ) ελάλησεν. (Χ.)

In Heb. C. i. Opera, X. p. 1755. (P.)

because the men of that time would not bear it;" evidently meaning, that they would thereby have been led into a suspicion that, in the idea of the writer, he had some higher origin, and that they would have been offended at it." But the apostle Paul," he says, " could not avoid that expression in his Epistle to the Romans." [i. 3.] He adds, that "before his death, not only to the other Jews, but to the apostles themselves, he did not appear as a God, nor did his miracles lead them to form that opinion of him."* This writer also says, that the apostles in mentioning the subjection of Christ to the Father, (1 Cor. xv. 28,) spake of him more lowly than was necessary for their advantage." +

Ecumenius also says, that "Peter, in his first speech, [Acts ii. 30,] though by saying that Christ rose according to the flesh," he intimated that he was God, yet refers all to the Father, that they might receive his sayings." He makes the same observation on Peter's saying, "the promise of the Spirit" was from "the Father." [Ver. 33.] "He refers things to the Father, that he might draw his hearers."§ Again, he observes, that he said, "The Father, and not

yap του καλα σαρκα προσθήκη, αινιτίείαι ὡς το Θεου και παίρος υιος εστιν αληθώς κατα την θεότηία· ουδε γαρ επι των τελο μονον ονίων όπερ ὁρωνίαι, εςιν ευρείν το καλα σαρκα προσε κειμενον· και μαρτυς ὁ μακαριος Ματθαιος ὁ ευαγγελισης ειρηκώς γαρ Αβρααμ εγεννησε τον Ισαακ, Ισαακ δε εγεννησε τον Ιακωβ, Ιακωβ δε εγεννησε τον Ιέδαν, και πασαν εφεξής την γενεαλογίαν διεξελθων, εδαμε το καλα σαρκα προςέθεικεν ουχ ήρμοτίε γαρ αυτοις ανθρωποις εσιν ή τοιαυτη προσθήκη ενταύθα δε, επειδη ουκ ανθρωπο μονον εςιν, αλλα και Θεος προαιωνιος ὁ ενανθρωπήσας Θεος λογος, του σπερματος του Δαβιδ μνημονεύσας ὁ θειος αποςολος, αναγκαιως το καλα σαρκα προςέθεικε, σαφως ήμας δίδαξας, πως μεν ύιος εςι του Θεου, πως δε του Δαβίδ

εχρημάτισε.

Προ μεν του σταυρου και του παθος, ὁ δεσποτης Χριςος ου μόνον τοις αλλοις Ιεδαίοις, αλλα και αυτοις τοις αποστολοις ουκ εδοκεί είναι Θεος προσεπταιον γαρ τοις ανθρωπινοις, εσθιονία τε και πινονία, και καθευδονία, και κοπιωνία θεωμενοι, και ουδε τα θαυμαία αυτές προς ταυλην εποδηγει την δόξαν αυτικα τοινυν το καλα την θαλατίαν θεασαμένοι θαύμα ελεγον πολαπος εστιν έτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ότι και ἡ θάλασσα και δι ανεμο ὑπακουσιν τοι τείο και ὁ κυριος έλεγε προς αυτους· Πολλα εχω λεγειν ύμιν, αλλ' ου δυνασθε βασ τάζειν αρτί.

αὐτῷ ; Δια

Προ μεν εν το παθες τοιαυίας είχαν δόξας περι αυτό μεία δε την αναςασιν, και την εις ερανες αναβασιν, και το παναγια πνευματος επιφοίτησιν, και τας παντοδαπως θαυματεργιας ὡς επέτελεν, καλενίες αυτο το σεβασμιον ονομα, εγνωσαν ἁπανίες δι πιςευονίες, ότι και Θεος εξί, και το Θεον μονογενής ύιος. Τη Rom. C. i. Opera, III. p. 15, ed. Hala. (Ρ.) † Ο μεν ουν θειος απόσυλος την εκ της Ελληνικής μυθολογιας φυομενην ὑφορωμενος βλατην, ταυία προσέθεικε, ταπεινοτεροις χρησάμενος λόγοις δια την εκείνων ωφελειαν. In 1 Cor. xv. Opera, III. p. 275. (Ρ.)

* Και ουδε έτως ηλθεν εις τον Χρισον, αλλα παλιν εγκωμιαζεται ὁ Δαβίδ, δια του προψηλης ουν ὑπαρχων, ίνα δια την προς τιμήν και το γενος το απ' εκείνε, τε Χριςε δεξωνται τον περι της αναςασεως λόγον και ουκ ειπεν, ότι επηγδειλαίο αυτῳ ὁ Θεὸς ἀλλ' ὁ μείζον και απαραβαίον έν, το ωμοσε το δε κατα σαρκα κηρυτίονίος εςιν, ώς και Θεος Χριςος, και συνεσιν εν τῷ πατρι' παντα δε τῷ πατρι ανατίθησιν, ἵνα τεως παραδεξωνται τα λεγόμενα. Opera, Ρ. 21. (Ρ.)

I.

§ Και παλιν τῷ πατρι ανατίθησι το γεγονος· οι δε γαρ έτω τες ακροατας επισπωμένος, (cumen. I. p. 21. (Ρ.)

Christ, promised that appearance by Joel.”* On another part of his speech, [ver. 13,] in which mention is made of God glorifying "his Son Jesus," he says, "he spake humbly concerning him.”+

Quoting Theodoret, he calls low discourses concerning Christ the first elements. To those who were not capable of a perfect faith, the preachers of the gospel offered what relates to the humanity of Christ. Thus the blessed Peter preaching to the Jews, measures his doctrine by the weakness of his hearers. For he says, [Acts ii. 22,] Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you.' And ye have need, he says, from negligence, not being such, (that is, perfect,) of milk, not of strong meat. He calls low discourses concerning Christ, those that relate to the flesh, milk, and strong meat for the perfect, discourses concerning the divinity of Christ. For those, therefore, who were babes in faith, there was need of low discourses, as milk is fit for babes; but for the perfect in faith, there was need of strong meat, the sublime philosophy concerning Christ. Every one, he says, who partakes of milk, that is, every one who wants these low discourses concerning the humanity of Christ, (for they are milk,) is unskilful, and not a partaker of the word of righteousness. By the word of righteousness, he means the doctrine of the divinity of Christ,” &c. †

"Having called discourses concerning the humanity of Christ, the first principles, and those concerning his divinity perfection, lest they should despond, as not being worthy of the most perfect discourses, he endeavours to give them those that were perfect. And he says so, but not in the same sense in which he had used the word perfect before, for they were not able to bear it. Buthe disposes his dis

* Κατ' αρχας μεν γαρ τον πρωτα (πατερα) ελεγεν, ου τον Χριςον απαγειλασθαι τετο δια Ιωήλ του προφητε. Opera, I. p. 21. (Ρ.)

† Ετι των ταπεινοτερων εχεται- -δια του είπειν ουκ ιδια δυναμει θαυμαίεςγησαι τῳ πρόσθειναι τον παιδα, ου γαρ το αυτοδοξασον ενι προσθηκην δόξης λαβειν. Ibid. p. 28. (Ρ.) † ΑΛΛΟ. Στοιχεια της αρχής των λογιων τε Θεου, τις ταπεινότερες περι Χριςε λόγους εκάλεσε τοις γαρ μηδε πω την πιςιν εσχηκόσι τελειαν, τα περι της ανθρωποτητος προσε φερον μονα, της αλήθειας δι κηρυκες έτως ὁ μακαριος Πετρος Ιεδαίοις δημηγόρων εμέτρησε την διδασκαλίαν τη ασθένεια των ακεόντων. Ιησεν γαρ, εφη, τον Ναζαραίον, ανδρα απο του Θεον αποδεδειγμενον εις ύμας. Και γεγόνατε χρειαν εχονίες. Αυτοί γεγόνατε, φησιν, εκ ῥαθυμίας, ουκ οντες τοείοι, γαλακτος και ου ςερέας τροφέως γαλα λεγει τις ταπεινές περι Χριςε λόγες, τις περί της σαρκος σερεαν δε τροφήν, τις τελείες της περι της θεοτητες αυτέ τοις ουν ετι νηπιοις την πιςιν εδει λόγων, ταπεινων (κατάλληλον γαρ τοις νηπίοις το γαλα) τοις δε τελείοις την πιςιν, της Γερέας τροφης και της ύψηλης περι Χριςε φιλοσοφίας· πας γαρ ὁ μελεχων γαλακτος, πας γαρ, φησιν, ὁ μετεχων λόγων ταπείνων, των περι της ανθρω πατηλος του κυριο (Εται γαρ το γαλα) απειρος εστι και αμελοχος λογο δικαιοσυνης λογον δε δικαιοσυνης λέγει, τον περί της θεοτηλος τε κυρίε ̓ ἡ στερεα τροφη ὁ ὑψηλος λόγος και τα ύψηλα περι Χριστε δογματα. In Heb. Opera, I. p. 353. (Ρ.)

course in another manner, calling first principles, baptism, the imposition of hands, and the sign;" perhaps that of the cross," and perfection, the philosophy of works."*

Commenting on Heb. v. 7, he was heard, in that he feared," Ecumenius says, "this he said on account of the weakness of his hearers." And again, speaking of God having "raised up Christ," [Rom. viii. 11, 1 Cor. xv. 15,] he says, "the divine Paul often speaks in a low style; saying, That the Father raised up Christ."‡

Theophylact, commenting on Heb. i., says, Why did he not say that Christ spake to us? It was both because they were weak, and not yet able to hear concerning Christ, and to shew, that the Old and the New Testament have the same author." §

I shall now proceed to shew, that, in the opinion of the same fathers, the apostles thought it necessary to observe the same caution in teaching the doctrine of the divinity of Christ to the Gentiles, that had been requisite with respect to the Jews.

CHAPTER VI.

Of the Caution observed by the Apostles in teaching the Doctrines of the Pre-existence and Divinity of Christ to the Gentile Converts.

THE apostles found the Jews fully persuaded concerning the doctrine of the Divine Unity, and on that account they are represented by the fathers as cautious how they taught the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, lest their hearers should have been staggered at it, as if they had preached two Gods. The Gentiles were in a quite different situation, believing in

* Ανω είπων αρχήν τους περι ανθρωποτηίος τα κυριο λογους, τελειοτητα δε τους περι θεσ τηλος, ίνα μη αδημονωσιν ὗτοι, ὡς μη αξιωμενοι των τελειότερων λόγων, λεγειν τας τέλειες πειραίαι· λέγει δε, ουχ ώς ανω τελειες εκαλεσε, (ου γαρ ισχυον ακουσαι,) αλλ' ἑτέρως μεθο δεύει τον λόγον, αρχήν μεν το βαπτισμα καλων, και την εν αυτῷ των χειρων επίθεσιν και σφραγίδα, τελειοτητα δε, την δι' εργων φιλοσοφίαν. Photius in Ccumen, in Heb., II. p. 354. (P.)

* Και εισακεσθεις. Τοσείον, φησιν, εσηκέσθη, ότι και ανεστη τελο δε ειπε δια την ασθένειαν των ακρονίων, επω μεγάλας εχονίων περι Χριστε δόξας. Των δε ταπεινων τελων ῥημαίων δυο αιτιαι, ήτε σαρξ, και ἡ ασθενια των ακενίων. 1n Heb., II. p. 349. (Ρ.)

* Πολλαχε γαρ ταπεινότερα ὁ θειος Παυλο φθεγόμενος, τον πατέρα φησιν αναστησαι τον Χριστον. Ibid. p. 310. (Ρ.)

§ Δια τι δε ουκ ειπεν, ελάλησεν ἡμιν ὁ Χριστος; Αμα μεν, δια το ασθενεις είναι αυτές, και μήπω δυνασθαι ακεσαι περί το Χριστε άμα δε και δεικνύων, ὅτι ἡ παλαία και ἡ καινη, ένος εστι και το αυτό. II. p. 876. (P.)