Chryfoftom introduces Matthew also reafoning on the subject of his saying fo little, or rather nothing, of the divinity of Chrift; and indeed, according to his account, it was a very dangerous and hazardous topic.

Now," fays he, "let us awake, and arise, "Behold the gates are open to us, but let us "enter with great regularity, and with "trembling; firft paffing the outer court. "What is the outer court? The book of "the generation of Jefus Chrift, the fon of David, the fon of Abraham. What is "that you fay?" (fays the hearer) "You promised to difcourfe concerning the only begotten Son of God, and now you "talk of David, a man who lived a thou"fand generations ago, and say, that he was "his father and ancestor? Hold" (fays the evangelift) and do not expect to learn every thing immediately; but flowly, and by degrees: For you are yet in the outer "court, and only near the gate; and why 66 are you in hafte to get into the innermost χειρί, μεταρσιος γινεται, καὶ τω σωματι εν Εφεσω ων, τη καθαρα καρδια το πνευματι μελεωρος υπήρχε, κι εκ τε παΐρικε κόλπε την θεολογιαν αλίευσας, τω σωματι κατω εγραφεν, εναρχή ην ο λόγΘ. De Johanne, Opera, vol. 6. p. 606, &c.

3

"" recefs?

Book III. "recefs? You have not yet well examin"ed all that is without: For I do not as

yet relate to you the generation itself; "nor indeed fhall I do it after this; for it "is inexplicable and ineffable." Then reciting the dread that the prophet Isaiah had of the fubject, which led him to exclaim, Who fhall declare his generation, he says, " it

is not my business to treat of this genera"tion, but of the earthly one, of which "there were ten thousand witneffes; and "concerning this I fhall fo difcourfe as the

gifts of the fpirit shall enable me: for I "cannot even declare this with perfect clear"nefs: for even this is very fearful. Do not, "therefore, think that you hear a small thing, "when you hear even this generation; but " raise your whole foul, and be full of hor

ror when you hear that God is come "upon earth;" and then he proceeds to defcribe at large all the awfulness of the incarnation, and the miraculous conception *.

* Διανατωμεν τοινυν καὶ μη καθευδωμεν, ιδε γαρ ορω τας πύλας ημιν ανοιγόμενας εισιωμεν μέλα ευλαξίας απασης και τρομε, των προθύρων αυτων ευθεως επιβαίνονίες. τινα δε εσι ταύτα τα πρόθυρα; βιβλος γενέσεως Ιησε Χρισε υιε Δαβιδ δια Αβρααμ, τι λέγεις ; περι

But this was far fhort of the eternal generation from the Father.

"Do not think," fays this writer," that you understand every thing, when you are "informed that he was conceived by the

Spirit; for there are many things of "which we are yet ignorant, and which we "have to learn; as how he who is infinite "can be comprehended in a woman; how "he who fuftains all things can be carried

αυτά

το μονογενές υιε τε θεα διαλέξασθαι επηγείλω, και το Δαβίδ μνημο νεύεις, άνθρωπε μετα μυρίας γενεας γενομενα : καὶ αυτον είναι φής, και πατερα και προγονον: επισχες, και μη παλια αθρόως ζήλει μαθειν, αλλ' ηρεμα και καλα μικρον. εν γαρ τοις προθύροις έτηκας εισ παρ τα προπυλαια . τι τοινυν σπευδεις προς τα αδύλα, επω τα εξω καλως καλώπλευσας απαλα . εδε γαρ εκείνην σοι τεως διηγέμαι την γεννησιν· μαλλον δε εδε την μελα ταυλα . ανεκφρασος γαρ και απορρητος. Την γενεαν αυλα τις διηγησεται ; & τοινυν περι εκείνης ημιν ο λόγος νυν, αλλά περι ταύλης της καλω, της εν τη γη γενομενης, της μετα μυρίων μαρτύρων, και περι ταύλης δε, ως ημιν δυνατον είπειν δεξαμένοις την τι πνευματος χαριν, ενω διηγησομεθα. εδε γαρ ταυτην μελα σαφηνιας πάσης παρα τησαι ενι· επει και αύτη φρικωδεςαίη. μη τοινυν μικρά νομίσης ακγειν, ταύτην ακρών την γέννησιν αλλ' ανατήσον σε την διάνοιαν και ευθέως Φρίξον, ακέσας ότι θεος επι γης ήλθεν, ενω γαρ τέλο θαυματον καὶ παρα δόξαν ην, ως και τες αγγελος χορον υπερ τελων τησανίας την υπερ της οικόμενης επι τείοις αναφέρειν ευφημιαν. In Matt. 1. Opera, vol. 7: p. 12.

"about

"about by her; how a virgin can bring

forth, and remain a virgin *.”

On this subject, which affords so much fcope for eloquence, Epiphanius writes as follows: "Wherefore the bleffed John "coming, and finding men employed about "the humanity of Chrift, and the Ebio"nites being in an error about the earthly "genealogy of Chrift, deduced from Abra

ham, carried by Luke as high as Adam, "and finding the Cerinthians and Merin"thians maintaining that he was a mere "man, born by natural generation of both "the fexes, and alfo the Nazarenes, and 66 many other herefies; as coming laft (for "he was the fourth to write a gospel) be"gan as it were to call back the wanderers, "and those who were employed about the "the humanity of Chrift; and seeing fome "of them going into rough paths, leaving "the strait and true path, cries, Whither "are you going, whither are you walking,

Μη δενομισης το παν μεμαθηκεναι, εκ πνεύματα καν και γαρ πολλά αγνοιμεν εξί. Και το το μανθάνοντες, οιον πως ο απειρα εν μητρα εσιν; πως ο πατα συνέχων κοφορείται υπο γυναικος, πως τίκτει η παρθενων και μένει παρθενα. In Matt. i. Opera, vol. 7. p. 31.

"who

"who tread a rough and dangerous path,

• leading to a precipice? It is not fo. The God, the logos, which was begotten by "the Father from all eternity, is not from Mary only. He is not from the time of

Jofeph, he is not from the time of Sala"thiel, and Zorobabel, and David, and Abra

σε

ham, and Jacob, and Noah, and Adam but in the beginning was the logos, and the logos was with God, and the logos was God. "The was, and the was, and the was, do "not admit of his having ever not been *."

• Διο και Ιωάννης ελθων ο μακαρίαν, και εύρων της ανθρωπος "σχολημένες περι την κατω χριςο παρισιαν, και των Εβιωναίων πλανηθέντων δια την ενσαρκον χριςο γενεαλογίαν, απο Αβρααμ καταγομένην, καὶ Λεκα αναγομενην αχρι το Αδάμ, ευρών δε Κηρίνθιανός, και Μερίνθιανός, εκ παραλριβής αυτον λεγονίας είναι ψιλον ανθρωπον, και τις Ναζωραίες, και άλλας πολλας αιρεσείς, ως κατοπιν ελθων, τελαρα γαρ έλος ευαγγελιζεται αρχεται ανακαλείθαι, ως ειπείν,τις πλανηθείας, και ασχολη με τις περί την καλω χριςο παρεσίαν, και λέγειν αυτοις (ως κατοπιν βαινών, και ορών τινας εις τραχειας οδες κεκλικίας και αφέντας την ευθειαν και αληθινην, ως ειπείν) τοι φερεπε, ποι βαδίζετε, οι την τραχειαν οδον και σκανδαλώδη και εις χάσμα φέρεσαν βαδίζοντες, ανακαμψατε. Ουκ εσιν έτως, και εσιν απο Μαρίας μόνον ο θεος λογα, ο εκ πατρα ανωθεν γε γεννημεν, εκ εςιν απο των χρωνων Ιωσηφ το ταυτής ορμάς, εκ έςιν απο των χρωνων Σαλαθιήλ, και Ζοροβάβηλ, και Δαβίδ, και Αβρααμ, και Ιακωβ, και Νωε, και Αδαμ, αλλ' εν αρχή το

Ο λόγος