CHAPTER VI. Of the Caution observed by the Apostles in

teaching the Doctrines of the Pre-existence and Divinity of Christ to the Gentile Con

verts. THE

HE apostles found the Jews fully per

suaded 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, left 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 a multiplicity of Gods ; on which account it might be thought to require less caution to teach this favourite doctrine to them. But then, for the same reason for which it was thought improper for Moses and the prophets to teach it to the Jews, in the former periods of their history, when they were in danger of falling into idolatry, it was equally improper to insist upon it with the Gentiles, left they Tould have been encouraged to persevere VOL. III.

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in the same system. Also, after they were brought to the worship of one God, they would have been no less averse to such a doctrine as the trinity than the Jews. On this account it was not less hazardous, according to Chryfoftom, to teach the doctrine of the divinity of Christ to the Gentiles than it had been to the Jews.

In the paffage, part of which I have quoted above, after observing, that if the apostles had not conducted themselves in this cautious manner with respect to the Jews, their whole doctrine would have appeared incredible to them, he adds, " and at Athens Paul calls “him” (Jesus) “ fimply a man, and nothing “ farther, and for a good reason. For if “ they often attempted to stone Christ him“ self, when he spake of his equality with “ the Father, and called him on that account “ a blasphemer, they would hardly have re“ ceived this doctrine from fishermen, espe

cially after speaking of him as crucified. “ And why do I speak of the Jews ? when “ at that time even the disciples of Christ « himself were often disturbed and scanda“ lized at him, when they heard sublime

« doctrines

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"doctrines; on which account he faid, I « have many things to fay to you, but ye are "not yet able to bear them. And if they "could not bear these things, who had liv"ed fo long with him, and had received fo many mysteries, and feen fo many mira"cles, how could men, who were then first "taken from their altars, idols, and facri"fices, and cats, and crocodiles (for fuch "was the worship of the heathens) and being then first brought off from these " abominations, readily receive fublime doc"trines *?”

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Theodoret, commenting on i Cor. viii. 6. To us there is one God the Father, and one

* Εν δε Αθήναις και ανθρωπον αυλον απλώς καλει ο Παυλος, εδε πλεον ειπων. εικόίως, ει rap αυλον τον χρισον διαλεγόμενον περί της εις τον πατερα ισολή, λίθασαιπολλακις επιχειρησαν, καὶ βλασφημον δια τέλο εκπλών, σχολη γαρ παρα των αλιεων τελον τον λόγον εδεξαντο, και ταλο τον ταυρον προχωρησαύλος. Και τι δει λεγειν τας Ιεδαίας * οπι γε και αυτοί τότε πολλακις οι μαθηται των υψιλότερων ακτονίες εθορυβονλο και εσκανδα λιζονίο. δια τελο και ελεγε πολλα εχω λεγειν υμιν αλλ' ε δύνασθε βασάζειν αρι. ει δε εκείνοι εκ εδύναντο οι συγγενομενοι χρονον τοσεῖον, καὶ τοσείων κοινονησανίες απορρήτων, καὶ τοσαυτα θεασαμένοι θαυμαία, πως άνθρωποι απο βώμων, και ειδώλων, καὶ θυσίων, καὶ αιλερων, καὶ κροκοδείλων, τοιαύτα γαρ ην των ελλήνων σεβασμαία; και των αλλων των κακών τότε πρωτον αποσπασθείες, άθρουν τις υψηλές των δογμαίων εδέξαντο λογος. In Acta, Hom, I. Opera, vol. 8. p. 447.

Lord Jefus Chrift, fays,

"Here he calls the

"one God, and the other Lord, left he "should give those who were just freed "from heathenifm, and had learned the "truth, a pretence for returning to their heathenifm and idolatry *."

Ecumenius, on the fame place, fays, "The apostle speaks cautiously concerning "the Father and the Son, calling the Father "the one God, left they should think there "were two Gods; and the Son the one

Lord, left they should think there were "two Lords. For if he had faid God and

God, the Greeks, from their ignorance, "would have thought it had been poly"theism; or if he had faid Lord and Lord, "they would have thought there were many "Lords. This is the reason why he now

fays, that the Father was God, and the "Son Lord. For he had premised that with "us there was but one God. Had he called: "both the Father and the Son God, and

* Ένταυθα μενοι τον μεν Θεού προσηγόρευσε, τον δε κυριόν να μη τοις εύαρχος της Ελληνικής πλάνης απαλλαγεισι, και την αλήθειαν μελα μαθέσι, παρασχή προφασιν εις την πολυθεόν εξαπατην παλινδρομησαι. In Loc. Opera, vol. 3. p. 158.

"Lord

"Lord, he would have been found acting.

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contrary to his own affirmation to the "Greeks, and would have appeared to have « introduced many Gods, and many Lords. "Therefore he calls the Father God, and "the Son Lord; condefcending to the state "of novices in the Greeks*." Again, fpeaking of God having raised Chrift from the dead, he fays, " the apoftle herein con"defcends to them as children, not that « Chrift was not able to raife himfelf+;" Theodoret alfo, in his expofition of 1 Cor. 15. in which the apoftle fays, that the Son Subject to the Father, says, “ the divine apostle, fearing the evil that might arise

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was