"terwards held a different language in the epiftle to the Coloffians; and fays, that "God in Chrift created all things that are in 66 heaven and in earth. And John, the fon " of Thunder, cried, faying, All things were "made by him, and without him was not

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any thing made that was made. But not fo • Mofes; and jufly, becaufe it would not at have been proper to give thofe meat who "had need to be fed with milk *

"As Mofes," fays Cyril of Alexandria, "was flow of fpeech, fo the law of Mofes "was flow to explain the reafon of it, and

" to open the theology of the holy trinity-."

* Και μη ξυνίσθης αγαπητε, ει Μωυσης ταυλην εβρεχε την οδον, εν αρχή και προοιμίοις τοις παχύτεροις Ιεδαίοις διαλεγομεν, οπέ γε και ο Παυλο, εν τη χαρίκι, ηνικα τοσαυτη η επίδοσις γεγονε τα κηρυγμαίΘ, μελλων τοις εν Αθήναις διαλεγεσθαι, απο των ορωμένων ποιείται προς αυτες την διδασκαλίαν, ενω λεγων· ο Θεός ο ποίησας τον κόσμον και πανία τα εν αυλω. Ηγικα προς Κολοσσαις επέτελλε, μηκελ ταύτην ερχομενε την όδον, αλλ' έξερως αυτοις διαλεγόμενου καὶ λεγον, ότι εν αυτώ εκλισθη τα παλα τα εν τοις έρανοις, και τα επι της γης, τα οραία και τα ακραία, είτε θρόνοι, είτε κυριότητες, είτε αρχαι, είτε εξεσίαι, τα πανία δι αυτόν και εις αυτόν εκ Πισθη· καὶ Ιωαννης δε ο της βρούλης υιος, εβοα λεγων· πανία δι αυλου εγενετο, και χωρις αυτο εγενετο ουδε εν. αλλ' εχ ο Μωυσης έτως εικότως. δε γαρ την ευλογον τοις ἔτι γαλακτοτροφεῖσθαι δεομένοις τερεας μετάδέναι τροφής. In Gal. 1. Opera, vol. 2. p. 13.

+ Sicut Mofes erat tardioris linguæ, ita etiam lex Mofaica eft tardioris linguæ ad explicandam ejus quod eft rationem, et aperiendam fandiæ trinitatis theologiam. Colfeclania. Opera, vol. 1. p. 1036. € 2

Obferve,"

Obferve," fays Job the monk, "the wifdom of divine providence, that to the an"cients the Father appeared fuperior; in the "new, the Son appeared in fome places to be "inferior to the Father, but in many equal "to him; the holy fpirit in many inferior, but in fome equal; that what is unequal in human apprehenfion, might be

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brought to a perfect equality*." According to this writer therefore, the doctrine of the divinity of the spirit was not fully revealed even in the time of the apoftles, but was reserved for a later period.However, Epiphanius thought that the divinity of Chrift was taught by the prophets, though not that of the Spirit. "God," fays he, "was chiefly preached by Mofes, a duality by the prophets, and a

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"One

trinity by the evangelifts; this being "fuited to a more advanced ftate of know

"ledge." He fays the fame thing in his Ancoratus, Sect. 73. Opera, vol. 2. p. 78.

The reason that is generally given by the Fathers why the Jews were not inftructed in the doctrine of the trinity is, left it should afford them a pretence for relapfing into polytheifm; and certainly there was great danger of its operating in that man

ner.

"The multitude of the Jews," fays Eufebius, "were in ignorance of this hid"den mystery, when they were taught to believe in one God only, on account of " their being frequently drawn into idolatry; they did not know that he was the • Father of the only begotten Son. This myftery was referved for the Gentile " church, out of fpecial favour to them .”

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* Θεότης δε μια εν Μωυση μαλιςα καταγέλλεται, δυας δε εν Προφήταις σφόδρα κηρύσσεται. Τριας δε εν ευαεγίελίοις φανέρεται, πλειον κατα καιρες και γενεας αρμόζεσα τω δικαίω, εις γνωσιν και πισιν. H. 74. Opera, vol. 1. p. 899.

+ Το δε πλήθος τε Ιεδαίων έθνους εν αγνοία ετυίχανε το κεκρυμμένου τετε μυτηριου, οθεν θεον μεν εδίδασκετο ενα ειδέναι, δια το τη πολυθεω πλανη συνεχώς υποσυρεσθαι . πατέρα δε οντα τον θεον υιον τ8 μονογε νους ηγνοει· τετο γαρ εφυλατίετο τη εξ εθνών εκκλησια το μυσήριον, καλα την αξαίρετον χαριν αυτή δεδωρημένον. Contra Marcel.

lib. 1. cap. 20. p. 99.

C 3

Gregory

Gregory Nazianzen, therefore, reprefenting the propriety of judaifin being abolished by degrees, fays, "the Father was preached " in the Old Teftament, and the Son obfcurely ; in the New, the Son clearly, and " the fpirit obfcurely, he revealing himfelf "more clearly to us. For it was not fafe "to preach the divinity of the Son clearly, "while that of the Father was not under"ftood, nor that of the Spirit, while that " of the Son was not received, left too great "a burden fhould be laid upon us, or left "we fhould be dazzled with too much

light, &c." And Chryfoftom farther obferves, that “ the precept, Hear, Ο Ifrael, "the Lord thy God is one Lord, was not given till after the fin of the golden calft;"

*

Εχει γαρ έτως, εκηρυσσε φανερώς η παλαια τον πατέρα, τον υιον αμυδρότερον. εφανέρωσεν η καινη τον υιον, υπέδειξε τα πνεύματος την θεότητα, εμπολιτευείαι νυν το πνεύμα, Καφετεραν ημιν παρέχον στην εαυτ8 δήλωσιν . ε γαρ ην ασφαλές, μήπω της π πατρος θεότητος ομολογηθείσης, τον υιον εκδηλως κηρυτίεσθαι· μηδε της τ8 υιου παρα δεχθείσης, το πνευμα το αγιον, ιν ειπω τι και τολμηροτεριν επιφορτιζεσκαι μη καθαπερ τροφη τη υπερ δυναμιν βαρηθενίες, και ηλιακα φωλι σαθροἹερουν έτι προσβαλογίες τη όξιν, και εις το καλα δυναμιν κινδυνεύσωσι, Or. 37. Opera, p. 608, 609.

† Ολε γουν εποιησαν τον μόσχον, και το γλυπίον προσεκύνησαν, ποτε ηκουσαν ο κυριος ο Θεος σε κυριος εις εσιν Ser. 24. Opera, vol. 5. p. 350.

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as if it had not been the intention of providence to give them any fuch precept, if they had not previously shewn a disposition to abuse more perfect inftruction.

the

Job the monk, of whofe writings we have a particular account in Photius, comparing great revolutions in the ftate of religion to earthquakes, fays, "As the firft earthquake had cured the world of idolatry, by contrary remedies, but concealed the "difference of hypostases; so in the last times, the Jewish opinion of one person

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having gained ftrength in time, and by "the law, and having deftroyed idolatry; "the Son then, in a manner worthy of "God, and friendly to man, took flesh, and "revealed the mystery of the trinity by degrees." He likewife fays, "the Saviour

very wifely fpake lowly of himself, and "withheld the beams of his divinity, and

prepared to let it fhine forth in works *.'

* Και καθαπερ ο πρώτος σεισμός δια των εναντιων ίασαλο το πολυθεον επίκυψάμενος των υποτασεων το διάφορον. τω και εν εσχαλοις καιροις, της Ιεδαϊκής δόξης εις εν προσωπου νομω και χρονος κραύνθεσης, και περιέλασης το πολυθεον, ο υιος τηνικαύτα θεοπρεπως τε καὶ φιλανθρώπως και σαρκα λαμ φανεί, και το της τριάδος καλα μικρον ανακαλύπτει μυσηριο.

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