hypothefis which they did adopt. It is moft probable that the state of opinions in their own time made it abfolutely neceffary for them to have recourfe to this hypothefis, lame and wretched as it is.

The primitive Fathers were not prevented by the fuppofition above-mentioned, from attempting to prove the pre-existence and divinity of Chrift from thofe books of the New Teftament which were published before the gofpel of John; but neither were they prevented from attempting to prove the fame doctrines, as we have feen, from the books of the Old Teftament, though they acknowledged that the body of the Jewish nation never learned them from those books. In like manner though they fuppofed that the apoftles left fufficient traces of these fublime doctrines in their writings, they thought that the common chriftians, for whose use they were written, did not perceive them, or make the proper inferences from them. That they fhould not have done this will not be thought extraordinary, if we confider the extreme caution with which, according to the account of

thefe

these Fathers themselves, those doctrines were taught in these books.

Such a revolution has time made in our apprehensions of things, that the doctrines of the pre-existence and divinity of Christ are now taught to children, as some of the first elements of christianity; but formerly the case was very different. They were considered as most sublime and difficult doctrines, and therefore, not to be taught till after every thing else relating to the gospel had been admitted and well understood. That these doctrines were actually considered in this light, appears from a great number of passages in the writings of the Fathers, many of which I Mall introduce in other parts of this work, and especially some very striking ones from Origen. But not to advance a thing of this consequence without some evidence, in a place where it will be particularly wanted, I shall produce a few passages of this kind here.

Eusebius, after demonstrating the divine mission of Christ as a prophet, introduces his discourse concerning his pre-existence and

E 4

divinity

divinity as a doctrine*."

myfterious and recondite

Auftin compares the doctrine of the humanity of Chrift to milk, and the doctrine of the divinity to ftrong meat, fit for men †. "The doctrine of the incarnation," Chryfoftom fays, was very difficult to be re"was "ceived ;" and then defcribing the great condefcenfion of the maker of all things in fubmitting to be carried nine months in the womb of a woman, he fays, that on this account the prophets announced it very obfcurely. Again, obferving that it was neceffary to preach the humanity before the divinity of Chrift, he says, "this was the order refpecting his deity

* Καιρος ηδη και απορρητότερων εφαψασθαι λόγων, των περί της και αύλον μυσικώτερας θεολογίας, Demonftratio, lib. 4. cap. 1. p.

144.

+ Ut nutritus atque roboratus perveniat ad manducandum cibum, quod eft in principio erat verbum, et verbum erat apud deum, et deus erat verbum. Lac noftrum, Chriftus humilis eft: cibus nofter, idem ipfe Chriftus æqualis patri. In 1 John. Opera, vol. 9. p. 594.

† Πολυ δυσπαραδεκλος ην ο της (αρκώσεως λόγος. Opera, vol. 5. p. 131, 132.

Serm. 8.

"and

“and incarnation, though it is introduced by John in a different manner from the "reft, but in perfect agreement with them. "But how? I fay, that the doctrine not "being taught at first, it was proper to "dwell upon the incarnation, and to exer"cife them in the doctrine of the flesh ; "teaching them, from things grofs and "fenfible; but when the doctrine was fixed, and the preaching received, it was "then proper to afcend higher *."

Cyril of Alexandria, explaining a paffage in Isaiah, fays, "here he mixes a great and profound mystery, which required a myf"tical initiation; for fo it was revealed to "the divine Peter t."

* Ούτω δη και η ταξις αύτη η περι της θεοληλος καὶ περι της οικονο μιας, ει και απεναντίας τοις άλλοις γεγονε παρα Ιωάννε, αλλ' όμως σφο δρα συμφωνως αυτοις . και πως; εγω λεγω• ότι παρα μεν την αρχήν εδέπω το λόγο σπαρενος, ακολυθον ην τω της οικονομίας ενδιατρίβειν λόγω, καὶ περι της σαρκος γυμνάζειν διδασκαλίαν απο των παχύτερων κι αισθητων προοιμιαζομενες . επειδη δε επαγη τα της γνωσεως, καὶ εδεξανίο το κήρυγμα, λοιπον ευκαιρον ην ανωθεν άρχεσθαι. In Pf. 44. Opera, vol. 3. p. 223.

+ Immifcet autem hic myfterium profundum et magnum, et quod fuperna quadam myftagogia opus habet. Revelatum eft enim fic divino Petro. In If. cap. 49.

Opera, vol. 1. p. 472.

Agobard confidered what John taught concerning the divinity of Chrift as being fo difficult to be understood, that, in order to it, the fame inspiration was neceffary that he himself had*.

Perfection," fays Ecumenious," is the "doctrine concerning the divinity of Chrift, as far as the human understanding can comprehend it." Again, he fays, " by firft elements the apoftle means the incar"nation. For, as with refpect to letters, "fo in the divine oracles, what relates to "the incarnation must be learned in the "first place; for these were capable of being received by unbelievers and chil"dren; but to philofophize concerning the divinity of Chrift, is left to grown Do you fee why he refts fo long in thefe low things? It is on

"men.

1

H