tecost;

Father * But, in general, it was their opinion, that even Peter, as well as the other apostles, was ignorant of this great truth, till the descent of the Spirit at Pen

and they thought that this was one of the great truths alluded to, when our Lord said, that he had many things to teach his disciples, of which he could not inform them before his death.

Cyril of Alexandria, descanting on this “ text, says, they who were not renewed by “ the new rule of living, and the new doc“ trine of the Spirit, to them the recent “ preaching of the gospel, and the sublime

mystery of the trinity, was not to be deli, “ vered. Justly, therefore, was the interpre“ tation of higher things reserved to the fu. “ ture renovation of the Spirit. That before “ the resurrection of the Saviour, and the

coming of the Spirit, the disciples were as Jews, is easy to provet.” Austin, however,

* Έμαθου οτι υιος τα θεε εσι, και υιον εχει ο θεG- ομοτιμον. In Acta, vol. 8. p. 459.

+ Qui enim nondum nova vivendi norma, novaque doctrina per fpiritum reformati funt, iis prædicatio evangelii recens, et mysterium trinitatis fublime tradendum non eft. Jure igitur renovationi per fpiritum futuræ, altiorum

2

rerum

fays, that "the doctrine of the divinity of "Chrift could not be one of the things "that Chrift would not reveal, because

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they were not able to bear it, though "fome had faid fo*." And yet this writer himself, as we fhall fee, acknowledges that the divinity of Chrift was not taught with clearness, till it was done by the apostle John. Origen fuppofed that the things which our Saviour referred to were what related to the abolishing of the Jewish law. But he thought that John was the person who firft taught the doctrine of Chrift's pre-existence and divinity.

1

Before I proceed to confider what the Fathers thought of the apoftles' fentiments and conduct on the day of Pentecost, I shall take notice of another reafon which they give for the care that was taken to conceal the knowledge of our Lord's divinity, which was to deceive the devil, left he, knowing him to be the Meffiah, should not have ventured to encounter him, and fo, not being conquered by him, and especially by means of his death, the great object of his miffion would not have been gained.

This thought firft occurs afcribed to Ignatius, who fays,

in epistles

"the vir

ginity of Mary, her delivery, and his "death, were concealed from the prince of

concealed from many, fays, "Why do I fay many? Mary herself, when the carried him "in her womb, did not know the fecret. And

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why do I fay men? The devil himself did "not know it, for if he had known it, he "would not afterwards have asked him upon « the mount, faying, If thou art the Son of "God; and he did this once, twice, and three • times. On this account he faid to John, "who was beginning to reveal him, hold now; σε that is, be filent now. It is not yet time " to reveal the fecret of the incarnation ; Ι "muft yet deceive the devil; keep filence now, for thus it becomes us *.' Again, he fays, "the devil was at a lofs to know "whether Chrift was God or not. †."

* Και τι λέγω της πολλές, οπ8 γε εδε αυτη η κυοφορεσα παρθενος ηδει το απορρητον. Και τι λεγω ανθρωπος, και αυτον τον διαβολόν ελανθανεν . εδε γαρ αν, ειπερ ηδεί, ηρωία αυλον μελα τοσ&λον Χρονον επι τε ορες, ει υιος ει τα θες, και απαξ, καὶ δις και τρίτον τελο εποιει . διο και τω Ιωαννη έλεγεν αρξαμένω αυλον εκκαλυπτειν : αφες απλά τέλεσι, σιγα νυν, δεπω τω καιρος τε γαρ εκαλυφθεναι το απορρήλον της οικονομιας . ελλαν θανειν τον διάβολον βέλομαι . σιγα τοινυν φησι. έτω γαρ πρέπον εσιν ημιν. In Ρr. 49. Opera, vol. 3. p. 289.

οι,

+ Εν αμηχανια λοιπον ην, κι ετε οτι ανθρωπος ην ψιλος πιςεύσαι ηδυναίο, δια τα περι αυτά λεχθενία • εδε αυ πάλιν παραδέξασθαι, όλ πιος ην τε θεου, δια το βλεπειν αυτον πεινωνία. In Matt. Opera,

vol. 7. p. 119.

VOL. III.

G

There

There is fomething pleasant in the manner in which the Fathers fometimes speak of the devil being deceived by the humanity of Chrift. Cyril of Jerufalem fays, "it was neceffary that Chrift fhould fuffer for

66

66 us, but the devil would not have come near him, if he had known this; for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Cor. ii. 8. The

66

body, therefore, was the bait of death, "that the dragon, thinking to swallow it

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down, might vomit up all that he had "fwallowed *."

Ruffinus alfo reprefents the divinity of Chrift as concealed within his humanity, to catch the devil as with a bait; and to prove this, he adduces many paffages of the Old Teftament, especially that of Ezek. I will draw thee out with my book, &ct.

* Εδει παθειν υπερ ημων τον κύριον, αλλ' εκ αν είόλμησε προσελ δειν ο διάβολος, ει ηδει τελον . ει γαρ εγνωσαν, εκ αν τον κυριον της δόξης εταυρωσαν. δέλεαρ τοινυν τε θανατε γεγονε το σώμα, ινα ελπίσας καταπιειν ο δρακων, εξέμεση και τις ηδη καλαποθενίας. If. 25. 8. Cat. 12. Opera, p. 155.

+ Ita et is qui habet mortis imperium rapuit quidem in morte corpus Jefu, non fentiens in eo hamum divinitatis. inclufum; fed ubi devoravit, hæfit ipfe continuo, et dirup

tis