Theodoret fays, that Chrift concealed his divinity in his temptation by the devil; and fays, that when the devil heard him speak as a man, he was encouraged to proceed with the temptation. He reprefents him as faying, “I heard the voice that came down "from heaven, calling you the Son of God, "but I shall not believe it till it appear by "facts."

Job the monk alfo fays, "it was necef

sary that the mystery of the incarnation of "the logos fhould be concealed, both to "make it more acceptable to the hearers, "and alfo to deceive the devil †."

66

Bafil of Seleucia says, that, though the "demons called Chrift the Son of God, they did not know that he was God, be

tis inferni clauftris, velut de profundo extractus, trahitur ut efca cæteris fiat. In Symb. Opera, p. 179.

8κ απηγόρευσε την νίκην ακεσάς ως

* Κρυπίει μεν την θεοτήτα ανθρωπG ειη. Της μεν γαρ ανωθεν εκθεσης φωνής ηκέσα, φησι, τελο σε καλέσεσης, απιτω δε, εως αν λάβω την πειραν διδασκαλον. Opera, vol. 5. p. 46.

† Αναγκαιον δε ην το επισκιαζεσθαι το μυτήριον της τε λογο σαρ κωσεως δια δε το γενεσθαι τοις ακροωμένοις ευπαραδεκτον, και ενα τε σκοτες του αρχοντα na Photii. Bib. S. 222. p. 622.

"cause all very good men are called fons of

God, and Ifrael is called his first born *." It was objected, that it was wrong in God to conquer the devil by deceiving him, the divinity of Chrift being concealed under his human nature; but Gregory Nyffen replies, that it was fair enough to deceive the de"ceiver t."

If it was imagined to be neceffary that the devil, whofe cunning and penetration was never thought very lightly of, fhould remain ignorant of our Lord's divinity, he muft, no doubt, have concealed it with the greatest care, and have conducted himself in the moft cautious manner. If the devil was not able to difcover any thing of the matter, how could men find it out, and especially Jews, whofe moft fanguine expectations from the Meffiah went no farther than to a man, born like other men? Certainly they

Γιον μεν θεός καλεσι, θεον δε τέως τον υιον εκ επίςανται. υιοι γαρ θες κεκληνται, και οι διαρετης ακρότητα την προς Θεον έχοντες οικειότης τα. τω το πρωτοτοκος υιος με Ισραήλ. Οr. 23. p. 128.

† Η μεν γαρ και αξίαν αντίδοσις, δι ης ο απαλεων αναπαλάλαι τα δίκαιον δεικνυσιν. Or. 2. Opera, vol. 2. p. 515.

who

who thought that the devil continued ignorant of the pre-existence and divinity of Chrift till after his death, must have thought that all the Jews, and our Lord's difciples, were ignorant of those doctrines. If, as Chryfoftom fays, it was particularly neceffary to conceal this great fecret from our Lord's difciples, left they should have published it through joy, and alfo from his enemies, and the devil, left they fhould have counteracted the defign of his coming, we may take it for granted, that, in the opinion of the writers who have given us thefe reprefentations, it was no more fufpected at the time of Chrift's death, that he had even preexisted, or that he had had any thing to do in the making or governing the world, than that he was to be fo great a perfonage before he was born.

Let us now fee in what manner the apoftles were supposed to have conducted themselves in this respect after our Lord's afcenfion, and after the descent of the Spirit on the day of Pentecoft,

CHAPTER IV.

Of the Teflimony of Athanafius to the Caution with which the Apofles divulged the Doctrines of the Pre-existence and Divinity of Chrift.

A

S the Teftimony of Athanafius, on account of his known orthodoxy, and of course his unwillingness to make any needlefs conceffions to his adverfaries, may be thought to have more weight than any other, I fhall, in the first place, produce it; and as exceptions have been made to it, I fhall fhew that, independent of any concurrent teftimony of others of the Fathers, who have mentioned the subject, and which I fhall produce hereafter, it clearly proves that, in his idea, the apoftles thought it neceffary to use great caution in divulging to the Jews fo offenfive a doctrine as that of the divinity of Chrift; though, in conse quence of their caution on this head, the Jewish chriftians did in their age continue unitarians,

unitarians, believing Chrift to be nothing more than a mere man, and alfo propagated the fame doctrine among the Gentile converts. The paffage itfelf is as follows:

Will they affirm," fays he, "that the apoftles held the doctrine of Arius, becaufe

they fay that Chrift was a man of Nazareth, "and fuffered on the crofs? or because they "ufed these words, were the apostles of "opinion that Chrift was only a man, and

nothing else? By no means: this is "not to be imagined. But this they did "as wife mafter-builders, and stewards of "the mysteries of God; and they had this good reafon for it. For the Jews of that age, being deceived themfelves, and hav"ing deceived the Gentiles, thought that

Chrift was a mere man, only that he came "of the feed of David, refembling other "defcendants of David, and did not be"lieve either that he was God, or that the "word was made flesh. On this account "the bleffed apoftles, with great prudence, "in the first place, taught what related to "the humanity of our Saviour to the Jews, that having fully perfuaded them, from his "miraculous

G 4