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The fathers say, that whenever our Saviour said any thing that might lead his disciples to think that he was of a nature superior to that of man, they were offended, and that he conciliated their esteem whenever he represented himself as a mere man, such as they expected a prophet, and the Messiah to be. Chrysostom represents John the Baptist likewise as gaining proselytes to Christ, when he spake of him in low terms, but as deterring them when he seemed to speak of him in a higher capacity.

"Observe," says he, "how, when he said, ' He that cometh after me was before me, and I am not worthy to loose his shoe-latchet; he took nobody. But when he spake of his humanity, and used a lower style, then the disciples followed him. Nor is this the only case of the kind, for the multitude were never brought to him when any thing high and lofty, as of a God, was said of him, so much as when they heard something mild and humble, and more adapted to the salvation of men.'

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Accordingly Chrysostom speaks of our Lord's disciples as having regarded him as a man in their intercourse with him. "Nathaniel," he says, "confessed Christ as a man, when he addressed himself to him, by the title of Son of God,' (John i. 49,) as appears by his adding, 'Thou art the king of Israel.'" He says, that when Nathaniel was introduced to Jesus, his miraculous conception was not known. As Chrysostom has written the most largely on this subject, I shall quote from him a passage or two of some extent, that we may more clearly perceive how he, and (as he was by no means singular in his ideas) how the Christian fathers in general thought with respect to this question.

"Another reason," he says, he says, "why Christ represented himself so much as a man, was the weakness of his hearers ; and because they who first saw and heard him were not able to receive more sublime discourses. And that this is no mere conjecture, I will endeavour to shew from the Scriptures themselves. If he delivered any thing great, sublime,

Θεα δέ μοι κακεινο πως ότε μεν ελεγεν, ὁ οπίσω με ερχομενο εμπροσθεν με γεγονό και ότι ουκ ειμι ἱκανα λυσαι τον ἱμανία το υποδηματα αυτό, εδενα είλεν ότε δε περί της οικονομίας διελέχθη, και επι το ταπεινότερον τον λόγον ηγάγε, τότε ηκολέθησαν οι μαθηται· ου τελο δε μόνον εςι κατιδειν, αλλ' ότι ουχ έτως οι πολλοί προσαγονίαι όταν τι μεγα και ύψηλον περὶ Θεου λεγῆται, ὡς ὅταν χρησον και φιλανθρωπον και εις την των ακθόντων Typi nov. In Johan. i. Hom. xvii. Opera, VHI. p. 98. (P.)

↑ Ibid. p. 106. (P.) See Vol. XVIII. p. 215.

* Ει δε υιον Ιωσηφ αυτόν λέγει, μη θορυβήθης επί γαρ τοίς παις ενομίζετο είναι, Hbid. p. 103. (P.)

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and worthy of his glory; (but why do I say great, sublime, and worthy of his glory?) if he said any thing above human nature," (something is here omitted in the Greek, but supplied in the Latin version,) "they were thrown into tumult, and took offence; but if he said any thing low and becoming a man, they ran to him, and received his doctrine. And where do we see this? In John chiefly. For when he said, [viii. 56,] Abraham, our father, rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad;' they say, [ver. 57,] Thou art not yet forty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" You see how they were affected towards him as to a common man. What then did he reply? 'Before Abraham was, I am ;' and they took up stones to stone him.' He spake more distinctly, saying, [vi. 51,] The bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.-They said,' [ver. 60,] This is a hard saying, who can hear it?' And [ver. 66] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.'

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Must he always

"Tell me, then, what must he do? dwell upon these lofty topics, so as to drive away his prey, and deter all from his doctrine? But this did not become his divine philanthropy. Again, when he said, [John viii. 52,] He that heareth my words shall never taste of death,' they said, 'Do we not say well, that thou hast a demon?Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead, and thou sayest, He that heareth my words shall not taste of death.' And is it to be wondered at that the common people were thus affected towards him, when their rulers had the same opinion?" He then proceeds to instance in Nicodemus."How then must he discourse with persons who would hear nothing sublime? Is it to be wondered at that he said nothing great or sublime concerning himself, to men creeping on the ground, and so meanly affected? What he said is sufficient to shew this was the reason, and the excuse for such mean discourses.

"On the other hand, as you see men scandalized, thrown into confusion, flying back from him, railing at him, and deserting him, if he said any thing great and lofty; so will I endeavour to shew you that they ran to him, and received his doctrine, if he said any thing low and mean. For the very same persons who had fled from him, immediately ran to him, when he said, I can do nothing of myself, but as the Father has taught me, so I speak. And the evangelists, designing to shew us that they believed on account of the

the meanness of his discourse, said, When he spake these things, many believed on him. You will, on many occasions, find the same thing happening. On this account he spake in many things as a man, but sometimes not as a man, but as became a God.” . He adds more to the same purpose.

Again, he says, "If they took up stones to stone him, because he said that he was before Abraham, what would they have done if he had told them that he gave the law to Moses? Wherefore, when he said, it was said to the ancients, he did not say by whom it had been said."†

"Our Saviour," he says, " did not always teach his own divinity in express words, leaving the fuller explication of it to his disciples. If," says he," they (meaning the Jews) were so much offended at the addition of another law to their former, much more must they have been with the doctrine of his divinity." +

Εςι και έτερα μετα ταυλην αιτία, ή ασθενια των ακαονίων, και το μη δυνασθαι τοτε πρωτον αυτον ιδονίας, και τοτε πρωτον ακθονίας, της ύψηλοτερες των δογμαίων δεξασθαι λόγες· και ότι ου ςοχασμος το λεγομενον, απ' αυτων σοι παραςησαι τελο πειράσομαι των γράφων, και δείξαι· ειποτε τι μεγα και ύψηλον και της αυτο δόξης αξιον εφθεγξατο τι λεγω μεγα και ύψηλον, και της αυτε δόξης αξιον; Ει ποτε τι (ύπερ) της ανθρωπινης φύσεως είπε, πλεον εθορυβονίο και εσκανδαλιζονίο· ει δε ποτε τι ταπεινον και ανθρωπινον προσέτρεχον, και τον λόγον εδεχονίο· και πε τείς εςιν ιδειν φησι ; Παρα τῷ Ιωαννῇ μαλιςα· ειποντος γαρ αυτο· Αβρααμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμων ηγαλλιασαίο, ἵνα ίδη την ήμεραν την εμην, και είδε, και εχάρη, λεγεσι. Τεσσαρακονία είη επω εχεις, και Αβρααμ έωρακας; ὅρας ὅτι ὡς περι ανθρωπε ψίλε διέκειντο. Τι ουν αυτος" Προ τε τον Αβρααμ γενέσθαι φησιν, εγω ειμι και γραν λιθες, ίνα βαλωσιν αυτον· και των μυςηρίων μακρες επελεινε λόγος, λεγων· Και ὁ αρτος δε όν Εγω δωσω ύπερ της το κοσμο ζωής, σαρξ με εσιν, έλεγον σκληρος εςι ὁ λόγος έτος, τις δυναίας αυτή ακύειν; Και πολλοι των μαθητων αυτε απηλθον εις τα οπίσω, και εκεί μετ' αυτό περιε παλον.

Τι εν εδει ποιειν, ειπε μοι; τοις ὑψηλοτέροις ενδιατρίβειν ρημασι διηνεκώς, ώςε αποσοΒησαι την πηραν, και παντας αποκρεσασθαι της διδασκαλίας; Αλλ' ουκ ην τελο της το Θεου φιλανθρωπιας. Και γαρ παλιν επειδη ειπεν. Ο τον λόγον με ακεων, θανατε ου μη γευσείαι εις τον αιώνα ελεγον, Ου καλώς ελεγομεν, ότι δαιμονιον ἔχεις; Αβρααμ απέθανε, και οι προφηται απέθανον, και συ λέγεις, ὅτι ὁ τον λόγον με ακεών, ου μη γευσείαι θαναίς. Και τι θαύμαζον ει το πλήθος έτω διεκείνο, όπως γε και αυτοι δι αρχονίες ταυλην είχαν την γνωμην; Πως ουν τείοις διαλέγεσθαι εδει, τοις εδεν των ύψηλων φερεσιν; Ότι γαρ όλως ουκ ειπε τι μεγα και υψηλον περὶ ἑαυτε, ου θαυμαςον ανθρωποις χαμαι συρομενοις, και έτως ασθενως εχεσιν ηρκει μεν ουν και τα ειρημενα δείξαι, ότι αυτή ή αιτία, καὶ ἡ προφασις ην της των τολε λεγομενων ευτελειας, εγω δε και απο πατερα μερες τείο πειρασομαι ποιησαι φανερον, ώσπερ γαρ αυτός ίδετε σκανδαλιζομενες, θορυβομένες, αποπηδωνίας, λοιδορέμενος, Φευγονίας ειποτε τι μεγα και ύψηλον εφθεγξαῖο ὁ Χριςος· έτως ύμιν αυτές δείξαι πειρασομαι προς ρεχονίας, καταδεχομενος την διδασκαλίαν, εἰ ποτε τι ταπεινον και ευλελες είπεν αυτοι γαρ αυτοι οι αποπηδωνίες, είπονίος αυτε παλιν Ότι απ' εμαυτε ποιω εδεν, αλλά καθώς ἔδίδαξε με ὁ πατηρ με λαλώ, ευθεως προσέδραμον και βελόμενος ήμιν ενδείξασθαι ὁ ευχγ· γελισης, ότι δια την ταπεινοτητα των ῥηματων επιςευσαν, επισημαίνεται λεγων· Τανία αυτ λαλησαντος πολλοι επιςευσαν εις αυτόν και αλλαχε πολλαχε τελο εύροι τις αν έτω συμ βαινόν δια τελο πολλά και πολλακις ανθρωπινώς εφθενείο, και παλιν ουκ ανθρωπίνως, αλλα και θεοπρεπως. Οr. xxxii. Opera, I. pp. 409, 410. (Ρ.)

+ Ει γαρ, επει ειπε, προ του Αβρααμ γενεσθαι εγω ειμι, λίθασαι αυτόν επεχείρησαν, ει προσέθηκεν ότι και Μωύσει αυτός τον νομον έδωκε τι ουκ αν εποίησαν ; Ser. li. Opera, V. pp. 696, 697. (P.)

Η Δια δε τουτο ουδε περι της θεότηίος της ἑαυτου πανταχου φαινεται σαφως παιδεύων. Ει γαρ ή του νόμου προσθήκη τοσουτον αυτος εθορύβει, πολλῷ μαλλον το θεὸν ἑαυτον αποφαιIn Matt. v. Hom. xvi. VII. p. 154. (Ρ.)

Chrysostom frequently observes that Christ only intimated his divinity obscurely, and left the full discovery of it to his apostles. Thus he says, that " he himself never said plainly that he made the heavens and the earth, and the sea and all things visible and invisible. And why," says he, “ do you wonder that others should have said greater things of him than he said of himself, when he explained many things by actions, but never clearly in words? That he made man, he shewed clearly enough, as by the blind man; but when he was discoursing about the formation of the first man, he did not say I made them, but, He that made them, made them male and female. And that he made the world, he signified by the fishes, by the wine, by the loaves, &c., but never clearly in words."* He even says, "That the high dignity of Christ was more necessary to be concealed from his disciples, because they would immediately have told every thing through an excess of joy."+

"Christ," he says, "did not reveal his divinity immediately, but was first thought to be a prophet, and the Christ, simply a man, and it afterwards appeared by his works and his sayings what he really was."

Basil of Seleucia says, that "during the storm, [Matt. viii. 24,] the disciples of Christ, judging by appearances, did not know that the Deity was concealed in him; for they would not have been terrified, if they had known that the Author of the creation was giving orders to the work of his hands." He adds, that "the apostles themselves were as ignorant of his being God as the rest of the Jews, when some said that he was Elias, or Jeremias, or some of the prophets;" and that Christ, "knowing the ignorance of Peter, suggested to him the answer that he made."|| [Matt. xvi. 16.]

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* Και τι θαυμάζεις ει ἑτεροι μείζονα περι αυτου ειρηκασιν ὧν αυτόν ειρηκεν· ὅπου γε πολλα δια των πραγμαίων επιδεικνυμενο, δια των ρημαίων σαφώς ουκ ελεγεν, ότι γαρ τον ανθρωπον αυτό εποίησεν έδειξε σαφως και δια του τυφλε· ἡνικα δε περί της εν αρχή πλα σεως ὁ λογος ην αυτῷ, ουκ ειπεν ότι εγώ εποίησα, αλλ' ὁ ποιησας αρσεν και θηλυ εποίησεν αυτους" Παλιν ότι τον κόσμον εδημιέργησεν και τα εν αυτῷ δια των ιχθύων, δια του οίνου, δια των αρτών ρημασι ουδαμου τουτο σαφώς είπεν. In Matt. v. Opera, VII. p. 154. (P.)

+ Εδει γαρ τεως λανθάνειν, και μάλιςα επί των μαθητων· καὶ γαρ εκ πολλής ήδονης wayτa Exпputav. In Matt. C. viii. Opera, VII. p. 274. (P.).

1 Ου yap ευθεως ήμιν ἑαυτε την θεοτητα εξεκαλυπτεν, αλλα πρωίον μεν ενομίζετο είναι προφητης, και Χρις, απλώς άνθρωπο, ύτερον δε εφανη, δια των έργων και των ρημαίων, Toulo OTEP ny. In Johan. Hom. ii. Opera, VIII. p. 20. (P.)

§ See Watts, quoted Vol. XIII. p. 99, Note t.

[[ Τῷ γαρ φαινομενῳ προσπταίονίες, την κεκρυμμένην ηγνουν θεοτητα· ου γαρ αν εξεπλαγησαν, κελευονία τη κτίσει θεωρενίες οι δημιεργον είναι της κτίσεως επιςάμενος. Τοσανλης ουν αγνοιας τας των ανθρώπων, ψυχας περί αυτο βοσκομένης, ουδε των αποςόλων ὁ χορος αγνοίας ελεύθερος εμενεν. Ειδως δε την αγνοιαν, ὑποβαλλει τῷ Πετρο θείκως την αποκρισιν. Or. xxv. pp. 188, 139, 141. (P.)

Job the Monk observes, that "Christ said, [Matt. ix. 2,] Thy sins be forgiven thee,' without intimating that he himself forgave them, by his own authority."

"

Photius says, "When our Lord said, My Father is greater than 1,'t the disciples were still imperfect, and thought the Father much greater. This they learned from the Mosaic law, which taught the Father rather than the Sou. This also our Saviour himself had perpetually inculcated. This, therefore, being their fixed opinion, they said, [John xiv. 8,] Shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us."" Afterwards, he says, "They knew him to be God, after his sufferings and resurrection."§

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Theodoret says, that "before his sufferings all persons held such an opinion concerning him," viz. that he was a mere man," but after his resurrection and ascension, the descent of the Spirit, and the various miracles which they performed by invoking his name, all the believers knew that he was God, and the only-begotten Son of God." This is expressed in general terms, but it will appear hereafter, that it is to be understood with great limitations; the knowledge of the divinity of Christ being, according to Theodoret himself, far from universal among the Christians, long after the death of Christ.

Sometimes the fathers speak of Peter as knowing that Christ was God before his death, by immediate revelation from the Father. Chrysostom also says, that before our Lord's resurrection, the apostles had learned that God had a Son equal to the 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 Pentecost; 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.

* Ότι το μεν αφεωνται ουκ έχει των ρημαίων προφοραν, ὡς εξ ίδιας εξεσίας προφεροper a trayuar. Photii Bib. Sect. ccxxii, p. 622. (P.)

t John xiv. 28. See Vol. XIII. pp. 316, 317.

* Επει γαρ ετι ατελως ετοι διεκεινο περι τον Θεον και διδασκαλον, μείζονα τε πολλῷ τον πατέρα ενομίζον· τελο μεν των Μωσαϊκών νόμων εμφανεςερον, αυτοίς τον πατέρα η τον υιον καταγελλονίων τελο δε το σωτηρος άνω και κατω περιτρεφοντος αυτοις τον πατέρα επει ουν τοιαυίη τις αυτοις ενεςηρικτο ή δόξα, δια γαρ τείο και ελεγον, Δειξον ήμιν τον πα Tepa, naι aprei nuv. Epist. clxxvi. p. 263. (P.)

§ Ibid. p. 270. (P.)

|| Προ μεν ουν το πάθος, τοιαύτας ειχον δόξας περι αυτο μετα δε την αναςασιν, και την εις ερανες αναβασιν, και την του παναγιου πνευματος επιφοιτησιν, και τας παντοδαπας θαυματέργιας ας επετελον, καλονίες αυτο το σεβασμιον ονομα, εγνωσαν άπανίες οι πιςευονίες, ότι και Θεός εςι, και του Θεου μονογενης υιος. Ad Rom. i. 4, Opera, III. p. 11. (Γ.) [ Εμαθον ότι υιος του Θεου εσι, και ύιον ἔχει ὁ Θεὸς ὁμοτιμον. In Acta, VIII. p. 459. (Ρ.)

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