on others as said John That of his fulness we have all receiv'd and being equal in Nature and a Giver of the Spirit he vouchsafed to be Anointed therewith that by means of him he might give us his own wherefore the Word of God is called Christ not for that he was Man nor Man of Mery nor Man and God together and this John confirms saying There are different Spirits some are of God and some of this World every Spirit that saith Jesus Christ is not come in the flesh this is not of God but of the World this being certain that he who came in the flesh is the Word of God and John calls him Christ and he is not Man nor Man and God together Moreover Paul saith We have one God the Father from whom are all things and one Lord Jesus by whom are all things and this further that in Christ all things were created Again Paul saith unto the Philippians That Jesus Christ being the likeness of the Father thought this no Robbery to be compared with God what therefore is this comparison or equality Who therefore is to be compared with God the Father the Man born of Mary or God and Man or the Word For Man is not only not equal to God but is also a Creature and a Servant but the Word of God is to be compared with God the Father because he is of the same Nature and Coequal in Essence and did not Usurp this but had it Naturally Again who was it that emptied himself Man of Mary or Man and God together or the the Word of God Man was already empty necessitous and indigent and the Apostle doth not speak of both God and Man nor are there two that stand in comparison with God and did empty themselves but the Word emptied himself because he was made Man and he it was who emptied himself in the Flesh without being changed Furthermore it is written that he assumed the likeness of a Servant he assum'd and was not assumed for Man was assumed and did not assume it being impossible that both of them should assume but the one assumed and the other was assum'd Again That he emptied himself what is it 't is this that being God he was voluntarily made Man without being changed Secondly That being equal in Nature with the Spirit and Giver thereof and had Sanctity naturally he did vouchsafe to be Anointed by the Holy Ghost inasmuch as he was Incarnated Thirdly That his Nature being High and above Passions he took sufferings upon him and suffer'd death in the Flesh not as God but as Man yet he suffer'd natural Passions but not culpable Hunger Thirst c. and he bore Evil and contemptible Names of Reproach being God and Lord and King And the three hundred and eighteen Fathers call the Word Jesus Chrst and not the Man from Mary nor Man and God together for they said And in our Lord Jesus Christ the only Son of God Again we say to those who maintain this Errour that if the Word Christ signifies God and Man as they say and both of them were Anointed wherefore the Name is applicable to both that there are three Names the first is he who applies the Oyntment the second signifies the Operation it self and the third him to whom it was applied Wherefore if the Name Christ signifies both God and Man then according to their saying Man is Anointed and God also is Anointed and if it be so wherefore do ye fly from what ye say That the Word of God is Anointed of the Father by the Holy Ghost as he was Man Again if the Name of Christ signifies God and Man there seems to be two Christ and not one as the Name Horse signifies a Land-Horse and a Sea-Horse and each of them peculiarly and again both of them together and both of them are called Horses so then when ye say That Man is Anointed and God Anointed him therefore ye call him Anointed Anointing and Oyntment and not Anointed only And that ye say that Man who was Anointed being in Union with the Word and communicating unto the Word this Name of being called Christ or Anointed it were fitting that the Word also should communicate unto Man his Name of being called One Anointing for which Reason we call the Word of God Christ not that he is but that he was made Man and he is not Earthly who was made Man but Heavenly who was made Earthly as he said that he came down from Heaven and was to go to his own The Doctors also speak in Confirmation of this that the Word is called Christ and that he was anointed by the Spirit in as much as he was made Man Gregory Nyssen saith the holy Ghost calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Anointing of the only Son of God a Divine Word and a little after If therefore Christ be the only Son of God and Anointing be the holy Ghost the Name of Christ signifies Regal Authority for Anointing is a sign of Regality the holy Ghost also communicates of the Power John Chrysostom in his Exposition on the Gallatians saith he is called Jesus from delivering his People from their Sins and also hints by the Name of Christ the Anointing of the Spirit Severus in the forty second Chapter against Grammaticus It being said after the manner of Men that he was Anointed We all are they who are Anointed in him for he being baptized we are they who are baptized in him St. Philoxenus He is therefore called Christ because the Father by the Spirit revealed that he was his Son by Nature and that He is God as He is Himself according as he said Glorifyme O Father with the Glory which I had with thee and a Voice was heard I have glorified and will glorify and concerning the Spirit he said When the holy Ghost shall come he will glorify me But when was Christ Anointed Whether in the Conception or before he was Conceived or after he was Born The Hereticks say After he was born of the Virgin but they are not in the Truth and it is manifest from hence that Mathew saith The Book of the Birth of Jesus Christ for hereby he sheweth that he was born being Christ but some of the Doctors say that he was Anointed before he was Conceived in the Womb because they call his Mission from the Father his Anointing according to what he said Whom the Father sanctified and sent into the World and who ascended into heaven and brought down Christ But we say That the Word was Anointed in the very Conception in the Womb of the Virgin for in as much as the Spirit descended into the Womb and purified her and formed of her a Body to the Word he anointed and sanctified the Body and the Word was united thereunto personally and that is evident from this That the holy Ghost shall come and the power of the most High shall dwell upon thee And the Generation of Jesus Christ
according to the Word of Gabriel who called the House of Jacob The Gentiles who believe in him Fourteen Generations For he doth not say the forty two Generations altogether nor doth he divide them into six parts for the Number Seven was dear unto them but he divided the Total into three parts hinting thereby that as it was not grievous unto them that they were changed from the Government of Judges to the Government of Kings and from the Government of Kings to the Government of High-Priests so it should not seem strange in your Eyes that ye are changed from these to the Government of Christ tho Christ also was a Judge a King and an High-Priest for as his ancient Types Ministred unto him so he applyed them altogether unto himself The Jews Accused the Apostles as introducing new Laws to the Creature and Mathew willing to shew that they were far from blame he signified that the Government of God always varied in the Administration of Affairs accordingly as was expedient and agreeably to the Mutation of things divided the Number of Generations from Abraham unto Saul they were subject to Judges Mathew accounts Saul as a Judge for that he Governing filled up the time and was rejected They were under Kings ceased in the Captivity they were Governed by the Chief Priests wherefore according to the change of Constitutions he divided things and he hints that it is no wonder if he who at first set up Judges and afterwards Kings and then Rulers should set up the Government of his Son for neither did the change of State-Affairs amend the Jews but whilest they were Governed by Judges Kings and Rulers they still continued in the same Sins Philoxenus said That therefore he divided the Generations into three parts because the Father revealed the Promise concerning his Son in three Places to Abraham saying in thy Seed shall the Nations be Blessed To David I will Establish thy Seed for ever Moreover by another Prophet that David my Servant shall feed them Others say That this Promise was made to Adam at his Creation and that for this Reason he Ascended unto Adam he divided them into doubled Sevens that is to say fourteens that by Weeks he might Illustrate the Words of Daniel and to shew that he was the expected Messiah and that the Prophets preached concerning him This was Chrysostom In the last of the Generations whereas he sets down but twelve said they were fourteen And the Lord John saith that he put the Captivity in the place of a Generation and George saith de Gentilibns that Christ was reckoned a Generation for as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until did not exclude David from the Fourteen Generations in the first part so neither doth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until exclude Christ from the last part but the middlemost was made Fourteen by the leaving out of Three Others say That the last part was made Thirteen by leaving out One between Shelathiel and Zorubabel that is to say Nadabia that the Number of Fourteen may be made up of Mary for that instead of her Fore-fathers she entred into the place of a Generation or he brought Christ into the place of a Generation as we have said Eusebius saith That he doth not reckon Fourteen Generations by the Number of Men but some certain quantity of years which was divided into Fourteen parts The first part consisted of eight hundred years and the Generations thereof were Fourteen but the middlemost consisted of four hundred years and its Generations were Twelve the first and the last were equal as to the Number of Persons but he computes the the middlemost with the Two by reason of the paucity of Years and Persons The GENEALOGY according to the sense of Georgius de Gentilibus The Genealogy of the first part The Genealogy of the second part The Genealogy of the third part Abraham Salomon The Captivity Isaac Rohboam Shelathiel Jacob Abia Zorubabel Judah Asa Abiud Pharez Joshapat Aliakim Hetzron Joram Azor Aram Ozia Zadok Aminadab Jothan Achin Nahashon Achaz Eliud Salmon Hezechia Eliezer Boaz Menase Mathan Obed Amon Jacob Jesse Josia Joseph David Jochania Christ Fourteen Generations Fourteen Generations Fourteen Generations The Genealogies of the Two Evangelists and the Difference between them according to the Judgment of St Severus The Holy Genealogy of St. Luke alone ADam Sheth Enosh Kain Mehalliel Jered Henoch Methushelah Lamech Noah Shem Arphaxad Kainan Shalech Eber Phaleg Arao Sarug Nahor Therah From Adam hitherunto Twenty Generations and Fathers From hence Mathew and Luke agree Abraham Isaac Jacob Judah Pharez Hezron Aram Aminadab Nahashon Salmon Boaz Obed Jesse David Glory to Christ the Lord to whom all things are easie Moreover Those of Luke from Abraham to Joseph were fifty five Fathers and from David to Joseph were forty two and those of Mathew from Abraham to Joseph were forty and two taking into Computation the Captivity and Christ Whence did Mathew and Luke learn the Genealogie We say from the Holy Ghost as the Prophets taught hidden things and from the book of Bar Jamin and from the books of Esra Moreover it was the Custom of the Jews to repeat their Fathers Genealogies by word of Mouth or Tradition I such a one the Son of such a one from one to another unto Adam Wherefore Paul commanded Timothy to abstain from Fables and Genealogies Mathew because he wrote to the Hebrews began from Abraham and David because to them the Promise was made and that was sufficient to Answer his purpose but Luke Ascended to Adam because he wrote to the Gentiles to shew that Christ also sprung from Adam and to abate the Pride of the Jews who gloried in Abraham Again he Ascended to Adam in mystery of Baptism to shew that he who is Baptiz'd and Regenerated is to Ascend to God whose Sons we are made And moreover to take away that doubt How can a Virgin bring forth a Child he shew'd that as the Spirit was able in the beginning to form Man without Copulation so was he able at last and formed the body of the Word from the Virgin without Copulation for it was the one and the same operation of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and for that the Father framed Adam it is certain that the Son and the Spirit framed him Wherefore doth Mathew descend in the Genealogy and Luke Ascend We say that this is the Custom of the Scripture it is written in the book of Ruth Pharez begat Hezron and Hezron Aram and Aram Aminadab and Aminadab and so forth until he descended to David It Ascends where it saith Helkana the Son of Jochom the Son of Elihu the Son of Aho the Son of Resoph Again Mathew descends to shew that the Word of God descended and came for our Redemption according to the Promise first made But Luke Ascended to shew that they who are Baptised mount up to Heaven and this is
measured Jerusalem a thousand Cubits and as with a Span measureth he Man Secondly For Grace as the Prophets who were Anointed privately with the Spirit Thirdly for Oyl as the Kings and Priests were Anointed with Holy Oyl and Men likewise with ordinary Oyl Fourthly in the way of Honour as it was said of the House of Abraham and Isaack Touch not my Anointed Fifthly by way of Distinction as they who are set apart to do somewhat by Direction as Cyrus and Hazael who being seperated for a design were called Anointed Sixthly for Faith as That which is of Faith and Baptism is as the Body of Christ Seventhly for the Holy Ghost even as the Word Anointed his Body that is with his Godhead and with his Spirit for the Christ whom we Worship we do not call so as the Man born only of Mary and afterwards Anointed by the Spirit and Sanctified as the Hereticks say but we call Christ the Word of God who was begotten of the Father from Eternity and we call him Christ because he vouchsafed to be Anointed with the Spirit and to be Sanctified in the Flesh and as his Nature was high and above the Birth of a Woman of Passion and Death and yet vouchsafed to be born and to suffer and to dye in the Flesh for us so did he take upon him to be Anointed with the Spirit being the Giver of it and Holy in in his own Nature he was pleased to receive the Grace of the Spirit as not needing it and therefore receiv'd it that he might bestow it upon us And in all things he was the beginning to us as the Second Adam according to the saying of Paul That by his means he might give us the Holy Ghost Moreover we call him Christ because the Spirit descended into the Womb of the Virgin as the Angel said and this Spirit framed the body of the Word of God and Anointed and Sanctified it and so the Word was United to this Body and this the Spirit did not that it was unable to frame and Sanctifie the body out of the Womb but that it might be known that he that was born was God coequal in Nature with the Spirit who formed and Sanctified the body and not meer Man Again the Spirit formed the body of the Word and Sanctified and Anointed it that the distinctions of persons in the Trinity might be made known It was the Fathers pleasure the Son should be incorporated and it was the Holy Ghost who made him a Body in that he formed his body of the Virgin The same Order was observed in the Creation The Father commanded things to be made and the Son made them and the Spirit finish'd and accomplish'd them Furthermore the Father said Anoint and the Son was Anointed and the Spirit supplied the place of Oyl wherefore we call the Word of God Christ or Anointed Again we call the Word of God Christ for two Reasons and the first is for that he vouchsafed to be Anointed in the Flesh by the Holy Spirit tho' equal in Nature with the Giver of the same Secondly because the Holy Ghost Anointed and Sanctified his body being United to the Word Moreover this Name Christ teacheth the whole Doctrine of the Trinity it was the Father who Anointed the Son who was Anointed and the Holy Ghost was the Oyl or Unction he who said That Christ was made Man Naturally and that he was Anointed by the Spirit for Sanctification let him tell us where he was Anointed if before his Conception he had then no body in the Womb of the Virgin and behold it is not written that he was Anointed at his Baptism but behold he was called Christ at his Birth Some Hereticks there are who say that Jesus Christ signifies one made Man against whom we say that Jesus Christ signifies the Word of God not as he is God alone but as he is made Man Again The Name of Jesus Christ doth not denote Man from Mary nor God and Man together but the Word of God and it is most certain from hence for Jesus saith thus to the Jews Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the World do ye say Thou art a Blasphemer Who therefore was he who was sent from the Father Man Or God and Man together Or the Word as saith Paul that God sent his Son and he was made of a Woman Therefore he who was sent to the World is the Word which was from the Father and he is called Jesus and is the same who is said to be Sanctified and not meer Man neither God and Man together but the Father Sanctified the Word by the Holy Ghost who Anointed him not as he is God for so he is equal to the Father and the Spirit and the Giver of Holiness but as he was made Man for us Moreover Christ said before Abraham was I am who therefore was before Abraham the Man who was of Mary or God and Man together For the Man who was from Mary was so far from being before Abraham that he was not before Mary but after Mary being born of her 't is certain therefore that the Word of God who was called by this Name of Jesus Christ was before Abraham Furthermore Jesus said to the Jews What say ye concerning Christ whose Son is he They said unto him the Son of David and he said unto them How did David call him in the Spirit Lord for he said The Lord said unto my Lord sit on my right Hand if David called him Lord how was he his Son he therefore who is the Lord of David is the Man from Mary who as yet was not in the time of David nor Mary of whom he was born Either he calls Man and God together Christ for he calls one in the singular Number my Lord and not many Lords it is therefore certain that he calls the Word of God coequal with the Father in Nature Lord according to this The Lord sent down Fire from before the Lord on Sodom and according to this also There is born unto them to day a Redeemer who is the Lord Christ wherefore he calls him Christ again it is written That thy Throne is for ever and ever after he had called him God and said Thy Scepter is for ever and ever that is to say there is no end or term to his Kingdom he said God hath Anointed thee that is the Father hath Anointed the Word of God by the Holy Spirit but not as God but as he was made Man and accordingly as the Word said He whom the Father Sanctified and Sent. Moreover the Prophet said He hath Anointed him above his Fellows that is he hath Anointed him above us and above the Prophets and Apostles and others who are Anointed for all Men who are Anointed of the Spirit receive what they stand in need of but the Word being Sanctified and Anointed with the Spirit received it tho not in want thereof but full and a bestower thereof
of Man who was Crucified spoke this in respect of God who dwelt in him or in regard of the Divine Nature which departed from him at the time of the Passion But we say that Jesus the Son of God was he who cryed out in these Words The same whom Mark describes in the beginning of his Gospel The biginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God and at whom the Devils exclaimed What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God For as he was not born for himself but for us and was neither Baptiz'd Tempted nor suffered Hunger for himself but for us and in our stead so this that he cryed to the Father Elohi Elohi was for us and in our Persons For if he took upon him the Person of Adam and came to pay his Debt it behoved him to Cry and Speak as in the Person of Adam and it is evident that he did cry as in the Person of Adam and of us because he said afterwards in the Psalm Thou hast departed far from me my Redeemer by reason of my Offence for he had no Offence and he said I have purged the World and who arraigns me of Sin and Isaiah said He hath not committed Iniquity nor was Guile found in him wherefore he cryed in our behalf who saw into what condition we were fallen Moreover The Son therefore expostulates with the Father My God my God wherefore hast thou forsaken me That what is written in that Psalm might appear to us to have been spoken in the Person of the Father Therefore I have forsaken thee that thou mightest suffer and be crucified that all the ends of the World may remember and be converted to the Lord and the Lord said By his Stripes we are healed Furthermore Because he is like unto us in all things except Sin for he was hungry and thirsty was weary and slept He asked How many Loaves And Where have ye put Lazarus As if He who knew all things before they were could be ignorant Moreover He cried to the Father to shew that it was he only who suffered and not the Father nor the holy Ghost for the whole Trinity was not born because the Son was born of a Virgin nor did it suffer for that the Son suffered these things in his Person neither for that he was equal to the Father and the Spirit for neither did the Father and Spirit suffer these things which the Son suffered in his Person for these things he received in Separation from them and not in equality with them not as God but as he was Man But some object How was the Son forsaken of the Father whereas he saith I am in the Father and the Father in me We Answer That as he is in the Father so is he in us as he himself said I am in you and you in me that we may be together perfect for he is in the Father by reason of coequality of Nature and he is in us by Incorporation with us and it is certain as to the first the Father did not forsake him tho' as to the last he did forsake him for he was impassible and immortal the Son remained in his nature as did the Father but as to the Person he left it to suffer and to dye that he might be like unto us therein for he suffered and died as he was Man remaining impassible and immortal as he was God Again he cried Elohi Elohi that the wickedness of those who crucified him might be revealed and that Satan and Death might believe that he was slain Moreover That the Son said Elohi Elohi it was in Wonder and Admiration and not by way of Interrogation Perscrutation or Doubt Moreover Against the Nestorians who say That the Man who was crucified said God God in respect of God who dwelt in him But we reply Sirs The Man who was Crucified was crucified either willingly or was led by constraint of the Word if willingly wherefore was the Word to be blamed for forsaking him or departing from him But if he was constrained by the Word there was in truth an occasion to cry out and say to him who forsook him Wherefore hast thou led me to suffer and hast now forsaken me In wonders thou hast been near unto me and in my passion thou hast left me I was thy Minister in what concern'd thee and thou hast not accompanied me in my Concerns God the Word seemed as weak and as a Prevaricator weak as that he did not bear the Sight of the Cross but forsook him and fled injurious for that he ministring to him in Miracles he did not administer help unto him at the time he suffer'd the passions of his Nature Man also seemed to be more powerful than the Word for he susteined the passions whilest the other forsook him and departed he appeared also as forsaken for that he finish'd the former transactions of his Life by him and had no help administred unto him at his Passion and Death but was left to himself And if he were Man who was crucified and said God God it did not behove him to confess the Divinity of him who forsook him And if they shall say That He left him because he was in his Nature impassible they may take notice that therefore they own him impassible even whilst he remained under Passion as the Adamantine Stone which is tried chiefly in this to be impassible and not to be broken with Iron when they hammer it without doing hurt thereunto in like manner a Tule-stone is proved to be capable of no prejudice by Water when being steeped in Water it is not dissolv'd and a Salamander is known to be uncapable of prejudice by Fire when it is put into Fire and extinguisheth it Moreover it is neither place nor inclosure which conserve God from harm but his Nature for he is naturally and highly exalted above Death for he whom Place or Inclosure conserve from suffering is continually in Fear and subjected to Passions And if he suffer'd with him in Hunger Thirst and Labour wherefore did he not suffer with him on the Cross and if they shall say That at those times He permitted him to be Tempted with those Passions they may take notice that it is not written that he was forsaken save only here when he said God God Again if it were That he should not suffer with him it proves him passible because he did not leave his former Passions but was passible for an Angel fears not Death as being Spiritual much less the Lord of Angels and God who is incomprehensible and goeth not from place to place for He is God and did not in Will depart from the Father nor did He really depart from Man which is manifest from hence that he darkned the Sun clest the Rocks and Raised the Dead which was the meer work of God Furthermore Had he not known wherefore he was forsaken as ye say then had the Prophets been more
A CLEAR AND LEARNED EXPLICATION OF THE HISTORY OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST Taken out of above Thirty Greek Syriack and other Oriental Authors by way of Catena BY DIONYSIUS SYRUS Who Flourish'd most Illustriously in the Temh and Eleventh CENTURIES And Faithfully Translated By DUDLEY LOFTUS Doctor of the Laws Master in Chancery and Judge of Their Majesties Court of Prerogative in Ireland DVBLIN Printed by Samuel Lee in Skinner-Row MDCXCV TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The LADY DOROTHY CAPELL CONSORT To the Right Honourable HENRY LORD CAPELL Baron Tewkesbury One of Their Majesties Lords Justices for the Kingdom of Ireland And One of Their Most Honourable Privy Council of England and Ireland 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Right Honourable I Make bold in this my Humble Address to take my Rise from the Vsual Phrase of the Aegyptian Christians Exoptative of Good Success to such-like Addresses and therein I do not only wish warmly from my very Heart That Almighty GOD would be pleased to Conduct You with Honour and high Reputation as His Divine Majesty hath hitherto done through all the Transitions of Your Life but also that this Address may succeed answerable to Your Ladiships Expectation and my Design which is To give Your Honour Information out of the Catena of Dionisius Syrus Extracted by way of Commentary above Seven Hundred Years since from near Thirty Authors Syriack Greek and Aegyptian who writes in Explanation of the Three First and Three Last Chapters of St. Mathew's Gospel wherein is Luculently set forth the History of our Saviour CHRIST concerning his Genealogy Conception and Birth his Flight into Aegypt his Reduction to Nazareth his Passion Death Crucifixion and Burial his Resurrection Actions and Apparitions after Death c. Finally desiring Your Ladyships Acceptance of this my Dedication I rest Right Honourable bound in a very high Obligation Your Ladiships most humble and devoted Servant DVDLEY LOFTVS THE TRANSLATORS Account of the AUTHOR Reader THere is hereby presented unto you a small Parcel of the ample learned and profitable Works of the Great Dionisius whose Fame hath been carried through the World from East to West on the Triumphant Chariot of Illustrious Names Viz. Dionisius Syrus importing his Country Dionisius Exiguus denouncing the Severity of his Life and the Humility and Benignity of his Behaviour Jacobus Bartsaliby signifying a Son of the Cross denoting also a Voluntary Asperity of a strict Conversation in a holy Life He is also made more Famous by the Titles of many Learned Books truly attributed unto him The one being an Ample Commentary on all the Books of the Old Testament Another a Large Catena of many Ancient Fathers Syriack Greek and Aegyptian on the Four Evangelists wherein he sheweth himself a Great Critick Linguist Divine Historian and Mathematitian Another Book which is a Commentary upon all St. Paul's Epistles Another stiled Controversal Discourses for the clearing of doubtful Points of Divinity Another Book de Cycles wherein the Doctrine and Hypotheses of the Eclipses of Sun and Moon are treated of Another being a Treatise of Faith wherein are shewed the Differences of the Nature of things Intellective and Sensitive And Lastly that which hath raised his Reputation to the size of a larger Esteem in the Learned World is the Value which the most Learned Pious and most Reverend Doctor James Vsher Primate of Ireland had for him and his desire to have published all his Works as also his Grace's purchasing at a dear Rate and transporting the said Dionysius his Catena on the Four Evangelists in Manuscript and in its Original Syriack from far remote Eastern parts into this Kingdom of Ireland where it is conserved in the Publick Libraries of Trinity Colledge Dublin as also in the Publick Library of the Vniversity of Oxford in England and is also intirely Translated into Latin and made ready for the Press by the Translator hereof and will prove when Published of great Advantage and Utility to the Publick as also to the clearing and opening of very many Passages of Scripture and to the further Glory of the Author whereof this Parcel as a Specimen may be an Argument as also his own Preface to this Catena herewith Published in Latin by me the Translator Verba DIONYSII SYRI PRAEFATORIA Ad CATENAM suam in Quatuor EVANGELISTAS Ad ipsos particulatim habito respectu DUo Apostolorum scripserunt duo Discipulorum Marcus erat Petri Discipulus Lucas Johannis Non scri pserunt quatuor Apostolorum tum quia nihil egerunt gloriae captandae gratia tum etiam ne parvi penderentur Discipuli ne dicerent homines quod non fuerunt participes cum Apostolis praedicatione scripturam coegit quisque quatuor Evangelistarum candemque in libro ordinarunt nonnulli dicunt quod Eusebius Caesariensis quando observaverat Eumonium Alexandrinum consecisse Evangelium Diatesaron vocatum id est è quatuor confectum adherentiam verborum mutasse similiter etiam fecisse Titianum Graecum Haereticum ipse coegit ista quatuor eorum singula seorsum scripfit Alii dicunt quod Johannes Evangelista ordinavit eadem in unum Librum quando ad eum tria allata fuerunt quae suo adjunxit Postquam Paulus electus fuerat necesse erat ut Apostoli abirent in Regiones ad praedicandum inceperunt tres Evangelistae scribere Evangelium Mathaeus antequam sparsi erant Apostoli postea vero Marcus Lucas quando scripta Mathaei ad fideles in Epheso pervenerant Johanni persuadebant ut scriberet ipse etiam de his quae defiderabunrur Occasio scribendi Mathaeo oblata Orta jam persecutione contra Apostolos lapidato Stephano occisoque Jacobo factum est ut dispergerentur Apostoli ut praedicarent Evangelium Gentibus Haebrei vero qui credide runt hoc observato Mathaeum accesserunt rogaruntque ab eo ut quicquid iis verbotenus dixisset ipsis in scriptis traderet quod etiam praestitit Tres Evangelistae ea solummodo quae in uno anno egerat Dominus noster scriptis man larunt ab incarceratione scilicet Johannes usque ad Ascensionem exceptis Nativitate Baptismo Teâ—â—tione allisque nonnullis sine quibus fieri vix potuit ut narrationum suarum caperent exordium Johannis vero scripsit de Divinitate de hujufmodi rebus quae duobus praecedentibus annis secerat Christus a tempore quo incepit praedicare Johannes usque ad tempus quo in carcerem Inciderat scopus vero suarum scriptionum suit adventus Domini nostri in carne beatitudinesque nobis ab eo prosluentes Mathaeus in Regione Palestinae scripsit Haebraice Marcus Romae Lingua Romana id est Lingua Francorum Dominus tamen Junnius dicit quod Marcus scripfit in Egypto Lucas scripsit Graece in Alexandria Johannes scripfit Graece in Epheso tribus Linguis scriptum suit Evangelium quia tres hae Linguae supra Crucem Christi scriptae fuerunt Haebraice Graece
Latine Haebraice Ratione Judaeorum Graece Ratione Pilati Latine ratione Herodis in ipsissimis Linguis quibus usi fuerunt in accusatione ejus hostes ejus Evangelium praedicarunt Evangelistae Lucas processit secundum rerum ordinem omnia proprio ordine disposuit prout gesta erant a Domino nostro scripsit Johannes etiam similiter fecit salvo eo quod nonnulla in medio reliquit quia dicta fuerant per Socios suos Mathaeus vero non eodem processit modo sed usus est Doctrinae Methodo cohaerentiae insimul collocando Leges enim quas Instituit Dominus noster in uno capite ordinavit alteri vero Evangelistae sparsim eas tradiderunt Marcus sequitur dispositionem Mathaei multi vero non Intelligentes modum quo quisque eorum respective scripsit existimarunt se suisse sibi invicem contrarios Quia principium Evangelii fuit Baptismus Christi prout supra diximus propterea inde exorsus est Marcus Mathaeus enim altius ingressum fecit apud Geneologiam familiaram ut monstraret Haebreis quod sicuti praedixissent Prophetae Christus ortus est Lucas vero altius orditur pertingit usque ad Nativitatem Johannis ut subaccusaret eos qui praefatione omissa aggressi fuerunt scriptionem Historiae Christi Johannes ascendit usque ad sermonem divinum ut monstraret quod etiamsi socii sui scripsissent Christum hominem suisse quatenus incarnatum erat tamen Deus cum Patre fuerat postea incarnatus homo factus suit Doctrina eorum medio Plataearum alta voce fuit praedicata ipsis dicentibus Deus revelatus est in Corpore tolleravit passiones in carne mortuus fuit Resurrexit confirmata fuit eorum praedicatio per Miracula quae fecerunt Johannes loquutus est de sublimibus socii sui de inferioribus Mathaeus quidem quia ad Judeos scripsit ei curae fuit ut natraâ—et Generationem ejus consuetudinem in carne Marcus vero solicitus fuit ut scriberet contra Simonem qui praedicaverat Filium dispensationem suam egisse per Phantasium qua propter confirmavit ea quae ad corporationem spectabant dicitur quod in mandatis dedit ei Petrus ut scriberet vice sua hac ratione ut nonnulli existimant ne propter Petri Eminentiam socâ—orum suorum scripturae parvi haberentur ipse mandavit ei ut scriberet de ejus abnegatione accurate similiter Lucae mandavit Paulus ut scriberet in cujus Imitatione extense admodum Oratoris Loquitur in confirmatione Theophili Corrigenda in Epistola ad Lectorem p. 2. line 3. pro Cycles lege Cyclis A Clear and Learned Explication OF THE HISTORY OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST c. MAthew begins saying The Book of the Nativity of Jesus Christ Mathew said not as the Prophets that the Lord said unto me or I saw a Vision for by reason that the Jews were carried about after false Prophets it behoved them to say so but Mathew forasmuch as he wrote to the faithful he needed not to have imitated the Prophets nor did he put his Name to the Book because he wrote to those who were near at hand after the manner of a Narrative Yet Paul because he wrote to those who were afar off he wrote in the manner of an Epistle and therefore it was necessary to put his Name thereunto he calls the Book the Book of Nativity because the Nativity of our Saviour is the source of all Blessings or even as Moses names his Book from the Creation whil'st he Treats of such other things as were transacted and performed in the World for the space of two thousand two hundred and sixteen years and calls another Book by the name of going out yet wrote therein of other things so it is called the book of Generation by reason that this is the principal matter that God should be born in the Flesh tho' he treats of the rest of his Conversation on Earth for it is the principal part as being the best part that gives Denomination say the Philosophers and although Baptism be the begining of the Gospel yet he commenceth from the Nativity that he might instruct the Hebrews that this was the Messiah whom God had promised to Abraham and David that he should spring out of their Seed and that he was the Giver of the Gospel Nativity is spoken in many sences First as from a Woman Secondly as from Baptism according to that he who is not born of Water and the Spirit Thirdly from the Grave who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things that the Earth should bring forth in one day or that a Nation should be born in one hour Fourthly Nativity is said also of things remote from the Birth Esa 66.8 according to this * 1 Cor. 4.15 for in Jesus Christ I have begotten you and he was pleased to beget us in the Spirit and I know not what to morrow is to bring forth and who hath begotten the drops of Rain and he Travelleth with Iniquity Joh. 38.28 Psal 7.14 and hath conceived falsehood and brought forth Destruction Fifthly as the beam and splendor which is begotten of the Sun or fire and as the Eternity of the Son is begotten of the Father according to the Divine Nature but here he doth not speak of the Eternal Generation from the Father but of the Temporal from the Virgin and tho' it be called in Scripture the birth of Abel and Jacob yet it is not there said of any of the Fathers the book of the Nativity except of Christ to the end that we may take notice that Christ is not meer Man but God made Man And that he was not born according to the ordinary Course of Humane Nature of Father and Mother but Supernaturally of the Holy Ghost and the blessed Virgin Moreover he begins at the Genealogies to signifie that although Christ was reputed by the Jews to be the Son of Joseph yet they were not perswaded of his Eternal Sonship yet of Joseph there was some doubt whether he were the Son of David or not and this is accurately made known by the Genealogies and the doubt Resolved The Greek hath it the Book of making or being and making or being is said to be nine fold First when of nothing something is made as the Heaven and Earth were made of nothing Secondly when of something something was made as the Firmament and Trees were made of something Thirdly by way of Contempt as God said Adam is made as one of us Fourthly by way of Transmutation as Lots Wife was made a Pillar of Salt Fifthly Impersonally the Evening and the Morning were the first day Sixthly by way of help or assistance as the Lord was with Moses Seventhly Temporally and I was as one who heareth not Eightly Of Grace according to that Moses was a God with Pharaoh Ninthly Without Transmutation
Esther became the Wise of Matatha of the Progeny of Nathan and of her he begat Heli and Esther had two Sons one by Mathan and one by Mattatha and Heli took a Wife and died Childless and Jacob his Brother took his Wife in conformity to the Law that he might raise Seed to him who was Dead that his Name might not be forgotten and Jacob begat Joseph and Joseph was the Son of Jacob according to natural propagation and to Heli according to the disposition of Law and Mathew calleth him in respect of Nature and Luke with regard to the Law for naturally the traduction of Seed constituted by Law was his who begat Children in the name of his deceased Brother who died Childless Wherefore doth Mathew proceed to Solomon but Luke sets down Nathan and so they run down to Joseph Some say that Mary was derived from Solomon and Joseph from Nathan and Mathew sets forth the Genealogy of Mary but Luke that of Joseph and if it be so wherefore doth Mathew declare this concerning Jacob that he begat Joseph whereas naturally he did not beget him And if they shall say that Luke speaks of the Genealogy of Mary and Mathew of that of Joseph wherefore did Luke impose this upon the stock from whence Christ was born that he was supposed Philoxenus said That Mathew wrote concerning the natural Genealogy and therefore said such an one begat such an one but Luke treated of Legal Genealogies and therefore wrote this that he was supposed And hereunto Affricanus gives Testimony who said that the Names of the Genealogies were reckoned among the Hebrews either naturally from the account of Seed or according to the direction of Law as he who is born by Adoption to one who dies without Children or of one who begets in the Name of his Brother dying Childless for as yet they had no hope of the Resurrection and the Evangelists computed both the Natural and Legal Genealogy for the Genealogies of Solomon and Nathan were intermixed Wherefore each of them from Nathan as well as from Solomon was the Father of Joseph Eli who was of Nathan and Jacob who was of Solomon and he was by Nature the Son of Jacob but by Institution of Law the Son of Heli that is to say Eli. And whereas Mathew shewed according to the Natural Account of Genealogy that Joseph was derived from David and some Men seemed to oppose him and said that Joseph was the Son of Heli and not of Jacob prevaricating in respect of the Legal Genealogy Wherefore Luke minded to confute their folly shewed that though Joseph should be referred to Heli by Legal Institution yet even so the Lineage of Christ would be found to proceed from David For he did not place the Genealogy on Mary nor did he say such an one begat Mary of whom Christ was born for it was not the Custom of the Hebrews to derive Genealogies by Women wherefore he computes not Mary but Joseph that he might not seem to confound Order Moreover we say That in the Commemoration of Joseph the Virgin also is notified with him to have descended from David for every Tribe was knit with its own Tribe although some rare Examples there are of departing from Tribe to Tribe But Joseph and Mary were near related to one another respectively as the Grand-children of two Brothers One Eliezer begat two Sons Mathan and Jotham and Mathan begat Jacob and Jacob begat Joseph and Jotham begat Tsadock and Tsadok begat Mary and her Mothers Name was Dinah and she was the Sister of Elizabeth and this was she of whom it was said Behold Elizabeth thy Kinswoman The matter was ordered by hint of Divine Providence that the Kingdom and Priesthood of David and of Levi might receive accomplishment in Christ Moreover for this reason he reckons Joseph and not Mary for that if the Jews had known that Mary had not conceived from Joseph they had stoned her her Virginity was conceal'd from all Mankind except Joseph who learn'd it from the Angel and Elizabeth who learn'd it from the holy Ghost John saith Christ was not willing that they should know the manner of his Nativity viz. that he was born of a Virgin but reserved the knowledge thereof to its proper time that the Virgin might be free from punishment for if the Jews had learned thus much at first they had not believed that a Virgin could bring forth and they had stoned her For if they called him who drove out Devils The Prince of Devils how would they believe that a Virgin should bring forth a Son It may be enquired Where were the Fathers of Mary for her Father was called by many Names Joiachim Jojachim Jonchir Tsadok Jezedik and her Mother also was called Dina and Hana Jacobus Auraeus saith That Histories do recount that Mary was the Daughter of Jojachim of the Tribe of Judah who was the Son of Asther in the Original Panthir and Asther was the Brother of Malchi the Son of Neni in the Original he who was of Neri and descended by the Genealogy from Nathan and was on the Mothers side from the Tribe of Levi and dwelt in Galilee in a place of the City of Tiberia he calls Joseph the Husband of Mary when he was her Spouse according to the Custom of the Scripture for it is said in Deuteronomy If there shall be a Wife betrothed unto a Man and a Man shall find her and lie with her take them both forth and let them be stoned the young Woman because she did not reveal it and the Man for that he lay with his Neighbours Wife It is known from hence that he who is betrothed is called Husband and she who is espoused is called Wife whence it is known that Christ and the Virgin were of the Seed of David We say it is manifest that Christ is of the Seed of David according to the flesh from this That he was born of Mary who was of the House of David and of his Seed and it is certain that the Virgin descended from David because every one took a Wife of his own Tribe that Inheritance might not be in Commixture nor Confusion be in the Lands nor War amongst them and Joseph observed this Commandment and took Mary a Daughter of David for had she not been from David she had not gone up to Bethlehem with Joseph the Son of David But how did Christ fit on the Throne of David We say That there seems to be a threefold kind of Davids Throne the one was corporal which was made of Wood and Ivory and was Adorned with pretious Stones Secondly They were accustomed to call the Throne of the Kingdom the Primacie and Authority over the whole Nation The third is according to what God promised to David I will build thy Throne for ever and ever and His Throne shall be as the Sun before me but these things which were promised to David but not fulfilled were accomplish'd in our Saviour
Israel and because the Children were of Rama therefore they are computed the Children of Rachel But sithence the Children were slain in Bethlehem as well as in Rama Wherefore doth he apply the Weeping to Rama only Some say because the Prophet foresaw that more Children were slain in Rama than in Bethlehem therefore he useth the Names of Rachel and Rama Others say because Rama is nigh unto Bethlehem therefore he applied Weeping unto Rachel and her Children are called of Rama because it was as the Inheritance of Benjamin her Son and of Bethlehem by reason of the Vicinity of her Sepulcher thereunto Others say That as there were two Men who came before the Judg and the one was guilty of Death and the other not and as he who was guilty was silent and he who was Innocent cryed out and pleaded for himself so he was born for and in respect of Ramah and Bethlehem but Rachel was not born for them and therefore he applies Weeping to Rama because they were not guilty nor injurious Wherefore does he apply Weeping to Rachel and not to Jacob since they were his Children who were Slain And some say That both of them were the Children of one Husband and Wife and therefore he applies Weeping to Rachel and not to Jacob to whom one replies That if they were of both it had been fit to have applied Weeping to them both Others because they were slain in their Mothers Arms their Fathers not being present Weeping is Attributed to the Mother Again others because the Love of a Mother is much more abundant than that of Fathers Again Rachel died in Child-bed and these were slain soon after they were born Samuel said unto Saul behold Three Men are to meet thee in Tsaltsach near Rachels Sepulcher in the Border of Benjamin Moreover Rachel was buried a Persian days Journey from Ephrata which is Bethlehem and perhaps they who were slain were buried in her Sepulcher And she would not be Comforted First because of the multitude of them who were slain in all the Confines Secondly because they were slain Execrably Deceitfully and Unmercifully When Herod the King was Dead From this time he receiv'd his Judgment for Eusebius saith That Josephus wrote thus concerning him That he fell into a Devouring Disease being Worm-Eaten and oppressed with sadness of Spirit and that his Lower Parts to witt his Testicles and prolific Member became putrid and that in a furious Rapture of his mind and in his Tribulation he slew his Wife and his three Sons and when they made him sit in Oyl and in a hot Bath his Eyes were Transversed and he miserably forsook the World Arise take the Lad and his Mother He doth not say Fly but Go to shew that he was to obtain Rest after Afflictions For they are Dead who sought the Soul of the Child He saith Soul That he might not give Advantage to them who say That our Saviour did not Assume a Soul but that the Divinity supply'd the place of the Soul And he Arose and took the Lad and his Mother That is according to the command of the Angel without repugnancy But when he heard that Archelaus Administred as a King in Judea in the place of his Father he was afraid to go thither First Lest with the Authority of his Father he might Inherit an Enmity towards the Children Secondly He feared the Mothers of the Children lest they seeing the Lad and calling to mind thereby that their Children were slain for him might either Murther him or accuse him before Archelaus and he slay him Neither did Elizabeth return for fear of the Jews till the end of her Life But how doth he say That Archelaus Governed in Judea whereas Pontius Pilate had the Government thereof We Answer that so soon after the Death of Herod the Kingdom was not divided into Provinces wherefore at his Death his Son took hold of his Government He saith in the place of Herod his Father to distinguish him from another Herod who was the Brother of Archilaus Antipator the Askalonite begat that Herod who slew the Children and he begat Nine Sons of seven Women that is to say Antipater Alexander Aristobulus Herod and Archilaus and Herod the Tetrach and Herod and Philip and one that was cut out of his Mothers Womb. But how many Herods were there who occasioned Errour being of the same Name They say four Herod the first a Priest who belonged to an Idol Temple of Askalon a City of the Philistins he begat Antipater whom the Edomites took Captive and Educated him in their Rites and Antipater begat Herod the King who flew the Children and he begat Herod the Tetrarch and his Brethren and this Tetrarch that is one of four slew John and in his days our Lord suffer'd and the Tetrarch begat that Herod who is called Agrippa who was clad in Royal Robes of whom mention is made in the Acts of the Apostles Jacobus Aurihensis faith That there were five Herods Herod who slew the Infants begat of Dusis the first Antipater who was calle by the Name of his Priesthood and of Mary the Queen the Daughter of Arcanus the King and High-Priest Alexander and Aristobulus these their Father slew together with their Mother being accused of Rebellion against him and of the other Mary the Daughter of the High-Priest Arcanus and Herod and Antipater and of Cleophta the Hierosolymitan Herod and Philip. And of Phelis Phesil these were the Sons of Herod the First the Herod who was called Antipater and was Tetrarch slew John him Julius Caesar bannish'd into Spain with his Wife Herodias where they died miserably Herod who was Brother of Philip by Father and Mother was King in Kanshrin being betrothed unto Bernice his Fathers Sister Herod Agrippa mentioned in the Book of the Acts to have died at Caesara was not the Son of Herod the First nor of the great Tetrarch but the Son of Aristobulus who was slain and he was Grandson to Herod the First Archelaus was not afraid of the King who was born as was his Father either because he thought he was slain with the Children or because he saw his Father died a miserable Death he feared the like misfortune might befal him And it was shewed him in a Dream that he should go into the Region of Galilee But if he were afraid to go into Judea by reason of Archelaus he had reason to fear going into Gallilee because of Herod but the place being changed the matter was concealed for all the fear was about Bethlehem and the Borders thereof In the City which was called Nazareth That is he came hither first to avoid Danger and that he might inhabit in his own Region better and be confident and he receiv'd Direction from the Angel to make this place his Habitation that this Prophecy might be fulfilled He shall be called a Nazarite Mathew faith he came from Bethlehem to Egypt but Luke to Jerusalem and from thence to
Death but Crucifie him that they might give out concerning him that he was a Seducer and Blasphemer therefore deserv'd to be Crucified and for that Crucifixion was a Reproachful Death they cryed Let him be Crucified Moreover That they might bring him under the Curse of the Law Cursed be every one that hangeth on a Tree and altho they did fulfil this out of an Evil Conscience yet Divine Dispensation confirm'd that by their Mouths what he had foretold he would bring to pass that He should dye the Death of the Cross Moreover As the Crucifying of him was the Cause of many Evils so the ingeminating of the Word Crucifie Crucifie was a great indication of their Fury He took Water and washed his Hands V. 24. For he was brought to a streight by the Commotion of the People against him because of his Words which imported that Christ was Innocent therefore he called for Water and Washed that by the Washing of his Hands he might signifie the Purity of his Intentions from being guilty of this Judgment which was beyond the Law of Righteousness yet Pilate was culpable because he appeared to be Pusillanimous Pilate proved guilty of Christ's Death and Timerous had respect to persons and was willing to please the Jews for he might justly have suffer'd him to have escaped from them if he had pleased as the Centurion permitted Paul to go his way for he also knew it was a Commotion Tumult yet would not therefore permit the Jews to put him to Death But some say Pilate durst not set him at Liberty because they said he made himself a King but it behoved him to have enquir'd whether he had found in him any kind of Rebellion whether he had provided any Ammunition whether he had Rais'd Souldiers Now since he discover'd no such thing and was induced to have respect to Persons Christ did not free him from Guilt it is certain therefore that his Fault was a sluggish Weakness or softness of Temper Others say That forasmuch as he saw that his Wife had sent unto him and the Jews were stirred up against him he knew not to which Party he shou'd encline and being thus brought into Doubts and Shame he shou'd according to the Custom then in use amongst them have freed Jesus for every Feast they let loose a Prisoner Pilate was a Type of the Gentiles who were not guilty of the Blood of Christ for tho' he were of the Gentiles it behov'd the Jews to Repent by reason of what Judas said I have Sinned and for that he hanged himself as also for the Dream of Pilate's Wife for the Washing the hands of Pilate himself for his Prayer in their behalf Father forgive them and for the Miracles which were wrought on the Cross His Blood be upon us That is to say let his Judgment be Avenged on us if we have not justly deliver'd him unto thee Moreover They say that even sensibly in matter of Fact and Reality this sticks unto them for the Smell of Blood continually Reeks from them Furthermore O Jew if he did offend wherefore dost thou draw his Blood on thy self and shew'd that he is blameless forasmuch as thou hast drawn his Blood on thy own Head Again they drew Blood on themselves and their Children and engaged for the Infidelity of their Children and that Rebellion should stick unto them but our Saviour did not confirm the Sentence upon them but receiv'd as many of them as Repented as Paul the Pharisees and very many of those who believed in Judea And Scourged Jesus with a Whip Here again Pilate Condemned himself for though he cou'd not save him 't was not lawful for him to Scourge him but this he did to gratifie the Jews and that he might place a favour on them This Scourging of him fignifies that he commanded and they bound him to a Pillar and Lashed him with Whips Again this was the Law with the Romans that he that was to be Crucified must first be Scourg'd with Whips which he practis'd with our Lord whom he Scourg'd and then deliver'd him over Then the Souldiers of the Governour That is to say the Executioners who Ministred under him went to the Pretorium in which Caesars Image stood and wherein was drawn together the Army The whole Band That is to say the Company of Roman Soldiers And they took off his Garments This is the Mystery as the Sheep was before the Shearers and the Shearers fleeced the Sheep of his Wool he taking off his Garments disgraced Principalities and Power for as the first Adam was Naked among the Trees so the Second Adam was left Naked in the place of Judgment And they put on him a Scarlet Robe When a King or Emperor of the Romans was inaugurated these Five Things were done unto him 1. He was Cloathed with Purple Robes 2. A Diadem of Pearls was put on his Head 3. A Scepter of Gold was put in his Hands 4. His Ministers fell on their Knees and Worshipped him 5. They Saluted him saying Hail our King And because they said that the Cause of his Death was Treason against Caesar therefore in this deluding manner did they put on him this Purple Robe and set on his Head the Crown of Thorns and made him hold in his Hand a Reed and Worshipped him saying Hail King of the Jews for behold now thou art made King of the Jews as thou soughtest to be and as Pilate called thee This Coat called Clamys had no Seam and one of the Kings Dedicated and gave it to God and the Temple in Jerusalem 't was Dyed in the Blood of a Fish called in the Latin Tongue Murex Garments dipped in this Blood yield two different Colours in two different places in the Light of the Sun it appears Purple but in the Shade Scarlet and not as some say that the Figuration thereof was Purple and the ground Scarlet But John instead of a Clamys saith Purple These were placed in the Temple and were bestowed by the Aegyptian and Grecian Kings on the Kings of the Macchabees these the Priests fetch'd from the Temple and presented them to Pilate and said Behold the Purple which befits him seeing that driving at the Kingdom he Rebels against Caesar Some say That this Coat was given by the Grecians to Jonathan Machabeus Others say That this Garment wherewith the Soldiers enroabed him was brought by the Priests from the Temple and did so because they fear'd he should fail to dye and therefore brought this Robe from the Temple and Cloath'd him therewith that if any thing should happen in hindrance of his Death they might have said He cannot be saved because he touch'd the Holy Vestment being no Priest and it 's certain that the Law requires he should dye Others say This happen'd by Divine Providence for seeing they were to strip the Altar of his Father he sent a Garment to cover it Furthermore They Cloathed him with a Clamys of Scarlet for
Alphoeus whom he calls Great because he was reckon'd among the Twelve this was called the Less for that he was of the Seventy He say'd to the Disciple behold thy Mother and Woman behold thy Son Hereby he teacheth us to have a care of and affection for our Parents to the end of our Lives especially if they bring us nearer to God but if they bring us farther from him we are not to own them according to that Whosoever doth not forsake Fathers c. He calls Mary the Mother of John and John her Son that by these Names he might mutually unite them to one another in Love as Mother and Son At what time did Christ recommend his Mother to John Some say When he hung on the Cross others say When they led him away to be crucified when the Women wept at which time seeing his Mother among them he committed her to him altho' it be not written in its proper place They filled a spunge with Vinegar and put it on Hyssop and set it to his Mouth and they put it on a Reed That which is here rendred Spunge is Sea-Wool this they dipped in Vinegar whereof it receiv'd abundantly and they put it to his Mouth that he might suck thereat and drink for Hyssop is a Plant or Tree growing in Palestine from the top whereof sprout out small shoots like singers round about and it is very convenient whereon to put any thing this the Executioners brought with them and tied it to the end of a Cane and filled a Spunge with Vinegar and put it on this Hyssop and put it to his Mouth to drink Others say That they called Zupa a certain kind of Basket which they put and bound to the top of a Cane and they put within it that is to say on the top of it a Spunge full of Vinegar and Gall and so reach'd it out Others say That Zupa is like a certain Gourd which is bound to the top of a Cane and therewith conveys Water from place to place for they put a Spunge as asoresaid on this Gourd and lifted it up with a Cane and so put it to his Mouth There is a Root called Zupa and is like to a Mandrake and contains Blood in its Leaves Others say That Zupa was some bitter thing which they pounded and strew'd upon a Spunge repleat with Vinegar and so gave it him to drink For this reason they gave him Vinegar in a Spunge because his Hands were bound and fix'd with Nails and he that was so crucified could not hold a Cup in his hand c. From the Sixth Hour there was Darkness over all the Earth until the Ninth Hour That the Jews might understand that it was he who caused Darkness in Egypt for there was Darkness when the Legal Passover was to be sacrificed and here was darkness when Christ was sacrificed on the Cross and to signifie that it was the Creator of all things who was Crucified therefore the Creatures contracted their Light that the Prophecy of Zachary might be fulfilled The Sun shall grow dark at Noon-day Concerning the Covering of the Sun at what time is it In the space from the twentieth of the Moon until the Thirtieth the Sun may be Darkned 'T is true that on the thirtieth the Sun may be Darkned on the day whereon they both meet under one point and altho it happen that the Sun is but once totally Eclipsed and yet it is not really Darkned but appears to us as if it were dark it being not deprived of Light nor doth it appear Dark in all places but in some peculiar places and this but once a year for when the Sun happens within one of those Circles which are called Darkning Terms and is placed behind the Moon and they are in direct opposition under the point The Moon being under the Sun the Sun is said to be Eclipsed The Moon when it is darkned the cause thereof is That it hapneth in the Circle or Darkning Limit and the shadow of the Earth that is to say its extension does not permit the Light of the Sun to Illustrate that part of the Circle wherein the Moon at that time holds its Course and it is obscur'd immediately and after it passeth that place it borrows Light from the Sun But at the Crucifixion of our Lord the matter of Fact was contrary for the Moon was so far from being in Conjunction with the Sun that it was distant from it the space of half the Sphear which was the space of the Suns Course which it runneth in an hundred and eighty days and sixty five Minutes and fifteen degrees that is to say Days and half the Zodiack And this was an Indication of the Majesty of him who was Crucified and that it was the Lord of Lights who was Crucified they therefore contracted themselves And this at the time of Christ's being Crucified had three properties which are strange to Reason First That it was at Full Moon Secondly That it remained three hours Thirdly That it spread over he whole Earth so that all the Grecian Chaldean Philosophers wrote That one of the Trinity fuffer'd that day and this is the meaning of what David wrote The Kings of the Earth Arose That is to say from their Thrones and wonder'd at the Miracle which was then wrought for this Darkness was like to that which was in the beginning of the Creation the whole Creation being Clothed with Mourning for its Lord. The Heavens became Clothed with Cypress and the Moon grew Red as Blood and tho' it was not the time of its Birth it appear'd de novo in the East it ran for fear to the West and there was in Conjunction with the Sun and both of them sate in Sadness as good Servants who are fellow-Sufferers with their Lord. Again it is certain That this Darkness at the time of his Crucifiction was not an Eclipse as is evident by these Tokens First An Eclipse does not continue three Hours as did this Darkness Secondly An Eclipse never is over the whole Earth as was this Darkness Thirdly An Eclipse of the Sun happeneth on the 30th of the Moon but this Darkness was the 15th of the Month the Sun being distant from the Moon the whole extent of its Course That is to say an hundred and eighty days and stood opposite in the division of the Sphear of the Firmament Concerning the Darkness of the Sun and Moon and the Natural Cause of their being so we have largely discours'd in the book of our Epistle which we made wherein Faith is Treated of together with the Natures of things Intellectual and Sensitive which is Intituled The Book of Resolutions And about the Ninth Hour Jesus cryed Elohi Elohi which is Interpeted in the Syrian Language God God wherefore as said St. Mark The Arians say That the Son and the Word spoke this as of his own person with regard to the Father But the Nestorians and Calcedonians say That the Son
priviledg'd than he who Prophesied of his Passion and knew that he was to be Crucified and to dye but it is certainly known that he is greater than the Prophets as ye have said and were it true that he had not known wherefore he was forsaken then was it false which was written concerning him that he is the Wisdom of the Father and if he knew not then neither did the Father know for he said As the Father knoweth me so know I the Father but if ye shall say That the fear of Death hinder'd him from knowing his Death let them take notice That it hath not been written either of the Martyrs or Prophets who sustained Passions that they were hindered so that they cou'd not know of their Death Now let us reprove the Arians who say That it was the Son who was forsaken of his Father Against whom we say How did he forsake him Since that the Son himself said I am in my Father and my Father in me and whether did he depart who is every where without Limitation And how did the Father forsake his Power and his Wisdom spontaneously For behold Paul said That Christ is the Power and Wisdom of God the Father for as he spoke this I thirst for two Causes First That he might fulfil the Prophecy as said the Evangelists And Secondly That he might give us Drink who were Thirsty and as he asked Water of the Samaritan Woman not in behalf of himself but to induce her to ask Water of Life from him for behold it is not written that he drank of the Waters which he asked of her which is evident from hence that as soon as she perceiv'd him she began to demand of him Living Waters and behold it is not Written That he drank of the Waters which he asked of her wherefore he asked it not for any other end but that he was willing to confer on her the Drink of Life So when he said to the Jews I thirst he sought to give us Water of Life Moreover he said I thirst in respect of his Human Nature which Thirsted after the knowledg of the Holy Ghost for as he demanded in the matter of her who was Healed Who touched me when the multitude pressed upon him that by the asking of a Question the Faith of her may be Revealed who touched him so here he asks Why hast thou forsaken me not that he was Ignorant but that the Auditory hearing this Interrogation might inquire and be informed that it was not He who was forsaken but the Human Nature Moreover He calls the Father his God because He was Man for as he was not to be Blamed or Reprehended when he exercis'd Divine Function because he was God so was he not to be Reproved or Contemned when he spake as a Man forasmuch as he was a Man He calls Elias for the Word Eli my God and Elia are near a like in the Hebrrw Language for Eli is Interpreted God and Elohia is Interpreted Divine And one of them ran and brought a Spunge and filled it with Vinegar For he was a Jew who offered him Vinegar and Myrrh as is evident from hence that the Jews said Behold he calls Elias They many times offered him Vinegar in derision and he drank but here he did not And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost that is to say he shewed that voluntarily and freely he gave up his Soul and not by constraint for he dismissed it and it was not taken from him as ours which is taken by force It is said of us Creatures Thou takest their Spirit and they die but he was Creator and did give it up of his own free will Some Men ask of what kind of Death died our Lord Whether that of ours or of his own And we answer That ours is the Separation of the Soul from the Body but the death of God is the Separation of the Divinity from the Humanity and this he did not suffer wherefore we say that he died our death for his Soul was separated from his Body and not his Divinity from his Humanity For tho' his Soul was separated when he died on the Cross till he arose from the Grave yet his Divinity was not at all separated neither from his Soul nor from his Body for his Divinity was united to his Soul and to his Body with an unseparable Union that is to say his Divinity to his Humanity for his Divinity remained with the Body and with the Soul went into Hell and preached to the Souls there detained which did not obey the preaching of Noah as Peter say'd in the Acts for the Divinity is unlimitted and therefore with his Body and Soul and by him are all things and without him nothing and within him are all things we say also of Christ that he was God for it is say'd of the word of God that it is God and the very same is Man who is God John said And God was that Word and that he was Man the same John said The Word was made Flesh and dwelt in us and Paul sayth God sent his Son and he was made of a Woman therefore that word of the Father is God and was made Man and as he is God he is not limitted by space or place nor to be comprehended with words or thoughts but as He was made Man He was with the Body in the Sepulcher and with the Soul in Heaven Moreover Jesus cried twice with a loud Voice First My God my God wherefore c. as Matthew writes Secondly Father into thy hands I commit my Soul as Luke saith The first time as in the Person of Adam My God my God The second time in his own Person My Father into thy hands He calls him My Father to shew that he is God and equal in Essence with the Father and God to shew that the same was made Man And in saying I commend my Spirit he sheweth that voluntarily and of his own free will he laid it down and that no other took it from him by constraint as is our case Stephen in saying Christ into thy hands I commit my Spirit signify'd Christ accept of my Spirit From Adam to this time the Souls of the Righteous and of the wicked were sent to Hell as we have say'd before and from the time that Christ cried Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit until the end of the World the Souls of the Righteous are in the hands of God as Solomon said that is to say they are near unto him and dwell in Paradise He bowed his Head and gave up his Spirit With us first the Soul departs from us and afterwards our Heads fall down but with Christ it was not so but first he bowed his Head and presently gave up his Soul that is to say of his own accord and free will he delivered it up and not by constraint Furthermore In saying I lay down my Spirit he sheweth that after a