Ten senses He applies himself after Prayer to root out of the mind anger and wrath which if it be not done Prayer is not accepted The Form of PRAYER which our Saviour made after his Baptism when the Heavens were opened as it is delivered by Dionysius Syrus according to the Testimony of St. Philoxenus and Translated by D. L. O Father according to the good pleasure of thy Will I am made Man and from the time in which I was born of a Virgin unto this day I have finished those things which are agreeing to the nature of Man and with due observance have perform'd all thy Commandments the Mysteries and Types of the Law And now I am baptized and so I have ordain'd Baptism that from thence as from the place of spiritual Eirth the Regeneration of Men may be accomplish'd and as John was the last of the Legal Priests so am I the first of the Evangelical Thou therefore O Father by the mediation of my Prayer open the Heavens and from thence send thy Holy Spirit upon this womb of Baptism that as he did untye the womb of the Virgin and thence form me so also he would loose this Baptismal womb and so sanctifie it unto men that from thence now men may be begotten who may become thy Sons and my Brethren and Heirs of thy Kingdom And what the Priests under the Law until John could not do grant unto the Priests of the New Testament whose chief I am in the oblation of this Prayer that whensoever they shall celebrate Baptism or pour forth Prayers unto thee as the Holy Spirit is seen with me in open Vision so also it may be made manifest that the same Spirit will adjoyn himself in their society a more secret way and will by them perform the ministeries of the New Testament for which I am made Man and as the High Priest I do offer these Prayers in thy sight Dionysius Syrus his Question and Answer concerning the Prayer which JOHN the Baptist taught his DISCIPLES Translated by D.L. Quest VVHat was the Prayer which John taught his Disciples Answ Some recite it thus O Lord fit us for thy Kingdom and that we may enjoy the happiness thereof with thy Son Others thus O Father shew me the day of the Baptism of thy Son But what if one should say What need was there of this Prayer after he had baptized the Son had seen the Spirit and had heard the Father Others say That he prayed thus Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Others thus O Father let me hear thy Voyce O Son shew me thy Person O Spirit shew me thy Descent and raise up thy Power But neither is this approved the first Exposition carries with it the greater verisimilitude Gregorius the SYRIACK SCHOLIAST called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Four Gospels Translated by DUDLEY LOFTUS J.U.D. MATTHEW the First The Son of David the Son of Abraham HE mentioneth David for that they hoped Christ would arise from him according to that Was not Christ to rise from the seed of David and from Bethlehem He mentions Abraham also for that it hath been said In his seed shall all Nations be blessed And Luke because that he wrote unto the Gentiles mounted up unto Adam the common Father and from him to God the Creator of all things Jacob begate Judah and his Brethren He did not mention the Brethren of Isaac and Jacob for that the Nation of the Hebrews were not to derive their Genealogy from them as from the Brethren of Judah for these were Hebrews the other were Edomites the sons of Ishmael and Esau Judah begate Pharez and Zarah of Thamar Pharez was a Type of the New Testament whose resemblance he was made in regard he first put out his hand which was afterwards withdrawn And after Zarah who was a Type of the Old Testament came out and therefore he expresses both their names and the Evangelist abstains from making mention of Zarah Rebecca and other vertuous Women but mentioneth Rahab Ruth and Beersheba to reprove the Jews who upbraided the Lineage of the Gentiles with the peculiarity of the people of God and thought that the meritorious cause of becoming the servants of God was Lineage or Wisdom whereas he shews That David the Great descended from Thamar the Ammonite who committed Fornication with her Father-in-law and from Rahab the Harlot who received the Spies in Jericho and from Ruth the Moabite though against the Moabites and Ammonites it was decreed That they should not enter into the House of the Lord for ever and King Solomon the wise was begotten of Beersheba the Hittite who at first had unlawful Communication with David Joram begate Hosiah Joram did not beget Hosiah but Ahaziah and Ahaziah begate Joash and Joash begate Amoziah and Amoziah begate Hosiah In the Catena he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Africanus of Emaus and St. Severus say That the Evangelists omitted these three for that they descended from Attaliah the Sister of Ahab she who for her wickedness was also called the sister of Jezabel but if it were so How cometh he to make mention of Ahaziah and Manaasse who were more wicked Georgius de Gentilibus saith Concerning this the Authour of the Catena after the citation of many Opinions rests upon none but saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id est quam voluerit sententian sequatur lector That the first Scribe failed by reason of the similitude of letters and instead of Ahaziah wrote Hosiah but neither doth this Opinion prevail with me because that if these three be brought into computation with the others they make up Seventeen Generations and if they were not omitted by the Evangelist How did he set down Seventeen and reckon but Fourteen It is therefore known that the computation of Origen ought rather to take place and to be credited who saith That the Evangelist omitted those persons to accommodate the computation to the pleasure of the believing Hebrews who much respected the number Fourteen Josia begate Jocania and his Brethren in the Captivity of Babylon Jocania who was the Grandson of Josia he calls his son for Josia begate Jehoiachim who was Aliakim and Jehoiachim begate Jocania and the Uncles of Jocania on the Fathers side Jehu Achaz and Zedekia are called his brothers children according to the custom of Scripture as Abraham said unto Lot the son of his brother We are Brethren And because the Prophet Daniel reckoneth the seventy years of Captivity in the Transmigration from the Prophesie of Jeremiah which began the 13th of Josia Matthew saith That he begate Josiah although it was Achaziah Jocania begate Shelathiel Jeremiah the Prophet said concerning Jocaniah That his Throne shall perish without children and that no man of his seed shall sit upon the Throne of David How therefore can Christ of whom it is said The Lord will give him the Throne of his Father David derive his Genealogy from him for one of the
souzes She cast in more than all the men cast in And how did she cast in more than all whereas they cast in twice as much as she He presently explains the difficulty and saith For all they cast in of their abundance Christ here teacheth us two things First That this gift which was made out of her penury was more abundant and greater in God's esteem than that which proceeded from Redundancy Secondly That God doth not regard the greatness or smallness of a gift but the will and mind wherewith it is given and it is certain That if it be given with a chearful will it is accounted much and great with God although it be small but if otherwise it is meanly esteemed by God though much in quantity CHAP. XIII BVt of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels neither the Son but the Father The Hereticks to wit the Arrians when they are desirous to vilifie the Son they produce this Argument To whom we answer For inasmuch as he is God he knew all things that are before they were made but inasmuch as he was man he saith he knows not and the very same that is God is man and no other as he is life by nature and became death for us forasmuch as he was man so though he doth know all things as being God he said that he did not know as man And as he was before Abraham in respect of his Godhead according as he said Before Abraham was I am yet he was after him as being man for if he had said I know he had been like to the Father onely and not at all like unto us but he said I know not that he might be likened unto us and that there might be no place left for mistakes or to say that he was not made man for this property of man not to know things in futurity was common to him for he communicated in our want of knowledge even as in other humane infirmities and this is manifest from hence that he did not say Neither the Son of God knoweth but neither the Son simply as he was the Son of God so was he a so the Son of man and in that respect wanted knowledge though he knew all things as God Moreover it is certain That as he was man he said he did not know forasmuch as he did not say concerning the Holy Ghost that he did not know Again we say That God the Father is greater than the day of the coming of the Son and is more hidden and concealed than that day and yet the Son saith Even as the Father knoweth the Son the Son knoweth the Father If therefore he knoweth the Father who is high and exalted above all things and is more hidden and concealed than this day how much more then doth he know this day And if any one shall object That the Father knows the Son perfectly but that the Son knoweth the Father but in part let him know That for the same reason he might conclude that the Father knoweth not the Son but in part for the same knowledge is attributed to the Father and the Son as the Father knoweth the Son c. We say further That if the Father knows this day and hour the Son must necessarily know it because there is one knowledge of the Father and of the Son and of the Spirit for they are of one and the same nature the same will the same power and operation and therefore necessarily have they one and the same knowledge Moreover for that the Son created the Worlds and Times and Years and Months and Hours and Dayes it is manifest That he knows the day and hour of his appearance but if any one shall object That he hath not yet created the day of his coming he may be convinced by the force of two reasons First From this which is written That he finished the heaven and the earth and all that was in them and God finished his works on the seventh day Secondly Let it be granted That it were so though it be not a Truth yet he knew as God before hand those Things which are not and he knows every thing before hand Again How doth he know the Prognostications and the Signs which are to be at the day of his coming and yet not know the day for he declareth how that there shall be lightning and that the Sun shall be darkned and other such like things and the Stars shall fall from Heaven and the powers of Heaven shall be shaken and the sign of the Son of man shall appear and other the like things which are to happen in that day and hour and how is it possible That one should know what things are in the House and not know the House or how doth a man know the thing that is within a City or a Ship without knowing the City or the Ship And how can he who knoweth what things are without and within a Wall say that he doth not know the Wall in the middle Moreover as he knew the hour of his Birth and the day of his first coming in Bethlehem so doth he know his second coming Furthermore Paul saith That Christ is the power and wisdom of the Father and in this that he saith the power he sheweth That there is nothing out of his Jurisdiction and Providence and by that of wisdom he declares That there is nothing out of the reach of his knowledge but that all things which are and are to come are comprehended within the compass of his knowledge for if he can err in any thing he is not perfect wisdom especially since that he is the Divine wisdom of the Father and in him is hidden all wisdom and he it is that gives wisdom to the wise as saith the Son of Syrach All wisdom is of the Lord and Christ is the Lord whence it was that the Angels said to the Shepherds there is born unto you a Saviour who is Christ the Lord. Neither the Angels In this which the Angels said unto the Shepherds viz. To you is born c. which neither the Angels knew did he forbid them to declare that day and by this That neither the Son that is to say my self he stopt their mouths from asking him for in like manner they asked him after the Resurrection Art thou at this time about to restore the Kingdom And he stopt their mouths saying It doth not belong unto you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath appointed c. But the Father Inasmuch as he spoke of the knowledg of the Father he prevented them that they might not ask him and it is like to that of the mother of the sons of Zebedee for being unwilling to answer whether he would grant the request or no he answered It is not mine to give when assuredly it was he who was to place the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left and to call Come ye
of the Kings there were Forty and four to wit Ahazia and Joash and Amotsia and Eliakim who was Jehoiakim being added CHAP. IV. HE departed from him for a season That is to say until the time of the Passion when he incited the Jewes to apprehend him The acceptable year of the Lord. That is to say The year wherein Repentance for sin was to be accepted by the Lord. Naaman the Oromojan That is to say the Syrian The Nestorian reads the Syriack word with Pathocho over Olaph and a quiescent R. That is to say the Gentile but that reading is not to be approved of because the Greek reads it o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Syrian CHAP. VII OR expect we another Some say That this disjunctive particle beareth in this place the sense of a negative and that John did not say thus interrogatively but positively as if he would have said Thou art he and we do not expect another but this is not the meaning of the words CHAP. IX AND a returning spirit That is to say on certain dayes it left him and then Tormented him as an ague CHAP. X. THen to this City That is to say and not to this City Peradventure they had repented in sackeloth and ashes The Nestorians read the word repented in the masculine plural but not rightly because the Greek reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And behold a certain Scribe arose to tempt him The Commentators of Cineria are of Opinion That this was the same who is mentioned in Matthew and Mark to have said to our Lord Good Master What shall I do to inherit eternal life And that this was not he is certain from this consideration that there is mention made of him by Luke hereafter in the paragraphy of the tenth Sabbath Thou art sollicitous about many things That is to say more than are necessary But one thing is requisite That is to say The exigency of the day CHAP. XI TEach us to pray The prayer Our Father which art in Heaven Matthew and Luke onely mention it and Luke doth not add For thine is the Kingdom c. The Queen of the South The Sarakians say That the name of this Queen was Balkis CHAP. XII COmmand my brother to divide inhèritance with me This man was covetous and because his brother followed our Lord he hoped that our Lord would have said unto him Leave whatsoever thou hast unto thy brother and come after me But when he discovered the evil intention of his Covetousness which made him forsake the secular Judges to come unto him he did not vouchsafe to answer his request The Baptism wherewith I shall be baptized That is to say I am to dye a voluntary death wherein I am to rise from the Earth as out of the Water CHAP. XIII TO day and to morrow That is to say This year and the next Out of Jerusalem That is to say it was necessary that the Jewes the sons of Jerusalem should partake in the murther of the Prophets for though Jeremy was slain in Egypt yet was he stoned by those Jewes of Jerusalem who fled from the Chaldeans and Daniel dyed a natural death in Babilon CHAP. XVI AND taketh another committeth adultery That is to say he who without a lawful cause puts away the first There was a certain rich man Because he was wicked his name is not mentioned according to that I will not remember their name with my lips And moreover That he might shew that he was to blot the names of the wicked out of the Book of Life and many of the Doctors say That this rich man was not in any real subsistency neither Lazarus the Beggar but that it was onely a Parable and it is certain That as yet the wicked have not received Torment nor the Righteous Bliss as Paul saith They received not the promise that they might not be perfected without us Saint Cyril saith That this Rich man was in very deed and that his name was Naphtali of the Tribe of Dan and that Lazarus was descended from the Gibeonites and behold his Water-pot is preserved hitherunto and whosoever is ulcerous or lame in his Feet is Cured thereby And was cloathed with fine linen That is to say pure white Cotten which by reason of the exceeding fineness thereof is like to the air CHAP. XVII MIght say unto this Sycamore tree be thou plucked up by the roots and be planted in the sea He brought this Tree for an instance by reason it hath more Roots than other Trees CHAP. XVIII AND was not restrained by shame of men Who adored the fire which is insensible But I fast twice in the Week That is to say The Pharisees fasted the second and fifth day of the Week CHAP. XXII HE who is greatest amongst you It is likely that they did not remember what was said unto Peter That thou art Cephas and on thee will I build my Church and I will give thee the Keyes of Heaven Here are two Swords St. Junnis saith That they were Knives for the Passeover which were prepared there CHAP. XXIII AND they gave him vineger That he might drink thereof and dye the sooner CHAP. XXIV AND from Jerusalem sixty furlongs In some of the Greek copies it is an Hundred and sixty Peace be with ye amen The word amen is not found in all copies And he took and did eat before them He did eat that he might remove from them the Opinion of a Phantasm and not that he stood in need of meat And he lifted up his hands and blessed them That is to say he made them Bishops and when he sent them two and two he made them Deacons to wit purifiers from evil spirits and when he breathed on them and gave them power to forgive sins he ordained them Priests JOHN wrote his Gospel in the Greek Tongue at the Request of those of Asia And Eusebius saith That Peter and Paul came unto him to Ephesus and did perswade him to write JOHANNIS CHAP. I. The Word was made flesh and dwelt in us HE here declares his natural union and personality with humane nature and not the change of his nature And of his fulness have we all received This is the saying of the Evangelist and not of the Baptist And grace That is to say new for grace that is to say old Truth and grace was by Jesus Christ He doth not say That the Law of Moses was false but that it was the shadow of this body These things were done in Bethany beyond Joâ—dan In ancient Copies it is written These things were done in the passage of Jordan And this is to be approved for Bethany was not in the Wilderness where John baptized for it was about Twelve miles from Jordan One of those who heard That is to say Andrew and John himself was the other but he would not express his name being restrained by humility Can any good thing come out of Nazareth He saith this as having read that
and be comforted in the Vision of the Divine image Again Vision is taken in seven several significations but generally it may be reduced into three viz. to Sense Reason and Faith and God is onely seen by Faith and Faith is the persuasion of those things which are in Hope Again He is seen in his Works according to that They shall seek after God and find him out in his creatures The Organ of this sight is a pure Heart which doth not adhere to earthly Things Furthermore They call sight the light and revelation which the Soul receiveth from within by the knowledge of him and of these spiritual Things according to that Clear mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things which are in thy Law VII Blessed are the Peace-makers For Peace is the equality of Will which is perfected in Love and the Proprieties of Peace and its Faculties are Love Quietness Unanimity and Charity These are the contraries to Peace Scandal Commotion and the Properties of him who is in Commotion are distorted Eyes tuberous Lips gnashing Teeth a distended Neck a moving and shaking Head Hands beating the Air stamping Feet therefore he calls them Peace-makers who cause War and Seditions to cease Moreover Him who worketh quietness between the Soul and the Body for the Spirit loves whatsoever keeps down the Body Moreover Whomsoever worketh quietness between himself and others For they shall be called the Sons of God But how can man that is made of dust be the Son of God We say That by Grace this was bestowed on him as it was in the beginning Free-will our own Liberty and Immortality are by Grace and what is this Filiation That is to say That man was made of mortal corruptible and temporal immortal incorruptible and eternal and that which is more he was made a divine man for he who was worthy to be the Son of God possesseth the glory of his Father as bodily Sons do inherit the riches of their Fathers VIII Blessed are they who are persecuted for Righteousness i. e. The Martyrs and Confessors who are persecuted by the Devil or Tyrants and our Lord calleth Righteousness himself as hath been said before Moreover He calleth Righteousness all the victories of vertues those who are persecuted for vertue either for the care of our Brethren or for Truth 's sake Moreover This eighth Beatitude hath affinity with the number Eight and as the Head of all Beatitudes is placed in the summity of divine vertues This David sheweth in the eight Psalm and also Moses by the Circumcision the eighth day cutting off and circumcising the dead skin wherewith we were cloathed for Transgression of the Commandment and here the eighth Beatitude gaineth us a return to Heaven and a regress to our former Righteousness Again This number of eight is celebrated in Nature and in Books and among the Heathen Philosophers Moreover There are eight passions of the right hand and eight of the left those of the right are Simplicity of the Mind Mourning Humility Righteousness Mercy Pureness of Thought Peace and perfect Suffering Those of the left hand are Pride Fornication Vain glory Intemperance Covetousness Anger Envy Disdain There is a Cure set down for every one of the left-handed passions viz. one of those of the right hand and the Soul is rectified and the Body perfected of him who takes care thereof Pride which is the first Devil a man overcometh by Simplicity which is of mean nature And Fornication the second being of a Swinish nature by the passion of the heart and Mourning Vain glory a Thorn which pricketh on every side and is without Fruit by Humility which is the good ground and cultivated with all vertues Gulosity a burning fire and never satisfied by an appetite regulated by Justice and Vprightness The rich man an Oppressor of and hated by all men by clemency and mercy towards all men A turbulent passion of the mind and commotion of a confus'd person by sincerity of thoughts and cordial love Envy the Fountain of all Contention and Strife by Peace the reconciler of differences Disdain the Father of pusillanimity and neglect by patient suffering the mother and root of all good Things IX Blessed are ye when men deride you i. e. When men call you Sorcerers Criminal Erroneous and by other reviling Terms for scorns and reproaches sometimes are a greater punishment than blows and many times men strangle themselves for that they have been reproached or reviled for what reason is this Beatitude of Reproach set in the last place By reason of the asperity thereof for if a man have not attain'd the perfection of the former he cannot endure this for he needeth to be a fortified man who can bear a reproach according as Job who bore the reproaches of his friends and David those of Shimei And persecute you i. e. Because they were to convert the Gentiles from worshipping of Idols to Faith in the Father in the Son and in the Holy Ghost therefore persecutions arise against you And speak against you every evil word Not for your offences but by reason of me it being untrue what they shall say against you as Paul said Let none of you suffer as an evil doer but as a Christian Then rejoyce and be glad for your reward i. e. in Truth when the Apostles were reproached and reviled for Christ they greatly rejoyced and now a reward is given unto them and then the glory which is to be revealed in us and these words are taken to concern all those who suffer Tentation for Christ For so persecuted they the Prophets This passage doth not only regard the Apostles but also the Doctors That as the Prophets suffered for the Father so ye shall suffer for me And by this he sheweth his Majesty and the Equality of his Glory with the Father And inasmuch as he said The Prophets which were before them He shewed That even they also had Prophets Again Though in every of the Beatitudes the Kingdom is not promised be not dismayed for though the rewards in the Beatitudes be divers and different one from the other yet all and every of them will bring him who observeth any of them to the Kingdom of Heaven And after he taught them their Duty he applieth himself to the praysing of them that they might not be troubled and say How can we attain the fulfilling of the Commandments which is requisite for our entrance into Heaven DIONYSIUS HIS EXPOSITION ON THE PROPHESIE of ZACHARIAS Translated by D. L. BLessed be the Lord God of Israel That is to say He is worthy of all Acknowledgments of thankful Benediction because he hath shewed his care and providence for us Who hath visited his people That is to say By the eye of the Spirit he saw that the Blind were to be restored to sight and the rest of the Miracles which our Saviour wrought And wrought them Redemption That is to say from Satan Death and Sin And hath raised
two must necessarily be false either the Prophesie or the Genealogy Saint Severus answereth That the Throne from whence the seed of Jocaniah was to fail was not the heavenly one which appertained to our Lord but an earthly one My Kingdom is not of the world And Shelathiel the son of Jocaniah here mentioned was the son of Neri named in St. Luke the son of Neri and Jocaniah were Brethren as from the Mother and when Neri dyed without sons Jocaniah married his Wife and of her begate Shelathiel it being clear that Matthew did set down the Natural Genealogy and Luke the Legal Zurubabel begate Abiud Luke maketh Resa to be son of Zurubabel and Saint Severus saith That both of them were his sons and that Matthew reckoned upon the one and Luke upon the other Jacob begate Joseph Luke sets down Joseph to be the son of Heli and it is said that Jacob and Heli were Brethren on the Mothers side and when Heli dyed without children Jacob took his Wife and of her begate Joseph who according to the Law was the son of Heli and naturally the son of Jacob. Moreover Luke sheweth That although Joseph be reduced to Heli yet so the Genealogy of Christ may be brought to David by Nathan and he doth not fix the Genealogy upon Mary for that the Families were not to be deduced from Women yet by the mention of the Genealogy of Joseph that of the Virgin is made known because their Ancestors were Brethren one to another the Father of the Virgin was called by many names Joiakim Jonchir Tsadock Josedack and her Mother was called Hana and Dina. Of whom was born Jesus who is called the Greek who is said to be Christ that is to say Jesus which is interpreted a Redeemer it is a name of his Humanity but Son the Word and Splendor are names of his Divinity but Christ and Emanuel are both of them names of Association and from the unction of the Humanity with the Godhead cometh the name Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nondum when as they had not come together The Greek hath it before they came together she was found with child Some say that she was a Votress and that Joseph espoused her for Tuition and not for marital Conversation but St. Severus saith That he espoused her as it were for marital converse or else it had not been said When as yet they did not come together but forasmuch as a miracle preceded their coming together he was prohibited from carnal commerce For he that is born in her That is to say the word born is to be taken for conceived and for this reason it is said in her and not of her And thou shalt call his Name Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Thou Joseph but Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Thou Mary shalt call And knew her not until she brought forth her first-born son That is to say Neither did he know her after she brought him forth according to that The Raven went forth and returned not until the waters were dryed up and it is clear that he did not return after the waters were dryed up The like is said of Malchil the daughter of Saul she brought not forth until she dyed And he is called her first-born son not that she brought forth another after him but for that before him she brought forth no other and Jose and James were called his Brethren as in respect of Joseph but not in regard of Mary CHAP. II. THere came wise men from the East Some say That there came three Princes with a Thousand men And holy James saith That there were Twelve Princes who left Seven thousand at Euphrates and came to Jerusalem with a Thousand St. Junnais and Cyrillus say That they came when he was an Infant and wrap't in swadling cloaths for the Star conducted them before he was born And Eusebius and Epiphanius and Prince Ephraim and Prince James say That those wise men came two years afterwards when they had carried him to Jerusalem and were in Bethlehem and therefore the Evangelist saith That they entred into a House and not into a Cave and in the same night the Angel appeared unto Joseph and he fled from thence into Egypt And it is very manifest That when he was born he went from Bethlehem to Nazareth as Luke saith and after Two years when the wise men came he fled from Bethlehem to Egypt as Matthew saith We have seen his star in the East Some say That an Angel appeared unto them in the likeness of a star and according to the relation of others They saw in the star a young maid bearing a man child in her arms having a crown on his head Others say That they saw in the star letters declarative of his birth Others say That Balaam their Father or Zardushti their Prophet foretold the same And would not be comforted because they were not That is to say They could not revive He shall be called a Nazaren Matthew knew this either from an unknown Prophet or from Tradition or from the Holy Ghost And Prince Ephraim saith That a Branch or a Bough is in the Hebrew called Nozor it being apparent that this is the Prophesie That a branch shall proceed from the root of Jesse And hence it is That the words he shall be called a Nazaren import That he shall be called a Branch CHAP. III. IN those dayes came John the Baptist That is to say He doth not speak of those dayes when Jesus returned from Egypt for he was then Five years of age being Two years old when he went thither and remaining there Three years but he calls the whole space of Twenty and five years that he dwelt in Nazareth after his coming from Egypt those dayes for when he was Thirty years of age he was baptized by John Repent the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand That is to say the Gospel of Christ which leadeth to Heaven And John was the first who used this expression of the Kingdom of Heaven And his meat was Locusts and wilde Honey Some say That he calls sweet Roots and Sprouts by the name of Locusts and in the Diateseron it is written Milk and Honey Sadduces They were Samaritans To flie from the wrath to come That is to say From the destruction of Jerusalem which was to come to pass by Vespasian From these stones That is to say From the steril Gentiles And he saw the Spirit of God Matthew and Mark and John say only of John the Baptist that he saw the Spirit And Luke saith That the Heavens were opened and the Spirit descended after he was baptized whil'st he prayed But whether he saw or they saw he doth not mention And St. Junnis saith That the whole multitude saw the Spirit because that when they could not by the voyce which they heard know who it was the Testimony concern'd The Spirit rested upon him and shewed him unto them
command from Augustus Caesar Augustus was the proper name of this King but the name Caesar was a common name for every King who was set over the Romans was called Caesar even unto this as the King of the Egyptians was called Pharaoh and of the Persians Kosro and this Caesar governed the Romans the Egyptians the Hebrews and the Assyrians The Command went out That the inhabited World should be Taxed because he was desirous to know the number of men within his Jurisdiction according as David sent Joab and numbred the people Others say because he was willing to send every one into his own City and Countrey but these opinions are not the likeliest to be true but that which is most probable is That he was willing to raise Pole-money which is manifest from that which Gamaliel said in the Acts of the Apostles That Judah of Galilee arose in the dayes when men were taxed for Pole-money and there was not another tax neither before nor after that And St. Ephraim in his Exposition testifieth as much and Christ was born in the time of this Tax and he excited this King thereunto though he were unworthy as he did unto Balaam and the Wise men that Joseph and Mary coming up from Nazareth to Bethlehem might there be Taxed and our Lord be born there to fulfill the word of Micah Thou Bethlehem c. And that the Jewes might not contend and say That he was not Christ neither of the Lineage of David therefore he ascended thither and he was born in the Forty third year of Augustus and the Thirty third of Herod Augustus is expounded an arising brightness and splendor and Christ is the splendor of the Father and did arise from on high Augustus had not yet governed Sixteen years and Christ unto whom he was Type hath no end of his Kingdom And if Caesar Taxed them for Pole-money Christ also said Give unto Caesar that which is Caesars And if it were to know how many men were within the compass of his Jurisdiction Christ also in regard of the Providence he hath over us said The hairs of your heads are numbred and if it were for the return of every one into his own Countrey or Region Christ also brought forth Souls out of Hell and caused them to return unto their former place And it came to pass in those dayes Not in those wherein John was Nursed up until the day of his Proclamation in those dayes Christ was Thirty years old Neither in the dayes that Elizabeth brought forth for then Mary had conceived Three Months but dayes he calls in this place the dayes after Elizabeth brought forth FINIS The ARMENIAN CREED Translated out of that Language by D.L. J.U.D. WE profess and believe with a sincere heart God the Father not made nor begotten and without beginning the Begetter of the Son and Fountain of the Holy Ghost We believe God the Word not made but begotten and having a beginning from the Father before the world being not after nor younger than the Father the Father being Father onely and the Son Son onely We believe the Holy Ghost not made eternal not begotten but proceeding coessential with the Father and equal in glory with the Son We believe the Holy Trinity One Nature One Godhead not Three Gods but One God One Will One Kingdom One Authority Creator of all things visible and invisible We believe the Holy Church the remission of sins the communion of Saints We believe that One of the Three Persons the Word God begotten of the Father before the world descending in time took of the blood of the Virgin Mary the Mother of God and united it unto his Godhead was Nine moneths contain'd in the Womb of an uncorrupted Virgin and that he was perfect God and perfect man with soul mind and body One Soul and One Person compos'd in One Subsistence God was made Man without mutation without confusion without seed of Conception of incorrupt Nativity There is no beginning of his Divinity nor end of his Humanity for Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and for ever We believe our Lord Jesus Christ convers'd on earth and that after Thirty Years conversation here He was Baptized the Father testifying This is my well-beloved Son and the Holy Ghost descending as a Dove That He was tempted of Satan and that he assiduously preached Salvation unto men That He laboured in Body and suffered in weariness That he was hungry and thirsty That He afterward voluntarily came among his enemies That he was Crucified and Dyed in his Body but lived in the Divinity He preached unto souls and took Hell captive and free'd the Spirits After Three dayes he arose from the Dead and appeared to the Disciples I believe our Lord Jesus Christ is with the self same Body ascended into Heaven and that he sits on the Right Hand of the Father Moreover That He is with the same Body and with the glory of the Father to judge the living and the dead at the Resurrection of all men I believe also a retribution of Works eternal life for the Just and eternal torment for Sinners FINIS INTRODUCTIO DIONYSIISYRI IN EXPOSITIONEM SUAM QUATUOR EVANGELISTARUM Per DUDLEIUM LOFYUSIUM J. U. D. in Linguam Latinam versa DVBLINII Et prostant venales apud Josophum Wilde M. D C. LXXII Virtute quidem auxilio sanctae Trinitatis in essentia aequalis Patris Filii ac Spiritus sancti unius veri Dei exorsi sumus scribere explicationem Evangelii colendi sancti è quatuor sanctis Evangelistis Matthaeo Marco Luca Johanne collecti quam edidit sanctus Dominus Dionysius viz. Jacobus filius Crucis qui secernens eam quasi in Sectiones ab omnibus libris Expositorum ad instar flabelliferi divenit Caput primum ipsius Sancti praenominati ABsolutâ explicatione Legis antiquae Prophetarum Frater noster prout expedire visum est breviter stiloque quem potui adhibere simpliciore novam aggressisumus i.e. Evangelium Actus Apostolorum necnon Pauli Epistolas ea mente ut eandem simili modo tractemus de propriis tamen nostris nihil dicturi sed Expositorum innitentes fundamento aedificium spirituale animae proficiens struximus Cum autem intuiti fuerimus exploraverimus explicationem Evangelii quam ediderunt ipsi quorum nomina sum recitaturus viz. Dominus Ephraim Dominus Johannes Cyrillus insuper etiam Moses Bar Cepha Johannes de Dara cum non modica aliorum Doctorum Caterva nobis videatur omnino impossibile omnes eorum Expositiones in uno libro coacervare nè ita ultra justam produceretur mensuram hujusmodi Tractatus ut ei non sufficeret librorum Schedarum multitudo Nobis visum est omnium istorum Expositorum sensum in Compendium deducere nec non longitudinem latitudinem verborum quibus usi sunt in quantum poterimus contrahere haec est instituti nostri ratio