remembred his mercy i. e. Mary doth not insinuate as if he had forgotten what he had said but by the words he remembred is to be understood That he fulfilled his mercy and his promise which he made unto Abraham that Christ should rise of his seed Moreover That which God promised by his mercy unto Abraham That in his seed the Nations should be blessed did he fulfill by the Twelve Apostles and by the multitude of Jewes who believed as also the Promises of Palesti were performed by Joshuah the Son of Nun and Caleb DIONYSIVS his EXPOSITION ON SIMEON 's Nunc Dimittas His Benediction and his Prophesie Translated by D. L. DIsmiss now thy servant He begs a Dismiss from Christ though he was not detained by him but by the Spirit for he knew that there was one Nature of the Father and of the Son and of the Spirit and that they have one Will which he had learned by the Spirit By these words Dismiss thou thy servant He prayes to be dismissed out of this life According to thy Word It is likely that he had formerly heard from him somewhat concerning this and therefore he put him in mind of what he had said unto him In peace That is to say Without pain and passion He begged a quiet departure and that very day he was dismissed this life though others say the day after Mine eyes have seen thy mercy His Incarnation or Incorporation he calls mercy whereby he redeemed all Nations Which thou preparedst in the sight That is to say In his clemency he was gracious to sinners and propitious unto them A light for revelation of the Gentiles When Christ was revealed in person he was a light to the Gentiles who sate in darkness and they discerned and distinguished between the false gods and the true God and worshipped him And the glory of thy people He was glory to the Israelites because he was incarnated of their Nation and chose from amongst them Twelve Apostles and Seventy two Evangelists and although there was amongst them one wicked man yet the rest of them believed as said the Apostle And Simeon blessed them The Virgin because she was worthy to be the Mother of him who was begotten of the Father eternally and Joseph because he was an assistant to the Virgin and they were both Ministers in this mystery Behold he is set for the fall That is to say Of the Scribes and Pharisees and Priests who did not believe And rising of many That is to say Of Publicans and Harlots who believed in him and arose and of all the sons of Adam who believed Is set Here is fulfilled that which was spoken by the person of the Father Behold I am to set up in Sion a stone of offence and it was well said I am to set up And Simeon said is set up by reason he was placed in the midst of those who believing arose and of those who denying fell In Israel He said so for that as yet they had liberty of choice and the fall and rising were not from Jesus but from proper freedom and power of those who believe or deny And for a sign of Contention For all Tongues spoke against him and were all overcome by him according to that I came not to bring Peace For a sign Because that as a sign doth not only shew it self but other things also so Jesus doth not onely reveal himself but also the Father and the Spirit Of Contention For the Jewes of that time were divided in opinion concerning him Some of them called him a Prophet and others of them a Deceiver As also the Christians of this time some of them call him God made Man others Man made God and two natures after the union And some of them call him Creator others call him a Creature And a Spear shall pass thorow thy soul He calls a Spear the defect of Faith in Mary concerning him at that time and also at the time of his Passion He did not say That a Spear shall stick in thee but it shall pass thorow thy soul That he might shew that her defect of Faith was not permanent with her because she received from the Apostles correction when the Spirit came down into the upper Room and instructed her concerning the Majesty of him whom she had born Moreover He calls a Spear the Contumely and Reproach which the Jewes cast upon her which as a Spear were to transfix her Again He calls a Spear that which transfixed her Son on the Cross which having passed thorow our Saviour he said that it passed thorow Mary for it was the Custom that they who were Crucified did end their life not with a Sword but with a Spear when therefore the Son receiveth a wound the Mother also is likewise wounded especially when she is neer at hand and seeth it for although as God he was by nature the Son of the Father yet inasmuch as he was made Man he was naturally the Son of Mary In the Greek instead of a Spear it is written a Sword Others Through thy soul That is to say Through thy Son shall pass a Spear and the sting of the Serpent of Paradise by reason of the Transgression of the Commandment hitherto and she calls her soul her Son That thoughts of many might be revealed That is to say this Spear to wit doubting and scandal which passeth thy soul doth reveal the Thoughts of many hearts whether they raise doubts concerning him out of infirmity or out of an evil mind receive Correction from the Spirit as Mary did and as many others at that time and as the Faithful afterwards DIONYSIVS SYRVS HIS EXPOSITION ON THE AVE MARIA Translated by D. L. AND the Angel came to her i. e. The Angel declared his message unto her being alone for as he had done unto Zacharias and Joseph speaking unto them he did not so declare unto Joseph for without the communication of Joseph in the conception she conceived by the Holy Ghost but he denounced the matter unto Zachary because he communicated in the conception of John Peace unto thee full of grace He commenceth his Discourse from Peace for this Child was to destroy the Hostility which was between earthly and heavenly Things between the Nation of the Jewes and the Gentiles and between the Soul and the Body and also his Administration was to be accomplished according to what Isaiah said He shall speak Peace with his people Who filled her with Peace The Father And what was this Grace It was this That she conceived God in the flesh Our Lord is with thee He doth not say My Lord onely but also of all the Hosts which is known from hence That it was God who was conceived for he was not onely Lord of the Angels but he was God also And why did he say God We say That he observed the custom of servants who do not call their Masters by their name Blessed amongst women That is to
Christ was to spring from Bethlehem and not knowing that he was born in Bethlehem CHAP. II. FOrty and six years was this Temple in building That building did not require so long a space of time but they were hindred by their bordering Nations CHAP. III. UNless a man shall be born of Water and the Spirit He doth not say Vnless a man hath been born For just men who went before inherited the Kingdom and were not baptized but shall be baptized to wit henceforward CHAP. IV. HIs Disciples went into the City It is probable That as yet he had not commanded them that they should not enter into the City of the Samaritans and they entred not to learn but to buy victuals Was not thy husband That is to say is not because the five husbands which she took dyed one after another she was reputed an Homicide as Thamar was by Judah and for the reproach of Widowhood she took a sixth with a Covenant that he should not have commerce with her as a Wife The sowers That is to say the Prophets The reapers That is to say the Apostles CHAP. V. THere was a feast of the Jewes That is to say Pentecost Which was called in the Hebrew Bethesda That is to say an house of ignominy because they washed therein the Sacrifices from blood and excrements Some men by another reading will have the word to signifie an house of mercies from the help given to the blind and lame it sounds like this The Lord was with Joseph and shed mercy upon him But this is not to be approved because the Greek reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say a house of the excrements of sheep and instead of Bethesda calls it Bethtsaida And he who descended first after the commotion of the water was cured Some say That it conferred remedy by reason that the body of Esaia was buried there Thou art whole sin no more This sheweth That sin was the cause of his Palsie The Son can do nothing of his own will By this he sheweth the harmony of will between the Father and the Son and doth not set sorth the imbecility of his power For the hour cometh and now is when the dead shall hear He hints the Resurrection of Lazārus The hour cometh when all they who are in the grave Inasmuch as he doth not here add and now is he signifieth the general Resurrection to come CHAP. VI. FOR him the Father hath sealed to be God That is to say That he hath demonstrated and revealed That the Son of man which ye have seen is God I am the bread of life St. Joannis saith That here he calls God the bread of life and where he saith and the bread which I shall give is my body he means his body I am the bread which came down from Heaven That is to say his Godhead And the bread which I shall give is my body That is to say his Humanity No man can come to me unless it be given to him from my Father That is to say without Gods assistance Grace is not to be acquired CHAP. VII THat I have made a man altogether whole Not a part of him only as Circumcision but his whole Body which had the Palsie and if for one member the Sabbath may be broken how much rather shall it be broken for all the Members When Christ cometh no man knows from whence This is to be understood concerning Idiots and not of their Scribes who knew that he was to come from Bethlehem and of the seed of David Search and look for out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet CHAP. VIII THere is found in the Copy of Alexandria the Paragraphy of the Adulterous Woman which they brought to Jesus asking him Whether she ought to be stoned But whil'st he stooped and wrote the sins of every one of them they left her and went their way but Jesus said unto her Go thy way and henceforward do not sin If ye be sons of Abraham That is to say he shews they were not for he said before I know that ye are the seed of Abraham but that by deeds ye are not his sons speaking according to the Apostle Not all those who are of Israel are Israelites And he saw and rejoyced By reason of the nearness of the time he speaks as if he had been already Crucified CHAP. IX Master who did sin he or his Parents that he was born blind Because they heard him say to the sick of the Palsie Sin no more they thought that sin was the cause of his Palsie Neither he sinned nor his Parents Not that they were without sin but that the cause of blindness was not sin and in that he said Neither he sinned he confuteth the Platonick conceit which holdeth That Souls declining from Virtue in their first bodies are in a kind of Torment imprisoned in their second Bodies as in Sepulchres and therefore Bodies are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Sepulchres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simata in terms of Affinity and a Soul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and could 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by these words Neither his Parents he refutes the Jewish Opinion That the sins of the Fathers are imposed on the heads of their Children While it is day the night cometh when no man can work That is to say He calls this World the day wherein men may be justified and he calls the World to come Night where there is no place for Repentance but Paul on the contrary calls this World Night for that spiritual things are not therein discerned I am come for judgment of this world That is to say for tryal of men and above he said That God did not send his Son that he might judge the world to wit That he should pronounce sentence against the sons of men for this was the scope of his second coming for here is Tryal and there is Judgment CHAP. X. AND that they might have more abundantly Not of life but of such corporeal things as they had And it was the Feast of Renovation at Jerusalem and it was Winter On the 25th of December Bicorus the Master of the Host of Antiochus Epiphanes entred into the Temple and erected therein the image of Jupiter and prophaned it and three years afterward as upon the same day Judas Mathabaeus and every year on the same day they celebrate a Feast CHAP. XI LAzarus That is to say an helper and Prince Ephraim saith That after he was raised from the dead John the Evangelist baptized him together with his siners and the Mother of God he preached in Alexandria and was Crowned in the dayes of Tiberius But Eusebius saith That he preached in Cyprus and that he dyed there and was buried there And if a man walk in the day he stumbleth not That is to say with me whom am the Sun of righteousness Whose name was Caiphas It is said That this was Josephus the Writer he whom the Romans
eschew the pleasures of the world and continually lament fearing lest their vertue should decay Severus calls Mourning the patient Longanimity in severities of Suffering and a Monastick life and the removal from worldly desires Moreover Mourning is a sad affection of the soul which is placed in the deprivation of those sins which are delightful Again Mourners he calls those who are sad in respect of the fear of future enjoyments For they shall be comforted When they shall be revealed and that Fear shall be taken from them which they had of what they possest III. Blessed are the meek Since that of the poor in spirit is like unto that of the meek wherefore doth he reiterate it The first of the poor in spirit is spiritual and is of those who are perfect in mind who totally cast off all worldly Things out of their mind but this second is bodily of those who are eminent in descent or otherwise it is fit that they should possess meekness for meekness is the term of perfection and it sheweth it self two manner of wayes either in gravity and quality and plainness of behaviour or in a separation made for God and here he giveth the blessing to that which is made by separation and therefore the meek is he who being vertuous is satisfied with moderation though he hath but little Again He calls him meek who is zealous in the practice of good things and patient in the toleration of evil For they shall inherit the earth Earth is the Fruit of the blessed not this which begets Thorns to those who dwell thereon nor the Lord of Paradise or of the Centre but that which is above the Heavens viz. the Firmament which is not susceptible of passion but is made for the life and delight of the Just concerning which David saith I believe that I shall see the blessings of the Lord in the Land of the Living And after the general Resurrection the Just shall ascend to the earth that is to say above the Firmament which is seen of us and there they shall be comforted without end but the Wicked perish on this Earth and shall be tormented immortally And wherefore doth he call Earth the Firmament That he might illustrate the Things which are hidden for those which are revealed IV. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst Hunger and Thirst are taken three manner of ways either by reason of want of Victuals or by reason of Righteousness as in long Fasting or for that whereby one coveteth the knowledge of God and his Doctrine according to that He was hungry not for Bread but for the hearing of the Word of God And here he doth not give the blessing to those who are affected with bodily Hunger and Thirst but to those who have an hungring and thirsting after the knowledge of God and the Doctrine of Salvation Righteousness They call that Righteousness which is of them who without a worthy mind divide unto every man that which is equal as a Judge who justifies the Just and condemns the guilty but Matthew doth not call this Justice but that which is opposed to Fraud and Oppression Moreover The keeping of the Commandments is called Righteousness Again All Vertue in general is called Righteousness Our Saviour also is called Righteousness according to that which Paul said That he was made for us Righteousness and Holiness For they shall be filled That is to say with unspeakable pleasures in the Kingdom V. Blessed are the merciful for they shall c. Mercy is taken in three several senses Bodily as if a man should give Alms and should aid the Weak and fill the Hungry Mental as if a man should love him who wrongs him and should forgive the injuries of his Enemies Spiritual as if a man should love those who are erroneous and should convert them from the errour of their wayes and should instruct the ignorant and bring them to the Lord and this is like the mercy of God who alwayes loves the Creatures Here he gives the blessing not only to those who shew mercy in deeds but to those also who in the cogitations of their minds possess mercy Merciful So he calls them who have mercy on the poor and strangers and on offenders and the guilty and those who have a good will to shew mercy though it be not in their power to perform it and those who have mercy on themselves and are restrained from sin lest they should enter into Torment Again Those who have compassion with those who suffer and are grieved for those who grieve And it is certain That these are merciful because the trouble of mind which ariseth from the evil which afflicteth strangers is the extremity of mercy Moreover That Will abounds with Love which suffereth with those who suffer for those things which afflict them Moreover Mercy is principal among the Vertues of the Soul and deriveth it's name from God himself who is truly merciful Moreover To have mercy on the good is the perfection of Righteousness natural and legal VI. Blessed are the pure in heart i. e. In their Souls Consciences and Hearts because they are freed from all kinds of evil and bitterness and rust of sin and he is pure of mind and pureness of body is to be cleansed with water and to be washed from Turpitude and this also is commendable And it is fitting that men should be washed from filth but the blessing doth not appertain to this but unto that of the Soul because the Saints and those which are pure appear so in Soul and Body by the proper pureness and cleanness of the Soul For they shall see God But how said he unto Moses No man can see me and live And John also No man saw God at any time And Paul No man ever saw him We say That they said so concerning the natural and hidden Vision of God for the Nature of God such as it is personally transcends the comprehension of humane understandings and therefore they said That he is neither seen nor comprehended Therefore this That they shall see God hath this meaning That he who is pure in heart participateth of Divine Revelations and gaineth life uncorruptible and a Kingdom for joy without ceasing and the light of Truth are called the Vision of God therefore he calleth Vision a Communion according to that The wicked shall be taken away and shall not see glory which is That they shall not participate of Glory Moreover God created us after his Image as the Wax according to the likeness of the Seal wherewith it is impressed and breareth its Effigies but we by our wickedness have covered it as Rust obscureth Iron for he whose heart is pure from Passions seeth in himself the image of Divine nature as Iron when it is polished from its dross yieldeth splendor and brightness especially if it be brought to a clear Sun shine Let us therefore be pure in heart that we may be worthy of the blessing
CHAP. IV. THen Jesus was led of the Holy Spirit into the Wilderness He did not immediately after his Baptism go into the Wilderness for that Three dayes after he was baptized he wrought the miracle of converting Water into Wine in Kotna To be Tempted of the Devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Accusations and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as much as if one should repeat the crimes of another He was afterward an hungred That is to say in confirmation of his Humanity but though Moses and Elias fasted each of them Forty dayes it was not said of them that they suffered Hunger for no man doubted but that they were men And shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them That is to say by the ministry of the Fancy but not really and in Truth Luke placeth the conflict of Vain-glory in the Third place and that congruously because the Two conflicts viz. of Bread and of shewing him the Kingdoms were in the Wilderness but that of Hunger was on the Temple in the City He departed into Galilee That is to say He Taught us that we should not stand in the way of evil For they were Fishers That is to say in the Old Testament Shepherds were chosen and called as Jacob Moses and David because they were to govern their own and peculiar people but in the New they were Fishers because they were commanded to Teach without limitation every one who was prepared as well of the Gentiles as of the Jewes CHAP. V. BLessed are they who mourn That is to say who mourn for their sins For they shall be comforted That is to say by pardon and forgiveness For they shall inherit the Earth He calls Earth the extremity of the Firmament whereunto the righteous are to ascend in the Resurrection as David said I hope to see the blessings of the Lord in the Land of the Living The Peace-makers That is to say They who work a reconciliation between the Soul and the Body insomuch that the Soul desireth nothing that may be hurtful to the Body It is good for nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is unusual and is not to be found elsewhere in the whole Contexture of the Scripture Guilty of Judgement That is to say of Murther Guilty of the Congregation That is to say To be expelled out of the Congregation Raka This word signifieth Contempt in respect of the Body and the word Fool Contempt in regard of the Soul Thou shalt not go thence until thou shalt pay The word until doth not denote a Release from Hell nor an end of Torment Hath committed Adultery in his heart He doth not condemn the natural motion but the will of him who is incited lasciviously And shall take away thy Tunick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Thy upper garment Thy Vest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say The nether garment which covereth the nakedness CHAP. VI. THey have received their Reward That is to say Praise from Men. Our Father which art in Heaven He Teacheth us That we should seek those Things which are above the Earth and not that God is confined to the Heavens From Evil. That is to say from Satan The light of the Body is the Eye The Eye mystically signifieth the Fathers and Teachers and the Body signifieth the People CHAP. VII JVdge not That is to say wickedly Not every one who shall say unto me Lord Lord. That is to say Faith without good Works doth not avail CHAP. VIII AS Moses commanded for a testimony unto them That is to say That they might Testifie for me that I do not destroy the Law When Jesus heard he marvelled That is to say According to his Humane Nature for the Divine Nature doth not wonder at any thing because admiration is a passion of the rational Soul not comprehending the cause of a Thing And saw his Wives mother He declares hereby That he had a Wife And it hath been said That when he was called to the Office of an Apostle he did not any more converse with her Bury my Father Either he was sick unto death or was very aged Permit us to go into the herd of Swine That is to say To the intent that when the Swine should perish the Owners of them might persecute him CHAP. IX AND passed over and came to his own City That is to say to Capernaum as Mark saith for in Bethlehem he was born in Nazareth he was bred and he dwelled in Capernaum Thy sins are forgiven thee That is to say because sins were the cause of the Palsie by the taking away the cause he also took away the effect Sitting amongst the Publicans whose name was Matthew This he writes of himself and such was his Humility that he was not ashamed of his former calling to wit of being a Customer which was reproachful CHAP. X. THE first Simon who is called Cephas He was the chief of the Apostles he was of Bethsaida of the Tribe of Naphtali He Taught one year in Antioch and built a Church there and went to Rome and preached there for the space of Twenty seven years and when Paul came unto him there was a great perturbation in Rome and Nero commanded that both of them should be slain and Peter desired to be crucified with his Head downwards that he might as it were kiss his Lords feet And John his brother That is to say The Evangelist He departed from Jerusalem together with Mary the mother of our Lord and they were banished together to the Island of Patmus and when he returned from Banishment he Preached in Asia and built a Church in Ephesus and Ignatius the fiery and Polycarp ministred unto him and he buried the Blessed Mary and no man knoweth where he laid her He lived seventy and three years and dyed after all the Apostles and was buried in Ephesus Bartholomew His name was Jesus and in honour of his Master he did not call him by his name but by the name of his Father Think not that I come to send peace on earth Some Object How doth this agree with that He shall speak peace with the Nations And that He is our peace And that My peace I give unto you We answer That those Things respect the perfection of the Gospel but this hath relation to the beginning thereof A Prophet in the name of a Prophet That is to say Although he be a Prophet in name onely and not in deed CHAP. XI A Reed shaken with the wind That is to say What think ye of him who hath a wavering mind ready to bend with every wind And of him who having formerly known me will now make shew as if he knew me not And more than a Prophet That is to say He Prophesied and gave Testimony of me as did the rest of the Prophets And he hath this superadded excellency That he saw me bodily CHAP. XII
Greek Doctors agree That with this saying the Divinity was united with the Soul and Body and amongst the Syrian Fathers Absanius of Mabog saith That with this saying the Word was united with the Flesh as John saith The Word was made flesh and dwelt in us and after Forty dayes when the body was formed it received the rational soul By the name of his father Zacharia Every first-born son they called by the name of his Father according to the custom which they held And they made signs unto his father This sheweth That his speech failed also with his hearing And he was in the Wilderness When he was Two years and an half old his Mother fled with him from Herod for he was born Six months before our Lord and when our Lord was Two years old the Wise men came and Herod slew the Children and because Zacharia had caused his son to flie away he sent to put him to death between the Altar and the Temple whereunto he fled and betook himself viz. to the horns of the Altar CHAP. II. THat all the people of his Empire should be taxed The Greek That all the inhabitated World should be taxed Here the Syriack sense is more to be approved than the Greek because Caesars power did not extend its self to all Nations of the World And good tydings unto men You may take notice that the word Amen is hereunto added in some Syriack Copies but not in the Greek And when eight dayes were accomplished The Armenians partly adhering to the fancy of Julianus say That he was not in Truth circumcised but that they onely drew a line over his skin And when the dayes of their purification were accomplisht She who bore a son was purified in Forty days but she who bore a daughter in Eighty dayes His name was Simeon He was the Father of Jesus the son of Asira and he was one of the Seventy and two Interpreters who Translated the Hebrew Bible into the Greek in the dayes of Ptolomy and because he doubted concerning this passage viz. a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth spoken by Esay the Prophet he was bound Two hundred and eighty years to the Oblation until he saw him who was born of a Virgin Behold he is appointed for the fall That is to say of the Scribes and Pharisees And for the rising of many in Israel That is to say of sinners who shall be justified by him And for a sign of contention That is to say There shall be divers Opinions concerning him Of the Tribe of Aser she also was aged In the Greek the words she also are not written for she was not so old as Simeon CHAP. III. VVIth your allowance That is whatsoever was given by the King for their maintenance I baptize you with water That is to say I wash you from sins The son of Heli. Matthew the Evangelist calls Joseph the son of James and not the son of Heli and Aphrichianus the Genealogist saith That Heli was the son of Matthath and that James was the son of Mathan Brethren by the Mother whose name was Estha and they were searchers of Secrets and when Heli dyed without sons James his Brother took his Wife according to the Law for constitution of sons and of her begate Joseph Hence it is that Joseph was the natural son of James as Matthew said and the legal son of Heli as Luke said The son of Matthath the son of Levi the son of Melchi Aprichianus saith That according to the Tradition they received from the Hebrew Genealogists Heli Matthath and Levi were Brethren the sons of Melchi and not as Luke said Heli the son of Matthath and Matthath the son of Levi. The son of Zerubabel Matthew saith That Zerubabel begate Abiud and Luke saith That Zerubabel begate Resa and St. Severus saith That Zerubabel had two sons Abiud and Resa and Matthew computed Abiud and Luke reckoned upon Resa and George of the Gentiles saith That they had not one Father but two who were called by the same name Zerubabel and others say That Abiud was Resa to wit that one person was called by two names The son of Shelathiel the son of Neri Matthew saith That Jechonia begate Shelathiel and Luke saith That Neri begate Shelathiel and St. Severus saith That Melchi the Father of Neri took a Wife whose name was Nahashta and of her begate Neri and when Melchi dyed Jehoiakim the King who was Eliakim took Nahashta his Wife for her beauty and of her begate Jochania and Neri and Jochania were Brethren by the Mother and Neri took a Wife and dyed without sons and Jochania his Brother took his Wife and of her begate Shelathiel Hence it was that this Shelathiel was the natural son of Jochania as Matthew said and the legal son of Neri as Luke said and George of the Gentiles doth not agree to this but saith That Shelathiel the son of Jochania was one and Shelathiel the son of Neri was another The son of Joram This Joram was not the son of Jehoshaphet as Matthew saith but the son of Mathitha The son of Nathan the son of David Matthew saith That David begate Solomon and Luke saith That David begate Nathan and this difference proceeds from this That Matthew was willing to write onely the natural Genealogy which was deduced from Solomon the son of David and Luke by reason of a contest amongst the Jewes was forced to write the natural and legal Genealogy which was deduced from Nathan the son of David for which reason many names in Luke differ from those in Matthew The son of Jesse the son of Obed the son of Boaz. Julianus King of the Gentiles objects and saith If Luke wrote the legal Generations wherefore doth he mention Obed to be the son of Boaz according to the rule of nature and not the son of Malion according to the legal deduction as it is written in the book of Ruth The Doctors answer thus That there was a controversie amongst the Jewes concerning Joseph whether he proceeded from David or no and therefore blessed Luke proves That not only naturally as Matthew writes but legally also the Genealogy of Joseph mounts up to David and Luke ascending from David to Abraham computes the natural Fathers as Matthew did The son of Abraham the son of Terah From hence Luke begins to carry on the Genealogy where Matthew left off and to raise it to Adam because he did not as St. Matthew write his Gospel to the Hebrews who boasted of Abraham but to all Nations who were deduced from Adam as well as he The son of Adam who was from God Aprichianus sets down Fifty persons from Abraham to Christ and in all the Copies of Luke which are read in the Holy Churches there are Fifty and Six and so from Adam to our Lord Seventy and six and according to the natural Genealogy of the Gospel of Matthew from Abraham to Joseph there were Forty persons and according to the Book
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