SECTION I.

The Acknowledgments of the Christian Fathers that John was the first who taught the Doctrines above-mentioned.

ORIGEN, though a zealous defender of the doctrines of the pre-existence and divinity of Christ, yet, as will appear in its proper place, only considered them as more sublime doctrines, fit for the more perfect Christians. He says, that "John alone introduced the knowledge of the eternity of Christ to the minds of the fathers." "John himself was transformed into God, and so became partaker of the truth, and then pronounced that the word of God was in God from the beginning." +

"No one," says this writer, " taught the divinity of Christ so clearly as John, who presents him to us, saying, 'I am the light of the world, I am the way, the truth, and the life; I am the resurrection; I am the gate, I am the good shepherd; and in the Revelation, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.' We may therefore boldly say, that as the Gospels are the first-fruits, (or the most excellent part,)" of the Scriptures, so the Gospel of John is the first-fruits of the Gospels; the sense of which no person can conceive, except he who reclines on the breast of Jesus, and who receives from Jesus his mother Mary, and makes her his own. He must be another John, who was shewn by Jesus as another Jesus. For he who is perfect does not himself live, but Christ lives in him; and since Christ lives in him, he says to Mary concerning him, Behold thy Son, Christ himself."+

II.

The meaning of this is, that, to have the knowledge of the

"Joannes sola ejus æterna in notitiam fidelium animarum introducit." Opera, p. 428. (P.)

+"Sanctus itaque theologus in Deum transmutatus, veritatis particeps, Domini verbum subsistere in Deo principio, hoc est Deum Filium in Deo Patre, pronunciat." Ibid. (P.)

† Ουδείς γαρ εκείνων ακραίως εφανέρωσεν αυτό την θεοτητα ὡς Ιωάννης, παραςησας αυτον λεγονία, Εγω ειμι το φως τε κόσμε, εγω ειμι ἡ ὁδος, και η αλήθεια, και ἡ ζωη· Εγω ειμι ἡ αναςασις· Εγω ειμι ή θυρα, εγω ειμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλος και εν τη αποκαλυψει, Εγω ειμι το α και το ω, ἡ αρχη και το τελος, ὁ πρωτο και ο έσχατο τολμητεον τοινυν ειπείν απαρχήν μεν πασων γράφων είναι τα ευαγΓέλια, των δε ευαγίελιων απαρχην το κατα Ιωαννην, ου τον νεν εδεις δυναται λαβειν μη αναπεσων επι τα ςηα Ιησε, μηδε λαβων απο Ιησε την Μαριαν γενομενην και αυτό μητέρα και τηλικατον δε γενεσθαι δει τον εσομενον αλλον Ιωαν νην, ὡς τε διόνει τον Ιωαννην δείχθηναι οντα Ιησεν από Ιησε και γαρ πας ὁ τετελειωμενα ζη εκετι, αλλ' εν αυτῷ ζη Χρις ο, και επει ζη εν αυτῷ Χρις, λεγεται περί αυτε τη Mapia, ide vos Xpis. Comment. in Johan. II. p. 5.' (P.) See Vol. XVIII. pp. 197, 198.

sublime doctrines of the pre-existence and divinity of Christ, as taught by John, a man must be a Christian of the first class and rank, far above the ordinary sort. He must be a second John, and a second Jesus, imbibing their spirit, and entering into their most profound meaning.

Eusebius says, that "John began the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, that being reserved for him, as the most worthy."*

But he who wrote the most largely and the most eloquently on this subject is Chrysostom. And it will be seen, that the greatness of the mystery, its alarming appearance to the Jews, and the extreme caution of the evangelists and apostles in divulging it, gave him great scope for magnifying the courage of John, in teaching what the other apostles had only ventured to hint at, and which it was reserved for him, as the "Son of Thunder," and whose emblem was the eagle, to express his soaring higher than any other that had gone before him.

"John," he says, "alone taught the eternal and supercelestial wisdom."† "John first lighted up the lamp of theology; and all the most distant churches running to it, lighted up their lamps of theology, and returned rejoicing, saying, In the beginning was the logos." +

Chrysostom represents all the preceding writers of the New Testament as children, who heard, but did not understand things, and who were busy about cheese-cakes and childish sports, but John," he says, " taught what the angels themselves did not know before he declared it;" || and he represented them as his most attentive auditors. Leaving the Father," he says, " he (John) discoursed concerning the Son, because the Father was known to all, if not as a Father, yet as God, but the unbegotten was unknown."¶

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Of the three first evangelists, he says, "They all treated

Της δε θεολογίας απαρξασθαι, ώς αν αυτῳ προς το θεις πνευμαῖος δια κρειτίονι παρα πεφυλαγμενης ταυία μεν ουν ἡμιν περι της τε κατα Ιωαννην ευαγίελιε γράφης ειρήσθω. Hist. L. iii. C. xxiv. p. 117. (P.)

† Μονος την αιώνιον και ὑπερκόσμιον φιλοσοφίαν κηρυξας. In Johan. i. Opera, VI. p. 235. (P.)

Η Πρώτη αναψασα τον της θεολογιας λύχνον, πασαι των περαίων οι εκκλησίαι προς σε δραμέσαι, έκατη την ἑαυτης λαμπαδα την θεολογίαν ανηψε, και ύπεςρεψε χαιρέσα, Εν apa ny å hayos. Ibid. p. 604. (P.)

§ Οι γε αλλοι άπαντες, καθαπερ τα παιδια τα μικρά, ακέεσι μεν, ουκ ισασι δε άπερ ακέεσιν, αλλα περι πλακενίας επίοηνίαι, και αθυρμαία παιδικα. In Johan. i. Opera, VIII. p. 2. (P.)

- Η Α μηδε αγελοι πριν η τείον γενεσθαι ήδεισαν μεθ' ἡμων γαρ δη και έτοι δια της Ιωαννα φωνης και δι' ἡμῶν ἔμαθον άπερ εγνωμεν. Ibid. (Ρ.)

4 Τι δηποτ' εν τον πατέρα αφεις, περι τε ὑις διαλέγεται ότι εκείνο μεν δηλο άπασιν ην, ει και μη ὡς πατηρ, αλλ' ὡς Θεό», ὁ δὲ μονογενης ηγνοείτο. Ibid. p. 11, (Ρ.)

of the fleshly dispensation, and silently by his miracles, indicated his dignity. The dignity of the logos of God was hid, the arrows against the heretics were concealed, and the fortification to defend the right faith was not raised by the pious preaching. John, therefore, the Son of Thunder, being the last, advanced to the doctrine of the logos," or the divinity of Christ.*

"In the beginning was the word.' This doctrine was not published at first, for the world would not receive it. Wherefore Matthew, Mark, and Luke," (John is here added, but it must be an interpolation,) "began at a distance. When they began the preaching, they did not immediately say what was becoming his dignity, but what would suit the hearers. Matthew, beginning his Gospel, says, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.' Why does he not say the son of God?' Why does he conceal his dignity by poor language? Why does he conceal from men the things relating to his deity? He answers, I am preaching to the Jews, who do not even believe him to be a good man. They would not believe Christ to be the son of Abraham, and will they believe his being called the son of God?

"The blessed Mark, also, when he applied himself to writing a Gospel, taking courage from what had been done before," (meaning, perhaps, by Matthew,)" calls him' the Son of God;' but he immediately contracts his discourse, and cuts short what he had intended to say, that he might soothe his hearers. He therefore introduces what he had to say concerning the Baptist, saying, The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet," &c.

"Luke follows in the third place, and goes a middle way. He touches upon the doctrine of the logos, but does not explain, or unfold his dignity; but says, Since many have undertaken to give an account of what has come to pass among us, it seemed good to me also, who have attended to every thing from the beginning, to write in order as has

* Παντες ουν εχωρησαν εις την της σαρκα, οικονομίαν, και ηρέμα πως, δια των θαυμα των, εγνωρίζον την αξίαν. Εκρυπτείο δε ετι τε Θεού λόγε αξιωμα. Εκρυπτείο δε τα καλα των αιρετικων βέλη, και το της ορθής δόξης επιτείχισμα εδεποτε τῷ κηρυγματι της ευσεβειας εγήγερτο. Ιωάννης τοινυν, ὁ ὑιω της βροντης, τελευίαιος, παρήλθεν επι την θεολογίαν. De Sigillis, Opera, VI. p. 173. N. B. The sense of the passage absolutely requires EXPUTTεlo and not εKUTTε70 in both the clauses, and in the latter it is so rendered by the Latin translator, though not in the former. The observation that the first verses in the Gospel of John are a refutation of all heresies, is common with the fathers. No person, except one who is pretty well conversant with them, can imagine how often those verses occur in their writings. (P.)

been delivered to us, by those who were eye-witnesses and ministers of the logos.' But though he mentions the logos, he did not say that the logos was God. What then does he do? Touching upon the subject, and considering that he was speaking in the ears of the dead, he conceals his dignity, and brings on the economy," that is, the doctrine of the incarnation or humanity of Christ. "There was a priest,

Zacharias," &c.

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John, therefore, the Son of Thunder, last of all advanced to the doctrine of his divinity, after those three heralds; and with great propriety he followed them, and they went before, lightening a little, as the lightning precedes the thunder, lest, bursting from the clouds at once, it should stun the hearer. -They therefore lightened the economy, or the humanity of Christ, but he thundered out the theology," that is, the doctrine of Christ's divinity. *

Again, he introduces John as holding a soliloquy with himself, and saying, after considering the progress of heresy, "Why do I delay? Why have I any longer patience? Why do I not bring forth the mystery hid from ages? Why do I hide in myself, the wisdom which was before the ages, which I derive from the immortal fountain on which I lean? Why do I not publish what angels are ignorant of? Why do I hide from the ends of the earth what no one knows, except the Father? Why do I not write what Matthew, and Mark, and Luke, through a wise and praiseworthy fear,

* Εν αρχή ην ο λογα μ' ουκ ευθυς τε7ο εκηρύχθη. Ου γαρ εχωρει ὁ κόσμος μακραν ἡμιν οι ευαγγελιςαι Ματθαιος, Μάρκος, Λεκας, (και Ιωάννης,) ότε ηρξανίο τε κηρυγμαίος, ουκ ευθυς ελάλησαν τα πρεπονία τη αξία, αλλα τα άρμοζοντα τοις ακροωμενοις· ὁ Ματθαιος, αρχην ποιησάμενος των ευαγίελιων, λεγει· Βιβλος γενέσεως Ιησε Χρισε υιε Δαβίδ, εις Αβρααμ διαλί, μη ύια Θεου; Διαλι πίωχῃ λέξει κρυπτεις την αξίαν ; Διατι τοις ανθρωποις τα θεια καλύπτεις; Παρα Ιεδαίοις, φησι, κηρυτίω, τοις μη ανθρωπον δίκαιον είναι πιςεύεσι. Τον Χρισον υιον Αβρααμ επω εδεξανίο, και ύιον Θεου καταγελλομενον ανεξονίαι ;

Παλιν ὁ μακαριος Μαρκος καθεις ἑαυτον εις το ευαγγελίον, και θάρσησας τοις προγεγυμνασμενοις, λεγει μεν ύιον Θεου, αλλ' ευθέως συνέςειλε τον λογον, και εκολόβωσε την έννοιαν, ἵνα μαλαξη τον ακροατην. Επαγει ουν ευθέως τα καλα τον βαπτισην λεγων, αρχη του ευαγγελιο Ιησε Χρισε, καθώς γεγραπται εν Ησαια τῳ προφητῃ.

Ο Λεκας ακολέθει τρίτος, και μεσος χωρει μετα τελων, και απτείαι μεν του Θεου λόγου, ου μην ερμηνεύει και αναπτύσσει την αξίαν αλλα φησιν, επειδήπερ πολλοι επεχείρησαν ανατάξασθαι διηγησιν περι των πεπληροφορημένων εν ἥμιν πραγμαίων, έδοξε καμοι παρα* κολέθησαι τοις πασιν απαρχής γράψαι, καθώς παρέδωκαν ἡμιν δι απ' αρχής αυτοπται, και ὑπηρεται γενόμενοι τε λόγε αλλα λογον μεν ειπεν, ουκ ειπε δε ότι και Θεος ην ὁ λογος· τι ουν και αυτος ποιει ; Αψάμενος το ειναι, και εννοήσας, ότι νεκραις ακοαις ενήχει, κρύπτει την αξίαν, και προφέρει την οικονομίαν. Εγενετο ἱερεύς Ζαχαρίας· και τα εξης του ευαγγελίου. Ιωάννης τοινυν ὁ ὑιος της βροντης τελευταιος παρήλθεν επι την θεολογιαν μετα τις τρεις εκεινες κηρυκας, και εικοίως ὁ μεν ηκολέθησεν, οι δε προελαβον, τα μικρά τεως αςραπίονίες, ώσπερ γαρ της βροντης προηγείται ας ραπη, ίνα μη αθρόον εκείνη εκ των νεφων ραγείσα πλήξη τον ακεονία. Ούτως επειδη εμελλε βρονταν ὁ Ιωαννης, προελαβον οι τρεις ευαγίελισαι δίκην ατραπών, και οι μεν ηςραψαν την οικονομιαν, ὁ δε βροντα την θεολογιαν. De Sigillis, Opera, VI. p. 171, &c. (Ρ.)

passed in silence, according to the orders that were given them? How shall I speak what was given me freely from above?

“ Matthew, according to what was granted to him, wrote according to his ability. Mark and Luke, in like manner, according to the supply of the Spirit, have written their books in a becoming manner. I also will write, and add to those before, the fourth fountain of life. For there are wanting to the divine voice the discourses of the divinity, and the world is in danger on this quarter. I will write a book which will stop the mouths of all who speak unjustly of God. I will write a book which will hide all the wisdom of the world. I will write a book which shall not be confined to what concerns man. For the church is provided with what Moses wrote concerning these things, about the heavens and the earth, &c.

"But I, leaving all things which have come to pass from time, and in time, will speak of that which was without time, and is uncreated, about the logos of God, which was generated from the Father in an ineffable manner, about which Moses dared not to speak. But I am able to do all things, through Christ who strengthens me.

"The apostle John having reasoned thus within himself, and having the pen of a writer in his hand, and considering how to begin the theology, rejoicing in spirit, but with a trembling hand, is carried upwards, being in the body at Ephesus, but with a pure heart and holy spirit leaves the earth,” &c. Then representing him as carried up into heaven, he says, that, " Fishing out of the Father's bosom the doctrine of the divinity, he wrote in his body on earth, In the beginning was the logos," &c.*

Chrysostom introduces Matthew also reasoning on the subject of his saying so little, or rather nothing, of the divinity

* Ελογίζετο εν ἑαυτῷ λεγων, Τι αναβαλλομαι ; Τι, φησι, μακροθυμω ετι; Τι ου προσε φέρω εις μέσον το απο των αιώνων κεκρυμμενον μυσήριον; Τι αποκρυβω εμαυτῷ την από των αιώνων σοφίαν, ἣν εκ της αθανατο πηγης επιπεσων είλκυσα; Τι ου δημοσιεύω, ὃν αγΓελοί αγνοεσι; Τι ουκ αποκαλυπίω τοις περασι, όν ουδεις επιγινωσκει, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατηρ; Τι ου γράφω, όπερ Ματθαιος και Μαρκος και Λεκας δι' επαινεμένην δειλιαν παρασιωπησανίες παρέδραμον τελεσανίες τα προςελαγμενα αυτοις; Όθεν λαλήσω καγω καία την δοθεισαν μοι δωρεαν ανωθεν;

Ματθαιος μεν ὅσον εχωρει, εγραψε κατα την ιδιαν δυναμιν, Μαρκος δε και Λεκας ὁμοιων καλα την του άγιο πνευματος χορηγίαν τας εαυτων βίβλους θεοπρεπως δογμαλισαν γραψω καγω και προσθεσω τους εμπροσθεν της τελαρίην πηγην την ζωης· λειπει γαρ εις θεοσυςαίον φωνην περι Θεολογιας λογος, και κινδυνεύει ὁ κόσμος εν τῷ μερει τελῳ γραψω βιβλον, δι' ἧς εμφραγη παν ςιμα λαλεν κατα Θεον αδικιαν γραψω βιβλον την καλύπτεσαν πάσαν εν κοσμῳ σοφιαν γραψω βιβλον ου περι ανθρωπε διηγεμενην· ου γαρ λειπει τη εκκλησία, περι τετων εγραψε Μωσης περι ερανε τε και γης και θαλλασσων και ιχθύων και πετεινών