Gregory Nazianzen, therefore, reprefenting the propriety of judaifm being abolished by degrees, fays, "the Father was preached "in the Old Teftament, and the Son obfcurely; in the New, the Son clearly, and " the fpirit obfcurely, he revealing himfelf « more clearly to us. For it was not fafe "to preach the divinity of the Son clearly, "while that of the Father was not under 66 stood, nor that of the Spirit, while that "of the Son was not received, left too great "a burden fhould be laid upon us, or left "we should be dazzled with too much light, &c*." And Chryfoftom farther obferves, that "the precept, Hear, O Ifrael, "the Lord thy God is one Lord, was not given till after the fin of the golden calft;" 66 Έχει γαρ έτως, εκήρυσσε φανερώς η παλαια τον πατέρα, τον υιον αμυδρότερον. εφανέρωσεν η καινη τον υιον, υπέδειξε τα πνεύματος θεότητα, εμπολιτευείαι νυν το πνευμα. Καφετεραν ημιν παρέχον Θεότητος την εαυτε δηλωσιν . 8 γαρ ην ασφαλες, μηπω της τε πατρος ομολογηθεισης, τον υιον εκδηλως κηρύτίεσθαι· μηδε της τε υιου παρα δεχθείσης, το πνεύμα το αγιον, ιν είπω τι και τολμηροτεριν επιφορτιζεσθαι. μη καθαπερ τροφη τη υπερ δύναμιν βαρηθενίες, και ηλιακα φωτι σαθρότερον ετι προσβαλονίες τη οψιν, και εις το καλα δυναμιν κινδυνευσωσι, Or. 37. Opera, p. 608, 609. † ΟἿε γουν εποίησαν τον μοσχον, και το γλυπίον προσεκύνησαν, τότε ήκουσαν· κύριος ο Θεός σε κύριος εις εσιν Ser. 24, Opera, vol. 5. p. 350. as if it had not been the intention of providence to give them any such precept, if they had not previously fhewn a disposition to abuse more perfect instruction. the Job the monk, of whose writings we have a particular account in Photius, comparing great revolutions in the ftate of religion to earthquakes, fays, "As the firft earthquake had cured the world of idolatry, by contrary remedies, but concealed the "difference of hypoftafes; fo in the last "times, the Jewish opinion of one person having gained ftrength in time, and by "the law, and having deftroyed idolatry; "the Son then, in a manner worthy of God, and friendly to man, took flesh, and "revealed the mystery of the trinity by degrees." He likewise says, "the Saviour very wifely spake lowly of himself, and "withheld the beams of his divinity, and prepared to let it fhine forth in works *." * Και καθαπερ ο πρώτος σεισμός δια των εναντίων ίασατο το πόλυθεον επικυψαμενος των υποτασεων το διαφορον, στο και εν εσχάτοις καιροις, της Ιεδαϊκής δόξης εις εν προσωπου νομω και χρόνω κρατυνθείσης, και περιέλασης το πολυθεον, ὁ υιος τηνικαύτα θεοπρεπως τε καὶ φιλανθρώπως και σαρκα λαμα φανεί, και το της τριάδος καλα μικρον ανακαλυπτει μυςήριον. It was customary, as we fhall fee, to represent the doctrine of the trinity as something fublime, and of difficult apprehenfion; and therefore fit for perfons of ripe understanding, and deep reflection; of which on that account, even the christians of the firft ages were allowed to be ignorant, and the common people in general, till a much later period. It was natural, therefore, to alledge this, alfo, as another reason why the Jews, living in the infant age of the world, fhould not have this fublime and difficult leffon taught them. "The Jews," fays Eufebius, "were not taught the doc"trine of the trinity, on account of their "infant ftate *. Bafil gives the fame account. Cyril of Alexandria, fays, "The επαγει δε τελος, ως πανσόφως ο σωτηρ τοις μεν ρημασιν εταπεινολογεῖτο, και την της θεοτητος συνετελλεν αυγήν, τοις εγώ γοις δε ταύτης παρεσκευαζεν αςραπλειν, και δι αυτών εδο κει κηρυττεσθαι της παντοκρατορικής δυναμεως το αξίωμα. Photii. Bib. fect. zzz. p. 619. * Και τα νηπιαζοντι των Ιεδαίων λαω. Ec, Theol. lib. 2. cap. 18, p. 130. + Ην γαρ τι, ως εοικεν, καὶ προ το κόσμο τόξο, στη μεν διανοια ημών εςι θεωρητον, ανισορηλον δε κατελείφθη, δια το τοις εισαγομενοις ἔτι καὶ νηπιοις κατα την γνωσιν ανεπιτηfeiov. Bafil, vol. 1. p. 6. "doctrine "doctrine of the trinity was taught in 66 types only, and not clearly. For what " reafon ? Because the light of divine "vifion is not easily acceffible to those who "are but lately called to the knowledge "of the truth, and have not their minds "exercised to thofe fpeculations*." Our Saviour faid that divorces had been allowed to the Jews on account of the hardness of their hearts. This also is given as a reason by Eufebius, why the Jews were not taught the doctrine of the trinity †. • Ος εν τύποις έξι μονον, εχι δε καὶ αισθήτως, εδιδασκε ο Για ποιαν αιλιαν; οτι τοις άρτι κεκλημενοις εις επίγνωσιν αληθειας και εκ εντριβή τους επ αύτη θεωρήμασι την διανοίαν εχεσιν, απροσίζον πως είναι δοκει και εσιν αληθώς, το φως της Jolas. Contra Jul. lib. 1. Juliani, Opera, vol. 2. p. 19. † Οτι προς την σκληροκαρδίαν τε Ιεδαίων λαγ. Ec. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 20. p. 134. SEC 1 The Sentiments of the Jews, as expressed by themselves, on the Subject. HAVING feen what the chriftian Fathers fay in general of the ignorance of the Jews concerning the doctrine of the trinity, let us fee what the Jews themselves have faid on the subject, as far as we are able to collect it, either from the writings of the chriftian Fathers, or their own. As the chriftian Fathers found the doctrine of the trinity obfcurely hinted at in the Old Teftament, and particularly in the account of the creation, in which God is repre. fented as faying, Let us make man, we may wish to know what the Jews replied, when they were urged with this argument; and it is remarkable, that their answer was in general the fame with that of the unitarian in the Clementines, in reply to Simon, who had urged that very circumstance, as a proof that there were more gods than one. However, there is a variety in the answers given by the Jews to this question, but all of them sufficiently |