P R E F A C E. X fàre geteratiónis fecretum. Mens deficit, vox filet, non mea tantum, fed & Augelorum ; fupra poteftates, fupra Angelos, fupra Cherubim, fupra fenfum, fupra omnem fenfum. Tu quoque manum on admove ; fcrutari non licet fu- perna myfteria. Licet kitequod natos fit, non lied difcutere quomodo natus fit 5 illud negare milli non licet, hoc quzeere mesas eft. Nam fi Paulus ea quas audivit, raptus in tertium ceelum, ineffabilia dicit, quomodonos éxprimere pollùmus paternæ generationis arcanum, quod nec fendre potuimus, nec audire? Quid te ifta Quæftionum tormenta deleítant ? I enquire ofyou, what and how the Son was begotten? Impoble it is to me to know the myfiery ofthis Ge- neration. illy mindfaikth, my voice is filent, and not only mine, but of the Angels ; it is above prinwipalities, above angels, above the cherubims, above the /2raphims, above all underfanding. Lay thy handon thy mouth; it is not lawful to fearch into thefe heavenly myfieries. It is lawful to know that he was born ; it is not lawful to determine how hewas born ; that it is not lawfulfor me to deny ; this I am afraid ta enquire into. Far if Paul, whenhe was taken into the third Heaven, affirms that the things which he heard could not be uttered, how can we exprefr the myfery of the divine Generation, wbich we can neither apprehend nor hear. Why do fuch tor- menting guettions delight thee? Ephraim Cyrus wrote a Book to thispurpofe, againfi them who would fearch out the nature of the Son of God. Among many other things to the fame purpofe are his words cap. ii. Infelix prefedto, mifer atque impudentiffimus eft, qui fcrutari cupir opificem fuum.. Millia millium, & centies nailliesmllle,na millia angelorum& archangelorum, cum horrore glorificant, & trernentes ado- rant ; & immines lutei, pleni peccatis, de divinitate intrepide differunt ? Non-iii forum exhorrcfcir corpus, non contremefcit animus; fed fecuri & garnli, de Chrifto Dci filio, qui pro me indigno peccatore pails eft, deque ipfius utragde gencratione loquuntur; nec faltem quod in luce cacutiunt,fentiunr. He is unhap- py, m f rabie, and molt impudent, who defer s to examine or fearch out his Maker. Thoufandsof thoulands, and of thoufands of millions of angels and archangels, do glorify himwithdrea ,and adore himwith trembling; and (hall men made ofClay dáf fins, dei pute of the deity without fear? Horror doth not flake thef bodies, their minds doth not tremble, but being fawn, andprating, they [peak ofthe Son ofGod, who fuferedfor me unwor- thyfirmer, andof both lis nativities orgenerations; at leaf[ they are notfen- fible how blind theyare in the light. To the fame purpofe fpeaks Eufebius at large, Démon. Evan. lib. v. cap. 2. Leo well adds hereunto the confideratiou of'his incarnation, in thofe excellent words, Serm. g. de Nativitat. Quia in Chrifto Jefu filio Dei, non folum ad Divinam effentiam, fed etiam ad humanam fpebtae naturam,quod dic- tum eft per Propltetam; Generationem ejus quis enarrabit? Utramque enim fublantiam in unam conveniffe perfonam, nifi fides credat, fermo non expli- cat; & ideo materia nunquam deficit Landis; quia nunquam fufficit copia Lau- datoris. Gaudeamus igitur quod ad eloquendum tantum mifericordia facra- mentum impares fumas & cum falutis noftrn altitudinem promete non valea- mus,fentiamus nobis bonum elfequod vincimur. Nemo enim ad cognitionem veritatis magis propinquat, quam qui intelligit, in rebus divinis, etiamli mut- turn proficiat, temper fini fuperetfe quod quasar. See alto Fulg. lib. ii. ad Thrafimund. But I(peak ofthe perfon of Chrift as unto the affumption a the fub/lan- tial adjunii of the humane nature not to be apart, whereofhis perron is compofed, but as unto itsftbf Rente therein, by virtue of afubflantial union. Some of the ancients, I confr, (peakfreely of the compofition oftheperfon of Chrift in andby the two natures, thedivine andhumane. That the Son of Gad after his incarnation, hadone nature compofed of the deity and huma- nity, was the herefyofApolinatius Eutyches, the Monothelites, or Monophy- fites,
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