St. Ignatius ad Ephes. xix. init. Κα λαθεν τον ρχοντα το ανο τουτο παρθενα Μαρα, κα τοκετς ατ, μοω κα θνατο το Κυρου τρα μυστρια κραυγ τινα ν συχ Θεο πρχθη. “Now the virginity of Mary, and her delivery, was kept in secret from the prince of this world, as was also the Lord’s death; three most notable mysteries, yet done in Secret of God.” [See Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I., p. 57. The Greek given in this note is from the “briefer” form of the Ignatian Epistles. But the “longer” form differs very little, and the Syriac version, brief as it is, contains this sentence.—R.] And Origen, 6th Homily on St. Luke, says, “It has been well written in one of the epistles of a certain martyr, I mean Ignatius, the next Bishop of Antioch after the blessed Peter, him who fought with wild beasts in the persecution at Rome, ‘Now the virginity of Mary was kept in secret from the prince of this world.’ It was concealed because of Joseph, because of her espousals, because she was supposed to have a husband. For, had she had no spouse or supposed husband, it could not have been concealed from the prince of this world. For presently the thought would have silently occurred to the evil one, ‘How is she with child, who knoweth not a man? This conception must be divine, it must be something higher than human nature.’ On the contrary, our Saviour had purposed that the devil should be ignorant of his Œconomy and Incarnation: for which cause He both in His birth concealed the same, and commanded His disciples afterwards that they should not make Him known. Also when tempted by the devil in person, He no where owned Himself Son of God.” Origen then quotes 1 Cor. ii. 6–8, to the same effect. And in answer to the objection, How the devils which were from time to time cast out knew Him to be the Son of God, he suggests that it might be owing to their inferiority in malice and mischief: according to the rule among men, that the worse they are, the less they can know of Christ. [The Homilies of Origen are not included in the Ante-Nicene Fathers.] See also a supposed Homily of St. Basil’s, De Christi generatione, Ed. Ben. ii. 598, c.; and St. Jerome on St. Matt. i. 18.