326 NOV ATI AN THE ROMAN PRESBYTER which " came unto His own, and His own receivedHim not. For the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not."1 Moreover, this Word " was in the beginning with God, and God was the Word."* Who then can doubt, when in thelastclauseitissaid," The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,"thatChrist,whose isthe nativity,and becauseHe was made flesh,is man ; and because He isthe Word of God, who can shrink from declaringwithout hesitationthat.He is God, especiallywhen he considersthe evangelicalScripture,that it has associatedboth of these substantialnatures into one concord of the nativityof Christ? For He itiswho " asa bridegroomgoeth forthfrom his bride-chamber;He exulted as a giant to run hisway. His going forthisfrom the end of theheaven,and His return unto the ends of it."3 Because,even to the highest," not any one hath ascendedintoheaven save He who came down from heaven,the Son of man who isin heaven."* Repeat ing thissame thing,He says: " Father,glorifyme withthat glory wherewith I was with Thee before the world was."1 And if thisWord came down from heaven as a bridegroom to the flesh,thatby the assumptionof fleshHe might ascend thitheras the Son of man, whence the Son of God had descended as the Word, reasonably,while by the mutual connectionboth fleshwears the Word of God, and the Son of God assumes the frailtyof the flesh;when the fleshbeing espoused ascendingthither,whence without the fleshithad descended,it at length receivesthat glory which in being shown to have had before the foundationof the world,it is most manifestlyproved to be God. And, nevertheless, while the world itselfis said to have been founded after Him, itisfound to have been createdby Him ; by thatvery divinityin Him whereby the world was made, both His gloryand His authorityareproved. Moreover,if,whereasit isthe propertyof none but God to know the secretsof the heart,Christbeholdsthesecretsof the heart; and if,whereas it belongs to none but God to remit sins,the same Christ 1Johni.10,11. 2Johni.1. 8 Ps.xix.6,7. 4Johniii.13. 5Johnxvii.5.