424 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XI.
But in theirveryactionsthey testifyhow much they coincide
with theirfathers'wickedness,by treatingwith insultthat
Lord whom the prophetsforetold.Hence itisadded, There
fore alsosaid the wisdom of God, I willsend them prophets
and apostles,and some of them theyshallslayand persecute.
AMBROSE. The wisdom of God is Christ. The words indeed
in Matthew are,Behold I send unto you prophets and wise
men. BEDE. But ifthe same Wisdom of God sentprophets
and Apostles,let hereticscease to assignto Christa begin
ning from the Virgin; letthem no longerdeclareone God of
the Law and Prophets,anotherof the New Testament. For
although the ApostolicScriptureoftencallsby the name of
prophetsnot only thosewho foretellthe coming Incarnation
ofChrist,but thosealsowho foretellthefuturejoysoftheking
dom of heaven,yet I shouldnever supposethatthesewere to
be placedbeforethe Apostlesin the orderof enumeration.
Athan. ATHAN. Now ifthey kill,the death of the slainwillcry
cteTua' out ^ie ^ou^eraBainstthem ; ifthey pursue,they send forth
SUB. memorials of theiriniquity,forflightmakes the pursuitof
the suffererstoredound to the greatdisgraceofthe pursuers.
For no one fleesfrom the mercifuland gentle,but rather
from the crueland evil-mindedman. And thereforeit fol
lows,That the bloodof alltheprophetswho have been slain
from thefoundationof theworld may be requiredof thisgene
ration. BEDE. It is asked,How comes itthat the blood of
allthe prophetsand justmen isrequiredof the singlegene
rationof the Jews ; whereas many of the saints,both before
the Incarnationand after,have been slainby othernations?
But it isthe manner of the Scripturesfrequentlyto reckon
two generationsof men, one of the good,and the other of
the evil. CYRIL. Although then He says pointedlyof this
generation,He expressesnot merely those who were then
standing by Him and listening,but everymanslayer. For
Chry«. likeis attributedto like. CHRYS. But if He means that
.4'the Jews are about to sufferworse things,this willnot be
undeserved,forthey have dared to do worse than all. And
they have been correctedby none of theirpast calamities,
but when they saw others sin,and punished,they were not
made better,but did likewise;yet itwillnot be that one
shallsufferpunishment forthe sinsof others.