§33.
Unbelief of Jews and scoffing of Greeks. The former confounded by
their own Scriptures. Prophecies of His coming as God and as
Man.
These things being so, and the Resurrection of
His body and the victory gained over death by the Saviour being clearly
proved, come now let us put to rebuke both the disbelief of the Jews
and the scoffing of the Gentiles. 2. For these, perhaps, are the points
where Jews express incredulity, while Gentiles laugh, finding fault
with the unseemliness of the Cross, and of the Word of God becoming
man. But our argument shall not delay to grapple with both especially
as the proofs at our command against them are clear as day. 3. For Jews
in their incredulity may be refuted from the Scriptures, which even
themselves read; for this text and that, and, in a word, the whole
inspired Scripture, cries aloud concerning these things, as even its
express words abundantly shew. For prophets proclaimed beforehand
concerning the wonder of the Virgin and the birth from her, saying:
“Lo, the
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Virgin shall be with child, and shall
bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is,
being interpreted, God with us.” 4. But Moses, the truly great,
and whom they believe to speak truth, with reference to the
Saviour’s becoming man, having estimated what was said as
important, and assured of its truth, set it down in these words:
“There
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shall rise a star out of Jacob, and a
man out of Israel, and he shall break in pieces the captains of
Moab.” And again: “How lovely are thy habitations O Jacob,
thy tabernacles O Israel, as shadowing gardens, and as parks by the
rivers, and as tabernacles which the Lord hath fixed, as cedars by the
waters. A man shall come forth out of his seed, and shall be Lord over
many peoples.” And again, Esaias: “Before
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the Child know how to call father or mother, he shall take the power of
Damascus and the spoils of Samaria before the king of Assyria.”
5. That a man, then, shall appear is foretold in those words. But that
He that is to come is Lord of all, they predict once more as follows:
“Behold
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the Lord sitteth upon a light cloud,
and shall come into Egypt, and the graven images of Egypt shall be
shaken.” For from thence also it is that the Father calls Him
back, saying: “I called
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My Son out of
Egypt.”
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Matt. i. 23
;
Isa. vii.
14
.
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Num. xxiv.
5–17
.
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Isa. viii. 4
.
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Isa. xix. 1
.
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Hos. xi. 1
.