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.