Cyril of Alexandria: Commentary on Luke, Vol. 1

" which we have heard, That which we have seen with our

" eyes, and our hands have handled around the Word of

" Life, and the Life became manifest." Hearest thou not that

he speaks of the Life as capable of being handled? This he

does that thou mayest understand that the Son became man,

and was visible in respect of the flesh, but invisible as regards

His divinity.*

" There can be little doubt that on v. 32. is from the tenth Book

this passage does not belong to the against Julian, Op. VI. 331.; the

Commentary, but as I have hitherto following on v. 37. is the thirteenth

been unable to find it in S. Cyril's chapter against the Anthropomor-

Collected Works, I have thought it phites, VI. 380.; and the third e.xbest to retain it. Mai's next extract tract on v. 42. is the Commentary

B

Commentaky Upox

He hath shewed strength with His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.

The arm enigmatically signifies the Word that was born of her: and by the proud, Mary means the wicked demons who with their prince fell through pride: and the Greek sages, who refused to receive the folly, as it seemed, of what was preached: and the Jews who would not believe, and were scattered for their unworthy imaginations about the Word of God. And by the mighty she means the Scribes and Pharisees, who sought the chief seats. It is nearer the sense, however, to refer it to the wicked demons: for these, when openly claimin"' masterv over the world, the Lord hv His coming' '•ciittered,

upon Issachar's name, signifyini/ a reward," in the (jlaphyra, I. 227. (Ed. Aub.) All these I have omitted. The remaining extracts, t'oruiing a continuous Commentary upon the hymns of the blessed Virgin and Zacharias, I have retained, since it is scarcely probable that .S.Cyril entirely passed them over; and, though the homilies, as proved by the Syriac, commenced with the first versf of chap, ii., yet possibly he may have prefaced them l)y an Exposition of these hymns. Cramer's Catena, nevertheless, contains portions of several of these extracts anonymously. The proof from the Svriac that the homilies began with the second chapter is decisive. Of the nine MSS. in which more or less of this Commentary is preserved, eight constantly mention the number of the homily, which they quote either in part or entire: in one of these. No. 12, 154., a MS. probably of the eighth century, a series of extracts occurs…