CHAPTER 1
BOOK III
HAVE now adequately completed the prolegomena ^ to (S7) my Proof of the Gospel:
I have shewn the nature of our Saviour's Gospel teaching, and given the reason of our regard for the oracles of the Jews, while we reject their rule of life.
And I have also made it clear that their (88 prophetic writings in tiieir foresight of the future recorded our own calling through Christ, so that we make use of them not as books alien to us, but as our own property.
And now it is time for me to embark on my actual work, and to begin to treat of the promises.
How these were actually concerned with the human dispensation of Jesus the Christ of God, and the teaching of the Hebrew prophets on the theology based on His Person, and predictions of His appearance among men, which I shall (b) shew immediately from their clear fulfilment can only apply to Him alone.
But I must first of necessity consider the fact that the prophets definitely made mentionof the Gospel of the Christ.
CHAPTER
That the Prophets made Mention of the Gospel of the Christ.
Mv witness of this shall be from the words of Isaiah, who cries in the Person of Christ ' Books I. and II. arc the "prolejjomena."
The Dcmoustratio it.self begins here, Eusebius claims by his arguments to have established the Christian use of the O.T., since Christianity is its real fulfilment.
The way is now clear fr>r the work itself, t\ aiirii vit60((tis, which is an examination of the prophetic witness to Christ, and of the correspondence of Jesus Christ with that witness, as described in the Gospels, and as evident in the effects of His coming on the world of heathenism.
* -KapfSa^ov = state Cfinciscly. lOI
I02
THE PROOF OF THE GOSPEL
Bk. III.
" The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim (c) deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the sa.
Ixi.
I. blind."
Our Saviour, after reading this prophecy through in the Synagogue one day to a multitude of Jews, shut the book .uke iv. and said :
" This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.'"
IAnd beginning His own teaching from that point He began to preach the Gospel to the poor, putting in the forefront of His blessings :
" Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs lait.
3. is the kingdom of heaven."
Yea, and to those who were (d) hampered by evil spirits, and bound for a long time like slaves by daemons. He proclaimed forgiveness, inviting all to be free and to escape from the bonds of sin, when He latt. xi. said: "Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy ^laden, and I will refresh you."
And to the blind He gave sight, giving the power of seeing to those whose bodily vision was destroyed, and dowering with the vision of the light of true religion those who of old in their minds were blind ^ to the truth.
The prophecy before us shews it to be essential that Christ Himself should be the originator and leader of the Gospel activity, and the same prophet foretells that after Him His own disciples should be ministers of the same system
(89) " How beautiful are the feet of them that bring good ;a. lii. 7; tidings of good things, and of those that bring good .om.
X. tidings of peace."
Here he says very particularly that it is the fed of those who publish the good news of Christ that are beautiful.
For how could they not be beautiful, which in so small, so short a time have run over the whole earth, and filled every place with the holy teaching about the Saviour of the world ?
(1)) And that they did not use human words to persuade their hearers, but that it was the power of God that worked with them in the Gospel preaching, again another prophet says :
"The Lord will give a word to those that bring good s.
Ixviii. tidings with much [)ower."
I'ttllowinp (laisfoni, wlio for kva^xitrova^ sugi^ests auflAou'TTouiri.
Diodatiis had evidently read— dvan-^pois oScri.