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AND THEIR REFUTATION. 391
Moshoim (10), you will see that all the Prophecies of the Old
Testament, and even the historical facts narrated, all speak of
this in a prophetic sense, as St. Paul : says
"
These things were
done in a figure" (I. Cor. x, 6). Our Saviour himself proved to
the disciples,
in the journey to Emmaus, that all the
Scriptures
"
of the Old Law spoke of him : Beginning at Moses and all the
Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things
that were concerning him" (Luke, xxiv, 27). And still Berruyer
says, that souls, under the Law of Nature, were adopted as
Children of God, without any knowledge of the mediation of
Jesus Christ.
53. How could those persons obtain the adoption of the
children of God without Jesus Christ, when it is he who has
given to the Faithful the "to power become the children of
God." Berruyer says :
"
Quod adoptio prima, eaque gratuito,
cujus virtute ab Adamo usque ad Christum, intuitu Christ!
venturi fidelcs omnes sive ex Israel, sive ex Gentibus facti sunt
filii Dei, non dederit Deo nisi filios minores semper et parvulos
usque ad tempus prsennitum a Patre. Vetus haec itaque adoptio
pra3parabat aliam, et novam quasi parturiebat adoptionem superioris
ordinis." He then admits two adoptions the first and
the second. The latter is that which exists in the New Law ;
the former, that by which all those who have received the Faith
among the Jews or Gentiles, in regard to the promised Messiah,
and these were only, as it were, younger children of God,
minors. This ancient adoption, he said, prepared, and, we may
say, brought forth, another one of a superior order ; but those*
who were adopted under this ancient one, scarcely deserved to
be named among the faithful
"
Vix filiorum nomen obtinerent."
It would take volumes to examine all the extravagant opinions
and extraordinary crotchets of this writer, which were never
heard of by Theologians before. The adoption of children of
God, as St. Thomas says (11), gives them a right to a share in
his birthright that is, Eternal Beatitude. Now, supposing
Berruyer s system to be true, as the ancient adoption was of an
inferior order, we ask, would it give a right to entire beatitude,
or only to an inferior or partial sort, corresponding
(10) Selvag. in Mosh. vol. 1, n. GS. (11) St. Thorn. 3, p. q. 23, a. 1.
to the