ecease that He should accomplish in Jerusalem," i.e. of
His Passion and death. Therefore, "in order to strengthen the hearts
of His disciples with a view to this," He sets before them those who
had exposed themselves to death for God's sake: since Moses braved
death in opposing Pharaoh, and Elias in opposing Achab. A fifth
reason was that "He wished His disciples to imitate the meekness of
Moses and the zeal of Elias." Hilary adds a sixth reason--namely, in
order to signify that He had been foretold by the Law, which Moses
gave them, and by the prophets, of whom Elias was the principal.

Reply Obj. 4: Lofty mysteries should not be immediately explained to
everyone, but should be handed down through superiors to others in
their proper turn. Consequently, as Chrysostom says (on Matt. 17:3),
"He took these three as being superior to the rest." For "Peter
excelled in the love" he bore to Christ and in the power bestowed on
him; John in the privilege of Christ's love for him on account of his
virginity, and, again, on account of his being privileged to be an
Evangelist; James on account of the privilege of martyrdom.
Nevertheless He did not wish them to tell others what they had seen
before His Resurrection; "lest," as Jerome says on Matt. 17:19, "such
a wonderful thing should seem incredible to them; and lest, after
hearing of so great glory, they should be scandalized at the Cross"
that followed; or, again, "lest [the Cross] should be entirely
hindered by the people" [*Bede, Hom. xviii; cf. Catena Aurea]; and
"in order that they might then be witnesses of spiritual things when
they should be filled with the Holy Ghost" [*Hilary, in Matth. xvii].
_______________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 45, Art. 4]

Whether the Testimony of the Father's Voice, Saying, "This Is My
Beloved Son," Was Fittingly Added?

Objection 1: It would seem that the testimony of the Father's voice,
saying, "This is My beloved Son," was not fittingly added; for, as it
is written (Job 33:14), "God speaketh once, and repeateth not the
selfsame thing the second time." But the Father's voice had testified
to this at the time of (Christ's) baptism. Therefore it was not
fitting that He should bear witness to it a second time.

Obj. 2: Further, at the baptism the Holy Ghost appeared under the
form of a dove at the same time as the Father's voice was heard. But
this did not happen at the transfiguration. Therefore it seems that
the testimony of the Fa