d of God']." Therefore Christ's genealogy
is set down by the evangelists in a suitable order.

Reply Obj. 1: As Jerome says on Matt. 1, Isaias speaks of the
generation of Christ's Godhead. Whereas Matthew relates the
generation of Christ in His humanity; not indeed by explaining the
manner of the Incarnation, which is also unspeakable; but by
enumerating Christ's forefathers from whom He was descended according
to the flesh.

Reply Obj. 2: Various answers have been made by certain writers to
this objection which was raised by Julian the Apostate; for some, as
Gregory of Nazianzum, say that the people mentioned by the two
evangelists are the same, but under different names, as though they
each had two. But this will not stand: because Matthew mentions one
of David's sons--namely, Solomon; whereas Luke mentions
another--namely, Nathan, who according to the history of the kings (2
Kings 5:14) were clearly brothers.

Wherefore others said that Matthew gave the true genealogy of Christ:
while Luke gave the supposititious genealogy; hence he began: "Being
(as it was supposed) the son of Joseph." For among the Jews there
were some who believed that, on account of the crimes of the kings of
Juda, Christ would be born of the family of David, not through the
kings, but through some other line of private individuals.

Others again have supposed that Matthew gave the forefathers
according to the flesh: whereas Luke gave these according to the
spirit, that is, righteous men, who are called (Christ's) forefathers
by likeness of virtue.

But an answer is given in the Qq. Vet. et Nov. Test. [*Part i, qu.
lvi; part 2, qu. vi] to the effect that we are not to understand that
Joseph is said by Luke to be the son of Heli: but that at the time of
Christ, Heli and Joseph were differently descended from David. Hence
Christ is said to have been supposed to be the son of Joseph, and
also to have been the son of Heli as though (the Evangelist) were to
say that Christ, from the fact that He was the son of Joseph, could
be called the son of Heli and of all those who were descended from
David; as the Apostle says (Rom. 9:5): "Of whom" (viz. the Jews) "is
Christ according to the flesh."

Augustine again gives three solutions (De Qq. Evang. ii), saying:
"There are three motives by one or other of which the evangelist was
guided. For either one evangelist mentions Joseph's father of whom he
was begotten; whilst the other gives either his mater