gress is possible even in the kingdom of heaven (desire and perfection.) Comp. Redepenning. Origines, ii. p. 340, ss.

(3) In the same place, de princ. ii. 11, Origen describes in strong terms the sensuous expectations of those, qui magis delectationi suæ quodammodo ac libidini indulgentes, solius litteræ discipuli arbitrantur repromissiones futuras in voluptate et luxuria corporis expectandas. He himself, attaching too much importance to the intellectual, supposes the principal enjoyment of the future life to consist in the gratification of the desire after knowledge, which God would not have given us, if he had not designed to satisfy it. While on earth we trace the outlines of the picture which will be finished in heaven. The objects of future knowledge are, as we might naturally expect, for the most part of a theological character; as an allegorical interpreter, he would think it of great importance that we should then fully understand all the types of the Old Test. p. 105; Tunc intelliget etiam de sacerdotibus et levitis et de diversis sacerdotalibus ordinibus rationem, et cujus forma erat in Moyse, et nihilominus quæ sit veritas apud Deum jubilæorum et septimanas annorum; sed et festorum dierum et feriarum rationes videbit et omnium sacrificiorum et purificationum intuebitur causas; quæ sit quoque ratio lepræ purgationis et quæ lepræ diversa, et quæ purgatio sit eorum qui seminis profluvium patiuntur, advertet; et agnoscet quoque, quæ et quantæ qualesque virtutes sint bonæ, quæque nihilominus contrariæ, et qui vel illis affectus sit hominibus, vel istis contentiosa æmulatio; the knowledge, however, of metaphysics, and even of natural philosophy is not excluded: Intuebitur quoque, quæ sit ratio animarum, quæve diversitas animalium vel eorum, quæ in aquis vivunt, vel avium, vel ferarum, quidve sit, quod in tam multas species singula genera deducuntur, qui creatoris prospectus, vel quis per hæc singula sapientiæ ejus tegitur sensus. Sed et agnoscet, qua ratione radicibus quibusdam vel herbis associantur quædam virtutes, et aliis e contrario herbis vel radicibus depelluntur. We shall also have a clear insight into the destinies of man, and the dealings of providence. In a higher region we shall be instructed e. g. concerning the stars, "why a star occupies such and such a position, why it stands at such and such a distance from another," etc. But the highest and last degree is the intuitive vision of God himself, the complete elevation of the spirit above the region of sense. The blessed do

not stand in need of any other food. Comp. de princip. iii. 318. 321. and Tom. xx. in Joh. (Opp. iv. p. 315.): "Ore Mèv ó iwganãs Tòv υἱὸν, ἑώρακε τόν πατέρα· ὅτε δε ὡς ὁ υἱὸς ὁρᾷ τὸν πατέρα, καὶ τὰ παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ὄψεταί τις, οἱονεὶ ὁμοίως τῷ υἱῷ αὐτόπτης ἔσται τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τῶν τοῦ πατρὸς, οὐκέτι ἀπὸ τῆς εἰκόνος ἐννοῶν τὰ περὶ τούτου, οὗ ἡ εἰκών ἐστι. Καὶ νομίζω γε τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ τέλος, ὅταν παραδίδωσι τὴν βασίλειαν ὁ υἱὸς τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρι, καὶ ὅτε γίνεται ὁ θεὸς τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν (1 Cor. xv. 28.) The interpretation of Origen forms a remarkable contrast with the sensuous and rhetorical description of Cyprian, which is to be connected with his hierarchico-ascetic tendency; the latter has, however, more of an ecclesiastical character, and enjoys greater popularity than the former, because it has also regard to the wants of the mind (the meeting again of individuals, etc.), de mortalitate, p. 166: Quis non ad suos navigare festinans, ventum prosperum cupi. dius optaret, ut velociter caros liceret amplecti? Patriam nostram Paradisum computamus, parentes Patriarchas habere jam cœpimus: quid non properamus et currimus, ut patriam nostram videre, ut parentes salutare possimus? Magnus illic nos carorum numerus expectat, parentum, fratrum, filiorum frequens nos et copiosa turba desiderat, jam de sua immortalitate secura, et adhuc de nostra salute solicita. Ad horum conspectum et complexum venire quanta et illis et nobis in commune lætitia est? Qualis illic cœlestium regnorum voluptas sine timore moriendi et cum æternitate vivendi ? quam summa et perpetua felicitas? Illic apostolorum gloriosus chorus, illic prophetarum exultantium numerus, illic martyrum innumerabilis populus ob certaminis et passionis victoriam coronatus; triumphantes illic virgines, quæ concupiscentiam carnis et corporis continentiæ robore subegerunt; remunerati misericordes, qui alimentis et largitionibus pauperum justitiæ opera fecerunt, qui dominica præcepta servantes, ad cœlestes thesauros terrena patrimonia transtulerunt. Ad hos, fratres dilectissimi, avida cupiditate properemus, ut cum his cito esse, ut cito ad Christum venire contingat, optemus.

(4) Clement of Rome, Ep. 2, c. 8. (comp. c. 9:) Merà yàp rò ἐξελθεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ ἔτι δυνάμεθα ἐκεῖ ἐξομολογήσασθαι ἢ MeraveŇ TI. Justin M. also asserts the eternity of future punishments in opposition to Plato's doctrine, according to which they should only last a thousand years, Apol. i. 8. Coh, ad. Gr. c. 35. Thus Minuc. Fel. c. 35: Nec tormentis aut modus ullus aut terminus. Also Cyprian, ad Demetr. p. 195: Cremabit addictos

ardens semper gehenna, et vivacibus flammis vorax pœna, nec erit, unde habere tormenta vel requiem possint aliquando vel finem. Servabuntur cum corporibus suis animæ infinitis cruciatibus ad dolorem. P. 196: Quando istinc excessum fuerit, nullus jam pœnitentiæ locus est, nullus satisfactionis effectus: hic vita aut amittitur, aut tenetur, hic saluti æternæ cultu Dei et fructu fidei providetur.-The idea of eternal punishments is different from that of a total annihilation, which was propounded by Arnobius at the commencement of the following period. Some are disposed to find the first traces of this doctrine in Justin M. dial. cum Tryph. c. 5, where it is said that the souls of the wicked should be punished as long as ἔστ' ἂν αὐτὰς καὶ εἶναι xài xong so tai ở Đạ Sáng. (Comp. on this passage Semisch ii. p. Iren. ii. 34: Quoadusque ea Deus et esse et perseverare voluerit, and Clement Hom. iii. 3.

480, 481.) Comp. also

(5) In accordance with the language of Scripture, fire was commonly represented as the instrument by which God executes his punishments. Justin M. speaks in various places of a rug aiúrov äoßsorov (Apol. ii. 1. 2. 7. dial. c. Tr. § 130.) Clement of Alexandria, Coh. 47, (35,) calls it rug owpgovov, Tert. Scorp. 4, and Minuc. Fel. 35, (afterwards also Jerome and others) call it ignis sapiens. It will be sufficient here to quote the passage of Minucius: Illic sapiens ignis membra urit et reficit, carpit et nutrit, sicut ignes fulminum corpora tangunt, nec absumunt. Sicut ignes Ætnæ et Vesuvii montis et ardentium ubiqe terrarum flagrant, nec erogantur, ita pœnale illud incendium non damnis ardentium pascitur, sed inexesa corporum laceratione nutritur. Comp. also Tert. Apol. c. 48, and Cypr. ad. Demetr. 1. c., who thinks that the sight of these punishments is a kind of satisfaction to the blessed for the persecutions which they had to suffer while on earth. Hell was represented as a place, thus by Justin M., Apol. i. 19: ̔Η δὲ γεέννά ἐστι τόπος ἔνθα κολάζεσθαι, μέλλουσι οἱ ἀδίκως βιώσαντες καὶ μὴ πιστεύοντες ταῦτα γενήσεσθαι, ὅσα ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐδίδαξε. As Origen imagined that spiritual enjoyments constitute the future blessedness, so he believed the misery of the wicked to consist in separation from God, the remorse of conscience, etc. de princ. ii. 10. Opp. i. p. 102. The eternal fire is neither material, nor kindled by another person, but the combustibles are our sins themselves, of which conscience reminds us; thus the fire of hell resembles the fire of passions in this world. The discord between the soul and God may be compared with the

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pain which we suffer, when all the members of the body are torn out of their joints. By "outer darkness" Origen does not so much understand a place devoid of light, as a state of complete ignorance; he thus appears to adopt the idea of black bodies only by way of accommodation to popular notions. It should also be borne in mind, that Origen imagined that the design of all these punishments was to heal, or to correct, and thus finally to restore the sinner to the favour of God.

(6) De princ. i. 6. Opp. i. p. 70, 71, (quoted by Münscher von Cölln. i. p. 64, 65.) The ideas there expressed are connected with his general views on the character of God, the design of the Divine punishments, on liberty and the nature of evil, as well as with his demonology, and especially with his unwavering faith in the power of Christ's work to overcome all things (according to Ps. cx. 1, and 1 Cor. xv. 25.) At the same time, he frankly confessed, that his doctrine might easily become dangerous to the unconverted, contra Celsum vi. 26. Opp. i. p. 650. He therefore speaks at the very commencement of the 19. Hom. in Jerem. Opp. T. iii. p. 241, of eternal condemnation, even of the impossibility of being converted in the world to come. Nevertheless, in the same Hom. (p. 267,) he calls the fear of eternal punishment (according to Jer. xx. 7,) árárη, though it be beneficial in its effects, and brought about by God himself (a pedagogical artifice, as it were.) For many wise men, or such as thought themselves wise, having apprehended the (theoretical) truth respecting the Divine punishments, and rejected the delusion (beneficial in a practical point of view), gave themselves up to a vicious life, while it would have been much better for them to believe in the eternity of the punishments of hell.

SECOND PERIOD.

FROM THE DEATH OF ORIGEN TO JOHN DAMASCENUS, FROM THE YEAR 254-730.

THE AGE OF POLEMICS.

A. GENERAL HISTORY OF DOCTRINES DURING THE

SECOND PERIOD.

§ 79.

INTRODUCTION.

De Wette, Christliche Sittenlehre, vol. ii. p. 294, ss.

Handbuch, vol. iii. section 1.

Meinscher,

DURING this considerable space of time the Polemics of the church developed themselves in a much more remarkable manner than either the apologetical tendency of the preceding, or the systematic tendency of the next period. The time which elapsed from the Sabellian to the Monothelite controversy, presents the aspect of a series of contests, carried on within the church, about the most important doctrinal points. While in the preceding period all heretics separated from the church as a matter of course, we now see them striving for the victory, and it was for a long time uncertain which party would gain it. Orthodoxy, however, prevailed at last, partly from an internal necessity, partly through the assistance of the secular power, and the