LECT. III. The incarnation was opposed by heretics in various ways, on the supposition that it was contrary to the purity and majesty of God to be born into this world, as the Scriptures declare. Tertullian. Tertullian uses the expression, "Who was born by the Holy Ghost, of the Virgin Mary;" as Augustine afterwards gives the words of the Creed; and speaks of him as, "by the Spirit and power of God the Father, brought into the womb of the Virgin Mary, and made flesh in her womb, and born of her."

Clement of Alexandria.

The resurrection of Christ was maintained by the ancients in an orthodox way, according to its own importance, inserting it into the Creed,"He rose, on the third day,"-to shew that he was not three whole days in the grave. Tertullian we have heard saying, He rose; I believe it, because it is impossible;" doubtless meaning that it was so to human power.

But Christ's ascension to heaven being denied by some heretics, who said he distributed his body to the elements when he rose ;* Irenæus says, "We must believe the fleshly or incarnate reception of Christ Jesus into heaven."

Clement of Alexandria, exhorting the Gentiles,

says,

The Word of God; this is eternal, Jesus, the one great High Priest, of the one God,

*Misled by the Septuagint reading, "He placed his tabernacle in the sun."

who is himself the Father:* he prays for men, LECT. III. and exhorts men. Death crucified unto life, having snatched man from destruction, and suspended him in the ethereal region."

"Neither, when the divine Word was first preached and not believed; nor when, having taken the person of man, and, formed in flesh, he performed the saving drama of humanity, was he unknown. For he was a genuine hero, and champion of the creature. Most swiftly was he proclaimed to all men, from the Father's will, rising quicker than the sun, he most easily made the Deity shine. He was the covenant-maker, and reconciler, the life-giving, peaceful fountain, poured forth over all the face of the earth; an ocean of good things."+

"Man, bound with sins, the Lord chose to loose again; and clothed with flesh, (divine mystery !) in this, he handled the serpent, and reduced to slavery that tyrant-death. And what was most unexpected, man, him that was deceived by pleasure, and in the bondage of corruption, he, with outstretched hands, liberated and exhibited him to view. O mystic miracle! The Lord stoops, man rises; and he who fell from Paradise receives the greatest reward of obedience— heaven. Wherefore, it seems to me since the

*

Admon. ad Gentes, p. 55. ἀΐδιος οὗτος Ἰησοῦς εἷς ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς, κ. τ. λ.

† Admon. ad Gentes, 51.

LECT. III. Word, reason, itself, came to us from heaven, we have no need to go to human philosophy." "* He gave his soul a price of redemption for many. He gave up himself a sacrifice, iepetov, for us. Isaac was saved that the Word might first suffer; and, laughed, to prefigure the joy with which they should be filled who are redeemed from corruption by the blood of the Lord.†

Origen is far enough from teaching Celsus the doctrine of atonement with sufficient clearness and fidelity; but he says, "Therefore, the holy Father of Jesus, not sparing his own Son, but delivering him up for us all-he being his pure Lamb—that he might take away the sin of the world, who, for all his, dies-the Lamb of God." We, deeming him the propitiation for our sins, offer our prayers first to him, as the High Priest. §

Tertullian. The atonement, of which Tertullian rarely speaks, is presented to view when it will serve his argument. He blames the influence given to the martyrs to obtain pardon for the guilty; contending that "it is enough for the martyr to have purged his own sins, who has removed another death by his own; but the Son of God alone died for men in his very passion he liberated a robber, since for this purpose he had come, that he himself, pure from fault, and holy

* Admon. 51.

Lib. viii. 405.

† Pedag. i. 5. § Contra Cels., lib. viii. p. 386.

in all things, might obey for sinners. But if LECT. III. thou art a sinner, how should the oil of thy lamp suffice both for thee and me?"* Thus Septimius repudiates the doctrine of Rome, on the merits of saints as available for others. Against the Jews he contends, that "Christ is called a sacrifice for all nations." And against Marcion, that "he is the Father's intercessor, and the offerer of his own soul for the salvation of the people." He calls Christ, Immanuel, God with us, the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.‡

Cyprian's book concerning the lapsed con- Cyprian. tains the following testimony: "He alone, who has borne our sins, can obtain pardon for the sins committed against him who suffered for us, whom God delivered up for our sins." "Christ redeemed us by his own blood."§ In the Treatise on Alms, he says: "Christ was wounded, that he might cure our wounds; he served, that he might draw servants to liberty; he bore to die, that he might exhibit immortality to mortals." The Word was made flesh, who bore our sins, who, by conquering, conquered death. The eternal kingdom of God was acquired by the blood and passion of Christ."¶

The quantity of writing that we have from

LECT. III. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Tertullian, without any distinct and satisfactory mention of the atonement, or even any mention at all, would surprise those who for the first time read their works, and would grieve all who wish to think well of the fathers. The principal texts which contain the truth they scarcely mention, and especially Rom. iii. 25. The material cross soon became an idol, which hid from their view the sacrifice for sin. Of God's moral government they had imperfect views. Busied with the Greek philosophy, they never studied the rationale of revealed truth, for which some had ample ability, but, unhappily, no inclination.

PART III.—Election' and Grace.

THE doctrine of the early church on election and grace may be seen by the following extracts. The writer to Diognetus warns him, "Not to expect to be able to learn from man the mystery of Christian piety;"* and asks, "Who that is rightly taught, and born of the lovely Word, does not seek to learn fully the things taught by the Word openly to the disciples, to whom the Word appeared, speaking plainly, though not understood by unbelievers, yet explained to disciples?