---
title: "Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Commodian and Origen"
author: "Various Church Fathers"
translator: "S. Thelwall and others; A. Cleveland Coxe (ed.)"
languages: [en]
shelf: "Church Fathers"
section: 46 of 199
url: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/46/
cite: "Various Church Fathers, tr. S. Thelwall and others; A. Cleveland Coxe (ed.), Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Commodian and Origen, section 46. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/46/"
---

# Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Commodian and Origen

*Various Church Fathers, tr. S. Thelwall and others; A. Cleveland Coxe (ed.)*

Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Commodian, and Origen's On First Principles and Against Celsus.

## 46. A Strain of the Judgment of the Lord · 2 of 12

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/46/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/46/#p-N

[¶0] And may this strain of mine the gladsome shower

[¶1] 45 Catch, which from placid clouds doth come, and flows

[¶2] Deeply and all unsought into men’s souls,

[¶3] And guide it into our new-fumed lands

[¶4] In copious rills.

[¶5] Now come: if any one

[¶6] Still ignorant of God, and knowing naught

[¶7] 50 Of life to come, would fain attain to touch

[¶8] The care-effacing living nymph, and through

[¶9] The swift waves’ virtue his lost life repair,

[¶10] And ’scape the penalties of flame eterne,

[¶11] And rather win the guerdons of the life

[¶12] 55 To come, let such remember God is One,

[¶13] Alone the object of our prayers; who ’neath

[¶14] His threshold hath the whole world poised; Himself

[¶15] Eternally abiding, and to be

[¶16] Alway for aye; holding the ages all;

[¶17] 60 Alone, before all ages; unbegotten,

[¶18] Limitless God; who holds alone His seat

[¶19] Supernal; supereminent alone

[¶20] Above high heavens; omnipotent alone;

[¶21] Whom all things do obey; who for Himself

[¶22] 65 Formed, when it pleased Him, man for aye; and gave

[¶23] Him to be pastor of beasts tame, and lord

[¶24] Of wild; who by a word could stretch forth heaven;

[¶25] And with a word could solid earth suspend;

[¶26] And quicklier than word had the seas wave

[¶27] 70 Disjoined; and man’s dear form with His own hands

[¶28] Did love to mould; and furthermore did will

[¶29] His own fair likeness to exist in him;

[¶30] And by His Spirit on his countenance

[¶31] The breath of life did breathe.

[¶32] Unmindful he

[¶33] 75 Of God, such guilt rashly t’ incur! Beyond

[¶34] The warning’s range he was not ought to touch.

[¶35] One fruit illicit, whence he was to know

[¶36] Forthwith how to discriminate alike

[¶37] Evil and equity, God him forbade

[¶38] 80 To touch. What functions of the world did God

[¶39] Permit to man, and sealed the sweet sweet pledge

[¶40] Of His own love! and jurisdiction gave

[¶41] O’er birds, and granted him both deep and soil

[¶42] To tame, and mandates useful did impart

[¶43] 85 Of dear salvation! ’Neath his sway He gave

[¶44] The lands, the souls of flying things, the race