---
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: 60 of 199
url: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/60/
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 60. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/60/"
---

# 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.

## 60. Of the Divine Unity, and the Resurrection of the Flesh · 4 of 8

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/60/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/60/#p-N

[¶0] And through the prophets’ voice to the round world

[¶1] Best known: and now they seek an unknown Lord,

[¶2] Wandering in death’s threshold manifest,

[¶3] And leave behind the known. False is their faith,

[¶4] 135 False is their God, deceptive their reward,

[¶5] False is their resurrection, death’s defeat

[¶6] False, vain their martyrdoms, and e’en Christ’s name

[¶7] An empty sound: whom, teaching that He came

[¶8] Like magic mist, they (quite demented) own

[¶9] 140 To be the actor of a lie, and make

[¶10] His passion bootless, and the populace

[¶11] (A feigned one!) without crime! Is God thus true?

[¶12] Are such the honours rendered to the Lord?

[¶13] Ah! wretched men! gratuitously lost

[¶14] 145 In death ungrateful! Who, by blind guide led,

[¶15] Have headlong rushed into the ditch! and as

[¶16] In dreams the fancied rich man in his store

[¶17] Of treasure doth exult, and with his hands

[¶18] Grasps it, the sport of empty hope, so ye, so

[¶19] 150 Deceived, are hoping for a shadow vain

[¶20] Of guerdon!

[¶21] Ah! ye silent laughingstocks,

[¶22] Or doomed prey, of the dragon, do ye hope,

[¶23] Stern men, for death in room of gentle peace?

[¶24] Dare ye blame God, who hath works

[¶25] 155 So great? in whose earth, ’mid profuse displays

[¶26] Of His exceeding parent-care, His gifts

[¶27] (Unmindful of Himself!) ye largely praise,

[¶28] Rushing to ruin! do ye reprobate—

[¶29] Approving of the works—the Maker’s self,

[¶30] 160 The world’s Artificer, whose work withal

[¶31] Ye are yourselves? Who gave those little selves

[¶32] Great honours; sowed your crops; made all the brutes

[¶33] Your subjects; makes the seasons of the year

[¶34] Fruitful with stated months; grants sweetnesses,

[¶35] 165 Drinks various, rich odours, jocund flowers,

[¶36] And the groves’ grateful bowers; to growing herbs

[¶37] Grants wondrous juices; founts and streams dispreads

[¶38] With sweet waves, and illumes with stars the sky

[¶39] And the whole orb: the infinite sole Lord,

[¶40] 170 Both Just and Good; known by His work; to none

[¶41] By aspect known; whom nations, flourishing

[¶42] In wealth, but foolish, wrapped in error’s shroud,

[¶43] (Albeit ’tis beneath an alien name

[¶44] They praise Him, yet) their Maker knowing! dread