---
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: 62 of 199
url: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/62/
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 62. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/62/"
---

# 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.

## 62. Of the Divine Unity, and the Resurrection of the Flesh · 6 of 8

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/62/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/62/#p-N

[¶0] 220 It is to note his many cruelties

[¶1] Briefly, and the unmentionable men,

[¶2] The dragon’s organs fell, through whom he now,

[¶3] Speaking so much profaneness, ever toils

[¶4] To blame the Maker of the world. But come;

[¶5] 225 Recall your foot from savage Bandit’s cave,

[¶6] While space is granted, and to wretched men

[¶7] God, patient in perennial parent-love,

[¶8] Condones all deeds through error done! Believe

[¶9] Truly in the true Sire, who built the orb;

[¶10] 230 Who, on behalf of men incapable

[¶11] To bear the law, sunk in sin’s whirlpool, sent

[¶12] The true Lord to repair the ruin wrought,

[¶13] And bring them the salvation promised

[¶14] Of old through seers. He who the mandates gave

[¶15] 235 Remits sins too. Somewhat, deservedly,

[¶16] Doth He exact, because He formerly

[¶17] Entrusted somewhat; or else bounteously,

[¶18] As Lord, condones as it were debts to slaves:

[¶19] Finally, peoples shut up ’neath the curse,

[¶20] 240 And meriting the penalty, Himself

[¶21] Deleting the indictment, bids be washed!

[¶22] Part II.—Of the Resurrection of the Flesh.

[¶23] The whole man, then, believes; the whole is washed;

[¶24] Abstains from sin, or truly suffers wounds

[¶25] For Christ’s name’s sake: he rises a true man,

[¶26] 245 Death, truly vanquish, shall be mute. But not

[¶27] Part of the man,—his soul,—her own part left

[¶28] Behind, will win the palm which, labouring

[¶29] And wrestling in the course, combinedly

[¶30] And simultaneously with flesh, she earns.

[¶31] 250 Great crime it were for two in chains to bear

[¶32] A weight, of whom the one were affluent

[¶33] The other needy, and the wretched one

[¶34] Be spurned, and guerdons to the happy one

[¶35] Rendered. Not so the Just—fair Renderer

[¶36] 255 Of wages—deals, both good and just, whom we

[¶37] Believe Almighty: to the thankless kind

[¶38] Full is His will of pity. Nay, whate’er

[¶39] He who hath greater mortal need doth need

[¶40] That, by advancement, to his comrade he

[¶41] 260 May equalled be, that will the affluent

[¶42] Bestow the rather unsolicited:

[¶43] So are we bidden to believe, and not

[¶44] Be willing to cast blame unlawfully