---
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: 67 of 199
url: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/67/
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 67. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/67/"
---

# 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.

## 67. Of the Harmony of the Old and New Laws · 3 of 9

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/67/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/67/#p-N

[¶0] He had attracted.

[¶1] See what virtue, see

[¶2] What power, the paschal image has; ye thus

[¶3] 90 Will able be to see what power there is

[¶4] In the true Passover.

[¶5] Lest well-earned love

[¶6] Should tempt the faithful sire and seer, to whom

[¶7] His pledge and heir was dear, whom God by chance

[¶8] Had given him, to offer him to God

[¶9] 95 (A mighty execution!), there is shown

[¶10] To him a lamb entangled by the head

[¶11] In thorns; a holy victim—holy blood

[¶12] For blood—to God. From whose piacular death,

[¶13] That to the wasted race it might be sign

[¶14] 100 And pledge of safety, signed are with blood

[¶15] Their posts and thresholds many:—aid immense!

[¶16] The flesh (a witness credible) is given

[¶17] For food. The Jordan crossed, the land possessed,

[¶18] Joshua by law kept Passover with joy,

[¶19] 105 And immolates a lamb; and the great kings

[¶20] And holy prophets that were after him,

[¶21] Not ignorant of the good promises

[¶22] Of sure salvation; full of godly fear

[¶23] The great Law to transgress, (that mass of types

[¶24] 110 In image of the Supreme Virtue once

[¶25] To come,) did celebrate in order due

[¶26] The mirrorly-inspected passover.

[¶27] In short, if thou recur with rapid mind

[¶28] To times primordial, thou wilt find results

[¶29] 115 Too fatal following impious words. That man

[¶30] Easily credulous, alas! and stripped

[¶31] Of life’s own covering, might covered be

[¶32] With skins, a lamb is hung: the wound slays sins,

[¶33] Or death by blood effaces or enshrouds

[¶34] 120 Or cherishes the naked with its fleece.

[¶35] Is sheep’s blood of more worth than human blood,

[¶36] That, offered up for sins, it should quench wrath?

[¶37] Or is a lamb (as if he were more dear!)

[¶38] Of more worth than much people’s? aid immense!

[¶39] 125 As safeguard of so great salvation, could

[¶40] A lamb, if offered, have been price enough

[¶41] For the redeemed? Nay: but Almighty God,

[¶42] The heaven’s and earth’s Creator, infinite,

[¶43] Living, and perfect, and perennially

[¶44] 130 Dwelling in light, is not appeased by these,