---
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: 69 of 199
url: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/69/
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 69. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/69/"
---

# 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.

## 69. Of the Harmony of the Old and New Laws · 5 of 9

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/69/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/69/#p-N

[¶0] 175 Christ seeks force-captured Adam; treads the path

[¶1] Himself where death wrought ruin; permeates

[¶2] All the old heroes’ monuments; inspects

[¶3] Each one; the One of whom all types were full;

[¶4] Begins e’en from the womb to expel the death

[¶5] 180 Conceived simultaneously with seed

[¶6] Of flesh within the bosom; purging all

[¶7] Life’s stages with a silent wisdom; debts

[¶8] Assuming; ready to cleanse all, and give

[¶9] Their Maker back the many whom the one

[¶10] 185 Had scattered. And, because one direful man

[¶11] Down-sunk in pit iniquitous did fall,

[¶12] By dragon-subdued virgin’s suasion led;

[¶13] Because he pleased her wittingly; because

[¶14] He left his heavenly covering behind:

[¶15] 190 Because the “tree” their nakedness did prove;

[¶16] Because dark death coerced them: in like wise

[¶17] Out of the self-same mass re-made returns

[¶18] Renewed now,—the flower of flesh, and host

[¶19] Of peace,—a flesh from espoused virgin born,

[¶20] 195 Not of man’s seed; conjoined to its own

[¶21] Artificer; without the debt of death.

[¶22] These mandates of the Father through bright stars

[¶23] An angel carries down, that angel-fame

[¶24] The tidings may accredit; telling how

[¶25] 200 “A virgin’s debts a virgin, flesh’s flesh,

[¶26] Should pay.” Thus introduced, the Giant-Babe,

[¶27] The Elder-Boy, the Stripling-Man, pursues

[¶28] Death’s trail. Thereafter, when completed was

[¶29] The ripe age of man’s strength, when man is wont

[¶30] 205 To see the lives that were his fellows drop

[¶31] By slow degrees away, and to be changed

[¶32] In mien to wrinkles foul and limbs inert,

[¶33] While blood forsakes his veins, his course he stayed,

[¶34] And suffered not his fleshly garb to age.

[¶35] 210 Upon what day or in what place did fall

[¶36] Most famous Adam, or outstretched his hand

[¶37] Rashly to touch the tree, on that same day,

[¶38] Returning as the years revolve, within

[¶39] The stadium of the “tree” the brave Athlete,

[¶40] 215 ’Countering, outstretched His hands, and, penalty

[¶41] For praise pursuing, quite did vanquish death,

[¶42] Because He left death of His own accord

[¶43] Behind, disrobing Him of fleshly slough,

[¶44] And of death’s dues; and to the “tree” affixed