---
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: 75 of 199
url: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/75/
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 75. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/75/"
---

# 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.

## 75. Of the Harmony of the Fathers of the Old and New Testaments · 2 of 10

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/75/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/75/#p-N

[¶0] (Himself their patriarch) through all his own

[¶1] 45 Life’s space the gladdest times of Christ foresang

[¶2] By words, act, virtue, toil.

[¶3] Him follows—free

[¶4] From foul youth’s stain—Joseph, by slander feigned,

[¶5] Doomed to hard penalty and gaol: his groans

[¶6] Glory succeeds, and the realm’s second crown, so

[¶7] 50 And in dearth’s time large power of furnishing

[¶8] Bread: so appropriate a type of Christ,

[¶9] So lightsome type of Light, is manifest

[¶10] To all whose mind hath eyes, that they may see

[¶11] In a face-mirror their sure hope.

[¶12] Himself

[¶13] 55 The patriarch Judah, see; the origin

[¶14] Of royal line, whence leaders rose, nor kings

[¶15] Failed ever from his seed, until the Power

[¶16] To come, by Gentiles looked for, promised long,

[¶17] Came.

[¶18] Moses, leader of the People, (he

[¶19] 60 Who, spurning briefly—blooming riches, left

[¶20] The royal thresholds,) rather chose to bear

[¶21] His people’s toils, afflicted, with bowed neck,

[¶22] By no threats daunted, than to gain himself

[¶23] Enjoyments, and of many penalties

[¶24] 65 Remission: admirable for such faith

[¶25] And love, he, with God’s virtue armed, achieved

[¶26] Great exploits: smote the nation through with plagues;

[¶27] And left their land behind, and their hard king

[¶28] Confounds, and leads the People back; trod waves;

[¶29] 70 Sunk the foes down in waters; through a “tree”

[¶30] Made ever-bitter waters sweet; spake much

[¶31] (Manifestly to the People) with the Christ,

[¶32] From whose face light and brilliance in his own

[¶33] Reflected shone; dashed on the ground the law

[¶34] 75 Accepted through some few,—implicit type,

[¶35] And sure, of his own toils!—smote through the rock;

[¶36] And, being bidden, shed forth streams; and stretched

[¶37] His hands that, by a sign, he vanquish might

[¶38] The foe; of Christ all severally, all

[¶39] 80 Combined through Christ, do speak. Great and approved,

[¶40] He rests with praise and peace.

[¶41] But Joshua,

[¶42] The son of Nun, erst called Oshea—this man

[¶43] The Holy Spirit to Himself did join

[¶44] As partner in His name: hence did he cleave