---
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: 88 of 199
url: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/88/
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 88. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/88/"
---

# 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.

## 88. Of Marcion's Antitheses · 5 of 8

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/88/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-tertullian-minucius-felix-commodian-origen/88/#p-N

[¶0] 175 Before all eyes were visible of old

[¶1] The People’s “works,” which ever—“not without

[¶2] Blood”—it did offer, shedding out the gore

[¶3] Of lawless life. There, too, the Lord—Himself

[¶4] Made victim on behalf of all—denotes

[¶5] 180 The whole earth—altar in specific sense.

[¶6] Hence likewise that new covenant author, whom

[¶7] No language can describe, Disciple John,

[¶8] Testifies that beneath such altar he

[¶9] Saw souls which had for Christ’s name suffered,

[¶10] 185 Praying the vengeance of the mighty God

[¶11] Upon their slaughter. There, meantime, is rest.

[¶12] In some unknown part there exists a spot

[¶13] Open, enjoying its own light; ’tis called

[¶14] “Abraham’s bosom;” high above the glooms,

[¶15] 190 And far removed from fire, yet ’neath the earth.

[¶16] The brazen altar this is called, whereon

[¶17] (We have recorded) was a dusky veil.

[¶18] This veil divides both parts, and leaves the one

[¶19] Open, from the eternal one distinct

[¶20] 195 In worship and time’s usage. To itself

[¶21] Tis not unfriendly, though of fainter love,

[¶22] By time and space divided, and yet linked

[¶23] By reason. ’Tis one house, though by a veil

[¶24] Parted it seems: and thus (when the veil burst,

[¶25] 200 On the Lord’s passion) heavenly regions oped

[¶26] And holy vaults, and what was double erst

[¶27] Became one house perennial.

[¶28] Order due

[¶29] Traditionally has interpreted

[¶30] The inner temple of the people called

[¶31] 205 After Christ’s Name, with worship heavenly,

[¶32] God’s actual mandates following; (no “shade”

[¶33] Is herein bound, but persons real;) complete

[¶34] By the arrival of the “perfect things.”

[¶35] The ark beneath a type points out to us

[¶36] 210 Christ’s venerable body, joined, through “wood,”

[¶37] With sacred Spirit: the aërial skins

[¶38] Are flesh not born of seed, outstretcht on “wood;”

[¶39] At the same time, with golden semblance fused,

[¶40] Within, the glowing Spirit joined is

[¶41] 215 Thereto; that, with peace granted, flesh might bloom

[¶42] With Spirit mixt. Of the Lord’s flesh, again,

[¶43] The urn, golden and full, a type doth bear.

[¶44] Itself denotes that the new covenant’s Lord