The Ante-Nicene Fathers; translations of the writings of the Fathers down to A Volume 4

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 edition. Excerpt: ...its teachers,2 it was preached everywhere throughout tne world, so that Greeks and Barbarians, wise and foolish, gave themselves up to the worship that is through Jesus,4 we have no difficulty in saying that the result is be-. yond any human power, Jesus having taught with all authority and persuasiveness that His word should not be overcome; so that we may rightly regard as oracular responses6 those utterances of His, such as, "Ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles;" 7 and, "Many shall say unto Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not eaten in Thy name, and drunk in Thy name, and in Thy name cast out devils? And I shall 1 Satis idonei. a oiiSi Twf SiSatrKaXuv nkiova&vTuv. 3 Religionem Christian doctrinse. T oid 'vrnv QrotrrSfia. i p.ti$ov if Kara avQpvtnuv To rpaypa tlvai. gDiprpiovt. 'Matt. x. 18. b Cf. Matt. xxiv. 14. 9 Cf. Matt. vii. 22, 23. sayings, indeed, had been so uttered by Him, and yet if these predictions had not been fulfilled, they might perhaps appear to be untrue,2 and not to possess any authority. But now, when His declarations do pass into fulfilment, seeing they were predicted with such power and authority, it is most clearly shown to be true that He, when He was made man, delivered to men the precepts of salvation.3 3. What, then, are we to say of this, which the prophets had beforehand foretold of Him, that princes would not cease from Judah, nor leaders from between his thighs, until He should come for whom it has been reserved (viz., the kingdom), and until the expectation of the Gentiles should come? For it is most distinctly evident from the history itself, from what is clearly seen at the present day, that from the times of Christ...