A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

40 A Source Book for Ancient Church Historydwell in the world, but they are not of the world. The invisiblesoul is guarded in the visible body; so Christians are known asexisting in the world, but their religion remains invisible. Theflesh hates the soul and wages war on it, though it has receivedno wrong, because it is forbidden to indulge in pleasures; so theworld hates Christians, though it receives no wrong from them,because they are opposed to its pleasures. The soul loves theflesh which hates it, and it loves the members; so Christianslove those who hate them. The soul is enclosed in the body,yet itself holds the body together; so the Christians are kept inthe world as in a prison-house, yet they themselves hold theworld together. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle;so Christians sojourn amid corruptible things, looking for theincorruptibility in the heavens. The soul when hardly treated inthe matter of meats and drinks is improved; so Christians whenpunished increase more and more daily. In so great an office hasGod appointed them, which it is not lawful for them to decline.[030]§ 12. Theological IdeasIn the post-apostolic period are to be traced the beginnings of distinctiveforms of religious and ethical ideas as distinguished frommere repetition of New Testament phrases. The most influentialwriter was Ignatius of Antioch, the founder, or earliest representative,of what may be called the Asia Minor theology, whichis to be traced through Irenæus, Methodius, and Athanasius tothe other great theologians of the Nicene period, becoming thedistinctive Eastern type of piety. It probably persisted in AsiaMinor after Ignatius. Among its characteristic features was thethought of redemption as the imparting to man of incorruptibilitythrough the incarnation and the sacraments.