Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IV/Commodianus/The Instructions of Commodianus/Chapter 37

by Commodianus

XXXVI.—Of the Foolishness of the Cross.

I have spoken of the twofold sign whence death proceeded, and again I have said that thence life frequently proceeds; but the cross has become foolishness to an adulterous people.  The awful King of eternity shadows forth these things by the cross, that they may now believe on Him.^[1]  O fools, that live in death!  Cain slew his younger brother by the invention of wickedness.  Thence the sons of Enoch^[2] are said to be the race of Cain.  Then the evil people increased in the world, which never transfers souls to God.  To believe the cross came to be a dread, and they say that they live righteously.  The first law was in the tree; and thence, too, the second.  And thence the second law first of all overcame the terrible law with peace.^[3]  Lifted up, they have rushed into vain prevarications.  They are unwilling to acknowledge the Lord pierced with nails; but when His judgment shall come, they will then discern Him.  But the race of Abel already believes on a merciful Christ.

Footnotes

1. [Or, “shadows forth Himself.”]
2. “Eusebius tells of another Enoch, who was not translated without seeing death.”—Rig.  [See Gen. iv. 17, 18.  S.]
3. Et inde secunda terribilem legem primo cum pace revincit.—Davis, conjecturally.