"2. Patristic Period. — We now reach the period in M-hich -we deal with the writings of the fathers of the Cluirch. The series opens with Justin JIartyr (q. v.), '• the evangelist wearing the mantle of a philosopher." It was his mind, trained by ancient ethical philosophy, which placed in the ground of Christian ethics the first seed of scientific treatment. He clothed the Christian ideas in the scientific forms of antique wisdom, and showed that the classic must bend before the higher light of the Gospel. I'articularly noticeable is his conception of reason as identical with knowledge and conscience. One of the fundamental Christian ideas— liberty of hu- man will — in contraposition to fatalism, sustained by pagan views, he vindicated by an argumentation as acute as striking. He tried to elucidate the relation of Cliristian jirinciples to the iSIosaic law, and defended the Clirisiian ethics against olijections raised both from the Jewisli and from pagan stand-points. Next we place tlie two ai)ologists, Athenagoras (q. v.) and Tlieophihis (q. v.), bishop of Antioch. Their writings furnish a rich store for ethics. After them wc meet lliat great disciple of I'olycarp, St. Ircnajus ((}. v.). lu op]iosition to the transcendental speculations of the (inostics, he urges with emphasis to a practical life. But in thus giving prominence to the practical part of Christianity, he is far from falling into a "moralizing" tendency. Far greater services tlian those named were rendered in tlie scientilic elaboration of Christian ethics by Clement
of Alexandria. His three principal writings form a tripartite entity, in which he successively imi^arts the Christian doctrine of life in its fundamental features. His first work (Aoyoj irporpi—TiKuc Trpug "EWijrac) is polemico-apologetic ; he cf)mbats what is morally injuri- ous in popuLtr religions and in the philosophical systems of heathendom, and compares with it the beneficial in- fluence which Christianity exercises on its professors; he shows the absurdity of the pagan legends of gods, and demonstrates how the religious mysteries of the pagans so often most deeply offend the moral senti- ments, while the Christian doctrines and mysteries have the advantage of harmonizing with reason and moral purity ; he admits that the writings of pagan philoso- phers contain seeds of morality, but reminds us that they owe their origin to the Aoyoc, the source of all vital truth in the world. The second treatise (6 Traicayto- yof) is di\-ided into several books. The first treats of moral life in general; it maybe considered an introduc- tion to Christian ethics. The second treats of Christian ethics in its main features. The remaining books, cor- responding to special morals, expatiate on the particular duties and virtues, and discuss conduct, in the several relations and occurrences of external life, from the Chris- tian stand-point. The third essay (irrpw^ara, miscel- lanies) leads to a higher degree of moral knowledge and action. The difference of the two degrees lies in yvui- (TiQ. On the foundation of the ideas gained by a deeper and increased knowledge a higher religio-moral culture is constructed, the culmination of which is love assimi- lating and uniting with the Deity. In conclusion of the whole, Clement sketches the image of the yviuaTi- Kog, and thus presents the Christian ideal of a moral personage. The yvuiffig Clement deduces from no other source than from the idea of the divine Logos which personally appeared in Christ ; an idea which, support- ing and illustrating, pervades all his definitions of mo- ralit}-. In his smaller address, Tc'c o ffio^ofiivog ttXov- aiog ("Who is the rich man saved?"), he discusses a practical (juestion of the time concerning the use of earthly valuables and possessions. It may not be too much to assert that Clement, by his literary activity, is of no less significance for the department of Chri.-tian ethics than his worthy disciple Origen, by his celebrated work Iltpi cipxM>, became to that of Christian dogmatics. To these two Alexandrian Christians science is indebted for the most profound and lasting stimulus. The mer- its of Origen about Christian apologetic ethics we need but allude to here, and can speak only of his two prac- tical treatises — Tlspi ti''X'/f (on prayer) and Elc ^laorv- piov TrpoTptTTTiKic Xoyiit (exhortation to martynlDin). One feature to which we have alluded in the writings of these Ciiurch fathers — the leaning on the definitions of the ethics of classical antiquity — need of course hardly excite surprise. For it must be apparent to every well- read student of antiquity that the fathers, in order to be understood, had to si)eak the language of the then prevailing scientific consciousness ; they could not break at one stroke the barriers of the surrounding cultured circle, and they felt the less obliged to do this as they were thoroughly convinced that in reason, enlightened by the Lor/oa, was given a point of intermediation be- tween the classical and Christian consciousness, between the objective basis of revelation and the subjective prin- ciple of cognizance. This definition of unity is by no one more emi>hasizod than by Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen. They agree in the view that reason is the source and measure of morality, conse- quently that what is rational is moral, what is irra- tional is immoral or sinful, and therefore that Christian ethics, as the most rational, because derived from abso- lute reason personified in Christ, nnist also be the most complete and jierfect. The writings of Tertidlian (q. v.), which come next, arc marked by a dark rigor, grow- ing more prominent in proportion as lie inclined to Montanism ((|. v.). The moral earnestness df Christi- anity, under ^lontanist direction, was aggravated into