the apostolic
doctrine is, however, a proof that the transition from the idea of the
Church, as a community united by a common faith, to that of a
hierarchical institution was already revealing itself in his writings.]

[Footnote 154: The Church as a communion of the same faith, that is of
the same doctrine, is spoken of in de praescr. 20; de virg. vol. 2. On
the other hand we find the ideal spiritual conception in de bapt. 6:
"ubi tres, id est pater et filius et spiritus sanctus, ibi ecclesia, quae
trium corpus est;" 8: "columba s. spiritus advolat, pacem dei adferens,
emissa de coelis, ubi ecclesia est arca figurata;" 15: "unus deus et
unum baptismum et una ecclesia in coelis;" de paenit. 10: "in uno et
altero ecclesia est, ecclesia vero Christus;" de orat. 28: "nos sumus
veri adoratores et veri sacerdotes, qui spiritu orantes spiritu
sacrificamus;" Apolog. 39; de exhort. 7: "differentiam inter ordinem et
plebem constituit ecclesiae auctoritas et honor per ordinis consessum
sanctificatus. Adeo ubi ecclesiastici ordinis non est consessus, et
offers et tinguis et sacerdos es tibi solus. Sed ubi tres, ecclesia est,
licet laici" (the same idea, only not so definitely expressed, is
already found in de bapt. 17); de monog. 7: "nos autem Iesus summus
sacerdos sacerdotes deo patri suo fecit ... vivit unicus pater noster
deus et mater ecclesia, ... certe sacerdotes sumus a Christo vocati;"
12; de pudic. 21: "nam et ipsa ecclesia proprie et principaliter ipse
est spiritus, in quo est trinitas unius divinitatis, pater et filius et
spiritus sanctus. Illam ecclesiam congregat quam dominus in tribus
posuit. Atque ita exinde etiam numerus omnis qui in hanc fidem
conspiraverint ecclesia ab auctore et consecratore censetur. Et ideo
ecclesia quidem delicta donabit, sed ecclesia spiritus per spiritalem
hominem, non ecclesia numerus episcoporum;" de anima 11, 21.
Contradictions in detail need not surprise us in Tertullian, since his
whole position as a Catholic and as a Montanist is contradictory.]

[Footnote 155: The notion that the true Gnostic can attain the same
position as the Apostles also preserved Clement from thrusting the ideal
conception of the Church into the background.]

[Footnote 156: Some very significant remarks are found in Clement about
the Church which is the object of faith. See Paed. I. 5. 18, 21; 6. 27:
[Greek: hos gar thelema tou Theou ergon esti kai touto kosmos
onomazetai, houto kai to boulema autou anthropon