"to
make religio-scientific investigations." Tatian (10) also used the word
in the first sense; on the contrary he entitled a book of which he was
the author "[Greek: pros tous apophenamenous ta peri Theou]" and not
"[Greek: pros tous theologountas]". In Athenagoras (Suppl. 10) theology
is the doctrine of God and of all beings to whom the predicate "Deity"
belongs (see also 20, 22). That is the old usage of the word. It was
thus employed by Tertullian in ad nat. II. 1 (the threefold division of
theology; in II. 2, 3 the expression "theologia physica, mythica" refers
to this); Cohort, ad Gr. 3, 22. The anonymous writer in Eusebius (H. E.
V. 28. 4, 5) is instructive on the point. Brilliant demonstrations of
the ancient use of the word "theology" are found in Natorp, Thema und
Disposition der aristotelischen Metaphysik (Philosophische Monatshefte,
1887, Parts I and 2, pp. 55-64). The title "theology," as applied to a
philosophic discipline, was first used by the Stoics; the old poets were
previously called "theologians," and the "theological" stage was the
prescientific one which is even earlier than the "childhood" of
"physicists" (so Aristotle speaks throughout). To the Fathers of the
Church also the old poets are still [Greek: hoi palaioi theologoi]. But
side by side with this we have an adoption of the Stoic view that there
is also a philosophical theology, because the teaching of the old poets
concerning the gods conceals under the veil of myth a treasure of
philosophical truth. In the Stoa arose the "impossible idea of a
'theology' which is to be philosophy, that is, knowledge based on
reason, and yet to have positive religion as the foundation of its
certainty." The Apologists accepted this, but added to it the
distinction of a [Greek: kosmike] and [Greek: theologike sophia.]]

[Footnote 419: Christ has a relation to all three parts of the scheme,
(1) as [Greek: logos]; (2) as [Greek: nomos, nomothetes], and [Greek:
krites]; (3) as [Greek: didaskalos] and [Greek: soter].]

[Footnote 420: In the reproduction of the apologetical theology
historians of dogma have preferred to follow Justin; but here they have
constantly overlooked the fact that Justin was the most Christian among
the Apologists, and that the features of his teaching to which
particular value is rightly attached, are either not found in the others
at all (with the exception of Tertullian), or else in quite rudimentary
form. It is therefore proper to pu