uaerere."]

[Footnote 516: See, e.g., IV. 20. 12 where he declares the three spies
whom Rahab entertained to be Father, Son. and Spirit.]

[Footnote 517: See Iren. IV. 22. 1.]

[Footnote 518: See Iren. III. 17. 3.]

[Footnote 519: Justin had already noted certain peculiarities of the
Holy Scriptures as distinguished from profane writings. Tertullian
speaks of two _proprietates iudaicae literaturae_ in adv. Marc. III. 5. 6.
But the Alexandrians were the first to propound any kind of complete
theories of inspiration.]

[Footnote 520: See above p. 233, note 2, Kunze, l.c.]

[Footnote 521: See Iren, II. 26. 1, 13. 4: "Sic et in reliquis omnibus
nulli similis erit omnium pater hominum pusillitati: et dicitur quidem
secundum haec propter delectionem, sentitur autem super haec secundum
magnitudinem." Irenaeus expressly says that God cannot be known as
regards his greatness, i.e. absolutely, but that he can be known as
regards his love, IV. 20. 1: "Igitur secundum magnitudem non est
cognoscere deum, impossibile est enim mensurari patrem; secundum autem
dilectionem eius--haec est enim quae nos per verbum eius perducit ad
deum--obedientes ei semper discimus quoniam est tantus deus etc."; in
IV. 20. 4 the knowledge of God "secundum dilectionem" is more closely
defined by the words "per verbum eius Iesum Christum." The statements in
Sec.Sec. 5 and 6 are, however, specially important: they who are pure in heart
will see God. God's omnipotence and goodness remove the impossibility of
man knowing him. Man comes to know him gradually, in proportion as he is
revealed and through love, until he beholds him in a state of
perfection. He must be in God in order to know God: [Greek: hosper hoi
blepontes to phos entos eisi tou photos kai tes lamprotetos autou
metechousin, houtos hoi blepontes ton Theon entos eisi tou Theou,
metechontes autou tes lamprotetos. Kai dia touto ho achoretos kai
akataleptos kai aoratos horomenon heauton ... tois pistois pareschen,
hina zoopoiese tous chorountas kai blepontas auton dia pisteos]. See
also what follows down to the words: [Greek: metoche Theou esti to
ginoskein Theon kai apolauein tes chrestotetos autou], et homines igitur
videbunt deum, ut vivant, per visionem immortales facti et pertingentes
usque in deum. Sentences of this kind where rationalism is neutralised
by mysticism we seek for in Tertullian in vain.]

[Footnote 522: See Iren., IV. 6. 4: [Greek: Edidaxen hemas ho kurios,
hoti Theon eid