CHAPTER II

ESCHATOLOGY

DEPARTURES FROM THE ORTHODOX VIEW.-It went without saying that, in the great struggle between good and evil, good was bound to win. That God should go out defeated from His own world was a suggestion which the Christian mind was psychologically incapable of entertaining. Christendom is God's cause; that is as much as to say that it is going to triumph. "A city built on the top of a high mountain and firmly established can neither fall nor be hid." But while all Christians were at one in sharing this confidence, opinions began to be seriously divided as to the form which the triumph would assume. A hundred years had now elapsed since Jesus had been taken up to heaven; the Parousia, formerly expected from day to day, had not occurred; and Christians began to question, to complain, and to wonder whether they had not been in some way deceived all along. Where is the promise of his coming?" asked some : ' for since our fathers fell asleep, all things remain as (they have been) since the beginning of creation." 2 So far as the Gnostics were concerned, this non-fulfilment of early Christian hopes was not felt to be a difficulty: it was met by the abandonment, or at least by the boldest rationalization, of the old eschatological views. With the Gnostics, the whole course of history-not the Last Things only-constituted the great world-drama: their expectations of the future were generally faint and insignificant.3 Many of the Gnostics said that the resurrection had already taken place: Valentinus, for instance, kept the formula' the resurrection of the flesh,' but interpreted it of the spiritual ascent that takes place in this life.4 Carpocrates taught that only the soul was saved, and denied the resurrection of

1 Ox. Log. 6 (23).

2 2 P iii. 4. 2 Cl. quotes, as pertinent to certain of his contemporaries, the same πρo¶ηtikòs Xóyos as was quoted by 1 Cl. (xxiii. 3) in which a rebuke is uttered against οἱ λέγοντες· Ταῦτα πάλαι ἠκούσαμεν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας προσδεχόμενοι οὐδὲν τούτων ἑωράκαμεν (2 Cl. xi. 2). See above, pp. 1521. 9 Harnack HD i. 261. For the extraordinary speculations of Basileides, see DCB i. 273. For the eschatology of Marcion, cf. Harnack HD i. 261 n, 276f, Marcion, 176-179.

4 Harnack HD i. 261. For the Naassenes' view of the resurrection, cf. frag. 6 of their Gospel given by Preuschen (13).

the body altogether.

But unorthodox views on the subject of the resurrection do not appear to have been confined to the Gnostics. Some of the ordinary Christians apparently found a way out of some at least of their eschatological difficulties by rejecting the idea of a resurrection of the flesh, though this solution was severely frowned upon by the Church generally."

THE POSITION OF THE MAJORITY.-The great bulk of Christian people and with them the Apologists adhered firmly to the traditional eschatology, though with long postponement the old hopes must have lost much of their original freshness and vigour.4 Various attempts were made to answer the querulous, and to explain the long delay. The author of the 'second Epistle of Peter' sharply rebukes those who complained, as "mockers, who walk according to their own lusts": 5 he explains the postponement of the coming destruction of the world by saying that "one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day," and that He is deferring the end in order to give an opportunity of repentance to all. The author of the second Epistle of Clemens ' tries to meet the case somewhat more mildly by quoting a not very convincing prophetical analogy from tree-life and by reminding his readers of the faithfulness of Him who promised. Justinus says that God will keep Christ in heaven until the demons are subdued and the number is completed of those whom He foreknows will become good and virtuous and for whose sakes He has not yet carried out His determination.8

Christian writers reaffirmed with much emphasis and confidence the leading doctrines of Christian prophecy. This age and the coming age were contrasted in the sharpest fashion, the transition

1 DCB i. 408a.

2 Just Dial. 80 (290), Res. I (214); Cels. ap. Orig. Cels. v. 14 (Toía yàp ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴ ποθήσειεν ἔτι σῶμα σεσηπός ; ὁπότε μηδ' ὑμῶν τοῦτο τὸ δόγμα καὶ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐνίοις κοινόν ἐστι, καὶ τὸ σφόδρα μιαρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπόπτυστον ἅμα καὶ ἀδύνατον ἀποφαίνειν κτλ.); Athenag. Res. I (1861).

Harnack HD ii. 224f.

4 Cf. Neumann SK 56f: "Und in der That tritt seit der Mitte des zweiten Jahrhunderts die Erwartung der Erscheinung des Herrn zurück . . . Man zweifelt gewiss nicht an seiner dereinstigen Wiederkehr, aber der Zeitpunkt ist ungewiss und liegt vielleicht in weiter Ferne." u.s.w. "false

"

2 P iii. 3. Bigg (PJ 292) regards the persons referred to as teachers" who were Jews by birth and Christians by name "; but the allusions in 1 Cl. xxiii. and 2 Čl. xi. seem to indicate that the same form of heterodoxy was to be found among the rank and file of the Church.

2 P iii. 5-9: cf. Ps xc. 4.

7 2 Cl. xi.

Just. 1 Ap. xlv. 1; cf. 2 Ap. vii. 1; Tat. 26 (861) (¿σTŵтa dè Tòv aiŵva, μέχρις ἂν αὐτὸν ὁ ποιήσας εἶναι θελήσῃ).

2 Cl. vi. 3ff; Herm. Vis. 1. i. 8, IV. iii. 3-5, S IV. 2−4.

from one to the other being marked by the Parousia of Christ and other accompanying manifestations. The crisis was regarded as imminent,1 though it was not expected that all would necessarily live to see it.2 Certain occurrences and facts, such as the continuation of persecution, the bravery of Christians in facing it, and the increase of their numbers in spite of it, were regarded as signs indicating the near approach of Christ.3 Christians and pagans alike were told that Christ would soon come in glory on the clouds of heaven. Justinus supported the announcement by numerous references to and quotations from Scripture.5 Other phenomena would ensue. The visible universe would be dissolved in fire there would be a resurrection of the dead-of the body or flesh, as most seem to have insisted and a judgment upon all men according to their merits.8

REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS.-An analysis of the Christian beliefs as to the lot to be meted out at the judgment to the good and the bad respectively, hardly forms a part of our present task. Beyond the use of a certain number of technical terms-salvation, eternal life, and so on, on the one hand, and punishment, condemnation, death, destruction, eternal fire, and so on, on the other -there is little indication that the usually accepted views had attained any measure of detail or definiteness." There are, however, 1 Recent or current events were described as occurring in the last days' or 'times' (2 P iii. 3; 2 Cl. xiv. 2; Herm. S 1x. xii. 3; Carp. 5; Sib. Orac. v. 74 [VoTari Kaip]). Cf. also, on the immediacy of the end, Mc W; 2 P ii. 1, 3, iii. 10, 14; 2 Cl. v. 5, vi. 6, xix. 3f; Herm. Vis. 111. viii. 9, S v. v. 3, VIII. ix. 4, IX. xix. 2, xx. 4, xxi. 4, xxvi. 6, xxxii. 1, x. iv. 4; Just. 1 Ap. xl. 18, Dial. 28 (94) (βραχὺς οὗτος ὑμῖν περιλείπεται προσηλύσεως χρόνος).

2 The author of 2 P (i. 13f) represents Peter as anticipating his early death. According to the Elders quoted by Irenæus (v. v. 1 (ii. 331)), the righteous dead were transported to paradise to await there the final consummation.

3

Diog. vii. 7-9 (raûra tŷs πapovoías avтoû deiyμara); Just. Dial. 110 (388, 390).

4 Sib. Orac. v. 256-259; Presb. ap. Iren. iv. xxvii. 2 (ii. 242); 2 P iii. 12 ; Diog. vii. 6.

5

Just. 1 Ap. 1. 1ff, li. 8-lii. 5, liv. 2, Dial. 14 (54), 31 (102ff), 40 (136), 52 (174ff), 110 (388ff), 120 (430): so also Aristeides 15 (110) (où тò Kλéos TηS παρουσίας ἐκ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῖς καλουμένης εὐαγγελικῆς ἁγίας γραφῆς ἔξεστί σοι γνῶναι). 2 P iii. 10-12; Apoc. Petr. 5 (88); 2 Cl. xvi. 3: cf. Just. 2 Ap. vii. 1 ; Tat. 12 (56), 25 (104).

On the resurrection, Arist. 15 (111); 2 Cl. ix. 1-5; Just. 1 Ap. xviii. 6– xix. 6, Dial. 80 (286-292), Res. passim; Tat. 6 (26-30), 13 (60), 25 (104); M. Pol. xiv. 2; Athenag. Legat. 31 (164), 36 (180, 182), Res. passim.

The following are some of the numerous passages: Presb. ap. Iren. IV. xxvii. 2 (ii. 242); 2 Cl. xvii. 4, xx. 4; Just. 1 Ap. xii. If, fr. 10 (12); PsJust. Mon. 3f (136ff); Athenag. Legat. 12 (54, 56), Res. 14 (242ff) (he regarded very young children as exempt from the judgment), 18 (260ff), 25 (290).

The Apocalypse of Peter is the first piece of Christian literature that ventures upon a detailed and pictorial description of the tortures of the damned.

two points in connection with this department of Christian thought which deserve to be briefly noticed.

One is the wide use that is made during this period of promises of reward and threats of punishment in the preaching and propagandawork of the Church. As regards her own internal state, the Church found herself in danger of losing the pristine purity of her morals; and hence we find in our authors repeated references to the coming determination of the Christian's eternal lot according to his conduct in this life. But besides that, she was now coming into more prominent notice and closer contact with the hostile pagan world; and the result was that she felt compelled to put a keener edge on her eschatological weapon, and to make more frequent use of it both for attack and for defence.2 We find Aristeides, for instance, concluding his Apology to the Emperor thus: "It is for your advantage to worship God the Creator and to hearken to His incorruptible words, in order that, having escaped judgment and punishment, ye may be appointed heirs of indestructible life." 3 Justinus again and again tells the pagans he is addressing that evildoers will be punished endlessly in eternal fire, and that they themselves will be treated the same way if they continue to persecute.4 "We try to persuade those that hate us unjustly," he says, so that they, living according to the fair precepts of Christ, may share our good hope of receiving the same (reward as ourselves) from God who rules over all." 5 Tatianus tells the Greeks that Democritus "will be handed over in the day of consummation as food for eternal fire. And ye also, if ye do not stop laughing, will receive the same punishments as the sorcerers." "Laugh (now if ye will), but ye will weep hereafter." 7 Polycarpus says to the Proconsul: Thou threatenest a fire that burns for a time and after a little is put out; for thou knowest not the fire of the coming

1 See 2 Cl. and Herm., almost passim. I omit detailed references, as the point does not strictly come within the scope of our subject.

2 On the Christian use of eschatology as a means of propaganda, cf. Lecky i. 388-390, ii. 3, 8.

3 Arist. 17 (112); cf. 16 (111).

4 Just. 1 Ap. viii. 4, xii. 1-3, xvii. 4-xx. 2 (esp. xix. 8), xxi. 6, xxviii. 1, xlv. 6 (Ye can do nothing more than kill us, ὅπερ ἡμῖν μὲν οὐδεμίαν βλάβην φέρει, ὑμῖν δὲ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδίκως ἐχθραίνουσι καὶ μὴ μετατιθεμένοις κόλασιν διὰ πυρὸς αἰωνίαν ἐργάζεται), 2 Αp. ii. 2, ix. Ι.

Б

Just. 1 Ap. xiv. 3 (quoted below on p. 233 n 2); cf. Dial. 35 fin. (122) (Aıò xai ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἐχθραινόντων ἡμῖν εὐχόμεθα, ἵνα, μεταγνόντες σὺν ἡμῖν, μὴ βλασφημῆτε τὸν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἀλλὰ πιστεύσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ πάλιν γενησομένῃ ἐνδόξῳ αὐτοῦ παρουσίᾳ σωθῆτε, καὶ μὴ καταδικασθῆτε εἰς τὸ πῦρ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ).

6 Tat. 17 (74, 76); cf. 18 (80).

Tat. 32 (124).

judgment and of eternal punishment that is kept for the impious.'

"1

What served to make the eschatological appeal all the more compelling was the thought, often insisted upon, that the time during which repentance was possible was strictly limited.2 Where exactly the limit would be drawn does not appear to have been thoroughly thought out or generally agreed upon. Was it the last day, or the moment of death, or (for Christians) the occasion of baptism, or some later time? In regard to Christians, no doubt the original idea was that, after the great inaugural purification of baptism, no further serious sin was likely to be committed and therefore no call to repentance would be necessary. But experience must soon have dispelled this idealistic expectation. Hermas seems to believe that Christians had one more chance of repentance, that is, during the lapse of a short interval after his receiving and promulgating his visions, but not thereafter for the pagans, however, the chance of repentance stood open until the last day.3 The author of the second Epistle of Clemens,' who writes for Christians, frequently issues the call to repentance, and intimates that there will be no opportunity for it after death. The imaginary proximity of the last day checked speculation as to the question of repentance after death on the part of those pagans who died before Christ's second Coming. The day of Judgment was usually represented as the terminus ad quem for non-Christians.5 God, it was said, was deliberately postponing the day, in order to allow time for all to hear and repent. When once Christ came, repentance and tears would be useless, for he would not hear those who offered them.7

6

Christian thinkers of this age were not exercised over the 1 M. Pol. xi. 2. Cf. Act. Joh. 36 (quoted below, p. 248); M. Paul. 4 (Paul says to two of Nero's officials, ἄνδρες οἱ ὄντες ἐν τῇ ἀγνωσίᾳ καὶ τῇ πλάνῃ ταύτῃ, μεταβάλησθε καὶ σωθῆτε ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ ἐρχομένου ἐφ ̓ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην· κτλ.). 22 Cl. viii. 2, ix. 7, xvi. 1. See above, p. 224 n I.

• Herm. Vis. II. ii. 5 (ὤμοσεν γὰρ ὁ δεσπότης κατὰ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοῦ· ἐὰν ὡρισμένης τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης [ i.e. hoc ipsum breve temporis spatium, quo Hermas admonitiones acceptas cum Christianis communicabit (cf. Vis. III, 8, 11)" (Funk PA 427a)] ἔτι ἁμάρτησις γένηται, μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς σωτηρίαν· ἡ γὰρ μετάνοια τοῖς δικαίοις ἔχει τέλος· πεπλήρωνται αἱ ἡμέραι μετανοίας πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις· καὶ τοῖς δὲ ἔθνεσιν μετάνοιά ἐστιν ἕως ἐσχάτης ημέρας). Cf. Vis. III. v. 5, ix. 5.

4 2 Cl. viii. 2f.

Herm. Vis. II. ii. 5 (quoted in note 3); Just. 1 Ap. xl. 7, Dial. 118 init. (422).

2 P iii. 9; Just. 1 Ap. xxviii. 2, Dial. 39 (132): cf. Praedic. Petr. 6–8 (901); Diog. ix. I.

just. Dial. 28 (94): ἐὰν φθάσῃ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐλθεῖν, μάτην μετανοήσετε, μάτην κλαύσετε· οὐ γὰρ εἰσακούσεται ὑμῶν,