In every passage to which my attention has been
drawn, Irenaeus speaks of the mother of our Lord as Mary, or the Virgin,
without any adjunct, or term of reverence.
CLEMENT of Alexandria speaks of the Virgin, and refers to an opinion
relative to her virgin-state, but without one word of honour. [Stromat.
vii. 16. p. 889.]
TERTULLIAN[101]. The passages in which this ancient writer refers to the
mother of our Lord are very far from countenancing the religious worship
now paid to her by Roman Catholics: "The brothers of the Lord had not
believed on him, as it is contained in the Gospel published {292} before
Marcion. His mother likewise is not shown to have adhered to him;
whereas others, Marys and Marthas, were frequently in his company." (See
Tert. De carne Christi, c. 7. (p. 364. De Sacy, 29. 439.)) And he tells
us that Christ was brought forth by a virgin, who was also about to be
married once after the birth, that the two titles of sanctity might be
united in Christ by a mother who was both a virgin and also once
married[102].
[Footnote 101: Paris, 1675. De carne Christi, vii. p. 315. De
Monogamia, vii. p. 529. N.B. Both these treatises were probably
written after he became a Montanist.]
[Footnote 102: On the works once ascribed to Methodius, but now
pronounced to be spurious, see above, p. 131.]
ORIGEN thus speaks: "Announcing to Zacharias the birth of John, and to
Mary the advent of our Saviour among men.
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