Page:Ante-Nicene Fathers volume 1.djvu/257

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TO THE SMYRNÆANS.
243
during forty entire days. And thus was He, with the flesh, received up in their sight unto Him that sent Him, being with that same flesh to come again, accompanied by glory and power. For, say the [holy] oracles, "This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen Him go unto heaven."[1] But if they say that He will come at the end of the world without a body, how shall those "see Him that pierced Him,"[2] and when they recognise Him, "mourn for themselves?"[3] For incorporeal beings have neither form nor figure, nor the aspect[4] of an animal possessed of shape, because their nature is in itself simple.

Chap. iv.Beware of these heretics.

I give you these instructions, beloved, assured that ye also hold the same opinions [as I do]. But I guard you beforehand from those beasts in the shape of men, whom you must not only not receive, but, if it be possible, not even meet with; only you must pray to God

I give you these instructions, beloved, assured that ye also hold the same opinions [as I do]. But I guard you beforehand from these beasts in the shape of men, from whom you must not only turn away, but even flee from them. Only you must pray for them, if by any means they may be brought to repentance. For if the Lord were in the body in appearance only, and were crucified in appearance only,

  1. Acts i. 11.
  2. Rev. i. 7.
  3. Zech. xii. 10.
  4. Or, "mark."