e 579: See III. 11. 3.]

[Footnote 580: See III. 6.]

[Footnote 581: See III. 19. 1, 2: IV. 33. 4: V. 1. 3; see also
Tertullian against "Ebion" de carne 14, 18, 24; de praeser. 10. 33.]

[Footnote 582: See III. 21, 22: V. 19-21.]

[Footnote 583: See the arguments, l.c., V. 19. 1: "Quemadmodum
adstrictum est morti genus humanum per virginem, salvatur per virginem,
aequa lance disposita virginalis inobedientia per virginalem
obedientiam," and other similar ones. We find the same in Tertull., de
carne 17, 20. In this connection we find in both very extravagant
expressions with regard to Mary (see, e.g. Tertull., l.c. 20 fin.: "uti
virgo esset regeneratio nostra spiritaliter ab omnibus inquinamentis
sanctificata per Christum." Iren. III. 21. 7: "Maria cooperans
dispositioni (dei);" III. 22. 4 "Maria obediens et sibi et universo
generi humano causa facta est salutis" ... "quod alligavit virgo Eva per
incredulitatem, hoc virgo Maria solvit per fidem"). These, however, have
no doctrinal significance; in fact the same Tertullian expressed himself
in a depreciatory way about Mary in _de carne_ 7. On the other hand it
is undeniable that the later Mariolatry has one of its roots in the
parallel between Eve and Mary. The Gnostic invention of the _virginitas
Mariae in partu_ can hardly be traced in Irenaeus III. 21. 4. Tertullian
(de carne 23) does not seem to know anything about it as yet, and very
decidedly assumed the natural character of the process. The popular
conception as to the reason of Christ's birth from a virgin, in the form
still current to-day, but beneath all criticism, is already found in
Tertullian _de carne_ 18: "Non competebat ex semine humano dei filium
nasci, ne, si totus esset filius hominis, non esset et dei filius,
nihilque haberet amplius Salomone, ut de Hebionis opinione credendus
erat Ergo iam dei filius ex patris dei semine, id est spiritu, ut esset
et hominis filius, caro ei sola competebat ex hominis carne sumenda sine
viri semine. Vacabat enim semen viri apud habentem dei semen." The other
theory existing side by side with this, viz., that Christ would have
been a sinner if he had been begotten from the semen, whereas he could
assume sinless flesh from woman is so far as I know scarcely hinted at
by Irenaeus and Tertullian. The fact of Christ's birth was frequently
referred to by Tertullian in order to prove Christ's kinship to God the
Creator, e.g., adv. Marc. III. 11. Hence this article of the _r