lid; on the
contrary, everyone, so far as he had a theory at all, included his own
in the revealed truth. That they had not yet come into conflict is
accounted for, on the one hand, by the fact that the different theories
ran up into like formulae, and could even frequently be directly carried
over into one another, and on the other hand, by the fact that their
representatives appealed to the same authorities. But we must, above
all, remember that conflict could only arise after the enthusiastic
element, which also had a share in the formation of Christology, had
been suppressed, and problems were felt to be such, that is, after the
struggle with Gnosticism, or even during that struggle.]

[Footnote 253: Both were clearly in existence in the Apostolic age.]

[Footnote 254: Only one work has been preserved entire which gives clear
expression to the Adoptian Christology, viz., the Shepherd of Hermas
(see Sim. V. and IX. 1. 12). According to it, the Holy Spirit--it is not
certain whether he is identified with the chief Archangel--is regarded
as the pre-existent Son of God, who is older than creation, nay, was
God's counsellor at creation. The Redeemer is the virtuous man [Greek:
sarx] chosen by God, with whom that Spirit of God was united. As he did
not defile the Spirit, but kept him constantly as his companion, and
carried out the work to which the Deity had called him, nay, did more
than he was commanded, he was in virtue of a Divine decree adopted as a
son and exalted to [Greek: megale exousia kai kuriotes]. That this
Christology is set forth in a book which enjoyed the highest honour and
sprang from the Romish community, is of great significance. The
representatives of this Christology, who in the third century were
declared to be heretics, expressly maintained that it was at one time
the ruling Christology at Rome and had been handed down by the Apostles.
(Anonym, in Euseb. H. E. V. 28. 3, concerning the Artemonites: [Greek:
phasi tous men proterous hapantas kai autous tous apostolous
pareilephenai te kai dedidachenai tauta, ha nun houtoi legousi, kai
teteresthai ten aletheian tou kerygmatos mechri ton chronon tou Biktoros
... apo tou diadochon auto Zephurinou parakecharachthai ten aletheian]).
This assertion, though exaggerated, is not incredible after what we find
in Hermas. It cannot, certainly, be verified by a superficial
examination of the literary monuments preserved to us, but a closer
investigation shews th