ndently of his human birth and before it (so in Barnabas, against
Zahn), but they are not numerous. Ignatius very clearly deduces the
predicate "Son" from the birth in the flesh. Zahn, Marcellus, p. 216
ff.]

[Footnote 258: The distinct designation "[Greek: theopoiesis]" is not
found, though that may be an accident. Hermas has the thing itself quite
distinctly (See Epiph. c. Alog. H. 51. 18: [Greek: nomizontes apo Marias
kai deuro Christon auton kaleisthai kai huion theou, kai einai men
proteron psilon anthropon, kata prokopen de eilephenai ten tou huiou tou
theou prosegorian]). The stages of the [Greek: prokope] were undoubtedly
the birth, baptism and resurrection. Even the adherents of the pneumatic
Christology, could not at first help recognising that Jesus, through his
exaltation, got more than he originally possessed. Yet in their case,
this conception was bound to become rudimentary, and it really did so.]

[Footnote 259: The settlement with Gnosticism prepared a still always
uncertain end for this naive Docetism. Apart from Barn. 5. 12, where it
plainly appears, we have to collect laboriously the evidences of it
which have not accidentally either perished or been concealed. In the
communities of the second century there was frequently no offence taken
at Gnostic docetism (see the Gospel of Peter. Clem. Alex., Adumbrat in
Joh. Ep. I. c. 1, [Zahn, Forsch. z. Gesch. des N. T.-lichen Kanons, III.
p. 871]; "Fertur ergo in traditionibus, quoniam Johannes ipsum corpus,
quod erat extrinsecus, tangens manum suam in profunda misisse et
duritiam carnis nullo modo reluctatam esse, sed locum manui praebuisse
discipuli." Also Acta Joh. p. 219, ed. Zahn). In spite of all his
polemic against "[Greek: dokesis]" proper, one can still perceive a
"moderate docetism" in Clem. Alex., to which indeed certain narratives
in the Canonical Gospels could not but lead. The so-called Apocryphal
literature (Apocryphal Gospels and Acts of Apostles), lying on the
boundary between heretical and common Christianity, and preserved only
in scanty fragments and extensive alterations, was, it appears,
throughout favourable to Docetism. But the later recensions attest that
it was read in wide circles.]

[Footnote 260: Even such a formulation as we find in Paul (e.g., Rom. I.
3 f. [Greek: kata sarka--kata pneuma]), does not seem to have been often
repeated (yet see 1 Clem. 32. 21). It is of value to Ignatius only, who
has before his mind the full Gnos