ns Alexandrinus (A. D. 194) or St. Clement of Alexandria, was
another Christian Father of the same sort, being originally a Pagan. He
succeeded Pantaenus as president of the _monkish_ university at
Alexandria. His works are very extensive, and his authority very high in
the church.[412:3]

Tertullian (A. D. 200) may next be mentioned. He also was originally a
Pagan, and at one time Presbyter of the Christian church of Carthage, in
Africa. The following is a specimen of his manner of reasoning on the
evidences of Christianity. He says:

"I find no other means to prove myself to be impudent with
success, and happily a fool, than by my contempt of shame; as,
for instance--I maintain that the Son of God was born; why am
I not ashamed of maintaining such a thing? Why! but because it
is itself a shameful thing. I maintain that the Son of God
died: well, that is wholly credible because it is monstrously
absurd. I maintain that after having been buried, he rose
again: and that I take to be absolutely true, because it was
manifestly impossible."[412:4]

Origen (A. D. 230), one of the shining lights of the Christian church,
was another Father of this class. Porphyry (a Neo-platonist philosopher)
objects to him on this account.[413:1]

He also was born in the great cradle and nursery of
superstition--Egypt--and studied under that celebrated philosopher,
Ammonius Saccus, who taught that "Christianity and Paganism, when
rightly understood, differed in no essential point, but had a common
origin." This man was so sincere in his devotion to the cause of
monkery, or Essenism, that he made himself an eunuch "for the kingdom of
heaven's sake."[413:2] The writer of the twelfth verse of the nineteenth
chapter of Matthew, was without doubt an Egyptian monk. The words are
put into the mouth of the _Jewish_ Jesus, which is simply ridiculous,
when it is considered that the Jews did not allow an eunuch so much as
to enter the congregation of the Lord.[413:3]

St. Gregory (A. D. 240), bishop of Neo-Caesarea in Pontus, was another
celebrated Christian Father, born of Pagan parents and educated a Pagan.
He is called Thaumaturgus, or the wonder-worker, and is said to have
performed miracles when still a Pagan.[413:4] He, too, was an
Alexandrian student. This is the Gregory who was commended by his
namesake of Nyssa for changing the Pagan festivals into Christian
holidays, the better to draw the hea