The Ancient Witnesses

Chapter 7: The Last Times • 251

“The Church, though dispersed throughout the whole world,” said Irenaeus, “has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith—occupying and preserving, as it were, one house. It also believes these points of doctrine just as if it had one soul, and one and the same heart. It proclaims them, teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if it possessed only one mouth.” 43 Irenaeus had portrayed the Church in its unity as one house, and as a body with one soul , one and the same heart , and one mouth . Clement of Alexandria, who spoke next, emphasized unity itself. “The preeminence of the Church, as the principle of unity, is its oneness. In this, it surpasses all other things and has nothing like or equal to itself,” said Clement. 44 “What would he think of all our denominations and divisions?” Joseph whispered to me, shaking his head. “ Holy ,” said Mentor, calling on Theophilus who commented, “God has given to the world, which is driven and tempest-tossed by sins, assemblies—we mean holy churches—in which survives the doctrines of the truth. 45 Theophilus’s mention of sin and holy churches got a reaction from two other witnesses. “Let it be understood,” said Justin Martyr, “that those who are not found living as Christ taught are not Christians, even though they profess with their lips the

43 Irenaeus, Against Heresies , 1.10.1-2, as quoted in Allison, Historical Theology , 567.

44 Clement of Alexandria, Stromata (Miscellanies) , 7.17.

45 Theophilus, To Autolycus, 2.14. (ANF 2.100).