Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians Nevertheless, I have heard of some who have passed on from this to you, having false doctrine, whom ye did not suffer to sow among you, but stopped your ears, that ye might not receive those things which were sown by them, as being stones[58] Irenaeus Against Heresies Book IV For David had been appointed a priest by God, although Saul persecuted him. For all the righteous possess the sacerdotal rank.[91] Fragments of Clement Not Given in the Oxford Edition Thus also the blessed Peter hesitates not to say, "Ye also, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy temple, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."[3] Tertullian On Prayer For this is the spiritual victim[177] Origen Against Celsus Book VIII Accordingly, Peter says, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; "[39] Lactantius A Treatise on the Anger of God But they are precipitated from the third step, who, though they know the Ambassador of God, who is also the Builder of the divine and immortal temple,[7] Didache that your sacrifice may be pure.[125] Origen Commentary on John Book X Now, both of these two things, the temple and the body of Jesus, appear to me, in one interpretation at least, to be types of the Church, and to signify that it is built of living stones,[99] We are well aware, too, that we need the assistance of that excellent Spirit of wisdom, in order to understand such matters, as they should be understood by ministers of sacred things; and in this connection we will attempt to describe, as shortly as we may, our view of what belongs to this subject. The body is the Church, and we learn from Peter[131]