Irenaeus Against Heresies Book III And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham [to our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."[68] Clement of Alexandria Exhortation to the Heathen Again, therefore, some venomous and false hypocrites, who plotted against righteousness, He once called "a brood of vipers."[6] Clement of Alexandria The Instructor Book I And in the Gospel by John He says, "Serpents, brood of vipers."[203] Tertullian A Treatise on the Soul If so, then "God will not be able any longer to raise up from the stones children unto Abraham; nor to make a generation of vipers bring forth fruits of repentance."[170] Tertullian On Baptism In fact, the doctors of the law and the Pharisees, who were unwilling to "believe," did not "repent" either.[101] Hippolytus Dogmatical and Historical Fragments Wherefore John, the forerunner of the Lord, who before knew not this mystery, on learning that He is Lord in truth, cried out, and spake to those who came to be baptized of him, "O generation of vipers,"[383] Origen Commentary on John Book VI They send envoys who deal in rebukes, and so far as their power extends debar him from baptizing; their envoys ask, Why baptizest thou, then, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet? And if we were to stitch together into one statement what is written in the various Gospels, we should say that at this time they spoke as is here reported, but that at a later time, when they wished to received baptism, they heard the address of John:[84] And we have to observe how, when Matthew reports that there went out to John Jerusalem and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, to be baptized by him in Jordan, confessing their sins, it was not these people who heard from the Baptist any word of rebuke or refutation, but only those many Pharisees and Sadducees whom he saw coming. They it was who were greeted with the address, "Ye offspring of vipers," etc.[92]