The Alexandrian theologians, themselves profound students of the Logos doctrine, avoided thc above mentioned errors concerning the dual conception of the Word (see, however, a fragment of the “Hypotyposes”, of Clement of Alexandria, cited by Photius, in P. G., CIII, 384, and Zahn, “Forschungen zur Geschichte des neutest. Kanons”, Erlangen, 1884, xiii 144) and the generation in time; for Clement and for Origen the Word is eternal like the Father (Clement “Strom.”, VII, 1, 2, in P. G., IX, 404, 409, and “Adumbrat. in Joan.”, i, 1, in P. G., IX, 734; Origen, “De Princip.”, I, xxii, 2 sqq., in P. G., XI, 130 sqq.; “In Jer. Hom.”, IX, 4, in P. G., XIII, 357, “In Jo. ', ii, 32, in P. G., XIV, 77; cf. Athanasius, “De decret. Nic. syn.”, 27, in P. G., XXV, 465). As to the nature of the Word their teaching is less sure: in Clement, it is true, we find only a few traces of subordinationism (“Strom.”, IV, 25, in P. G., VIII, 1365; “Strom.”, VII, 3, in P. G., IX, 421; cf. “Strom.”, VII, 2, in P. G., IX, 408); elsewhere he very explicitly affirms the equality of the Father and the Son and the unity (” Protrept.", 10, in P. G., VIII 228, “Paedag.”, I, vi, in P. G., VIII, 280; I, viii, in P. G., VIII, 325 337 cf. I, ix, in P. G., VIII, 353; III, xii, in P. d., V*I, 680). Origen, on the contrary, frequently and formally defended subordinationist ideas (" De Princip.", I, iii, 5, in P. G., XI, 150; IV, xxxv, in P. G., XI, 409, 410; “In Jo.” ii, 2, in P. G., XIV, 108, 109; ii, 18, in P. G., XIV, 153, 156; vi, 23, in P. G., XIV, 268; xiii, 25, in P. G., XIV, 44144; xxxii, 18, in P. G., XIV, 817-20; “In Matt.”, xv, 10, in P. G., XIII, 1280, 1281; “De Orat.”, 15, in P. G., XI,464, “Contra Cels.”, V, xi, in P. G., XI,1197); his teaching concerning the Word evidently suffered from Hellenic speculation: in the order of religious knowledge and of prayer, the Word is for him an intermediary between God and the creature.
