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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 2 · Chapter 11

About this work

A sustained refutation of Marcion’s theology and edited Scriptures, defending the unity of the Creator and Christ’s Father and reading the Gospel and Pauline letters against Marcionite claims.

Author: Tertullian
Date: Early 3rd century
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Heresiology

Chapter XI.—If, After Man’s Sin, God Exercised His Attribute of Justice and Judgment, This Was Compatible with His Goodness, and Enhances the True Idea of the Perfection of God’s Character.

Up to the fall of man, therefore

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 10 Book 2 · Chapter 12 ›

,

from

the

beginning

God

was

simply

good

;

after

that

He

became

a

judge

both

severe

and

,

as

the

Marcionites

will

have

it

,

cruel

.

Woman

is

at

once

condemned

to

bring

forth

in

sorrow

,

and

to

serve

her

husband

,

although

before

she

had

heard

without

pain

the

increase

of

her

race

proclaimed

with

the

blessing

,

Increase

and

multiply

,

and

although

she

had

been

destined

to

be

a

help

and

not

a

slave

to

her

male

partner

.

Immediately

the

earth

is

also

cursed

,

which

before

was

blessed

.

Immediately

spring

up

briers

and

thorns

,

where

once

had

grown

grass

,

and

herbs

,

and

fruitful

trees

.

Immediately

arise

sweat

and

labour

for

bread

,

where

previously

on

every

tree

was

yielded

spontaneous

food

and

untilled

nourishment

.

Thenceforth

it

is

“

man

to

the

ground

,

”

and

not

as

before

,

“

from

the

ground

”

;

to

death

thenceforth

,

but

before

,

to

life

;

thenceforth

with

coats

of

skins

,

but

before

,

nakedness

without

a

blush

.

Thus

God’s

prior

goodness

was

from

nature

,

His

subsequent

severity

from

a

cause

.

The

one

was

innate

,

the

other

accidental

;

the

one

His

own

,

the

other

adapted

;

the

one

issuing

from

Him

,

the

other

admitted

by

Him

.

But

then

nature

could

not

have

rightly

permitted

His

goodness

to

have

gone

on

inoperative

,

nor

the

cause

have

allowed

His

severity

to

have

escaped

in

disguise

or

concealment

.

God

provided

the

one

for

Himself

,

the

other

for

the

occasion

.

You

should

now

set

about

showing

also

that

the

position

of

a

judge

is

allied

with

evil

,

who

have

been

dreaming

of

another

god

as

a

purely

good

one

—

solely

because

you

cannot

understand

the

Deity

to

be

a

judge

;

although

we

have

proved

God

to

be

also

a

judge

.

Or

if

not

a

judge

,

at

any

rate

a

perverse

and

useless

originator

of

a

discipline

which

is

not

to

be

vindicated

—

in

other

words

,

not

to

be

judged

.

You

do

not

,

however

,

disprove

God’s

being

a

judge

,

who

have

no

proof

to

show

that

He

is

a

judge

.

You

will

undoubtedly

have

to

accuse

justice

herself

,

which

provides

the

judge

,

or

else

to

reckon

her

among

the

species

of

evil

,

that

is

,

to

add

injustice

to

the

titles

of

goodness

.

But

then

justice

is

an

evil

,

if

injustice

is

a

good

.

And

yet

you

are

forced

to

declare

injustice

to

be

one

of

the

worst

of

things

,

and

by

the

same

rule

are

constrained

to

class

justice

amongst

the

most

excellent

.

Since

there

is

nothing

hostile

to

evil

which

is

not

good

,

and

no

enemy

of

good

which

is

not

evil

.

It

follows

,

then

,

that

as

injustice

is

an

evil

,

so

in

the

same

degree

is

justice

a

good

.

Nor

should

it

be

regarded

as

simply

a

species

of

goodness

,

but

as

the

practical

observance

of

it

,

because

goodness

(

unless

justice

be

so

controlled

as

to

be

just

)

will

not

be

goodness

,

if

it

be

unjust

.

For

nothing

is

good

which

is

unjust

;

while

everything

,

on

the

other

hand

,

which

is

just

is

good

.

Notes

1
Gen. iii. 16.
2
Gen. iii. 18.
3
Secura.
4
Secundum.
5
Secundum.
6
Accommodata.
7
Rei.
8
Æmulum.
9
Tutela.