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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 2 · Chapter 25

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 XXV.—God’s Dealings with Adam at the Fall, and with Cain After His Crime, Admirably Explained and Defended.

It is now high time that I should

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 24 Book 2 · Chapter 26 ›

,

in

order

to

meet

all

objections

of

this

kind

,

proceed

to

the

explanation

and

clearing

up

of

the

other

trifles

,

weak

points

,

and

inconsistencies

,

as

you

deemed

them

.

God

calls

out

to

Adam

,

Where

art

thou

?

as

if

ignorant

where

he

was

;

and

when

he

alleged

that

the

shame

of

his

nakedness

was

the

cause

(

of

his

hiding

himself

)

,

He

inquired

whether

he

had

eaten

of

the

tree

,

as

if

He

were

in

doubt

.

By

no

means

;

God

was

neither

uncertain

about

the

commission

of

the

sin

,

nor

ignorant

of

Adam’s

whereabouts

.

It

was

certainly

proper

to

summon

the

offender

,

who

was

concealing

himself

from

the

consciousness

of

his

sin

,

and

to

bring

him

forth

into

the

presence

of

his

Lord

,

not

merely

by

the

calling

out

of

his

name

,

but

with

a

home

-

thrust

blow

at

the

sin

which

he

had

at

that

moment

committed

.

For

the

question

ought

not

to

be

read

in

a

merely

interrogative

tone

,

Where

art

thou

,

Adam

?

but

with

an

impressive

and

earnest

voice

,

and

with

an

air

of

imputation

,

Oh

,

Adam

,

where

art

thou

?

—

as

much

as

to

intimate

:

thou

art

no

longer

here

,

thou

art

in

perdition

—

so

that

the

voice

is

the

utterance

of

One

who

is

at

once

rebuking

and

sorrowing

.

But

of

course

some

part

of

paradise

had

escaped

the

eye

of

Him

who

holds

the

universe

in

His

hand

as

if

it

were

a

bird’s

nest

,

and

to

whom

heaven

is

a

throne

and

earth

a

footstool

;

so

that

He

could

not

see

,

before

He

summoned

him

forth

,

where

Adam

was

,

both

while

lurking

and

when

eating

of

the

forbidden

fruit

!

The

wolf

or

the

paltry

thief

escapes

not

the

notice

of

the

keeper

of

your

vineyard

or

your

garden

!

And

God

,

I

suppose

,

with

His

keener

vision

,

from

on

high

was

unable

to

miss

the

sight

of

aught

which

lay

beneath

Him

!

Foolish

heretic

,

who

treat

with

scorn

so

fine

an

argument

of

God’s

greatness

and

man’s

instruction

!

God

put

the

question

with

an

appearance

of

uncertainty

,

in

order

that

even

here

He

might

prove

man

to

be

the

subject

of

a

free

will

in

the

alternative

of

either

a

denial

or

a

confession

,

and

give

to

him

the

opportunity

of

freely

acknowledging

his

transgression

,

and

,

so

far

,

of

lightening

it

.

In

like

manner

He

inquires

of

Cain

where

his

brother

was

,

just

as

if

He

had

not

yet

heard

the

blood

of

Abel

crying

from

the

ground

,

in

order

that

he

too

might

have

the

opportunity

from

the

same

power

of

the

will

of

spontaneously

denying

,

and

to

this

degree

aggravating

,

his

crime

;

and

that

thus

there

might

be

supplied

to

us

examples

of

confessing

sins

rather

than

of

denying

them

:

so

that

even

then

was

initiated

the

evangelic

doctrine

,

“

By

thy

words

thou

shalt

be

justified

,

and

by

thy

words

thou

shalt

be

condemned

.

”

Now

,

although

Adam

was

by

reason

of

his

condition

under

law

subject

to

death

,

yet

was

hope

preserved

to

him

by

the

Lord’s

saying

,

“

Behold

,

Adam

is

become

as

one

of

us

;

”

that

is

,

in

consequence

of

the

future

taking

of

the

man

into

the

divine

nature

.

Then

what

follows

?

“

And

now

,

lest

he

put

forth

his

hand

,

and

take

also

of

the

tree

of

life

,

(

and

eat

)

,

and

live

for

ever

.

”

Inserting

thus

the

particle

of

present

time

,

“

And

now

,

”

He

shows

that

He

had

made

for

a

time

,

and

at

present

,

a

prolongation

of

man’s

life

.

Therefore

He

did

not

actually

curse

Adam

and

Eve

,

for

they

were

candidates

for

restoration

,

and

they

had

been

relieved

by

confession

.

Cain

,

however

,

He

not

only

cursed

;

but

when

he

wished

to

atone

for

his

sin

by

death

,

He

even

prohibited

his

dying

,

so

that

he

had

to

bear

the

load

of

this

prohibition

in

addition

to

his

crime

.

This

,

then

,

will

prove

to

be

the

ignorance

of

our

God

,

which

was

simulated

on

this

account

,

that

delinquent

man

should

not

be

unaware

of

what

he

ought

to

do

.

Coming

down

to

the

case

of

Sodom

and

Gomorrha

,

he

says

:

“

I

will

go

down

now

,

and

see

whether

they

have

done

altogether

according

to

the

cry

of

it

which

is

come

unto

me

;

and

if

not

,

I

will

know

.

”

Well

,

was

He

in

this

instance

also

uncertain

through

ignorance

,

and

desiring

to

know

?

Or

was

this

a

necessary

tone

of

utterance

,

as

expressive

of

a

minatory

and

not

a

dubious

sense

,

under

the

colour

of

an

inquiry

?

If

you

make

merry

at

God’s

“

going

down

,

”

as

if

He

could

not

except

by

the

descent

have

accomplished

His

judgment

,

take

care

that

you

do

not

strike

your

own

God

with

as

hard

a

blow

.

For

He

also

came

down

to

accomplish

what

He

wished

.

Notes

1
Ut omnia expediam.
2
Purgandas.
3
Pusillitates.
4
Gen. iii. 9, 11.
5
Immo.
6
Sugillatione.
7
Dolendi.
8
Oculatiorem.
9
Præterire.
10
Naso.
11
Hoc nomine.
12
Relevandi.
13
Ex ore tuo, “out of thine own mouth.”
14
Matt. xii. 37.
15
Propter statum legis.
16
Gen. iii. 22. [II. Peter, i. 4.]
17
Ipsum. [Comp. Heb. ix. 8, and Rev. xxii. 14.]
18
Relevatos.
19
Gen. xviii. 21. [Marcion’s god also “comes down.” p. 284, supra.]