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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 4 · Chapter 1

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 I.—Examination of the Antitheses of Marcion, Bringing Them to the Test of Marcion’s Own Gospel. Certain True Antitheses in the Dispensations of the Old and the New Testaments. These Variations Quite Compatible with One and the Same God, Who Ordered Them.

Every opinion and the whole scheme of the

‹ Book 3 · Chapter 24 Book 4 · Chapter 2 ›

impious

and

sacrilegious

Marcion

we

now

bring

to

the

test

of

that

very

Gospel

which

,

by

his

process

of

interpolation

,

he

has

made

his

own

.

To

encourage

a

belief

of

this

Gospel

he

has

actually

devised

for

it

a

sort

of

dower

,

in

a

work

composed

of

contrary

statements

set

in

opposition

,

thence

entitled

Antitheses

,

and

compiled

with

a

view

to

such

a

severance

of

the

law

from

the

gospel

as

should

divide

the

Deity

into

two

,

nay

,

diverse

,

gods

—

one

for

each

Instrument

,

or

Testament

as

it

is

more

usual

to

call

it

;

that

by

such

means

he

might

also

patronize

belief

in

“

the

Gospel

according

to

the

Antitheses

.

”

These

,

however

,

I

would

have

attacked

in

special

combat

,

hand

to

hand

;

that

is

to

say

,

I

would

have

encountered

singly

the

several

devices

of

the

Pontic

heretic

,

if

it

were

not

much

more

convenient

to

refute

them

in

and

with

that

very

gospel

to

which

they

contribute

their

support

.

Although

it

is

so

easy

to

meet

them

at

once

with

a

peremptory

demurrer

,

yet

,

in

order

that

I

may

both

make

them

admissible

in

argument

,

and

account

them

valid

expressions

of

opinion

,

and

even

contend

that

they

make

for

our

side

,

that

so

there

may

be

all

the

redder

shame

for

the

blindness

of

their

author

,

we

have

now

drawn

out

some

antitheses

of

our

own

in

opposition

to

Marcion

.

And

indeed

I

do

allow

that

one

order

did

run

its

course

in

the

old

dispensation

under

the

Creator

,

and

that

another

is

on

its

way

in

the

new

under

Christ

.

I

do

not

deny

that

there

is

a

difference

in

the

language

of

their

documents

,

in

their

precepts

of

virtue

,

and

in

their

teachings

of

the

law

;

but

yet

all

this

diversity

is

consistent

with

one

and

the

same

God

,

even

Him

by

whom

it

was

arranged

and

also

foretold

.

Long

ago

did

Isaiah

declare

that

“

out

of

Sion

should

go

forth

the

law

,

and

the

word

of

the

Lord

from

Jerusalem

”

—

some

other

law

,

that

is

,

and

another

word

.

In

short

,

says

he

,

“

He

shall

judge

among

the

nations

,

and

shall

rebuke

many

people

;

”

meaning

not

those

of

the

Jewish

people

only

,

but

of

the

nations

which

are

judged

by

the

new

law

of

the

gospel

and

the

new

word

of

the

apostles

,

and

are

amongst

themselves

rebuked

of

their

old

error

as

soon

as

they

have

believed

.

And

as

the

result

of

this

,

“

they

beat

their

swords

into

ploughshares

,

and

their

spears

(

which

are

a

kind

of

hunting

instruments

)

into

pruning

-

hooks

;

”

that

is

to

say

,

minds

,

which

once

were

fierce

and

cruel

,

are

changed

by

them

into

good

dispositions

productive

of

good

fruit

.

And

again

:

“

Hearken

unto

me

,

hearken

unto

me

,

my

people

,

and

ye

kings

,

give

ear

unto

me

;

for

a

law

shall

proceed

from

me

,

and

my

judgment

for

a

light

to

the

nations

;

”

wherefore

He

had

determined

and

decreed

that

the

nations

also

were

to

be

enlightened

by

the

law

and

the

word

of

the

gospel

.

This

will

be

that

law

which

(

according

to

David

also

)

is

unblameable

,

because

“

perfect

,

converting

the

soul

”

from

idols

unto

God

.

This

likewise

will

be

the

word

concerning

which

the

same

Isaiah

says

,

“

For

the

Lord

will

make

a

decisive

word

in

the

land

.

”

Because

the

New

Testament

is

compendiously

short

,

and

freed

from

the

minute

and

perplexing

burdens

of

the

law

.

But

why

enlarge

,

when

the

Creator

by

the

same

prophet

foretells

the

renovation

more

manifestly

and

clearly

than

the

light

itself

?

“

Remember

not

the

former

things

,

neither

consider

the

things

of

old

”

(

the

old

things

have

passed

away

,

and

new

things

are

arising

)

.

“

Behold

,

I

will

do

new

things

,

which

shall

now

spring

forth

.

”

So

by

Jeremiah

:

“

Break

up

for

yourselves

new

pastures

,

and

sow

not

among

thorns

,

and

circumcise

yourselves

in

the

foreskin

of

your

heart

.

”

And

in

another

passage

:

“

Behold

,

the

days

come

,

saith

the

Lord

,

that

I

will

make

a

new

covenant

with

the

house

of

Jacob

,

and

with

the

house

of

Judah

;

not

according

to

the

covenant

that

I

made

with

their

fathers

in

the

day

when

I

arrested

their

dispensation

,

in

order

to

bring

them

out

of

the

land

of

Egypt

.

”

He

thus

shows

that

the

ancient

covenant

is

temporary

only

,

when

He

indicates

its

change

;

also

when

He

promises

that

it

shall

be

followed

by

an

eternal

one

.

For

by

Isaiah

He

says

:

“

Hear

me

,

and

ye

shall

live

;

and

I

will

make

an

everlasting

covenant

with

you

,

”

adding

“

the

sure

mercies

of

David

,

”

in

order

that

He

might

show

that

covenant

was

to

run

its

course

in

Christ

.

That

He

was

of

the

family

of

David

,

according

to

the

genealogy

of

Mary

,

He

declared

in

a

figurative

way

even

by

the

rod

which

was

to

proceed

out

of

the

stem

of

Jesse

.

Forasmuch

then

as

he

said

,

that

from

the

Creator

there

would

come

other

laws

,

and

other

words

,

and

new

dispensations

of

covenants

,

indicating

also

that

the

very

sacrifices

were

to

receive

higher

offices

,

and

that

amongst

all

nations

,

by

Malachi

when

he

says

:

“

I

have

no

pleasure

in

you

,

saith

the

Lord

,

neither

will

I

accept

your

sacrifices

at

your

hands

.

For

from

the

rising

of

the

sun

,

even

unto

the

going

down

of

the

same

,

my

name

shall

be

great

among

the

Gentiles

;

and

in

every

place

a

sacrifice

is

offered

unto

my

name

,

even

a

pure

offering

”

—

meaning

simple

prayer

from

a

pure

conscience

,

—

it

is

of

necessity

that

every

change

which

comes

as

the

result

of

innovation

,

introduces

a

diversity

in

those

things

of

which

the

change

is

made

,

from

which

diversity

arises

also

a

contrariety

.

For

as

there

is

nothing

,

after

it

has

undergone

a

change

,

which

does

not

become

different

,

so

there

is

nothing

different

which

is

not

contrary

.

Of

that

very

thing

,

therefore

,

there

will

be

predicated

a

contrariety

in

consequence

of

its

diversity

,

to

which

there

accrued

a

change

of

condition

after

an

innovation

.

He

who

brought

about

the

change

,

the

same

instituted

the

diversity

also

;

He

who

foretold

the

innovation

,

the

same

announced

beforehand

the

contrariety

likewise

.

Why

,

in

your

interpretation

,

do

you

impute

a

difference

in

the

state

of

things

to

a

difference

of

powers

?

Why

do

you

wrest

to

the

Creator’s

prejudice

those

examples

from

which

you

draw

your

antitheses

,

when

you

may

recognise

them

all

in

His

sensations

and

affections

?

“

I

will

wound

,

”

He

says

,

“

and

I

will

heal

;

”

“

I

will

kill

,

”

He

says

again

,

“

and

I

will

make

alive

”

—

even

the

same

“

who

createth

evil

and

maketh

peace

;

”

from

which

you

are

used

even

to

censure

Him

with

the

imputation

of

fickleness

and

inconstancy

,

as

if

He

forbade

what

He

commanded

,

and

commanded

what

He

forbade

.

Why

,

then

,

have

you

not

reckoned

up

the

Antitheses

also

which

occur

in

the

natural

works

of

the

Creator

,

who

is

for

ever

contrary

to

Himself

?

You

have

not

been

able

,

unless

I

am

misinformed

,

to

recognise

the

fact

,

that

the

world

,

at

all

events

,

even

amongst

your

people

of

Pontus

,

is

made

up

of

a

diversity

of

elements

which

are

hostile

to

one

another

.

It

was

therefore

your

bounden

duty

first

to

have

determined

that

the

god

of

the

light

was

one

being

,

and

the

god

of

darkness

was

another

,

in

such

wise

that

you

might

have

been

able

to

have

distinctly

asserted

one

of

them

to

be

the

god

of

the

law

and

the

other

the

god

of

the

gospel

.

It

is

,

however

,

the

settled

conviction

already

of

my

mind

from

manifest

proofs

,

that

,

as

His

works

and

plans

exist

in

the

way

of

Antitheses

,

so

also

by

the

same

rule

exist

the

mysteries

of

His

religion

.

Notes

2
Paraturam.
3
Provocamus ad. [Kaye, p. 469, refers to Schleiermacher’s Critical Essay on St. Luke and to a learned note of Mr. Andrews Norton of Harvard (vol. iii. Appendix C.) for valuable remarks on Marcion’s Gospel.]
4
Et, emphatic.
5
Dotem quandam.
6
[See cap. 2, infra.]
7
Patrocinaretur.
8
Præscriptive occurere. This law term (the Greek παραγραφή) seems to refer to the Church’s “rule of faith” (præscriptio), which he might at once put in against Marcion’s heresy; only he prefers to refute him on his own ground.
9
Atque adeo.
10
Apud Creatorem.
11
Olim.
12
Isa. ii. 3.
13
Isa. ii. 4.
14
Isa. ii. 4.
15
Isa. ii. 4, according to the Sept.
16
Ps. xix. 7.
17
T.’s version of Isa. x. 23. “Decisus Sermo” ="determined” of A.V.
18
Compendiatum.
19
Laciniosis.
20
Isa. xliii. 18, 19.
21
Novate novamen novum. Agricultural words.
22
Altered version of Jer. iv. 3, 4.
23
Jer. xxxi. 31, 32, with slight change.
24
Isa. lv. 3.
25
Secundum Mariæ censum. See Kitto’s Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature (third edition), in the article “Genealogy of Jesus Christ,” where the translator of this work has largely given reasons for believing that St. Luke in his genealogy, (chap. iii.) has traced the descent of the Virgin Mary. To the authorities there given may be added this passage of Tertullian, and a fuller one, Adversus Judæos, ix., towards the end. [p. 164, supra.]
26
Isa. xi. 1.
27
Mal. i. 10, 11.
28
To its former self.
29
Deut. xxxii. 39.
30
Isa. xlv. 7.
31
Recogitare.
32
Saltim.
33
Æmularum invicem.
34
Præjudicatum est.
35
In the external world.
36
Sacramenta.