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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 4 · Chapter 17

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 XVII.—Concerning Loans. Prohibition of Usury and the Usurious Spirit. The Law Preparatory to the Gospel in Its Provisions; So in the Present Instance. On Reprisals. Christ’s Teaching Throughout Proves Him to Be Sent by the Creator.

And now, on the subject of a

‹ Book 4 · Chapter 16 Book 4 · Chapter 18 ›

loan

,

when

He

asks

,

“

And

if

ye

lend

to

them

of

whom

ye

hope

to

receive

,

what

thank

have

ye

?

”

compare

with

this

the

following

words

of

Ezekiel

,

in

which

He

says

of

the

before

-

mentioned

just

man

,

“

He

hath

not

given

his

money

upon

usury

,

nor

will

he

take

any

increase

”

—

meaning

the

redundance

of

interest

,

which

is

usury

.

The

first

step

was

to

eradicate

the

fruit

of

the

money

lent

,

the

more

easily

to

accustom

a

man

to

the

loss

,

should

it

happen

,

of

the

money

itself

,

the

interest

of

which

he

had

learnt

to

lose

.

Now

this

,

we

affirm

,

was

the

function

of

the

law

as

preparatory

to

the

gospel

.

It

was

engaged

in

forming

the

faith

of

such

as

would

learn

,

by

gradual

stages

,

for

the

perfect

light

of

the

Christian

discipline

,

through

the

best

precepts

of

which

it

was

capable

,

inculcating

a

benevolence

which

as

yet

expressed

itself

but

falteringly

.

For

in

the

passage

of

Ezekiel

quoted

above

He

says

,

“

And

thou

shalt

restore

the

pledge

of

the

loan

”

—

to

him

,

certainly

,

who

is

incapable

of

repayment

,

because

,

as

a

matter

of

course

,

He

would

not

anyhow

prescribe

the

restoration

of

a

pledge

to

one

who

was

solvent

.

Much

more

clearly

is

it

enjoined

in

Deuteronomy

:

“

Thou

shalt

not

sleep

upon

his

pledge

;

thou

shalt

be

sure

to

return

to

him

his

garment

about

sunset

,

and

he

shall

sleep

in

his

own

garment

.

”

Clearer

still

is

a

former

passage

:

“

Thou

shalt

remit

every

debt

which

thy

neighbour

oweth

thee

;

and

of

thy

brother

thou

shalt

not

require

it

,

because

it

is

called

the

release

of

the

Lord

thy

God

.

”

Now

,

when

He

commands

that

a

debt

be

remitted

to

a

man

who

shall

be

unable

to

pay

it

(

for

it

is

a

still

stronger

argument

when

He

forbids

its

being

asked

for

from

a

man

who

is

even

able

to

repay

it

)

,

what

else

does

He

teach

than

that

we

should

lend

to

those

of

whom

we

cannot

receive

again

,

inasmuch

as

He

has

imposed

so

great

a

loss

on

lending

?

“

And

ye

shall

be

the

children

of

God

.

”

What

can

be

more

shameless

,

than

for

him

to

be

making

us

his

children

,

who

has

not

permitted

us

to

make

children

for

ourselves

by

forbidding

marriage

?

How

does

he

propose

to

invest

his

followers

with

a

name

which

he

has

already

erased

?

I

cannot

be

the

son

of

a

eunuch

especially

when

I

have

for

my

Father

the

same

great

Being

whom

the

universe

claims

for

its

!

For

is

not

the

Founder

of

the

universe

as

much

a

Father

,

even

of

all

men

,

as

(

Marcion’s

)

castrated

deity

,

who

is

the

maker

of

no

existing

thing

?

Even

if

the

Creator

had

not

united

male

and

female

,

and

if

He

had

not

allowed

any

living

creature

whatever

to

have

children

,

I

yet

had

this

relation

to

Him

before

Paradise

,

before

the

fall

,

before

the

expulsion

,

before

the

two

became

one

.

I

became

His

son

a

second

time

,

as

soon

as

He

fashioned

me

with

His

hands

,

and

gave

me

motion

with

His

inbreathing

.

Now

again

He

names

me

His

son

,

not

begetting

me

into

natural

life

,

but

into

spiritual

life

.

“

Because

,

”

says

He

,

“

He

is

kind

unto

the

unthankful

and

to

the

evil

.

”

Well

done

,

Marcion

!

how

cleverly

have

you

withdrawn

from

Him

the

showers

and

the

sunshine

,

that

He

might

not

seem

to

be

a

Creator

!

But

who

is

this

kind

being

which

hitherto

has

not

been

even

known

?

How

can

he

be

kind

who

had

previously

shown

no

evidences

of

such

a

kindness

as

this

,

which

consists

of

the

loan

to

us

of

sunshine

and

rain

?

—

who

is

not

destined

to

receive

from

the

human

race

(

the

homage

due

to

that

)

Creator

,

—

who

,

up

to

this

very

moment

,

in

return

for

His

vast

liberality

in

the

gift

of

the

elements

,

bears

with

men

while

they

offer

to

idols

,

more

readily

than

Himself

,

the

due

returns

of

His

graciousness

.

But

God

is

truly

kind

even

in

spiritual

blessings

.

“

The

utterances

of

the

Lord

are

sweeter

than

honey

and

honeycombs

.

”

He

then

has

taunted

men

as

ungrateful

who

deserved

to

have

their

gratitude

—

even

He

,

whose

sunshine

and

rain

even

you

,

O

Marcion

,

have

enjoyed

,

but

without

gratitude

!

Your

god

,

however

,

had

no

right

to

complain

of

man’s

ingratitude

,

because

he

had

used

no

means

to

make

them

grateful

.

Compassion

also

does

He

teach

:

“

Be

ye

merciful

,

”

says

He

,

“

as

your

Father

also

that

had

mercy

upon

you

.

”

This

injunction

will

be

of

a

piece

with

,

“

Deal

thy

bread

to

the

hungry

;

and

if

he

be

houseless

,

bring

him

into

thine

house

;

and

if

thou

seest

the

naked

,

cover

him

;

”

also

with

,

“

Judge

the

fatherless

,

plead

with

the

widow

.

”

I

recognise

here

that

ancient

doctrine

of

Him

who

“

prefers

mercy

to

sacrifice

.

”

If

,

however

,

it

be

now

some

other

being

which

teaches

mercy

,

on

the

ground

of

his

own

mercifulness

,

how

happens

it

that

he

has

been

wanting

in

mercy

to

me

for

so

vast

an

age

?

“

Judge

not

,

and

ye

shall

not

be

judged

;

condemn

not

,

and

ye

shall

not

be

condemned

;

forgive

,

and

ye

shall

be

forgiven

;

give

,

and

it

shall

be

given

unto

you

:

good

measure

,

pressed

down

,

and

running

over

,

shall

men

give

into

your

bosom

.

For

with

the

same

measure

that

ye

measure

withal

,

it

shall

be

measured

to

you

again

.

”

As

it

seems

to

me

,

this

passage

announces

a

retribution

proportioned

to

the

merits

.

But

from

whom

shall

come

the

retribution

?

If

only

from

men

,

in

that

case

he

teaches

a

merely

human

discipline

and

recompense

;

and

in

everything

we

shall

have

to

obey

man

:

if

from

the

Creator

,

as

the

Judge

and

the

Recompenser

of

merits

,

then

He

compels

our

submission

to

Him

,

in

whose

hands

He

has

placed

a

retribution

which

will

be

acceptable

or

terrible

according

as

every

man

shall

have

judged

or

condemned

,

acquitted

or

dealt

with

,

his

neighbour

;

if

from

(

Marcion’s

god

)

himself

,

he

will

then

exercise

a

judicial

function

which

Marcion

denies

.

Let

the

Marcionites

therefore

make

their

choice

:

Will

it

not

be

just

the

same

inconsistency

to

desert

the

prescription

of

their

master

,

as

to

have

Christ

teaching

in

the

interest

of

men

or

of

the

Creator

?

But

“

a

blind

man

will

lead

a

blind

man

into

the

ditch

.

”

Some

persons

believe

Marcion

.

But

“

the

disciple

is

not

above

his

master

.

”

Apelles

ought

to

have

remembered

this

—

a

corrector

of

Marcion

,

although

his

disciple

.

The

heretic

ought

to

take

the

beam

out

of

his

own

eye

,

and

then

he

may

convict

the

Christian

,

should

he

suspect

a

mote

to

be

in

his

eye

.

Just

as

a

good

tree

cannot

produce

evil

fruit

,

so

neither

can

truth

generate

heresy

;

and

as

a

corrupt

tree

cannot

yield

good

fruit

,

so

heresy

will

not

produce

truth

.

Thus

,

Marcion

brought

nothing

good

out

of

Cerdon’s

evil

treasure

;

nor

Apelles

out

of

Marcion’s

.

For

in

applying

to

these

heretics

the

figurative

words

which

Christ

used

of

men

in

general

,

we

shall

make

a

much

more

suitable

interpretation

of

them

than

if

we

were

to

deduce

out

of

them

two

gods

,

according

to

Marcion’s

grievous

exposition

.

I

think

that

I

have

the

best

reason

possible

for

insisting

still

upon

the

position

which

I

have

all

along

occupied

,

that

in

no

passage

to

be

anywhere

found

has

another

God

been

revealed

by

Christ

.

I

wonder

that

in

this

place

alone

Marcion’s

hands

should

have

felt

benumbed

in

their

adulterating

labour

.

But

even

robbers

have

their

qualms

now

and

then

.

There

is

no

wrong

-

doing

without

fear

,

because

there

is

none

without

a

guilty

conscience

.

So

long

,

then

,

were

the

Jews

cognisant

of

no

other

god

but

Him

,

beside

whom

they

knew

none

else

;

nor

did

they

call

upon

any

other

than

Him

whom

alone

they

knew

.

This

being

the

case

,

who

will

He

clearly

be

that

said

,

“

Why

callest

thou

me

Lord

,

Lord

?

”

Will

it

be

he

who

had

as

yet

never

been

called

on

,

because

never

yet

revealed

;

or

He

who

was

ever

regarded

as

the

Lord

,

because

known

from

the

beginning

—

even

the

God

of

the

Jews

?

Who

,

again

,

could

possibly

have

added

,

“

and

do

not

the

things

which

I

say

?

”

Could

it

have

been

he

who

was

only

then

doing

his

best

to

teach

them

?

Or

He

who

from

the

beginning

had

addressed

to

them

His

messages

both

by

the

law

and

the

prophets

?

He

could

then

upbraid

them

with

disobedience

,

even

if

He

had

no

ground

at

any

time

else

for

His

reproof

.

The

fact

is

,

that

He

who

was

then

imputing

to

them

their

ancient

obstinacy

was

none

other

than

He

who

,

before

the

coming

of

Christ

,

had

addressed

to

them

these

words

,

“

This

people

honoureth

me

with

their

lips

,

but

their

heart

standeth

far

off

from

me

.

”

Otherwise

,

how

absurd

it

were

that

a

new

god

,

a

new

Christ

,

the

revealer

of

a

new

and

so

grand

a

religion

should

denounce

as

obstinate

and

disobedient

those

whom

he

had

never

had

it

in

his

power

to

make

trial

of

!

Notes

1
Luke vi. 34. [Bossuet, Traité de l’usure, Opp. ix. 48.]
2
Ezek. xviii. 8. [Huet, Règne Social, etc., p. 334. Paris, 1858.]
3
Literally, what redounds to the loan.
4
Fructum fenoris: the interest.
5
Quorundam tunc fidem.
6
Primis quibusque præceptis.
7
Balbutientis adhuc benignitatis. [Elucidation IV.]
8
Pignus reddes dati (i.e., fenoris) is his reading of a clause in Ezek. xviii. 16.
9
Deut. xxiv. 12, 13.
10
Deut. xv. 2.
11
Luke vi. 35. In the original the phrase is, υἱοὶ τοῦ ύψίστου.
12
One of the flagrant errors of Marcion’s belief of God. See above, chap. xi.
13
Quam spado.
14
Hoc eram ejus.
15
Ante duos unum. Before God made Adam and Eve one flesh, “I was created Adam, not became so by birth.”—Fr. Junius.
16
Denuo.
17
Me enixus est.
18
Non in animam sed in spiritum.
19
Luke vi. 35.
20
Euge.
21
Suavis.
22
Eloquia.
23
Ps. xix. 11.
24
Suggillavit.
25
Reading of Luke vi. 36.
26
Isa. lviii. 7.
27
Isa. i. 17.
28
Hos. vi. 6.
29
Luke vi. 37, 38.
30
Apud quem.
31
Mensus fuerit.
32
Luke vi. 39.
33
Luke vi. 40.
34
De discipulo.
35
Revincat.
36
Luke vi. 41–45. Cerdon is here referred to as Marcion’s master, and Apelles as Marcion’s pupil.
37
Scandalum. See above, book i. chap. ii., for Marcion’s perverse application of the figure of the good and the corrupt tree.
38
In hoc solo adulterium Marcionis manus stupuisse miror. He means that this passage has been left uncorrupted by M. (as if his hand failed in the pruning process), foolishly for him.
39
Videbitur.
40
Luke vi. 46.
41
Editus.
42
Temptabat. Perhaps, “was tampering with them.”
43
Eloquia.
44
Isa. xxix. 13.