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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 4 · Chapter 26

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 XXVI.—From St. Luke’s Eleventh Chapter Other Evidence that Christ Comes from the Creator. The Lord’s Prayer and Other Words of Christ. The Dumb Spirit and Christ’s Discourse on Occasion of the Expulsion. The Exclamation of the Woman in the Crowd.

When in a certain place he had been

‹ Book 4 · Chapter 25 Book 4 · Chapter 27 ›

praying

to

that

Father

above

,

looking

up

with

insolent

and

audacious

eyes

to

the

heaven

of

the

Creator

,

by

whom

in

His

rough

and

cruel

nature

he

might

have

been

crushed

with

hail

and

lightning

—

just

as

it

was

by

Him

contrived

that

he

was

(

afterwards

)

attached

to

a

cross

at

Jerusalem

—

one

of

his

disciples

came

to

him

and

said

,

“

Master

,

teach

us

to

pray

,

as

John

also

taught

his

disciples

.

”

This

he

said

,

forsooth

,

because

he

thought

that

different

prayers

were

required

for

different

gods

!

Now

,

he

who

had

advanced

such

a

conjecture

as

this

should

first

show

that

another

god

had

been

proclaimed

by

Christ

.

For

nobody

would

have

wanted

to

know

how

to

pray

,

before

he

had

learned

whom

he

was

to

pray

to

.

If

,

however

,

he

had

already

learned

this

,

prove

it

.

If

you

find

nowhere

any

proof

,

let

me

tell

you

that

it

was

to

the

Creator

that

he

asked

for

instruction

in

prayer

,

to

whom

John’s

disciples

also

used

to

pray

.

But

,

inasmuch

as

John

had

introduced

some

new

order

of

prayer

,

this

disciple

had

not

improperly

presumed

to

think

that

he

ought

also

to

ask

of

Christ

whether

they

too

must

not

(

according

to

some

special

rule

of

their

Master

)

pray

,

not

indeed

to

another

god

,

but

in

another

manner

.

Christ

accordingly

would

not

have

taught

His

disciple

prayer

before

He

had

given

him

the

knowledge

of

God

Himself

.

Therefore

what

He

actually

taught

was

prayer

to

Him

whom

the

disciple

had

already

known

.

In

short

,

you

may

discover

in

the

import

of

the

prayer

what

God

is

addressed

therein

.

To

whom

can

I

say

,

“

Father

?

”

To

him

who

had

nothing

to

do

with

making

me

,

from

whom

I

do

not

derive

my

origin

?

Or

to

Him

,

who

,

by

making

and

fashioning

me

,

became

my

parent

?

Of

whom

can

I

ask

for

His

Holy

Spirit

?

Of

him

who

gives

not

even

the

mundane

spirit

;

or

of

Him

“

who

maketh

His

angels

spirits

,

”

and

whose

Spirit

it

was

which

in

the

beginning

hovered

upon

the

waters

.

Whose

kingdom

shall

I

wish

to

come

—

his

,

of

whom

I

never

heard

as

the

king

of

glory

;

or

His

,

in

whose

hand

are

even

the

hearts

of

kings

?

Who

shall

give

me

my

daily

bread

?

Shall

it

be

he

who

produces

for

me

not

a

grain

of

millet

-

seed

;

or

He

who

even

from

heaven

gave

to

His

people

day

by

day

the

bread

of

angels

?

Who

shall

forgive

me

my

trespasses

?

He

who

,

by

refusing

to

judge

them

,

does

not

retain

them

;

or

He

who

,

unless

He

forgives

them

,

will

retain

them

,

even

to

His

judgment

?

Who

shall

suffer

us

not

to

be

led

into

temptation

?

He

before

whom

the

tempter

will

never

be

able

to

tremble

;

or

He

who

from

the

beginning

has

beforehand

condemned

the

angel

tempter

?

If

any

one

,

with

such

a

form

,

invokes

another

god

and

not

the

Creator

,

he

does

not

pray

;

he

only

blasphemes

.

In

like

manner

,

from

whom

must

I

ask

that

I

may

receive

?

Of

whom

seek

,

that

I

may

find

?

To

whom

knock

,

that

it

may

be

opened

to

me

?

Who

has

to

give

to

him

that

asks

,

but

He

to

whom

all

things

belong

,

and

whose

am

I

also

that

am

the

asker

?

What

,

however

,

have

I

lost

before

that

other

god

,

that

I

should

seek

of

him

and

find

it

.

If

it

be

wisdom

and

prudence

,

it

is

the

Creator

who

has

hidden

them

.

Shall

I

resort

to

him

,

then

,

in

quest

of

them

?

If

it

be

health

and

life

,

they

are

at

the

disposal

of

the

Creator

.

Nor

must

anything

be

sought

and

found

anywhere

else

than

there

,

where

it

is

kept

in

secret

that

it

may

come

to

light

.

So

,

again

,

at

no

other

door

will

I

knock

than

at

that

out

of

which

my

privilege

has

reached

me

.

In

fine

,

if

to

receive

,

and

to

find

,

and

to

be

admitted

,

is

the

fruit

of

labour

and

earnestness

to

him

who

has

asked

,

and

sought

,

and

knocked

,

understand

that

these

duties

have

been

enjoined

,

and

results

promised

,

by

the

Creator

.

As

for

that

most

excellent

god

of

yours

,

coming

as

he

professes

gratuitously

to

help

man

,

who

was

not

his

(

creature

)

,

he

could

not

have

imposed

upon

him

any

labour

,

or

(

endowed

him

with

)

any

earnestness

.

For

he

would

by

this

time

cease

to

be

the

most

excellent

god

,

were

he

not

spontaneously

to

give

to

every

one

who

does

not

ask

,

and

permit

every

one

who

seeks

not

to

find

,

and

open

to

every

one

who

does

not

knock

.

The

Creator

,

on

the

contrary

,

was

able

to

proclaim

these

duties

and

rewards

by

Christ

,

in

order

that

man

,

who

by

sinning

had

offended

his

God

,

might

toil

on

(

in

his

probation

)

,

and

by

his

perseverance

in

asking

might

receive

,

and

in

seeking

might

find

,

and

in

knocking

might

enter

.

Accordingly

,

the

preceding

similitude

represents

the

man

who

went

at

night

and

begged

for

the

loaves

,

in

the

light

of

a

friend

and

not

a

stranger

,

and

makes

him

knock

at

a

friend’s

house

and

not

at

a

stranger’s

.

But

even

if

he

has

offended

,

man

is

more

of

a

friend

with

the

Creator

than

with

the

god

of

Marcion

.

At

His

door

,

therefore

,

does

he

knock

to

whom

he

had

the

right

of

access

;

whose

gate

he

had

found

;

whom

he

knew

to

possess

bread

;

in

bed

now

with

His

children

,

whom

He

had

willed

to

be

born

.

Even

though

the

knocking

is

late

in

the

day

,

it

is

yet

the

Creator’s

time

.

To

Him

belongs

the

latest

hour

who

owns

an

entire

age

and

the

end

thereof

.

As

for

the

new

god

,

however

,

no

one

could

have

knocked

at

his

door

late

,

for

he

has

hardly

yet

seen

the

light

of

morning

.

It

is

the

Creator

,

who

once

shut

the

door

to

the

Gentiles

,

which

was

then

knocked

at

by

the

Jews

,

that

both

rises

and

gives

,

if

not

now

to

man

as

a

friend

,

yet

not

as

a

stranger

,

but

,

as

He

says

,

“

because

of

his

importunity

.

”

Importunate

,

however

,

the

recent

god

could

not

have

permitted

any

one

to

be

in

the

short

time

(

since

his

appearance

)

.

Him

,

therefore

,

whom

you

call

the

Creator

recognise

also

as

“

Father

.

”

It

is

even

He

who

knows

what

His

children

require

.

For

when

they

asked

for

bread

,

He

gave

them

manna

from

heaven

;

and

when

they

wanted

flesh

,

He

sent

them

abundance

of

quails

—

not

a

serpent

for

a

fish

,

nor

for

an

egg

a

scorpion

.

It

will

,

however

,

appertain

to

Him

not

to

give

evil

instead

of

good

,

who

has

both

one

and

the

other

in

His

power

.

Marcion’s

god

,

on

the

contrary

,

not

having

a

scorpion

,

was

unable

to

refuse

to

give

what

he

did

not

possess

;

only

He

(

could

do

so

)

,

who

,

having

a

scorpion

,

yet

gives

it

not

.

In

like

manner

,

it

is

He

who

will

give

the

Holy

Spirit

,

at

whose

command

is

also

the

unholy

spirit

.

When

He

cast

out

the

“

demon

which

was

dumb

”

(

and

by

a

cure

of

this

sort

verified

Isaiah

)

,

and

having

been

charged

with

casting

out

demons

by

Beelzebub

,

He

said

,

“

If

I

by

Beelzebub

cast

out

demons

,

by

whom

do

your

sons

cast

them

out

?

”

By

such

a

question

what

does

He

otherwise

mean

,

than

that

He

ejects

the

spirits

by

the

same

power

by

which

their

sons

also

did

—

that

is

,

by

the

power

of

the

Creator

?

For

if

you

suppose

the

meaning

to

be

,

“

If

I

by

Beelzebub

,

etc

.

,

by

whom

your

sons

?

”

—

as

if

He

would

reproach

them

with

having

the

power

of

Beelzebub

,

—

you

are

met

at

once

by

the

preceding

sentence

,

that

“

Satan

cannot

be

divided

against

himself

.

”

So

that

it

was

not

by

Beelzebub

that

even

they

were

casting

out

demons

,

but

(

as

we

have

said

)

by

the

power

of

the

Creator

;

and

that

He

might

make

this

understood

,

He

adds

:

“

But

if

I

with

the

finger

of

God

cast

out

demons

,

is

not

the

kingdom

of

God

come

near

unto

you

?

”

For

the

magicians

who

stood

before

Pharaoh

and

resisted

Moses

called

the

power

of

the

Creator

“

the

finger

of

God

.

”

It

was

the

finger

of

God

,

because

it

was

a

sign

that

even

a

thing

of

weakness

was

yet

abundant

in

strength

.

This

Christ

also

showed

,

when

,

recalling

to

notice

(

and

not

obliterating

)

those

ancient

wonders

which

were

really

His

own

,

He

said

that

the

power

of

God

must

be

understood

to

be

the

finger

of

none

other

God

than

Him

,

under

whom

it

had

received

this

appellation

.

His

kingdom

,

therefore

,

was

come

near

to

them

,

whose

power

was

called

His

“

finger

.

”

Well

,

therefore

,

did

He

connect

with

the

parable

of

“

the

strong

man

armed

,

”

whom

“

a

stronger

man

still

overcame

,

”

the

prince

of

the

demons

,

whom

He

had

already

called

Beelzebub

and

Satan

;

signifying

that

it

was

he

who

was

overcome

by

the

finger

of

God

,

and

not

that

the

Creator

had

been

subdued

by

another

god

.

Besides

,

how

could

His

kingdom

be

still

standing

,

with

its

boundaries

,

and

laws

,

and

functions

,

whom

,

even

if

the

whole

world

were

left

entire

to

Him

,

Marcion’s

god

could

possibly

seem

to

have

overcome

as

“

the

stronger

than

He

,

”

if

it

were

not

in

consequence

of

His

law

that

even

Marcionites

were

constantly

dying

,

by

returning

in

their

dissolution

to

the

ground

,

and

were

so

often

admonished

by

even

a

scorpion

,

that

the

Creator

had

by

no

means

been

overcome

?

“

A

(

certain

)

mother

of

the

company

exclaims

,

‘

Blessed

is

the

womb

that

bare

Thee

,

and

the

paps

which

Thou

hast

sucked

;

’

but

the

Lord

said

,

‘

Yea

,

rather

,

blessed

are

they

that

hear

the

word

of

God

,

and

keep

it

.

’

”

Now

He

had

in

precisely

similar

terms

rejected

His

mother

or

His

brethren

,

whilst

preferring

those

who

heard

and

obeyed

God

.

His

mother

,

however

,

was

not

here

present

with

Him

.

On

that

former

occasion

,

therefore

,

He

had

not

denied

that

He

was

her

son

by

birth

.

On

hearing

this

(

salutation

)

the

second

time

,

He

the

second

time

transferred

,

as

He

had

done

before

,

the

“

blessedness

”

to

His

disciples

from

the

womb

and

the

paps

of

His

mother

,

from

whom

,

however

,

unless

He

had

in

her

(

a

real

mother

)

He

could

not

have

transferred

it

.

Notes

1
Luke xi. 1.
2
Suffigi.
3
Scito.
4
Proinde.
5
Sensum.
6
Luke xi. 2.
7
Generavit.
8
Mundialis spiritus: perhaps “the breath of life.”
9
Gen. i. 2.
10
Luke xi. 3.
11
Milium.
12
Ps. lxviii. 25.
13
Luke xi. 4.
14
Prædamnavit.
15
Hoc ordine.
16
Infamat.
17
Luke xi. 9.
18
Salutem: perhaps salvation.
19
Unde sum functus. This obscure clause may mean “the right of praying,” or “the right of access, and boldness to knock.”
20
Ad præstandum non suo homini.
21
Autem.
22
See Luke xi. 5–8.
23
A sarcastic allusion to the ante-nuptial error of Marcion, which he has exposed more than once (see book i. chap. xxix. and book iv. chap. xxiii. p. 386.).
24
Sæculum.
25
Tantum quod = vixdum (Oehler).
26
Luke xi. 8.
27
Tam cito.
28
Luke xi. 11–13.
29
Apud quem.
30
Luke xi. 14.
31
Isa. xxix. 18.
32
Luke xi. 19.
33
Luke xi. 18.
34
Luke xi. 20.
35
Ex. viii. 19.
36
Significaret.
37
Vetustatum scilicet suarum.
38
Apud.
39
Applicuit.
40
Luke xi. 21, 22.
41
Ceterum.
42
Defluendo.
43
The scorpion here represents any class of the lowest animals, especially such as stung. The Marcionites impiously made it a reproach to the Creator, that He had formed such worthless and offensive creatures. Compare book i. chap. 17, note 5. p. 283.
44
Luke xi. 27, 28.
45
See above, on Luke viii. 21.
46
Natura.
47
Proinde.