Opening the library…

Search the Bible

The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 1 · 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 is Not a Being of Simple Goodness; Other Attributes Belong to Him. Marcion Shows Inconsistency in the Portraiture of His Simply Good and Emotionless God.

As touching this question of goodness, we

‹ Book 1 · Chapter 24 Book 1 · Chapter 26 ›

have

in

these

outlines

of

our

argument

shown

it

to

be

in

no

way

compatible

with

Deity

,

—

as

being

neither

natural

,

nor

rational

,

nor

perfect

,

but

wrong

,

and

unjust

,

and

unworthy

of

the

very

name

of

goodness

,

—

because

,

as

far

as

the

congruity

of

the

divine

character

is

concerned

,

it

cannot

indeed

be

fitting

that

Being

should

be

regarded

as

God

who

is

alleged

to

have

such

a

goodness

,

and

that

not

in

a

modified

way

,

but

simply

and

solely

.

For

it

is

,

furthermore

,

at

this

point

quite

open

to

discussion

,

whether

God

ought

to

be

regarded

as

a

Being

of

simple

goodness

,

to

the

exclusion

of

all

those

other

attributes

,

sensations

,

and

affections

,

which

the

Marcionites

indeed

transfer

from

their

god

to

the

Creator

,

and

which

we

acknowledge

to

be

worthy

characteristics

of

the

Creator

too

,

but

only

because

we

consider

Him

to

be

God

.

Well

,

then

,

on

this

ground

we

shall

deny

him

to

be

God

in

whom

all

things

are

not

to

be

found

which

befit

the

Divine

Being

.

If

(

Marcion

)

chose

to

take

any

one

of

the

school

of

Epicurus

,

and

entitle

him

God

in

the

name

of

Christ

,

on

the

ground

that

what

is

happy

and

incorruptible

can

bring

no

trouble

either

on

itself

or

anything

else

(

for

Marcion

,

while

poring

over

this

opinion

of

the

divine

indifference

,

has

removed

from

him

all

the

severity

and

energy

of

the

judicial

character

)

,

it

was

his

duty

to

have

developed

his

conceptions

into

some

imperturbable

and

listless

god

(

and

then

what

could

he

have

had

in

common

with

Christ

,

who

occasioned

trouble

both

to

the

Jews

by

what

He

taught

,

and

to

Himself

by

what

He

felt

?

)

,

or

else

to

have

admitted

that

he

was

possessed

of

the

same

emotions

as

others

(

and

in

such

case

what

would

he

have

had

to

do

with

Epicurus

,

who

was

no

friend

to

either

him

or

Christians

?

)

.

For

that

a

being

who

in

ages

past

was

in

a

quiescent

state

,

not

caring

to

communicate

any

knowledge

of

himself

by

any

work

all

the

while

,

should

come

after

so

long

a

time

to

entertain

a

concern

for

man’s

salvation

,

of

course

by

his

own

will

,

—

did

he

not

by

this

very

fact

become

susceptible

of

the

impulse

of

a

new

volition

,

so

as

palpably

to

be

open

to

all

other

emotions

?

But

what

volition

is

unaccompanied

with

the

spur

of

desire

?

Who

wishes

for

what

he

desires

not

?

Moreover

,

care

will

be

another

companion

of

the

will

.

For

who

will

wish

for

any

object

and

desire

to

have

it

,

without

also

caring

to

obtain

it

?

When

,

therefore

,

(

Marcion’s

god

)

felt

both

a

will

and

a

desire

for

man’s

salvation

,

he

certainly

occasioned

some

concern

and

trouble

both

to

himself

and

others

.

This

Marcion’s

theory

suggests

,

though

Epicurus

demurs

.

For

he

raised

up

an

adversary

against

himself

in

that

very

thing

against

which

his

will

and

desire

,

and

care

were

directed

,

—

whether

it

were

sin

or

death

,

—

and

more

especially

in

their

Tyrant

and

Lord

,

the

Creator

of

man

.

Again

,

nothing

will

ever

run

its

course

without

hostile

rivalry

,

which

shall

not

(

itself

)

be

without

a

hostile

aspect

.

In

fact

,

when

willing

,

desiring

,

and

caring

to

deliver

man

,

(

Marcion’s

god

)

already

in

the

very

act

encounters

a

rival

,

both

in

Him

from

whom

He

effects

the

deliverance

(

for

of

course

he

means

the

liberation

to

be

an

opposition

to

Him

)

,

and

also

in

those

things

from

which

the

deliverance

is

wrought

(

the

intended

liberation

being

to

the

advantage

of

some

other

things

)

.

For

it

must

needs

be

,

that

upon

rivalry

its

own

ancillary

passions

will

be

in

attendance

,

against

whatever

objects

its

emulation

is

directed

:

anger

,

discord

,

hatred

,

disdain

,

indignation

,

spleen

,

loathing

,

displeasure

.

Now

,

since

all

these

emotions

are

present

to

rivalry

;

since

,

moreover

,

the

rivalry

which

arises

in

liberating

man

excites

them

;

and

since

,

again

,

this

deliverance

of

man

is

an

operation

of

goodness

,

it

follows

that

this

goodness

avails

nothing

without

its

endowments

,

that

is

to

say

,

without

those

sensations

and

affections

whereby

it

carries

out

its

purpose

against

the

Creator

;

so

that

it

cannot

even

in

this

be

ruled

to

be

irrational

,

as

if

it

were

wanting

in

proper

sensations

and

affections

.

These

points

we

shall

have

to

insist

on

much

more

fully

,

when

we

come

to

plead

the

cause

of

the

Creator

,

where

they

will

also

incur

our

condemnation

.

Notes

1
Ingenitam. In chap. xxii. this word seems to be synonymous with naturalem. Comp. book ii. 3, where it has this sense in the phrase “Deo ingenita.”
2
Improbam.
3
Appendicibus.
4
Affectavit.
5
Ruminans.
6
Judiciarias vires.
7
De ceteris motibus.
8
Nec necessario.
9
Retro.
10
Concussibilis.
11
Concupiscentiæ.
12
(i.e., Marcion’s god.)
13
Porro.
14
Æmulatione.
15
Denique.
16
Scilicet.
17
Officiales suæ.
18
Suis dotibus.
19
Administratur.
20
Præscribatur.
21
Defendemus.