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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 2 · Chapter 19

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 XIX.—The Minute Prescriptions of the Law Meant to Keep the People Dependent on God. The Prophets Sent by God in Pursuance of His Goodness. Many Beautiful Passages from Them Quoted in Illustration of This Attribute.

But even in the common transactions of life

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 18 Book 2 · Chapter 20 ›

,

and

of

human

intercourse

at

home

and

in

public

,

even

to

the

care

of

the

smallest

vessels

,

He

in

every

possible

manner

made

distinct

arrangement

;

in

order

that

,

when

they

everywhere

encountered

these

legal

instructions

,

they

might

not

be

at

any

moment

out

of

the

sight

of

God

.

For

what

could

better

tend

to

make

a

man

happy

,

than

having

“

his

delight

in

the

law

of

the

Lord

?

”

“

In

that

law

would

he

meditate

day

and

night

.

”

It

was

not

in

severity

that

its

Author

promulgated

this

law

,

but

in

the

interest

of

the

highest

benevolence

,

which

rather

aimed

at

subduing

the

nation’s

hardness

of

heart

,

and

by

laborious

services

hewing

out

a

fealty

which

was

(

as

yet

)

untried

in

obedience

:

for

I

purposely

abstain

from

touching

on

the

mysterious

senses

of

the

law

,

considered

in

its

spiritual

and

prophetic

relation

,

and

as

abounding

in

types

of

almost

every

variety

and

sort

.

It

is

enough

at

present

,

that

it

simply

bound

a

man

to

God

,

so

that

no

one

ought

to

find

fault

with

it

,

except

him

who

does

not

choose

to

serve

God

.

To

help

forward

this

beneficent

,

not

onerous

,

purpose

of

the

law

,

the

prophets

were

also

ordained

by

the

self

-

same

goodness

of

God

,

teaching

precepts

worthy

of

God

,

how

that

men

should

“

cease

to

do

evil

,

learn

to

do

well

,

seek

judgment

,

judge

the

fatherless

,

and

plead

for

the

widow

:

”

be

fond

of

the

divine

expostulations

:

avoid

contact

with

the

wicked

:

“

let

the

oppressed

go

free

:

”

dismiss

the

unjust

sentence

,

“

deal

their

bread

to

the

hungry

;

bring

the

outcast

into

their

house

;

cover

the

naked

,

when

they

see

him

;

nor

hide

themselves

from

their

own

flesh

and

kin

:

”

“

keep

their

tongue

from

evil

,

and

their

lips

from

speaking

guile

:

depart

from

evil

,

and

do

good

;

seek

peace

,

and

pursue

it

:

”

be

angry

,

and

sin

not

;

that

is

,

not

persevere

in

anger

,

or

be

enraged

:

“

walk

not

in

the

counsel

of

the

ungodly

;

nor

stand

in

the

way

of

sinners

;

nor

sit

in

the

seat

of

the

scornful

.

”

Where

then

?

“

Behold

,

how

good

and

how

pleasant

it

is

for

brethren

to

dwell

together

in

unity

;

”

meditating

(

as

they

do

)

day

and

night

in

the

law

of

the

Lord

,

because

“

it

is

better

to

trust

in

the

Lord

than

to

put

confidence

in

man

;

better

to

hope

in

the

Lord

than

in

man

.

”

For

what

recompense

shall

man

receive

from

God

?

“

He

shall

be

like

a

tree

planted

by

the

rivers

of

water

,

that

bringeth

forth

his

fruit

in

his

season

;

his

leaf

also

shall

not

wither

,

and

whatsoever

he

doeth

shall

prosper

.

”

“

He

that

hath

clean

hands

and

a

pure

heart

,

who

hath

not

taken

God’s

name

in

vain

,

nor

sworn

deceitfully

to

his

neighbour

,

he

shall

receive

blessing

from

the

Lord

,

and

mercy

from

the

God

of

his

salvation

.

”

“

For

the

eyes

of

the

Lord

are

upon

them

that

fear

Him

,

upon

them

that

hope

in

His

mercy

,

to

deliver

their

souls

from

death

,

”

even

eternal

death

,

“

and

to

nourish

them

in

their

hunger

,

”

that

is

,

after

eternal

life

.

“

Many

are

the

afflictions

of

the

righteous

,

but

the

Lord

delivereth

them

out

of

them

all

.

”

“

Precious

in

the

sight

of

the

Lord

is

the

death

of

His

saints

.

”

“

The

Lord

keepeth

all

their

bones

;

not

one

of

them

shall

be

broken

.

”

The

Lord

will

redeem

the

souls

of

His

servants

.

We

have

adduced

these

few

quotations

from

a

mass

of

the

Creator’s

Scriptures

;

and

no

more

,

I

suppose

,

are

wanted

to

prove

Him

to

be

a

most

good

God

,

for

they

sufficiently

indicate

both

the

precepts

of

His

goodness

and

the

first

-

fruits

thereof

.

Notes

1
Ps. i. 2.
2
Edomantis, cf. chap. xv. sub fin. and xxix.
3
Pupillo.
4
Isa. i. 16, 17.
5
Quæstiones, alluding to Isa. i. 18: δεῦτε καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν, λέγει Κύριος.
6
Alluding to Isa. lviii. 6: “Loose the bands of wickedness.”
7
Isa. lviii. 6.
8
A lax quotation, perhaps, of the next clause in the same verse: “Break every yoke.”
9
Isa. lviii. 7, slightly changed from the second to the third person.
10
Ps. xxxiv. 13, 14.
11
Comp. Ps. iv. 4.
12
Ps. i. 1.
13
Ps. cxxxiii. 1.
14
Ps. cxviii. 4.
15
Ps. i. 3.
16
Ps. xxiv. 4, 5. He has slightly misquoted the passage.
17
Ps. xxxiii. 18, 19, slightly altered.
18
Ps. xxxiv. 19.
19
Ps. cxvi. 15.
20
Ps. xxxiv. 20, modified.
21
Ps. xxxiv. 22.
22
Præmissa.