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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 4 · Chapter 30

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 XXX.—Parables of the Mustard-Seed, and of the Leaven. Transition to the Solemn Exclusion Which Will Ensue When the Master of the House Has Shut the Door. This Judicial Exclusion Will Be Administered by Christ, Who is Shown Thereby to Possess the Attribute of the Creator.

When the question was again raised concerning a

‹ Book 4 · Chapter 29 Book 4 · Chapter 31 ›

cure

performed

on

the

Sabbath

-

day

,

how

did

He

discuss

it

:

“

Doth

not

each

of

you

on

the

Sabbath

loose

his

ass

or

his

ox

from

the

stall

,

and

lead

him

away

to

watering

?

”

When

,

therefore

,

He

did

a

work

according

to

the

condition

prescribed

by

the

law

,

He

affirmed

,

instead

of

breaking

,

the

law

,

which

commanded

that

no

work

should

be

done

,

except

what

might

be

done

for

any

living

being

;

and

if

for

any

one

,

then

how

much

more

for

a

human

life

?

In

the

case

of

the

parables

,

it

is

allowed

that

I

everywhere

require

a

congruity

.

“

The

kingdom

of

God

,

”

says

He

,

“

is

like

a

grain

of

mustard

-

seed

which

a

man

took

and

cast

into

his

garden

.

”

Who

must

be

understood

as

meant

by

the

man

?

Surely

Christ

,

because

(

although

Marcion’s

)

he

was

called

“

the

Son

of

man

.

”

He

received

from

the

Father

the

seed

of

the

kingdom

,

that

is

,

the

word

of

the

gospel

,

and

sowed

it

in

his

garden

—

in

the

world

,

of

course

—

in

man

at

the

present

day

,

for

instance

.

Now

,

whereas

it

is

said

,

“

in

his

garden

,

”

but

neither

the

world

nor

man

is

his

property

,

but

the

Creator’s

,

therefore

He

who

sowed

seed

in

His

own

ground

is

shown

to

be

the

Creator

.

Else

,

if

,

to

evade

this

snare

,

they

should

choose

to

transfer

the

person

of

the

man

from

Christ

to

any

person

who

receives

the

seed

of

the

kingdom

and

sows

it

in

the

garden

of

his

own

heart

,

not

even

this

meaning

would

suit

any

other

than

the

Creator

.

For

how

happens

it

,

if

the

kingdom

belong

to

the

most

lenient

god

,

that

it

is

closely

followed

up

by

a

fervent

judgment

,

the

severity

of

which

brings

weeping

?

With

regard

,

indeed

,

to

the

following

similitude

,

I

have

my

fears

lest

it

should

somehow

presage

the

kingdom

of

the

rival

god

!

For

He

compared

it

,

not

to

the

unleavened

bread

which

the

Creator

is

more

familiar

with

,

but

to

leaven

.

Now

this

is

a

capital

conjecture

for

men

who

are

begging

for

arguments

.

I

must

,

however

,

on

my

side

,

dispel

one

fond

conceit

by

another

,

and

contend

with

even

leaven

is

suitable

for

the

kingdom

of

the

Creator

,

because

after

it

comes

the

oven

,

or

,

if

you

please

,

the

furnace

of

hell

.

How

often

has

He

already

displayed

Himself

as

a

Judge

,

and

in

the

Judge

the

Creator

?

How

often

,

indeed

,

has

He

repelled

,

and

in

the

repulse

condemned

?

In

the

present

passage

,

for

instance

,

He

says

,

“

When

once

the

master

of

the

house

is

risen

up

;

”

but

in

what

sense

except

that

in

which

Isaiah

said

,

“

When

He

ariseth

to

shake

terribly

the

earth

?

”

“

And

hath

shut

to

the

door

,

”

thereby

shutting

out

the

wicked

,

of

course

;

and

when

these

knock

,

He

will

answer

,

“

I

know

you

not

whence

ye

are

;

”

and

when

they

recount

how

“

they

have

eaten

and

drunk

in

His

presence

,

”

He

will

further

say

to

them

,

“

Depart

from

me

,

all

ye

workers

of

iniquity

;

there

shall

be

weeping

and

gnashing

of

teeth

.

”

But

where

?

Outside

,

no

doubt

,

when

they

shall

have

been

excluded

with

the

door

shut

on

them

by

Him

.

There

will

therefore

be

punishment

inflicted

by

Him

who

excludes

for

punishment

,

when

they

shall

behold

the

righteous

entering

the

kingdom

of

God

,

but

themselves

detained

without

.

By

whom

detained

outside

?

If

by

the

Creator

,

who

shall

be

within

receiving

the

righteous

into

the

kingdom

?

The

good

God

.

What

,

therefore

,

is

the

Creator

about

,

that

He

should

detain

outside

for

punishment

those

whom

His

adversary

shut

out

,

when

He

ought

rather

to

have

kindly

received

them

,

if

they

must

come

into

His

hands

,

for

the

greater

irritation

of

His

rival

?

But

when

about

to

exclude

the

wicked

,

he

must

,

of

course

,

either

be

aware

that

the

Creator

would

detain

them

for

punishment

,

or

not

be

aware

.

Consequently

either

the

wicked

will

be

detained

by

the

Creator

against

the

will

of

the

excluder

,

in

which

case

he

will

be

inferior

to

the

Creator

,

submitting

to

Him

unwillingly

;

or

else

,

if

the

process

is

carried

out

with

his

will

,

then

he

himself

has

judicially

determined

its

execution

;

and

then

he

who

is

the

very

originator

of

the

Creator’s

infamy

,

will

not

prove

to

be

one

whit

better

than

the

Creator

.

Now

,

if

these

ideas

be

incompatible

with

reason

—

of

one

being

supposed

to

punish

,

and

the

other

to

liberate

—

then

to

one

only

power

will

appertain

both

the

judgment

and

the

kingdom

and

while

they

both

belong

to

one

,

He

who

executeth

judgment

can

be

none

else

than

the

Christ

of

the

Creator

.

Notes

1
Luke xiii. 15.
2
Omni animæ.
3
Recognoscor.
4
Utique.
5
Puta.
6
Laqueum.
7
Materia.
8
Lacrimosa austeritate, see Luke xiii. 28.
9
Forte.
10
Luke xiii. 20, 21.
11
Vanitatem vanitate.
12
Vel.
13
Luke xiii. 25.
14
Isa. ii. 19.
15
Luke xiii. 25–28.
16
Quid ergo illuc Creatori.
17
Si stique.