Chapter IV.--Each Side Claims to Possess the True Gospel. Antiquity the Criterion of Truth in Such a Matter. Marcion's Pretensions as an Amender of the Gospel.
We must follow, then, the clue [3561] of our discussion, meeting every effort of our opponents with reciprocal vigor. I say that my Gospel is the true one; Marcion, that his is. I affirm that Marcion's Gospel is adulterated; Marcion, that mine is. Now what is to settle the point for us, except it be that principle [3562] of time, which rules that the authority lies with that which shall be found to be more ancient; and assumes as an elemental truth, [3563] that corruption (of doctrine) belongs to the side which shall be convicted of comparative lateness in its origin. [3564] For, inasmuch as error [3565] is falsification of truth, it must needs be that truth therefore precede error. A thing must exist prior to its suffering any casualty; [3566] and an object [3567] must precede all rivalry to itself. Else how absurd it would be, that, when we have proved our position to be the older one, and Marcion's the later, ours should yet appear to be the false one, before it had even received from truth its objective existence; [3568] and Marcion's should also be supposed to have experienced rivalry at our hands, even before its publication; and, in fine, that that should be thought to be the truer position which is the later one--a century [3569] later than the publication of all the many and great facts and records of the Christian religion, which certainly could not have been published without, that is to say, before, the truth of the gospel. With regard, then, to the pending [3570] question, of Luke's Gospel (so far as its being the common property [3571] of ourselves and Marcion enables it to be decisive of the truth, [3572] ) that portion of it which we alone receive [3573] is so much older than Marcion, that Marcion himself once believed it, when in the first warmth of faith he contributed money to the Catholic church, which along with himself was afterwards rejected, [3574] when he fell away from our truth into his own heresy. What if the Marcionites have denied that he held the primitive faith amongst ourselves, in the face even of his own letter? What, if they do not acknowledge the letter? They, at any rate, receive his Antitheses; and more than that, they make ostentatious use [3575] of them. Proof out of these is enough for me. For if the Gospel, said to be Luke's which is current amongst us [3576] (we shall see whether it be also current with Marcion), is the very one which, as Marcion argues in his Antitheses, was interpolated by the defenders of Judaism, for the purpose of such a conglomeration with it of the law and the prophets as should enable them out of it to fashion their Christ, surely he could not have so argued about it, unless he had found it (in such a form). No one censures things before they exist, [3577] when he knows not whether they will come to pass. Emendation never precedes the fault. To be sure, [3578] an amender of that Gospel, which had been all topsy-turvy [3579] from the days of Tiberius to those of Antoninus, first presented himself in Marcion alone--so long looked for by Christ, who was all along regretting that he had been in so great a hurry to send out his apostles without the support of Marcion! But for all that, [3580] heresy, which is for ever mending the Gospels, and corrupting them in the act, is an affair of man's audacity, not of God's authority; and if Marcion be even a disciple, he is yet not "above his master;" [3581] if Marcion be an apostle, still as Paul says, "Whether it be I or they, so we preach;" [3582] if Marcion be a prophet, even "the spirits of the prophets will be subject to the prophets," [3583] for they are not the authors of confusion, but of peace; or if Marcion be actually an angel, he must rather be designated "as anathema than as a preacher of the gospel," [3584] because it is a strange gospel which he has preached. So that, whilst he amends, he only confirms both positions: both that our Gospel is the prior one, for he amends that which he has previously fallen in with; and that that is the later one, which, by putting it together out of the emendations of ours, he has made his own Gospel, and a novel one too.
[3561] Funis ducendus est.
[3562] Ratio.
[3563] Præjudicans.
[3564] Posterius revincetur. See De Præscriptione Hæret., which goes on this principle of time. Compare especially chapters xxix. and xxx. [p. 256, supra.]
[3565] Falsum.
[3566] Passione.
[3567] Materia.
[3568] De veritate materiam.
[3569] Sæculo post.
[3570] Interim.
[3571] Communio ejus.
[3572] De veritate disceptat.
[3573] Quod est secundum nos. [A note of T.'s position.]
[3574] Projectam. [Catholic = Primitive.]
[3575] Præferunt.
[3576] Penes nos.
[3577] Post futura.
[3578] Sane.
[3579] Eversi.
[3580] Nisi quod.
[3581] Matt. x. 24.
[3582] 1 Cor. xv. 11.
[3583] 1 Cor. xiv. 32.
[3584] Gal. i. 8.
Chapter V.--By the Rule of Antiquity, the Catholic Gospels are Found to Be True, Including the Real St. Luke's. Marcion's Only a Mutilated Edition. The Heretic's Weakness and Inconsistency in Ignoring the Other Gospels. [3585]
On the whole, then, if that is evidently more true which is earlier, if that is earlier which is from the very beginning, if that is from the beginning which has the apostles for its authors, then it will certainly be quite as evident, that that comes down from the apostles, which has been kept as a sacred deposit [3586] in the churches of the apostles. Let us see what milk the Corinthians drank from Paul; to what rule of faith the Galatians were brought for correction; what the Philippians, the Thessalonians, the Ephesians read by it; what utterance also the Romans give, so very near [3587] (to the apostles), to whom Peter and Paul conjointly [3588] bequeathed the gospel even sealed with their own blood. We have also St. John's foster churches. [3589] For although Marcion rejects his Apocalypse, the order [3590] of the bishops (thereof), when traced up to their origin, will yet rest on John as their author. In the same manner is recognised the excellent source [3591] of the other churches. I say, therefore, that in them (and not simply such of them as were founded by apostles, but in all those which are united with them in the fellowship of the mystery of the gospel of Christ [3592] ) that Gospel of Luke which we are defending with all our might has stood its ground from its very first publication; whereas Marcion's Gospel is not known to most people, and to none whatever is it known without being at the same time [3593] condemned. It too, of course, [3594] has its churches, but specially its own--as late as they are spurious; and should you want to know their original, [3595] you will more easily discover apostasy in it than apostolicity, with Marcion forsooth as their founder, or some one of Marcion's swarm. [3596] Even wasps make combs; [3597] so also these Marcionites make churches. The same authority of the apostolic churches will afford evidence [3598] to the other Gospels also, which we possess equally through their means, [3599] and according to their usage--I mean the Gospels of John and Matthew--whilst that which Mark published may be affirmed to be Peter's [3600] whose interpreter Mark was. For even Luke's form [3601] of the Gospel men usually ascribe to Paul. [3602] And it may well seem [3603] that the works which disciples publish belong to their masters. Well, then, Marcion ought to be called to a strict account [3604] concerning these (other Gospels) also, for having omitted them, and insisted in preference [3605] on Luke; as if they, too, had not had free course in the churches, as well as Luke's Gospel, from the beginning. Nay, it is even more credible that they [3606] existed from the very beginning; for, being the work of apostles, they were prior, and coeval in origin with [3607] the churches themselves. But how comes it to pass, if the apostles published nothing, that their disciples were more forward in such a work; for they could not have been disciples, without any instruction from their masters? If, then, it be evident that these (Gospels) also were current in the churches, why did not Marcion touch them--either to amend them if they were adulterated, or to acknowledge them if they were uncorrupt? For it is but natural [3608] that they who were perverting the gospel, should be more solicitous about the perversion of those things whose authority they knew to be more generally received. Even the false apostles (were so called) on this very account, because they imitated the apostles by means of their falsification. In as far, then, as he might have amended what there was to amend, if found corrupt, in so far did he firmly imply [3609] that all was free from corruption which he did not think required amendment. In short, [3610] he simply amended what he thought was corrupt; though, indeed, not even this justly, because it was not really corrupt. For if the (Gospels) of the apostles [3611] have come down to us in their integrity, whilst Luke's, which is received amongst us, [3612] so far accords with their rule as to be on a par with them in permanency of reception in the churches, it clearly follows that Luke's Gospel also has come down to us in like integrity until the sacrilegious treatment of Marcion. In short, when Marcion laid hands on it, it then became diverse and hostile to the Gospels of the apostles. I will therefore advise his followers, that they either change these Gospels, however late to do so, into a conformity with their own, whereby they may seem to be in agreement with the apostolic writings (for they are daily retouching their work, as daily they are convicted by us); or else that they blush for their master, who stands self-condemned [3613] either way--when once [3614] he hands on the truth of the gospel conscience smitten, or again [3615] subverts it by shameless tampering. Such are the summary arguments which we use, when we take up arms [3616] against heretics for the faith [3617] of the gospel, maintaining both that order of periods, which rules that a late date is the mark of forgers, [3618] and that authority of churches [3619] which lends support to the tradition of the apostles; because truth must needs precede the forgery, and proceed straight from those by whom it has been handed on.
[3585] [On this whole chapter and subject, consult Kaye, pp. 278-289.]
[3586] Sacrosanctum. Inviolate. Westcott, On the Canon, p. 384. Compare De Præscript. Hæret. c. 36, supra.
[3587] De proximo. Westcott renders this, "who are nearest to us." See in loco.
[3588] et...et. [N.B. Not Peter's See, then.]
[3589] Alumnas ecclesias. He seems to allude to the seven churches of the Apocalypse.
[3590] [Not the Order of bishops (as we now speak) but of their succession from St. John. Kaye, p. 219.]
[3591] Generositas.
[3592] De societate sacramenti. [i.e. Catholic Unity.]
[3593] Eadem.
[3594] Plane.
[3595] Censum.
[3596] Examine.
[3597] Favos. See Pliny, Nat. Hist. xi. 21.
[3598] Patrocinabitur. [Jones on the Canon, Vol. I. p. 66.]
[3599] Proinde per illas.
[3600] See Hieronymus, Catal. Scriptt. Eccles. c. 8.
[3601] Digestum.
[3602] See above, chap. 2, p. 347.
[3603] Capit videri.
[3604] Flagitandus.
[3605] Potius institerit.
[3606] The Gospels of the apostles John and Matthew, and perhaps Mark's also, as being St. Peter's.
[3607] Dedicata cum.
[3608] Competit.
[3609] Confirmavit.
[3610] Denique.
[3611] Apostolica, i.e., evangelia.
[3612] That is, the canonical Gospel of St. Luke, as distinct from Marcion's corruption of it. [N.B. "Us" = Catholics.]
[3613] Traducto.
[3614] Nunc--nunc.
[3615] Nunc--nunc.
[3616] Expedimur.
[3617] Fide, integrity.
[3618] Posteritati falsariorum præscribentem.
[3619] [Mark the authority of churches. He uses the plural--quod ab omnibus.]
Chapter VI.--Marcion's Object in Adulterating the Gospel. No Difference Between the Christ of the Creator and the Christ of the Gospel. No Rival Christ Admissible. The Connection of the True Christ with the Dispensation of the Old Testament Asserted.
But we now advance a step further on, and challenge (as we promised to do) the very Gospel of Marcion, with the intention of thus proving that it has been adulterated. For it is certain [3620] that the whole aim at which he has strenuously laboured even in the drawing up of his Antitheses, centres in this, that he may establish a diversity between the Old and the New Testaments, so that his own Christ may be separate from the Creator, as belonging to this rival god, and as alien from the law and the prophets. It is certain, also, that with this view [3621] he has erased everything that was contrary to his own opinion and made for the Creator, as if it had been interpolated by His advocates, whilst everything which agreed with his own opinion he has retained. The latter statements we shall strictly examine; [3622] and if they shall turn out rather for our side, and shatter the assumption of Marcion, we shall embrace them. It will then become evident, that in retaining them he has shown no less of the defect of blindness, which characterizes heresy, than he displayed when he erased all the former class of subjects. Such, then, is to be [3623] the drift and form of my little treatise; subject, of course, to whatever condition may have become requisite on both sides of the question. [3624] Marcion has laid down the position, that Christ who in the days of Tiberius was, by a previously unknown god, revealed for the salvation of all nations, is a different being from Him who was ordained by God the Creator for the restoration of the Jewish state, and who is yet to come. Between these he interposes the separation of [3625] a great and absolute difference--as great as lies between what is just and what is good; [3626] as great as lies between the law and the gospel; as great, (in short,) as is the difference between Judaism and Christianity. Hence will arise also our rule, [3627] by which we determine [3628] that there ought to be nothing in common between the Christ of the rival god and the Creator; but that (Christ) must be pronounced to belong to the Creator, [3629] if He has administered His dispensations, fulfilled His prophecies, promoted [3630] His laws, given reality to [3631] His promises, revived His mighty power, [3632] remoulded His determinations, [3633] expressed His attributes, His properties. This law and this rule I earnestly request the reader to have ever in his mind, and so let him begin to investigate whether Christ be Marcion's or the Creator's.