[4337] Amentiam.
[4338] Ceterum.
[4339] According to the hypothesis.
[4340] Totum ordinem, in the three periods represented by Moses, and Elijah, and Christ.
[4341] Compare Deut. xix. 15 with Luke ix. 28.
[4342] Consignari.
[4343] In eo suggestu.
[4344] Conscriptum fuerat.
[4345] Marcion's god.
[4346] Compare above, book i. chap. 15, and book iv. chap. 7.
[4347] Precario. This word is used in book v. chap. xii. to describe the transitoriness of the Creator's paradise and world.
[4348] Nec nunc.
[4349] Ps. ii. 7.
[4350] Isa. l. 10, according to the Septuagint.
[4351] Ejus est exhibentis.
[4352] Non præmisisti. Oehler suggests promisisti, "have given us no promise."
[4353] Censum: Some read sensum, "sense."
[4354] Deut. xviii. 15.
[4355] Anima: life.
[4356] Deut. xviii. 19.
[4357] Isa. l. 10.
[4358] Tertullian, by introducing this statement with an "inquit," seems to make a quotation of it; but it is only a comment on the actual quotations. Tertullian's invariable object in this argument is to match some event or word pertaining to the Christ of the New Testament with some declaration of the Old Testament. In this instance the approving words of God upon the mount are in Heb. i. 5 applied to the Son, while in Ps. ii. 7 the Son applies them to Himself. Compare the Adversus Praxean, chap. xix. (Fr. Junius and Oehler). It is, however, more likely that Tertullian really means to quote Isa. xliv. 26, "that confirmeth the word of His servant," which Tertullian reads, "Sistens verba filii sui," the Septuagint being, Kai iston rhema paidos autou.
[4359] In Christo. In with an ablative is often used by our author for in with an accusative.
[4360] Or perhaps "by the Creator."
[4361] Isa. lxiii. 9, according to the Septuagint; only he reads faciet for aorist esosen.
[4362] A Marcionite position.
[4363] Habitum.
[4364] Interdum.
[4365] Hab. iii. 2, according to the Septuagint. St. Augustine similarly applied this passage, De Civit. Dei, xviii. 32.
[4366] Zech. iv. 3, 14.
[4367] Commemoremur: be reminded, or call to mind.
[4368] Cognoscenter: gnostos, "so as to know Thee."
[4369] See Ex. xxxiii. 13-23.
[4370] Posterioribus temporibus. [The awful ribaldry of Voltaire upon this glorious revelation is based upon the Vulgate reading of Exod. xxxiii. 23, needlessly transferred to our Version, but corrected by the late Revisers.]
[4371] Num. xii. 6-8.
[4372] Noluit.
[4373] It is difficult to see what this inquit means.
[4374] Nedum.
Chapter XXIII.--Impossible that Marcion's Christ Should Reprove the Faithless Generation. Such Loving Consideration for Infants as the True Christ Was Apt to Shew, Also Impossible for the Other. On the Three Different Characters Confronted and Instructed by Christ in Samaria.
I take on myself the character [4375] of Israel. Let Marcion's Christ stand forth, and exclaim, "O faithless generation! [4376] how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?" [4377] He will immediately have to submit to this remonstrance from me: "Whoever you are, O stranger, [4378] first tell us who you are, from whom you come, and what right you have over us. Thus far, all you possess [4379] belongs to the Creator. Of course, if you come from Him, and are acting for Him, we will bear your reproof. But if you come from some other god, I should wish you to tell us what you have ever committed to us belonging to yourself, [4380] which it was our duty to believe, seeing that you are upbraiding us with faithlessness,' who have never yet revealed to us your own self. How long ago [4381] did you begin to treat with us, that you should be complaining of the delay? On what points have you borne with us, that you should adduce [4382] your patience? Like Æsop's ass, you are just come from the well, [4383] and are filling every place with your braying." I assume, besides, [4384] the person of the disciple, against whom he has inveighed: [4385] "O perverse nation! how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?" This outburst of his I might, of course, retort upon him most justly in such words as these: "Whoever you are, O stranger, first tell us who you are, from whom you come, what right you have over us. Thus far, I suppose, you belong to the Creator, and so we have followed you, recognising in you all things which are His. Now, if you come from Him, we will bear your reproof. If, however, you are acting for another, prythee tell us what you have ever conferred upon us that is simply your own, which it had become our duty to believe, seeing that you reproach us with faithlessness,' although up to this moment you show us no credentials. How long since did you begin to plead with us, that you are charging us with delay? Wherein have you borne with us, that you should even boast of your patience? The ass has only just arrived from Æsop's well, and he is already braying." Now who would not thus have rebutted the unfairness of the rebuke, if he had supposed its author to belong to him who had had no right as yet to complain? Except that not even He [4386] would have inveighed against them, if He had not dwelt among them of old in the law and by the prophets, and with mighty deeds and many mercies, and had always experienced them to be "faithless." But, behold, Christ takes [4387] infants, and teaches how all ought to be like them, if they ever wish to be greater. [4388] The Creator, on the contrary, [4389] let loose bears against children, in order to avenge His prophet Elisha, who had been mocked by them. [4390] This antithesis is impudent enough, since it throws together [4391] things so different as infants [4392] and children, [4393] --an age still innocent, and one already capable of discretion--able to mock, if not to blaspheme. As therefore God is a just God, He spared not impious children, exacting as He does honour for every time of life, and especially, of course, from youth. And as God is good, He so loves infants as to have blessed the midwives in Egypt, when they protected the infants of the Hebrews [4394] which were in peril from Pharaoh's command. [4395] Christ therefore shares this kindness with the Creator. As indeed for Marcion's god, who is an enemy to marriage, how can he possibly seem to be a lover of little children, which are simply the issue of marriage? He who hates the seed must needs also detest the fruit. Yea, he ought to be deemed more ruthless than the king of Egypt. [4396] For whereas Pharaoh forbade infants to be brought up, he will not allow them even to be born, depriving them of their ten months' existence in the womb. And how much more credible it is, that kindness to little children should be attributed to Him who blessed matrimony for the procreation of mankind, and in such benediction included also the promise of connubial fruit itself, the first of which is that of infancy! [4397] The Creator, at the request of Elias, inflicts the blow [4398] of fire from heaven in the case of that false prophet (of Baalzebub). [4399] I recognise herein the severity of the Judge. And I, on the contrary, the severe rebuke [4400] of Christ on His disciples, when they were for inflicting [4401] a like visitation on that obscure village of the Samaritans. [4402] The heretic, too, may discover that this gentleness of Christ was promised by the selfsame severest Judge. "He shall not contend," says He, "nor shall His voice be heard in the street; a bruised reed shall He not crush, and smoking flax shall He not quench." [4403] Being of such a character, He was of course much the less disposed to burn men. For even at that time the Lord said to Elias, [4404] "He was not in the fire, but in the still small voice." [4405] Well, but why does this most humane and merciful God reject the man who offers himself to Him as an inseparable companion? [4406] If it were from pride or from hypocrisy that he had said, "I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest,' then, by judicially reproving an act of either pride or hypocrisy as worthy of rejection, He performed the office of a Judge. And, of course, him whom He rejected He condemned to the loss of not following the Saviour. [4407] For as He calls to salvation him whom He does not reject, or him whom He voluntarily invites, so does He consign to perdition him whom He rejects. When, however, He answers the man, who alleged as an excuse his father's burial, "Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God," [4408] He gave a clear confirmation to those two laws of the Creator--that in Leviticus, which concerns the sacerdotal office, and forbids the priests to be present at the funerals even of their parents. "The priest," says He, "shall not enter where there is any dead person; [4409] and for his father he shall not be defiled" [4410] ; as well as that in Numbers, which relates to the (Nazarite) vow of separation; for there he who devotes himself to God, among other things, is bidden "not to come at any dead body," not even of his father, or his mother, or his brother. [4411] Now it was, I suppose, for the Nazarite and the priestly office that He intended this man whom He had been inspiring [4412] to preach the kingdom of God. Or else, if it be not so, he must be pronounced impious enough who, without the intervention of any precept of the law, commanded that burials of parents should be neglected by their sons. When, indeed, in the third case before us, (Christ) forbids the man "to look back" who wanted first "to bid his family farewell," He only follows out the rule [4413] of the Creator. For this (retrospection) He had been against their making, whom He had rescued out of Sodom. [4414]
[4375] Personam: "I personate Israel."
[4376] Genitura.
[4377] Luke ix. 41.
[4378] eperchomene. The true Christ is ho erchomenos.
[4379] Totum apud te.
[4380] De tuo commisisti.
[4381] Quam olim.
[4382] Imputes.
[4383] This fable is not extant (Oehler).
[4384] Adhuc.
[4385] Insiliit.
[4386] Nisi quod nec ille. This ille, of course, means the Creator's Christ.
[4387] Diligit: or, loves.
[4388] Luke ix. 47, 48.
[4389] Autem.
[4390] 2 Kings ii. 23, 24.
[4391] Committit.
[4392] Parvulos.
[4393] Pueros: [young lads].
[4394] Partus Hebræos.
[4395] Ex. ii. 15-21.
[4396] See a like comparison in book i. chap. xxix. p. 294.
[4397] Qui de infantia primus est: i.e., cujus qui de infantia, etc. [Elucidation VIII.]
[4398] Repræsentat plagam.
[4399] 2 Kings i. 9-12.
[4400] I translate after Oehler's text, which is supported by the oldest authorities. Pamelius and Rigaltius, however, read "Christi lenitatem increpantis eandem animadversionem," etc. ("On the contrary, I recognize the gentleness of Christ, who rebuked His disciples when they," etc.) This reading is only conjectural, suggested by the "Christi lenitatem" of the context.
[4401] Destinantes.
[4402] Luke ix. 51-56.
[4403] Isa. xlii. 2, 3.
[4404] Compare De Patientia, chap. xv.
[4405] 1 Kings xix. 12.
[4406] Luke ix. 57, 58.
[4407] Salutem: i.e., "Christ, who is our salvation" (Fr. Junius).
[4408] Luke ix. 59, 60.
[4409] Animam defunctam.
[4410] Lev. xxi. 1, according to our author's reading.
[4411] Num. vi. 6, 7.
[4412] Imbuerat.
[4413] Sectam.
[4414] Gen. xix. 17.
Chapter XXIV.--On the Mission of the Seventy Disciples, and Christ's Charge to Them. Precedents Drawn from the Old Testament. Absurdity of Supposing that Marcion's Christ Could Have Given the Power of Treading on Serpents and Scorpions.
He chose also seventy other missionaries [4415] besides the twelve. Now why, if the twelve followed the number of the twelve fountains of Elim, [4416] should not the seventy correspond to the like number of the palms of that place? [4417] Whatever be the Antitheses of the comparison, it is a diversity in the causes, not in the powers, which has mainly produced them. But if one does not keep in view the diversity of the causes, [4418] he is very apt to infer a difference of powers. [4419] When the children of Israel went out of Egypt, the Creator brought them forth laden with their spoils of gold and silver vessels, and with loads besides of raiment and unleavened dough; [4420] whereas Christ commanded His disciples not to carry even a staff [4421] for their journey. The former were thrust forth into a desert, but the latter were sent into cities. Consider the difference presented in the occasions, [4422] and you will understand how it was one and the same power which arranged the mission [4423] of His people according to their poverty in the one case, and their plenty in the other. He cut down [4424] their supplies when they could be replenished through the cities, just as He had accumulated [4425] them when exposed to the scantiness of the desert. Even shoes He forbade them to carry. For it was He under whose very protection the people wore not out a shoe, [4426] even in the wilderness for the space of so many years. "No one," says He, "shall ye salute by the way." [4427] What a destroyer of the prophets, forsooth, is Christ, seeing it is from them that He received his precept also! When Elisha sent on his servant Gehazi before him to raise the Shunammite's son from death, I rather think he gave him these instructions: [4428] "Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; [4429] and if any salute thee, answer him not again." [4430] For what is a wayside blessing but a mutual salutation as men meet? So also the Lord commands: "Into whatsoever house they enter, let them say, Peace be to it." [4431] Herein He follows the very same example. For Elisha enjoined upon his servant the same salutation when he met the Shunammite; he was to say to her: "Peace to thine husband, peace to thy child." [4432] Such will be rather our Antitheses; they compare Christ with, instead of sundering Him from, the Creator. "The labourer is worthy of his hire." [4433] Who could better pronounce such a sentence than the Judge? For to decide that the workman deserves his wages, is in itself a judicial act. There is no award which consists not in a process of judgment. The law of the Creator on this point also presents us with a corroboration, for He judges that labouring oxen are as labourers worthy of their hire: "Thou shalt not muzzle," says He, "the ox when he treadeth out the corn." [4434] Now, who is so good to man [4435] as He who is also merciful to cattle? Now, when Christ pronounced labourers to be worthy of their hire, He, in fact, exonerated from blame that precept of the Creator about depriving the Egyptians of their gold and silver vessels. [4436] For they who had built for the Egyptians their houses and cities, were surely workmen worthy of their hire, and were not instructed in a fraudulent act, but only set to claim compensation for their hire, which they were unable in any other way to exact from their masters. [4437] That the kingdom of God was neither new nor unheard of, He in this way affirmed, whilst at the same time He bids them announce that it was near at hand. [4438] Now it is that which was once far off, which can be properly said to have become near. If, however, a thing had never existed previous to its becoming near, it could never have been said to have approached, because it had never existed at a distance. Everything which is new and unknown is also sudden. [4439] Everything which is sudden, then, first receives the accident of time [4440] when it is announced, for it then first puts on appearance of form. [4441] Besides it will be impossible for a thing either to have been tardy [4442] all the while it remained unannounced, [4443] or to have approached [4444] from the time it shall begin to be announced.