The library · Edition and sources
Tertullian: Against Marcion, Books I–V
ANF historical edition · Edition commentary
Book V. Wherein Tertullian proves, with respect to St. Paul's epistles, what he had proved in the preceding book with respect to St. Luke's gospel. Far from being at variance, they were in perfect unison with the writings of the Old Testament, and therefore testified that the Creator was the only God, and that the Lord Jesus was his Christ. As in the preceding books, Tertullian supports his argument with profound reasoning, and many happy illustrations of Holy Scripture. — Translator and historical edition notes (part 5)
Popularium omnium.
Expunxit.
Ex. i. 18, 22 . [An ingenious and eloquent defence.]
Ex. xx. 9, 10 .
Figuras.
De absolutis.
[He was not punished for gathering sticks, but for setting an example of contempt of the Divine Law.]
Substantiam.
Cæcæ.
Titulum. [See Vol. II. p. 477, this series.]
Num. xxi. 8, 9 .
See John iii. 14 .
Exemplum.
Refragari.
Statu.
In chap. xviii. towards the end. [p. 311, supra .]
Isa. i. 11 .
Ps. l. 13 .
An inexact quotation of Isa. xl .28 .
Honorem.
Infuscabit.
Titulus.
See Isa. i. 11–14 .
Fecerat seems the better reading: q.d . “which he had performed,” etc. Oehler reads fecerant .
Levem.
Damnet.
Atquin.
Or, “for one who is a good man and a judge.”
1 Sam. ix .
1 Sam. xiii .
Dispungetur.
Censura.
Apud illum.
1 Sam. xv. 11 .
Porro.
1 Sam. ix. 2 .
Onerabat.
Invidiosam.
Criminosam.
Jonah iii. 10 .
Jonah iv. 2 .
Titulum.
Malitiæ concursum.
Non capit.
Nunc.
Isa. xlv. 7 .
Jer. xviii. 11 .
Infamiam.
See above, chap. xiv. [p. 308, supra .]
Malitia, i.e., “the evil” mentioned in the cited Jonah iii. 10 .
Thus, according to St. Jerome, in Matt. vi. 34 , κακία means κάκωσις . “Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof”—the occurent adversities.
In isto articulo.
Atqui hic.
Or, “in his capacity as Judge,” ex justitia.
Immo.
Ingratia.
1 Sam. xv. 28 .
Ver. 29 , but inexactly quoted.
Relucet.
Nedum.
Ut omnia expediam.
Purgandas.
Pusillitates.
Gen. iii. 9, 11 .
Immo.
Sugillatione.
Dolendi.
Oculatiorem.
Præterire.
Naso.
Hoc nomine.
Relevandi.
Ex ore tuo, “out of thine own mouth.”
Matt. xii. 37 .
Propter statum legis.
Gen. iii. 22. [II. Peter, i. 4 .]
Ipsum. [Comp. Heb. ix. 8, and Rev. xxii. 14 .]
Relevatos.
Gen. xviii. 21 . [Marcion’s god also “comes down.” p. 284, supra .]
See Jer. xxii. 5 .
Isa. xliv. 8 .
Deprehendis.
Extorquens.
Pusillus.
Ex. xxxii. 10 .
An allusion to, rather than a quotation of, Ex. xxxii. 32 .
Non sineret.
Quantum liceat.
Absolvam.
Ad destructionem.
Ratione.
Indigna.
Diversatum.
Conditionis.
Pusillitates.
Patibulis.
i.e., the sensations of our emotional nature.
Ejus Dei.
Ipsum.
Ipsum.
Congressum.
On this mode of the eternal generation of the Son from the Father, as the Λόγος προφορικός , the reader is referred for much patristic information to Bp. Bull’s Defensio Fid. Nic . (trans. in Anglo-Cath. Library by the translator of this work).
Proferendo ex semet ipso.
Voluntati.
Ps. viii. 6 .
Ediscens, “practising” or “rehearsing.”
This doctrine of theology is more fully expressed by our author in a fine passage in his Treatise against Praxeas , xvi. (Oehler, vol. ii. p. 674), of which the translator gave this version in Bp. Bull’s Def. Nic. Creed , vol. i. p. 18: “The Son hath executed judgment from the beginning, throwing down the haughty tower, and dividing the tongues, punishing the whole world by the violence of waters, raining upon Sodom and Gomorrha fire and brimstone ‘the Lord from the Lord .’ For he it was who at all times came down to hold converse with men, from Adam on to the patriarchs and the prophets, in vision, in dream, in mirror, in dark saying; ever from the beginning laying the foundation of the course (of His dispensations), which He meant to follow out unto the end. Thus was He ever learning (practising or rehearsing); and the God who conversed with men upon earth could be no other than the Word, which was to be made flesh. But He was thus learning (or rehearsing, ediscebat ) in order to level for us the way of faith, that we might the more readily believe that the Son of God had come down into the world, if we knew that in times past also something similar had been done.” The original thus opens: “Filius itaque est qui ab initio judicavit .” This the author connects with John iii. 35, Matt. xxviii. 18, John v. 22 . The “ judgment ” is dispensational from the first to the last. Every judicial function of God’s providence from Eden to the judgment day is administered by the Son of God. This office of judge has been largely dealt with in its general view by Tertullian, in this book ii. against Marcion (see chap. xi.–xvii.).
Matt. xi. 27 .
Ex. xxxiii. 20 .
Penes nos. Christians, not Marcionites. [Could our author have regarded himself as formally at war with the church, at this time?]
Ex æquo agebat.
In the 1st book, 25th and following chapters.
Sævum.
Tenebrosus. Cicero, De finibus , ii. says: “Heraclitus qui cognomento Σκοτεινὸς perhibetur, quia de natura nimis obscure memoravit.”
Sursam et deorsum. An allusion to Heraclitus’ doctrine of constant change, flux and reflux, out of which all things came. Καὶ τὴν μεταβολὴν ὁδὸν ἄνω κάτω, τόν τε κόσμον γίνεσθαι κατὰ ταύτην, κ.τ.λ . “Change is the way up and down; the world comes into being thus,” etc. (Diogenes Laertius, ix. 8).
Sententias.
Dissimulationes.
Non nisi emendata.
Non repercussus.
Mentitum.
Non verum. An allusion to the Docetism of Marcion.
Nihil deliquit in Christum, that is, Marcion’s Christ.
Paucis amat.
Secundum.
Ingeniorum.
Enim.
i.e., Marcion’s Antitheses .
Antitheses so called because Marcion in it had set passages out of the O.T. and the N.T. in opposition to each other, intending his readers to infer from the apparent disagreement that the law and the gospel were not from the same author (Bp. Kaye on Tertullian, p. 468).
Pro rebus edomitis. See chap. xv. and xix., where he refers to the law as the subduing instrument.
Repercussus: perhaps “refuted.”
Exclusus.
Ab omni motu amariore.
Singulas species, a law term.
Arbustiores. A figurative word, taken from vines more firmly supported on trees instead of on frames. He has used the word indomitis above to express his meaning.
Rationali. Compare chap. vi. of this book, where the “ ratio ,” or purpose of God, is shown to be consistent with His goodness in providing for its highest development in man’s interest.
Ratione: in reference to God’s ratio or purpose in creation. See chap. vi. note 10. [p. 301, supra .]
Perseveramus.
Ex abundanti.
i.e., “as the Son of, or sent by, no other God.”
i.e., “was the Son of, or sent by, no other God.”
Recensu.
[Surely Tertullian, when he wrote this, imagined himself not separated formally from the Apostolic churches. Of which see De Præscriptione , (p. 258) supra .]
Ubi posteritas invenitur. Compare De Præscript. Hæret . 34, where Tertullian refers to “that definite rule, before laid down, touching ‘the later date’ (illo fine supra dicto posteritatis ), whereby they (i.e., certain novel opinions) would at once be condemned on the ground of their age alone.” In 31 of the same work he contrasts “ posteritatem mendacitatis” with “principalitatem veritatis”—“the latter date of falsehood” with “the primary date of truth.” [pp. 258, 260, supra .]
See book i. chap. 1.
Non ut laborantem. “Qui enim laborant non totis sed fractis utuntur viribus.” Πανστρατιᾷ πανσυδίῃ ; Anglice, “with all her might.”
In præscript. compendiis vincit.
Ut gestientem.
Hinc denique.
As Marcion makes Him.
Profiteretur.
Patrocinium.
Defendit, “insist on it.”
Suggestu.
Mandator.
Dispositione, “its being ordered or arranged.”
Parabatur.
Per fidem profuturum.
Indiceretur.
Agnitione.
Prædicatione, “prophecy.”
Ordo.
Virtutum, “miracles.”
Exauctoravit.
Matt. xxiv. 24 . [See Kaye, p. 125.]
Auctore.
Proinde.
Cludet, quasi claudet.
Repromissis in.
Tantummodo nova.