Tertullian — Against Marcion 4.39
It was settled earlier about property of the names—that it belongs to him who first announced his Christ among humans and renamed the law. It will stand also about the shamelessness of him who says many will come in his own name which is not his—if Christ and Jesus are not the Creator’s, to whom property of the names belongs. Further let him even forbid receiving those whose peer he himself is, as one who likewise comes in an alien name—unless it was his to forestall the disciples by the name’s lie, who by the name’s property possessed its truth.
They will come finally saying: I am the Christ; will you receive them, you who received a like one? For neither did this one come in his own name. What then? When the names’ Lord himself also comes—Christ and Jesus of the Creator—will you reject him? How unfair, how unjust and unworthy of the Best God, that you not receive him coming in his own name, who received another in his name!
Let us see also what signs he sets on the times: wars, I suppose, and kingdom on kingdom and nation on nation and plague and famines and earthquakes and terrors and prodigies from heaven—all which suit a severe and fierce God. When he adds that these also must happen, what does he show himself—destroyer or approver of the Creator? Whose dispositions he confirms must be fulfilled, which as Best he would rather have removed than established if so sad and fierce, if they had not been his before.
But before these he predicts persecutions and passions about to come on them—unto martyrdom of course and unto salvation. Take it preached in Zechariah: The Lord almighty will protect them… and they will drink their blood as wine… and the Lord will save them that day as sheep, his people, because holy stones roll. And lest you think these preached into passions that awaited them from foreigners under wars’ name, look to the species: no one in preaching wars to be fought with lawful arms lists stoning—more familiar to popular assemblies and unarmed tumult; no one measures such rivers of blood in war by bowls’ capacity or equates them to one altar’s bloodying; no one calls sheep those who fall in war themselves armed and fighting from the same fierceness, but those who in their own property and patience are slaughtered surrendering rather than avenging themselves.
Here too he forbids thinking what must be answered at tribunals—who also suggested to Balaam what he had not thought, nay against what he had thought, and promised Moses slow of tongue a mouth. And wisdom itself which none will resist he showed through Isaiah… What wiser and less contradictable than simple open confession in the martyr’s name of one prevailing with God—which is Israel’s interpretation? Nor wonder if he checked forethought who himself also received from the Father timely supply of pronouncing: The Lord gives me a tongue of discipline… when I must bring forth speech—unless Marcion introduces Christ not subject to the Father.
Persecutions from neighbors too and blasphemy of the name from hate of course I need not show again as preached. But through endurance, he says, you will save yourselves—about which of course the psalm: The endurance of the just will not perish at the end… and Zechariah: But a crown will be for those who have endured. Yet lest you dare argue apostles as another god’s heralds were vexed by Jews, remember prophets too suffered the same from Jews, yet were not apostles of another god than the Creator.
But with the time of destruction next shown, when Jerusalem had begun to be walled by armies, he already narrates signs of the last end: prodigies of sun and moon and stars and on earth distress of nations stunned as by sound of a surging sea for expectation of evils imminent on the world. That the very powers of the heavens also have to be shaken, take Joel… You have Habakkuk too… The Lord’s pronouncements and the prophets’ about shakings of world and orb, elements and nations, agree I think.
After these what does the Lord? And then they will see the Son of Man coming from the heavens with very great power. When these happen, raise yourselves and lift your heads, for your redemption will have drawn near—in the time of course of the kingdom about which the parable itself will be subjoined. So also you, when you see all these happen, know the kingdom of God has drawn near. This will be the Lord’s great and illustrious day of the Son of Man coming from the heavens according to Daniel: Behold with heaven’s clouds one like a Son of Man coming… and royal power was given him—which in the parable he had gone out to demand, leaving money to servants to put at interest—and all nations—which the Father had promised him in the psalm: Ask of me and I will give you nations as your inheritance—and all glory serving him and his power eternal… and his kingdom which will not be corrupted, because neither will they die in it nor marry but will be as angels.
Of the same advent of the Son of Man and its fruit in Habakkuk: You went out unto your people’s salvation to make your christs safe—those of course about to raise themselves and lift heads in the kingdom’s time, redeemed. Therefore when these too which are of promises likewise agree just as those which are of shakings, from consonance of prophetic and dominical pronouncements you will be able to insert no distinction here so as to refer shakings to the Creator—god of savagery of course—which the Best God ought neither to allow nor await, but assign promises to the Best God which the Creator not knowing him would not have prophesied. Or if he prophesied his own, not distant from your Christ’s promises, he will be equal in liberality to the Best God, nor will more seem promised by your Christ than by my Son of Man.
You will find the gospel Scripture’s own run from the disciples’ question to the fig parable so clinging in sense-context to the Son of Man on this side and that that both sad and glad, shakings and promises, fit into him and you cannot separate from him either part. For with one Son of Man’s advent set between two exits of shakings and promises, both the nations’ hardships and the saints’ vows must pertain to one Son of Man… Ask therefore which of the two Christs you set in the person of one Son of Man, into which both disposition is referred—or you have granted both a Best Creator and your god as harsh by nature.
In sum consider the parable’s own example: Look at the fig and all trees; when they put forth fruit, humans understand summer has drawn near; so also you, when you see these happen, know God’s kingdom is in the near. For if the little trees’ fruitings furnish a sign for summer time by preceding it, likewise the world’s conflicts pre-note the kingdom’s sign by preceding it. But every sign is of that thing whose sign it is… So if conflicts are signs of the kingdom, as fruitings of summer, therefore the kingdom too is the Creator’s, whose conflicts are reckoned which are signs of the kingdom. The Best God had first said such atrocious dire things must happen—certainly preached by prophets and law: so far was he not destroying law and prophets when he confirms what they had preached must be finished.
Still he piles on that heaven and earth will not pass unless all are carried through. Which things? If what were preached by the Creator, the elements will deservedly bear their Lord’s order being expunged; if what by the Best God, I doubt whether heaven and earth would bear finishing what a rival set. If the Creator suffers this, he is not a jealous God. Come now let heaven and earth pass—for so their Lord destined—while his word remains unto the age—for so Isaiah also pronounced—and let disciples too be warned lest ever their hearts be weighed with hangover and drunkenness and secular cares and that sudden day insist on them as a snare… Moses’ will be the warning—so far will he free from that day’s snare who formerly brought this warning.
There were also other places at Jerusalem for teaching, and outside Jerusalem for withdrawing. But by day he taught in the temple, as one who through Hosea had foretold: In my temple they found me and there it was disputed to them; but toward night he withdrew into Olivet—for so Zechariah had shown: And his feet will stand on the mount of Olivet. There were hours too fitting for the audience; one had to gather at dawn, because through Isaiah when he had said: The Lord gives me a tongue of discipline, he added: He set me an ear in the morning for hearing. If this is to dissolve the prophets, what will it be to fulfill them?
Latin
Olim constitit de nominum proprietate, ei illam *, qui prior et Christum suum in homines adnuntiarit et legum transnominarit. constabit itaque et de impudentia eius, qui multos dicat uenturos in nomine ipsius, quod non sit ipsius, si non Christus et Iesus creatoris est, ad quem proprietas nominum pertinet. amplius et prohibeat eos recipi, quorum et ipse par sit, ut qui proinde in nomine uenit alieno: si non, ipsius erat a mendacio nominis praeuenire discipulos, qui per proprietatem nominis possidebat ueritatem eius. uenient denique illi dicentes: ego sum Christus: recipies eos, qui consimilem recepisti; nec hic enim in nomine suo uenit. quid nunc? quando et ipse ueniet nominum dominus, Christus et Iesus creatoris, reicies illum P et quam iniquum, quam iniustum et optimo deo indignum, ut non recipias eum in suo nomine uenientem, qui alium in nomine eius recepisti! Videamus et quae signa temporibus imponat: bella, opinor., et regnum super regnum et gentem super gentem et pestem et fames terraeque motus et formidines et prodigia de caelo, quae omnia seuero et atroci deo congruunt. haec cum adicit etiam oportere fieri, quem se praestat? destructorem an probatorem creatoris? cuius dispositiones confirmat impleri oportere, quas ut optimus tam tristes quam atroces abstulisset potius quam constituisset, si non ipsius fuissent ante haec autem persecutiones eis praedicat et passiones euenturas, in martyrium utique et in salutem. accipe praedicatum in Zacharia: dominus, inquit, omnipotens proteget eos et consument illos, et lapidabunt lapidibus fundae et bibent sanguinem illorum uelut uinum et replebunt pateras quasi altaris, et saluos eos faciet dominus illo die uelut oues, populum suum, quia lapides sancti uolutant. et ne putes haec in passiones praedicari, quae illos tot bellorum nomine ab allophylis manebant, respice ad species. nemo in praedicatione bellorum legitimis armis debellandorum lapidationem enumerat popularibus coetibus magis et inermi tumultui familiarem; nemo, tanta in bello sanguinis flumina paterarum capacitate metitur aut unius altaris cruentationi adaequat; nemo oues appellat eos, qui in bello armati et ipsi ex eadem feritate certantes cadunt, sed qui in sua proprietate atque patientia dedentes potius semetipsos quam uindicantes trucidantur. denique: quia lapides, inquit, sancti uolutant, non \'quia milites pugnant\'. lapides enim sunt et fundamenta, super quae nos aedificamur, exstructi secundum Paulum super fundamenta apostolorum, qui lapides sancti oppositi omnium offensui uolutant. et hic igitur ipse cogitari uetat, quid responderi oporteat apud tribunalia, qui et Balaae quod non cogitauerat, immo contra quam cogitauerat suggessit et Moysi causato linguae tarditatem os repromisit. et sapientiam ipsam, cui nemo resistet, per Esaiam demonstrauit: hic dicet: ego dei sum, et (hic) clamabit: in nomine Iacob, et alius inscribetur in nomine Israhelis. quid enim sapientius et incontradicibilius confessione simplici et exerta in martyris nomine, \'cum deo inualescentis\', quod est interpretatio Israhelis? nec mirum, si is cohibuit praecogitationem, qui et ipse a patre excepit pronuntiandi tempestiue sumministrationem: dominus mihi dat linguam disciplinae, ** quando debeam proferre sermonem, nisi Marcion Christum non subiectum patri infert. a proximis quoque persecutiones et nominis, ex odio utique, blasphemiam praedicatam non debeo rursus ostendere. sed per tolerantiam, inquit, saluos facietis uosmetipsos, de qua scilicet psalmus: tolerantia iustorum non periet in finem, quia et alibi: honorabilis mors iustorum, ex tolerantia sine dubio, quia et Zacharias: corona autem erit eis, qui tolerauerint. sed ne audeas argumentari apostolos ut alterius dei praecones a Iudaeis uexatos, memento prophetas quoque, eadem a Iudaeis passos, tamen non alterius dei apostolos fuisse quam creatoris. sed monstrato dehinc tempore excidii, cum coepisset uallari exercitibus Hierusalem, signa iam ultimi finis enarrat: solis et lunae siderumque prodigia et in terra angustias nationum obstupescentium uelut a sonitu maris fluctuantis pro expectatione imminentium orbi malorum. quod et ipsae uires caelorum concuti habeant, accipe Iohelem: et dabo prodigia in caelo et in terra sanguinem et ignem et fumi uaporem: sol conuertetur in tenebras et in sanguinem luna, priusquam adueniat dies magnus et inlustris domini. habes et Abacuc: fluminibus disrumpetur terra, uidebunt te et parturient populi: dispergens aquas gressu dedit abyssus sonum suum, sublimitas timoris eius elata est: sol et luna constitit in suo ordine, in lucem coruscationes tuae ibunt, in fulgorem fulgur, scutum tuum: in comminatione tua diminues terram et in indignatione tua depones nationes. conueniunt, opinor, et domini pronuntiationes et prophetarum de concussionibus mundi et orbis, elementorum et nationum. post haec quid dominus? et tunc uidebunt filium hominis uenientem de caelis cum plurima uirtute. cum autem haec fient, erigetis uos et leuabitis capita, quoniam adpropinquabit redemptio uestra, in tempore scilicet regni, de quo subiecta erit ipsa parabola. sic et uos, cum uideritis omnia haec fieri, scitote adpropinquasse regnum dei. hic erit dies magnus domini et inlustris uenientis de caelis filii hominis secundum Danihelem: ecce cum caeli nubibus tamquam filius hominis adueniens et cetera, et data est illi regia potestas — quam in parabola postulaturus exierat relicta pecunia serais, quae feneraretur, — et uniuersae nationes, — quas promiserat ei in psalmo pater: postula de me, et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam — et gloria omnis seruiens illi et potestas eius aeterna, quae non auferetur, et regnum eius, quod non corrumpetur, quia nec morientur in illo nec nubent, sed erunt sicut angeli. de eodem aduentu filii hominis et fructu eius apud Abacuc: existi in salutem populi tui ad saluos faciendos christos tuos, erecturos scilicet se et capita leuaturos in tempore regni redemptos. igitur cum et haec, quae sunt promissionum, proinde conueniant sicut et illa, quae sunt concussionum, ex consonantia propheticarum et dominicarum pronuntiationum nullam hic poteris interstruere distinctionem, ut concussiones quidem referas ad creatorem. saeuitiae scilicet deum, quas nec sinere, nedum expectare deberet deus optimus, promissiones uero deo optimo deputes, quas creator ignorans illum non prophetasset. aut si suas prophetauit, non distantes a promissionibus Christi (tui). par erit in liber(ali)tate optimo deo, nec plus uidebitur a Christo tuo repromitti quam a meo filio hominis. ipsum decursum scripturae euangelicae ab interrogatione discipulorum usque ad parabolam fici ita inuenies contextu sensus filio hominis hinc atque illinc adhaerere, ut in illum compingat et tristia et laeta et concussiones et promissiones nec possis separare ab illo alteram partem. unius enim filii hominis aduentu constituto inter duos exitus concussionum et promissionum necesse est ad unum pertineant filium hominis et incommoda nationum et uota sanctorum, quia ita positus est in medio, ut communis (sit) exitibus ambobus, alterum conclusurus aduentu suo, id est incommoda nationum, alterum incipiens, id est uota sanctorum, ut, siue mei Christi concesseris aduentum filii hominis, quo mala imminentia ei reputes, quae aduentum eius antecedunt, cogaris etiam bona ei adscribere, quae ab aduentu eius oriuntur, *** cogaris mala quoque ei deputare. quae aduentum eius antecedunt. tam enim mala cohaerent aduentui filii hominis antecedendo quam et bona subsequendo. quaere igitur, quem ex duobus Christis constituas in persona unius filii hominis, in quam utraque dispositio referatur, aut et creatorem optimum aut et deum tuum asperum dedisti natura. in summa ipsius parabolae considera exemplum: adspicite ficum et arbores omnes; cum fructum protulerint. intellegunt homines aestatem adpropinquasse; sic et uos, cum uideritis haec fieri, scitote in proximo esse regnum dei. si enim fructificationes arbuscularum signum aestiuo tempori praestant antecedendo illud, proinde et conflictationes orbis signum praenotant regni praecedendo illud. omne autem t signum eius est res, cuius est signum, et omni rei ab eo imponitur signum, cuius est res. ita si conflictationes signa sunt regni, sicut fructificationes aestatis, ergo et regnum creatoris est, cuius conflictationes deputantur, quae signa sunt regni. praemiserat oportere haec fieri tam atrocia tam dira deus optimus, certe a prophetis et a lege praedicata: adeo legem et prophetas non destruebat, cum quae praedicauerant confirmat perfici oportere. Adhuc ingerit non transiturum caelum ac terram, nisi omnia peragantur. quaenam ista? si quae a creatore sunt (praedicata), merito sustinebunt elementa domini \' sui ordinem expungi: si quae a deo optimo, nescio an sustineat caelum et terra perfici quae aemulus statuit. hoc si patietur creator, zelotes deus non est. transeat age nunc caelum et terra, — sic enim dominus eorum destinauit — dum uerbum eius maneat in aeuum, — sic enim et Esaias pronuntiauit — admoneantur et discipuli, ne quando grauentur corda eorum crapula et ebrietate et saecularibus curis et insistat eis repentinus dies ille uelut laqueus, utique oblitis deum ex plenitudine et cogitatione mundi — Moysei erit admonitio —: adeo is liberabit a laqueo diei illius, qui hanc admonitionem retro intulit. Erant et loca alia apud Hierusalem ad docendum, erant et extra Hierusalem ad secedendum. sed enim per diem in templo docebat, ut qui per Osee praedixerat: in templo meo me inuenerunt et illic disputatum est ad eos, ad noctem uero in elaeonem secedebat; sic enim Zacharias demonstrarat: et stabunt pedes eius in monte elaeon. erant horae quoque auditorio competentes; diluculo conueniendum erat, quia per Esaiam cum dixisset: dominus dat mihi linguam disciplinae, adiecit: adposuit mihi mane aurem ad audiendum. si hoc est prophetias dissoluere, quid erit adimplere?