130 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS AGAINST PRAXEAS 1. In divers ways has the devil shown hostility to the Truth. 1 Matt. 4. 3 . 3 Cf. John 8. 44. |
TRANSLATION 131
issued and to desist from his project of receiving the spiritual gifts. 2. And so, after all this time, a Father who was born, a 1 Matt. 13. 24. ff. |
132 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
of the Gospel, even before all former heretics, not to speak of 3. For all the simple people, that I say not the thoughtless and
|
TRANSLATION 133
well as they pronounce it: but while Latins are intent to shout out |
134 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS 4. Yet how can I, who derive the Son from no
alien <source>, 5. But seeing they will have it that the two are one, so that the 3 1 Cor. 15. 24 ff |
TRANSLATION 135
and the interpretations of them. Certain people affirm that in 1 Gen. 1. 1. |
136 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
which you think. So in a sort of way you have in you as a second 6. This function and this ordinance of the divine consciousness 7. At that point therefore Discourse also itself receives its 1 Prov. 8. 22 ff. |
TRANSLATION 137 for thought under the name of Wisdom - The Lord established 10 From now onwards we translate sermo, which we have |
138 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
something, void and incorporal ? But I affirm that from God 8. If anyone thinks that hereby I introduce some "projection", |
TRANSLATION 139
Truth. The question now before us is who uses, and in what 4 Cf. John 14. 31. 6 Cf. 1 Cor. 2. 11. 7 John 14. 11 . |
140 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
proceeds from something must of necessity be another beside
9. Remember at every point that I have professed this rule, |
TRANSLATION 141
the Son is other than the Father, so as to display the third sequence |
142 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS be a son? For I must have a father so as to be a son, and |
TRANSLATION 143 11. But it will be your duty to prove it as openly from the 2 Ps. 2.7. 3 Cf. Ps. 110. 3. 4 Cf. Prov. 8. 22. |
144 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
rule, that speaker and person spoken of and person spoken to 8 Is. 53. 1 : John 12. 38 : Rom. 10. 16. |
TRANSLATION 145 concerning the Father or to the Father, sometimes by the Spirit, 12. If you are still offended by the plurality of the Trinity, on |
146 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
and the lesser light.1 So also the rest of things the very same
one 13. "Consequently", you say, "if God spake and God made, |
TRANSLATION 147
revealed? 1 For he would have said "thy arm", not "arm of |
148 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
<from heaven> (because we were reading of one God and one
14. Once more, we have the support, in our vindication of the 3 Cf. Ps. 18. 28. |
TRANSLATION 149
<God> said, Thou canst not see my face, for a man will not see my . |
150 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
did not, leaving the Father out of question, befit the Son in his |
TRANSLATION 151
is the spirit of the Father's countenance, rightly has the Spirit
15 . If I do not clear this point by enquiries made of the old |
152 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
God the Father, not the Father in the presence of himself. For 11 Acts 9. 8. 12 Matt. 17. 6. |
TRANSLATION 153
seen at the end who from the beginning had not been seen, and 16. And think not that solely the works of the world were |
154 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
for our sake upon whom the ends of the world are come.1 Thus also 10 Ps. 97. 5. 11 Is. 10. 14. 12 Is. 66. 1. 13 Gen. 3. 8. 14 Gen. 7. 16. 15 Gen. 18. 4. 16 Exod. 3. 4. 17 Dan. 3. 25. |
TRANSLATION 155 and set him at Pilate's judgement seat, and shut him up in Joseph's
17. They have found it easier to think that the Father has 10 Cf. Rev. 2. 9. 11 Rev. 1 . 8. |
156 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
and wherever else they think the designation "Almighty" not
18. But they are thrust out of the way of easily seeing in the Son |
TRANSLATION 157
would you not have remarked adversely upon his futility, as
19. Yes, and also this saying of his they will seize upon for a 7 Cf. 1 Cor. 2. 11 . |
158 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
Wisdom, will himself be the Son of God. Thus if all things are |
TRANSLATION 159
not for that reason make a duality of gods, but one God, by this
20. But for the further rebutment of their quibblings we must
21. See therefore how many <instances> set the precedent for |
160 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
however not as separated, another by ordinance, not by division. 1 John 1. 14. 4 John 1. 49: Matt. 14. 33 : 16. 6. 11 John 4. 25. 12 John 4.34. |
TRANSLATION 161 <he says>, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work 1: "my father |
162 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
his own will but the Father's; and that the Father's will was that
22. But whose doctrine does he say it was at which they 10 John 8. 19. |
TRANSLATION 163
is true, and the things which I have heard from him, those also I 10 John 8. 56. 11 John 9. 4. 12 John 9. 35. |
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himself the Christ (evidently < the Christ> of God,1 for even to the |
TRANSLATION 165 such insistence did he bring all this to light, to the intent that we 23. After this Martha, confessing him to be the Son of
God,1 10 Is. 66. 1. 11 Ps. 8. 5. |
166 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
both glorified it and will glorify it.1 The Son makes request from |
TRANSLATION 167
scripture adds: Now is the ,Son of Man glorified, and God is 24. Clearly there were some who even then did not understand |
168 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
it was said, He that seeth me seeth the Father also 1 : of course in 10 John 14. 9. 11 John 14. 10. 12 John 14. 10. 13 John 14. 9. 14 John 14. 10. |
TRANSLATION 169
Father, abiding in the Son through works of power and words 25. After Philip and the whole context of that question, the |
170 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
he would have called them his sons if he had been the Father -
26. On account of Philip's one remark and the Lord's reply |
TRANSLATION 171
is an operation of the Spirit, and the two are one <thing>. |
172 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
avenged by his father 1: and he even himself knows not the last 27. But why shall I delay over things so evident, when I |
TRANSLATION 173
r cerning the Spirit of God. For certainly it was of the Holy Spirit |
174. TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
in her, he hath builded her by the will of the Father1: certainly |
TRANSLATION 175
you who interpret " Son of God" as the flesh, show me who the 28. And so you make Christ into the Father, you great fool, |
176 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
the Son of the Father, and <say> that Jesus himself is Christ, and, 29. Let this blasphemy be silent, be silent. Let it be enough |
TRANSLATION 177
human is mortal, it is evident in what respect he says he died, |
178 TERTULLIAN'S TREATISE AGAINST PRAXEAS
that <the Spirit> was suffering not in the Father but in the Son, 30. Otherwise, if you will persist further, I shall be able to give |
TRANSLATION 179
enemies under his feet. 1 This is he who is also to come again above 31. Moreover this matter is of Jewish faith, so to believe in |
Translated by Canon Ernest Evans and published by SPCK,
1948.
Transcribed by Roger Pearse, 2000.
This page has been online since 14th December 2000.
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