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Part Fourth
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[1397] i.e., those recorded in the Old Testament.
[1398] I have followed Migne’s suggestion here, and transposed one line of the original. The reference seems to be to Isa. 64.4; 1 Cor. 2.9, where the Greek differs somewhat remarkably from the LXX.
[1399] Unless some line has dropped out here, the construction, harsh enough in my English, is yet harsher in the Latin. “Accipitur” has no subject of any kind, and one can only guess from what has gone before, and what follows, that it must mean “one Testament.”
[1400] Harsh still. It must refer to the four Gospels—the “coat without seam”—in their quadrate unity; Marcion receiving but one—St. Luke’s—and that without St. Luke’s name, and also in a mutilated and interpolated form.
[1401] This seems to be the sense. The allusion is to the fact that Marcion and his sect accepted but ten of St. Paul’s Epistles: leaving out entirely those to Timothy and Titus, and all the other books, except his one Gospel.
[1402] It seems to me that the reference here must evidently be to the Epistle to the Hebrews, which treats specially of the old covenant. If so, we have some indication as to the authorship, if not the date, of the book: for Tertullian himself, though he frequently cites the Epistle, appears to hesitate (to say the least) as to ascribing it to St. Paul.
[1403] Comp. Isa. 6.9-10; Acts 28.17-29.
[1404] The reference seems to be to Rom. 1.28; Tit. 1.15-16.
[1405] The reference is to Gen. ii. 9-14.
[1406] Fata mortua. This extraordinary expression appears to mean “dead men;” men who, through Adam, are fated, so to speak, to die, and are under the sad fate of being “dead in trespasses and sins.” See Eph. ii. 1. As far as quantity is concerned, it might as well be “facta mortua,” “dead works,” such as we read of in Heb. vi. 1; ix. 14. It is true these works cannot strictly be said to be ever vivified; but a very similar inaccuracy seems to be committed by our author lower down in this same book.
[1407] I have followed Oehler’s “face” for the common “phase;” but what the meaning is I will not venture to decide. It may probably mean one of two things: (a) that Paul wrote by torchlight; (b) that the light which Paul holds forth in his life and writings, is a torch to show the Corinthians and others Christ.
[1408] i.e., the legal passover, “image” or type of “the true Passover,” Christ. See 1 Cor. v. 6-9.
[1409] Abraham. See Gen. xxii. 1-19.
[1410] Isaac, a pledge to Abraham of all God’s other promises.
[1411] Forte. I suppose this means out of the ordinary course of nature; but it is a strange word to use.
[1412] Israel, wasted by the severities of their Egyptian captivity.
[1413] “Multa;” but “muta” ="mute” has been suggested, and is not inapt.
[1414] I have given what appears to be a possible sense for these almost unintelligible lines. They run as follows in Oehler:—
“Et reliqui magni reges sanctique prophetæ,
Non ignorantes certæ promissa salutis,
Ingentemque metu pleni transcendere legem,
Venturam summæ virtutis imagine molem,
Inspectam e speculo celebrarunt ordine pascham.”
I rather incline to alter them somehow thus :—
“Ingentemque metu plenis transcendere legem,
Venturum in summæ virtutis imagine,—solem
Inspectum e speculo,—celebrarunt ordine pascham;” connecting these three lines with “non ignorantes,” and rendering:—
“Not ignorant of the good promises
Of sure salvation; and that One would come,
For such as filled are with godly fear
The law to overstep, a mighty One,
In Highest Virtue’s image,—the Sun seen
In mirror:—did in order celebrate
The passover.”
That is, in brief, they all, in celebrating the type, looked forward to the Antitype to come.
[1415] Immensus.
[1416] This, again, seems to be the meaning, unless the passage (which is not probable) be corrupt. The flesh, “foul” now with sin, is called the “stained image of the Lord,” as having been originally in His image, but being now stained by guilt.
[1417] Faith is called so, as being the reflection of divine reason.
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