A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

111For some [i.e., the Church] say that it was commanded by Godand the Father; but others [i.e., the Marcionites], taking theopposite direction, affirm that it was commanded by an opposingand injurious devil, and they attribute to him the creation of theworld, and say that he is the Father and Creator. But such asteach such doctrine are altogether deceived, and each of themstrays from the truth of what lies before him. For it appears notto have been given by the perfect God and Father, because it isitself imperfect, and it needs to be completed [cf. Matt. 5:17],and it has precepts not consonant with the nature and mind ofGod; neither is the Law to be attributed to the wickedness of [096]the adversary, whose characteristic is to do wrong. Such do notknow what was spoken by the Saviour, that a city or a housedivided against itself cannot stand, as our Saviour has shownus. And besides, the Apostle says that the creation of the worldwas His work (all things were made by Him and without Himnothing was made), refuting the unsubstantial wisdom of lyingmen, the work not of a god working ruin, but a just one whohates wickedness. This is the opinion of rash men who do notunderstand the cause of the providence of the Creator [Demiurge]and have lost the eyes not only of their soul, but of their body.How far, therefore, such wander from the way of truth is evidentto you from what has been said. But each of these is induced bysomething peculiar to himself to think thus, some by ignoranceof the God of righteousness: others by ignorance of the Father ofall, whom the Only One who knew Him alone revealed when Hecame. To us it has been reserved to be deemed worthy of makingmanifest to you the ideas of both of these, and to investigatecarefully this Law, whence anything is, and the law-giver bywhom it was commanded, bringing proofs of what shall be saidfrom the words of our Saviour, by which alone one can be ledwithout error to the knowledge of things.First of all, it is to be known that the entire Law contained inthe Pentateuch of Moses was not given by one—I mean not by