28 For this use of the word "provoke," see Heb. x. 24, Eng. ver.
29 [Something we might think other than good.]
33 Or, "world," saeculi. See Matt. xxiv. 3, especially in the Greek. By "praying for some protraction in the age," Tertullian appears to refer to some who used to pray that the end might be deferred (Rigalt.).
36 So Dodgson aptly renders "dirigitur a.
37 [See Ad Nationes, p. 128, supra.]
38 This is a slight mistake of Tertullian. The words referred to, "Seek ye first," etc., do not occur till the end of the chapter in which the prayer is found, so that his pluperfect is out of place. [He must have been aware of this: he only gives logical order to the thought which existed in the divine mind. See note 10, p. 682.]
44 Tertullian seems to refer to Matt. xv. 26, Mark. vii. 27.
47 Matt. vi. 34 and Luke xii. 29 seem to be referred to; but the same remark applies as in note 10 on the preceding page.
49 In the former petition, "Give us this day our daily bread."
51 That is, if we are just to be fed and fattened by them in body, as a bull which is destined for sacrifice is, and then, like him, slain-handed over to death?
52 Ex. xviii. 23, 32, xxxiii. 11.
58 Implied in the one hypothesis-ignorance.
59 Implied in the other-wishing to overthrow faith.
60 i.e. no children even. The reference is apparently to Matt. x. 37 and Luke xiv. 27, with which may be compared Deut. xiii. 6-10 and xxxiii. 9. If Oehler's reading, which I have followed, be correct, the precept, which is not verbally given till ages after Abraham, is made to have a retrospective force on him.
61 See Matt. iv. 10; Luke iv. 8.
62 Luke xxii. 40; Matt. xxvi. 41; Mark xiv. 31.
63 Routh refers us to De Bapt. c. 20, where Tertullian refers to the same event. [Note also his reference to De Fuga, cap. ii.]
64 Here comes in the Codex Ambrosianus, with the title, "Here begins a treatise of Tertullian of divers necessary things;" and from it are taken the headings of the remaining chapters. (See Oehler and Routh.)
67 Oehler divides these two chapters as above. The generally adopted division unites this sentence to the preceding chapter, and begins the new chapter with, "The memory of His precepts;" and perhaps this is the preferable division.
70 Perhaps there may be an allusion to Phil iv. 6, 7.
71 See chap. vii. above, and compare Matt. vi. 14, 15.
72 "Ab initio" probably refers to the book of Genesis, the initium, or beginning of Scripture, to which he is about to refer. But see likewise Eph. iv. 31, Matt. v. 21, 22. [Gen. iv. 6, 7.]
74 See Acts ix. 2, xix, 9, 23, in the Greek.
77 Matt. v. 21, 22; 1 Pet. iii. 9, etc.
80 John xvii. 14; Rom. xiv. 17.
84 See Matt. xv. 10, 11, 17-20, xxiii. 25, 26.
85 By Pilate. See Matt. xxvii. 24. [N. B. quoad Ritualia.]
87 See Matt. xxiii. 21; Luke xi. 48.
88 I do not know Tertullian's authority for this statement. Certainly Solomon did raise his hands (1 Kings viii. 54), and David apparently his (see Ps. cxliii. 6, xxxviii. 2, lxii. 4, etc.). Compare, too, Ex. xvii. 11, 12. But probably he is speaking only of the Israel of his own day. [Evidently.]