241 Another allusion to Marcion's Docetic doctrine.
244 Ex., literally, "alone of." so Luke iv. 27.
245 Compare 2 Kings v. 9-14 with Luke iv. 27.
246 Facilius-rather than of Israelites.
247 Per Nationes. [Bishop Andrewes thus classifies the "Sins of the Nations," as Tertullian's idea seems to have suggested: (1) Pride, Amorite; (2) Envy, Hittite; (3) Wrath, Perizzite; (4) Gluttony, Gigashite; (5) Lechery, Hivite; (6) Covetousness, Canaanite; (7) Sloth, Jebusite.]
248 Compare, in Simeon's song, Luke ii. 32, the designation, "A light to lighten the Gentiles.
250 Such seems to be the meaning of the obscure passage in the original, "Syro facilius emundato significato per nationes emundationis in Christo limine earum quae sepetem maculis, capitalium delictorum inhorrerent, idoatria," etc. We have treated significato as one member of an ablative absolute clause, from significatum, a noun occuring in Gloss. Lat. Gr. synonymous with dh/lwsij. Rigault, in a note on the passage, imputes the obscurity to Tertullian's arguing on the Marcionite hypothesis. "Marcion," says he, "held that the prophets, like Elisha, belongs to the Creator, and Christ to the good God. To magnify Christ's beneficence, he prominently dwells on the alleged fact, that Christ, although a stranger to the Creator's world, yet vouchsafed to do good in it. This vain conceit Tertullian refutes from the Marcionite hypothesis itself. God the Creator, said they, had found Himself incapable of cleansing this Israelite; but He had more easily cleansed the Syrian. Christ, however, cleansed the Israelite, and so showed himself the superior power. Tertullian denies both positions."
251 Quasi per singulos titulos.
252 There was a mystic completeness in the number seven.
254 Sicut sermonem compendiatum, ita et lavacrum. In chap. i. of this book, the N.T. is called the compendiatum. This illustrates the present phrase.
259 Plane. An ironical cavil from the Marcionite view.
264 [i.e., the Great High Priest whose sacrifice is accepted of the Father, for the sins of the whole world.]
265 Suscepturus: to carry or take away.
279 That is, you retain the passage in St. Luke, which relates the act of honouring the law; but you reject that in St. Matthew, which contains Christ's profession of honouring the law.
280 Nostros: or, perhaps, "our people,"-that is, the Catholics.
283 Isa. xxxv. 3 in an altered form.
286 This seems to be Isa. liii. 12, last clause.
293 Resignati jejunii. See 1 Sam. xiv. 43-45.
295 Consequens est ut ostendas.
298 See book i. chap. xxvi.-xxviii.
300 Retractare: give a set treatise about them.
302 To secure terseness in the premisses, we are obliged to lengthen out the brief terms of the conclusion, virgo est.
307 On Marcion's principles, it must be remembered.
308 Compare T.'s treatise, Adversus Valentinianos, chap. xii.
312 Defendimus. See above, book iii. chap. xv. xvi.
318 The context explains the difference between nomen and appellatio. The former refers to the name Jesus or Christ, the latter to the designation Son of man.
321 Secundum intentionem eorum.
329 Plane; introducing the sharp irony.
330 This is perhaps the best sense of T.'s sarcasm: "Atque adeo (thus far) inspice cor Pontici aut (or else) cerebrum."