Chapter 8

§ 1.

Vain too is Marcion, and his set, driving out Abraham from his inheritance; to whom the Spirit bears witness by many,¹ and especially by Paul, that he believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness, as also the Lord, first of all by raising up sons to him from the stones, and by making his seed as the stars of Heaven, where He says,² That they shall come from the east, and west, and north,³ and south, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven: again where He says to the Jews,⁴ When ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of Heaven, and yourselves thrust out.

It is plain therefore, that such as deny his salvation, and devise another God, besides Him who made the promise to Abraham, are without the Kingdom of God, and have lost the heritage of incorruption: annulling and blaspheming God, Who brings into the Kingdom of Heaven Abraham and his seed,⁵ which is the Church, by Christ Jesus,; to Whom is committed both the adoption, and the inheritance which is promised to Abraham.

§ 2.

For the Lord maintained the cause of his seed, releasing them from chains, and calling them to salvation: as He did in the case of the woman who was cured by Him, saying expressly to those, who had not faith like Abraham’s,⁶ Ye hypocrites, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath day loose, and lead away, and water, his ox or his ass? And this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound eighteen years, ought she not to be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?

Plain it is therefore,⁷ that those who like Abraham believed Him, He loosed, and gave them life; doing nothing beyond the Law, though He healed on the Sabbath day. For the Law did not forbid men to be healed on the Sabbath, seeing it both used to circumcise them on that day, and directed the Priests to fulfil their ministries for the people; yea, and forbade not attendance on dumb creatures. Siloa⁸ too often wrought cures on the Sabbath: and therefore many were sitting by it on the Sabbath day.

For the Law bade them abstain from all servile work, i.e., from all desire of gain, which is kept active by trading, and by the other dealings of the world: but works relating to the soul, the instruments whereof are advice and good discourses, in aid of our neighbours,—these He recommended to be done.⁹ And hereby the Lord refuted those who reproached Him unjustly for healing on the Sabbath. For He was not undoing, but fulfilling the Law; performing the work of an High Priest, propitiating God for man, and cleansing the Leprous, curing the sick,¹⁰ and Himself dying, that banished Man might come out of his condemnation, and return without fear to his own inheritance.

§ 3.

Moreover, hungry persons were not forbidden by the Law to take food on the Sabbath of such things as were at hand; although they were forbidden to reap and gather into the barn. And therefore the Lord said to those who were accusing His Disciples, for plucking and eating ears of corn,¹¹ Have ye not even read that which David did, when he was an hungred; how he went into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, and gave unto them that were with him; which it was not lawful to eat, but for the Priests alone?—by the words of the Law excusing His disciples, and implying that Priests are permitted to act freely.¹² And David, in God’s sight, had been decreed to be a Priest, although Saul was persecuting him. For every righteous King hath a priestly station.

Again,¹³ all the Lord’s Apostles are Priests, such as have not for inheritance either fields or houses here, but are always serving the altar, and God. Concerning whom Moses also saith in Deuteronomy, in the blessing of Levi,¹⁴ Who saith unto his father and to his mother, I know thee not: and acknowledged not his brethren and cast off his sons; he hath kept Thy precepts, and observed Thy covenant. Now who are these, who left father and mother, and renounced all who are nearest to them, for the Word of God and His covenant, but the disciples of the Lord? Of whom Moses saith again, They shall have no inheritance,¹⁵ for the Lord Himself is their inheritance.¹⁶ And again, The Priests the Levites in the whole tribe of Levi shall have no portion nor substance with Israel; that which groweth unto the Lord is their substance, they shall eat the same. Wherefore also Paul: I seek not, saith he, a gift, but I seek fruit.¹⁷ The Disciples of the Lord, he saith, having substance such as the Levites, it was lawful for them in their hunger to receive meat of the grain:¹⁸ For the Labourer is worthy of his meat.

The Priests also in the Temple used to profane the Sabbath,¹⁹ and were blameless. Why then were they blameless? Because being in the Temple, they were performing not secular but Divine offices; fulfilling the Law and not transgressing it; as he did, who of himself brought dry sticks into the Lord’s camp,²⁰ who also was justly stoned.²¹ For every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.²² And, Whosoever shall evil entreat²³ the Temple of God, him shall God evil entreat.