Against Marcion 2.4

When, then, the goodness of God had provided man for knowing God, it added this too to its praise: that it first devised a dwelling for man, a very great structure, and afterwards a greater one, so that in a great dwelling, as in a lesser, he might practise and advance, and so be promoted from God's good, that is, the great, to his best, that is, the greater dwelling. For this good work it employs also the best of ministers, his Word: “My heart,” he says, “has poured forth the best word.” Let Marcion recognize from this the first best fruit — of the best tree, surely. The most ignorant of peasants has grafted a bad tree onto the good. But the shoot of blasphemy will not thrive; it will wither with its gardener, and so the nature of the good tree will bear witness to itself. Look, in sum, at what fruit the Word has borne: “And God said, Let it be, and it was made; and God saw that it was good” — not as though he did not know it was good until he saw it, but because it was good he looked on it, honouring, sealing, and approving the goodness of his works by the favour of his gaze. So too he blessed what he made well, so that the whole God might be commended to you, good both in speaking and in doing. The Word did not yet know how to speak ill, because it did not yet know how to do ill. We shall see the causes that required even this of God. Meanwhile the world consisted of good things only, showing plainly in advance how much good was being prepared for him for whom all this was being prepared.

Who, in short, was worthy to inhabit God's works but his own image and likeness? This too goodness wrought, and indeed more actively: not by a word of command but by a familiar hand, with even a coaxing word sent first: “Let us make man in our image and likeness.” Goodness spoke; goodness formed from clay so great a substance of flesh, built out of one material with so many qualities; goodness breathed into him a soul, not dead but living; goodness set him over all things, to enjoy and to rule them, even to name them; goodness went further and added delights for man, so that, though possessing the whole world, he might dwell in its pleasanter part, being moved into paradise — even then from the world into the church. The same goodness provided a helper too, so that nothing might be less than good: “For it is not good,” it says, “for the man to be alone.” It knew that the sex of Mary, and afterwards of the church, would be of benefit to him. And even the law which you blame, which you twist into controversies, goodness imposed, taking thought for man so that he might cleave to God and not seem so much free as cast off, placed on a level with his servants, the other animals, which are left loose by God and free out of disdain; but so that man alone might glory that he alone had been worthy to receive a law from God, and that, as a rational animal, capable of understanding and knowledge, he might be held within a rational freedom too, subject to him who had subjected all things to him. And goodness likewise added counsel for keeping this law: “On the day you eat, you shall die the death.” For most kindly it showed the outcome of transgression, lest ignorance of the danger should encourage neglect of obedience. Further, if there was reason for imposing the law, there followed also reason for keeping it, so that a penalty was attached to transgression — a penalty which he who foretold it nevertheless did not want to come about. Recognize, then, the goodness of our God, for the present at least up to this point, from his good works, his good blessings, his indulgences, his providences, and his good and kindly laws and warnings.