Chapter VIII.—Christ’s Word, Seek, and Ye Shall Find, No Warrant for Heretical Deviations from the Faith. All Christ’s Words to the Jews are for Us, Not Indeed as Specific Commands, But as Principles to Be Applied.

I come now to the point which (is urged both by our own brethren and by the heretics). Our brethren adduce it as a pretext for entering on curious inquiries,80    Curiositatem. and the heretics insist on it for importing the scrupulosity (of their unbelief).81    Scrupulositatem, “hair-splitting.” It is written, they say, “Seek, and ye shall find.”82    Matt. vii. 7. Let us remember at what time the Lord said this. I think it was at the very outset of His teaching, when there was still a doubt felt by all whether He were the Christ, and when even Peter had not yet declared Him to be the Son of God, and John (Baptist) had actually ceased to feel assurance about Him.83    See our translation of the Anti-Marcion, iv. 18 (infra), and Tertullian’s treatise, de Bapt. x. With good reason, therefore, was it then said, “Seek, and ye shall find,” when inquiry was still be to made of Him who was not yet become known. Besides, this was said in respect of the Jews. For it is to them that the whole matter84    Sermo. of this reproof85    Suggillationis. pertains, seeing that they had (a revelation) where they might seek Christ.

“They have,” says He, “Moses and Elias,”86    Luke xvi. 29.—in other words, the law and the prophets, which preach Christ; as also in another place He says plainly, “Search the Scriptures, in which ye expect (to find) salvation; for they testify of me;”87    John v. 39. which will be the meaning of “Seek, and ye shall find.” For it is clear that the next words also apply to the Jews: “Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”88    Matt. vii. 7. The Jews had formerly been in covenant with89    Penes. God; but being afterwards cast off on account of their sins, they began to be90    Or, “were for the first time.” without God. The Gentiles, on the contrary, had never been in covenant with God; they were only as “a drop from a bucket,” and “as dust from the threshing floor,”91    Isa. xl. 15. and were ever outside the door. Now, how shall he who was always outside knock at the place where he never was? What door does he know of, when he has passed through none, either by entrance or ejection?  Is it not rather he who is aware that he once lived within and was thrust out, that (probably) found the door and knocked thereat? In like manner, “Ask, and ye shall receive,”92    Matt. vii. 7. is suitably said93    Competit. to one who was aware from whom he ought to ask,—by whom also some promise had been given; that is to say, “the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.” Now, the Gentiles knew nothing either of Him, or of any of His promises. Therefore it was to Israel that he spake when He said, “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”94    Matt. xv. 24. Not yet had He “cast to the dogs the children’s bread;”95    Ver. 26. not yet did He charge them to “go into the way of the Gentiles.”96    Matt. x. 5. It is only at the last that He instructs them to “go and teach all nations, and baptize them,”97    Matt. xxviii. 19. when they were so soon to receive “the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, who should guide them into all the truth.”98    John xvi. 13. And this, too, makes towards the same conclusion. If the apostles, who were ordained99    Destinati. to be teachers to the Gentiles, were themselves to have the Comforter for their teacher, far more needless100    Multo magis vacabat. was it to say to us, “Seek, and ye shall find,” to whom was to come, without research,101    Ultro. our instruction102    Doctrina. by the apostles, and to the apostles themselves by the Holy Ghost. All the Lord’s sayings, indeed, are set forth for all men; through the ears of the Jews have they passed on to us. Still most of them were addressed to Jewish persons;103    In personas, i.e., Judæorum (Oehler). they therefore did not constitute instruction properly designed104    Proprietatem admonitionis. for ourselves, but rather an example.105    “That is, not a specific command” primarily meant for us, but a principle “to be applied by us” (Dodgson).

CAPUT VIII.

Nihil autem obstare illud: QUAERITE ET INVENIETIS; id enim dictum ad eos quibus nondum agnitus Christus.

Venio itaque ad illum articulum, quem et nostri praetendunt ad ineundam curiositatem, et haeretici inculcant ad importandam scrupulositatem . Scriptum est (inquiunt): Quaerite et invenietis (Matth., VIII, 7). Quando hanc vocem Dominus emisit, recordemur. Puto in primitiis ipsis doctrinae suae, cum adhuc dubitaretur apud omnes, an Christus esset, et cum adhuc nec Petrus illum Dei Filium pronuntiasset; 0021B cum etiam Joannes de illo certus esse desiisset . Merito ergo tunc dictum est , Quaerite et invenietis, quando quaerendus adhuc erat, qui adhuc agnitus non erat . Et hoc quantum ad Judaeos; ad illos enim pertinet totus sermo suggillationis istius, qui habebant ubi quaererent Christum. Habent, inquit, Moysen et Heliam (Luc., XVI, 29), id est legem et prophetas Christum praedicantes, secundum quod et alibi (Joan., V, 39), Scrutamini, inquit, Scripturas in quibus salutem speratis; illae enim de me loquuntur. Hoc erit, QUAERITE ET INVENIETIS; nam et sequentia in Judaeos competere manifestum est: Pulsate et aperietur vobis. Judaei retro penes Deum fuerant; dehinc ejecti ob delicta, extra Deum esse coeperunt. Nationes vero nunquam penes Deum, nisi stillicidium de situla, et 0021C pulvis ex area, et foris semper (Isai, XL, 15). Itaque 0022A qui foris semper, quomodo pulsabit eo ubi nunquam fuit? quam januam novit, in quam nec receptus, nec ejectus aliquando? an qui scit se intus fuisse et foras actum, is potius pulsabit et ostium novit ? Etiam, PETITE ET ACCIPIETIS ei competit, qui sciebat a quo esset petendum , a quo et erat aliquid repromissum; a Deo scilicet Abraham, Isaac et Jacob, quem nationes non magis noverant, quam ullam repromissionem ejus. Et ideo ad Israel loquebatur: Non sum, inquit (Matth., X, 15), missus nisi ad oves perditas domus Israel . Nondum canibus jactabat panem filiorum, nondum in viam nationum ire mandabat (Matth., XXVIII, 19); siquidem in fine praecepit, ut vaderent ad docendas et tinguendas nationes, consecuturi mox Spiritum Sanctum 0022B Paracletum, qui illos deducturus esset in omnem veritatem (Joan., XVI, 13). Et hoc erga illos fecit . Quod si nationibus destinati doctores, Apostoli ipsi quoque doctorem consecuturi erant Paracletum, multo magis vacabit erga nos QUAERITE ET INVENIETIS, quibus ultro erat obventura doctrina per Apostolos, et ipsis Apostolis per Spiritum Sanctum. Omnia quidem dicta Domini omnibus posita sunt, quae per aures Judaeorum ad nos transierunt; sed pleraque in personas directa, non proprietatem admonitionis nobis constituerunt, sed exemplum.