Tertullian — Against Marcion 36
When He recommends perseverance and earnestness in prayer , He sets before us the parable of the judge who was compelled to listen to the widow , owing to the earnestness and importunity of her requests. Luke 18:1-8 He show us that it is God the judge whom we must importune with prayer , and not Himself, if He is not Himself the judge. But He added, that God would avenge His own elect. Luke 18:7-8 Since, then, He who judges will also Himself be the avenger, He proved that the Creator is on that account the specially good God , whom He represented as the avenger of His own elect, who cry day and night to Him.
And yet, when He introduces to our view the Creator's temple, and describes two men worshipping therein with diverse feelings — the Pharisee in pride , the publican in humility — and shows us how they accordingly went down to their homes, one rejected, the other justified, Luke 18:10-14 He surely, by thus teaching us the proper discipline of prayer , has determined that that God must be prayed to from whom men were to receive this discipline of prayer — whether condemnatory of pride , or justifying in humility. I do not find from Christ any temple, any suppliants, any sentence (of approval or condemnation) belonging to any other god than the Creator. Him does He enjoin us to worship in humility, as the lifter-up of the humble , not in pride , because He brings down the proud .
What other god has He manifested to me to receive my supplications? With what formula of worship, with what hope (shall I approach him?) I trow, none. For the prayer which He has taught us suits, as we have proved , none but the Creator. It is, of course, another matter if He does not wish to be prayed to, because He is the supremely and spontaneously good God! But who is this good God? There is, He says, none but one. Luke 18:19 It is not as if He had shown us that one of two gods was the supremely good; but He expressly asserts that there is one only good God , who is the only good, because He is the only God. Now, undoubtedly, He is the good God who sends rain on the just and on the unjust , and makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good; Matthew 5:45 sustaining and nourishing and assisting even Marcionites themselves!
When afterwards a certain man asked him, 'Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' (Jesus) inquired whether he knew (that is, in other words, whether he kept ) the commandments of the Creator, in order to testify that it was by the Creator's precepts that eternal life is acquired. Luke 18:18-20 Then, when he affirmed that from his youth up he had kept all the principal commandments, (Jesus) said to him: One thing you yet lack: sell all that you have, and give to the poor , and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. Luke 18:21-22 Well now, Marcion , and all you who are companions in misery, and associates in hatred with that heretic , what will you dare say to this?