Tertullian — Against Marcion 3.23
Now, because with the Jews you deny their Christ has come, recognize also their outcome which after Christ they were predicted to report for the impiety by which they both despised and destroyed him. First from the day when according to Isaiah a human cast away his golden and silver refuse made for vain and harmful worships—that is from when the human race, truth clarified through Christ, cast away idols—see whether what follows has been executed.
For the Lord of Sabaoth took away from Judea and Jerusalem among other things both prophet and wise architect—that is the Holy Spirit who builds the church, God’s temple and house and city. For from then God’s grace ceased among them and it was commanded to the clouds not to rain on the vineyard Sorech—that is heavenly benefits not to come forth for Israel’s house. For it had made thorns with which it had crowned the Lord, and not justice but a cry by which it had wrung him onto the cross.
And so, with the charisms’ dews withdrawn, the law and the prophets until John; then, when from perseverance of fury the Lord’s name also was blasphemed through them—as written: Because of you my name is blasphemed among the nations—and they had not understood the middle time from Tiberius to Vespasian unto repentance, their land was made desert, their cities burned, foreigners devour their region before their eyes, daughter Zion left like a hut in a cucumber field—from when Israel did not know the Lord and the people did not understand him but deserted and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
So also the conditional sword’s threat: If you will not and will not hear me, the sword will eat you, will prove it was Christ they perished by not hearing—who also in the psalm asks dispersion for them from the Father. Quite vainly if they suffered these things not for him who had declared they would suffer for him, but for another god’s Christ. Yet you say another god’s Christ was driven to the cross by the Creator’s powers as by rivals—but behold he is shown defended by the Creator: and the worst were given for his burial, who had asserted it stolen, and the rich for his death.
Therefore either these things did not happen to the Jews for him—but you are refuted by the sense of the Scriptures conspiring with the outcome of events and order of times—or if they happened for him, the Creator could not have avenged anyone but his own Christ, rather about to reward Judas if they had destroyed his adversary. Certainly if the Creator’s Christ for whom they are predicted to suffer these things has not yet come, when he comes they will suffer—and where then is daughter Zion to be deserted, who today is none? Restore Judea’s status for the Creator’s Christ to find, and then contend another came.
Latin
Nunc, quia cum Iudaeis negas uenisse Christum eorum. recognosce et exitum ipsorum, quem post Christum relaturi praedicabantur ob impietatem, qua eum et despexerunt et interemerunt. primum enim ex die, qua secundum Esaiam proiecit homo aspernamenta sua aurea et argentea, quae + fecerunt adorandis uanis et nociuis, id est ex quo genus hominum dilucidata per Christum ueritate idola proiecit, uide an quod sequitur expunctum sit. abstulit enim dominus Sabaoth a Iudaea et ab Hierusalem inter cetera et prophetam et sapientem architectum, spiritum scilicet sanctum, qui aedificat ecclesiam, templum scilicet et domum et ciuitatem dei. nam exinde apud illos destitit dei gratia et mandatum est nubibus, ne pluerent imbrem super uineam Sorech, id est caelestibus beneficiis, ne prouenirent domui Israhelis. fecerat enim spinas, ex quibus dominum coronauerat, et non iustitiam, sed clamorem, quo in crucem eum extorserat. et ita subtractis charismatum roribus lex et prophetae usque ad Iohannem; dehinc, cum ex perseuerantia furoris et nomen domini per ipsos blasphemaretur, sicut scriptum est: propter uos nomen meum blasphematur in nationibus, — ab illis enim coepit infamia — et tempus medium a Tiberio usque ad Vespasianum non (in) paenitentiam intellexissent, facta est terra eorum deserta, ciuitates eorum exustae, regionem eorum sub ipsorum conspectu extranei deuorant, derelicta filia Sion est tamquam specula in uinea uel in cucumerario casula, ex quo scilicet Israhel dominum non cognouit et populus eum non intellexit, sed dereliquit et in indignationem prouocauit sanctum Israhelis. sic et machaerae condicionalis comminatio: si nolueritis nec audieritis mie, machaera uos comedet, probabit Christum fuisse, quem non audiendo perierunt, qui et in psalmo quinquagesimo octauo dispersionem eis postulat a patre: disperge eos in uirtute tua, qui et rursus per Esaiam in exustionem eorum perorans: propter me haec, inquit, facta sunt uobis, in anxietate dormietis. satis uane, si haec non propter eum passi sunt, qui propter se passuros pronuntiarat, sed propter Christum dei alterius. atquin Christum. inquam, alterius dei dicitis a creatoris uirtutibus et potestatibus, ut aemulis, in crucem actum. sed ecce defensus ostenditur a creatore: et dati sunt pessimi pro sepultura eius, qui scilicet subreptam eam adseuerauerant, et locupletes pro morte eius, qui scilicet et a Iuda traditionem redemerant et a militibus falsum testimonium cadaueris subrepti. igitur aut non propter illum acciderunt ista Iudaeis — sed reuinceris conspirante et sensu scripturarum cum exitu rerum et ordine temporum — aut, si propter illum acciderunt, non potuit creator ulcisci nisi suum Christum, remuneraturus potius ludam, si aduersarium sui peremissent. certe, si nondum uenit Christus creatoris, propter quem haec passuri praedicantur, cum uenerit ergo, patientur. et ubi tunc filia Sion derelinquenda, quae nulla hodie est? ubi ciuitates exurendae, quae iam in tumulis? ubi dispersio gentis, quae iam extorris? redde statum Iudaeae, quem Christus creatoris inueniat, et alium contende uenisse. iam uero quale est, ut per caelum suum admiserit quem in terra sua esset interempturus, honestiore et gloriosiore regni sui regione uiolata. ipsa aula sua et arce calcata? an hoc magis adfectauit? plane deus zelotes. tamen uicit. erubesce, qui uicto deo credis. quid sperabis ab eo, qui se protegere non ualuit? aut enim per infirmitatem oppressus est a uirtutibus et hominibus creatoris aut per malitiositatem, ut tantum illis sceleris patientia infigeret.