Page:Ante-Nicene Christian Library Vol 3.djvu/60

48 But Tatian, not understanding that the expression "Let there be" is not always precative but sometimes imperative, most impiously imagined concerning God, who said "Let there be light," that He prayed rather than commanded light to be, as if, as he impiously thought, God was in darkness. (Origen, de Orat.)

Tatian separates the old man and the new, but not, as we say, understanding the old man to be the law, and the new man to be the gospel. We agree with him in saying the same thing, but not in the sense he wishes, abrogating the law as if it belonged to another God. (Clem. Alex. Strom. iii. 12.)

Tatian condemns and rejects not only marriage, but also meats which God has created for use. (Hieron. adv. Jovin. i. 3.)

"But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not." On this, perhaps, Tatian the chief of the Encratites endeavours to build his heresy, asserting that wine is not to be drunk, since it was commanded in the law that the Nazarites were not to drink wine, and now those who give the Nazarite wine are accused by the prophet. (Hieron. Com. in Amos.)

Tatian, the patriarch of the Encratites, who himself rejected some of Paul's epistles, believed this especially, that is [addressed] to Titus, ought to be declared to be the apostle's, thinking little of the assertion of Marcion and others, who agree with him on this point. (Hieron. Præf. in Com. ad Tit.)