and diffuse, that its words only are to be in- sisted on, and their connectio7i left undeter- mined. But at the outset I lay down (this position) that there is some one, and there- fore definite, thing taught by Christ, which the Gentiles are by all means bound to be- lieve, and for that purpose to "seek," in order that they may be able, when they have " found " it, to believe. However,' there can be no indefinite seeking for that which has been taught as one only definite thing. You must 'seek" until you " find," and believe when you have found; nor have you anything further to do but to keep what you have believed, provided you believe this besides, that nothing else is to be believed, and therefore nothing else is to be sought, after you have found and believed what has been taught by Him who charges you to seek no other thing than that which He has taught. "^ When, indeed, any man doubts about this, proof will be forthcom- ing,^ that we have in our possession •* that which was taught by Christ. Meanwhile, such is my confidence in our proof, that I anticipate it, in the shape of an admonition to certain persons, not " to seek " anything beyond what they have believed — that this is what they ought to have sought, how to avoid s interpreting, " Seek, and ye shall find," with- out regard to the rule of reason.
CHAP. X. ONE HAS SUCCEEDED IN FINDING DEFINITE TRUTH, WHEN HE BELIEVES. HERET- ICAL WITS ARE ALWAYS OFFERING MANY THINGS FOR VAIN DISCUSSION, BUT WE ARE NOT TO BE ALWAYS SEEKING.
Now the reason of this saying is comprised in three points: in the matter, in the time, in the limit.' In the matter, so that you must consider Tf'^a/ /'/ is you have to seek; in the time, 7vhen you have to seek; in the limit, haw long. What you have "to seek," then, is that which Christ has taught,' (and you must go on seeking) of course for such time as you fail to find,* — until indeed you find' it. But you have succeeded in finding '" when you have believed. For you would not have believed if you had not found; as neither would you have sought except with a view to find. Your object, therefore, in seeking was to find; and « Porro.
2 [Not to be contented with Truth, once known, is a sin preced- ing that against the Holy Spirit, and this state of mind explains the judicial blindness inflicted on Lapsers, as asserted by St. Paul, 1 Thess. ii. 10, i 3, where note — " they received not the Ipve of the truth." They had it and were not coQteac with it.]
sConstabit. Penes nos.
SNe.
* In mode.
7Thisis, "Mif matter."
8 " The time."
9" The limit." » Invcnisti.
your object in finding was to believe. All further delay for seeking and finding you jhave prevented" by believing. The very fruit of your seeking has determined for you this limit. This boundary '- has He set for you Himself, who is unwilling that you should be- lieve anything else than what He has taught, or, therefore, even seek for it. If, however, because so many other things have been taught by one and another, we are on that ac- count bound to go on seeking, so long as we are able to find anything, we must (at that rate) be ever seeking, and never believe any- thing at all. For where shall be the end of seeking? where the stop '^ in believing? where the completion in finding? (Shall it be) with Marcion? But even Valentinus proposes (to us the) maxim, "Seek, and ye shall find." (Then shall it be) with Valentinus? Well, but.Apelles, too, will assail me with the same quotation; Hebion also, and Simon, and all in turn, have no other argument wherewithal to entice me, and draw me over to their side. Thus I shall be nowhere, and still be encountering''* (that challenge), "Seek, and ye shall find," precisely as if I had no resting- place; '^ as if (indeed) I had never found that which Christ has taught — that which ought '* to be sought, that which must needs '^ be be- lieved.
CHAP. XI. AFTER WE HAVE BELIEVED, SEARCH SHOULD cease; OTHERWISE IT MUST END IN A DENIAL OF WHAT WE HAVE BELIEVED. NO OTHER OBJECT PROPOSED FOR OUR FAITH.
There is impunity in erring, if there is no delinquency; although indeed to err it is itself an act of delinquency.'* With impunity, I repeat, does a man ramble,'' when he (pur- posely) deserts nothing. But yet, if I have/ laelieved what I was bound to believe, and then afterwards think that there is something new to be sought after, I of course expect that there is something else to be found, al- though I should by no means entertain such " Fixisti, " determined."
'- Fossam.
14 Dum convenero.
'5 This is the rendering of Oehler's text, " et velut si nusquam. There are other readings of this obscure passage, of which we add the two most intelligible. The Codex.■\gobardinus has, " et velim si nunquam;" that is, " and I would that I were nowhere," with no fixed belief — in such wise as never to have had the truth; not, as must now be, to have forfeited it. (Dodgson). This seems far-fetched, and inferior to the reading of Pamelics and his Mss: " et velint me sic esse nusquam " — or (as Semler puts it) " velint sic nusquam;" i.e., "and they (the heretics) would wish me to be nowhere " — without the fixed faith of the Catholic. 'I'his makes good sense. [Semler is here mentioned, and if anybody wishes to understand what sort of editor he was, he may be greatly amused by Kaye's examination of some of his positions, pp. 64-84. Eluci- dation II.]
«6 Oportet.
'7 Necesse est. Observe these degrees of obligation.
>8 Quamvis et errare delinquere est.
•9 Vagatur.
CHAP. XIV.]
ON PRESCRIPTION AGAINST HERETICS.
expectation, unless it were because I either had not believed, although I apparently had become a believer, or else have ceased to be- lieve. If I thus desert my faith, I am found to be a denier thereof. Once for all I would say, No man seeks, except him who either never possessed, or else has lost (what he sought). The old woman (in the Gospel) ' had lost one of her ten pieces of silver, and therefore she sought it;- when, however, she found it, she ceased to look for it. The neighbour was without bread, and therefore he knocked; but as soon as the door was opened to him, and he received the bread, he discontinued knocking.^ The widow kept asking to be heard by the judge, because she was not admitted; but when her suit was heard, thenceforth she was silent.'' So that there is a limit both to seeking, and to knock- ing, and to asking. " For to every one that asketh," says He, " it shall be given, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened, and by him that seeketh it shall be found." ^ Away with the man* who is ever seeking because he never finds; for he seeks there where noth- ing can be found. Away with him who is always knocking because it will never be opened to him; for he knocks where there is none (to open). Away with him who is always asking because he will never be heard; for he asks of one who does not hear.
CHAP. XII.- — A PROPER SEEKING AFTER DIVINE KNOWLEDGE, WHICH WILL NEVER BE OUT OF PLACE OR EXCESSIVE, IS ALWAYS WITHIN THE RULE OF FAITH.
As for US, although we must still seek, and that always, yet where ought our search to be made? Amongst the heretics, where all things are foreign "> and opposed to our own verity, and to whom we are forbidden to drav/ near? What slave looks for food from a stranger, not to say an enemy of his master? What soldier expects to get bounty and pay from kings who are unallied, I might almost say hostile— unless forsooth he be a deserter, and a runaway, and a rebel? Even that old woman ^ searched for the piece of silver within her own house. It was also at his neighbour's door that the persevering assailant kept knock- ing. Nor was it to a hostile judge, although a severe one, that the widow made her appeal. No man gets instruction' from that which I Anus ilia.
evident.
7 Extranea.
8 Although Tertullian calls her " anuSi" St, Luke's word is yviTj, not Ypai)«.
9 Instrui potest.
tends to destruction.'" No man receives illu- mination from a quarter where all is dark- ness. Let our " seeking," therefore be in that which is our own, and from those who are our own, and concerning that which is our own, — that, and only that," which can become an object of inquiry without impairing the rule of faith.
CHAP. XIII. — SUMMARY OF THE CREED, OR RULE OF FAITH. NO QUESTIONS EVER RAISED ABOUT IT BY BELIEVERS. HERETICS EN- COURAGE AND PERPETUATE THOUGHT IN- DEPENDENT OF Christ's teaching.
Now, with regard to this rule of faith — that we may from this point'- acknowledge what it is which we defend — it is, you must know, that which prescribes the belief that there is one only God, and that He is none other than the Creator of the world, who produced all things out of nothing through His own Word, first of all sent forth;'^ that this Word is called His Son, and, under the name of God, was seen " in diverse manners " by the patriarchs, heard at all times in the prophets, at last brought down by the Spirit and Power of the Father into the Virgin Mary, was made flesh in her womb, and, being born of her, went forth as Jesus Christ; thenceforth He preached the new law and the new promise of the king- dom of heaven, worked miracles; having been crucified. He rose again the third day; (then) having ascended "* into the heavens. He sat at the right hand of the Father; sent instead of Himself '5 the Power of the Holy Ghost to lead such as believe; will come with glory to take the saints to the enjoyment of everlasting life and of the heavenly promises, and to condemn the wicked to everlasting fire, after the resur- rection of both these classes shall have hap- pened, together with the restoration of their flesh. This rule, as it will be proved, was taught by Christ, and raises amongst ourselves no other questions than those which heresies introduce, and which make men heretics.'* chap. XIV. — curiosity ought not range be- yond THE rule of faith. RESTLESS CURI- OSITY, THE feature of HERESY.
So long, however, as its form exists in its proper order, you may seek and discuss as 10 Unde destruitur.
" Idque dumtaxat.
12 Jam hinc.
'3Pnmo omnium demissum. Literally, " sent down." See on x\i\s, procession 0/ the Son 0/ God to create the world, Bishop Bull s Defence 0/ the Nicene Creed, etc., by the translator of this work, pp. 445 and following.
'4 Ereptum, having been taken away.
'5 Vicariam. [Scott's Christian Life, Vol. III. p. 64.]
'6 [See Bunsen (Hippol. III. Notes, etc., p. 129.) fora castigated form of the Latin Creed, as used in Rome. Observe it lacks the word Catholic. But a much better study of these formulas may be found in Dupin's comparative Table. First Cent. pp. 9-12.]
ON PRESCRIPTION AGAINST HERETICS.
[chap. XV.
much as you please, and give full rein to' your curiosity, in whatever seems to you to hang in doubt, or to be shrouded in obscurity. You have at hand, no doubt, some learned ^ brother gifted with the grace of knowledge, some one of the experienced class, some one of your close acquaintance who is curious like yourself; although with yourself, a seeker, he will, after all,^ be quite aware'' that it is better for you to remain in ignorance, lest you should come to know what you ought not, because you have acquired the knowledge of what you ought to know.^ "Thy faith," He says, "hath saved thee " ^ not observe your skill ' in the Scriptures. Now, faith has been deposited in the rule; it has a law, and (in the observance thereof) salva- tion. Skill,' however, consists in curious art, having for its glory simply the readiness that comes from knack. ^ Let such curious art give place to faith; let such glory yield to sal- vation. At any rate, let them either relinquish their noisiness,^ or else be quiet. To know nothing in opposition to the rule (of faith), is to know all things. (Suppose) that heretics were not enemies to the truth, so that we were not forewarned to avoid them, what sort of conduct would it be to agree with men who do themselves confess that they are still seek- ing? For if they are still seeking, they have not as yet found anything amounting to cer- tainty; and therefore, whatever they seem for a while '° to hold, they betray their own scep- ticism," whilst they continue seeking. You therefore, who seek after their fashion, look- ing to those who are themselves ever seeking, a doubter to doubters, a waverer to waverers, must needs be " led, blindly by the blind, down into the ditch."" But when, for the^ sake of deceiving us, they pretend that they are still seeking, in order that they may palm '^ their essays'^ upon us by the suggestion of an anxious sympathy, 's — when, in short (after gaining an access to us), they proceed at once to insist on the necessity of our inquiring into such points as they were in the habit of advancing, then it is high time for us in moral obligation '* to regel '' them, so that they may know that it is not Christ, but themselves, whom we disavow. For since they are still seekers, they have no fixed tenets yet;'^ and being not fixed in tenet, they have not yet be- lieved; and being not yet believers, they are not Christians. But even though they have their tenets and their belief, they still say that inquiry is necessary in order to discussion.'' Previous, however, to the discussion, they deny what they confess not yet to have be- lieved, so long as they keep it an object of inquiry. When men, therefore, are not Chris- tians even on their own admission, =° how much more (do they fail to appear such) to us! What sort of truth is that which they patron- ize,^' when they commend it to us with a lie? Well, but they actually '^ treat of the Scriptures and recommend (their opinions) out of the Scriptures! To be sure they do. "^ From what other source could they derive arguments con- cerning the things of the faith, except from the records of the faith?
' Oranera libidinem effundas, " pour out the whole desire for."
* Doctor, literally, "teacher." See Eph. iv. ii; also above; 3 This seems to be the more probable meaning of no7nssinte in this rather obscure sentence. Oehler treats it adverbially as " postremo," and refersto a similar use of the word below in chap. XXX. Dr. Routh (and, after him, the translator in The Library 0/ the Fathers, Tertullian, p. 448) makes the word a noun, " thou newest of novices," and refers to Tertullian's work, against Prax- eas, chap, xxvii., for a like use. This seems to us too harsh for the present context.
4Sciet.
5 See I Cor. xii. 8.
* Luke xviii. 42.
7 Exercitatio.
8 De pentiae studio.
9 Non obstrepant. »o Interim.
" Dubitationem.
«3 Insinuent.
>4 Tractatus.
>S Or, " by instilling an anxiety into us " (Dodgson).
CHAP. XV. — HERETICS NOT TO BE ALLOWED TO ARGUE OUT OF THE SCRIPTURES. THE SCRIP- TURES, IN FACT, DO NOT BELONG TO THEM.^ We are therefore come to (the gist of) our position; for at this point we were aiming, and for this we were preparing in the pream- ble of our address (which we have just com- pleted),— so that we may now join issue on the contention to which our adversaries chal- lenge us. They put forward ^s the Scriptures, and by this insolence ^ of theirs they at once influence some. In the encounter itself, how- ever, they weary the strong, they catch the weak, and dismiss waverers with a doubt. Ac- cordingly, we oppose to them this step above all others, of not admitting them to any dis- cussion of the Scriptures.^ If in these lie their resources, before they can use them, it ought to be clearly seen to whom belongs the possession of the Scriptures, that none may be admitted to the use thereof who has no title at all to the privilege.
"5 Jam debemus.
'7 Refutare.
'8 Nondum tenent.
'9 Ut defendant.
=» Nee sibi sunt.
21 Patrocinantur.
=« Ipsi.
"3 Scilicet.
*4[See Afarcion, B. I. Cap. xxii. infra, note.]
as Obtendunt.
26 Audacia.
*7 De Scripturis. But as this preposition is often the sign of the instrument in Tertullian. this phrase may mean 'Va/ of" or " by means <j/"the Scriptures. f:ec the last chapter.
CHAP. XIX.]
ON PRESCRIPTION AGAINST HERETICS.
2sl CHAP. XVI. — APOSTOLIC SANCTION TO THIS EX- CLUSION OF HERETICS FROM THE USE OF THE SCRIPTURES. HERETICS, ACCORDING TO THE APOSTLE, ARE NOT TO BE DISPUTED WITH, BUT TO BE ADMONISHED.
I might be thought to have laid down this position to remedy distrust in my case,' or from a desire of entering on the contest- in some Other way, were there not reasons on my side, especially this, that our faith owes deference ^ to the apostle, who forbids us to enter on " questions," or to lend our ears to new-fangled statements,* or to consort with a heretic " after the first and second admoni- tion," s not, (be it observed,) after discussion. Discussion he has inhibited in this way, by designating admonition as the purpose of deal- ing with a heretic, and the Jirsf one too, be- cause he is not a Christian; in order that he might not, after the manner of a Christian, seem to require correction again and again, and " before two or three witnesses," ^ seeing that he ought to be corrected, for the very reason that he is not to be disputed with; and in the next place, because a controversy over the Scriptures can, clearly,^ produce no other effect than help to upset either the stomach or the brain.
CHAP. XVII. — HERETICS, IN FACT, DO NOT USE, BUT ONLY ABUSE, SCRIPTURE. NO COMMON GROUND BETWEEN THEM AND YOU.
Now this heresy of yours ® does not receive certain Scriptures; and whichever of them it does receive, it perverts by means of additions and diminutions, for the accomplishment of it own purpose; and such as it does receive, it receives not in their entirety; but even when it does receive any up to a certain point ' as entire, it nevertheless perverts even these by the contrivance of diverse interpretations. Truth is just as much opposed by an adultera- tion of its meaning as it is by a corruption of its text.'° Their vain presumptions must needs refuse to acknowledge the (writings) whereby they are refuted. They rely on those which they have falsely put together, and which they have selected, because of" their ambiguity. Though most skilled '^ in the Scriptures, you will make no progress,'^ when everything which you maintain is denied ' De consilio difiidentiae.
* Constitutionis, "prima causarum conflictio," — a term of the Uw courts. sObsequium.
' Matt, xviii. 16.
7 Plane, ironical.
8 Ista haeresis.
9 Aliquatenus. »o Stilus.
" " De " has often the sense of " propter" in our author. •« Literally, " O most skilled. •3 Quid promovebis.
on the Other side, and whatever you deny is (by them) maintained. As for yourself, in- deed, you will lose nothing but your breath, and gain nothing but vexation from their blas- phemy.
CHAP. XVIII. — GREAT EVIL ENSUES TO THE WEAK IN FAITH, FROM ANY DISCUSSION OUT OF THE SCRIPTURES. CONVICTION NEVER COMES TO THE HERETIC FROM SUCH A PRO- CESS.
But with respect to the man for whose sake you enter on the discussion of the Scriptures,'* with the view of strengthening him when af- flicted with doubts, (let me ask) will it be to the truth, or rather to heretical opinions that he will lean? Influenced by the very fact that he sees you have made no progress, whilst the other side is on an equal footing '^ (with your- self) in denying and in defence, or at any rate on a like standing '* he will go away confirmed in his uncertainty '7 by the discussion, not knowing which side to adjudge heretical. For, no doubt, they too are able '^ to retort these things on us. It is indeed a necessary consequence that they should go so far as to say that adulterations of the Scriptures, and false expositions thereof, are rather introduced by ourselves, inasmuch as they, no less than we '9 maintain that truth is on their side.
CHAP. XIX. APPEAL, IN DISCUSSION OF HERESY, LIES NOT TO THE SCRIPTURES. THE SCRIP- TURES BELONG ONLY TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE RULE OF FAITH Our appeal, therefore, must not be made to the Scriptures; nor must controversy be ad- mitted on points in which victory will either be impossible,^ or uncertain, or not certain enough. =' But even if a discussion from the Scriptures ''- should not turn out in such a way as to place both sides on a par, (yet) the nat- ural order of things would require that this point should be first proposed, which is now the only one which we must discuss: "With whom lies that very faith to which the Scrip- tures belong.''^ From what and through whom, and when, and to whom, has been handed down that rule,^ by which men become Chris- tians?" For wherever it shall be manifest that the true Christian rule and faith shall be.
14 Or, " from the Scriptures."
»5 jEquo gradu.
16 Statu certe pari.
•7 Incertior.
»8 Habent.
'9 Proinde.
20 Nulla.
*' Parum certa.
22 Conlatio scripturarum, or, " a polemical comparison of th« Scriptures."
23 Quibus competat fides ipsa cujus sint Scripturx.
24 Disciplina [or, where wa« the guide-post set?]
ON PRESCRIPTION AGAINST HERETICS.
LCHAP. XXI.
there will likewise be the true Scriptures and expositions thereof, and all the Christian tra- ditions.
CHAP. XX. — CHRIST FIRST DELIVERED THE FAITH. THE APOSTLES SPREAD IT; THEY FOUNDED CHURCHES AS THE DEPOSITORIES THEREOF. THAT FAITH, THEREFORE, IS APOSTOLIC, WHICH DESCENDED FROM THE APOSTLES, THROUGH APOSTOLIC CHURCHES.
Christ Jesus our Lord (may He bear with me a moment in thus expressing myself!), whosoever He is, of what God soever He is the Son, of what substance soever He is man and God, of what faith soever He is the teacher, of what reward soever He is the Promiser, did, whilst He lived on earth. Him- self declare what He was, what He had been, what the Father's will was which He was ad- ministering, what the duty of man was which He was prescribing; (and this declaration He made,) either openly to the people, or privately to His disciples, of whom He had chosen the twelve chief ones to be at His side,' and whom He destined to be the teachers of the nations. Accordingly, after one of these had been struck off. He commanded the eleven others, on His departure to the Father, to "go and teach all nations, who were to be baptized into the Father, and into the Son, and into the Holy Ghost. "= Immediately, therefore, so did the apostles, whom this designation in- dicates as '''the sent." Having, on the au- thority of a prophecy, which occurs in a psalm of David, 3 chosen Matthias by lot as the twelfth, into the place of Judas, they obtained the promised power of the Holy Ghost for the gift of miracles and of utterance; and after first bearing witness to the faith in Jesus Christ throughout Judaea, and founding churches (there), they next went forth into the world and preached the same doctrine of the same faith to the nations. They then in like manner founded churches in every city, from which all the other churches, one after another, derived the tradition of the faith,* and the seeds of doctrine, and are every day deriving them,5 that they may become churches. Indeed, it is on this account only that they will be able to deem themselves apostolic, as being the offspring of apostolic churches. Every sort of thing* must neces- sarily revert to its original for its classifica- tion.' Therefore the churches, although they are so many and so great, comprise but the 1 Ps. cix. 8; comp. with Acts 1. 15-20.
<Traducem fidei.
5 Mutuantur, " borrowing."
<> Omne genus.
7 Censeatur or, " for its origia."
one primitive church, (founded) by the apos- tles, from which they all (spring). In this way all are primitive, and all are apostolic, whilst they are all proved to be one, in (un- broken) unity, by their peaceful communion,* and title of brotherhood, and bond ' of hospi- tality,— privileges '° which no other rule directs than the one tradition of the selfsame mystery."
CHAP. XXI. ALL DOCTRINE TRUE WHICH COMES THROUGH THE CHURCH FROM THE APOSTLES, WHO WERE TAUGHT BY GOD THROUGH CHRIST. ALL OPINION WHICH HAS NO SUCH DIVINE ORIGIN AND APOSTOLIC TRADITION TO SHOW, IS IPSO FACTO FALSE.
From this, therefore, do we draw up our rule. Since the Lord Jesus Christ sent the apostles to preach, (our rule is) that no others ought to be received as preachers than those whom Christ appointed; for " no man know- eth the Father save the Son, and he to whom- soever the Son will reveal Him." " Nor does the Son seem to have revealed Him to any other than the apostles, whom He sent forth to preach — that, of course, which He revealed ito them. Now, what that was which they preached — in other words, what it was which Christ revealed to them — can, as I must here likewise prescribe, properly be proved in no other way than by those very churches which the apostles founded in person, by declaring the gospel to them directly themselves, both viva voce, as the phrase is, and subsequently by their epistles. If, then, these things are so, it is in the same degree '^ manifest that all doctrine which agrees with the apostolic churches — those moulds '* and original sources of the faith must be reckoned for truth, as imdoubtedly containing that which the (said) churches received from the apostles, the apos- tles from Christ, Christ from God. Whereas all doctrine must be prejudged '5 as false'* which savours of contrariety to the truth of the ichurches and apostles of Christ and God. It