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Against the Valentinians

Tertullian

Chapter 6

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter VI.—Although Writing in Latin He Proposes to Retain the Greek Names of the Valentinian Emanations of Deity. Not to Discuss the Heresy But Only to Expose It. This with the Raillery Which Its Absurdity Merits.

In order then, that no one may be blinded

‹ Chapter 5 Chapter 7 ›

by

so

many

outlandish

names

,

collected

together

,

and

adjusted

at

pleasure

,

and

of

doubtful

import

,

I

mean

in

this

little

work

,

wherein

we

merely

undertake

to

propound

this

(

heretical

)

mystery

,

to

explain

in

what

manner

we

are

to

use

them

.

Now

the

rendering

of

some

of

these

names

from

the

Greek

so

as

to

produce

an

equally

obvious

sense

of

the

word

,

is

by

no

means

an

easy

process

:

in

the

case

of

some

others

,

the

genders

are

not

suitable

;

while

others

,

again

,

are

more

familiarly

known

in

their

Greek

form

.

For

the

most

part

,

therefore

,

we

shall

use

the

Greek

names

;

their

meanings

will

be

seen

on

the

margins

of

the

pages

.

Nor

will

the

Greek

be

unaccompanied

with

the

Latin

equivalents

;

only

these

will

be

marked

in

lines

above

,

for

the

purpose

of

explaining

the

personal

names

,

rendered

necessary

by

the

ambiguities

of

such

of

them

as

admit

some

different

meaning

.

But

although

I

must

postpone

all

discussion

,

and

be

content

at

present

with

the

mere

exposition

(

of

the

heresy

)

,

still

,

wherever

any

scandalous

feature

shall

seem

to

require

a

castigation

,

it

must

be

attacked

by

all

means

,

if

only

with

a

passing

thrust

.

Let

the

reader

regard

it

as

the

skirmish

before

the

battle

.

It

will

be

my

drift

to

show

how

to

wound

rather

than

to

inflict

deep

gashes

.

If

in

any

instance

mirth

be

excited

,

this

will

be

quite

as

much

as

the

subject

deserves

.

There

are

many

things

which

deserve

refutation

in

such

a

way

as

to

have

no

gravity

expended

on

them

.

Vain

and

silly

topics

are

met

with

especial

fitness

by

laughter

.

Even

the

truth

may

indulge

in

ridicule

,

because

it

is

jubilant

;

it

may

play

with

its

enemies

,

because

it

is

fearless

.

Only

we

must

take

care

that

its

laughter

be

not

unseemly

,

and

so

itself

be

laughed

at

;

but

wherever

its

mirth

is

decent

,

there

it

is

a

duty

to

indulge

it

.

And

so

at

last

I

enter

on

my

task

.

Notes

1
Tam peregrinis.
2
Compactis.
3
Ut signum hoc sit.
4
Or stormed perhaps; expugnatio is the word.
5
Delibatione transfunctoria.
6
Ostendam vulnera.
7
Secura.