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The Prescription Against Heretics

Tertullian

Chapter 16

About this work

Tertullian argues that apostolic churches possess the proper claim to interpret Christian Scripture and that rival teachers should not be granted equal standing in debates over the inherited rule of faith.

Author: Tertullian
Date: c. AD 200–210
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Heresiology

Chapter XVI.—Apostolic Sanction to This Exclusion 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

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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

admonition

,

”

not

,

(

be

it

observed

,

)

after

discussion

.

Discussion

he

has

inhibited

in

this

way

,

by

designating

admonition

as

the

purpose

of

dealing

with

a

heretic

,

and

the

first

one

too

,

because

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

,

because

a

controversy

over

the

Scriptures

can

,

clearly

,

produce

no

other

effect

than

help

to

upset

either

the

stomach

or

the

brain

.

Notes

1
De consilio diffidentiæ.
2
Constitutionis, “prima causarum conflictio,”—a term of the law courts.
3
Obsequium.
4
1 Tim. vi. 3, 4.
5
Tit. iii. 10.
6
Matt. xviii. 16.
7
Plane, ironical.