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The Prescription Against Heretics

Tertullian

Chapter 30

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 XXX.—Comparative Lateness of Heresies. Marcion’s Heresy. Some Personal Facts About Him. The Heresy of Apelles. Character of This Man; Philumene; Valentinus; Nigidius, and Hermogenes.

Where was Marcion then, that shipmaster of

‹ Chapter 29 Chapter 31 ›

Pontus

,

the

zealous

student

of

Stoicism

?

Where

was

Valentinus

then

,

the

disciple

of

Platonism

?

For

it

is

evident

that

those

men

lived

not

so

long

ago

,

—

in

the

reign

of

Antoninus

for

the

most

part

,

—

and

that

they

at

first

were

believers

in

the

doctrine

of

the

Catholic

Church

,

in

the

church

of

Rome

under

the

episcopate

of

the

blessed

Eleutherus

,

until

on

account

of

their

ever

restless

curiosity

,

with

which

they

even

infected

the

brethren

,

they

were

more

than

once

expelled

.

Marcion

,

indeed

,

[

went

]

with

the

two

hundred

sesterces

which

he

had

brought

into

the

church

,

and

,

when

banished

at

last

to

a

permanent

excommunication

,

they

scattered

abroad

the

poisons

of

their

doctrines

.

Afterwards

,

it

is

true

,

Marcion

professed

repentance

,

and

agreed

to

the

conditions

granted

to

him

—

that

he

should

receive

reconciliation

if

he

restored

to

the

church

all

the

others

whom

he

had

been

training

for

perdition

:

he

was

prevented

,

however

,

by

death

.

It

was

indeed

necessary

that

there

should

be

heresies

;

and

yet

it

does

not

follow

from

that

necessity

,

that

heresies

are

a

good

thing

.

As

if

it

has

not

been

necessary

also

that

there

should

be

evil

!

It

was

even

necessary

that

the

Lord

should

be

betrayed

;

but

woe

to

the

traitor

!

So

that

no

man

may

from

this

defend

heresies

.

If

we

must

likewise

touch

the

descent

of

Apelles

,

he

is

far

from

being

“

one

of

the

old

school

,

”

like

his

instructor

and

moulder

,

Marcion

;

he

rather

forsook

the

continence

of

Marcion

,

by

resorting

to

the

company

of

a

woman

,

and

withdrew

to

Alexandria

,

out

of

sight

of

his

most

abstemious

master

.

Returning

therefrom

,

after

some

years

,

unimproved

,

except

that

he

was

no

longer

a

Marcionite

,

he

clave

to

another

woman

,

the

maiden

Philumene

(

whom

we

have

already

mentioned

)

,

who

herself

afterwards

became

an

enormous

prostitute

.

Having

been

imposed

on

by

her

vigorous

spirit

,

he

committed

to

writing

the

revelations

which

he

had

learned

of

her

.

Persons

are

still

living

who

remember

them

,

—

their

own

actual

disciples

and

successors

,

—

who

cannot

therefore

deny

the

lateness

of

their

date

.

But

,

in

fact

,

by

their

own

works

they

are

convicted

,

even

as

the

Lord

said

.

For

since

Marcion

separated

the

New

Testament

from

the

Old

,

he

is

(

necessarily

)

subsequent

to

that

which

he

separated

,

inasmuch

as

it

was

only

in

his

power

to

separate

what

was

(

previously

)

united

.

Having

then

been

united

its

separation

,

the

fact

of

its

subsequent

separation

proves

the

subsequence

also

of

the

man

who

effected

the

separation

.

In

like

manner

Valentinus

,

by

his

different

expositions

and

acknowledged

emendations

,

makes

these

changes

on

the

express

ground

of

,

and

therefore

demonstrates

the

difference

of

the

documents

.

These

corrupters

of

the

truth

we

mention

as

being

more

notorious

and

more

public

than

others

.

There

is

,

however

,

a

certain

man

named

Nigidius

,

and

Hermogenes

,

and

several

others

,

who

still

pursue

the

course

of

perverting

the

ways

of

the

Lord

.

Let

them

show

me

by

what

authority

they

come

!

If

it

be

some

other

God

they

preach

,

how

comes

it

that

they

employ

the

things

and

the

writings

and

the

names

of

that

God

against

whom

they

preach

?

If

it

be

the

same

God

,

why

treat

Him

in

some

other

way

?

Let

them

prove

themselves

to

be

new

apostles

!

Let

them

maintain

that

Christ

has

come

down

a

second

time

,

taught

in

person

a

second

time

,

has

been

twice

crucified

,

twice

dead

,

twice

raised

!

For

thus

has

the

apostle

described

(

the

order

of

events

in

the

life

of

Christ

)

;

for

thus

,

too

,

is

He

accustomed

to

make

His

apostles

—

to

give

them

,

(

that

is

)

,

power

besides

of

working

the

same

miracles

which

He

worked

Himself

.

I

would

therefore

have

their

mighty

deeds

also

brought

forward

;

except

that

I

allow

their

mightiest

deed

to

be

that

by

which

they

perversely

vie

with

the

apostles

.

For

whilst

they

used

to

raise

men

to

life

from

the

dead

,

these

consign

men

to

death

from

their

living

state

.

Notes

1
Fere.
2
[Kaye, p. 226.]
3
See adv. Marcion, iv. 4. infra.
4
Enim, profecto (Oehler).
5
1 Cor. xi. 19.
6
Mark. xiv. 21.
7
Stemma. The reading of the Cod. Agobard. is “stigma,” which gives very good sense.
8
Vetus.
9
Sanctissimi. This may be an ironical allusion to Marcion’s repudiation of marriage.
10
Impegit.
11
In chap. vi. p. 246 above.
12
Energemate. Oehler defines this word, “vis et efficacia dæmonum, quibus agebatur.” [But see Lardner, Credib. viii. p. 540.]
13
Matt. vii. 16.
14
Sine dubio.
15
Alterius fuisse. One reading is anterius; i.e., “demonstrates the priority” of the book he alters.
16
Frequentiores.
17
Nescio qui.
18
Ambulant.
19
Compare de Carne Christi, chap. ii. [Elucidation IV.]
20
Christ; so Routh.
21
We add Oehler’s reading of this obscure passage: “Sic enim apostolus descripsit, sic enim apostolos solet facere, dare præterea illis virtutem eadem signa edendi quæ et ipse.” [“It is worthy of remark” (says Kaye, p. 95), “that he does not appeal to any instance of the exercise of miraculous powers in his own day.”]