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The Prescription Against Heretics

Tertullian

Chapter 11

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 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

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is

no

delinquency

;

although

indeed

to

err

it

is

itself

an

act

of

delinquency

.

With

impunity

,

I

repeat

,

does

a

man

ramble

,

when

he

(

purposely

)

deserts

nothing

.

But

yet

,

if

I

have

believed

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

,

although

I

should

by

no

means

entertain

such

expectation

,

unless

it

were

because

I

either

had

not

believed

,

although

I

apparently

had

become

a

believer

,

or

else

have

ceased

to

believe

.

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

knocking

,

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

nothing

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

.

Notes

1
Quamvis et errare delinquere est.
2
Vagatur.
3
Anus illa.
4
Luke xv. 8.
5
Luke xi. 5.
6
Luke xviii. 2, 3.
7
Luke xi. 9.
8
Viderit.