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The Prescription Against Heretics

Tertullian

Chapter 18

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 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 Process.

But with respect to the man for whose

‹ Chapter 17 Chapter 19 ›

sake

you

enter

on

the

discussion

of

the

Scriptures

,

with

the

view

of

strengthening

him

when

afflicted

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

yourself

)

in

denying

and

in

defence

,

or

at

any

rate

on

a

like

standing

he

will

go

away

confirmed

in

his

uncertainty

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

maintain

that

truth

is

on

their

side

.

Notes

1
Or, “from the Scriptures.”
2
Æquo gradu.
3
Statu certe pari.
4
Incertior.
5
Habent.
6
Proinde.