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The Prescription Against Heretics

Tertullian

Chapter 2

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 II.—Analogy Between Fevers and Heresies. Heresies Not to Be Wondered At: Their Strength Derived from Weakness of Men’s Faith. They Have Not the Truth. Simile of Pugilists and Gladiators in Illustration.

Taking the similar case of fever, which

‹ Chapter 1 Chapter 3 ›

is

appointed

a

place

amongst

all

other

deadly

and

excruciating

issues

(

of

life

)

for

destroying

man

:

we

are

not

surprised

either

that

it

exists

,

for

there

it

is

,

or

that

it

consumes

man

,

for

that

is

the

purpose

of

its

existence

.

In

like

manner

,

with

respect

to

heresies

,

which

are

produced

for

the

weakening

and

the

extinction

of

faith

,

since

we

feel

a

dread

because

they

have

this

power

,

we

should

first

dread

the

fact

of

their

existence

;

for

as

long

as

they

exist

,

they

have

their

power

;

and

as

long

as

they

have

their

power

,

they

have

their

existence

.

But

still

fever

,

as

being

an

evil

both

in

its

cause

and

in

its

power

,

as

all

know

,

we

rather

loathe

than

wonder

at

,

and

to

the

best

of

our

power

guard

against

,

not

having

its

extirpation

in

our

power

.

Some

men

prefer

wondering

at

heresies

,

however

,

which

bring

with

them

eternal

death

and

the

heat

of

a

stronger

fire

,

for

possessing

this

power

,

instead

of

avoiding

their

power

when

they

have

the

means

of

escape

:

but

heresies

would

have

no

power

,

if

(

men

)

would

cease

to

wonder

that

they

have

such

power

.

For

it

either

happens

that

,

while

men

wonder

,

they

fall

into

a

snare

,

or

,

because

they

are

ensnared

,

they

cherish

their

surprise

,

as

if

heresies

were

so

powerful

because

of

some

truth

which

belonged

to

them

.

It

would

no

doubt

be

a

wonderful

thing

that

evil

should

have

any

force

of

its

own

,

were

it

not

that

heresies

are

strong

in

those

persons

who

are

not

strong

in

faith

.

In

a

combat

of

boxers

and

gladiators

,

generally

speaking

,

it

is

not

because

a

man

is

strong

that

he

gains

the

victory

,

or

loses

it

because

he

is

not

strong

,

but

because

he

who

is

vanquished

was

a

man

of

no

strength

;

and

indeed

this

very

conqueror

,

when

afterwards

matched

against

a

really

powerful

man

,

actually

retires

crest

-

fallen

from

the

contest

.

In

precisely

the

same

way

,

heresies

derive

such

strength

as

they

have

from

the

infirmities

of

individuals

—

having

no

strength

whenever

they

encounter

a

really

powerful

faith

.

Notes

1
Denique has in Tertullian sometimes the meaning of proinde.
2
Causam “purpose,” “final cause.”