Opening the library…

Search the Bible

The Prescription Against Heretics

Tertullian

Chapter 22

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 XXII.—Attempt to Invalidate This Rule of Faith Rebutted. The Apostles Safe Transmitters of the Truth. Sufficiently Taught at First, and Faithful in the Transmission.

But inasmuch as the proof is so near

‹ Chapter 21 Chapter 23 ›

at

hand

,

that

if

it

were

at

once

produced

there

would

be

nothing

left

to

be

dealt

with

,

let

us

give

way

for

a

while

to

the

opposite

side

,

if

they

think

that

they

can

find

some

means

of

invalidating

this

rule

,

just

as

if

no

proof

were

forthcoming

from

us

.

They

usually

tell

us

that

the

apostles

did

not

know

all

things

:

(

but

herein

)

they

are

impelled

by

the

same

madness

,

whereby

they

turn

round

to

the

very

opposite

point

,

and

declare

that

the

apostles

certainly

knew

all

things

,

but

did

not

deliver

all

things

to

all

persons

,

—

in

either

case

exposing

Christ

to

blame

for

having

sent

forth

apostles

who

had

either

too

much

ignorance

,

or

too

little

simplicity

.

What

man

,

then

,

of

sound

mind

can

possibly

suppose

that

they

were

ignorant

of

anything

,

whom

the

Lord

ordained

to

be

masters

(

or

teachers

)

,

keeping

them

,

as

He

did

,

inseparable

(

from

Himself

)

in

their

attendance

,

in

their

discipleship

,

in

their

society

,

to

whom

,

“

when

they

were

alone

,

He

used

to

expound

”

all

things

which

were

obscure

,

telling

them

that

“

to

them

it

was

given

to

know

those

mysteries

,

”

which

it

was

not

permitted

the

people

to

understand

?

Was

anything

withheld

from

the

knowledge

of

Peter

,

who

is

called

“

the

rock

on

which

the

church

should

be

built

,

”

who

also

obtained

“

the

keys

of

the

kingdom

of

heaven

,

”

with

the

power

of

“

loosing

and

binding

in

heaven

and

on

earth

?

”

Was

anything

,

again

,

concealed

from

John

,

the

Lord’s

most

beloved

disciple

,

who

used

to

lean

on

His

breast

to

whom

alone

the

Lord

pointed

Judas

out

as

the

traitor

,

whom

He

commended

to

Mary

as

a

son

in

His

own

stead

?

Of

what

could

He

have

meant

those

to

be

ignorant

,

to

whom

He

even

exhibited

His

own

glory

with

Moses

and

Elias

,

and

the

Father’s

voice

moreover

,

from

heaven

?

Not

as

if

He

thus

disapproved

of

all

the

rest

,

but

because

“

by

three

witnesses

must

every

word

be

established

.

”

After

the

same

fashion

,

too

,

(

I

suppose

,

)

were

they

ignorant

to

whom

,

after

His

resurrection

also

,

He

vouchsafed

,

as

they

were

journeying

together

,

“

to

expound

all

the

Scriptures

.

”

No

doubt

He

had

once

said

,

“

I

have

yet

many

things

to

say

unto

you

,

but

ye

cannot

hear

them

now

;

”

but

even

then

He

added

,

“

When

He

,

the

Spirit

of

truth

,

shall

come

,

He

will

lead

you

into

all

truth

.

”

He

(

thus

)

shows

that

there

was

nothing

of

which

they

were

ignorant

,

to

whom

He

had

promised

the

future

attainment

of

all

truth

by

help

of

the

Spirit

of

truth

.

And

assuredly

He

fulfilled

His

promise

,

since

it

is

proved

in

the

Acts

of

the

Apostles

that

the

Holy

Ghost

did

come

down

.

Now

they

who

reject

that

Scripture

can

neither

belong

to

the

Holy

Spirit

,

seeing

that

they

cannot

acknowledge

that

the

Holy

Ghost

has

been

sent

as

yet

to

the

disciples

,

nor

can

they

presume

to

claim

to

be

a

church

themselves

who

positively

have

no

means

of

proving

when

,

and

with

what

swaddling

-

clothes

this

body

was

established

.

Of

so

much

importance

is

it

to

them

not

to

have

any

proofs

for

the

things

which

they

maintain

,

lest

along

with

them

there

be

introduced

damaging

exposures

of

those

things

which

they

mendaciously

devise

.

Notes

1
Expedita.
2
Susam rursus convertun.
3
Magistros.
4
Mark iv. 34.
5
Matt. xiii. 11.
6
Matt. xvi. 18. [See Kaye p. 222, also Elucidation II.]
7
Ver. 19.
8
Ver. 19.
9
John xxi. 20.
10
John xiii. 25. [N.B. loco suo.]
11
John xix. 26.
12
Matt. xvii. 1–8.
13
Reprobans.
14
Deut. xix. 15, and 2 Cor. xiii. 1.
15
Itaque, ironical.
16
Luke xxiv. 27.
17
Plane.
18
John xvi. 12, 13.
19
See Tertullian’s Anti-Marcion, iv. 5, and v. 2 (Trans. pp. 187 and 377).
20
Nec ecclesiam se dicant defendere.
21
Incunabulis, infant nursing.
22
Traductiones.