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The Prescription Against Heretics

Tertullian

Chapter 3

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 III.—Weak People Fall an Easy Prey to Heresy, Which Derives Strength from the General Frailty of Mankind. Eminent Men Have Fallen from Faith; Saul, David, Solomon. The Constancy of Christ.

It is usual, indeed, with persons

‹ Chapter 2 Chapter 4 ›

of

a

weaker

character

,

to

be

so

built

up

(

in

confidence

)

by

certain

individuals

who

are

caught

by

heresy

,

as

to

topple

over

into

ruin

themselves

.

How

comes

it

to

pass

,

(

they

ask

)

,

that

this

woman

or

that

man

,

who

were

the

most

faithful

,

the

most

prudent

,

and

the

most

approved

in

the

church

,

have

gone

over

to

the

other

side

?

Who

that

asks

such

a

question

does

not

in

fact

reply

to

it

himself

,

to

the

effect

that

men

whom

heresies

have

been

able

to

pervert

ought

never

to

have

been

esteemed

prudent

,

or

faithful

,

or

approved

?

This

again

is

,

I

suppose

,

an

extraordinary

thing

,

that

one

who

has

been

approved

should

afterwards

fall

back

?

Saul

,

who

was

good

beyond

all

others

,

is

afterwards

subverted

by

envy

.

David

,

a

good

man

“

after

the

Lord’s

own

heart

,

”

is

guilty

afterwards

of

murder

and

adultery

.

Solomon

,

endowed

by

the

Lord

with

all

grace

and

wisdom

,

is

led

into

idolatry

,

by

women

.

For

to

the

Son

of

God

alone

was

it

reserved

to

persevere

to

the

last

without

sin

.

But

what

if

a

bishop

,

if

a

deacon

,

if

a

widow

,

if

a

virgin

,

if

a

doctor

,

if

even

a

martyr

,

have

fallen

from

the

rule

(

of

faith

)

,

will

heresies

on

that

account

appear

to

possess

the

truth

?

Do

we

prove

the

faith

by

the

persons

,

or

the

persons

by

the

faith

?

No

one

is

wise

,

no

one

is

faithful

,

no

one

excels

in

dignity

,

but

the

Christian

;

and

no

one

is

a

Christian

but

he

who

perseveres

even

to

the

end

.

You

,

as

a

man

,

know

any

other

man

from

the

outside

appearance

.

You

think

as

you

see

.

And

you

see

as

far

only

as

you

have

eyes

.

But

says

(

the

Scripture

)

,

“

the

eyes

of

the

Lord

are

lofty

.

”

“

Man

looketh

at

the

outward

appearance

,

but

God

looketh

at

the

heart

.

”

“

The

Lord

(

beholdeth

and

)

knoweth

them

that

are

His

;

”

and

“

the

plant

which

(

my

heavenly

Father

)

hath

not

planted

,

He

rooteth

up

;

”

and

“

the

first

shall

,

”

as

He

shows

,

“

be

last

;

”

and

He

carries

“

His

fan

in

His

hand

to

purge

His

threshing

-

floor

.

”

Let

the

chaff

of

a

fickle

faith

fly

off

as

much

as

it

will

at

every

blast

of

temptation

,

all

the

purer

will

be

that

heap

of

corn

which

shall

be

laid

up

in

the

garner

of

the

Lord

.

Did

not

certain

of

the

disciples

turn

back

from

the

Lord

Himself

,

when

they

were

offended

?

Yet

the

rest

did

not

therefore

think

that

they

must

turn

away

from

following

Him

,

but

because

they

knew

that

He

was

the

Word

of

Life

,

and

was

come

from

God

,

they

continued

in

His

company

to

the

very

last

,

after

He

had

gently

inquired

of

them

whether

they

also

would

go

away

.

It

is

a

comparatively

small

thing

,

that

certain

men

,

like

Phygellus

,

and

Hermogenes

,

and

Philetus

,

and

Hymenæus

,

deserted

His

apostle

:

the

betrayer

of

Christ

was

himself

one

of

the

apostles

.

We

are

surprised

at

seeing

His

churches

forsaken

by

some

men

,

although

the

things

which

we

suffer

after

the

example

of

Christ

Himself

,

show

us

to

be

Christians

.

“

They

went

out

from

us

,

”

says

(

St

.

John

,

)

“

but

they

were

not

of

us

.

If

they

had

been

of

us

,

they

would

no

doubt

have

continued

with

us

.

”

Notes

1
Usitatissimi, “most experienced.”
2
Demutare.
3
1 Sam. xviii. 8, 9.
4
1 Sam. xiii. 14.
5
2 Sam. xi.
6
1 Kings xi. 4.
7
Heb. iv. 15. [See p. 221, supra.]
8
[Here the word martyr means no more than a witness or confessor, and may account for what are called exaggerated statements as to the number of primitive martyrs. See Kaye p. 128.]
9
Obtinere.
10
Fidem, “The Creed.”
11
Major.
12
Matt. x. 22.
13
Jer. xxxii. 19.
14
1 Sam. xvi. 7.
15
2 Tim. ii. 19.
16
Matt. xv. 13.
17
Matt. xx. 16.
18
Matt. iii. 12.
19
John vi. 66.
20
A vestigiis ejus.
21
John i. 1; vi. 68, and xvi. 30.
22
John vi. 67.
23
Minus.
24
2 Tim. i. 15; ii. 17; 1 Tim. i. 20.
25
1 John ii. 19. [i.e., with the Apostolic Churches. See Cap. xx, infra.]