Opening the library…

Search the Bible

The Prescription Against Heretics

Tertullian

Chapter 9

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 IX.—The Research After Definite Truth Enjoined on Us. When We Have Discovered This, We Should Be Content.

I now purposely relinquish this ground of argument

‹ Chapter 8 Chapter 10 ›

.

Let

it

be

granted

,

that

the

words

,

“

Seek

,

and

ye

shall

find

,

”

were

addressed

to

all

men

(

equally

)

.

Yet

even

here

one’s

aim

is

carefully

to

determine

the

sense

of

the

words

consistently

with

(

that

reason

)

,

which

is

the

guiding

principle

in

all

interpretation

.

(

Now

)

no

divine

saying

is

so

unconnected

and

diffuse

,

that

its

words

only

are

to

be

insisted

on

,

and

their

connection

left

undetermined

.

But

at

the

outset

I

lay

down

(

this

position

)

that

there

is

some

one

,

and

therefore

definite

,

thing

taught

by

Christ

,

which

the

Gentiles

are

by

all

means

bound

to

believe

,

and

for

that

purpose

to

“

seek

,

”

in

order

that

they

may

be

able

,

when

they

have

“

found

”

it

,

to

believe

.

However

,

there

can

be

no

indefinite

seeking

for

that

which

has

been

taught

as

one

only

definite

thing

.

You

must

“

seek

”

until

you

“

find

,

”

and

believe

when

you

have

found

;

nor

have

you

anything

further

to

do

but

to

keep

what

you

have

believed

provided

you

believe

this

besides

,

that

nothing

else

is

to

be

believed

,

and

therefore

nothing

else

is

to

be

sought

,

after

you

have

found

and

believed

what

has

been

taught

by

Him

who

charges

you

to

seek

no

other

thing

than

that

which

He

has

taught

.

When

,

indeed

,

any

man

doubts

about

this

,

proof

will

be

forthcoming

,

that

we

have

in

our

possession

that

which

was

taught

by

Christ

.

Meanwhile

,

such

is

my

confidence

in

our

proof

,

that

I

anticipate

it

,

in

the

shape

of

an

admonition

to

certain

persons

,

not

“

to

seek

”

anything

beyond

what

they

have

believed

—

that

this

is

what

they

ought

to

have

sought

,

how

to

avoid

interpreting

,

“

Seek

,

and

ye

shall

find

,

”

without

regard

to

the

rule

of

reason

.

Notes

1
Sponte.
2
Expetit.
3
Certare.
4
Sensus.
5
Cum.
6
See Oehler’s note.
7
Gubernaculo. See Irenæus, ii. 46, for a similar view (Rigalt.). Surely Dodgson’s version, if intelligible in itself even, incorrectly represents Tertullian’s sense.
8
Dissoluta.
9
Porro.
10
[Not to be contented with Truth, once known, is a sin preceding that against the Holy Spirit, and this state of mind explains the judicial blindness inflicted on Lapsers, as asserted by St. Paul, 2 Thess. ii. 10, 13, where note—“they received not the love of the truth.” They had it and were not content with it.]
11
Constabit.
12
Penes nos.
13
Ne.