sumitur; et ubi materia cum deo aequatur, Zenonis disciplina est; et ubi aliquid de igneo deo allegatur, Heraclitus intervenit. Eaedem materiae apud haereticos et philosophos volutantur; iidem retractatus implicantur : 5 unde malum, et quare? et unde homo, et quomodo? et quod proxime Valentinus proposuit: unde deus? scilicet de enthymesi et ectromate. ID. de Praescr. 7. XL. (APOSTOLUS prohibet) haereticum post unam correptionem convenire, non post disputationem. Adeo inter10 dixit disputationem . . . quoniam nihil proficiat congressio scripturarum, nisi plane aut stomachi quis ineat eversionem aut cerebri . . . 15 ... Ergo non ad scripturas provocandum est. . . . Nunc solum disputandum est, quibus competat fides ipsa cujus sint scripturae, a quo, per quos et quando, et quibus sit tradita disciplina, qua fiunt Christiani. Christus Jesus . . . undecim . . . jussit ire et docere nationes . . . statim igitur apostoli . . ecclesias apud unamquamque civitatem condiderunt, a quibus traducem 20 fidei et semina doctrinae ceterae exinde ecclesiae mutuatae sunt et quotidie mutuantur, ut ecclesiae fiant. Ac per hoc et ipsae apostolicae deputabuntur ut soboles apostolicarum ecclesiarum. Omne genus ad originem suam censeatur necesse est. Itaque tot ac 25 tantae ecclesiae una est illa ab apostolis prima, ex qua omnes. Sic omnes primae et omnes apostolicae, dum una omnes probant unitate communicatio pacis et appellatio fraternitatis et contesseratio hospitalitatis, quae iura non alia ratio regit, quam eiusdem sacramenti una traditio. Where matter is made equal to God, it is the teaching of Zeno; and where anything is stated about a god of fire, it is Heraclitus who comes in. We have the same subjects repeatedly discussed by heretics and philosophers with the same complicated reconsiderations. Whence is 5 evil, and why? Whence is man, and how? and-the very latest problem of Valentinus-whence is God? From enthymesis and ectroma, no doubt. The Argument of Tertullian from Tradition. It is after a single rebuke, not after a discussion, that the Apostle forbids us to converse with a heretic. Discus- 10 sion then he has forbidden... for (amongst other reasons) a debate over Scripture plainly does no good, unless it be to disturb either temper or brains. . . Therefore we must not appeal to Scripture. The only question we just now have to discuss is, With whom is that very 15 faith to which Scripture belongs? From whom, through whom, when and to whom was the rule delivered by which men become Christians? Christ Jesus ... commanded the Eleven to go and teach the nations... straightway therefore the Apos tles . . . founded in the several cities Churches from which the rest have thenceforth borrowed and daily borrow the shoot of faith and seeds of teaching, in order that they may become Churches; and it is from this fact that they too will be counted Apostolic, as the 25 offspring of Apostolic Churches. Every kind of thing must be estimated by reference back to its origin. Therefore the Churches, whatever their size or number, form, but the single primitive Church which comes from the Apostles, and its offspring are they all. Thus they are all 30 primitive and all Apostolic, since they are all approved together by their union in the communion of peace, the title of brotherhood, and the interchange of hospitalityrights which are governed by no other rule than the single tradition of the same mystery in all. Here then we enter 35 ... Hinc igitur dirigimus praescriptionem, si dominus Iesus Christus apostolos misit ad praedicandum, alios non esse recipiendos praedicatores, quam quos Christus instituit. . . . Si haec ita sunt, constat proinde omnem doctrinam, 5 quae cum illis ecclesiis apostolicis, matricibus et originalibus fidei, conspiret, veritati deputandam, id sine dubio tenentem, quod ecclesiae ab apostolis, apostoli a Christo, Christus a deo accepit; reliquam vero omnem doctrinam de mendacio praeiudicandam, quae sapiat contra veritatem 10 ecclesiarum et apostolorum et Christi et dei. Ibid. 16-21. XLI. NON omittam ipsius etiam conversationis haereticae descriptionem, quam futilis, quam terrena, quam humana sit, sine gravitate, sine auctoritate, sine disciplina, ut fidei suae congruens. Inprimis quis catechumenus, quis fidelis, 15 incertum est; pariter adeunt, pariter audiunt, pariter orant, etiam ethnici, si supervenerint; sanctum canibus et porcis margaritas, licet non veras, iactabunt. Simplicitatem volunt esse prostrationem disciplinae, cuius penes nos curam lenocinium vocant. Pacem quoque passim cum omnibus 20 miscent. Nihil enim interest illis, licet diversa tractantibus, dum ad unius veritatis expugnationem conspirent. Omnes scientiam pollicentur. Ante sunt perfecti catechumeni, quam edocti. Ipsae mulieres haereticae, quam procaces! quae audeant docere, contendere, exorcismos agere, cura15 tiones repromittere, forsitan et tingere. Ordinationes eorum temerariae, leves, inconstantes. Nunc neophytos collocant, nunc saeculo obstrictos, nunc apostatas nostros, our demurrer, that if the Lord Christ Jesus sent Apostles to preach, other than those whom Christ appointed ought not to be received as preachers. . . . If these things be so, it is in the same way plain that all teaching which agrees with those Apostolic Churches which are the wombs and 5 origins of the faith must be ascribed to the truth, such teaching doubtless containing that which the Churches. received from the Apostles, the Apostles from Christ, and Christ from God, whereas all other teaching must be summarily set down as false, since its tenor is opposed to the 10 truth of the Churches and Apostles, and Christ and God. Disorderly Worship of Heretics. I WILL not leave out a description of the conduct also of the heretics-how empty it is, how earthly, how merely human, without sobriety, without impressiveness, without discipline-as suits their faith. In the first place, who is 15 catechumen and who faithful, is doubtful. They all come up alike, all hear, all pray alike-heathens too, if they come in. That which is holy they will cast to the dogs, and their pearls (though they are but shams) to the swine. They will have it that simplicity means the destruction of 20 discipline, and the care of it with us they call pandering. Peace, too, they mix up at random with all comers; for with all their differences of thinking they care for nothing so long as they are agreed on assailing the one single Truth. They all promise knowledge. The catechumens 25 are perfect before they are fully taught. The very women of the heretics-how pert they are! For they have the impudence to teach to wrangle, to perform exorcisms, to undertake healings, possibly even to baptize. Their ordinations are random, capricious, unsettled. Sometimes 30 they appoint novices, sometimes secular officials, sometimes renegades of ours, in order to bind them by vain ut gloria eos obligent, quia veritate non possunt. Nus quam facilius proficitur, quam in castris rebellium, ubi ipsum esse illic, promereri est. Itaque alius hodie episcopus, cras alius; hodie diaconus, qui cras lector; hodie 5 presbyter, qui cras laicus; nam et laicis sacerdotalia munera iniungunt. Ibid. 41. XLII. AUDIO etiam edictum esse propositum, et quidem peremptorium. Pontifex scilicet Maximus, episcopus episcoporum edicit: Ego et moechiae et fornicationis delicta 10 poenitentia functis dimitto. O edictum, cui adscribi non poterit: Bonum factum! Et ubi proponetur liberalitas ista? Ibidem, opinor, in ipsis libidinum ianuis, sub ipsis libidinum titulis. Illic eiusmodi poenitentia promulganda est, ubi delinquentia ipsa versabitur. Illic legenda est 15 venia, quo cum spe eius intrabitur. Sed hoc in ecclesia legitur, et in ecclesia pronuntiatur, et virgo est. ID. De Pudicit. 1. XLIII. RECENSEAMUS nunc cetera pericula et vulnera, ut dixi, fidei ab apostolo provisa non carnis tantum verum etiam ipsius spiritus molestissima.... Domino certe non potest 20 pro disciplina satisfacere, habens in latere diaboli servum, procuratorem domini sui ad impedienda fidelium studia et officia: ut si statio facienda est, maritus de die condicat ad balneas; si ieiunia observanda sunt, maritus eadem die convivium exerceat; si procedendum erit, nunquam magis |
