YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY From the COLLECTION OF OXFORD BOOKS made by FALCONER MADAN Bodley's Librarian TERTULLIANs PRESCRIPTION AGAINST HERETICKS. TERTULLIANs Prescription againft HERETICKS; A N D TH E APOLOGETICKS O F St.THEOPHILUS Bishop of ANTIOCH T o AU T 0 L Y C U S, AGAI N ST The Malicious Calumniators of the Christian Religion, Tranflatcd from their refpeclive Originals, with Notes and Preliminary Diflertations. By JO SET H B E T T T, M. A Fellow of Exeter College , O X O N. T)n fyxfiuct, E9-» xgKTiA-u, VI. Can. Concil. Nie. O X F O R D, Printed at the Theatre, for C. R i v i n g t o n in St. Paul's , Church-yard, and J. C lark e at the Bible under the Royal Exchange. M DCC XXII. * Imprimatur. ROB. SHIPPED, Vice-Can. 0 XO N. $laii iy3 1711. TO THE MOST REVEREND Father In GOD WILLIAM, By Divine 'Providence Lord Arch-Bishop of TO R K, Thefe Trikflations OF Tertullian's Prefcription, AND ¦SV.Theophilus's Apologeticks ARE with the moft devout Reverence, the moft fervent Zeal, and the moB profymdMuwiUfy Infcrih'd, By, My Lord, Tour GRACEs Moft Devoted, Humble Servant J. Betty. ERRATA In Tertull. PAG. 13. Line 14. for Waftes read waftes. Pag. i«5. Line 3. for anthoiiz'd. authoriz'd ; Pag. 49, Line 16. for «#»--« «pp«m. Pag. 66. Line 31. /or Luxurioufneis Uxoriou&efs. Pag. »58. Line 16. fir of Angels, from among the Order of Angels. ERRATA In Tbeoph. PA G. 164. 13. for Perfections Perfeftion. Pag. ai*(. Line 8. for Ballot Balitu. for Barfttt Barfas. Pag. 148. for sffologettcl^ sfptlogaick. [I] n ^*^i&*^» i^fe^" Vr' tffifftiri&r^**$^/7 $mM ^%^ Can * Cyprian, Jtrom. It To Tert&lMs&refcriptwn. 3 it poffibly, be thought a good Argument to re- jdSti an%EKpto(feidie Opinioaa and Writing of a Man of-tHS moft inquifftive and fagacious Spirit* wfiofeilextenfive and unlimited Genius had carried him thro' alllwman Sciences,jaqd tfha^ for no other reafon butlb-icaufe fomefcime after the Publishing .his Wiffingst he by forrie •unlucky 'Adddent loft his -rigftflifenfes. We wth only toeonfider thef Validity ofthe Reafonin^, the Truth, and Soundnefs- of theCArguinentS inithe Writings of any Author. Wr£holild^ot fuflerour felyes upon any account to be pre- jiiHicd?w-itfi"refpeci: to Character, Time, Place, Teaser , or 1 any other>Circumftance of the Writer. As for the Reafons and Arguments offers! by our Author, if they are not fufficient to con vince any reafbnable man that maturely weighs them ; fure I ;amj' that the Authority of no finf- gle perfott will ever have any influence over Kim, tho' it may come attended with the greac- eft recommefadaliori, andbrfetti off to the beft advantage. ^The Defign of this little Tteatife is tofhew, that the Appeal to Scripture; is. very. injuft in Hereticks, who not being Ghriftiains, can there fore haVe no Claim or Title to the Scriptures. Thefe were carefully committed in trnft by the Apoftles to their Succeflbrs ¦, and that to whom the Scriptures were committed,to them alfowafc committed the Interpretation of Scripture. ' He afterwards goes on to prove the Truth of that Do&rine the Church of Africl then held, by A 2 fhew- 4- The univerfal Agreement of the i *_ _ , , ^_ a See Seftion 1 1 . Fa- To TertullianV Trefcription. y Fathers ofthe Church from the Apoftles days down to thofe of our Author, was an Argu ment that would admit of no juft Exception. Nor could the Hereticks otherwife evade it's force, than by calling in queftion the Integrity of all Holy Men, who had gone before them. Yet ftrange, exceeding ftrange muft it be, that for fo long a time together, during this Com bination and Confpiracy in Iniquity, not one fhould be found who ever repented of^ or pro tected againft the Forgery ; not one who at tempted to reftore and revive that Faith which the Apoftles deliver'd. And yet ftill more mi- raculoufly ftrange muft it be, that God fhould by conferring fo many Gifts, Graces and Powers •upon them, fet the great Seal of Heaven to the -Confirmation of a Lye. And withal that they fhould fo earneftly, even to death, contend for that Faith, which they never believ'd, and which all the while they knew to be an Error. I am confidently perfwaded there are very few or none among us, excepting thofe who have bid farewell both to their Reafbn and their Faith, and upon that account have confecrated their Lives to the Service of Irnpiety, and have fworn Allegiance to the great Enemy of Truth ab well as of Mankind, who will refofe to give fuffrage to the Integrity of the Fathers. Let us then fee; whether, fuppofing thefe Holy Men not entirely devoid of common Honefty, the Church could have fallen into an univerfal Error within the times of the three firft Cen turies. And this truly will fcarce feem poffi- ble, 6 j4 TreUnnnar/ 'Dlfcotirfe bie; if we thoughly confider the words ofT-?r- tuliian. •N&w as from that one Church which was originally planted toy the Apoftles, fpmng up fo many great and flourifhing Churches; fo to all thefe is the Title of Primitive arid Apbftolick Churches due alfq, while they live in the Unity ofthe fame Faith and Difcipline*: and while they religioufly obferve, and ftri<9:ly keep up true brotherly Love and conftant Communion One with another; And Nothing could make them do fo, and preferve thefe facred Rites- en tire, but the Tradition and Obfervation of one and the fame Doctrine and Difcipline. All Chriftians how widely foever difpers'd had conftantly maintain' d one Doctrine and Fellowfhipj and from this one Fellowfhip an uniform Tradition of the Faith was convey'd down to latter ages. For in order to perferve an Union firm akid inviolate, Correfpondencies by Spittles- were kept up between the- Churches;. They had their 6 Koivcomtei 'Zvy^&tfificum, Communicatory Letters iri cafe of emergerit Bufinefs. Whereby all the tommunicable Churches ofthe Cbriftian World were acquainted with the Proceedings which happen'd in every particular Church. Was a new Bifhop elected ? By thefe the Churches were certify'd of his Election, and Orthodoxy in the Faith, and by thefe they gave unto him * See Section io. b Sqe Ew/e&M/ lib. 7. cap. 30. with y'ahfitu's tiotei upon the fame. the To Tertullian'i Trefmptkn. 7 the right hand of Feliowfhip. . Were Innova tions either attempted or effected ? Notice was hereby immediately given to the other Churches,; that by their confenting Votes the Sound in the Faith might be approved, and the Innovators cenfur'd and rejected. Was a Perfon cut off from the Communion of a particular Church ? The Excommunication was by thefe made known to other Chriftian Societies ;! and ther excommunicated Perfon excluded the Commu nion of all, until by the fame Letters Commu nicatory from that particular Church his Recon ciliation was notified and cbnfirm'd. And thus did one uniform Faith and Difcipline obtain all the world Over. I fhall give Inftances of thefe in their turns. Ofthe firft fort is the Inftance from St Cyprian, of Cornelius's Election to the Biflaoprickof Rome, who immediately upon his Confecration font his Communicatory Letters to all Catholicki Bifhops, and among the reft to St. Cyprian, in teftimony of his Advancement to that See,! and his ftedfaft Adherence to the Apoftolick * Faith. And Novatian tho' confecrated uncanonically, and in Schifni, judg'd it expedient to difpatch the like Letters Communicatory to St. Cyprian alfo, as tho' his Confecration had been Canoni cal, and in the Unity of the * Church. This indeed was a difputed Cafe, and St. Cyprian be fore he acknowedg'd either of them as his Col- legue, enquired into the Rights pf the elected. a Cyprian Epift. 45. It Cyprian Epift. 44. Per- 8 A 'Preliminary eDifcourfe Perfons, and having "font to Rome two Bifhops, who were well able to examine the Matter, and receiv'd Letters from the fixteen Bifhops, who ordain'd Cornelius in favour of his Confecration and Orthodoxy, he admitted him into the E- pifcopal College, and rejected Novation as a Schifinatical Intruder. But where the Perfon promoted met with no Oppofition, his Commu nicatory Letters were font to all his Fellow Bi fhops, and by thefe he was joyn'd to the reft of his * Collegues. And thus Optatus in his fecond Book againft Parmenian, having given us a Ca talogue of the Roman Bifhops down to Damn- /us, adds, "'Syricius is at this day the Succeffor " of Damafus with whom both we and the whole ?'World agree together in one Fellowfhip of a Communion, by the Intercourfe of Commu- "nicatory Letters. Secondly, in cafe of Innovation the Primi tive Bifhops acquainted all other Churches here with, that the whole Chriftian World might by the fame Communicatory Letters concur in cenfiiring the Innovators. Of this we have an early Inftance in the Story of Paulus Samofate- nus., and the Circular Letter of the Synod of Antioch. This Paulus had advanc'd an opinion concerning Chrift, that he was by nature no more than a -* meer Man. Hereupon a Synod ofthe neighbouring Bifliops was conven'd, Pau- a Cyprian Epift. 4J. -;•'. b Cyprian -J9. c Damafo Syrians ho- die, cum quo nobis totus Orbis commercio Formatarum, in una Communionis Societate concordat. Optatus Milev. lib.i. ad- verfus Parmen. d Euftb. Hift. Ecclef. lib. 7. cap. 17. Ius To TertullianV Trefcription. 9 Ius was convicted of Herefy, and depos'd, and Domnus elected to fucceed him. Upon this the Bifhops afl^mbled write their Synodical E- piftle, which we-1 have in Eufebiut, in the Names of their refpective Churches, to notify to all other Chriftian Churches the Depofition of Paulus , .and the Confecration of Domnus: add ing withal, h l&r$P&' 'if Ofaetif, icmtfrtt c* f-jr-;-* 7ii\H Si- v,->tj «,*& jQ#l*tlii>TUt evfumuit uQug/Zf&tiom xj ci Jl£ti(df>ei tc) i i)s%Pcli. Canon. yipoM. 1 2. Couleritu's edit, and Mr.WbiJfon's Conftit. Apoft. B Com- 10 ATreliminary Difcourfe " Communicatory Letters, let the Perfon re- " ceiv'd and thofe who receiv'd him, be both " excommunicated. And thus , as * Epiphanius informs us, when Marcion had been excluded the Church by his own Father the Bifhop of Synope in Pontus, and had made Application to the Church of fyme for Admiffion to Commu nion, he receiv'd this Anfwer, " "We cannot ad- "mit you without the confent of your venera- " bie Father ; for there is one Faith and one " Concord, and we cannot act in Oppofition to "oar worthy Collegue, your Father. In this manner was the One Faith and one Difcipline preferv'd inviolate by a conftant Tra dition of all Bifhops, whofe Communicatory Letter* were a continued Teftimony ofthe Do ctrine they held, aud the Practices they main tain 'd. By thefe an entire Harmony and per fect Agreement were kept up in the Churches. And Tertullian was undoubtedly Juft in his Ar gument , when in the name of the African Churches, he claim'd an indifoutable Title to Apoftolick Tradition "becaufe he communi- " cated with the Apoftolick Churches. I /hall profecute this Point no farther, than to make one ufeful and neceffary Obfervation. Whatever Doctrine or Practice, wherein The common Christianity was immediately con- cern'd, we can fhew to have been the Receiv'd a oil $viupi% u-iJjt \m Men who have curioufly itching Ears ; to which Wifdom our Lord having given the diftin- guifliing Term and Denomination of Folly, " hath chofen the foolifh Things of the World " to confound the Wife. For a rafh Explica tion both of the Divine Nature and Difpenfa- tions, and the Manner of God's Proceeding in 4 The Hiftory otPhilumma may be feen in Eufib. Ecclefrfift.lib.f. cap. 13. St. Aitflin de Hxrefibus, and St. Jerome lib. contra Pela- giams. b ^pellet was a Difciple of Marcion, and firft maintain' d the fame Errors in common with his Matter, but being expell'd his Communion he afterwards invented a new Herefy, or rather learn'd it of Philumena a young Woman of Alexandria, who was poflefs'd with an Evil Spirit, which fhe pretended was the* Holy Ghoft. After which he admitted but of One God made up of in finite Parts. He defplfed the Law and the Prophets, and allowed Jefus but a Body of Air, which he distributed among the Ele ments, when he afcended into Heaven. He alfo denied the Re- furreftion ofthe Body. He compofed a Book, the Title of which was, The Prophefies and Revelations of PbiluMcna. See St. ^4uJlm,Phi- laltrius, Eufeb. &c. the xi Tertullian'i Trefcription the Work of Creation is the fubject Matter of all wordly Philofophy. And from this corrupt Fountain did Herefies originally flow. * Voter*- tinus was educated in the School of Plato ^ and thence he drew his Notions of the ALones, and his, I know not what, ftrange Forms, and his Trinity of Man. l Marcion had long convers'd among the c Stoicks, and from thence he taught that an idle, unactive Life, unconcerri'd with either the Virtues or Vices of Men, and entire ly wrapp'd up in the Complacency and Enjoy ment of itfelf, became the fupreme God. The Notion of the Soul's Mortality had it's Rife from the d Epicureans. And that our Flefh can- rfbt be 'reftored after Death is an Opinion maintain'd by every Setl of Philofophers. Where a Valentinus,the Founder ofthe SecT: denominated from him, was an Egyptian. He was very Learned, Eloquent, and a Wonder ful Admirer ofthe Platonick Philofophy, of which alfo he made Profeffion. It is faid that his Diflatisfaftion that Another was preferr'd before hiin to a Bifhoprick, made him quit his Faith, andcolleft his Dreams of certain Gods to the Number of Thirty, which he call'd Moms, i. e. Ages, out of the Poet Hefiod's Fables. He would have fifteen of his Manes to be Male, the other fifteen Female ; and that our Saviour fprung like another Pandora out of their Correfpondencc. He added, that Chrift palled with a Body brought out of Heaven through the Virgin, as a Conduit or Pipe, and that all Men would not rife to Life again. He came to Ttgrnt and abjured his Errors, but it was but for a fhort Time, for he relapfed and maintain'd them with gt-eater Obftinacy than before. See Iremeus, Theodoret, Epiphanius, Eujibius, and St. Jiajjiin. b See an Account of Marcion in the Note upon Seftion jo. c Concern ing the Dochine ofthe Stoicks fee Viog. Lien, d Life of Epicu- rui by Diog. Laert.~ e The Rcftoration of a Perfon from the Dead was one of thofe Things that were thought infuperable even to the Omnipotence of God himfelf. See Pliny Mat. Hifi. lib, 2. c.7. Plutarch de Plachis Pbilofophomm lib. l. cap. 3. Theodoret Z».luimat Tfyip&Tm Serin. 4. we dAgam/l Hereficks. 23 we find Matter to be equal with God, there we are prefented with a Sketch of- Reno's Doctrine. And where an Opinion is ftarted concerning a God, whole Subftance is of Fire, we may be well affured that the Author is a profeffed Fol lower of b Heraclkus. The fame Subjects are treated upon by Hereticks and Philofophers ; and the fame infuperable Difficulties occur to Both. From whence fprings Evil, and what is the Caufe and Principle of it ? What was Maris Original, and how was he made ? And what Valentinus hath laft of all propofed, whence is God ? And the Anfwer will be from the e En- thymefis and the e EUroma. Unhappy Arifi title \ who hath furnifh'd them with Sophiftry, skillful in forming and deftroying Schemes, artful in it's Sentences, forced in it's Conjectures, Dif- a Zeno was the Author ofthe Se8 ofthe Stoick*. He {pake of God, as if he acknowledged but One, and held that the Names of the others belong'd to him as Titles by which the Grecians underftood the different Efiefts of his Goodnefs and Power. But then he maintain'd a moftgrofs Error which is here, pointed at by our Au thor, vhr. his aflerting that God was nothing elfe but the Soul of the World, which he conffder'd as his Body, and Both of them to gether as making -d-p the perfect Animal. That the whole World and Heaven is the Subftance of God, is not only aflirm'd by Ze'no, but the fame Opinion is maintain'd by Chrypppus, and infifted up on by Pofidoniut. See Diog. Laert. and Suida* b Heraclims taught that All Things are compofed of Fire, and capable of being re- folv'd into Fire ; That every thing was done by Chance ; That what is contrary, is united by Alteration ; That every. Thing is full of Spirits ; That every thing tha.t happens is done by various Changes : That all the Univerfe is finite : That there is but one World, form'd of Fire; and That all Things by frequent Revo lutions fhall become Fire, Diog. Laert. c See Irentus lib. i . cap. I . Epiphan. St. Jerom's Comm. lib. 1 1 . in slmos Proph. and our Au thor's Treatifi againfl the Palentiniani. ficult 24 HertuWiarisTre/cription ficult in it's Arguments, full of Equivocations) full of Strifes, Burdenfome even to, and Incon- fiftent with itfelf, Retracting every Thing, that fb it may not feem to have throughly handled and fully determined any Thing. Hence arofe thefe vain Fables and endlefs Genealogies, thefe unprofitable and unedifying Queftions, thefe deceitful Words which fpread as a Can cer; from which the Apoftle reftraining us, hath efpecially bid us to beware ofPhilofbphy5. in his Epiflle to the Colofians, faying, " Beware " left any Man fpoil you thro' Philofophy and " vain Deceit, after the Tradition of Men, and " not after Chrift. The Apoftle had been at Athens, and from his learned Converfation there, had become acquainted with that hu man Wifdom, Which carries with it an Affe ctation and Pretence, as well as a Corruption ofthe Truth 5 and which is divided into a Mul tiplicity of Sects that ftrenuoufly oppofe and. contradict each other. But what Relation is' there between Athens and Jerufalem ? What Communion hath the Academy with the Church* or what part have Hereticks with Chriftians ? Our Inftitution is from Solomon's Porch, whp hath taught us to feek the Lord in Simplicity of Heart. And let Them look to this who have introduced a Stoical, aPlatonick, or a Sophifti- cal Chriftianity. VIII. We have no Need of a fcrupuloufly nice En quiry, after we have found Chrift Jefus, or any cyfgaw/l Hereticks. r s any curious and earneft Search, after we have learn d the Gofpel. If we believe, we defire no thing further than to be Believers. For this is a very diftinguiftiing Property of our Belief, that it contains in it all things necefTary to be be liev'd. I proceed therefore to that Article, which fbme among our felves offer as an Argu ment, why they fhould continue to feek on, and which the Hereticks inculcate as a very great Reafon for Scruple. It is written, fay they, "feek and ye fhaH find."- But let us re member the time, when our Lord fpake thefe Words. I think it was in the very Infancy ofthe Gofpel, when it was as yet doubted by all whe ther he were the Chrift or not ; when as yet Pe ter had not declared him to be the Son of God ; and when fabn had not as yet left off making Enquiry about him, nor did reft fully affured concerning him. Well therefore and with ve ry juft reafon was it faid " feek and ye fhall "find," in that he who was not yet known was to be fought. And this with refpect to the Jews ; for to them appertains the whole of this Reproof, in whofe hands were the Scriptures lodg d, wherein Chrift was to be fought. They have, fays he, Mofes and Elias, the Law and the Prophets, and they foeak of Chrift,; accord ingly he elfewhere expresfly commands them to " fearch the Scriptures, and in them ye have eter- "nalLife, for they fpeak of me." This then is the Meaning of" feek and ye fhall find ." And that the following Words belong unto the Jews is very plain and evident, "Knock and in Hull D "be t6 Tertullian 's Trefcription " be open'd unto you." The Jews had formerly been the favourite Children of God; but were now by reafbn of their Sins caft out, and began to be alienated from God. The Gentiles had never been in Covenant with God-, except it " were as one Drop out of the Bucket, or a fin- " gle Grain out of the Floor," but were always out of the Pale of the Church. How there fore could he who had been always without* knock where he never was ? What Gate could he be acquainted with, who had never been either admitted in, or caft out by any? Was not he who knew, that he had been within, and was now without, rather the Perfon who ought to have knock'd, and who knew the Door? So alfb, "Ask and ye fhall have," be longs unto them, who knew of whom it was to be asked, even of him, from whom they had re ceiv'd the Promifes, vi%. the God of Abraham, JJaac, and Jacobs whom the Nations were, no more acquainted with than they, were with the Promifes. And therefore was it, that he faid to the Ifraelites, " I am not ferit but unto the " loft fheep of the Houfe of Ifrael." He had not as yet caft the Children's Bread unto Dogs^ nor as yet had he commanded his Difciples to enter into the way of the Gentiles. He af terwards indeed commanded his Apoftles to go and Teach, and Baptize all Nations, when he was about to fend unto them the Holy Ghoft the Comforter, who would lead them into all Truth ; and who effectually performed and exe cuted his Office. If then the Apoftles were ap pointed y^ainft, Hereticks. 27 pointed Teachers to the Natrons, and Them- felves were the Difciples of the Holy Ghoft, much lefs may the Expreflion, "feek and ye " fhall find," be applied to us ; to whom the Doctrine of Chriftianity was freely taught by the Apoftles, and to the Apoftles by the Ho ly Ghoft. What our Lord faid, he fpake in deed unto all. But his Words were firft fpo- ken to the Jews, from whence they were de rived down to us ; and many Things reflect ing the Perfbns of the Jews do not fo pro perly bring with them an Admonition to us, as they contain in them the powerful Force of an Example. IX. But admitting this to be the true Accepta tion of the PafTage contended for ; let us then (ifyoupleafe) fuppofe thefe Words, "feek and "ye fhall find," to be fpoken to all Mankind. Yet undoubtedly we ought to interpret them according to Senfe and Reafbn. No Seripture is of fo large and univerfal an Extent, as that we ought to defend the Letter without paying fome Regard to the Reafbn and Difpofition of the Words. This then I affert, that there is one certain pofitive Rule of Faith taught by Chrift, which all Nations are bound to believe, and confequently obliged to feek, that fb when they have found, they may believe. Now the fearch after one certain pofitive Rule cannot poflibly be infinite. You muft feek therefore Da till i8 Tertullian'j Trefcription till you can find, and when you have found* you muft believe. There is then nothing more required of youy than to keep That firm and inviolate which; you have believ'd; and more over to believe that no other Thing is to be be liev'd, and therefore not to be fought, becaufe you have already found, and do at prefent be lieve what Chrift hath taught, who requires not of you to fearch after any other Thing than what he hath taught. And now if any* one fhall doubt what That is, it fhall be fiiffi* ciently made appear, that it is That which we have in our keeping, and that it is the facred Depofitum which was committed to our Truft. In the mean Time Relying upon the Validity of my future Proof^ I fhall give this Admoni tion to fome Men, vi^. . That they feek not far ther than that Rule, which they have believ'd to be the very Thing, fbr which they ought to feek ; and that they would not interpret the Words, " feek and ye fhall find," after any other Manner, than according to Senfe and Reafbn. X. Now the Reafon of this Propofition confifts in thefe three Points, vi\. in the Thing, in the Time, and in the Manner. In the Thing, that you may confider what it is that is to be fought. In the Time, that you may know when it is to be fought ; and in the Manner, that you may be certified how long you are to feek. You muft feek therefore That which Chrift hath taught; yfya'w/l Hereticks. 29 taught ; and tho' you find it not, you muft how ever go on to feek until you find. But you have found when you believe, for otherwife you would not have believ'd, if you had not found ; as neither would you have fought, but that you might find. For this end then you feek that you may find, and for this end you find, that you may believe. By Believing you have put a Stop to all further Endeavours of feeking and finding. This Bar hath He put in your way, who willeth not that you believe any other Thing than what he hath taught. But if becaufe fo many other Things are taught by Others, we are therefore bound to feek fo long as we can find, we fhall then be always feeking, and never come to any fix'd and fettl'd Belief. For where will be the End of feeking ? Where fhall I firmly fix my Belief? Or what fhall be my Period, and what my compleat Standard of finding ? Shall Marcion ? But then Valentinus al fb loudly calls upon me with a "feek and ye "fhall find." Shall Valentinus ? But then Apelles thunders in my Ears the very fame Thing ; and Ebion and Simon, and All of them in order do of fer the fame Pleas ; they All alledge the fame Reafons, whereby infinuating themfelves into me, they may make me a Convert to their re- feective Party. I fhall therefore make no End of feeking,whilft I every where meet with "feek " and ye fhall find ;" and be, as if I had no where, and at no Time learn'd what Chrift hath taught, what All Men are bound to feek, and what All Men are bound to believe. XI. He 30 TertullianV ^Prefcription XI. He is fafely Curious, who wanders not out of the way thro' his Curiofity, altho' to be exceed ingly Curious is in itfelf a Fault, and fuch an one as is generally attended with the moft per nicious Confequences. He, I fay, fafely feeketb, whole Faith is not endanger'd by his Enquiry. But if I have believ'd what I ought to believe, and then again think my felf bound to feek for fome other Thing, I hope alfo to find that other Thing, which in no refpect I fhould have Reafon to hope for, unlefs I had not believ'd all that I, feem' d to have believ'd, or elfe had fallen from* that very Belief, and fb Rejecting the Faith I am found to be a Denier of it. A- gain, I fay that no Man feeketh but for that, which either he' never had, or for that, which he hath already loft. The old Woman, who had loft one of her ten pieces of Silver, dili gently fought it, but when fhe had found it, fhe left off feeking. The Neighbour, who wanted Bread, knocked, but after it was open'd unto him, and he had received the Bread, he ceafed from Knocking. The Widow importunately befought the judge to hear her, becaufe for a while he would not, but when fhe was heard, fhe no longer follicited him with her earneft Importunities. There is then an End of feek ing,. and of knocking, and of asking. For it is faid, "to him that asketh it fhall be given, " and to him that knocketh it fhall be opened, "and -Against Hereticks. 3 1 "and he that feeketh findeth." He that feek- eth. always, will fee that he never findeth, for he feeketh there, where it is not to be found. To him that always knocketh, it will never be opened, for he knocketh where no Man is. He that always asketh will never be heard, for he asketh of him that heareth not. XII. But if we muft for ever feek on, (as accord ing to thefe Men we muft always continue to feek on) yet where muft we feek ? :Muft it be" from Hereticks, where all Things are oppofite to and e'ftranged from the -Truth,5 and with whom we are forbid to have any the leaftln- tercourfe or Correfpondence ? Doth a Servant expect Victuals from, a Stranger,', much lefs from his Matter's Adverfary? Doth a Souldier receive a Donative, Stipend, or Pay from fuch" as are not Confederate withj* much lefs from the profeffed and open Enemies of his King, except he be a Deferter, a Revolter, and a Re bel? The old Woman in the Gofpel fought for the piece of Silver fhe had loft within her own Houfe. The Man that knocked, knocked at the Gate of his Neighbour. And the Widow Woman befought a Judge, who, tho' he was un juft, yet was not her Enemy. No Man can be rightly inftructedby Another, who hath no Power, and who likewife hath no Defign or Inclination but to deftroy, nor can Light be well communicated by him, whofe very Light is Darknefs. 32 TertullianV Trefcription Darknefs. Let us therefore feek in our own^ and from our own, and of our own ; and then it will certainly follow, that no other than the found Rule of Faith can poffibly be the Subject of our Enquiry. XIII. Now we have a Rule of Faith, which teaches us what we are to defend and maintain, and by that very Rule we believe, that there is one God, and no other than the Creator of the World; who created all Things out of Nothing by his Word, whom before all Things he fent out from him -. that This Word was call'd the Son ; and at fundry Times and after different Manners appear'd to the Patriarchs in the Per fon of God; that he fpake by the Prophets; and was afterward carried by the Spirit and Power of God the Father into the Virgin Mary; was in her Womb made Flefh, and was born of her in the perfon of Jefus Chrift; that he taught a new Law, and a new Promife ofthe Kingdom of Heaven ; that he wrought Miracles,? was nail'd to the Crofs, rofe again the third day, and being taken up into Heaven fat down at the right hand of the Father ; that he con- fer'd upon the Believers the Gift and Power of the Holy Ghoft, which was the Representative of himfelf ; that he will come again with Glory to receive his Saints into the Rewards of eter nal Life, and the Promifes of Heaven ; and to* condemrt and adjudge the Wicked to eternal Flames, \dgain[l Hereticks. 33 Flames, the Juft and the Unjuft being firft rais'd again, and their Flefh fully reffored. XIV. This is the Rule of Faith laid down by Chrift, about which there have been no Ca vils,* no Difputes, no Queftions moved or pro- pofed among us, but what have been raifed by Hereticks; and an obftinate Oppofition to this Rule is That which makes and conftitutes an Heretick. Now this Rule being inviolably kept compleat and entire , you may feek and en quire, difpute and debate, you may gratify and indulge your Curiofity in it's greateft Range, if there be any thing that feems to you either ambiguous and uncertain, or dark and obfeure. You may perhaps have a Brother highly skill'd in Learning; or you may converfe with Men intimately acquainted with Letters ; or it may be, that you your felf are naturally of a very curious Difpofition and inquifitive Temper; and for thefe Reafons you ftill feek on. But if iri reality, you do already hold all that is abfolute- ly ngcefTary to be known, it is much better for you«*to be ignorant of other Matters, left by chance, You, in the Progrefs of your Enquiry, fall upon That which you ought not by any Means to know. Chrift faid, "Thy Faith hath "faved Thee," not a too critically nice Enquiry, not a too curious * Search into the Scriptures,. •' a TeriulRan muft not here be underftoqd to cenfure any ftudicms Difquifition, any feiious Enquiry , any earneft Search into the ¦ ¦*¦ ¦ ' E Scriptures, 34 Tertullian'j Trefcription A Certain Rule of Faith is given you, you have a Law, and the Obfervation of that Law will undoubtedly fave you. Curiofity andan at f ected Oftentation of much Knowledge is the Foundation of all thefe vain Searches and Re- fearches. But let Curiofity yield to Faith, and vain Glory give way to your Salvation. Put an end to all thefe Clamours, think it your greateft Intereft to fubmit, and learn at laft, to be Quiet and Content. To know Nothing contrary to the Rule of Faith is in Effect to know all Things. Let us now fiippofe that He reticks were not at all Enemies to the Truth ; let us likewife (if you pleafe) fiippofe that we our felves were not forewarn'd to avoid them ; yet where (I pray) would be the mighty Advan tage of difputing with Men who profefs them- felves to be only Seekers. For if they do yet truly feek, they have then found out nothing certain, whereon firmly to rely ; and therefore whatfoever they may feem to after t, or pretend to hold, yet by their feeking, they evidently tew their Doubt and Diftruft of it. And fo you> Who are your felf -doubtful , blind, and uncertain, making Application to Men, -who Scriptures,, provided it be done upon an honed: and good Principle. He only inveighs agaihft the Gnoflkks, whofe elabo rate Searches, whc?fe ctnipus Hypothefes, and whofe refined Spe culations in Divinity did hot fo much tend to the Acquifition of Truth, as that of vain Glory, and the empty Applaufe of Men. Every one of them pretended to excell his Brothef in WMom and Knowledge, and not only his Brother, but even the Apoftles, and Chrift himfelf. This is the Wifdom which (according to St.James) hE«m!yi$enfujil,pevilifo. ' 6 ' / them- (LAgainft Hereticks. 3$- themfelves feek, cannot but by fuch doubtful, uncertain, and blind Guides be infallibly led into a. Ditch-. Seeing then, that under the Pretext of feeking, they carry on their Defigns to deceive, and this too, to the end that they may intrude their Books upon us by layiug us under immoderate Scruples; and fince upon our nearer Approach to them, we find them undertaking That, which by their own Concet fions they are uncertain of; we ought therefore to behave our felves towards them in fuch a Manner, as to let them fee, that we chufe not to deny Chrift but them. For in that they yet feek, they therefore hold no fettled Opinion ; and in that they hold no fettled Opinion, they have not believ'd; and in that they have not believ'd, they therefore are not Chriftians. E- venThey who have framed to themfelves fixed Tenets, and a fettled Form of Belief, do yet fay, that we muft feek on, in order to defend them : but before they enter upon That De fence, They are obliged to acknowledge that they have believ'd, which yet by the very Act of Seeking they openly deny. If then they can not, even in their own Opinion, be accounted Chriftians, how much greater Reafon have we for not efteeming them as fuch ? What Faith are They capable of Defending, who endeavour to impofe upon, and circumvent us by Fallacy? What Truth can They pretend to Patronize, who begin their Defence of Truth with a Lye? But then the Appeal to Scripture is what They fo highly infift upon, the Scripture is continual- E 2 ly 3 6* Tertullian'j Trefcription ly in their Mouths, and by Scripture only will They be tried. XV. Here then we come to the Point. For the Thing which we have hitherto aim'd at, and which we have all along had in our Eye, hath been to enter upon that very Queftion, which our Adverfaries fo loudly demand of us to an- fwer. The Scripture is what they pretend to; and by being fteel'd with fuch ftudied Boldnefs as to make their Appeal to Scripture, they have made very ftrong Impreflions upon fome Men. In the Procefs of their Difputes, they tire out the Strong, lead captive the Weak, and fill the Minds of moderate Chriftians with extravagant and unreafonable Scruples. This therefore in the firft place we lay down as an unalterable Principle to regulate our Conduct by, That They-(w$ Hereticks) ought not to be admitted by us to a fcriptural Difputation, For, if with thefe Arms they fight, we ought, before they take poffeffion of them, to enquire, whole the Scriptures are, and to whom they properly belong, left we beftow upoh them That,, to which they can lay no lawful Claim, and to which they can upon no account make any Pretention. XVI. But that they might not think me in any re- fpect Diftruftful ofthe Merits of my Caufe, or as if by giving my felf an Air of Affectation, I might ^igainjl Hereticks^ 37 might feem only to differ from them in Re ligion ; I fhould have readily chofe to enter in to a Controverfy with them, were it not, that the profound Obedience which I owe to the Apoftles Command, requires of me to "avoid foolifh Queftions, and not to lend an Ear, to new Doctrines ; as alfo, " to reject an Heretick "after the firft Admonition," and not afterDif^ putation. He hath therefore forbidden Difpu- tation ; and hath order d Rejection to be the Way and Method of treating Hereticks, and this too hath he order'd after the firft or fecond Admonition, becaufe an Heretick is no Chri ftian: that fo he* might not feem after the Manner of a Chriftian to be cenfiired in the Prefence of two or three WitnefTes ; and more efpecially fince That very Thing which calls fbr a Cenfure upon him, forbids alfo difputing with him. But after all, what Good is like tb arife, or what will be the Refult of fiich a Scriptural Combat, but an Excels of Paffion, and a De fect of Reafbn? XVII. Now This 4 Herefy receives not fome Scri ptures, or if it does receive them, yet it re- a Our Author proceed* in this Seffion, which is direftly levelled at the Gnofiicb, to offer his . Reafons why it is not expedient to adiiiit Hereticks to a Scriptural Difputation. And This he urges chiefly from hence, •*¦/•{. becaufe they receive not the whole and entire. Canon of Scripture, and becaufe They rejeft feveral ofthe Divinely infpired. Books. For this Reafon therefore it is, that if you admit Hereticks to fuch a Difpute, their Errors cannot then be fo readily and eafily confuted, becaufe They deny the Autho rity of thofe Arguments by which their falfe Notions muft be con futed. See Lup us, Prkrius, Rigaltius. b Marcion, who was follow'd by 38 TertullianV Trefcription ceives them not entire ; but by Strange, Un accountable Additions, and Diminutions, turns and adapts them to the Senfe of it's own Te nets: or if it does receive them * entire, the true Meaning, and the natural Import of them is then commented, and explain'd away. Their deceitful Explications, their adulterated Expref- fions, their vain, and various Conjectures, are all equal Obftacles and Impediments to Truth. For what Convi and of God. All then to be proved, in fhortj is This vi%. that The Doctrine we preach, has a right, Againft Hereticks. 43 i'ijght, a juft, and indifputable Title to Apofto lick Tradition. And This will at the fame Time be a Demonftration of it's own Truth, and a Confutation of the Error of all Heretical Innovation. Now our Title to Apoftolick Tra dition, will from hence appear certain and in difputable, becaufe we communicate with the Apoftolick Churches ; and becaufe there is not any one of our Churches, that maintains any Doctrine different from, or inconfiftent with That, which is taught in the Churches planted by the Apoftles themfelves. This entire Har mony, this perfect Agreement, this general Confent, is therefore,the moft convincing Proof imaginable, that we are Orthodox and Sound in the Faith. XXII. But now becaufe the Proof hereof is fo clear, and full, that if it be produced, no juft Ob jection can poflibly be form'd againft it; and if it be not produced, we may perhaps in fome Meafure feem to leave Room for Hereticks to find Fault with our Prescription, we will there fore go on to give a more full and fatisfactory Demonftration of it. The Hereticks then are generally ufed to fay, that The Apoftles were not acquainted with all necefTary Truth; and likewife, whilft They are poffefed with this Fit of Madnefs, They do at the fame Time pro ceed farther to affert that The Apoftles did in- F z dee*-*! 44 TertulKafu Trefcription deed <• know all Things, but that They did not - teach all they knew to the World. In both thefe Cafes They bring Chrift under the abo minably fcandalous Imputation of fending out Apoftles either not fo well qualified and inftru- cted, or not altogether fo faithful and honeft as they ought to be. But what Man in his right Senfes can poflibly be induced to believe, that any necefTary Thing was conceal'd from them, whom our Lord font out to teach the World, who were his infeparable Companions, who always Uv'd and conftantly convers'd with him, to whom in private he fully explain'd whatever was obfcure in any Part of his Do ctrine, faying, that to them it was "given to "underftand the Myfteries of the Kingdom of "Heaven," which to the People was denied^ and lay conceal'd in the dark Womb of Obfcu- rity? Was not Peter acquainted with all Reve lation, whom our Lord named the Rock wherer on he would build his Church, to whom he committed the Keys of the Kingdom of Hea ven, and gave Power to lofe both in Earth and Heaven ? Did our Lord privately lock up his Secrets from John his favourite Difciple, who fo lovingly leand upon his Breaft, whilft he a This was the grand Objection of the Gnnfikks, who preten-* ded that They were the only Perfons that knew God, and that no one underftood the Scriptures, and the true Meaning of them but themfelves. See Clemens ^ilexandrinus Strom, lib. 2. The Gmftichj fay further, that not only the Apoftles, but even Chrift himfelf conceal'd the true Meaning of his Doftrine. See Inn. lib. 3. cap. 4. fat \AgainH Hereticks. 47 fat at fupper, to whom he difcover'd the Tray- tor Judas , and whom he fo warmly recom mended as a Son in his own ftead to his Mo ther Mary? What would our Lord willingly keep hid from them, before whom he convers'd with Mofes and Elias, and who were allow'd even to hear the Voice from Heaven ? This was a Favour he confer'd not on Them, as if he thought the Reft unworthy of it, but becaufe "iir the Mouth of three Witneffes fhall every ^Word be eftablifh'd." And were They alfb ignorant, to whom after his Refurrection, as they were in the Way to Emaus, he expounded the Scriptures ? He indeed plainly told them, " I have many Things to fay unto you, but you " cannot hear them now," but then he added <4when the Spirit of Truth fhall come, He fhall "lead you into all Truth." By This he fhewed them that They were, They could be unac quainted with Nothing, to whom He had pro- mifed the Spirit of Truth, "who fhould lead " them into "all Truth." And he truly fullfilled his Promife, by caufing the Holy Ghoft to de- fiend upon them, as we learn from the ABs of the Apoftles ; which Scripture, They who receive not, cannot be Partakers ofthe Gifts, Graces, * By All Truth we are here to underftand All Spiritual Truth, fuch as was abfolutely necefTary to be known by Men in order to work out their Salvation in a proper Way. The Lord did not fay, I will fend unto you the Spirit of Truth, who fhould inform yon ofthe Motions ofthe Sun, and ofthe Moon, and ofthe Celeftial Bodifes. His DeGgn was not to make you Philofophers but Chriftians. St. stiift'm lib. 1 . contra Manich. and 4.6 Tertullian'j Trefcriptiott and Operations of the Holy Ghoft, who have . not wherewithal to prove His Defeent, who have not wherewithal to defend the Church, and who cannot fhew when, and from what Be ginnings That Body took it's Rife. XXIII. It is a Matter of no fmall Moment, and of no inconfiderable Service to the Orthodox Caufe, to fhew, that The Hereticks have it not in their Power to give a fufficient Proof even of thofe Truths, they teach, and much lefs of the palpably falfe Tenets, which they impofe upon the World. In Order then to fet an heinous Mark of Infamy upon the Apoftles, and to expofe their Ignorance, They urge, that Peter and his Companions were reprimanded by Paul, and therefore, fay They, there muft cer tainly be fome Defect, fome Failure or other in them. Now, This They fay in Order to make way for the following Conclufion, vb{. That a more plentiful Effufion of Wifdom might* poffibly have fince come down upon them, juft after the fame Manner, as it happen'd to Paul, * when he reprimanded his Predeceflbrs in the Faith. But here we may reafonably demand of thefe Men, who reject the ABs ofthe Apoftles, to fhew us firft who this Paul is, concerning whom they fo mightily talk, what he was be fore he was an Apoftle, and how he came to be an Apoftle ? For it is not enough to fix pur Belief, to fay, that Paul himfelf hath declar-, ed, ^Againji Hereticks. 47 edj that of a Perfecuter he was made an A- poftle j for our Lord thought not his own Te ftimony of himfelf fufficient. But They will be readily inclined to believe any Thing without Scripture, rather than be prevail'd upon not to believe againft Scripture. For whilft They urge that Peter was reprimanded by Paul, They teach that another Gofpel was preach'd by him, than what had been before preach'd by Peter and his Companions; whereas Paul, being made inftead of a Perfecuter a Preacher of the Go fpel, was brought in unto the Brethren by the Brethren, and was as one of the Brethren, and was thus introduced to them by fuch, as had received the Faith from the Apoftles. And afterwards, as He himfelf informs us, He went up to Jerufalem to fee and converfe with Peter, vv{. by Virtue ofthe fame Faith and their joynt Commiflion to preach the Gofpel. For They would not at all have wondred that He who had perfecuted them in times paft, was now become a Preacher, if he had preach'd any new Faith, or any different Do&xinej nor would they have had any Reafbn to glorify God, be caufe Paul an Enemy was come up unto them. Wherefore They gave unto him the right hand of Fellowfhip, which was an evident Token of the Harmony and Agreement both of them felves and their Doctrine ; and moreover They order'd a Diftribution ofthe OSice not a Sepa ration of the Gofpel. They order'd not that One fhould preach One Thing and a Second Another; but that One fhould preach unto Some, 4-8 Tertullian *s Trefcription Some, and Another unto Others; that Peter fhould go unto the Circumcifion and Paul unto the Heathen. But if Peter was blamed for hav ing eat with the Gentiles, and alfb for fepa- rating himfelf from them out of Refpect of Perfons, after thus having eat with them ; This at the moft was an Error only in Conversation, and not in the Faith that was preach'd. Here was no other God introduced than the Creator of the World ; no other Chrift than He that was born of the Virgin ; and no other Hope than That of the Referre-aSon ofthe Dead. XXIV. I am not arrived to that prodigious Height of Wifdom, or rather funk into fiich a defpe- rate Degree of Folly, as to pafs any Cenfure upon the Apoftles, or to place them in any Oppofition One to the Other. But fince thefe ftrangely obftinate and perverfe Men do urge this Reprimand of St. Peter with a defign to render the former Faith fiifpected, I will boldly give this Anfwer on Peters fide, that Paul him felf hath faid, that "He was made all Things " to all Men, to the Jews he became as a Jew, " to thofe that were not under the Law, as not "under the Law, that he might gain all." So that They blamed fbme Things done out of Re fpect to Seafons, Perfons, and Caufes, which at other Times out of refpect to the fame Cir- cumftances of Caufes, Perfons, and Seafons, they neverthelefs thought fit to do. But after all, Againft Hereticks. 49 all, what if Peter fhould in his turn too repri mand Paul for circumcifing Timothy, after he had prohibited Circumcifion ? Let Men take efpecial Care what Cenfiires they impioufly pafs upon Apoftles. It is well thzt-Peter was equall'd with Paul in Martyrdom. For altho' Paul was carried up into the third Heaven, and taken up into Paradife, and there heard certain * Voices, yet we muft not fiippofe, that he learn' d any new Doctrine, fince the Voices he heard were fuch, as it was lawful for no Man to utter. But if any one vainly pretends that thefe un- fpeakable Words have by fome Means or other become known unto him, or if any Herefy rafh- ly affumes to itfelf this Pretext, it muft then necefTarily follow, that either Paul betray'd the Secret he was entrufted with, or another muft be produced, who hath in like Manner been taken up into Paradife, and freely permitted to fpeak That, which was not upon any account lawful for Paul to utter. XXV. But as I have before obferv'd, it is owing to the fame unaccountable Fit of Madnefs, that tt This, is what the Gnoflickj pretend, makes fo mightily for them and their Caufe ; and that their Doctrine had its Rife and Foun dation from what St. Paul receiv'd when he was Caught up into the third Heaven, where he heard the «pf»y» fifigau, or unfpeakable Words. This Valentinus boafts of, and fays that his Matter Theo- dades, an Intimate of St. Paul's reveal'd the whole Matter of this fecret Hiftory. See Clemens stUxandrims, Strom, lib. 7. Theopkylaft, Coram, in z Epift. ad Cor. G They 5*o Tertullian'j Trefcription They advance the following Affertion, vi%. that the Apoftles did indeed know all Things, and their Doctrines were tolerably confiftent, and agreed well enough together, but that they re veal'd not all Things to all Men : that They taught fome Things openly and to all, others in fecret, and to a fmall and felect Number of Perfons. And This is what St. Paul hinted at, when he thus charged Timothy, "O Timothy "keep That which is commited to thy Truft.", And again, "That " good Thing, that was com- "mittedunto thee, keep." But what (I defire to be informed) was this fecret Depofitum, that it muft thus necefTarily be interpreted of a new Doctrine? Was it the Charge;, of which he fays, -¦'This Charge I commit unto thee, Son Timo- 11 thy." Or was it the Commandment whereof he thus writes, " I give thee Charge in the fight " of God, who quickeneth all Things, and by " Jefus Chrift, who before Pontius Pilate witnefs'd " a good Confeflion, that Thou keep This Com- "mandment." But what Commandment, and what Charge (I pray) could This be ? For, from what goes before and follows after, it will ap pear, that St. Paul fpake not here of any re mote Opinion, or hidden Doctrine, but rather a By the Dttjofitum our Author muft neceflarily be underftood to mean the Catholick Doftrine of Jefus Chrift. See Vincentim Lerinenfis. By the Depofitum or Charge, which St. Paul charges Timothy With, fome however are willing to underftand the Gifts and Graces of the Holy spirit, which TimoSg received by Ordination or Impo sition of Hands. See Theodoret. earneftly cAgainft Hereticks. 5-1 earneftly enforced and inculcated a ftrict Ob servance of the Doctrine He heard frofa him, and I think, openly too, as he fays> "before "many Witneffes." By which WitnefTes, it mat ters not at all, whether They will understand the Church or no ; fince Nothing can long be kept as a very great Secret, which is declared before many WitnefTes. And likewfe tho' He "wills him "to commit the fame to faithful Men, who "fhould be able to teach others alfo," This can by no Means be interpreted as an Argument in Favour of fome conceal'd and hidden Doctrine. For by ufing the Words uThefamej' he has ex- presfly reftrain'd and limited them to the Sub- je