Prescription against Heretics 35
Summary: The heretics cannot turn these arguments against the church, whose doctrine is earliest and was never condemned but defended by the apostles.
Latin text · Oehler 2:33
His definitionibus provocatae a nobis et revictae haereses omnes, sive quae posterae, sive quae coaetaneae apostolorum, dummodo diversae, sive generaliter, sive specialiter notatae ab eis, dummodo praedamnatae, audeant respondere et ipsae aliquas eiusmodi praescriptiones adversus nostram disciplinam. Si enim negant veritatem eius, debent probare illam quoque haeresin esse eadem forma revictam qua ipsae revincuntur, et ostendere simul ubinam quaerenda sit veritas quam apud illas non esse iam constat. Posterior nostra res non est, immo omnibus prior est, et hoc erit testimonium veritatis ubique occupantis principatum: apostolis ubique non damnatur, immo defenditur, hoc erit indicium proprietatis. Quam enim non damnant qui extraneam quamque damnarunt, suam ostendunt, ideoque et defendunt.
English · Claude translation
Challenged and refuted by us on these definitions, let all the heresies, whether later than the apostles or contemporary with them, provided they differ from us, whether censured by them in general or in particular, provided they were condemned beforehand, dare to answer with some prescriptions of this kind against our teaching. For if they deny its truth, they must prove that it too is a heresy, refuted by the same test by which they are refuted, and at the same time show where the truth is to be sought, since it is now clear that it is not with them. Our position is not later; rather it is earlier than all; and this will be the testimony of truth, which everywhere holds first place. By the apostles it is nowhere condemned, but rather defended; this will be the proof that it is their own. For the doctrine that those do not condemn who condemned every foreign one, they show to be their own, and so they defend it.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The phrase “apostolis ubique non damnatur” is taken as “by the apostles it is nowhere condemned.”
Cite this passage
Tertullian, Praescr. 35 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-praescriptione/35/).
Plain text
Tertullian, Praescr. 35 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-praescriptione/35/).
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