Tertullian. A.D. 200.
Tertullian. A.D. 200.
Tertullian, originally a lawyer, in mature life converted to Christianity, and one of its ablest and most fearless advocates against infidels and heretics, flourished towards the close of the second and the beginning of the third century as presbyter in Northern Africa, till about A.D. 220. He was a rugged and eccentric genius, and joined the Montanist sect, which believed in the advent of the age of the Paraclete in the person of Montanus, the continuance of the gift of prophecy in woman as well as man, and the near approach of the millennium, and which maintained severe discipline and some peculiar customs, in opposition to the more tolerant practice of the Catholic Church. He placed truth ( veritas ) above authority and custom ( vetus consuetude ). But otherwise he was one of the strongest champions of catholic orthodoxy against the Gnostic heresies, and would allow no change in matters of fundamental doctrine. He alludes three times to the Creed, and quotes the chief articles with some variations and interwoven with his comments. In other places he mentions only one or two articles, as the occasion suggested. See Walch, pp. 7–10; Hahn, pp. 68–73; Heurtley, pp. 13–17; Swainson, pp. 35–40.
First Form.
De Virginibus Velandis, cap. 1.
Regula quidem fidei una omnino est, sola, immobilis, et irreformabilis, credendi scilicet
The Rule of Faith is altogether one, sole, immovable, and irreformable—namely, to believe
In unicum Deum Omnipotentem,
in one God Almighty,
mundi conditorem;
Maker of the world;
et
his Son, Jesus Christ,
natum ex Virgine Maria,
born of the Virgin Mary
crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato,
crucified under Pontius Pilate
tertia die resuscitatum a mortuis
on the third day raised again from the dead
receptum in cælis
received in the heavens
sedentem nunc ad dexteram Patris
sitting
at the right hand of the Father
venturum judicare vivos et mortuos
coming to judge the quick and the dead
per carnis etiam resurrectionem.
8
the resurrection of the flesh.
Second Form.
Adv. Praxeam (a Patripassian Unitarian), cap. 2.
Nos vero et semper, et nunc magis, ut instructiores per Paracletum, Deductorem scilicet omnis veritatis
believe
quidem
credimus:
9
sub hac tamen dispensatione, quam œconomiam dicimus,
but under this dispensation which we call economy,
ut unici Dei sit et Filius,
and the Son of the one God,
Sermo ipsius, qui ex ipso processerit,
his Word [Logos] who proceeded from him,
per quem omnia facta sunt,
by whom all things were made,
et sine quo factum est nihil.
(John i. 3.)and without whom nothing was made.
Hunc missum a Patre in Virginem,
This was sent from the Father into the Virgin,
et ex ea natum,
and was born of her,
hominem et Deum, Filium hominis et Filium Dei,
both Man and God, the Son of Man and the Son of God,
Jesum Christum:
and called Jesus Christ:
Hunc passum,
He suffered,
hunc mortuum et sepultum,
he died and was buried,
secundum Scripturas;
according to the Scriptures;10
et resuscitatum a Patre
raised again
et in cælos resumptum
taken up into the heavens
sedere ad dexteram Patris,
sitteth at the right hand of the Father
venturum judicare vivos et mortuos:
he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
qui exinde miserit, secundum promissionem suam, a Patre
He thence did send, according to his promise, from the Father,
Paracletum
the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete,
Sanctificatorem fidei eorum qui credunt in Patrem et Filium et Spiritum Sanctum.
11
the Sanctifier of the faith of those who believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Third Form.
De Præscript. Hæret. cap. 13.
Regula est autem fidei, … illa scilicet qua creditur
believe
omnino
esse
That there is but one God,
nec alium præter mundi conditorem
the Maker of the world
qui universa de nihilo produxerit
who produced the universe out of nothing,
per Verbum suum primo omnium demissum;
by his Word sent forth first of all;
appellatum
that this Word, called his Son,
in nomine Dei varie visum a patriarchis
was seen in the name of God in various ways by the patriarchs,
in prophetis semper auditum
was always heard in the prophets,
postremo delatum, ex Spiritu Patris Dei et virtute, in Virginem Mariam
from the Spirit
Virgin Mary
carnem, factum in utero ejus, et ex ea natum
was made flesh in her womb, and born of her
12
lived (appeared) as Jesus Christ;
exinde prædicasse novam legem
that then he preached the new law
et novam promissionem regni cælorum;
and the new promise of the kingdom of heaven;
virtutes fecisse;
wrought miracles;
fixum cruci;
was nailed to the cross;
tertia die resurrexisse;
rose again on the third day;
in cælos ereptum;
was caught up to the heavens;
13
and sat down at the right hand of the Father;
misisse vicariam vim
sent in his place the power of the Holy Ghost,
qui credentes agat;
to guide the believers;
venturum cum claritate
will come again
ad sumendos sanctos in vitæ æternæ et promissorum cælestium fructum,
eternal life
et ad profanos adjudicandos igni perpetuo
to judge
facta utriusque partis resuscitatione,
after the resuscitation (resurrection) of both,
cum carnis restitutione.
14
restitution
of the flesh.
8 That is: This also belongs to the unchangeable rule of faith, that the Lord will hold general judgment after the dead are raised to life again. Neander (Tertull. p. 303) transposes etiam before per: 'To judge the dead also through the resurrection.' To this Tertullian adds: ' Hac lege fidei manente, cætera jam disciplinæ et conversationis admittunt novitatem correctionis, operante scilicet et proficiente usque in finem gratia Dei ' (This law of faith remaining, all other matters of discipline and conversation admit of the novelty of correction, the grace of God, namely, working and advancing to the end). The article on the Holy Ghost is here omitted.
9 In the Latin the following sentences depend on credimus. The English idiom requires more freedom.
10 This important insertion (the only express recognition of the Scriptures in the Creed) is also found in the Nicene Creed ( κατὰ τὰς γραφάς ), after the clause risen on the third day, but disappeared in the later forms of the Apostles' Creed.
11 To this Tertullian adds: ' Hanc regulam ab initio Evangelii decucurrisse, etiam ante priores quosque hæreticos, ne dum ante Praxean hesternum, probabit tam ipsa posteritas omnium hæreticorum, quam ipsa novellitas Praxeæ hesterni. ' i.e. 'That this rule has come down from the beginning of the gospel, even before the earlier heretics, and so of course before the Praxeas of yesterday, is proved both by the lateness of all heretics, and by the novelty of this Praxeas of yesterday.'
12 Al. exisse (Cod. Urs.).
13 Al. sedere, sitteth.
14 'Hæc regula,' he adds here also, 'a Christo, ut probabitur, instituta nullas habet apud nos quæstiones, nisi quas hæreses inferunt et quæ hæreticos faciunt; cæterum manente forma ejus in suo ordine, quantum libet quæras et tractes et omnem libidinem curiositatis effundas.'