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TERTULLIANUS, QUINTUS SEPTIMIUS. 



TERWESTEN, AUGUSTYN. 



076 



I. Of Tertullian's Apologetic Works the following appear to belong 

 to the earlier part of his life, and to have been written in the reign of 

 Septimius Severus. They are free from the peculiar tenets of Mon- 

 tanism: (1.) ' Ad Martyres ; ' for the encouragement and vindication 

 of those who suffered for being Christians. (2.) 'De Spectaculis ; ' 

 written about A.D. 198, against the Roman games and festivals, and to 

 dissuade Christians from being present at them. (3.) 'De Idololatria; ' 

 an exposure of the character and influence of idolatry, with an exhor- 

 tation to Christians to avoid every approach to participation in it. 

 (4.) ' Apologeticus ad versus Qentes pro Christianis ; ' his principal 

 work of this class, and one of the best of all his works, is a powerful 

 refutation of the accusations made against the early Christians, and a 

 warm remonstrance against the persecutions they suffered, addressed 

 to the Roman magistrates. It was written in the year 198, and has 

 been deservedly held in very high esteem both in ancient and modern 

 times. (5.) ' Ad Nationes Libri II.' These two books, which were 

 discovered in manuscript by James Gothofred, and printed by him at 

 Geneva, 1625, 4to, form a kind of supplement to the 'Apologeticus.' 

 The first contains much the same matter as that book, sometimes 

 expanded, sometimes abridged, and sometimes newly arranged; the 

 second takes up the general subject of heathen theology. The date of 

 these books appears to be about A.D. 199, if they were written after the 

 ' Apologeticus ; ' but some writers of high authority, as Neander and 

 Mu'nter, suppose that they were written before the latter work, in the 

 year 198. (6.) The treatise ' De Testimonio Animao' may be regarded 

 as another supplement to the 'Apologeticus,' the 17th chapter of 

 which contains in fact the same argument in a shorter form. Its 

 object is to prove that there exists originally in the human miiid, to a 

 certain extent, a knowledge of the true God, and that this knowledge 

 of God confirms the Christian doctrine of his character. 



The remainder of Tertullian's apologetic works appear to have been 

 written after he became a Montanist. They are: (7.) 'De Corona 

 Militis ; ' a vindication of a Christian soldier, who refused to wear a 

 crown which had been awarded to him, on the ground that it was a 

 badge of heathenism, and who was imprisoned for his refusal. This 

 work contains remarks on other questions relating to the duties of a 

 Christian citizen under a heathen government. (8.) 'De Fuga in 

 Persecutione ; ' a statement of the Montanist opinion that Christians, 

 when persecuted, might neither attempt to save their lives by flight nor 

 bymouey. Written about A.D. 202. (9.) 'Contra Gnosticos Scorpiace ; ' 

 an answer to the slurs thrown upon the martyrs in the persecution 

 of Septimius Severus, by those ' scorpions ' the Gnostics. (10.) ' Liber 

 ad Scapulam ; ' a defence of the Christians, addressed to Scapula, the 

 proconsul of Africa, who persecuted them. 



II. Practical Works, relating to Christian morals and discipline. 

 The following were written before he became a Montanist: 



(11.) ' De Patientia ; ' on Christian patience. (12.) ' De Oratione ; ' 

 on prayer : one of Tertullian's earliest works. (13.) ' De Baptismo ; ' 

 on baptism : a defence and explanation of the rite. (14.) 'De Preni- 

 tentia;' on repentance: a manual for Catechumens and newly- 

 baptised Christians. (15.) 'Libri Duo ad Uxorem ; ' exhorting his 

 wife not to marry a second time, if he should die before her. 



The two following works were, in Neander's opinion, most probably 

 written after Tertullian became a Montanist: (16.) 'De Cultu Femi- 

 narum ; ' on female attire : consisting of two books, the first of 

 which is sometimes denoted by a separate title, namely, ' De Habitu 

 MuliebrL' (17.) ' De Virginibus Velandis ; ' on the veiling of virgins : 

 in opposition to the custom then prevalent at Carthage, of virgins 

 appearing in church with the face exposed. 



The remaining works of this second class are undoubtedly Mon- 

 tanistic: (18.) 'De Exhortatione Castitatis;' dissuading a friend 

 from marrying a second time. To the same purport are (19.) 'De 

 Monogamia;' aud (20.) 'De Pudicitia.' (21.) 'De Jejunitate,' or 

 'De Jejuniis;' recommending the severe practices of the Montanists, 

 in preference to the milder doctrine of the orthodox respecting fasts. 

 In this work, and others of his writings, he applies to the orthodox 

 the term 'peychici' (^i/xi/coi), carnal, which is used by Paul (1 Cor., ii. 

 14) in opposition to 'spiritual.' (22.) 'De Pallio,' composed in the 

 year 208, is a treatise recommending the wearing of the Greek pallium 

 in preference to the Roman toga. It contains much information 

 respecting the form of these garments. 



III. Works on Christian Doctrine and Polemics. The only one of 

 this class which seems to have been written before his Montanism is 

 (23.) ' De Prascriptione (or Prsescriptionibus) Hsereticoruin ; ' against 

 heretics in general, and especially the Gnostics and Marcionites. 



He continued his attacks upon the heretics, and especially the 

 various sects of Gnostics, after he became a Montanist, in the following 

 works : (24.) ' Ad versus Marcionem Libri V.' (25.) Adversus Valen- 

 tinianosj" which Semler supposes to be a close imitation of Irenseus, 

 'Contra Harem.' (26.) 'De Carne Christi,' and (27.) 'De Resur- 

 rectione CarnL*,'are treatises on the resurrection, in opposition to the 

 Gnostics. (28.) 'Adversus Hermogenem ;' against the doctrine held 

 by a Gnostic of that name, that matter is eternal, and that out of this 

 eternal matter not only all sensible things, but also the souls of men 

 are made, the latter being besides endowed with a divine principle of 

 life (irvfvfjLa). Against this doctrine concerning the soul Tertullian 

 wrote another work, from which only some quotations have come 

 down to us : ' De Censu Aninise.' Our loss is the less, as we have a 



fuller treatise by Tertullian on the same subject, (29.) 'De Anima;' in 

 which he discusses the theories of ancient philosophers concerning the 

 soul, and opposes to them all the doctrines of Christianity, that it is 

 spiritual, immortal, and received direct from God. 



There is also a work by him on the doctrine of the Trinity. 



(30) 'Adversus Praxean;' written about A.D. 204 or 205, against the 

 doctrine of Praxeas, which was in fact essentially the same with that 

 which afterwards became known as Sabellianism. 



In the latter part of his life he wrote a work, (31.) 'Adversus 

 Judseos,' in answer to the Jewish objections against Christianity. 



The above list contains all the extant works of Tertullian, but he 

 must have written many more, since Jerome informs us that many of 

 his works had been lost even before his time. (Hieronyrn. ' De Vir. 

 Illust.,' c. 53.) Among his lost works, of which the titles are known, 

 besides that ' De Censu Animrc,' already mentioned, are some which 

 were especially designed to explain the opinions of the Montanists, 

 namely, ' De Spe Fidelium,' one of the earliest works in which was put 

 forth the doctrine now known as Milleunarianism, of the personal 

 reign of Christ on earth for a thousand years, and ' De Paradiso.' He 

 also composed a defence of the ' ecstasies' of the Montauists in six 

 books, to which was added a seventh against a certain Apollonius. 

 His treatise ' De Aarocis Vestibua ' appears to have been lost before 

 Jerome's time. (See Hieronym., ' Epist.' Ixiv., near the end.) Two 

 works which are erroneously ascribed to Tertullian are the 'Carmina 

 Sibyllina,' and the ' Acta Perpetuaj et Felicitatis.' 



Tertullian holds one of the first places, if not the very first, among 

 the Latin fathers, for learning and intellectual power. Even those to 

 whom his peculiar opinions were the least acceptable have eulogised 

 him in the highest terms. Thus Jerome says (' Epist.,' Ixx., sec. 5), 

 " What more learned, what more acute than Tertullian ? 'whose 

 apology and books against the heathen embrace all the learning of the 

 age." Vincentius Lirinensis (' Commonitor.,' o. 24) adjudges to him 

 " by far the highest place among the Latin fathers," and attributes to 

 him " the most extensive learning both in things divine and human, 

 and a grasp of mind which comprehended all philosophy, all sects of 

 philosophers, their authors and supporters, and. every variety of histo- 

 rical and scientific knowledge." Erasmus calls him " by far the most 

 learned of all the Latin theologians." (' Prefat. ad Hilar.') In short, 

 the general judgment of the orthodox in ancient and modern times 

 may be summed up in the words of Jerome : "His genius I praise, 

 his heresy I condemn" (ejus ingenium laudo, hseresin damno). In 

 fact, he appears from his writings to have become acquainted with all 

 the learning then taught in the schools of the rhetoricians, while to 

 this he added the results of careful observation, and then brought all 

 his knowledge to the support of the opinions he embraced, first as. a 

 Catholic Christian and afterwards as a Montanist. Perhaps the most 

 striking feature in his writings is his intimate acquaintance with all 

 the ramifications of heathen theology and worship, aud the powerful 

 use he makes of this sort of learning in his controversies with the 

 heretics. 



His excellences and defects ara strangely mingled. We trace the 

 skill of the rhetorician in his forcible reasonings and his eloquent 

 style, but he has also the rhetorician's faults in arguing often with 

 more sophistry than truth, and in taking liberties with language till 

 his meaning becomes obscure. His warm and zealous temper gives 

 life and impressiveness to his writings ; but its excess made him an 

 enthusiast and ascetic, perhaps we ought in truth to say a fanatic. In 

 his writings we may generally see a striving after words to express the 

 warmth of his feelings and the depth of his convictions, and the 

 result of this effort, combined with the rhetorical character of his 

 style, is often to render his eloquence inflated and obscure. He 

 indulges frequently in figures and hyperboles, and excels in satire and 

 irony. His writings differ greatly both in argument and style. His 

 polemical works are the clearest, but not the most elegant. His best 

 works are his Apologies (4), and those on the Prescription of the 

 Heretics (23), on Repentance (14), on Baptism (13), on Prayer (12), on 

 Patience (11), and his address to Martyrs (1). 



The best editions of Tertullian are those of Rhenanus, Rigaltius, 

 and Semler. A full account of editions and illustrative works is given 

 at the end of the excellent small edition of Tertullian by Leopold, in 

 Gersdorf's 'Bibliotheca Patrum Ecclesiasticorum Latiuorum Selecta,' 

 4 vols. 12mo, Leips., 1839-41, Tauchnitz. 



It is doubtful whether the Tertullianus, or Tertyllianus, from two 

 of whose works there are excerpts in the ' Digest,' is this Tertullianus. 

 The subject is briefly discussed by Zimraern (' Geschichte des Rom. 

 Privatrechts '), with references to other remarks on this subject. Ter- 

 tullian, in his theological works, shows that he was well acquainted 

 with Roman law. 



(The Church Histories of Mosheim, Neander, and Schrb'ckh ; Baehr, 

 Christi ich-Romisclie Theologie; Neander, Antiynosticus Geist des Tertul- 

 lianus, die., 8vo, Berlin, 1825 ; Bishop Kaye, The Ecclesiastical History 

 of the Second and Third Centuries, illustrated from the Writings of 

 Tertullian, Svo, Camb., 1826 ; Miinter, Primordia Ecclesicc Africans, 

 4to, Hafn., 1829. Other works on the Life and Writings of Tertullian 

 are mentioned in the Appendix to Leopold's edition.) 



TERWESTEN, AUGUSTYN, was born at the Hague in 1649. He 

 became at about twenty years of age the pupil of N. Wieling and W. 

 Doudyns ; before this time he had maintained himself by working and 





