A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

TERTULLIANUS. TERTULLIANUS. 1007
must be imperfect and unsatisfactory. Hence, who looked up with peculiar reverence to Cain and
theologians have now for the most part agreed those other characters in the Bible who had fallen
merely to separate those tracts which were com- under the heavy displeasure of the Almighty.
posed while Tertullian was still a member of the 4. Ad Uxorem Libri II. Advice to his wife,
Church, from those which were composed after he with regard to her conduct in the event of his prebecame a Montanist. But even this plan, simple deceasing her. In the first book he earnestly disas it may appear, cannot be completely executed, suades her from contracting a second marriage,
for the doctrines of Montanus were, upon many maintaining that all such alliances are wrong in
points, strictly orthodox, and it was only when principle and inexpedient in practice. In the sespeaking of himself and the nature of his own cond, supposing that, notwithstanding his arguments
mission that he became subject to the charge of to the contrary, she may feel inclined again to
extravagance and heresy. Thus, after we have set enter into wedlock, he urges upon her the necessity
aside a few pieces which are stamped with broad and of uniting herself to a Christian and not to a
well-defined marks of heterodoxy, we shall find a heathen, pointing out that it was contrary to the
considerable number in which the characteristics are express commands of God, and in itself impure,
faint and doubtful, and many more in which they unnatural, and dangerous to form so close a conare altogether wanting. Still the attempt ought to nection with an alien from the faith.
be made; and accordingly we shall pursue the 5. Ad Mcartyres. An earnest exhortation to
method followed by the Bishop of Lincoln, the the brethren who were suffering persecution on
best, perhaps, which the circumstances of the case account of their faith, to remain steadfast, in deo
permit us to adopt. We shall place together: — fiance of imprisonment, torture, or death itself,
I. Works probably written while he was yet a looking forward with eager anticipations to the
member of the Church. II. Works certainly glories and privileges reserved for those who won
written after he became a Montanist. III. Works the crown of martyrdom.
probably written after he became a Montanist. 6. De Patientia. A moral essay on the im.
IV. Works respecting which nothing certain can portance and utility of this virtue, conceived in a
be pronounced. truly Christian spirit, and expressed, especially
I. WORKIS PROBABLY WRITTEN WHILE HE towards the conclusion, in very dignified and picWAS YET A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH. —1. De turesque language.
Poenitentia. Chiefly remarkable because the author 7. Adversus Judaeos Liber. A public debate had
here advocates a doctrine which at a subsequent been held between a Jewish proselyte and a
period, after he had embraced the errors of Mon- Christian, each supporting the claims of the creed
tanus, he sternly impugned, namely, that those which he professed. The discussion having been
who committed heinous sins after baptism might, carried on irregularly, and frequently interrupted
notwithstanding their guilt, obtain absolution from by the clamours of the partizans on either side,
the Church, if sincerely penitent. In the first Tertullian deemed this a fitting opportunity for
chapter, when defining penitence and pointing out presenting in a written form a succinct view of the
the erroneous ideas entertained by the gentiles, he real merits of the question. IHe undertakes to
makes use of an expression which has been regarded demonstrate two propositions - a. That the Mosaic
as an avowal that he had at one time been a heathen, dispensation had been abrogated by Christ. b. That
" Poenitentiam, hoc genus hominum, quod et ipsi the Jews themselves had long looked for the arrival
retrofidmnus, caeci sine Domini lumine, natura tenus of a Messiah, that the Messiah looked for by them
norunt," &c. Erasmus, in consequence of the ele- had actually arrived, and that Christ was that
gance by which the style of this tract is distin- Messiah. Ill support of the first he argues that
guished, was led to doubt whether it really be- since God had the power to enact, so he had the
longed to Tertullian, but it is qdoted as his by power to repeal the ritual law, and that it was
Pacianus, a writer of the fourth century, and is consonant both with reason and revelation to
now generally received as genuine. believe that in the fulness of time he would sul)2. De Oratione. Consists of two parts: - a. An stitute for it a code applicable, not to one particular
exposition of the Lord's Prayer, which is repre- people, but to the whole of mankind, thus fulfilling
sented as containing an epitome of the whole Gospel. the promise made to our first parents and to
b. Instructions with respect to certain forms to be Abraham. The second he proves by pointing out
observed by Christians in their devotions. The how exactly the character and career of Jesus
latter portion terminates abruptly in the MSS., corresponded with the predictions contained in the
but some additional chapters were supplied by Mu- divinely inspired books of the Old Testament.
ratori, by whom they were discovered in the Am- Neander has written a dissertation to prove
brosian library, and published in his Anecdota. that Tertullian broke off this work at the beginning
These are rejected by some critics, but admitted by of the ninth chapter, and that what follows is by a
others, among whom we may specially mention later hand, being taken, with some slight alterations,
Neander. from the remarks upon the same text of Isaiah, in
3. De Baptismo. A certain Quintilla had been the third book against Marcion, remarks altogether
propagating at Carthage the heresy that baptism inapplicable to the debate with the Jew. But the
was neither imperative nor beneficial. Tertullian, Bishop of Lincoln insists that the argument is
in confuting this error, takes occasion-a. To ex- with a few changes, strictly applicable, and that
amine fully into the nature and efficacy of this the necessary changes have actually been made.
sacrament. b. To discuss certain questions touch- 8. De Praescriptione Hereticorumm, i. e. on the
ing the time at which it ought to be administered rules to be observed by Catholics in dealing with
and the forms to be observed. He calls his op- heretics. The subject is introduced by pointing
ponent a Cainite; and if we suppose that he uses out that the existence of heresy ought not to prove
tile term literally, and not as a mere epithet of re- a source of wonder or of scandal to the orthodox,
proach, she must have belonged to that wild sect inasmuch as the appearance of false teachers had