Ante-Nicene Volume 3

Tertullian, A.D. 145 - 220

... For, because Jesus Christ was to introduce the second people (which is composed of us nations, lingering deserted in the world aforetime) into the land of promise, "flowing with milk and honey" (that is, into the possession of eternal life, than which nought is sweeter); and this had to come about, not through Moses (that is, not through the Law's discipline), but through Joshua (that is, through the new law's grace), after our circumcision with "a knife of rock" (that is, with Christ's precepts, for Christ is in many ways and figures predicted as a rock) ... .
Answer to the Jews, Chapter IX

... but His mien was unhonoured, deficient in comparison of the sons of men" "a man set in the plague, and knowing how to bear infirmity: "to wit as having been set by the Father "for a stone of offence," and "made a little lower" by Him "than angels," He pronounces Himself "a worm, and not a man, an ignominy of man, and the refuse of the People." Which evidences of ignobility suit the First Advent, just as those of sublimity do the Second; when He shall be made no longer "a stone of offence nor a rock of scandal," but "the highest corner-stone," after reprobation (on earth) taken up (into heaven) and raised sublime for the purpose of consummation, and that "rock"—so we must admit—which is read of in Daniel as forecut from a mount, which shall crush and crumble the image of secular kingdoms....
Answer to the Jews, Chapter XIV

... Every sort of thing must necessarily revert to its original for its classification. Therefore the churches, although they are so many and so great, comprise but the one primitive church, (founded) by the apostles, from which they all (spring). In this way all are primitive, and all are apostolic, whilst they are all proved to be one, in (unbroken) unity, by their peaceful communion, and title of brotherhood, and bond of hospitality,—privileges which no other rule directs than the one tradition of the selfsame mystery.
Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter XX
{There is no hint here by Tertullian of Rome, or its bishop, being any source of unity for the entire Church, such as Rome claims today.}

... If, then, these things are so, it is in the same degree manifest that all doctrine which agrees with the apostolic churches—those moulds and original sources of the faith must be reckoned for truth, as undoubtedly containing that which the (said) churches received from the apostles, the apostles from Christ, Christ from God. Whereas all doctrine must be prejudged as false which savours of contrariety to the truth of the churches and apostles of Christ and God.... We hold communion with the apostolic churches because our doctrine is in no respect different from theirs. This is our witness of truth.
Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter XXI
{Notice here that no mention is made of Rome, but of all the apostolic churches, who held the doctrine which was delivered by the apostles, which they had received from Christ. How far is Rome from this standard, which has constructed a whole different set of doctrines, based on their traditions, which are neither apostolic nor Christian.}

... Was anything withheld from the knowledge of Peter, who is called "the rock on which the church should be built," who also obtained "the keys of the kingdom of heaven," with the power of "loosing and binding in heaven and on earth?"...
Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter XXII

{I include here the comment of the editors of the work from which these passages are copied—Elucidation 3: "In the treatise of Cyprian, De Unitate, we shall have occasion to speak fully on this interesting point. The reference to Kaye may suffice, here. But, since the inveterate confusion of all that is said of Peter with all that is claimed by a modern bishop for himself promotes a false view of this passage, it may be well to note (1) that St. Peter's name is expounded by himself (1 Peter 2:4, 5) so as to make Christ the Rock and all believers "lively stones"—or Peters—by faith in Him. St. Peter is often called the rock, most justly, in this sense, by a rhetorical play on his name: Christ the Rock and all believers "lively stones," being cemented with Him by the Spirit. But, (2.) this specialty of St. Peter, as such, belongs to him (Cephas) only. (3.) So far as transmitted it belongs to no particular See. (4.) The claim of Rome is disproved by Prµscription. (5.) Were it otherwise, it would not justify that See in making new articles of Faith. (6.) Nor in its Schism with the East. (7.) When it restores St. Peter's Doctrine and Holiness, to the Latin Churches, there will be no quarrel about pre-eminence.Meantime, Rome's fallibility is expressly taught in Romans 11:18-21."}

... Afterwards, as he himself narrates, he "went up to Jerusalem for the purpose of seeing Peter", because of his office, no doubt, and by right of a common belief and preaching. Now they certainly would not have been surprised at his having become a preacher instead of a persecutor, if his preaching were of something contrary; nor, moreover, would they have "glorified the Lord," because Paul had presented himself as an adversary to Him They accordingly even gave him "the right hand of fellowship," as a sign of their agreement with him, and arranged amongst themselves a distribution of office, not a diversity of gospel, so that they should severally preach not a different gospel, but (the same), to different persons, Peter to the circumcision, Paul to the Gentiles....
Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter XXIII

Grant, then, that all have erred; that the apostle was mistaken in giving his testimony; that the Holy Ghost had no such respect to any one (church) as to lead it into truth, although sent with this view by Christ, and for this asked of the Father that He might be the teacher of truth; grant, also, that He, the Steward of God, the Vicar of Christ, neglected His office, permitting the churches for a time to understand differently, (and) to believe differently, what He Himself was preaching by the apostles,—is it likely that so many churches, and they so great, should have gone astray into one and the same faith?…
Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter XXVIII

{Note here that Tertullian knows that the Holy Spirit is the Vicar of Christ. This understanding is drawn from the Scriptures—John 14 (esp. v. 16, etc.).

But if there be any (heresies) which are bold enough to plant themselves in the midst Of the apostolic age, that they may thereby seem to have been handed down by the apostles, because they existed in the time of the apostles, we can say: Let them produce the original records of their churches; let them unfold the roll of their bishops, running down in due succession from the beginning in such a manner that [that first bishop of theirs] bishop shall be able to show for his ordainer and predecessor some one of the apostles or of apostolic men,—a man, moreover, who continued stedfast with the apostles. For this is the manner in which the apostolic churches transmit their registers: as the church of Smyrna, which records that Polycarp was placed therein by John; as also the church of Rome, which makes Clement to have been ordained in like manner by Peter. In exactly the same way the other churches likewise exhibit (their several worthies), whom, as having been appointed to their episcopal places by apostles, they regard as transmitters of the apostolic seed.
Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter XXXII

Come now, you who would indulge a better curiosity, if you would apply it to the business of your salvation, run over the apostolic churches, in which the very thrones of the apostles are still pre-eminent in their places, in which their own authentic writings are read, uttering the voice and representing the face of each of them severally. Achaia is very near you, (in which) you find Corinth. Since you are not far from Macedonia, you have Philippi; (and there too) you have the Thessalonians. Since you are able to cross to Asia, you get Ephesus. Since, moreover, you are close upon Italy, you have Rome, from which there comes even into our own hands the very authority (of apostles themselves). How happy is its church, on which apostles poured forth all their doctrine along with their blood! where Peter endures a passion like his Lord's! where Paul wins his crown in a death like John's where the Apostle John was first plunged, unhurt, into boiling oil, and thence remitted to his island—exile! See what she has learned, what taught, what fellowship has had with even (our) churches in Africa!...
Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter XXXVI
{Here Tertullian mentions Rome as an equal among the other apostolic churches, and as that being nearest to himself at Carthage.}

... When the very apostle whom our heretics adopt, interprets the law which allows an unmuzzled mouth to the oxen that tread out the corn, not of cattle, but of ourselves; and also alleges that the rock which followed (the Israelites) and supplied them with drink was Christ ... .
Against Marcion, Book III, Chapter V

... "placed by the Father as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence"; "made by Him a little lower than the angels"; declaring Himself to be "a worm and not a man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people". Now these signs of degradation quite suit His first coming, just as the tokens of His majesty do His second advent, when He shall no longer remain "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence", but after His rejection become "the chief corner-stone", accepted and elevated to the top place of the temple, even His church, being that very stone in Daniel, cut out of the mountain, which was to smite and crush the image of the secular kingdom....
Against Marcion, Book III, Chapter VII

... this was to be brought about not by Moses, that is to say, not by the discipline of the law, but by Joshua, by the grace of the gospel, our circumcision being effected by a knife of stone, that is, (by the circumcision) of Christ, for Christ is a rock (or stone) ... .
Against Marcion, Book III, Chapter XVI

... Again, He changes the name of Simon to Peter, inasmuch as the Creator also altered the names of Abram, and Sarai, and Oshea, by calling the latter Joshua, and adding a syllable to each of the former. But why Peter? If it was because of the vigour of his faith, there were many solid materials which might lend a name from their strength. Was it because Christ was both a rock and a stone? For we read of His being placed "for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence." I omit the rest of the passage. Therefore He would fain impart to the dearest of His disciples a name which was suggested by one of His own especial designations in figure; because it was, I suppose, more peculiarly fit than a name which might have been derived from no figurative description of Himself....
Against Marcion, Book IV, Chapter XIII

... But having to be rejected and afterwards to be acknowledged, and taken up and glorified, He borrowed the very word "rejected" from the passage, where, under the figure of a stone, His twofold manifestation was celebrated by David—the first in rejection, the second in honour: "The stone," says He, "which the builders rejected, is become the head-stone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing". Now it would be idle, if we believed that God had predicted the humiliation, or even the glory, of any Christ at all, that He could have signed His prophecy for any but Him whom He had foretold under the figure of a stone, and a rock, and a mountain....
Against Marcion, Book IV, Chapter XXXV

... In short, as he says, "they roll as sacred stones," and not like soldiers fight. Stones are they, even foundation stones, upon which we are ourselves edified—"built," as St. Paul says, "upon the foundation of the apostles," who, like "consecrated stones," were rolled up and down exposed to the attack of all men....
Against Marcion, Book IV, Chapter XXXIX

... The very "stumbling-block" which he declares Christ to be "to the Jews", points unmistakeably to the Creator's prophecy respecting Him, when by Isaiah He says: ";Behold I lay in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence". This rock or stone is Christ....
Against Marcion, Book V, Chapter V

... in order "to lay that only foundation, which is Christ?" Of this work the Creator also by the same prophet says, "Behold, I lay in Sion for a foundation a precious stone and honourable; and he that resteth thereon shall not be confounded." Unless it be, that God professed Himself to be the builder up of an earthly work, that so He might not give any sign of His Christ, as destined to be the foundation of such as believe in Him, upon which every man should build at will the superstructure of either sound or worthless doctrine; forasmuch as it is the Creator's function, when a man's work shall be tried by fire, (or) when a reward shall be recompensed to him by fire; because it is by fire that the test is applied to the building which you erect upon the foundation which is laid by Him, that is, the foundation of His Christ....
Against Marcion, Book V, Chapter VI

... For behold Marcion, in his blindness, stumbled at the rock whereof our fathers drank in the wilderness. For since "that rock was Christ"....
Against Marcion, Book V, Chapter VII

... For whence did he learn to call Christ "the chief corner-stone", but from the figure given him in the Psalm: "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head (stone) of the corner?"
Against Marcion, Book V, Chapter XVII

... For though you think heaven still shut, remember that the Lord left here to Peter and through him to the Church, the keys of it, which every one who has been here put to the question, and also made confession, will carry with him. But the devil stoutly affirms that we must confess there, to persuade us that we must deny here. I shall send before me fine documents, to be sure, I shall carry with me excellent keys....
Scorpiace, Chapter X

... This is the water which flowed continuously down for the people from the "accompanying rock"; for if Christ is "the Rock", without doubt we see baptism blest by the water in Christ....
On Baptism, Chapter IX

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