Thursday, November 20, 2014

41. Tertullian reworked many of Irenaeus's original texts to pass them off as his own

The best way to explain these shared readings is that Tertullian translated and remodeled original treatises written by Irenaeus.  Examples of Tertullian copying out original treatises of Irenaeus necessarily include his Against the Valentinians (Irenaeus's Against Heresies Book One) and his Prescription Against the Heresies (cf. Cyril of Jerusalem's mention of a treatise of this name written by Irenaeus). Roberts also notices other striking parallels between the two men "In Adversus Valentinianos (c 6) Tertullian says that he intends to follow among others ‘Irenaeus, that very exact inquirer into all doctrines, and a comparison of that treatise with the A dversus Omnes Haereses (I , cc 1—12) shows that the extent of his indebtedness is considerable It is little more, in fact, than a translation of the work of Irenaeus. In addition, the following points may be noted. The account of Simon Magus and Helen (Tertullian, De Anima, c. 34) is evidently copied from Irenaeus (I., c. 23). The account of Menander (Tertullian, De Anima, c. 50) is also obviously inspired by the same chapter of Irenaeus. Both complain that the heretics follow neither Scripture nor tradition (Irenaeus, III. 3; Tertullian, De Praes. Haer., 17, 32). Both mention the continuous |p59 succession of bishops in the Churches (Iren., III. 3; Tert., De Praes. Haer., 32). That the Church alone has the true doctrine is asserted by both (Irenaeus, III. 4; Tertullian, De Praes. Haer., 26—29), that heresies are of recent growth (ibid.), and that Christ and the apostles delivered the truth without deception (Ireneaus, III. 5; Tertullian, De Praes. Haer., 27). The systematic use of Scripture in Tertullian’s later works is along the lines followed by Irenaeus throughout. Both state that the heretics derived their opinions from the philosophers (Irenaeus, II. 14 Tertullian, De Praes. Haer., c. 7, Apol., c. 47). Both also refer to the Homerocentones (Irenaeus, I. 9); Tertullian, De Praes. Haer., c. 39)."


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