Chapter IX.—The Research After Definite Truth Enjoined on Us. When We Have Discovered This, We Should Be Content.

I now purposely106    Sponte. relinquish this ground of argument. Let it be granted, that the words, “Seek, and ye shall find,” were addressed to all men (equally). Yet even here one’s aim is107    Expetit. carefully to determine108    Certare. the sense of the words109    Sensus. consistently with110    Cum. (that reason),111    See Oehler’s note. which is the guiding principle112    Gubernaculo. See Irenæus, ii. 46, for a similar view (Rigalt.). Surely Dodgson’s version, if intelligible in itself even, incorrectly represents Tertullian’s sense. in all interpretation. (Now) no divine saying is so unconnected113    Dissoluta.and diffuse, that its words only are to be insisted on, and their connection left undetermined. But at the outset I lay down (this position) that there is some one, and therefore definite, thing taught by Christ, which the Gentiles are by all means bound to believe, and for that purpose to “seek,” in order that they may be able, when they have “found” it, to believe. However,114    Porro. there can be no indefinite seeking for that which has been taught as one only definite thing. You must “seek” until you “find,” and believe when you have found; nor have you anything further to do but to keep what you have believed provided you believe this besides, that nothing else is to be believed, and therefore nothing else is to be sought, after you have found and believed what has been taught by Him who charges you to seek no other thing than that which He has taught.115    [Not to be contented with Truth, once known, is a sin preceding that against the Holy Spirit, and this state of mind explains the judicial blindness inflicted on Lapsers, as asserted by St. Paul, 2 Thess. ii. 10, 13, where note—“they received not the love of the truth.” They had it and were not content with it.] When, indeed, any man doubts about this, proof will be forthcoming,116    Constabit. that we have in our possession117    Penes nos. that which was taught by Christ.  Meanwhile, such is my confidence in our proof, that I anticipate it, in the shape of an admonition to certain persons, not “to seek” anything beyond what they have believed—that this is what they ought to have sought, how to avoid118    Ne. interpreting, “Seek, and ye shall find,” without regard to the rule of reason.

CAPUT IX.

Nobis autem, qui jam credidimus, aliud non quaerendum.

Cedo nunc sponte de gradu isto: omnibus dictum sit, QUAERITE ET INVENIETIS; tamen et hic expedit 0022C sensu certare cum interpretationis gubernaculo. 0023A Nulla vox divina ita dissoluta est et diffusa, ut verba tantum defendantur, et ratio verborum non constituatur. Sed in primis hoc propono: unum utique etcertum aliquid institutum esse a Christo, quod credere omnimodo debeant nationes, et idcirco quaerere, ut possint, cum invenerint, credere. Unius porro et certi instituti infinita inquisitio non potest esse, quaerendum est donec invenias, et credendum ubi inveneris; et nihil amplius, nisi custodiendum quod credidisti: dum hoc insuper credas, aliud non esse credendum, ideoque nec requirendum, cum id inveneris et credideris quod ab eo institutum est, qui non aliud tibi mandat inquirendum, quam quod instituit. De hoc quidem si quis dubitat, constabit penes nos esse id, quod a Christo institutum 0023B est. Interim ex fiducia probationis praevenio, , admonens quosdam nihil esse quaerendum ultra quod crediderunt id esse , quod quaerere debuerunt; ne QUAERITE ET INVENIETIS sine disciplina rationis interpretentur.