Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IV/Tertullian: Part Fourth/On Modesty/Elucidations

Elucidations.

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I.

(The Shepherd of Hermas, p. 85.)

Here, and in chap. xx. below, Tertullian&#8217;s rabid utterances against the Shepherd may be balanced by what he had said, less unreasonably, in his better mood. &#160; Now he refers to the Shepherd&#8217;s (ii. 1) view of pardon, even to adulterers.&#160; But surely it might be objected even more plausibly against &#8220;the Shepherd,&#8221; whom he prefers, in common with all Christians, as see John viii. 1&#8211;11, which I take to be canonical Scripture.&#160; A curious question is suggested by what he says of the figure of the Good Shepherd portrayed on the chalice:&#160; Is this irony, as if the figure so familiar from illustrations of the catacombs must be meant for the Shepherd of Hermas?&#160; Regarding all pictures as idolatrous, he may intend to intimate that adultery (=idolatry) was thus symbolized.

II.

(Clasping the knees of all, p. 86.)

Here is a portrait of the early penitential discipline sufficiently terrible, and it conforms to the apostolic pictures of the same.&#160; &#8220;Tell it unto the Church,&#8221; says our Lord (Matt. xviii. 17).&#160; In 1 Cor. v. 4 the apostle (&#8220;present in spirit&#8221;) gives judgment, but the whole Church is &#8220;gathered together.&#8221;&#160; In James v. 16 the &#8220;confession to one another&#8221; seems to refer to this public discipline, as also the prayer for healing enjoined on one another.&#160; St. Chrysostom, however, reflecting the discipline of his day, in which great changes were made, says, on Matt. xviii. 17, unless it be a gloss, &#8220;Dic Ecclesi&#230; id est Pr&#230;sidibus = &#960;&#961;&#959;&#949;&#948;&#961;&#949;&#965;&#959;&#8059;&#963;&#953;&#957; .&#8221;&#160; (Tom. vii. p. 536, ed. Migne.)

III.

(Remedial discipline, p. 87.)

Powerfully as Tertullian states his view of this apostolic &#8220;delivering unto Satan&#8221; as for final perdition, it is not to be gainsaid that (1 Cor. v. 5) the object was salvation and hope, &#8220;that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.&#8221;&#160; Thus, the power of Satan to inflict bodily suffering (Job ii. 6), when divinely permitted, is recognised under the Gospel (Luke xiii. 16; 2 Cor. xii. 7).&#160; The remedial mercy of trials and sufferings may be inferred when providentially occurring.

IV.

(Personally upon Peter, p. 99.)

See what has been said before.&#160; But note our author (now writing against the Church, and as a Montanist) has no idea that the personal prerogative of St. Peter had descended to any bishop.&#160; More when we come to Cyprian, and see vol. iii. p. 630, this series.