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Research atlas for early Christianity. Claims are tagged attested, traditional, or disputed. Copyrighted full texts, including CCEL editions, are not included.

DeChurched Atlas

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Prescription against Heretics (Tertullian)

Also known as De praescriptione haereticorum

undated

Argument that heretics have no right to use the scriptures because they lack apostolic succession.

Wikipedia extract

Extract is from the broader Wikipedia page "Tertullian", not about this record specifically

Tertullian was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. He was the first Christian author to produce an extensive corpus of Latin Christian literature and was an early Christian apologist and a polemicist against what he viewed as heresy, including Gnosticism.

CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikipedia contributors. Source page

Read a primary text

Links only. The atlas does not host the text. CCEL is not linked.

  • The Prescription Against Heretics · New Advent FathersPublic-domain translation; site edition copyright Kevin Knight. Link, do not mirror.
  • Tertullian · Early Christian Writings (Peter Kirby)Hub site; each linked translation keeps its own rights. Link only.

Sources

  • Tertullian · Wikipedia contributorsAccessed 2026-11-12 · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Wikidata Q18293832 · Wikidata contributorsAccessed 2026-11-12 · CC0 1.0
  • The Prescription Against Heretics · TertullianAccessed 2026-11-12 · Public-domain translation; site edition copyright Kevin Knight. Link, do not mirror.
  • Tertullian · Early Christian Writings (Peter Kirby)Accessed 2026-11-12 · Hub site; each linked translation keeps its own rights. Link only.

Authority files

heresiology · latin · 3rd-century

Prescription against Heretics (Tertullian) · DeChurched Atlas