Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. III

What It's About

This volume collects the first three groups of writings by Tertullian, the North African writer regarded as the founder of Latin Christian literature. The Apologetic works — including his famous Apology — defend Christians against Roman legal persecution and popular prejudice. The Anti-Marcion works, above all the Five Books Against Marcion, attack the teaching of Marcion, who had rejected the Old Testament and its Creator God as incompatible with the God revealed in Christ. The Ethical works, including treatises on repentance, baptism, and prayer, address the practical conduct of Christian life, and the volume closes with the Passion of the Holy Martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas.

Key Concepts

Tertullian writes as a trained rhetorician and former lawyer, and his central concern across these works is drawing firm boundaries — between Christian and pagan, and between orthodox belief and what he saw as heresy. Against Marcion, he insists on the unity of the Old and New Testament God and defends the goodness of the material creation, including the resurrected body. His ethical writings show an early, fairly severe view of Christian discipline around sin, marriage, and worship. Later in life Tertullian moved toward Montanism, a rigorist movement viewed with suspicion by the wider Church, and this shift has coloured how later readers assess his authority.

About the Author

Alexander Roberts (1826–1901) was a Scottish biblical scholar and Free Church minister who became Professor of Humanity at the University of St Andrews. James Donaldson (1831–1915) was a Scottish classical and patristic scholar who served as Principal of the University of St Andrews from 1886 until his death. Together they edited this series of translations of early Christian writings.

About This Edition

This edition has been prepared for readability and general interest, and does not include the original scholarly footnotes. While the notes in historical editions often provide biblical references, Latin translations, and academic cross-references, they can interrupt the flow for many modern readers. The aim here is to present the text in a clear, accessible form, allowing readers to engage directly with these early Christian writings without distraction. For those who prefer a fully annotated, scholarly experience, comprehensive editions with complete footnotes remain widely available.