The position of Christian doctrine----The influence of Gnosticism----Irenaeus and the Rule of Truth----The lex fidei: its threefold statement----The canon of Scripture----The services of Tertullian in relation thereto----Quotation----Relation to the Rule of Faith.   Reserve or 'Oikonomia'----Allegorical method----Changing attitude----Valentinianism----Marcion----Montanism----Monarchianism.

The statement of Jerome----Tertullian's father a centurion in the service of a Pro-consul----Military metaphors----Home surroundings----School days---- Legal studies and their reflection in his writings----Visits to Rome----Pagan experience----Relation to Mithraism----Conversion----Study of Scripture----. Marriage----Social standing----Voyage to the East----Growth in Christian standing----Literary activity. Montanism: reflections of its growing influence upon him----Closing days.

JUSTIN MARTYR.----Indications of Tertullian's knowledge of his writings---- Reflections of thought----Theology----Attitude towards Philosophy---- Its basis in the teaching of prophets----Logos-teaching----The Holy Spirit---- Free will----Atonement----Description of Christian assemblies----Baptism---- The Eucharist----Eschatology.
ATHENAGORAS.----Indications of Tertullian's knowledge of his writings---- His theology----Attitude towards philosophy----Christian belief founded upon revelation----Foreshadowing of the Trinity----The Logos doctrine---- The Holy Spirit----The resurrection.
TATIAN.----Indications of Tertullian's knowledge of his writings-His theological teaching----Attitude towards philosophy----Christianity is revealed truth----Doctrine of God----The Logos----Creation of the world out of nothing----Nature of man is threefold.
MINUCIUS FELIX.----Dispute as to the priority of Tertullian or Minucius---- Resemblances to the Octavius in Tertullian's writings----Attitude towards philosophy----The theology of Minucius.
IRENAEUS.----Indications of dependence in Tertullian----Difference in point of view from the apologists----The theology of Irenaeus----His doctrine of God----The Logos----The Spirit----The Incarnation----The nature of man, body and soul----The resurrection----The judgement----The reign of the saints on earth.
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA----The dependence of Tertullian confined to minor matters----Indications of his acquaintance with the writings of Clement.

Apparent contradiction leading to opposite verdicts----The antagonism of Tertullian to philosophy----Christian truth is revealed----The influence of his Montanistic leanings----Basis for resolving the apparent contradiction---- The 'soul by nature Christian'----Tertullian's relation to Stoicism----The corporeity of all being----Opposition to Plato----Anthropology----Pervasion of the body by the soul----Sleep and dreams----Theory of perception---- Relation to Plato, to the Stoics, and to the Epicureans----The theology of Tertullian and Stoicism----God----The Logos----Ethics.

i.          The Order and Date of the Writings.
ii.         The Theological Contents of the Writings in this Order.
iii.       The Lines of Development in Tertullian's Thought.

The Existence of God----The argument from Creation and Providence. The argument from the 'soul by nature Christian' ----The argument from Scripture----The unity of God----The first article of the' Rule of Faith ----Against heathen polytheism, against Marcion, against Hermogenes.
The Comprehensibility of God: A fundamental assumption of Tertullian---- The visible and the invisible.
The Corporeity of God----The idea Stoic, but also found in Melito.
Moral attributes of God----Goodness----Evidenced in Creation; in communication of His nature; in the law. Justice----coeval with goodness----No realization of the love of God----The Trinity----Doctrine stated in Apologeticus and Adversus Praxean----The oi0konomi/a of God----The Son----The Holy Spirit.

Tertullian's belief in creation ex nihilo----Exposition of the same in opposition to Hermogenes----Scriptural basis----Five points----The purpose of creation---- Man the crown of creation----Angels and demons----The purpose of the divine providence and its problems.

The importance of Tertullian's work----The dichotomic view of human nature---- The relation of body and soul----Nature of the soul----The corporeity of the soul----Simple nature of the soul----Relation of soul and mind----Elements of the soul: rational, irascible, concupiscible----Origin of the soul----Pre-existence----Introduction of the soul at birth----Transmigration of souls----Metensomatosis----Traducianism----Freewill and the fall----Unity of the race and variety of characteristics. ----Original sin, and grace.

Scope of the Subject----The Son is of the substance of the Father----The Logos: Reason, Wisdom, and Word----Is the Son co-eternal with the Father ?----The Son as the Agent of the Father in creation and in revelation----The humanity of Christ----Tertullian's treatment facilitated by his anthropology----The need of defending this aspect of the Person of Christ against the heretics---- Two points to be established: (1) That nativity was possible to God; (2) That it was becoming to Him----The preparation of Christ for the experience of the incarnation----The marks in the flesh of Christ of its origin----Christ took, not only human flesh, but a human soul----The argument from prophecy----The sinlessness of Christ----The death of Christ ----Its reality closely related to the reality of His humanity----Prophecies of the death of Christ in the Old Testament----The resurrection of Christ an article of the Rule of Faith----The relation between the resurrection of Christ and that of believers----The purpose of the life and death of Christ----Was it revelation ?----Was it redemption ?----The absence of a forensic statement of the Atonement in Tertullian----Such a view incompatible with his view of man's agency in salvation----The curse that rested upon Christ was that of the Jews, not of God----The purpose of the resurrection of Christ----His exaltation and session at the right hand of God.

The necessity of distinguishing between pre-Montanistic and Montanistic views----The Church as the repository of true doctrine----The Church from the standpoint of discipline.
The Ministry----The threefold ministerial office----The later view----The Bishop of Rome----Lectors and widows.
The Sacraments----Baptism----Full and explicit treatment----Simplicity of the rite----The water of baptism----Reception of the Holy Spirit----The effects of baptism----Objections to baptism discussed----Second baptism----The administration of baptism----Preparation and subsequent conduct.
The Eucharist----No set treatment----Exposition of the Parable of the Prodigal Son----' Our daily bread '----Meaning of repraesentat----The bearing of Tertullian's philosophy upon the subject.

Death----its universality----It is the separation of the soul from the body. The intermediate state----The body: what becomes of it----The soul passes to the 'lower world'----The 'lower world' and Abraham's bosom----The state of the soul in the 'lower world '----Paradise----The immediate entrance of the martyrs to Paradise.
The advent of Christ----Apparent contradiction----Immediate or delayed ?---- The second coming to be preceded by the events predicted by Christ.
The resurrection----The relation between the resurrection of Christ and that of men----The distinction between the resurrection of the flesh and the immortality of the soul----The dignity of the flesh----The possibility of restoring the flesh to the soul----The necessity of restoring the flesh to the soul in order to the judgement.
Scripture teaching on the subject--------Resurrectio mortuorum----Prophecy---- Teaching of Christ----The apostles and Paul----The exaltation of Christ is the climax of the proof.
The body which is to be raised is the actual body of this present life---- Resemblance of the risen to the angels.
The fate of the wicked.

The sources of Tertullian's ethics: (a) His theological views; (b) His eschatological outlook; (c) His Stoicism; (d) His interpretation of Scripture; (e) His character----'Nature' the fundamental ground----Reason---- Tradition----Scripture----The Paraclete----The relation of these grounds to one another----The legal nature of this view----Faith and obedience---- Two wills in God----The doctrine of merit----The development of that doctrine in the West----Freedom of the will----Virtues and Vices----Patience----Charity----Modesty----Asceticism----Idolatry----The pronounced asceticism of his later days.

The character of Tertullian's work----Ancient opinions----Modem views---- Contradictions in his writings----The extent to which he dealt in a systematic manner with Christian truth----The limitations of his endeavours: (1) The Rule of Faith; (2) Controversy; (3) Legal training----The merits of his endeavours: (1) Exclusion of Gnosticism; (2) Aid in defining the views of the Church; (3) The laying of the foundation for later teachers---- Doctrines to which Tertullian made a definite contribution: (1) The Trinity; (2) The Person of Christ; (3) The nature of Man----Conclusion.