Resources pertaining to the Montanists.
The rigorist Montanism of Tertullian in Carthage with its protest against the frivola et frigida fides of the Church, presents so many contrasts to the original and authentic Phrygian movement as to be a different phenomenon, falling outside the scope of this article. Tertullian adapted what he bad adopted. The very term ‘Montanism’ is late and misleading, suggesting…
The New Revelation Montanus and his followers claimed to have received a revelation of God, of a nature supplementary to that communicated by Christ and His apostles. Its foundation is to be found in a literal and exclusive acceptation of the promise of the Paraclete, “who will guide you into all truth,”and “shew you things to come”(John xvi.…
Montanist Chronology (PDF)
We conclude then, as follows, as to the origin and character of Montanism : I. That it was neither the individual theory propounded by a man, nor the reflection of any past manifestation, whether Jewish or Heathen; but a simple reaction towards the primitive simplicity of Christianity, with a claim to the fulfilment of distinct promises from Christ to His Spiritual…
The following paragraphs are excerpts from Tertullian’s work, Concerning Baptism, written some time in the late second or early third century. It is almost certain that Tertullian authored this work before he became a Montanist.1See http://www.tertullian.org/chronology.htm for a suggested chronology This is significant because it means that the practice of dipping/immersing repentant converts did not originate primarily from…
Chapter XVI.—The Circumstances related of Montanus and his False Prophets.1Montanism must not be looked upon as a heresy in the ordinary sense of the term. The movement lay in the sphere of life and discipline rather than in that of theology. Its fundamental proposition was the continuance of divine revelation which was begun under the…
A brief sketch of Tertullian may aid in throwing light upon the Montanists, who held some peculiarities in common with modern Baptists. He was the greatest of the Latin fathers, except Augustine, being pre-eminently the father of his day and class, A. D. 160-240. He was born at Carthage, North Africa, where his father was…
The first Synods of which we have any account were held (in 160-170) in Greece, the seat of the Amphictyonic Councils, to deliberate respecting the Montanists, and respecting the time of celebrating Easter. Tertullian, in his book ” On Fasts” (De Jejuniis), written about the year 200, thus describes them (c. 13) : “Throughout Greece,…
CHAPTER V THE STRUGGLE FOR A PURE CHURCH THIS degeneration in the church, whose stages we traced in the preceding chapter, was a gradual process, whose completion occupied several centuries. It did not occur without resistance, determined, prolonged, and frequently renewed. Many attempts were made at a reformation of the church, a return to the…