Tertullian is an intense realist, with leanings toward materialism, Origen a pure idealist. Origen, like Justin, holds that Greek philosophy was "a prepara tion for the Gospel," "a fragment of eter nal truth from the theology of the ever living Word." Tertullian thinks that "philosophers are blockheads when they knock at the gates of truth," and that "they have contributed nothing what ever that a Christian can accept." "The eloquence of the one," says Presense, "is broad and transparent like his genius: it is a noble, full, majestic river; that of the other is a turbid mountain tor rent. Origen speaks to philosophers as a Christian philosopher: Tertullian is a tribune of the people passionately haran guing the crowd in the forum or at the cross roads; he is the ancient orator, with his vehement gestures, his vivid images, his grandiose pathos." His writings have been called "Tracts for the Times." Most of them are short. They are a rich mine of information as to the relations between Christians and heathens in his time. Though perhaps not the first of the Latin Christian writ ers, Tertullian was the creator of ecclesi astical Latinity, and impressed upon the language a new character, as he bent it to the service of Christian ideas. His works are divided into three classes: (1) Controversial writings against heathens and Jews. His "Apologetic" (ed. by Woodham, 1843; by Bindley, 1891), addressed to the Roman authori ties, is an attempt to establish the Chris tian's right to toleration. A popular edi tion of this work is presented in his two books "To the Nations," as Uhlhorn and Hauck believe, of earlier date. In his "Con cerning the Testimony of the Soul" he acutely develops the thought that Chris tianity responds to the religious necessi ties and postulates of human nature. The treatise "Against the Jews" is to prove that prophecy is fulfilled in Christ.
(2) Against heretics. He formulates this position juristically in his "Against the Proscription of Heretics." Against the gnostic attempts to volatilize Chris tianity in gnostic spiritualism he main tained its reality as a practical form of life in his "Concerning Baptism," "Against Hermogenes," "Against Val entinians," "Concerning the Soul" (in which he contends that even the soul is material), "Concerning the Body of Christ" (against Docetism), "Concerning the Resurrection of the Body," and the five books "Against Marcio." Against the Patripassian heresy he wrote the book "Against Praxeas."
(3) Practical and ascetic treatises. It is especially in these writings relating to Christian life and discipline that we can trace Tertullian's increasing hostility to the Church and adoption of the Mon tanist views, which had great influence among African Christians. He hailed the testimony of "free prophecy" as God's witness against the laxity which the Catholic Church had shown in dealing with the sensual weaknesses of the great multitude within her pale. Hence the division of these treatises into "Pre-Mon tanist" and "Montanist." To the for mer class belong "Concerning Baptism," "Concerning Penitence," "To Martyrs," "De Spectaculis,' "Concerning Idolatry," "Concerning Discourse," "Concerning Pa tience," and "To a Wife"; to the latter, "Concerning the Chaplet," "Concerning Fugitives Under Persecution," "Scorpi ace," "An Exhortation on Chastity," "Concerning Monogamy," "Concerning Jejunius," "Against Fasting," and "Con cerning Pallius"; while "Concerning Vir gin's Veils" marks the transition stage.
Tertullian had a greater influence on the Latin Church than any theologian between Paul and Augustine. His Mon tanism indeed prevented it from being exercised directly, but Cyprian, who called Tertullian "his master," was the interpreter who gave currency to his views. The following is a summary of Harnack's estimate of Tertullian, whom he calls "the founder of Western Chris tianity." Tertullian's Christianity was molded by the enthusiastic and strict faith of the early Christians on the one hand, and by the anti-gnostic regula fidei on the other. A trained jurist, he sought to express all religion in legal formulas, and conceived the relation between God and man as one of civil law. "God ap pears always as the powerful partner, who watches jealously over his rights." Further, his theology shows a syllogistic dialectic stamp; it does not philosophize; it reasons, using now the argument, ex auetorztate, now the argument e ratione. He shows striking power of psychological observation. Finally, his writings have a strong practical evangelic tendency; with their vivid appeal to the reader's will, and their simple concrete expres sion of the Gospel, they appealed not to theologians only, but to all. In these characteristics and their union. Tertul lian became the type of the Christianity of the Western Church.