Opening the library…

Search the Bible

Ad Martyras

Tertullian

Chapter 1

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Blessed Martyrs Designate,—Along with the provision which our lady mother

Chapter 2 ›

the

Church

from

her

bountiful

breasts

,

and

each

brother

out

of

his

private

means

,

makes

for

your

bodily

wants

in

the

prison

,

accept

also

from

me

some

contribution

to

your

spiritual

sustenance

;

for

it

is

not

good

that

the

flesh

be

feasted

and

the

spirit

starve

:

nay

,

if

that

which

is

weak

be

carefully

looked

to

,

it

is

but

right

that

which

is

still

weaker

should

not

be

neglected

.

Not

that

I

am

specially

entitled

to

exhort

you

;

yet

not

only

the

trainers

and

overseers

,

but

even

the

unskilled

,

nay

,

all

who

choose

,

without

the

slightest

need

for

it

,

are

wont

to

animate

from

afar

by

their

cries

the

most

accomplished

gladiators

,

and

from

the

mere

throng

of

onlookers

useful

suggestions

have

sometimes

come

;

first

,

then

,

O

blessed

,

grieve

not

the

Holy

Spirit

,

who

has

entered

the

prison

with

you

;

for

if

He

had

not

gone

with

you

there

,

you

would

not

have

been

there

this

day

.

Do

you

give

all

endeavour

,

therefore

,

to

retain

Him

;

so

let

Him

lead

you

thence

to

your

Lord

.

The

prison

,

indeed

,

is

the

devil’s

house

as

well

,

wherein

he

keeps

his

family

.

But

you

have

come

within

its

walls

for

the

very

purpose

of

trampling

the

wicked

one

under

foot

in

his

chosen

abode

.

You

had

already

in

pitched

battle

outside

utterly

overcome

him

;

let

him

have

no

reason

,

then

,

to

say

to

himself

,

“

They

are

now

in

my

domain

;

with

vile

hatreds

I

shall

tempt

them

,

with

defections

or

dissensions

among

themselves

.

”

Let

him

fly

from

your

presence

,

and

skulk

away

into

his

own

abysses

,

shrunken

and

torpid

,

as

though

he

were

an

outcharmed

or

smoked

-

out

snake

.

Give

him

not

the

success

in

his

own

kingdom

of

setting

you

at

variance

with

each

other

,

but

let

him

find

you

armed

and

fortified

with

concord

;

for

peace

among

you

is

battle

with

him

.

Some

,

not

able

to

find

this

peace

in

the

Church

,

have

been

used

to

seek

it

from

the

imprisoned

martyrs

.

And

so

you

ought

to

have

it

dwelling

with

you

,

and

to

cherish

it

,

and

to

guard

it

,

that

you

may

be

able

perhaps

to

bestow

it

upon

others

.

Notes

2
Eph. iv. 30. [Some differences had risen between these holy sufferers, as to the personal merits of offenders who had appealed to them for their interest in restoring them to communion.
3
[He favours this resource as sanctioned by custom, and gently persuades them, by agreeing as to its propriety, to bestow peace upon others. But, the foresight of those who objected was afterwards justified, for in Cyprian’s day this practice led to greater evils, and he was obliged to discourage it (ep. xi.) in an epistle to confessors.]

Chapter 1

Contents

Notes