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On Patience

Tertullian

Chapter 11

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XI.—Further Reasons for Practising Patience. Its Connection with the Beatitudes.

After these principal material causes of impatience, registered to the best

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of

our

ability

,

why

should

we

wander

out

of

our

way

among

the

rest

,

—

what

are

found

at

home

,

what

abroad

?

Wide

and

diffusive

is

the

Evil

One’s

operation

,

hurling

manifold

irritations

of

our

spirit

,

and

sometimes

trifling

ones

,

sometimes

very

great

.

But

the

trifling

ones

you

may

contemn

from

their

very

littleness

;

to

the

very

great

ones

you

may

yield

in

regard

of

their

overpoweringness

.

Where

the

injury

is

less

,

there

is

no

necessity

for

impatience

;

but

where

the

injury

is

greater

,

there

more

necessary

is

the

remedy

for

the

injury

—

patience

.

Let

us

strive

,

therefore

,

to

endure

the

inflictions

of

the

Evil

One

,

that

the

counter

-

zeal

of

our

equanimity

may

mock

the

zeal

of

the

foe

.

If

,

however

,

we

ourselves

,

either

by

imprudence

or

else

voluntarily

,

draw

upon

ourselves

anything

,

let

us

meet

with

equal

patience

what

we

have

to

blame

ourselves

for

.

Moreover

,

if

we

believe

that

some

inflictions

are

sent

on

us

by

the

Lord

,

to

whom

should

we

more

exhibit

patience

than

to

the

Lord

?

Nay

,

He

teaches

us

to

give

thanks

and

rejoice

,

over

and

above

,

at

being

thought

worthy

of

divine

chastisement

.

“

Whom

I

love

,

”

saith

He

,

“

I

chasten

.

”

O

blessed

servant

,

on

whose

amendment

the

Lord

is

intent

!

with

whom

He

deigns

to

be

wroth

!

whom

He

does

not

deceive

by

dissembling

His

reproofs

!

On

every

side

,

therefore

,

we

are

bound

to

the

duty

of

exercising

patience

,

from

whatever

quarter

,

either

by

our

own

errors

or

else

by

the

snares

of

the

Evil

One

,

we

incur

the

Lord’s

reproofs

.

Of

that

duty

great

is

the

reward

—

namely

,

happiness

.

For

whom

but

the

patient

has

the

Lord

called

happy

,

in

saying

,

“

Blessed

are

the

poor

in

spirit

,

for

theirs

is

the

kingdom

of

the

heavens

?

”

No

one

,

assuredly

,

is

“

poor

in

spirit

,

”

except

he

be

humble

.

Well

,

who

is

humble

,

except

he

be

patient

?

For

no

one

can

abase

himself

without

patience

,

in

the

first

instance

,

to

bear

the

act

of

abasement

.

“

Blessed

,

”

saith

He

,

“

are

the

weepers

and

mourners

.

”

Who

,

without

patience

,

is

tolerant

of

such

unhappinesses

?

And

so

to

such

,

“

consolation

”

and

“

laughter

”

are

promised

.

“

Blessed

are

the

gentle

:

”

under

this

term

,

surely

,

the

impatient

cannot

possibly

be

classed

.

Again

,

when

He

marks

“

the

peacemakers

”

with

the

same

title

of

felicity

,

and

names

them

“

sons

of

God

,

”

pray

have

the

impatient

any

affinity

with

“

peace

?

”

Even

a

fool

may

perceive

that

.

When

,

however

,

He

says

,

“

Rejoice

and

exult

,

as

often

as

they

shall

curse

and

persecute

you

;

for

very

great

is

your

reward

in

heaven

,

”

of

course

it

is

not

to

the

impatience

of

exultation

that

He

makes

that

promise

;

because

no

one

will

“

exult

”

in

adversities

unless

he

have

first

learnt

to

contemn

them

;

no

one

will

contemn

them

unless

he

have

learnt

to

practise

patience

.

Notes

1
Docet. But a plausible conjecture, “decet,” “it becomes us,” has been made.
2
Prov. iii. 11, 12; Heb. xii. 5, 6; Rev. iii. 19.
3
Matt. v. 3.
4
Matt. v. 4.
5
Matt. v. 5.
6
Matt. v. 9.
7
Matt. v. 11, 12, inexactly quoted.
8
Exultationis impatientiæ.