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On Patience

Tertullian

Chapter 9

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter IX.—Of Patience Under Bereavement.

Not even that species of impatience under the loss of our dear

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ones

is

excused

,

where

some

assertion

of

a

right

to

grief

acts

the

patron

to

it

.

For

the

consideration

of

the

apostle’s

declaration

must

be

set

before

us

,

who

says

,

“

Be

not

overwhelmed

with

sadness

at

the

falling

asleep

of

any

one

,

just

as

the

nations

are

who

are

without

hope

.

”

And

justly

;

or

,

believing

the

resurrection

of

Christ

we

believe

also

in

our

own

,

for

whose

sake

He

both

died

and

rose

again

.

Since

,

then

,

there

is

certainty

as

to

the

resurrection

of

the

dead

,

grief

for

death

is

needless

,

and

impatience

of

grief

is

needless

.

For

why

should

you

grieve

,

if

you

believe

that

(

your

loved

one

)

is

not

perished

?

Why

should

you

bear

impatiently

the

temporary

withdrawal

of

him

who

you

believe

will

return

?

That

which

you

think

to

be

death

is

departure

.

He

who

goes

before

us

is

not

to

be

lamented

,

though

by

all

means

to

be

longed

for

.

That

longing

also

must

be

tempered

with

patience

.

For

why

should

you

bear

without

moderation

the

fact

that

one

is

gone

away

whom

you

will

presently

follow

?

Besides

,

impatience

in

matters

of

this

kind

bodes

ill

for

our

hope

,

and

is

a

dealing

insincerely

with

the

faith

.

And

we

wound

Christ

when

we

accept

not

with

equanimity

the

summoning

out

of

this

world

of

any

by

Him

,

as

if

they

were

to

be

pitied

.

“

I

desire

,

”

says

the

apostle

,

“

to

be

now

received

,

and

to

be

with

Christ

.

”

How

far

better

a

desire

does

he

exhibit

!

If

,

then

,

we

grieve

impatiently

over

such

as

have

attained

the

desire

of

Christians

,

we

show

unwillingness

ourselves

to

attain

it

.

Notes

1
1 Thess. iv. 13, not very strictly rendered.
2
Desiderandus.
3
Phil. i. 23, again loosely rendered: e.g. ἀναλῦσαι ="to weigh anchor,” is rendered by Tertullian “recipi.”