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On Patience

Tertullian

Chapter 10

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter X.—Of Revenge.

There is, too, another chief spur of impatience, the lust

‹ Chapter 9 Chapter 11 ›

of

revenge

,

dealing

with

the

business

either

of

glory

or

else

of

malice

.

But

“

glory

,

”

on

the

one

hand

,

is

everywhere

“

vain

;

”

and

malice

,

on

the

other

,

is

always

odious

to

the

Lord

;

in

this

case

indeed

most

of

all

,

when

,

being

provoked

by

a

neighbour’s

malice

,

it

constitutes

itself

superior

in

following

out

revenge

,

and

by

paying

wickedness

doubles

that

which

has

once

been

done

.

Revenge

,

in

the

estimation

of

error

,

seems

a

solace

of

pain

;

in

the

estimation

of

truth

,

on

the

contrary

,

it

is

convicted

of

malignity

.

For

what

difference

is

there

between

provoker

and

provoked

,

except

that

the

former

is

detected

as

prior

in

evil

-

doing

,

but

the

latter

as

posterior

?

Yet

each

stands

impeached

of

hurting

a

man

in

the

eye

of

the

Lord

,

who

both

prohibits

and

condemns

every

wickedness

.

In

evil

doing

there

is

no

account

taken

of

order

,

nor

does

place

separate

what

similarity

conjoins

.

And

the

precept

is

absolute

,

that

evil

is

not

to

be

repaid

with

evil

.

Like

deed

involves

like

merit

.

How

shall

we

observe

that

principle

,

if

in

our

loathing

we

shall

not

loathe

revenge

?

What

honour

,

moreover

,

shall

we

be

offering

to

the

Lord

God

,

if

we

arrogate

to

ourselves

the

arbitrament

of

vengeance

?

We

are

corrupt

—

earthen

vessels

.

With

our

own

servant

-

boys

,

if

they

assume

to

themselves

the

right

of

vengeance

on

their

fellow

-

servants

,

we

are

gravely

offended

;

while

such

as

make

us

the

offering

of

their

patience

we

not

only

approve

as

mindful

of

humility

,

of

servitude

,

affectionately

jealous

of

the

right

of

their

lord’s

honour

;

but

we

make

them

an

ampler

satisfaction

than

they

would

have

pre

-

exacted

for

themselves

.

Is

there

any

risk

of

a

different

result

in

the

case

of

a

Lord

so

just

in

estimating

,

so

potent

in

executing

?

Why

,

then

,

do

we

believe

Him

a

Judge

,

if

not

an

Avenger

too

?

This

He

promises

that

He

will

be

to

us

in

return

,

saying

,

“

Vengeance

belongeth

to

me

,

and

I

will

avenge

;

”

that

is

,

Leave

patience

to

me

,

and

I

will

reward

patience

.

For

when

He

says

,

“

Judge

not

,

lest

ye

be

judged

,

”

does

He

not

require

patience

?

For

who

will

refrain

from

judging

another

,

but

he

who

shall

be

patient

in

not

revenging

himself

?

Who

judges

in

order

to

pardon

?

And

if

he

shall

pardon

,

still

he

has

taken

care

to

indulge

the

impatience

of

a

judger

,

and

has

taken

away

the

honour

of

the

one

Judge

,

that

is

,

God

.

How

many

mischances

had

impatience

of

this

kind

been

wont

to

run

into

!

How

oft

has

it

repented

of

its

revenge

!

How

oft

has

its

vehemence

been

found

worse

than

the

causes

which

led

to

it

!

—

inasmuch

as

nothing

undertaken

with

impatience

can

be

effected

without

impetuosity

:

nothing

done

with

impetuosity

fails

either

to

stumble

,

or

else

to

fall

altogether

,

or

else

to

vanish

headlong

.

Moreover

,

if

you

avenge

yourself

too

slightly

,

you

will

be

mad

;

if

too

amply

,

you

will

have

to

bear

the

burden

.

What

have

I

to

do

with

vengeance

,

the

measure

of

which

,

through

impatience

of

pain

,

I

am

unable

to

regulate

?

Whereas

,

if

I

shall

repose

on

patience

,

I

shall

not

feel

pain

;

if

I

shall

not

feel

pain

,

I

shall

not

desire

to

avenge

myself

.

Notes

1
See Gal. v. 26; Phil. ii. 3.
2
Nunquam non.
3
i.e. perhaps superior in degree of malice.
4
i.e. of the world and its erroneous philosophies.
5
Rom. xii. 17.
6
Fastidientes, i.e. our loathing or abhorrence of sin. Perhaps the reference may be to Rom. xii. 9.
7
Isa. lxiv. 6.
8
Isa. lxiv. 8; 2 Cor. iv. 7.
9
Servulis.
10
Præsumpsissent.
11
Deut. xxxii. 35; Ps. xciv. 1; Rom. xii. 19; Heb. x. 30.
12
Matt. vii. 1; Luke vi. 37.
13
i.e. the penalty which the law will inflict.