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On Patience

Tertullian

Chapter 7

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter VII.—The Causes of Impatience, and Their Correspondent Precepts.

Now, however, while we run through the causes of impatience

‹ Chapter 6 Chapter 8 ›

,

all

the

other

precepts

also

will

answer

in

their

own

places

.

If

our

spirit

is

aroused

by

the

loss

of

property

,

it

is

commonished

by

the

Lord’s

Scriptures

,

in

almost

every

place

,

to

a

contemning

of

the

world

;

nor

is

there

any

more

powerful

exhortation

to

contempt

of

money

submitted

(

to

us

)

,

than

(

the

fact

)

the

Lord

Himself

is

found

amid

no

riches

.

He

always

justifies

the

poor

,

fore

-

condemns

the

rich

.

So

He

fore

-

ministered

to

patience

“

loss

,

”

and

to

opulence

“

contempt

”

(

as

portion

)

;

demonstrating

,

by

means

of

(

His

own

)

repudiation

of

riches

,

that

hurts

done

to

them

also

are

not

to

be

much

regarded

.

Of

that

,

therefore

,

which

we

have

not

the

smallest

need

to

seek

after

,

because

the

Lord

did

not

seek

after

it

either

,

we

ought

to

endure

without

heart

-

sickness

the

cutting

down

or

taking

away

.

“

Covetousness

,

”

the

Spirit

of

the

Lord

has

through

the

apostle

pronounced

“

a

root

of

all

evils

.

”

Let

us

not

interpret

that

covetousness

as

consisting

merely

in

the

concupiscence

of

what

is

another’s

:

for

even

what

seems

ours

is

another’s

;

for

nothing

is

ours

,

since

all

things

are

God’s

,

whose

are

we

also

ourselves

.

And

so

,

if

,

when

suffering

from

a

loss

,

we

feel

impatiently

,

grieving

for

what

is

lost

from

what

is

not

our

own

,

we

shall

be

detected

as

bordering

on

covetousness

:

we

seek

what

is

another’s

when

we

ill

brook

losing

what

is

another’s

.

He

who

is

greatly

stirred

with

impatience

of

a

loss

,

does

,

by

giving

things

earthly

the

precedence

over

things

heavenly

,

sin

directly

against

God

;

for

the

Spirit

,

which

he

has

received

from

the

Lord

,

he

greatly

shocks

for

the

sake

of

a

worldly

matter

.

Willingly

,

therefore

,

let

us

lose

things

earthly

,

let

us

keep

things

heavenly

.

Perish

the

whole

world

,

so

I

may

make

patience

my

gain

!

In

truth

,

I

know

not

whether

he

who

has

not

made

up

his

mind

to

endure

with

constancy

the

loss

of

somewhat

of

his

,

either

by

theft

,

or

else

by

force

,

or

else

even

by

carelessness

,

would

himself

readily

or

heartily

lay

hand

on

his

own

property

in

the

cause

of

almsgiving

:

for

who

that

endures

not

at

all

to

be

cut

by

another

,

himself

draws

the

sword

on

his

own

body

?

Patience

in

losses

is

an

exercise

in

bestowing

and

communicating

.

Who

fears

not

to

lose

,

finds

it

not

irksome

to

give

.

Else

how

will

one

,

when

he

has

two

coats

,

give

the

one

of

them

to

the

naked

,

unless

he

be

a

man

likewise

to

offer

to

one

who

takes

away

his

coat

his

cloak

as

well

?

How

shall

we

fashion

to

us

friends

from

mammon

,

if

we

love

it

so

much

as

not

to

put

up

with

its

loss

?

We

shall

perish

together

with

the

lost

mammon

.

Why

do

we

find

here

,

where

it

is

our

business

to

lose

?

To

exhibit

impatience

at

all

losses

is

the

Gentiles

’

business

,

who

give

money

the

precedence

perhaps

over

their

soul

;

for

so

they

do

,

when

,

in

their

cupidities

of

lucre

,

they

encounter

the

gainful

perils

of

commerce

on

the

sea

;

when

,

for

money’s

sake

,

even

in

the

forum

,

there

is

nothing

which

damnation

(

itself

)

would

fear

which

they

hesitate

to

essay

;

when

they

hire

themselves

for

sport

and

the

camp

;

when

,

after

the

manner

of

wild

beasts

,

they

play

the

bandit

along

the

highway

.

But

us

,

according

to

the

diversity

by

which

we

are

distinguished

from

them

,

it

becomes

to

lay

down

not

our

soul

for

money

,

but

money

for

our

soul

,

whether

spontaneously

in

bestowing

or

patiently

in

losing

.

Notes

1
Sæculo.
2
Subjacet.
3
This appears to be the sense of this very difficult passage as Oehler reads it; and of Fr. Junius’ interpretation of it, which Oehler approves.
4
1 Tim. vi. 10. See de Idol. xi. ad init.
5
De proximo. See above, c. v. Deo de proximo amicus, “a most intimate friend to God.”
6
Sæculum.
7
Luke iii. 11.
8
Matt. v. 40; Luke vi. 29.
9
Luke xvi. 9.
10
“Alluding to Christ’s words in Matt. x. 39” (Rigalt. quoted by Oehler).