Opening the library…

Search the Bible

On Prayer

Tertullian

Chapter 7

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter VII.—The Sixth Clause.

It was suitable that, after contemplating the liberality of God, we

‹ Chapter 6 Chapter 8 ›

should

likewise

address

His

clemency

.

For

what

will

aliments

profit

us

,

if

we

are

really

consigned

to

them

,

as

it

were

a

bull

destined

for

a

victim

?

The

Lord

knew

Himself

to

be

the

only

guiltless

One

,

and

so

He

teaches

that

we

beg

“

to

have

our

debts

remitted

us

.

”

A

petition

for

pardon

is

a

full

confession

;

because

he

who

begs

for

pardon

fully

admits

his

guilt

.

Thus

,

too

,

penitence

is

demonstrated

acceptable

to

God

who

desires

it

rather

than

the

death

of

the

sinner

.

Moreover

,

debt

is

,

in

the

Scriptures

,

a

figure

of

guilt

;

because

it

is

equally

due

to

the

sentence

of

judgment

,

and

is

exacted

by

it

:

nor

does

it

evade

the

justice

of

exaction

,

unless

the

exaction

be

remitted

,

just

as

the

lord

remitted

to

that

slave

in

the

parable

his

debt

;

for

hither

does

the

scope

of

the

whole

parable

tend

.

For

the

fact

withal

,

that

the

same

servant

,

after

liberated

by

his

lord

,

does

not

equally

spare

his

own

debtor

;

and

,

being

on

that

account

impeached

before

his

lord

,

is

made

over

to

the

tormentor

to

pay

the

uttermost

farthing

—

that

is

,

every

guilt

,

however

small

:

corresponds

with

our

profession

that

“

we

also

remit

to

our

debtors

;

”

indeed

elsewhere

,

too

,

in

conformity

with

this

Form

of

Prayer

,

He

saith

,

“

Remit

,

and

it

shall

be

remitted

you

.

”

And

when

Peter

had

put

the

question

whether

remission

were

to

be

granted

to

a

brother

seven

times

,

“

Nay

,

”

saith

He

,

“

seventy

-

seven

times

;

”

in

order

to

remould

the

Law

for

the

better

;

because

in

Genesis

vengeance

was

assigned

“

seven

times

”

in

the

case

of

Cain

,

but

in

that

of

Lamech

“

seventy

-

seven

times

.

”

Notes

1
In the former petition, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
2
Such as “daily bread.”
3
That is, if we are just to be fed and fattened by them in body, as a bull which is destined for sacrifice is, and then, like him, slain—handed over to death?
4
Ex. xviii. 23, 32; xxxiii. 11.
5
Matt. xviii. 21–35.
6
Luke vi. 37.
7
Matt. xviii. 21–22.
8
Gen. iv. 15, 24.