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On Prayer

Tertullian

Chapter 2

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter II.—The First Clause.

The prayer begins with a testimony to God, and with the reward

Chapter 3 ›

of

faith

,

when

we

say

,

“

Our

Father

who

art

in

the

heavens

;

”

for

(

in

so

saying

)

,

we

at

once

pray

to

God

,

and

commend

faith

,

whose

reward

this

appellation

is

.

It

is

written

,

“

To

them

who

believed

on

Him

He

gave

power

to

be

called

sons

of

God

.

”

However

,

our

Lord

very

frequently

proclaimed

God

as

a

Father

to

us

;

nay

,

even

gave

a

precept

“

that

we

call

no

one

on

earth

father

,

but

the

Father

whom

we

have

in

the

heavens

:

”

and

so

,

in

thus

praying

,

we

are

likewise

obeying

the

precept

.

Happy

they

who

recognize

their

Father

!

This

is

the

reproach

that

is

brought

against

Israel

,

to

which

the

Spirit

attests

heaven

and

earth

,

saying

,

“

I

have

begotten

sons

,

and

they

have

not

recognized

me

.

”

Moreover

,

in

saying

“

Father

,

”

we

also

call

Him

“

God

.

”

That

appellation

is

one

both

of

filial

duty

and

of

power

.

Again

,

in

the

Father

the

Son

is

invoked

;

“

for

I

,

”

saith

He

,

“

and

the

Father

are

One

.

”

Nor

is

even

our

mother

the

Church

passed

by

,

if

,

that

is

,

in

the

Father

and

the

Son

is

recognized

the

mother

,

from

whom

arises

the

name

both

of

Father

and

of

Son

.

In

one

general

term

,

then

,

or

word

,

we

both

honour

God

,

together

with

His

own

,

and

are

mindful

of

the

precept

,

and

set

a

mark

on

such

as

have

forgotten

their

Father

.

Notes

1
John i. 12.
2
Matt. xxiii. 9.
3
Isa. i. 2.
4
John x. 30.
5
“i.e., together with the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Oehler); “His Son and His church” (Dodgson).