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Tertullian

Chapter 10

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Author: Tertullian

But as to those who think that not here, that is,

‹ Chapter 9 Chapter 11 ›

not

within

this

environment

of

earth

,

nor

during

this

period

of

existence

,

nor

before

men

possessing

this

nature

shared

by

us

all

,

has

confession

been

appointed

to

be

made

,

what

a

supposition

is

theirs

,

being

at

variance

with

the

whole

order

of

things

of

which

we

have

experience

in

these

lands

,

and

in

this

life

,

and

under

human

authorities

!

Doubtless

,

when

the

souls

have

departed

from

their

bodies

,

and

begun

to

be

put

upon

trial

in

the

several

stories

of

the

heavens

,

with

reference

to

the

engagement

(

under

which

they

have

come

to

Jesus

)

,

and

to

be

questioned

about

those

hidden

mysteries

of

the

heretics

,

they

must

then

confess

before

the

real

powers

and

the

real

men

,

—

the

Teleti

,

to

wit

,

and

the

Abascanti

,

and

the

Acineti

of

Valentinus

!

For

,

say

they

,

even

the

Demiurge

himself

did

not

uniformly

approve

of

the

men

of

our

world

,

whom

he

counted

as

a

drop

of

a

bucket

,

and

the

dust

of

the

threshing

-

floor

,

and

spittle

and

locusts

,

and

put

on

a

level

even

with

brute

beasts

.

Clearly

,

it

is

so

written

.

Yet

not

therefore

must

we

understand

that

there

is

,

besides

us

,

another

kind

of

man

,

which

—

for

it

is

evidently

thus

(

in

the

case

proposed

)

—

has

been

able

to

assume

without

invalidating

a

comparison

between

the

two

kinds

,

both

the

characteristics

of

the

race

and

a

unique

property

.

For

even

if

the

life

was

tainted

,

so

that

condemned

to

contempt

it

might

be

likened

to

objects

held

in

contempt

,

the

nature

was

not

forthwith

taken

away

,

so

that

there

might

be

supposed

to

be

another

under

its

name

.

Rather

is

the

nature

preserved

,

though

the

life

blushes

;

nor

does

Christ

know

other

men

than

those

with

reference

to

whom

He

says

,

“

Whom

do

men

say

that

I

am

?

”

And

,

“

As

ye

would

that

men

should

do

to

you

,

do

ye

likewise

so

to

,

them

.

”

Consider

whether

He

may

not

have

preserved

a

race

such

that

He

is

looking

for

a

testimony

to

Himself

from

them

,

as

well

as

consisting

of

those

on

whom

He

enjoins

the

interchange

of

righteous

dealing

.

But

if

I

should

urgently

demand

that

those

heavenly

men

be

described

to

me

,

Aratus

will

sketch

more

easily

Perseus

and

Cepheus

,

and

Erigone

,

and

Ariadne

,

among

the

constellations

.

But

who

prevented

the

Lord

from

clearly

prescribing

that

confession

by

men

likewise

has

to

be

made

where

He

plainly

announced

that

His

own

would

be

;

so

that

the

statement

might

have

run

thus

:

”

Whosoever

shall

confess

in

me

before

men

in

heaven

,

I

also

will

confess

in

him

before

my

Father

who

is

in

heaven

?

”

He

ought

to

have

saved

me

from

this

mistake

about

confession

on

earth

,

which

He

would

not

have

wished

me

to

take

part

in

,

if

He

had

commanded

one

in

heaven

;

for

I

knew

no

other

men

but

the

inhabitants

of

the

earth

,

man

himself

even

not

having

up

to

that

time

been

observed

in

heaven

.

Besides

,

what

is

the

credibility

of

the

things

(

alleged

)

,

that

,

being

after

death

raised

to

heavenly

places

,

I

should

be

put

to

the

test

there

,

whither

I

would

not

be

translated

without

being

already

tested

,

that

I

should

there

be

tried

in

reference

to

a

command

where

I

could

not

come

,

but

to

find

admittance

?

Heaven

lies

open

to

the

Christian

before

the

way

to

it

does

;

because

there

is

no

way

to

heaven

,

but

to

him

to

whom

heaven

lies

open

;

and

he

who

reaches

it

will

enter

.

What

powers

,

keeping

guard

at

the

gate

,

do

I

hear

you

affirm

to

exist

in

accordance

with

Roman

superstition

,

with

a

certain

Carnus

,

Forculus

,

and

Limentinus

?

What

powers

do

you

set

in

order

at

the

railings

?

If

you

have

ever

read

in

David

,

“

Lift

up

your

gates

,

ye

princes

,

and

let

the

everlasting

gates

be

lifted

up

;

and

the

King

of

glory

shall

enter

in

;

”

if

you

have

also

heard

from

Amos

,

“

Who

buildeth

up

to

the

heavens

his

way

of

ascent

,

and

is

such

as

to

pour

forth

his

abundance

(

of

waters

)

over

the

earth

;

”

know

that

both

that

way

of

ascent

was

thereafter

levelled

with

the

ground

,

by

the

footsteps

of

the

Lord

,

and

an

entrance

thereafter

opened

up

by

the

might

of

Christ

,

and

that

no

delay

or

inquest

will

meet

Christians

on

the

threshold

,

since

they

have

there

to

be

not

discriminated

from

one

another

,

but

owned

,

and

not

put

to

the

question

,

but

received

in

.

For

though

you

think

heaven

still

shut

,

remember

that

the

Lord

left

here

to

Peter

and

through

him

to

the

Church

,

the

keys

of

it

,

which

every

one

who

has

been

here

put

to

the

question

,

and

also

made

confession

,

will

carry

with

him

.

But

the

devil

stoutly

affirms

that

we

must

confess

there

,

to

persuade

us

that

we

must

deny

here

.

I

shall

send

before

me

fine

documents

,

to

be

sure

,

I

shall

carry

with

me

excellent

keys

,

the

fear

of

them

who

kill

the

body

only

,

but

do

nought

against

the

soul

:

I

shall

be

graced

by

the

neglect

of

this

command

:

I

shall

stand

with

credit

in

heavenly

places

,

who

could

not

stand

in

earthly

:

I

shall

hold

out

against

the

greater

powers

,

who

yielded

to

the

lesser

:

I

shall

deserve

to

be

at

length

let

in

,

though

now

shut

out

.

It

readily

occurs

to

one

to

remark

further

,

“

If

it

is

in

heaven

that

men

must

confess

,

it

is

here

too

that

they

must

deny

.

”

For

where

the

one

is

,

there

both

are

.

For

contraries

always

go

together

.

There

will

need

to

be

carried

on

in

heaven

persecution

even

,

which

is

the

occasion

of

confession

or

denial

.

Why

,

then

,

do

you

refrain

,

O

most

presumptuous

heretic

,

from

transporting

to

the

world

above

the

whole

series

of

means

proper

to

the

intimidation

of

Christians

,

and

especially

to

put

there

the

very

hatred

for

the

name

,

where

Christ

rules

at

the

right

hand

of

the

Father

?

Will

you

plant

there

both

synagogues

of

the

Jews

—

fountains

of

persecution

—

before

which

the

apostles

endured

the

scourge

,

and

heathen

assemblages

with

their

own

circus

,

forsooth

,

where

they

readily

join

in

the

cry

,

Death

to

the

third

race

?

But

ye

are

bound

to

produce

in

the

same

place

both

our

brothers

,

fathers

,

children

,

mothers

-

in

-

law

,

daughters

-

in

-

law

and

those

of

our

household

,

through

whose

agency

the

betrayal

has

been

appointed

;

likewise

kings

,

governors

,

and

armed

authorities

,

before

whom

the

matter

at

issue

must

be

contested

.

Assuredly

there

will

be

in

heaven

a

prison

also

,

destitute

of

the

sun’s

rays

or

full

of

light

unthankfully

,

and

fetters

of

the

zones

perhaps

,

and

,

for

a

rack

-

horse

,

the

axis

itself

which

whirls

the

heavens

round

.

Then

,

if

a

Christian

is

to

be

stoned

,

hail

-

storms

will

be

near

;

if

burned

,

thunderbolts

are

at

hand

;

if

butchered

,

the

armed

Orion

will

exercise

his

function

;

if

put

an

end

to

by

beasts

,

the

north

will

send

forth

the

bears

,

the

Zodiac

the

bulls

and

the

lions

.

He

who

will

endure

these

assaults

to

the

end

,

the

same

shall

be

saved

.

Will

there

be

then

,

in

heaven

,

both

an

end

,

and

suffering

,

a

killing

,

and

the

first

confession

?

And

where

will

be

the

flesh

requisite

for

all

this

?

Where

the

body

which

alone

has

to

be

killed

by

men

?

Unerring

reason

has

commanded

us

to

set

forth

these

things

in

even

a

playful

manner

;

nor

will

any

one

thrust

out

the

bar

consisting

in

this

objection

(

we

have

offered

)

,

so

as

not

to

be

compelled

to

transfer

the

whole

array

of

means

proper

to

persecution

,

all

the

powerful

instrumentality

which

has

been

provided

for

dealing

with

this

matter

,

to

the

place

where

he

has

put

the

court

before

which

confession

should

be

made

.

Since

confession

is

elicited

by

persecution

,

and

persecution

ended

in

confession

,

there

cannot

but

be

at

the

same

time

,

in

attendance

upon

these

,

the

instrumentality

which

determines

both

the

entrance

and

the

exit

,

that

is

,

the

beginning

and

the

end

.

But

both

hatred

for

the

name

will

be

here

,

persecution

breaks

out

here

,

betrayal

brings

men

forth

here

,

examination

uses

force

here

,

torture

rages

here

,

and

confession

or

denial

completes

this

whole

course

of

procedure

on

the

earth

.

Therefore

,

if

the

other

things

are

here

,

confession

also

is

not

elsewhere

;

if

confession

is

elsewhere

,

the

other

things

also

are

not

here

.

Certainly

the

other

things

are

not

elsewhere

;

therefore

neither

is

confession

in

heaven

.

Or

,

if

they

will

have

it

that

the

manner

in

which

the

heavenly

examination

and

confession

take

place

is

different

,

it

will

certainly

be

also

incumbent

on

them

to

devise

a

mode

of

procedure

of

their

own

of

a

very

different

kind

,

and

opposed

to

that

method

which

is

indicated

in

the

Scriptures

.

And

we

may

be

able

to

say

,

Let

them

consider

(

whether

what

they

imagine

to

exist

does

so

)

,

if

so

be

that

this

course

of

procedure

,

proper

to

examination

and

confession

on

earth

—

a

course

which

has

persecution

as

the

source

in

which

it

originates

,

and

which

pleads

dissension

in

the

state

—

is

preserved

to

its

own

faith

,

if

so

be

that

we

must

believe

just

as

is

also

written

,

and

understand

just

as

is

spoken

.

Here

I

endure

the

entire

course

(

in

question

)

,

the

Lord

Himself

not

appointing

a

different

quarter

of

the

world

for

my

doing

so

.

For

what

does

He

add

after

finishing

with

confession

and

denial

?

“

Think

not

that

I

am

come

to

send

peace

on

earth

,

but

a

sword

,

”

—

undoubtedly

on

the

earth

.

“

For

I

am

come

to

set

a

man

at

variance

against

his

father

,

and

the

daughter

against

her

mother

,

and

the

mother

-

in

-

law

against

her

daughter

-

in

-

law

.

And

a

man’s

foes

shall

be

they

of

his

own

household

.

”

For

so

is

it

brought

to

pass

,

that

the

brother

delivers

up

the

brother

to

death

,

and

the

father

the

son

:

and

the

children

rise

up

against

the

parents

,

and

cause

them

to

die

.

And

he

who

endureth

to

the

end

let

that

man

be

saved

.

So

that

this

whole

course

of

procedure

characteristic

of

the

Lord’s

sword

,

which

has

been

sent

not

to

heaven

,

but

to

earth

,

makes

confession

also

to

be

there

,

which

by

enduring

to

the

end

is

to

issue

in

the

suffering

of

death

.

Notes

1
The perfect.
2
The spell-resisting.
3
The steadfast.
4
Isa. xl. 15.
5
Matt. xvi. 13.
6
Matt. vii. 12 and Luke vi. 31.
7
Ps. xxiv. 7.
8
Amos ix. 6.
9
In support of my cause.
10
More literally, “How long shall we suffer the third race!” The Christians are meant; the first race being the heathen, and the second the Jews.—Tr.
11
Matt. x. 34.
12
Matt. x. 21.