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Tertullian

Chapter 4

About this work

Author: Tertullian

If, therefore, it is evident that from the beginning this kind

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

of

worship

has

both

been

forbidden

—

witness

the

commands

so

numerous

and

weighty

—

and

that

it

has

never

been

engaged

in

without

punishment

following

,

as

examples

so

numerous

and

impressive

show

,

and

that

no

offence

is

counted

by

God

so

presumptuous

as

a

trespass

of

this

sort

,

we

ought

further

to

perceive

the

purport

of

both

the

divine

threatenings

and

their

fulfilments

,

which

was

even

then

commended

not

only

by

the

not

calling

in

question

,

but

also

by

the

enduring

of

martyrdoms

,

for

which

certainly

He

had

given

occasion

by

forbidding

idolatry

.

For

otherwise

martyrdoms

would

not

take

place

.

And

certainly

He

had

supplied

,

as

a

warrant

for

these

,

His

own

authority

,

willing

those

events

to

come

to

pass

for

the

occurrence

of

which

He

had

given

occasion

.

At

present

(

it

is

important

)

,

for

we

are

getting

severely

stung

concerning

the

will

of

God

,

and

the

scorpion

repeats

the

prick

,

denying

the

existence

of

this

will

,

finding

fault

with

it

,

so

that

he

either

insinuates

that

there

is

another

god

,

such

that

this

is

not

his

will

,

or

none

the

less

overthrows

ours

,

seeing

such

is

his

will

,

or

altogether

denies

this

will

of

God

,

if

he

cannot

deny

Himself

.

But

,

for

our

part

,

contending

elsewhere

about

God

,

and

about

all

the

rest

of

the

body

of

heretical

teaching

,

we

now

draw

before

us

definite

lines

for

one

form

of

encounter

,

maintaining

that

this

will

,

such

as

to

have

given

occasion

for

martyrdoms

,

is

that

of

not

another

god

than

the

God

of

Israel

,

on

the

ground

of

the

commandments

relating

to

an

always

forbidden

,

as

well

as

of

the

judgments

upon

a

punished

,

idolatry

.

For

if

the

keeping

of

a

command

involves

the

suffering

of

violence

,

this

will

be

,

so

to

speak

,

a

command

about

keeping

the

command

,

requiring

me

to

suffer

that

through

which

I

shall

be

able

to

keep

the

command

,

violence

namely

,

whatever

of

it

threatens

me

when

on

my

guard

against

idolatry

.

And

certainly

(

in

the

case

supposed

)

the

Author

of

the

command

extorts

compliance

with

it

.

He

could

not

,

therefore

,

have

been

unwilling

that

those

events

should

come

to

pass

by

means

of

which

the

compliance

will

be

manifest

.

The

injunction

is

given

me

not

to

make

mention

of

any

other

god

,

not

even

by

speaking

,

—

as

little

by

the

tongue

as

by

the

hand

,

—

to

fashion

a

god

,

and

not

to

worship

or

in

any

way

show

reverence

to

another

than

Him

only

who

thus

commands

me

,

whom

I

am

both

bid

fear

that

I

may

not

be

forsaken

by

Him

,

and

love

with

my

whole

being

,

that

I

may

die

for

Him

.

Serving

as

a

soldier

under

this

oath

,

I

am

challenged

by

the

enemy

.

If

I

surrender

to

them

,

I

am

as

they

are

.

In

maintaining

this

oath

,

I

fight

furiously

in

battle

,

am

wounded

,

hewn

in

pieces

,

slain

.

Who

wished

this

fatal

issue

to

his

soldier

,

but

he

who

sealed

him

by

such

an

oath

?

Notes

1
An allusion to what occurred in the games, there being lines to mark the space within which the contests were to be waged.—Tr.