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Tertullian

Chapter 9

About this work

Author: Tertullian

It remains for us, lest ancient times may perhaps have had the

‹ Chapter 8 Chapter 10 ›

sacrament

(

exclusively

)

their

own

,

to

review

the

modern

Christian

system

,

as

though

,

being

also

from

God

,

it

might

be

different

from

what

preceded

,

and

besides

,

therefore

,

opposed

thereto

in

its

code

of

rules

likewise

,

so

that

its

Wisdom

knows

not

to

murder

her

own

sons

!

Evidently

,

in

the

case

of

Christ

both

the

divine

nature

and

the

will

and

the

sect

are

different

from

any

previously

known

!

He

will

have

commanded

either

no

martyrdoms

at

all

,

or

those

which

must

be

understood

in

a

sense

different

from

the

ordinary

,

being

such

a

person

as

to

urge

no

one

to

a

risk

of

this

kind

as

to

promise

no

reward

to

them

who

suffer

for

Him

,

because

He

does

not

wish

them

to

suffer

;

and

therefore

does

He

say

,

when

setting

forth

His

chief

commands

,

“

Blessed

are

they

who

are

persecuted

for

righteousness

’

sake

,

for

theirs

is

the

kingdom

of

heaven

.

”

The

following

statement

,

indeed

,

applies

first

to

all

without

restriction

,

then

specially

to

the

apostles

themselves

:

“

Blessed

shall

ye

be

when

men

shall

revile

you

,

and

persecute

you

,

and

shall

say

all

manner

of

evil

against

you

,

for

my

sake

.

Rejoice

and

be

exceeding

glad

,

since

very

great

is

your

reward

in

heaven

;

for

so

used

their

fathers

to

do

even

to

the

prophets

.

”

So

that

He

likewise

foretold

their

having

to

be

themselves

also

slain

,

after

the

example

of

the

prophets

.

Though

,

even

if

He

had

appointed

all

this

persecution

in

case

He

were

obeyed

for

those

only

who

were

then

apostles

,

assuredly

through

them

along

with

the

entire

sacrament

,

with

the

shoot

of

the

name

,

with

the

layer

of

the

Holy

Spirit

,

the

rule

about

enduring

persecution

also

would

have

had

respect

to

us

too

,

as

to

disciples

by

inheritance

,

and

,

(

as

it

were

,

)

bushes

from

the

apostolic

seed

.

For

even

thus

again

does

He

address

words

of

guidance

to

the

apostles

:

“

Behold

,

I

send

you

forth

as

sheep

in

the

midst

of

wolves

;

”

and

,

“

Beware

of

men

,

for

they

will

deliver

you

up

to

the

councils

,

and

they

will

scourge

you

in

their

synagogues

;

and

ye

shall

be

brought

before

governors

and

kings

for

my

sake

,

for

a

testimony

against

them

and

the

Gentiles

,

”

etc

.

Now

when

He

adds

,

“

But

the

brother

will

deliver

up

the

brother

to

death

,

and

the

father

the

child

;

and

the

children

shall

rise

up

against

their

parents

,

and

cause

them

to

be

put

to

death

,

”

He

has

clearly

announced

with

reference

to

the

others

,

(

that

they

would

be

subjected

to

)

this

form

of

unrighteous

conduct

,

which

we

do

not

find

exemplified

in

the

case

of

the

apostles

.

For

none

of

them

had

experience

of

a

father

or

a

brother

as

a

betrayer

,

which

very

many

of

us

have

.

Then

He

returns

to

the

apostles

:

“

And

ye

shall

be

hated

of

all

men

for

my

name’s

sake

.

”

How

much

more

shall

we

,

for

whom

there

exists

the

necessity

of

being

delivered

up

by

parents

too

!

Thus

,

by

allotting

this

very

betrayal

,

now

to

the

apostles

,

now

to

all

,

He

pours

out

the

same

destruction

upon

all

the

possessors

of

the

name

,

on

whom

the

name

,

along

with

the

condition

that

it

be

an

object

of

hatred

,

will

rest

.

But

he

who

will

endure

on

to

the

end

—

this

man

will

be

saved

.

By

enduring

what

but

persecution

,

—

betrayal

,

—

death

?

For

to

endure

to

the

end

is

nought

else

than

to

suffer

the

end

.

And

therefore

there

immediately

follow

,

“

The

disciple

is

not

above

his

master

,

nor

the

servant

above

his

own

lord

;

”

because

,

seeing

the

Master

and

Lord

Himself

was

stedfast

in

suffering

persecution

,

betrayal

and

death

,

much

more

will

it

be

the

duty

of

His

servants

and

disciples

to

bear

the

same

,

that

they

may

not

seem

as

if

superior

to

Him

,

or

to

have

got

an

immunity

from

the

assaults

of

unrighteousness

,

since

this

itself

should

be

glory

enough

for

them

,

to

be

conformed

to

the

sufferings

of

their

Lord

and

Master

;

and

,

preparing

them

for

the

endurance

of

these

,

He

reminds

them

that

they

must

not

fear

such

persons

as

kill

the

body

only

,

but

are

not

able

to

destroy

the

soul

,

but

that

they

must

dedicate

fear

to

Him

rather

who

has

such

power

that

He

can

kill

both

body

and

soul

,

and

destroy

them

in

hell

.

Who

,

pray

,

are

these

slayers

of

the

body

only

,

but

the

governors

and

kings

aforesaid

—

men

,

I

ween

?

Who

is

the

ruler

of

the

soul

also

,

but

God

only

?

Who

is

this

but

the

threatener

of

fires

hereafter

,

He

without

whose

will

not

even

one

of

two

sparrows

falls

to

the

ground

;

that

is

,

not

even

one

of

the

two

substances

of

man

,

flesh

or

spirit

,

because

the

number

of

our

hairs

also

has

been

recorded

before

Him

?

Fear

ye

not

,

therefore

.

When

He

adds

,

“

Ye

are

of

more

value

than

many

sparrows

,

”

He

makes

promise

that

we

shall

not

in

vain

—

that

is

,

not

without

profit

—

fall

to

the

ground

if

we

choose

to

be

killed

by

men

rather

than

by

God

.

“

Whosoever

therefore

will

confess

in

me

before

men

,

in

him

will

I

confess

also

before

my

Father

who

is

in

heaven

;

and

whosoever

shall

deny

me

before

men

,

him

will

I

deny

also

before

my

Father

who

is

in

heaven

.

”

Clear

,

as

I

think

,

are

the

terms

used

in

announcing

,

and

the

way

to

explain

,

the

confession

as

well

as

the

denial

,

although

the

mode

of

putting

them

is

different

.

He

who

confesses

himself

a

Christian

,

beareth

witness

that

he

is

Christ’s

;

he

who

is

Christ’s

must

be

in

Christ

.

If

he

is

in

Christ

,

he

certainly

confesses

in

Christ

,

when

he

confesses

himself

a

Christian

.

For

he

cannot

be

this

without

being

in

Christ

.

Besides

,

by

confessing

in

Christ

he

confesses

Christ

too

:

since

,

by

virtue

of

being

a

Christian

,

he

is

in

Christ

,

while

Christ

Himself

also

is

in

him

.

For

if

you

have

made

mention

of

day

,

you

have

also

held

out

to

view

the

element

of

light

which

gives

us

day

,

although

you

may

not

have

made

mention

of

light

.

Thus

,

albeit

He

has

not

expressly

said

,

“

He

who

will

confess

me

,

”

(

yet

)

the

conduct

involved

in

daily

confession

is

not

different

from

what

is

meant

in

our

Lord’s

declaration

.

For

he

who

confesses

himself

to

be

what

he

is

,

that

is

,

a

Christian

,

confesses

that

likewise

by

which

he

is

it

,

that

is

,

Christ

.

Therefore

he

who

has

denied

that

he

is

a

Christian

,

has

denied

in

Christ

,

by

denying

that

he

is

in

Christ

while

he

denies

that

he

is

a

Christian

;

and

,

on

the

other

hand

,

by

denying

that

Christ

is

in

him

,

while

He

denies

that

he

is

in

Christ

,

he

will

deny

Christ

too

.

Thus

both

he

who

will

deny

in

Christ

,

will

deny

Christ

,

and

he

who

will

confess

in

Christ

will

confess

Christ

.

It

would

have

been

enough

,

therefore

,

though

our

Lord

had

made

an

announcement

about

confessing

merely

.

For

,

from

His

mode

of

presenting

confession

,

it

might

be

decided

beforehand

with

reference

to

its

opposite

too

—

denial

,

that

is

—

that

denial

is

repaid

by

the

Lord

with

denial

,

just

as

confession

is

with

confession

.

And

therefore

,

since

in

the

mould

in

which

the

confession

has

been

cast

the

state

of

(

the

case

with

reference

to

)

denial

also

may

be

perceived

,

it

is

evident

that

to

another

manner

of

denial

belongs

what

the

Lord

has

announced

concerning

it

,

in

terms

different

from

those

in

which

He

speaks

of

confession

,

when

He

says

,

“

Who

will

deny

me

,

”

not

“

Who

will

deny

in

me

.

”

For

He

had

foreseen

that

this

form

of

violence

also

would

,

for

the

most

part

,

immediately

follow

when

any

one

had

been

forced

to

renounce

the

Christian

name

,

—

that

he

who

had

denied

that

he

was

a

Christian

would

be

compelled

to

deny

Christ

Himself

too

by

blaspheming

Him

.

As

not

long

ago

,

alas

,

we

shuddered

at

the

struggle

waged

in

this

way

by

some

with

their

entire

faith

,

which

had

had

favourable

omens

.

Therefore

it

will

be

to

no

purpose

to

say

,

“

Though

I

shall

deny

that

I

am

a

Christian

,

I

shall

not

be

denied

by

Christ

,

for

I

have

not

denied

Himself

.

”

For

even

so

much

will

be

inferred

from

that

denial

,

by

which

,

seeing

he

denies

Christ

in

him

by

denying

that

he

is

a

Christian

,

he

has

denied

Christ

Himself

also

.

But

there

is

more

,

because

He

threatens

likewise

shame

with

shame

(

in

return

)

:

“

Whosoever

shall

be

ashamed

of

me

before

men

,

of

him

will

I

also

be

ashamed

before

my

Father

who

is

in

heaven

.

”

For

He

was

aware

that

denial

is

produced

even

most

of

all

by

shame

,

that

the

state

of

the

mind

appears

in

the

forehead

,

and

that

the

wound

of

shame

precedes

that

in

the

body

.

Notes

1
Tertullian means martyrdom.—Tr.
2
Matt. v. 10; Luke vi. 23.
3
Matt. x. 16.
4
The words in the Greek, though correctly rendered in our authorized version, are, when translated literally, what Tertullian represents them to be.—Tr.