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Tertullian

Chapter 5

About this work

Author: Tertullian

You have therefore the will of my God. We have cured this

‹ Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ›

prick

.

Let

us

give

good

heed

to

another

thrust

touching

the

character

of

His

will

.

It

would

be

tedious

to

show

that

my

God

is

good

,

—

a

truth

with

which

the

Marcionites

have

now

been

made

acquainted

by

us

.

Meanwhile

it

is

enough

that

He

is

called

God

for

its

being

necessary

that

He

should

be

believed

to

be

good

.

For

if

any

one

make

the

supposition

that

God

is

evil

,

he

will

not

be

able

to

take

his

stand

on

both

the

constituents

thereof

:

he

will

be

bound

either

to

affirm

that

he

whom

he

has

thought

to

be

evil

is

not

God

,

or

that

he

whom

he

has

proclaimed

to

be

God

is

good

.

Good

,

therefore

,

will

be

the

will

also

of

him

who

,

unless

he

is

good

,

will

not

be

God

.

The

goodness

of

the

thing

itself

also

which

God

has

willed

—

of

martyrdom

,

I

mean

—

will

show

this

,

because

only

one

who

is

good

has

willed

what

is

good

.

I

stoutly

maintain

that

martyrdom

is

good

,

as

required

by

the

God

by

whom

likewise

idolatry

is

forbidden

and

punished

.

For

martyrdom

strives

against

and

opposes

idolatry

.

But

to

strive

against

and

oppose

evil

cannot

be

ought

but

good

.

Not

as

if

I

denied

that

there

is

a

rivalry

in

evil

things

with

one

another

,

as

well

as

in

good

also

;

but

this

ground

for

it

requires

a

different

state

of

matters

.

For

martyrdom

contends

with

idolatry

,

not

from

some

malice

which

they

share

,

but

from

its

own

kindness

;

for

it

delivers

from

idolatry

.

Who

will

not

proclaim

that

to

be

good

which

delivers

from

idolatry

?

What

else

is

the

opposition

between

idolatry

and

martyrdom

,

than

that

between

life

and

death

?

Life

will

be

counted

to

be

martyrdom

as

much

as

idolatry

to

be

death

.

He

who

will

call

life

an

evil

,

has

death

to

speak

of

as

a

good

.

This

frowardness

also

appertains

to

men

,

—

to

discard

what

is

wholesome

,

to

accept

what

is

baleful

,

to

avoid

all

dangerous

cures

,

or

,

in

short

,

to

be

eager

to

die

rather

than

to

be

healed

.

For

they

are

many

who

flee

from

the

aid

of

physic

also

,

many

in

folly

,

many

from

fear

and

false

modesty

.

And

the

healing

art

has

manifestly

an

apparent

cruelty

,

by

reason

of

the

lancet

,

and

of

the

burning

iron

,

and

of

the

great

heat

of

the

mustard

;

yet

to

be

cut

and

burned

,

and

pulled

and

bitten

,

is

not

on

that

account

an

evil

,

for

it

occasions

helpful

pains

;

nor

will

it

be

refused

merely

because

it

afflicts

,

but

because

it

afflicts

inevitably

will

it

be

applied

.

The

good

accruing

is

the

apology

for

the

frightfulness

of

the

work

.

In

short

,

that

man

who

is

howling

and

groaning

and

bellowing

in

the

hands

of

a

physician

will

presently

load

the

same

hands

with

a

fee

,

and

proclaim

that

they

are

the

best

operators

,

and

no

longer

affirm

that

they

are

cruel

.

Thus

martyrdoms

also

rage

furiously

,

but

for

salvation

.

God

also

will

be

at

liberty

to

heal

for

everlasting

life

by

means

of

fires

and

swords

,

and

all

that

is

painful

.

But

you

will

admire

the

physician

at

least

even

in

that

respect

,

that

for

the

most

part

he

employs

like

properties

in

the

cures

to

counteract

the

properties

of

the

diseases

,

when

he

aids

,

as

it

were

,

the

wrong

way

,

succouring

by

means

of

those

things

to

which

the

affliction

is

owing

.

For

he

both

checks

heat

by

heat

,

by

laying

on

a

greater

load

;

and

subdues

inflammation

by

leaving

thirst

unappeased

,

by

tormenting

rather

;

and

contracts

the

superabundance

of

bile

by

every

bitter

little

draught

,

and

stops

hemorrhage

by

opening

a

veinlet

in

addition

.

But

you

will

think

that

God

must

be

found

fault

with

,

and

that

for

being

jealous

,

if

He

has

chosen

to

contend

with

a

disease

and

to

do

good

by

imitating

the

malady

,

to

destroy

death

by

death

,

to

dissipate

killing

by

killing

,

to

dispel

tortures

by

tortures

,

to

disperse

punishments

by

punishments

,

to

bestow

life

by

withdrawing

it

,

to

aid

the

flesh

by

injuring

it

,

to

preserve

the

soul

by

snatching

it

away

.

The

wrongheadedness

,

as

you

deem

it

to

be

,

is

reasonableness

;

what

you

count

cruelty

is

kindness

.

Thus

,

seeing

God

by

brief

(

sufferings

)

effects

cures

for

eternity

,

extol

your

God

for

your

prosperity

;

you

have

fallen

into

His

hands

,

but

have

happily

fallen

.

He

also

fell

into

your

sicknesses

.

Man

always

first

provides

employment

for

the

physician

;

in

short

,

he

has

brought

upon

himself

the

danger

of

death

.

He

had

received

from

his

own

Lord

,

as

from

a

physician

,

the

salutary

enough

rule

to

live

according

to

the

law

,

that

he

should

eat

of

all

indeed

(

that

the

garden

produced

)

and

should

refrain

from

only

one

little

tree

which

in

the

meantime

the

Physician

Himself

knew

as

a

perilous

one

.

He

gave

ear

to

him

whom

he

preferred

,

and

broke

through

self

-

restraint

.

He

ate

what

was

forbidden

,

and

,

surfeited

by

the

trespass

,

suffered

indigestion

tending

to

death

;

he

certainly

richly

deserving

to

lose

his

life

altogether

who

wished

to

do

so

.

But

the

inflamed

tumour

due

to

the

trespass

having

been

endured

until

in

due

time

the

medicine

might

be

mixed

,

the

Lord

gradually

prepared

the

means

of

healing

—

all

the

rules

of

faith

,

they

also

bearing

a

resemblance

to

(

the

causes

of

)

the

ailment

,

seeing

they

annul

the

word

of

death

by

the

word

of

life

,

and

diminish

the

trespass

-

listening

by

a

listening

of

allegiance

.

Thus

,

even

when

that

Physician

commands

one

to

die

,

He

drives

out

the

lethargy

of

death

.

Why

does

man

show

reluctance

to

suffer

now

from

a

cure

,

what

he

was

not

reluctant

then

to

suffer

from

a

disorder

?

Does

he

dislike

being

killed

for

salvation

,

who

did

not

dislike

being

killed

for

destruction

?

—

Will

he

feel

squeamish

with

reference

to

the

counter

poison

,

who

gaped

for

the

poison

?

Notes

1
Literally, “disperse in vapour.”—Tr.