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Tertullian

Chapter 6

About this work

Author: Tertullian

But if, for the contest’s sake, God had appointed martyrdoms for

‹ Chapter 5 Chapter 7 ›

us

,

that

thereby

we

might

make

trial

with

our

opponent

,

in

order

that

He

may

now

keep

bruising

him

by

whom

man

chose

to

be

bruised

,

here

too

generosity

rather

than

harshness

in

God

holds

sway

.

For

He

wished

to

make

man

,

now

plucked

from

the

devil’s

throat

by

faith

,

trample

upon

him

likewise

by

courage

,

that

he

might

not

merely

have

escaped

from

,

but

also

completely

vanquished

,

his

enemy

.

He

who

had

called

to

salvation

has

been

pleased

to

summon

to

glory

also

,

that

they

who

were

rejoicing

in

consequence

of

their

deliverance

may

be

in

transports

when

they

are

crowned

likewise

.

With

what

good

-

will

the

world

celebrates

those

games

,

the

combative

festivals

and

superstitious

contests

of

the

Greeks

,

involving

forms

both

of

worship

and

of

pleasure

,

has

now

become

clear

in

Africa

also

.

As

yet

cities

,

by

sending

their

congratulations

severally

,

annoy

Carthage

,

which

was

presented

with

the

Pythian

game

after

the

racecourse

had

attained

to

an

old

age

.

Thus

,

by

the

world

it

has

been

believed

to

be

a

most

proper

mode

of

testing

proficiency

in

studies

,

to

put

in

competition

the

forms

of

skill

,

to

elicit

the

existing

condition

of

bodies

and

of

voices

,

the

reward

being

the

informer

,

the

public

exhibition

the

judge

,

and

pleasure

the

decision

.

Where

there

are

mere

contests

,

there

are

some

wounds

:

fists

make

reel

,

heels

kick

like

butting

rams

,

boxing

-

gloves

mangle

,

whips

leave

gashes

.

Yet

there

will

be

no

one

reproaching

the

superintendent

of

the

contest

for

exposing

men

to

outrage

.

Suits

for

injuries

lie

outside

the

racecourse

.

But

to

the

extent

that

those

persons

deal

in

discoloration

,

and

gore

,

and

swellings

,

he

will

design

for

them

crowns

,

doubtless

,

and

glory

,

and

a

present

,

political

privileges

,

contributions

by

the

citizens

,

images

,

statues

,

and

—

of

such

sort

as

the

world

can

give

—

an

eternity

of

fame

,

a

resurrection

by

being

kept

in

remembrance

.

The

pugilist

himself

does

not

complain

of

feeling

pain

,

for

he

wishes

it

;

the

crown

closes

the

wounds

,

the

palm

hides

the

blood

:

he

is

excited

more

by

victory

than

by

injury

.

Will

you

count

this

man

hurt

whom

you

see

happy

?

But

not

even

the

vanquished

himself

will

reproach

the

superintendent

of

the

contest

for

his

misfortune

.

Shall

it

be

unbecoming

in

God

to

bring

forth

kinds

of

skill

and

rules

of

His

own

into

public

view

,

into

this

open

ground

of

the

world

,

to

be

seen

by

men

,

and

angels

,

and

all

powers

?

—

to

test

flesh

and

spirit

as

to

stedfastness

and

endurance

?

—

to

give

to

this

one

the

palm

,

to

this

one

distinction

,

to

that

one

the

privilege

of

citizenship

,

to

that

one

pay

?

—

to

reject

some

also

,

and

after

punishing

to

remove

them

with

disgrace

?

You

dictate

to

God

,

forsooth

,

the

times

,

or

the

ways

,

or

the

places

in

which

to

institute

a

trial

concerning

His

own

troop

(

of

competitors

)

as

if

it

were

not

proper

for

the

Judge

to

pronounce

the

preliminary

decision

also

.

Well

now

,

if

He

had

put

forth

faith

to

suffer

martyrdoms

not

for

the

contest’s

sake

,

but

for

its

own

benefit

,

ought

it

not

to

have

had

some

store

of

hope

,

for

the

increase

of

which

it

might

restrain

desire

of

its

own

,

and

check

its

wish

in

order

that

it

might

strive

to

mount

up

,

seeing

they

also

who

discharge

earthly

functions

are

eager

for

promotion

?

Or

how

will

there

be

many

mansions

in

our

Father’s

house

,

if

not

to

accord

with

a

diversity

of

deserts

?

How

will

one

star

also

differ

from

another

star

in

glory

,

unless

in

virtue

of

disparity

in

their

rays

?

But

further

,

if

,

on

that

account

,

some

increase

of

brightness

also

was

appropriate

to

loftiness

of

faith

,

that

gain

ought

to

have

been

of

some

such

sort

as

would

cost

great

effort

,

poignant

suffering

,

torture

,

death

.

But

consider

the

requital

,

when

flesh

and

life

are

paid

away

—

than

which

in

man

there

is

nought

more

precious

,

the

one

from

the

hand

of

God

,

the

other

from

His

breath

—

that

the

very

things

are

paid

away

in

obtaining

the

benefit

of

which

the

benefit

consists

;

that

the

very

things

are

expended

which

may

be

acquired

;

that

the

same

things

are

the

price

which

are

also

the

commodities

.

God

had

foreseen

also

other

weaknesses

incident

to

the

condition

of

man

,

—

the

stratagems

of

the

enemy

,

the

deceptive

aspects

of

the

creatures

,

the

snares

of

the

world

;

that

faith

,

even

after

baptism

,

would

be

endangered

;

that

the

most

,

after

attaining

unto

salvation

,

would

be

lost

again

,

through

soiling

the

wedding

-

dress

,

through

failing

to

provide

oil

for

their

torchlets

—

would

be

such

as

would

have

to

be

sought

for

over

mountains

and

woodlands

,

and

carried

back

upon

the

shoulders

.

He

therefore

appointed

as

second

supplies

of

comfort

,

and

the

last

means

of

succour

,

the

fight

of

martyrdom

and

the

baptism

—

thereafter

free

from

danger

—

of

blood

.

And

concerning

the

happiness

of

the

man

who

has

partaken

of

these

,

David

says

:

“

Blessed

are

they

whose

iniquities

are

forgiven

,

and

whose

sins

are

covered

.

Blessed

is

the

man

to

whom

the

Lord

will

not

impute

sin

.

”

For

,

strictly

speaking

,

there

cannot

any

longer

be

reckoned

ought

against

the

martyrs

,

by

whom

in

the

baptism

(

of

blood

)

life

itself

is

laid

down

.

Thus

,

“

love

covers

the

multitude

of

sins

;

”

and

loving

God

,

to

wit

,

with

all

its

strength

(

by

which

in

the

endurance

of

martyrdom

it

maintains

the

fight

)

,

with

all

its

life

(

which

it

lays

down

for

God

)

,

it

makes

of

man

a

martyr

.

Shall

you

call

these

cures

,

counsels

,

methods

of

judging

,

spectacles

,

(

illustrations

of

)

even

the

barbarity

of

God

?

Does

God

covet

man’s

blood

?

And

yet

I

might

venture

to

affirm

that

He

does

,

if

man

also

covets

the

kingdom

of

heaven

,

if

man

covets

a

sure

salvation

,

if

man

also

covets

a

second

new

birth

.

The

exchange

is

displeasing

to

no

one

,

which

can

plead

,

in

justification

of

itself

,

that

either

benefit

or

injury

is

shared

by

the

parties

making

it

.

Notes

1
Literally, “age.”—Tr.
2
1 Cor. xv. 41.
3
Ps. xxxii. 1; Rom. iv. 7, etc.
4
1 Pet. iv. 8.
5
Matt. xxii. 37.