Tertullian Quotes

In pursuit of gain, men have begun to consider their violence an article to be bought and sold.

Cum ergo spiritus Dei descendit, indiuidua patientia comitatur eum.

Nec religionis est cogere religionem

All things will be in danger of being taken in a sense different from their own proper sense, and, whilst taken in that different sense, of losing their proper one, if they are called by a name which differs from their natural designation. Fidelity in names secures the safe appreciation of properties.

Truth persuades by teaching, but does not teach by persuading.

But now inquiry is being made concerning these issues. First, can any believer enlist in the military? Second, can any soldier, even those of the rank and file or lesser grades who neither engage in pagan sacrifices nor capital punishment, be admitted into the church? No on both counts — for there is no agreement between the divine sacrament and the human sacrament, the standard of Christ and the standard of the devil, the camp of light and the camp of darkness. One soul cannot serve two masters — God and Caesar…But how will a Christian engage in war — indeed, how will a Christian even engage in military service during peacetime — without the sword, which the Lord has taken away? For although soldiers had approached John to receive instructions and a centurion believed, this does not change the fact that afterward, the Lord, by disarming Peter, disarmed every soldier.”

“Under no circumstances should a true Christian draw the sword.

Ceterum purpura uel cetera insignia dignitatum et potestatum insertae dignitati et potestatibus idololatriae ab initio dicata habent profanationis suae maculam, cum praeterea ipsis etiam idolis induantur praetextae et trabeae et laticlaui, fasces quoque et uirgae praeferantur, et merito. Nam daemonia magistratus sunt saeculi huius ; unius collegii insignia fasces et purpuras gestant.

« jusqu'à ce qu'elle ait payé la dernière obole. » C'est ainsi qu'il pervertit cette allégorie tout entière du Seigneur, quoique l'interprétation en soit lumineuse, et que d'abord il eût dû l'entendre dans son sens naturel. Car le païen est un ennemi, marchant avec nous dans la carrière commune de la vie; |74 d'ailleurs « il nous faudrait sortir de ce monde, » s'il ne nous était pas permis de converser avec eux. Il veut donc que nous lui communiquions les biens de l'âme. « Aimez vos ennemis, dit-il, et priez pour ceux qui vous maudissent, » de peur que, provoqué à tort par quelque relation d'affaires, il ne vous traîne devant son juge, et que jeté en prison, vous n'y soyez détenu jusqu'à l'acquittement de toute votre dette. Veux-tu que la mention de cet ennemi s'applique au démon, parce qu'il est dit qu'il nous observe? Tu es encore averti de garder avec lui cet accord qui est fondé sur les engagements de la foi. N'as-tu pas promis de renoncer à Satan, à ses pompes et à ses anges? Tel est le traité signé entre vous. L'amitié, par suite de la fidélité aux engagements, consistera pour toi à ne rien reprendre désormais de ce que tu as répudié, de ce que tu lui as rendu, de peur qu'il ne te livre aux jugements de Dieu comme un fourbe, comme un violateur du pacte, de même que nous le voyons ailleurs, « accuser les saints, et se faire leur délateur, ainsi que l'indique son nom; » de peur enfin que ton juge ne te livre au ministre de ses « vengeances, et que tu ne sois envoyé dans une prison, d'où tu ne sortiras qu'après avoir acquitté les fautes les plus légères » dans l'intervalle de la résurrection. Quoi de plus naturel que ces sens? Quoi de plus vrai que ces interprétations?

Nec alii obest aut prodest alterius religio.

Of little worth is the recommendation which has for its prop the defamation of another.

What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?

What honor is granted to Patience, to have God as her Debtor! And not without reason: for she keeps all His decrees; she has to do with all His mandates. She fortifies faith; is the pilot of peace; assists charity; establishes humility; waits long for repentance; sets her seal on confession; rules the flesh; preserves the spirit; bridles the tongue; restrains the hand; tramples temptations under foot; drives away scandals; gives their crowning grace to martyrdoms; consoles the poor; teaches the rich moderation; overstrains not the weak; exhausts not the strong; is the delight of the believer; invites the Gentile; commends the servant to his lord, and his lord to God; adorns the woman; makes the man approved; is loved in childhood, praised in youth, looked up to in age; is beauteous in either sex, in every time of life.

If no law of God had prohibited idols to be made by us; if no voice of the Holy Spirit uttered general menace no less against the makers than the worshippers of idols; from our sacrament itself we would draw our interpretation that arts of that kind are opposed to the faith. For how have we renounced the devil and his angels, if we make them? What divorce have we declared from them, I say not with whom, but dependent on whom, we live? What discord have we entered into with those to whom we are under obligation for the sake of our maintenance? Can you have denied with the tongue what with the hand you confess? unmake by word what by deed you make? preach one God, you who make so many? preach the true God, you who make false ones? "I make," says one, "but I worship not;" as if there were some cause for which he dare not worship, besides that for which he ought not also to make,--the offence done to God, namely, in either case. Nay, you who make, that they may be able to be worshipped, do worship; and you worship, not with the spirit of some worthless perfume, but with your own; nor at the expense of a beast's soul, but of your own. To them you immolate your ingenuity; to them you make your sweat a libation; to them you kindle the torch of your forethought. More are you to them than a priest, since it is by your means they have a priest; your diligence is their divinity. Do you affirm that you worship not what you make? Ah! but they affirm not so, to whom you slay this fatter, more precious and greater victim, your salvation.

Omnium gentium unus homo, uarium nomen est, una anima, uaria uox, unus spiritus, uarius sonus, propria cuique genti loquella, sed loquellae materia communis.

But, presenting to your weakness the gift of the example of His own flesh, the more perfect Adam—that is, Christ, more perfect on this account as well (as on others), that He was more entirely pure—stands before you, if you are willing (to copy Him), as a voluntary celibate in the flesh. If, however, you are unequal (to that perfection), He stands before you a monogamist in spirit, having one Church as His spouse, according to the figure of Adam and of Eve, which (figure) the apostle interprets of that great sacrament of Christ and the Church, (teaching that), through the spiritual, it was analogous to the carnal monogamy.