On Patience 1
Summary: Tertullian confesses that he, an impatient man, writes on patience as a sick man speaks of health; patience is necessary to every Christian virtue and is praised even by pagan philosophers.
Latin text · CSEL 47:1–2
Confiteor ad dominum deum satis temere me, si non etiam impudenter, de patientia componere ausum, cui praestandae idoneus omnino non sim, ut homo nullius boni, quando oporteat demonstrationem et commendationem alicuius rei adortos ipsos prius in administratione eius rei deprehendi et constantiam commonendi propriae conuersationis auctoritate dirigere, ne dicta factis deficientibus erubescant. atque utinam erubescere istud remedium ferat, uti pudor non exhibendi quod aliis suggestum imus exhibendi fiat magisterium, nisi quod bonorum quorundam sicuti et malorum intolerabilis magnitudo est, ut ad capienda et praestanda ea sola gratia diuinae inspirationis operetur. nam quod maxime bonum, id maxime penes deum, nec alius id quam qui possidet dispensat, ut cuique dignatur. itaque uelut solacium erit disputare super eo, quod frui non datur, uice languentium, qui, cum uacent a sanitate, de bonis eius tacere non norunt. ita miserrimus ego, semper aeger caloribus impatientiae quam non obtineo patientiae sanitatem et suspirem et inuocem et perorem necesse est, cum recordor et in meae imbecillitatis contemplatione digero bonam fidei ualitudinem et dominicae disciplinae sanitatem non facile cuiquam, nisi patientia adsideat, prouenire. ita praeposita dei rebus est, ut nullum praeceptum obire quis, nullum opus domino complacitum perpetrare extraneas a patientia possit. bonum eius etiam qui caeca uiuunt summae uirtutis appellatione honorant. philosophi quidem, qui alicuius sapientiae animalis deputantur, tantum illi subsignant, ut, cum inter sese uariis sectarum libidinibus et sententiarum aemulationibus discordent, solius tamen patientiae in commune memores huic uni studiorum suorum commiserint pacem. in eam conspirant, in eam foederantur, in illam adfectatione uirtutis unanimiter student; omnem sapientiae ostentationem de patientia praeferunt. grande testimonium eius est, cum etiam uanas saeculi disciplinas ad laudem et gloriam promouet. aut numquid potius iniuria, cum diuina res in saecularibus artibus uolutatur? sed uiderint illi, quos mox sapientiae suae cum saeculo destructae ac dedecoratae pudebit.
English · Claude translation
I confess to the Lord God that I have been rash enough, if not actually shameless, in daring to write on patience, for the practice of which I am altogether unfit, being a man of no good; since those who undertake to demonstrate and commend anything ought first to be found practising it themselves, and to direct the constancy of their admonition by the authority of their own conduct, lest their words blush for want of deeds. And would that this blushing might bring a remedy, so that shame at not displaying what we are about to urge on others might become a schooling in displaying it; except that the greatness of certain good things, as of evil ones, is unbearable, so that only the grace of divine inspiration works to grasp and practise them. For what is most good is most with God, and none but he who possesses it dispenses it, as he deigns to each. So it will be a sort of consolation to discuss what one is not given to enjoy, like sick people who, being without health, do not know how to keep silent about its blessings. So I, most wretched, always sick with the fevers of impatience, must sigh and call and plead for the health of patience which I do not possess, when I recall and, in contemplating my own weakness, reflect that good health of faith and soundness in the Lord's discipline do not easily come to anyone unless patience sits beside him. It is so set over the things of God that no one can fulfill any precept or perform any work pleasing to the Lord if he is a stranger to patience. Its good even those who live blindly honor with the title of highest virtue. The philosophers, indeed, who are reckoned creatures of some wisdom, set their seal to it so far that, while they disagree among themselves through the various whims of their sects and the rivalries of their opinions, yet, mindful of patience alone in common, they have entrusted to it alone the peace of their studies. On it they agree, in it they are allied, it they unanimously pursue in their affectation of virtue; every display of wisdom they present through patience. It is great testimony to it that it promotes even the vain disciplines of the world to praise and glory. Or is it rather an injury, when a divine thing is rolled about in worldly arts? But let them see to it, who will soon be ashamed of their wisdom, destroyed and disgraced along with the world.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The digital text has many stray letters (e.g. “nLon”, “bonisj”), corrected below. “Destroyed … along with the world” echoes 1 Cor 1:19–20.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word in the digital text; stray letter and punctuation in the digital text; stray letter in the digital text; stray letters in the digital text): sanita te → sanitate; bonisj → bonis; itaj miserrimus → ita miserrimus; nLon → non; eLt → et; rejcordor → recordor; digerLo bonam, → digero bonam; eit.us etiamj → eius etiam; alicuLius → alicuius; taLmen pajtientiae → tamen patientiae; foede rantur → foederantur; disciplin as → disciplinas.
Cite this passage
Tertullian, Pat. 1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-patientia/1/).
Plain text
Tertullian, Pat. 1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-patientia/1/).
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