tertullian

“ Men remain in ignorance as long as they hate, and they hate unjustly as long as they remain in ignorance. ”

“ A taint on our purity is considered among us something more terrible than any punishment and any death. ”

“ Let the emperor make war on heaven; let him lead heaven captive in his triumph; let him put guards on heaven; let him impose taxes on heaven! He cannot... He gets his sceptre where he first got his humanity; his power where he got the breath of life. ”

“ We worship unity in trinity, and trinity in unity; neither confounding the person nor dividing the substance. ”

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

“ Wide are mens inquiries into uncertainties; wider still are their disputes about conjectures. ”

“ Prayer cleanses from sin, drives away temptations, stamps out persecutions, comforts the fainthearted, gives new strength to the courageous, brings travellers safely home, calms the waves, confounds robbers, feeds the poor, overrules the rich, lifts up the fallen, supports those who are falling, sustains those who stand firm. ”

“ He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies. ”

“ You cannot parcel out freedom in pieces because freedom is all or nothing. ”

“ If the Tiber rises, if the Nile does not rise, if the heavens give no rain, if there is an earthquake, famine, or pestilence, straightway the cry is 'The Christians to the lion!' So many to one? ”