The quote “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church” is attributed to Tertullian, an early Christian author and theologian. It is paraphrased from his work Apologeticus (Apology), Chapter 50, written around 197 A.D. In this work, Tertullian defends Christianity against Roman persecution and argues that despite violent oppression, the faith continues to grow because of the steadfastness of Christian martyrs.
The original Latin phrase is often cited as:
“Plures efficimur, quotiens metimur a vobis: semen est sanguis Christianorum.”
(“We multiply whenever we are mown down by you: the blood of Christians is seed.”)
This passage emphasizes the idea that persecution strengthens rather than weakens Christianity, as the witness of martyrs inspires more converts.
from ChatGPT
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