I have been tortured by enjoying some of Tertullian’s Apologeticum as of late and I found this quote in Henry Chadwick’s The Early Church that rings true:
“In the fiery zeal of his moral essays there is an intense ethical seriousness and passion which go far to reward the reader who can be patient with his tortuous arguments and his merciless impaling of his opponents.” (p. 92-93)
“Torturous arguments” is spot on. If you need a refresher on counterfactual statements in Latin, just read the Apologeticum.
Son of the Fathers 