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Tertullian

Book 1 · Chapter 12

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter XII.—The Charge of Worshipping a Cross. The Heathens Themselves Made Much of Crosses in Sacred Things; Nay, Their Very Idols Were Formed on a Crucial Frame.

As for him who affirms that we are “the priesthood of

‹ Book 1 · Chapter 11 Book 1 · Chapter 13 ›

a

cross

,

”

we

shall

claim

him

as

our

co

-

religionist

.

A

cross

is

,

in

its

material

,

a

sign

of

wood

;

amongst

yourselves

also

the

object

of

worship

is

a

wooden

figure

.

Only

,

whilst

with

you

the

figure

is

a

human

one

,

with

us

the

wood

is

its

own

figure

.

Never

mind

for

the

present

what

is

the

shape

,

provided

the

material

is

the

same

:

the

form

,

too

,

is

of

no

importance

,

if

so

be

it

be

the

actual

body

of

a

god

.

If

,

however

,

there

arises

a

question

of

difference

on

this

point

what

,

(

let

me

ask

,

)

is

the

difference

between

the

Athenian

Pallas

,

or

the

Pharian

Ceres

,

and

wood

formed

into

a

cross

,

when

each

is

represented

by

a

rough

stock

,

without

form

,

and

by

the

merest

rudiment

of

a

statue

of

unformed

wood

?

Every

piece

of

timber

which

is

fixed

in

the

ground

in

an

erect

position

is

a

part

of

a

cross

,

and

indeed

the

greater

portion

of

its

mass

.

But

an

entire

cross

is

attributed

to

us

,

with

its

transverse

beam

,

of

course

,

and

its

projecting

seat

.

Now

you

have

the

less

to

excuse

you

,

for

you

dedicate

to

religion

only

a

mutilated

imperfect

piece

of

wood

,

while

others

consecrate

to

the

sacred

purpose

a

complete

structure

.

The

truth

,

however

,

after

all

is

,

that

your

religion

is

all

cross

,

as

I

shall

show

.

You

are

indeed

unaware

that

your

gods

in

their

origin

have

proceeded

from

this

hated

cross

.

Now

,

every

image

,

whether

carved

out

of

wood

or

stone

,

or

molten

in

metal

,

or

produced

out

of

any

other

richer

material

,

must

needs

have

had

plastic

hands

engaged

in

its

formation

.

Well

,

then

,

this

modeller

,

before

he

did

anything

else

,

hit

upon

the

form

of

a

wooden

cross

,

because

even

our

own

body

assumes

as

its

natural

position

the

latent

and

concealed

outline

of

a

cross

.

Since

the

head

rises

upwards

,

and

the

back

takes

a

straight

direction

,

and

the

shoulders

project

laterally

,

if

you

simply

place

a

man

with

his

arms

and

hands

outstretched

,

you

will

make

the

general

outline

of

a

cross

.

Starting

,

then

,

from

this

rudimental

form

and

prop

,

as

it

were

,

he

applies

a

covering

of

clay

,

and

so

gradually

completes

the

limbs

,

and

forms

the

body

,

and

covers

the

cross

within

with

the

shape

which

he

meant

to

impress

upon

the

clay

;

then

from

this

design

,

with

the

help

of

compasses

and

leaden

moulds

,

he

has

got

all

ready

for

his

image

which

is

to

be

brought

out

into

marble

,

or

clay

,

or

whatever

the

material

be

of

which

he

has

determined

to

make

his

god

.

(

This

,

then

,

is

the

process

:

)

after

the

cross

-

shaped

frame

,

the

clay

;

after

the

clay

,

the

god

.

In

a

well

-

understood

routine

,

the

cross

passes

into

a

god

through

the

clayey

medium

.

The

cross

then

you

consecrate

,

and

from

it

the

consecrated

(

deity

)

begins

to

derive

his

origin

.

By

way

of

example

,

let

us

take

the

case

of

a

tree

which

grows

up

into

a

system

of

branches

and

foliage

,

and

is

a

reproduction

of

its

own

kind

,

whether

it

springs

from

the

kernel

of

an

olive

,

or

the

stone

of

a

peach

,

or

a

grain

of

pepper

which

has

been

duly

tempered

under

ground

.

Now

,

if

you

transplant

it

,

or

take

a

cutting

off

its

branches

for

another

plant

,

to

what

will

you

attribute

what

is

produced

by

the

propagation

?

Will

it

not

be

to

the

grain

,

or

the

stone

,

or

the

kernel

?

Because

,

as

the

third

stage

is

attributable

to

the

second

,

and

the

second

in

like

manner

to

the

first

,

so

the

third

will

have

to

be

referred

to

the

first

,

through

the

second

as

the

mean

.

We

need

not

stay

any

longer

in

the

discussion

of

this

point

,

since

by

a

natural

law

every

kind

of

produce

throughout

nature

refers

back

its

growth

to

its

original

source

;

and

just

as

the

product

is

comprised

in

its

primal

cause

,

so

does

that

cause

agree

in

character

with

the

thing

produced

.

Since

,

then

,

in

the

production

of

your

gods

,

you

worship

the

cross

which

originates

them

,

here

will

be

the

original

kernel

and

grain

,

from

which

are

propagated

the

wooden

materials

of

your

idolatrous

images

.

Examples

are

not

far

to

seek

.

Your

victories

you

celebrate

with

religious

ceremony

as

deities

;

and

they

are

the

more

august

in

proportion

to

the

joy

they

bring

you

.

The

frames

on

which

you

hang

up

your

trophies

must

be

crosses

:

these

are

,

as

it

were

,

the

very

core

of

your

pageants

.

Thus

,

in

your

victories

,

the

religion

of

your

camp

makes

even

crosses

objects

of

worship

;

your

standards

it

adores

,

your

standards

are

the

sanction

of

its

oaths

;

your

standards

it

prefers

before

Jupiter

himself

.

But

all

that

parade

of

images

,

and

that

display

of

pure

gold

,

are

(

as

so

many

)

necklaces

of

the

crosses

.

In

like

manner

also

,

in

the

banners

and

ensigns

,

which

your

soldiers

guard

with

no

less

sacred

care

,

you

have

the

streamers

(

and

)

vestments

of

your

crosses

.

You

are

ashamed

,

I

suppose

,

to

worship

unadorned

and

simple

crosses

.

Notes

2
Crucis antistites.
3
Erit.
4
Consacraneus.
5
Viderint.
6
Viderit.
7
Stipite crucis.
8
Solo staticulo. The use of wood in the construction of an idol is mentioned afterward.
9
Omne robur.
10
Antemna. See our Anti-Marcion, p. 156. Ed. Edinburgh.
11
De isto patibulo.
12
Plasta.
13
In primo.
14
Statumini.
15
Comp. The Apology, c. xii.: “Every image of a god has been first constructed on a cross and stake, and plastered with cement. The body of your god is first dedicated upon a gibbet.”
16
Veneramini.
17
Tropæum, for “tropæorum.” We have given the sense rather than the words of this awkward sentence.
18
Suggestus.