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On Idolatry

Tertullian

Chapter 21

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXI.—Of Silent Acquiescence in Heathen Formularies.

But it is a mark of timidity, when some other man

‹ Chapter 20 Chapter 22 ›

binds

you

in

the

name

of

his

gods

,

by

the

making

of

an

oath

,

or

by

some

other

form

of

attestation

,

and

you

,

for

fear

of

discovery

,

remain

quiet

.

For

you

equally

,

by

remaining

quiet

,

affirm

their

majesty

,

by

reason

of

which

majesty

you

will

seem

to

be

bound

.

What

matters

it

,

whether

you

affirm

the

gods

of

the

nations

by

calling

them

gods

,

or

by

hearing

them

so

called

?

Whether

you

swear

by

idols

,

or

,

when

adjured

by

another

,

acquiesce

?

Why

should

we

not

recognize

the

subtleties

of

Satan

,

who

makes

it

his

aim

that

,

what

he

cannot

effect

by

our

mouth

,

he

may

effect

by

the

mouth

of

his

servants

,

introducing

idolatry

into

us

through

our

ears

?

At

all

events

,

whoever

the

adjurer

is

,

he

binds

you

to

himself

either

in

friendly

or

unfriendly

conjunction

.

If

in

unfriendly

,

you

are

now

challenged

unto

battle

,

and

know

that

you

must

fight

.

If

in

friendly

,

with

how

far

greater

security

will

you

transfer

your

engagement

unto

the

Lord

,

that

you

may

dissolve

the

obligation

of

him

through

whose

means

the

Evil

One

was

seeking

to

annex

you

to

the

honour

of

idols

,

that

is

,

to

idolatry

!

All

sufferance

of

that

kind

is

idolatry

.

You

honour

those

to

whom

,

when

imposed

as

authorities

,

you

have

rendered

respect

.

I

know

that

one

(

whom

the

Lord

pardon

!

)

,

when

it

had

been

said

to

him

in

public

during

a

law

-

suit

,

“

Jupiter

be

wroth

with

you

,

”

answered

,

“

On

the

contrary

,

with

you

.

”

What

else

would

a

heathen

have

done

who

believed

Jupiter

to

be

a

god

?

For

even

had

he

not

retorted

the

malediction

by

Jupiter

(

or

other

such

like

)

,

yet

,

by

merely

returning

a

curse

,

he

would

have

confirmed

the

divinity

of

Jove

,

showing

himself

irritated

by

a

malediction

in

Jove’s

name

.

For

what

is

there

to

be

indignant

at

,

(

if

cursed

)

in

the

name

of

one

whom

you

know

to

be

nothing

?

For

if

you

rave

,

you

immediately

affirm

his

existence

,

and

the

profession

of

your

fear

will

be

an

act

of

idolatry

.

How

much

more

,

while

you

are

returning

the

malediction

in

the

name

of

Jupiter

himself

,

are

you

doing

honour

to

Jupiter

in

the

same

way

as

he

who

provoked

you

!

But

a

believer

ought

to

laugh

in

such

cases

,

not

to

rave

;

nay

,

according

to

the

precept

,

not

to

return

a

curse

in

the

name

of

God

even

,

but

dearly

to

bless

in

the

name

of

God

,

that

you

may

both

demolish

idols

and

preach

God

,

and

fulfil

discipline

.

Notes

1
i.e., for fear of being discovered to be a Christian (Oehler).
2
See Matt. v. 44, 1 Pet. iii. 9, etc.