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On Idolatry

Tertullian

Chapter 12

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter XII.—Further Answers to the Plea, How Am I to Live?

In vain do we flatter ourselves as to the necessities of human

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maintenance

,

if

—

after

faith

sealed

—

we

say

,

“

I

have

no

means

to

live

?

”

For

here

I

will

now

answer

more

fully

that

abrupt

proposition

.

It

is

advanced

too

late

.

For

after

the

similitude

of

that

most

prudent

builder

,

who

first

computes

the

costs

of

the

work

,

together

with

his

own

means

,

lest

,

when

he

has

begun

,

he

afterwards

blush

to

find

himself

spent

,

deliberation

should

have

been

made

before

.

But

even

now

you

have

the

Lord’s

sayings

,

as

examples

taking

away

from

you

all

excuse

.

For

what

is

it

you

say

?

“

I

shall

be

in

need

.

”

But

the

Lord

calls

the

needy

“

happy

.

”

“

I

shall

have

no

food

.

”

But

“

think

not

,

”

says

He

,

“

about

food

;

”

and

as

an

example

of

clothing

we

have

the

lilies

.

“

My

work

was

my

subsistence

.

”

Nay

,

but

“

all

things

are

to

be

sold

,

and

divided

to

the

needy

.

”

“

But

provision

must

be

made

for

children

and

posterity

.

”

“

None

,

putting

his

hand

on

the

plough

,

and

looking

back

,

is

fit

”

for

work

.

“

But

I

was

under

contract

.

”

“

None

can

serve

two

lords

.

”

If

you

wish

to

be

the

Lord’s

disciple

,

it

is

necessary

you

“

take

your

cross

,

and

follow

the

Lord

:

”

your

cross

;

that

is

,

your

own

straits

and

tortures

,

or

your

body

only

,

which

is

after

the

manner

of

a

cross

.

Parents

,

wives

,

children

,

will

have

to

be

left

behind

,

for

God’s

sake

.

Do

you

hesitate

about

arts

,

and

trades

,

and

about

professions

likewise

,

for

the

sake

of

children

and

parents

?

Even

there

was

it

demonstrated

to

us

,

that

both

“

dear

pledges

,

”

and

handicrafts

,

and

trades

,

are

to

be

quite

left

behind

for

the

Lord’s

sake

;

while

James

and

John

,

called

by

the

Lord

,

do

leave

quite

behind

both

father

and

ship

;

while

Matthew

is

roused

up

from

the

toll

-

booth

;

while

even

burying

a

father

was

too

tardy

a

business

for

faith

.

None

of

them

whom

the

Lord

chose

to

Him

said

,

“

I

have

no

means

to

live

.

”

Faith

fears

not

famine

.

It

knows

,

likewise

,

that

hunger

is

no

less

to

be

contemned

by

it

for

God’s

sake

,

than

every

kind

of

death

.

It

has

learnt

not

to

respect

life

;

how

much

more

food

?

[

You

ask

]

“

How

many

have

fulfilled

these

conditions

?

”

But

what

with

men

is

difficult

,

with

God

is

easy

.

Let

us

,

however

,

comfort

ourselves

about

the

gentleness

and

clemency

of

God

in

such

wise

,

as

not

to

indulge

our

“

necessities

”

up

to

the

point

of

affinities

with

idolatry

,

but

to

avoid

even

from

afar

every

breath

of

it

,

as

of

a

pestilence

.

[

And

this

]

not

merely

in

the

cases

forementioned

,

but

in

the

universal

series

of

human

superstition

;

whether

appropriated

to

its

gods

,

or

to

the

defunct

,

or

to

kings

,

as

pertaining

to

the

selfsame

unclean

spirits

,

sometimes

through

sacrifices

and

priesthoods

,

sometimes

through

spectacles

and

the

like

,

sometimes

through

holy

-

days

.

Notes

1
i.e., in baptism.
2
See above, chaps. v. and viii. [One is reminded here of the famous pleasantry of Dr. Johnson; see Boswell.]
3
See Luke xiv. 28–30.
4
Luke vi. 20.
5
Matt. vi. 25, 31, etc.; Luke xii. 22–24.
6
Matt. vi. 28; Luke xii. 28.
7
Matt. xix. 21; Luke xviii. 22.
8
Luke ix. 62, where the words are, “is fit for the kingdom of God.”
9
Matt. vi. 24; Luke xvi. 13.
10
Matt. xvi. 24; Mark viii. 34; Luke ix. 23; xiv. 27.
11
Luke xiv. 26; Mark x. 29, 30; Matt. xix. 27–30. Compare these texts with Tertullian’s words, and see the testimony he thus gives to the deity of Christ.
12
i.e., any dear relations.
13
Matt. iv. 21, 22; Mark i. 19, 20; Luke v. 10, 11.
14
Matt. ix. 9; Mark ii. 14; Luke v. 29.
15
Luke ix. 59, 60.
16
Matt. xix. 26; Luke i. 37; xviii. 27.