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On Idolatry

Tertullian

Chapter 6

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter VI.—Idolatry Condemned by Baptism. To Make an Idol Is, in Fact, to Worship It.

If no law of God had prohibited idols to be made by

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us

;

if

no

voice

of

the

Holy

Spirit

uttered

general

menace

no

less

against

the

makers

than

the

worshippers

of

idols

;

from

our

sacrament

itself

we

would

draw

our

interpretation

that

arts

of

that

kind

are

opposed

to

the

faith

.

For

how

have

we

renounced

the

devil

and

his

angels

,

if

we

make

them

?

What

divorce

have

we

declared

from

them

,

I

say

not

with

whom

,

but

dependent

on

whom

,

we

live

?

What

discord

have

we

entered

into

with

those

to

whom

we

are

under

obligation

for

the

sake

of

our

maintenance

?

Can

you

have

denied

with

the

tongue

what

with

the

hand

you

confess

?

unmake

by

word

what

by

deed

you

make

?

preach

one

God

,

you

who

make

so

many

?

preach

the

true

God

,

you

who

make

false

ones

?

“

I

make

,

”

says

one

,

“

but

I

worship

not

;

”

as

if

there

were

some

cause

for

which

he

dare

not

worship

,

besides

that

for

which

he

ought

not

also

to

make

,

—

the

offence

done

to

God

,

namely

,

in

either

case

.

Nay

,

you

who

make

,

that

they

may

be

able

to

be

worshipped

,

do

worship

;

and

you

worship

,

not

with

the

spirit

of

some

worthless

perfume

,

but

with

your

own

;

nor

at

the

expense

of

a

beast’s

soul

,

but

of

your

own

.

To

them

you

immolate

your

ingenuity

;

to

them

you

make

your

sweat

a

libation

;

to

them

you

kindle

the

torch

of

your

forethought

.

More

are

you

to

them

than

a

priest

,

since

it

is

by

your

means

they

have

a

priest

;

your

diligence

is

their

divinity

.

Do

you

affirm

that

you

worship

not

what

you

make

?

Ah

!

but

they

affirm

not

so

,

to

whom

you

slay

this

fatter

,

more

precious

and

greater

victim

,

your

salvation

.

Notes

1
i.e., Unless you made them, they would not exist, and therefore [would not be regarded as divinities; therefore] your diligence gives them their divinity.