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On Modesty

Tertullian

Chapter 5

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter V.—Of the Prohibition of Adultery in the Decalogue.

Of how deep guilt, then, adultery—which is likewise a

‹ Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ›

matter

of

fornication

,

in

accordance

with

its

criminal

function

—

is

to

be

accounted

,

the

Law

of

God

first

comes

to

hand

to

show

us

;

if

it

is

true

,

(

as

it

is

)

,

that

after

interdicting

the

superstitious

service

of

alien

gods

,

and

the

making

of

idols

themselves

,

after

commending

(

to

religious

observance

)

the

veneration

of

the

Sabbath

,

after

commanding

a

religious

regard

toward

parents

second

(

only

to

that

)

toward

God

,

(

that

Law

)

laid

,

as

the

next

substratum

in

strengthening

and

fortifying

such

counts

,

no

other

precept

than

“

Thou

shalt

not

commit

adultery

.

”

For

after

spiritual

chastity

and

sanctity

followed

corporeal

integrity

.

And

this

(

the

Law

)

accordingly

fortified

,

by

immediately

prohibiting

its

foe

,

adultery

.

Understand

,

consequently

,

what

kind

of

sin

(

that

must

be

)

,

the

repression

of

which

(

the

Law

)

ordained

next

to

(

that

of

)

idolatry

.

Nothing

that

is

a

second

is

remote

from

the

first

;

nothing

is

so

close

to

the

first

as

the

second

.

That

which

results

from

the

first

is

(

in

a

sense

)

another

first

.

And

so

adultery

is

bordering

on

idolatry

.

For

idolatry

withal

,

often

cast

as

a

reproach

upon

the

People

under

the

name

of

adultery

and

fornication

,

will

be

alike

conjoined

therewith

in

fate

as

in

following

—

will

be

alike

co

-

heir

therewith

in

condemnation

as

in

co

-

ordination

.

Yet

further

:

premising

“

Thou

shalt

not

commit

adultery

,

”

(

the

Law

)

adjoins

,

“

Thou

shalt

not

kill

.

”

It

honoured

adultery

,

of

course

,

to

which

it

gives

the

precedence

over

murder

,

in

the

very

fore

-

front

of

the

most

holy

law

,

among

the

primary

counts

of

the

celestial

edict

,

marking

it

with

the

inscription

of

the

very

principal

sins

.

From

its

place

you

may

discern

the

measure

,

from

its

rank

the

station

,

from

its

neighbourhood

the

merit

,

of

each

thing

.

Even

evil

has

a

dignity

,

consisting

in

being

stationed

at

the

summit

,

or

else

in

the

centre

,

of

the

superlatively

bad

.

I

behold

a

certain

pomp

and

circumstance

of

adultery

:

on

the

one

side

,

Idolatry

goes

before

and

leads

the

way

;

on

the

other

,

Murder

follows

in

company

.

Worthily

,

without

doubt

,

has

she

taken

her

seat

between

the

two

most

conspicuous

eminences

of

misdeeds

,

and

has

completely

filled

the

vacant

space

,

as

it

were

,

in

their

midst

,

with

an

equal

majesty

of

crime

.

Enclosed

by

such

flanks

,

encircled

and

supported

by

such

ribs

,

who

shall

dislocate

her

from

the

corporate

mass

of

coherencies

,

from

the

bond

of

neighbour

crimes

,

from

the

embrace

of

kindred

wickednesses

,

so

as

to

set

apart

her

alone

for

the

enjoyment

of

repentance

?

Will

not

on

one

side

Idolatry

,

on

the

other

Murder

,

detain

her

,

and

(

if

they

have

any

voice

)

reclaim

:

“

This

is

our

wedge

,

this

our

compacting

power

?

By

(

the

standard

of

)

Idolatry

we

are

measured

;

by

her

disjunctive

intervention

we

are

conjoined

;

to

her

,

outjutting

from

our

midst

,

we

are

united

;

the

Divine

Scripture

has

made

us

concorporate

;

the

very

letters

are

our

glue

;

herself

can

no

longer

exist

without

us

.

‘

Many

and

many

a

time

do

I

,

Idolatry

,

subminister

occasion

to

Adultery

;

witness

my

groves

and

my

mounts

,

and

the

living

waters

,

and

the

very

temples

in

cities

,

what

mighty

agents

we

are

for

overthrowing

modesty

.

’

‘

I

also

,

Murder

,

sometimes

exert

myself

on

behalf

of

Adultery

.

To

omit

tragedies

,

witness

nowadays

the

poisoners

,

witness

the

magicians

,

how

many

seductions

I

avenge

,

how

many

rivalries

I

revenge

;

how

many

guards

,

how

many

informers

,

how

many

accomplices

,

I

make

away

with

.

Witness

the

midwives

likewise

,

how

many

adulterous

conceptions

are

slaughtered

.

’

Even

among

Christians

there

is

no

adultery

without

us

.

Wherever

the

business

of

the

unclean

spirit

is

,

there

are

idolatries

;

wherever

a

man

,

by

being

polluted

,

is

slain

,

there

too

is

murder

.

Therefore

the

remedial

aids

of

repentance

will

not

be

suitable

to

them

,

or

else

they

will

likewise

be

to

us

.

We

either

detain

Adultery

,

or

else

follow

her

.

”

These

words

the

sins

themselves

do

speak

.

If

the

sins

are

deficient

in

speech

,

hard

by

(

the

door

of

the

church

)

stands

an

idolater

,

hard

by

stands

a

murderer

;

in

their

midst

stands

,

too

,

an

adulterer

.

Alike

,

as

the

duty

of

repentance

bids

,

they

sit

in

sackcloth

and

bristle

in

ashes

;

with

the

self

-

same

weeping

they

groan

;

with

the

selfsame

prayers

they

make

their

circuits

;

with

the

self

-

same

knees

they

supplicate

;

the

self

-

same

mother

they

invoke

.

What

doest

thou

,

gentlest

and

humanest

Discipline

?

Either

to

all

these

will

it

be

thy

duty

so

to

be

,

for

“

blessed

are

the

peacemakers

;

”

or

else

,

if

not

to

all

,

it

will

be

thy

duty

to

range

thyself

on

our

side

.

Dost

thou

once

for

all

condemn

the

idolater

and

the

murderer

,

but

take

the

adulterer

out

from

their

midst

?

—

(

the

adulterer

)

,

the

successor

of

the

idolater

,

the

predecessor

of

the

murderer

,

the

colleague

of

each

?

It

is

“

an

accepting

of

person

:

”

the

more

pitiable

repentances

thou

hast

left

(

unpitied

)

behind

!

Notes

1
Matt. v. 9.
2
Job xxxii. 21; Lev. xix. 15, and the references there.