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On Modesty

Tertullian

Chapter 15

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XV.—The Same Subject Continued.

If you hammer out the sequel of that Epistle to illustrate the

‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›

meaning

of

the

apostle

,

neither

will

that

sequel

be

found

to

square

with

the

obliteration

of

incest

;

lest

even

here

the

apostle

be

put

to

the

blush

by

the

incongruity

of

his

later

meanings

.

For

what

kind

(

of

hypothesis

)

is

it

,

that

the

very

moment

after

making

a

largess

of

restoration

to

the

privileges

of

ecclesiastical

peace

to

an

incestuous

fornicator

,

he

should

forthwith

have

proceeded

to

accumulate

exhortations

about

turning

away

from

impurities

,

about

pruning

away

of

blemishes

,

about

exhortations

to

deeds

of

sanctity

,

as

if

he

had

decreed

nothing

of

a

contrary

nature

just

before

?

Compare

,

in

short

,

(

and

see

)

whether

it

be

his

province

to

say

,

“

Wherefore

,

having

this

ministration

,

in

accordance

with

(

the

fact

)

that

we

have

obtained

mercy

,

we

faint

not

;

but

renounce

the

secret

things

of

disgrace

,

”

who

has

just

released

from

condemnation

one

manifestly

convicted

of

,

not

“

disgrace

”

merely

,

but

crime

too

:

whether

it

be

province

,

again

,

to

excuse

a

conspicuous

immodesty

,

who

,

among

the

counts

of

his

own

labours

,

after

“

straits

and

pressures

,

”

after

“

fasts

and

vigils

,

”

has

named

“

chastity

”

also

:

whether

it

be

,

once

more

,

his

province

to

receive

back

into

communion

whatsoever

reprobates

,

who

writes

,

“

For

what

society

(

is

there

)

between

righteousness

and

iniquity

?

what

communion

,

moreover

,

between

light

and

darkness

?

what

consonance

between

Christ

and

Belial

?

or

what

part

for

a

believer

with

an

unbeliever

?

or

what

agreement

between

the

temple

of

God

and

idols

?

”

Will

he

not

deserve

to

hear

constantly

(

the

reply

)

;

“

And

in

what

manner

do

you

make

a

separation

between

things

which

,

in

the

former

part

of

your

Epistle

,

by

restitution

of

the

incestuous

one

,

you

have

joined

?

For

by

his

restoration

to

concorporate

unity

with

the

Church

,

righteousness

is

made

to

have

fellowship

with

iniquity

,

darkness

has

communion

with

light

,

Belial

is

consonant

with

Christ

,

and

believer

shares

the

sacraments

with

unbeliever

.

And

idols

may

see

to

themselves

:

the

very

vitiator

of

the

temple

of

God

is

converted

into

a

temple

of

God

:

for

here

,

too

,

he

says

,

‘

For

ye

are

a

temple

of

the

living

God

.

For

He

saith

,

That

I

will

dwell

in

you

,

and

will

walk

in

(

you

)

,

and

will

be

their

God

,

and

they

shall

be

to

Me

a

people

.

Wherefore

depart

from

the

midst

of

them

,

be

separate

,

and

touch

not

the

unclean

.

’

This

(

thread

of

discourse

)

also

you

spin

out

,

O

apostle

,

when

at

the

very

moment

you

yourself

are

offering

your

hand

to

so

huge

a

whirlpool

of

impurities

;

nay

,

you

superadd

yet

further

,

‘

Having

therefore

this

promise

,

beloved

,

cleanse

we

ourselves

out

from

every

defilement

of

flesh

and

spirit

,

perfecting

chastity

in

God’s

fear

.

’

”

I

pray

you

,

had

he

who

fixes

such

(

exhortations

)

in

our

minds

been

recalling

some

notorious

fornicator

into

the

Church

?

or

is

his

reason

for

writing

it

,

to

prevent

himself

from

appearing

to

you

in

the

present

day

to

have

so

recalled

him

?

These

(

words

of

his

)

will

be

in

duty

bound

alike

to

serve

as

a

prescriptive

rule

for

the

foregone

,

and

a

prejudgment

for

the

following

,

(

parts

of

the

Epistle

)

.

For

in

saying

,

toward

the

end

of

the

Epistle

,

“

Lest

,

when

I

shall

have

come

,

God

humble

me

,

and

I

bewail

many

of

those

who

have

formerly

sinned

,

and

have

not

repented

of

the

impurity

which

they

have

committed

,

the

fornication

,

and

the

vileness

,

”

he

did

not

,

of

course

,

determine

that

they

were

to

be

received

back

(

by

him

into

the

Church

)

if

they

should

have

entered

(

the

path

of

)

repentance

,

whom

he

was

to

find

in

the

Church

,

but

that

they

were

to

be

bewailed

,

and

indubitably

ejected

,

that

they

might

lose

(

the

benefit

of

)

repentance

.

And

,

besides

,

it

is

not

congruous

that

he

,

who

had

above

asserted

that

there

was

no

communion

between

light

and

darkness

,

righteousness

and

iniquity

,

should

in

this

place

have

been

indicating

somewhat

touching

communion

.

But

all

such

are

ignorant

of

the

apostle

as

understand

anything

in

a

sense

contrary

to

the

nature

and

design

of

the

man

himself

,

contrary

to

the

norm

and

rule

of

his

doctrines

;

so

as

to

presume

that

he

,

a

teacher

of

every

sanctity

,

even

by

his

own

example

,

an

execrator

and

expiator

of

every

impurity

,

and

universally

consistent

with

himself

in

these

points

,

restored

ecclesiastical

privileges

to

an

incestuous

person

sooner

than

to

some

more

mild

offender

.

Notes

1
2 Cor. iv. 1, 2.
2
Ib. vi. 5, 6.
3
2 Cor. vi. 16–18.
4
2 Cor. vii. 1, not accurately given.
5
2 Cor. xii. 21, again inexactly given.