Opening the library…

Search the Bible

On Prayer

Tertullian

Chapter 18

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XVIII.—Of the Kiss of Peace.

Another custom has now become prevalent. Such as are fasting withhold the

‹ Chapter 17 Chapter 19 ›

kiss

of

peace

,

which

is

the

seal

of

prayer

,

after

prayer

made

with

brethren

.

But

when

is

peace

more

to

be

concluded

with

brethren

than

when

,

at

the

time

of

some

religious

observance

,

our

prayer

ascends

with

more

acceptability

;

that

they

may

themselves

participate

in

our

observance

,

and

thereby

be

mollified

for

transacting

with

their

brother

touching

their

own

peace

?

What

prayer

is

complete

if

divorced

from

the

“

holy

kiss

?

”

Whom

does

peace

impede

when

rendering

service

to

his

Lord

?

What

kind

of

sacrifice

is

that

from

which

men

depart

without

peace

?

Whatever

our

prayer

be

,

it

will

not

be

better

than

the

observance

of

the

precept

by

which

we

are

bidden

to

conceal

our

fasts

;

for

now

,

by

abstinence

from

the

kiss

,

we

are

known

to

be

fasting

.

But

even

if

there

be

some

reason

for

this

practice

,

still

,

lest

you

offend

against

this

precept

,

you

may

perhaps

defer

your

“

peace

”

at

home

,

where

it

is

not

possible

for

your

fast

to

be

entirely

kept

secret

.

But

wherever

else

you

can

conceal

your

observance

,

you

ought

to

remember

the

precept

:

thus

you

may

satisfy

the

requirements

of

Discipline

abroad

and

of

custom

at

home

.

So

,

too

,

on

the

day

of

the

passover

,

when

the

religious

observance

of

a

fast

is

general

,

and

as

it

were

public

,

we

justly

forego

the

kiss

,

caring

nothing

to

conceal

anything

which

we

do

in

common

with

all

.

Notes

1
Such as fasting.
2
See Rom. xvi. 16; 1 Cor. xvi. 20; 2 Cor. xiii. 12; 1 Thess. v. 26; 1 Pet. v. 14. [The sexes apart.]
3
Matt. vi. 16–18.
4
i.e. “Good Friday,” as it is now generally called.