Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

On Repentance

Tertullian

Chapter 11

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XI.—Further Strictures on the Same Subject.

What if, besides the shame which they make the most account

‹ Chapter 10 Chapter 12 ›

of

,

men

dread

likewise

the

bodily

inconveniences

;

in

that

,

unwashen

,

sordidly

attired

,

estranged

from

gladness

,

they

must

spend

their

time

in

the

roughness

of

sackcloth

,

and

the

horridness

of

ashes

,

and

the

sunkenness

of

face

caused

by

fasting

?

Is

it

then

becoming

for

us

to

supplicate

for

our

sins

in

scarlet

and

purple

?

Hasten

hither

with

the

pin

for

panning

the

hair

,

and

the

powder

for

polishing

the

teeth

,

and

some

forked

implement

of

steel

or

brass

for

cleaning

the

nails

.

Whatever

of

false

brilliance

,

whatever

of

feigned

redness

,

is

to

be

had

,

let

him

diligently

apply

it

to

his

lips

or

cheeks

.

Let

him

furthermore

seek

out

baths

of

more

genial

temperature

in

some

gardened

or

seaside

retreat

;

let

him

enlarge

his

expenses

;

let

him

carefully

seek

the

rarest

delicacy

of

fatted

fowls

;

let

him

refine

his

old

wine

:

and

when

any

shall

ask

him

,

“

On

whom

are

you

lavishing

all

this

?

”

let

him

say

,

“

I

have

sinned

against

God

,

and

am

in

peril

of

eternally

perishing

:

and

so

now

I

am

drooping

,

and

wasting

and

torturing

myself

,

that

I

may

reconcile

God

to

myself

,

whom

by

sinning

I

have

offended

.

”

Why

,

they

who

go

about

canvassing

for

the

obtaining

of

civil

office

,

feel

it

neither

degrading

nor

irksome

to

struggle

,

in

behalf

of

such

their

desires

,

with

annoyances

to

soul

and

body

;

and

not

annoyances

merely

,

but

likewise

contumelies

of

all

kinds

.

What

meannesses

of

dress

do

they

not

affect

?

what

houses

do

they

not

beset

with

early

and

late

visits

?

—

bowing

whenever

they

meet

any

high

personage

,

frequenting

no

banquets

,

associating

in

no

entertainments

,

but

voluntarily

exiled

from

the

felicity

of

freedom

and

festivity

:

and

all

that

for

the

sake

of

the

fleeting

joy

of

a

single

year

!

Do

we

hesitate

,

when

eternity

is

at

stake

,

to

endure

what

the

competitor

for

consulship

or

prætorship

puts

up

with

?

and

shall

we

be

tardy

in

offering

to

the

offended

Lord

a

self

-

chastisement

in

food

and

raiment

,

which

Gentiles

lay

upon

themselves

when

they

have

offended

no

one

at

all

?

Such

are

they

of

whom

Scripture

makes

mention

:

“

Woe

to

them

who

bind

their

own

sins

as

it

were

with

a

long

rope

.

”

Notes

1
Quod securium virgarumque petitio sustinet.
2
“Quæ,” neut. pl.
3
Isa. v. 18 (comp. the LXX.).