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On the Apparel of Women

Tertullian

Book 2 · Chapter 13

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XIII.—It is Not Enough that God Know Us to Be Chaste: We Must Seem So Before Men. Especially in These Times of Persecution We Must Inure Our Bodies to the Hardships Which They May Not Improbably Be Called to Suffer.

Perhaps some (woman) will say: “To me

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 12 Book 2 · Chapter 2 ›

it

is

not

necessary

to

be

approved

by

men

;

for

I

do

not

require

the

testimony

of

men

:

God

is

the

inspector

of

the

heart

.

”

(

That

)

we

all

know

;

provided

,

however

,

we

remember

what

the

same

(

God

)

has

said

through

the

apostle

:

“

Let

your

probity

appear

before

men

.

”

For

what

purpose

,

except

that

malice

may

have

no

access

at

all

to

you

,

or

that

you

may

be

an

example

and

testimony

to

the

evil

?

Else

,

what

is

(

that

)

:

“

Let

your

works

shine

?

”

Why

,

moreover

,

does

the

Lord

call

us

the

light

of

the

world

;

why

has

He

compared

us

to

a

city

built

upon

a

mountain

;

if

we

do

not

shine

in

(

the

midst

of

)

darkness

,

and

stand

eminent

amid

them

who

are

sunk

down

?

If

you

hide

your

lamp

beneath

a

bushel

,

you

must

necessarily

be

left

quite

in

darkness

,

and

be

run

against

by

many

.

The

things

which

make

us

luminaries

of

the

world

are

these

—

our

good

works

.

What

is

good

,

moreover

,

provided

it

be

true

and

full

,

loves

not

darkness

:

it

joys

in

being

seen

,

and

exults

over

the

very

pointings

which

are

made

at

it

.

To

Christian

modesty

it

is

not

enough

to

be

so

,

but

to

seem

so

too

.

For

so

great

ought

its

plenitude

to

be

,

that

it

may

flow

out

from

the

mind

to

the

garb

,

and

burst

out

from

the

conscience

to

the

outward

appearance

;

so

that

even

from

the

outside

it

may

gaze

,

as

it

were

,

upon

its

own

furniture

,

—

(

a

furniture

)

such

as

to

be

suited

to

retain

faith

as

its

inmate

perpetually

.

For

such

delicacies

as

tend

by

their

softness

and

effeminacy

to

unman

the

manliness

of

faith

are

to

be

discarded

.

Otherwise

,

I

know

not

whether

the

wrist

that

has

been

wont

to

be

surrounded

with

the

palmleaf

-

like

bracelet

will

endure

till

it

grow

into

the

numb

hardness

of

its

own

chain

!

I

know

not

whether

the

leg

that

has

rejoiced

in

the

anklet

will

suffer

itself

to

be

squeezed

into

the

gyve

!

I

fear

the

neck

,

beset

with

pearl

and

emerald

nooses

,

will

give

no

room

to

the

broadsword

!

Wherefore

,

blessed

(

sisters

)

,

let

us

meditate

on

hardships

,

and

we

shall

not

feel

them

;

let

us

abandon

luxuries

,

and

we

shall

not

regret

them

.

Let

us

stand

ready

to

endure

every

violence

,

having

nothing

which

we

may

fear

to

leave

behind

.

It

is

these

things

which

are

the

bonds

which

retard

our

hope

.

Let

us

cast

away

earthly

ornaments

if

we

desire

heavenly

.

Love

not

gold

;

in

which

(

one

substance

)

are

branded

all

the

sins

of

the

people

of

Israel

.

You

ought

to

hate

what

ruined

your

fathers

;

what

was

adored

by

them

who

were

forsaking

God

.

Even

then

(

we

find

)

gold

is

food

for

the

fire

.

But

Christians

always

,

and

now

more

than

ever

,

pass

their

times

not

in

gold

but

in

iron

:

the

stoles

of

martyrdom

are

(

now

)

preparing

:

the

angels

who

are

to

carry

us

are

(

now

)

being

awaited

!

Do

you

go

forth

(

to

meet

them

)

already

arrayed

in

the

cosmetics

and

ornaments

of

prophets

and

apostles

;

drawing

your

whiteness

from

simplicity

,

your

ruddy

hue

from

modesty

;

painting

your

eyes

with

bashfulness

,

and

your

mouth

with

silence

;

implanting

in

your

ears

the

words

of

God

;

fitting

on

your

necks

the

yoke

of

Christ

.

Submit

your

head

to

your

husbands

,

and

you

will

be

enough

adorned

.

Busy

your

hands

with

spinning

;

keep

your

feet

at

home

;

and

you

will

“

please

”

better

than

(

by

arraying

yourselves

)

in

gold

.

Clothe

yourselves

with

the

silk

of

uprightness

,

the

fine

linen

of

holiness

,

the

purple

of

modesty

.

Thus

painted

,

you

will

have

God

as

your

Lover

!

Notes

1
Comp. John v. 34; 1 Cor. iv. 3.
2
Comp. 1 Sam. xvi. 7; Jer. xvii. 10; Luke xvi. 15.
3
See Phil. iv. 5, 8; Rom. xii. 17; 2 Cor. viii. 21.
4
See Matt. v. 16; and comp. de Idol., c. xv. ad init.
5
Matt. v. 14.
6
Matt. v. 15; Mark iv. 21; Luke viii. 16; xi. 33.
7
See John iii. 21.
8
Supellectilem.
9
Effeminari virtus.
10
Comp. Ex. xxxii.
11
Ex. xxxii. 20.