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On the Apparel of Women

Tertullian

Book 2 · Chapter 2

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter II.—Perfect Modesty Will Abstain from Whatever Tends to Sin, as Well as from Sin Itself. Difference Between Trust and Presumption. If Secure Ourselves, We Must Not Put Temptation in the Way of Others. We Must Love Our Neighbour as Ourself.

You must know that in the eye of perfect,

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 13 Book 2 · Chapter 3 ›

that

is

,

Christian

,

modesty

,

(

carnal

)

desire

of

one’s

self

(

on

the

part

of

others

)

is

not

only

not

to

be

desired

,

but

even

execrated

,

by

you

:

first

,

because

the

study

of

making

personal

grace

(

which

we

know

to

be

naturally

the

inviter

of

lust

)

a

mean

of

pleasing

does

not

spring

from

a

sound

conscience

:

why

therefore

excite

toward

yourself

that

evil

(

passion

)

?

why

invite

(

that

)

to

which

you

profess

yourself

a

stranger

?

secondly

,

because

we

ought

not

to

open

a

way

to

temptations

,

which

,

by

their

instancy

,

sometimes

achieve

(

a

wickedness

)

which

God

expels

from

them

who

are

His

;

(

or

,

)

at

all

events

,

put

the

spirit

into

a

thorough

tumult

by

(

presenting

)

a

stumbling

-

block

(

to

it

)

.

We

ought

indeed

to

walk

so

holily

,

and

with

so

entire

substantiality

of

faith

,

as

to

be

confident

and

secure

in

regard

of

our

own

conscience

,

desiring

that

(

gift

)

may

abide

in

us

to

the

end

,

yet

not

presuming

(

that

it

will

)

.

For

he

who

presumes

feels

less

apprehension

;

he

who

feels

less

apprehension

takes

less

precaution

;

he

who

takes

less

precaution

runs

more

risk

.

Fear

is

the

foundation

of

salvation

;

presumption

is

an

impediment

to

fear

.

More

useful

,

then

,

is

it

to

apprehend

that

we

may

possibly

fail

,

than

to

presume

that

we

cannot

;

for

apprehending

will

lead

us

to

fear

,

fearing

to

caution

,

and

caution

to

salvation

.

On

the

other

hand

,

if

we

presume

,

there

will

be

neither

fear

nor

caution

to

save

us

.

He

who

acts

securely

,

and

not

at

the

same

time

warily

,

possesses

no

safe

and

firm

security

;

whereas

he

who

is

wary

will

be

truly

able

to

be

secure

.

For

His

own

servants

,

may

the

Lord

by

His

mercy

take

care

that

to

them

it

may

be

lawful

even

to

presume

on

His

goodness

!

But

why

are

we

a

(

source

of

)

danger

to

our

neighbour

?

why

do

we

import

concupiscence

into

our

neighbour

?

which

concupiscence

,

if

God

,

in

“

amplifying

the

law

,

”

do

not

dissociate

in

(

the

way

of

)

penalty

from

the

actual

commission

of

fornication

,

I

know

not

whether

He

allows

impunity

to

him

who

has

been

the

cause

of

perdition

to

some

other

.

For

that

other

,

as

soon

as

he

has

felt

concupiscence

after

your

beauty

,

and

has

mentally

already

committed

(

the

deed

)

which

his

concupiscence

pointed

to

,

perishes

;

and

you

have

been

made

the

sword

which

destroys

him

:

so

that

,

albeit

you

be

free

from

the

(

actual

)

crime

,

you

are

not

free

from

the

odium

(

attaching

to

it

)

;

as

,

when

a

robbery

has

been

committed

on

some

man’s

estate

,

the

(

actual

)

crime

indeed

will

not

be

laid

to

the

owner’s

charge

,

while

yet

the

domain

is

branded

with

ignominy

,

(

and

)

the

owner

himself

aspersed

with

the

infamy

.

Are

we

to

paint

ourselves

out

that

our

neighbours

may

perish

?

Where

,

then

,

is

(

the

command

)

,

“

Thou

shalt

love

thy

neighbour

as

thyself

?

”

“

Care

not

merely

about

your

own

(

things

)

,

but

(

about

your

)

neighbour’s

?

”

No

enunciation

of

the

Holy

Spirit

ought

to

be

(

confined

)

to

the

subject

immediately

in

hand

merely

,

and

not

applied

and

carried

out

with

a

view

to

every

occasion

to

which

its

application

is

useful

.

Since

,

therefore

,

both

our

own

interest

and

that

of

others

is

implicated

in

the

studious

pursuit

of

most

perilous

(

outward

)

comeliness

,

it

is

time

for

you

to

know

that

not

merely

must

the

pageantry

of

fictitious

and

elaborate

beauty

be

rejected

by

you

;

but

that

of

even

natural

grace

must

be

obliterated

by

concealment

and

negligence

,

as

equally

dangerous

to

the

glances

of

(

the

beholder’s

)

eyes

.

For

,

albeit

comeliness

is

not

to

be

censured

,

as

being

a

bodily

happiness

,

as

being

an

additional

outlay

of

the

divine

plastic

art

,

as

being

a

kind

of

goodly

garment

of

the

soul

;

yet

it

is

to

be

feared

,

just

on

account

of

the

injuriousness

and

violence

of

suitors

:

which

(

injuriousness

and

violence

)

even

the

father

of

the

faith

,

Abraham

,

greatly

feared

in

regard

of

his

own

wife’s

grace

;

and

Isaac

,

by

falsely

representing

Rebecca

as

his

sister

,

purchased

safety

by

insult

!

Notes

1
Substantia. Comp. Heb. xi. 1, ἔστι δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις .
2
Timor.
3
Matt. v. 17. Comp. de Or., c. xxii. mid.; de Pa., c. vi. mid.; de Pæn., c. iii. sub fin.
4
The second “non,” or else the first, must apparently be omitted.
5
Matt. v. 28. See de Idol., c. ii.; de Pa., c. vi.; de Pæn., c. iii.
6
“Qui,” Oehler; “quæ,” Rig.
7
Comp. de Pæn. c. iii. (latter half).
8
Tu facta es.
9
Lev. xix. 18; Matt. xix. 19; xxii. 39; Mark xii. 31; Luke x. 27; Rom. xiii. 9; Gal. v. 14; Jas. ii. 8.
10
Comp. 1 Cor. x. 24; xiii. 5; Phil. ii. 4.
11
Comp. 2 Pet. i. 20.
12
Jam…sciatis.
13
Accusandus.
14
Comp. Gen. xxvii. 15.
15
Sectatorum.
16
Comp. Rom. iv. 11, 16.
17
Gen. xii. 10–20, and xx.
18
Gen. xxvi. 6–11.
19
“Salutem contumelia redemit;” the “insult” being the denial of her as his wife.