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On the Veiling of Virgins

Tertullian

Chapter 13

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XIII.—If Unveiling Be Proper, Why Not Practise It Always, Out of the Church as Well as in It?

If on account of men they adopt a false garb,

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let

them

carry

out

that

garb

fully

even

for

that

end

;

and

as

they

veil

their

head

in

presence

of

heathens

,

let

them

at

all

events

in

the

church

conceal

their

virginity

,

which

they

do

veil

outside

the

church

.

They

fear

strangers

:

let

them

stand

in

awe

of

the

brethren

too

;

or

else

let

them

have

the

consistent

hardihood

to

appear

as

virgins

in

the

streets

as

well

,

as

they

have

the

hardihood

to

do

in

the

churches

.

I

will

praise

their

vigour

,

if

they

succeed

in

selling

aught

of

virginity

among

the

heathens

withal

.

Identity

of

nature

abroad

as

at

home

,

identity

of

custom

in

the

presence

of

men

as

of

the

Lord

,

consists

in

identity

of

liberty

.

To

what

purpose

,

then

,

do

they

thrust

their

glory

out

of

sight

abroad

,

but

expose

it

in

the

church

?

I

demand

a

reason

.

Is

it

to

please

the

brethren

,

or

God

Himself

?

If

God

Himself

,

He

is

as

capable

of

beholding

whatever

is

done

in

secret

,

as

He

is

just

to

remunerate

what

is

done

for

His

sole

honour

.

In

fine

,

He

enjoins

us

not

to

trumpet

forth

any

one

of

those

things

which

will

merit

reward

in

His

sight

,

nor

get

compensation

for

them

from

men

.

But

if

we

are

prohibited

from

letting

“

our

left

hand

know

”

when

we

bestow

the

gift

of

a

single

halfpenny

,

or

any

eleemosynary

bounty

whatever

,

how

deep

should

be

the

darkness

in

which

we

ought

to

enshroud

ourselves

when

we

are

offering

God

so

great

an

oblation

of

our

very

body

and

our

very

spirit

—

when

we

are

consecrating

to

Him

our

very

nature

!

It

follows

,

therefore

,

that

what

cannot

appear

to

be

done

for

God’s

sake

(

because

God

wills

not

that

it

be

done

in

such

a

way

)

is

done

for

the

sake

of

men

,

—

a

thing

,

of

course

,

primarily

unlawful

,

as

betraying

a

lust

of

glory

.

For

glory

is

a

thing

unlawful

to

those

whose

probation

consists

in

humiliation

of

every

kind

.

And

if

it

is

by

God

that

the

virtue

of

continence

is

conferred

,

“

why

gloriest

thou

,

as

if

thou

have

not

received

?

”

If

,

however

,

you

have

not

received

it

,

“

what

hast

thou

which

has

not

been

given

thee

?

”

But

by

this

very

fact

it

is

plain

that

it

has

not

been

given

you

by

God

—

that

it

is

not

to

God

alone

that

you

offer

it

.

Let

us

see

,

then

,

whether

what

is

human

be

firm

and

true

.

Notes

1
As distinguished from the “on account of the angels” of c. xi.
2
i.e., for the sake of the brethren, who (after all) are men, as the heathens are (Oehler, after Rig.).
3
i.e., as Rig. quoted by Oehler explains it, in inducing the heathens to practise it.
4
See Matt. vi. 2.
5
1 Cor. iv. 7.