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On the Veiling of Virgins

Tertullian

Chapter 1

About this work

Author: Tertullian

III. On the Veiling of Virgins.

[Translated by the Rev. S. Thelwall.]

Chapter I.—Truth Rather to Be Appealed to Than Custom, and Truth Progressive in Its Developments.

Having already undergone the trouble peculiar to my opinion

Chapter 2 ›

,

I

will

show

in

Latin

also

that

it

behoves

our

virgins

to

be

veiled

from

the

time

that

they

have

passed

the

turning

-

point

of

their

age

:

that

this

observance

is

exacted

by

truth

,

on

which

no

one

can

impose

prescription

—

no

space

of

times

,

no

influence

of

persons

,

no

privilege

of

regions

.

For

these

,

for

the

most

part

,

are

the

sources

whence

,

from

some

ignorance

or

simplicity

,

custom

finds

its

beginning

;

and

then

it

is

successionally

confirmed

into

an

usage

,

and

thus

is

maintained

in

opposition

to

truth

.

But

our

Lord

Christ

has

surnamed

Himself

Truth

,

not

Custom

.

If

Christ

is

always

,

and

prior

to

all

,

equally

truth

is

a

thing

sempiternal

and

ancient

.

Let

those

therefore

look

to

themselves

,

to

whom

that

is

new

which

is

intrinsically

old

.

It

is

not

so

much

novelty

as

truth

which

convicts

heresies

.

Whatever

savours

of

opposition

to

truth

,

this

will

be

heresy

,

even

(

if

it

be

an

)

ancient

custom

.

On

the

other

hand

,

if

any

is

ignorant

of

anything

,

the

ignorance

proceeds

from

his

own

defect

.

Moreover

,

whatever

is

matter

of

ignorance

ought

to

have

been

as

carefully

inquired

into

as

whatever

is

matter

of

acknowledgment

received

.

The

rule

of

faith

,

indeed

,

is

altogether

one

,

alone

immoveable

and

irreformable

;

the

rule

,

to

wit

,

of

believing

in

one

only

God

omnipotent

,

the

Creator

of

the

universe

,

and

His

Son

Jesus

Christ

,

born

of

the

Virgin

Mary

,

crucified

under

Pontius

Pilate

,

raised

again

the

third

day

from

the

dead

,

received

in

the

heavens

,

sitting

now

at

the

right

(

hand

)

of

the

Father

,

destined

to

come

to

judge

quick

and

dead

through

the

resurrection

of

the

flesh

as

well

(

as

of

the

spirit

)

.

This

law

of

faith

being

constant

,

the

other

succeeding

points

of

discipline

and

conversation

admit

the

“

novelty

”

of

correction

;

the

grace

of

God

,

to

wit

,

operating

and

advancing

even

to

the

end

.

For

what

kind

of

(

supposition

)

is

it

,

that

,

while

the

devil

is

always

operating

and

adding

daily

to

the

ingenuities

of

iniquity

,

the

work

of

God

should

either

have

ceased

,

or

else

have

desisted

from

advancing

?

whereas

the

reason

why

the

Lord

sent

the

Paraclete

was

,

that

,

since

human

mediocrity

was

unable

to

take

in

all

things

at

once

,

discipline

should

,

little

by

little

,

be

directed

,

and

ordained

,

and

carried

on

to

perfection

,

by

that

Vicar

of

the

Lord

,

the

Holy

Spirit

.

“

Still

,

”

He

said

,

“

I

have

many

things

to

say

to

you

,

but

ye

are

not

yet

able

to

bear

them

:

when

that

Spirit

of

truth

shall

have

come

,

He

will

conduct

you

into

all

truth

,

and

will

report

to

you

the

supervening

(

things

)

.

”

But

above

,

withal

,

He

made

a

declaration

concerning

this

His

work

.

What

,

then

,

is

the

Paraclete’s

administrative

office

but

this

:

the

direction

of

discipline

,

the

revelation

of

the

Scriptures

,

the

reformation

of

the

intellect

,

the

advancement

toward

the

“

better

things

?

”

Nothing

is

without

stages

of

growth

:

all

things

await

their

season

.

In

short

,

the

preacher

says

,

“

A

time

to

everything

.

”

Look

how

creation

itself

advances

little

by

little

to

fructification

.

First

comes

the

grain

,

and

from

the

grain

arises

the

shoot

,

and

from

the

shoot

struggles

out

the

shrub

:

thereafter

boughs

and

leaves

gather

strength

,

and

the

whole

that

we

call

a

tree

expands

:

then

follows

the

swelling

of

the

germen

,

and

from

the

germen

bursts

the

flower

,

and

from

the

flower

the

fruit

opens

:

that

fruit

itself

,

rude

for

a

while

,

and

unshapely

,

little

by

little

,

keeping

the

straight

course

of

its

development

,

is

trained

to

the

mellowness

of

its

flavour

.

So

,

too

,

righteousness

—

for

the

God

of

righteousness

and

of

creation

is

the

same

—

was

first

in

a

rudimentary

state

,

having

a

natural

fear

of

God

:

from

that

stage

it

advanced

,

through

the

Law

and

the

Prophets

,

to

infancy

;

from

that

stage

it

passed

,

through

the

Gospel

,

to

the

fervour

of

youth

:

now

,

through

the

Paraclete

,

it

is

settling

into

maturity

.

He

will

be

,

after

Christ

,

the

only

one

to

be

called

and

revered

as

Master

;

for

He

speaks

not

from

Himself

,

but

what

is

commanded

by

Christ

.

He

is

the

only

prelate

,

because

He

alone

succeeds

Christ

.

They

who

have

received

Him

set

truth

before

custom

.

They

who

have

heard

Him

prophesying

even

to

the

present

time

,

not

of

old

,

bid

virgins

be

wholly

covered

.

Notes

2
John xiv. 6.
3
John xvi. 12, 13. See de Monog., c. ii.
4
See John xiv. 26.
5
Comp. Heb. xi. 40; xii. 24.
6
Eccles. iii. 1, briefly.
7
Comp. Mark iv. 28.
8
Comp. Matt. xxiii. 8.
9
John xvi. 13.