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The Chaplet, or De Corona

Tertullian

Chapter 10

About this work

Author: Tertullian

So, when you allege that the ornaments of the heathen

‹ Chapter 9 Chapter 11 ›

deities

are

found

no

less

with

God

,

with

the

object

of

claiming

among

these

for

general

use

the

head

-

crown

,

you

already

lay

it

down

for

yourself

,

that

we

must

not

have

among

us

,

as

a

thing

whose

use

we

are

to

share

with

others

,

what

is

not

to

be

found

in

the

service

of

God

.

Well

,

what

is

so

unworthy

of

God

indeed

as

that

which

is

worthy

of

an

idol

?

But

what

is

so

worthy

of

an

idol

as

that

which

is

also

worthy

of

a

dead

man

?

For

it

is

the

privilege

of

the

dead

also

to

be

thus

crowned

,

as

they

too

straightway

become

idols

,

both

by

their

dress

and

the

service

of

deification

,

which

(

deification

)

is

with

us

a

second

idolatry

.

Wanting

,

then

,

the

sense

,

it

will

be

theirs

to

use

the

thing

for

which

the

sense

is

wanting

,

just

as

if

in

full

possession

of

the

sense

they

wished

to

abuse

it

.

When

there

ceases

to

be

any

reality

in

the

use

,

there

is

no

distinction

between

using

and

abusing

.

Who

can

abuse

a

thing

,

when

the

precipient

nature

with

which

he

wishes

to

carry

out

his

purpose

is

not

his

to

use

it

?

The

apostle

,

moreover

,

forbids

us

to

abuse

,

while

he

would

more

naturally

have

taught

us

not

to

use

,

unless

on

the

ground

that

,

where

there

is

no

sense

for

things

,

there

is

no

wrong

use

of

them

.

But

the

whole

affair

is

meaningless

,

and

is

,

in

fact

,

a

dead

work

so

far

as

concerns

the

idols

;

though

,

without

doubt

,

a

living

one

as

respects

the

demons

to

whom

the

religious

rite

belongs

.

“

The

idols

of

the

heathen

,

”

says

David

,

“

are

silver

and

gold

.

”

“

They

have

eyes

,

and

see

not

;

a

nose

,

and

smell

not

;

hands

,

and

they

will

not

handle

.

”

By

means

of

these

organs

,

indeed

,

we

are

to

enjoy

flowers

;

but

if

he

declares

that

those

who

make

idols

will

be

like

them

,

they

already

are

so

who

use

anything

after

the

style

of

idol

adornings

.

“

To

the

pure

all

things

are

pure

:

so

,

likewise

,

all

things

to

the

impure

are

impure

;

”

but

nothing

is

more

impure

than

idols

.

The

substances

are

themselves

as

creatures

of

God

without

impurity

,

and

in

this

their

native

state

are

free

to

the

use

of

all

;

but

the

ministries

to

which

in

their

use

they

are

devoted

,

makes

all

the

difference

;

for

I

,

too

,

kill

a

cock

for

myself

,

just

as

Socrates

did

for

Æsculapius

;

and

if

the

smell

of

some

place

or

other

offends

me

,

I

burn

the

Arabian

product

myself

,

but

not

with

the

same

ceremony

,

nor

in

the

same

dress

,

nor

with

the

same

pomp

,

with

which

it

is

done

to

idols

.

If

the

creature

is

defiled

by

a

mere

word

,

as

the

apostle

teaches

,

“

But

if

any

one

say

,

This

is

offered

in

sacrifice

to

idols

,

you

must

not

touch

it

,

”

much

more

when

it

is

polluted

by

the

dress

,

and

rites

,

and

pomp

of

what

is

offered

to

the

gods

.

Thus

the

crown

also

is

made

out

to

be

an

offering

to

idols

;

for

with

this

ceremony

,

and

dress

,

and

pomp

,

it

is

presented

in

sacrifice

to

idols

,

its

originators

,

to

whom

its

use

is

specially

given

over

,

and

chiefly

on

this

account

,

that

what

has

no

place

among

the

things

of

God

may

not

be

admitted

into

use

with

us

as

with

others

.

Wherefore

the

apostle

exclaims

,

“

Flee

idolatry

:

”

certainly

idolatry

whole

and

entire

he

means

.

Reflect

on

what

a

thicket

it

is

,

and

how

many

thorns

lie

hid

in

it

.

Nothing

must

be

given

to

an

idol

,

and

so

nothing

must

be

taken

from

one

.

If

it

is

inconsistent

with

faith

to

recline

in

an

idol

temple

,

what

is

it

to

appear

in

an

idol

dress

?

What

communion

have

Christ

and

Belial

?

Therefore

flee

from

it

;

for

he

enjoins

us

to

keep

at

a

distance

from

idolatry

—

to

have

no

close

dealings

with

it

of

any

kind

.

Even

an

earthly

serpent

sucks

in

men

at

some

distance

with

its

breath

.

Going

still

further

,

John

says

,

“

My

little

children

,

keep

yourselves

from

idols

,

”

—

not

now

from

idolatry

,

as

if

from

the

service

of

it

,

but

from

idols

—

that

is

,

from

any

resemblance

to

them

:

for

it

is

an

unworthy

thing

that

you

,

the

image

of

the

living

God

,

should

become

the

likeness

of

an

idol

and

a

dead

man

.

Thus

far

we

assert

,

that

this

attire

belongs

to

idols

,

both

from

the

history

of

its

origin

,

and

from

its

use

by

false

religion

;

on

this

ground

,

besides

,

that

while

it

is

not

mentioned

as

connected

with

the

worship

of

God

,

it

is

more

and

more

given

over

to

those

in

whose

antiquities

,

as

well

as

festivals

and

services

,

it

is

found

.

In

a

word

,

the

very

doors

,

the

very

victims

and

altars

,

the

very

servants

and

priests

,

are

crowned

.

You

have

,

in

Claudius

,

the

crowns

of

all

the

various

colleges

of

priests

.

We

have

added

also

that

distinction

between

things

altogether

different

from

each

other

—

things

,

namely

,

agreeable

,

and

things

contrary

to

reason

—

in

answer

to

those

who

,

because

there

happens

to

be

the

use

of

some

things

in

common

,

maintain

the

right

of

participation

in

all

things

.

With

reference

to

this

part

of

the

subject

,

therefore

,

it

now

remains

that

the

special

grounds

for

wearing

crowns

should

be

examined

,

that

while

we

show

these

to

be

foreign

,

nay

,

even

opposed

to

our

Christian

discipline

,

we

may

demonstrate

that

none

of

them

have

any

plea

of

reason

to

support

it

,

on

the

basis

of

which

this

article

of

dress

might

be

vindicated

as

one

in

whose

use

we

can

participate

,

as

even

some

others

may

whose

instances

are

cast

up

to

us

.

Notes

1
[Compare De Idololatria, cap. xv., p. 70, supra.]
2
Ps. cxv. 4–8.
3
Tit. i. 15.
4
[He seems to know no use for incense except for burials and for fumigation.]
5
1 Cor. x. 28.
6
[Kaye (p. 362) defends our author against Barbeyrac’s animadversions, by the maxim, “put yourself in his place” i.e. among the abominations of Paganism.]
7
1 Cor. x. 14.
8
1 John v. 21.