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The Chaplet, or De Corona

Tertullian

Chapter 5

About this work

Author: Tertullian

The argument for Christian practices becomes all the stronger, when

‹ Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ›

also

nature

,

which

is

the

first

rule

of

all

,

supports

them

.

Well

,

she

is

the

first

who

lays

it

down

that

a

crown

does

not

become

the

head

.

But

I

think

ours

is

the

God

of

nature

,

who

fashioned

man

;

and

,

that

he

might

desire

,

(

appreciate

,

become

partaker

of

)

the

pleasures

afforded

by

His

creatures

,

endowed

him

with

certain

senses

,

(

acting

)

through

members

,

which

,

so

to

speak

,

are

their

peculiar

instruments

.

The

sense

of

hearing

he

has

planted

in

the

ears

;

that

of

sight

,

lighted

up

in

the

eyes

;

that

of

taste

,

shut

up

in

the

mouth

;

that

of

smell

,

wafted

into

the

nose

;

that

of

touch

,

fixed

in

the

tips

of

the

fingers

.

By

means

of

these

organs

of

the

outer

man

doing

duty

to

the

inner

man

,

the

enjoyments

of

the

divine

gifts

are

conveyed

by

the

senses

to

the

soul

.

What

,

then

,

in

flowers

affords

you

enjoyment

?

For

it

is

the

flowers

of

the

field

which

are

the

peculiar

,

at

least

the

chief

,

material

of

crowns

.

Either

smell

,

you

say

,

or

colour

,

or

both

together

.

What

will

be

the

senses

of

colour

and

smell

?

Those

of

seeing

and

smelling

,

I

suppose

.

What

members

have

had

these

senses

allotted

to

them

?

The

eyes

and

the

nose

,

if

I

am

not

mistaken

.

With

sight

and

smell

,

then

,

make

use

of

flowers

,

for

these

are

the

senses

by

which

they

are

meant

to

be

enjoyed

;

use

them

by

means

of

the

eyes

and

nose

,

which

are

the

members

to

which

these

senses

belong

.

You

have

got

the

thing

from

God

,

the

mode

of

it

from

the

world

;

but

an

extraordinary

mode

does

not

prevent

the

use

of

the

thing

in

the

common

way

.

Let

flowers

,

then

,

both

when

fastened

into

each

other

and

tied

together

in

thread

and

rush

,

be

what

they

are

when

free

,

when

loose

—

things

to

be

looked

at

and

smelt

.

You

count

it

a

crown

,

let

us

say

,

when

you

have

a

bunch

of

them

bound

together

in

a

series

,

that

you

may

carry

many

at

one

time

that

you

may

enjoy

them

all

at

once

.

Well

,

lay

them

in

your

bosom

if

they

are

so

singularly

pure

,

and

strew

them

on

your

couch

if

they

are

so

exquisitely

soft

,

and

consign

them

to

your

cup

if

they

are

so

perfectly

harmless

.

Have

the

pleasure

of

them

in

as

many

ways

as

they

appeal

to

your

senses

.

But

what

taste

for

a

flower

,

what

sense

for

anything

belonging

to

a

crown

but

its

band

,

have

you

in

the

head

,

which

is

able

neither

to

distinguish

colour

,

nor

to

inhale

sweet

perfumes

,

nor

to

appreciate

softness

?

It

is

as

much

against

nature

to

long

after

a

flower

with

the

head

,

as

it

is

to

crave

food

with

the

ear

,

or

sound

with

the

nostril

.

But

everything

which

is

against

nature

deserves

to

be

branded

as

monstrous

among

all

men

;

but

with

us

it

is

to

be

condemned

also

as

sacrilege

against

God

,

the

Lord

and

Creator

of

nature

.

Notes

1
Kaye [p. 187,] has some valuable remarks on this testimony to the senses in Christian Philosophy, and compares Cicero, I. Tusc. cap. xx. or xlvi.]