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The Chaplet, or De Corona

Tertullian

Chapter 8

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Hold fast in the meantime this persuasion, while I examine

‹ Chapter 7 Chapter 9 ›

a

question

which

comes

in

our

way

.

For

I

already

hear

it

is

said

,

that

many

other

things

as

well

as

crowns

have

been

invented

by

those

whom

the

world

believes

to

be

gods

,

and

that

they

are

notwithstanding

to

be

met

with

both

in

our

present

usages

and

in

those

of

early

saints

,

and

in

the

service

of

God

,

and

in

Christ

Himself

,

who

did

His

work

as

man

by

no

other

than

these

ordinary

instrumentalities

of

human

life

.

Well

,

let

it

be

so

;

nor

shall

I

inquire

any

further

back

into

the

origin

of

this

things

.

Let

Mercury

have

been

the

first

who

taught

the

knowledge

of

letters

;

I

will

own

that

they

are

requisite

both

for

the

business

and

commerce

of

life

,

and

for

performing

our

devotion

to

God

.

Nay

,

if

he

also

first

strung

the

chord

to

give

forth

melody

,

I

will

not

deny

,

when

listening

to

David

,

that

this

invention

has

been

in

use

with

the

saints

,

and

has

ministered

to

God

.

Let

Æsculapius

have

been

the

first

who

sought

and

discovered

cures

:

Esaias

mentions

that

he

ordered

Hezekiah

medicine

when

he

was

sick

.

Paul

,

too

,

knows

that

a

little

wine

does

the

stomach

good

.

Let

Minerva

have

been

the

first

who

built

a

ship

:

I

shall

see

Jonah

and

the

apostles

sailing

.

Nay

,

there

is

more

than

this

:

for

even

Christ

,

we

shall

find

,

has

ordinary

raiment

;

Paul

,

too

,

has

his

cloak

.

If

at

once

,

of

every

article

of

furniture

and

each

household

vessel

,

you

name

some

god

of

the

world

as

the

originator

,

well

,

I

must

recognise

Christ

,

both

as

He

reclines

on

a

couch

,

and

when

He

presents

a

basin

for

the

feet

of

His

disciples

,

and

when

He

pours

water

into

it

from

a

ewer

,

and

when

He

is

girt

about

with

a

linen

towel

—

a

garment

specially

sacred

to

Osiris

.

It

is

thus

in

general

I

reply

upon

the

point

,

admitting

indeed

that

we

use

along

with

others

these

articles

,

but

challenging

that

this

be

judged

in

the

light

of

the

distinction

between

things

agreeable

and

things

opposed

to

reason

,

because

the

promiscuous

employment

of

them

is

deceptive

,

concealing

the

corruption

of

the

creature

,

by

which

it

has

been

made

subject

to

vanity

.

For

we

affirm

that

those

things

only

are

proper

to

be

used

,

whether

by

ourselves

or

by

those

who

lived

before

us

,

and

alone

befit

the

service

of

God

and

Christ

Himself

,

which

to

meet

the

necessities

of

human

life

supply

what

is

simply

;

useful

and

affords

real

assistance

and

honourable

comfort

,

so

that

they

may

be

well

believed

to

have

come

from

God’s

own

inspiration

,

who

first

of

all

no

doubt

provided

for

and

taught

and

ministered

to

the

enjoyment

,

I

should

suppose

,

of

His

own

man

.

As

for

the

things

which

are

out

of

this

class

,

they

are

not

fit

to

be

used

among

us

,

especially

those

which

on

that

account

indeed

are

not

to

be

found

either

with

the

world

,

or

in

the

ways

of

Christ

.

Notes

1
Isa. xxxviii. 21.
2
1 Tim. v. 23.
3
2 Tim. iv. 13. [This is a useful comment as showing what this φαιλόνη was. Our author translates it by pænula. Of which more when we reach the De Pallio.]
4
John xiii. 1–5.