On the Veiling of Virgins

Tertullian

  1. 1. Truth Rather to Be Appealed to Than Custom, and Truth Progressive in Its Developments
  2. 2. Before Proceeding Farther, Let the Question of Custom Itself Be Sifted
  3. 3. Gradual Development of Custom, and Its Results. Passionate Appeal to Truth
  4. 4. Of the Argument Drawn from 1 Cor. XI. 5-16.
  5. 5. Of the Word Woman, Especially in Connection with Its Application to Eve
  6. 6. The Parallel Case of Mary Considered
  7. 7. Of the Reasons Assigned by the Apostle for Bidding Women to Be Veiled
  8. 8. The Argument E Contrario
  9. 9. Veiling Consistent with the Other Rules of Discipline Observed by Virgins and Women in General
  10. 10. If the Female Virgins are to Be Thus Conspicuous, Why Not the Male as Well?
  11. 11. The Rule of Veiling Not Applicable to Children
  12. 12. Womanhood Self-Evident, and Not to Be Concealed by Just Leaving the Head Bare
  13. 13. If Unveiling Be Proper, Why Not Practise It Always, Out of the Church as Well as in It?
  14. 14. Perils to the Virgins Themselves Attendant Upon Not-Veiling
  15. 15. Of Fascination
  16. 16. Tertullian, Having Shown His Defence to Be Consistent with Scripture, Nature, and Discipline, Appeals to the Virgins Themselves
  17. 17. An Appeal to the Married Women

Having already undergone the trouble peculiar to my opinion, I will show in Latin also that it behooves 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 you 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 fruc