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| Idols Not to Be Made, Much Less Worshipped. Idols and Idol-Makers in the Same Category.
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Chapter IV.—Idols Not
to Be Made, Much Less Worshipped. Idols and Idol-Makers in the Same
Category.
God prohibits an idol as much to be made as
to be worshipped. In so far as the making what may be
worshipped is the prior act, so far is the prohibition to make
(if the worship is unlawful) the prior prohibition. For this
cause—the eradicating, namely, of the material of
idolatry—the divine law proclaims, “Thou shalt make no
idol;”179
| 179 Lev. xxvi. 1; Ex. xx. 4; Deut. v.
8. It must of course be
borne in mind that Tertullian has defined the meaning of the word
idol in the former chapter, and speaks with reference to that
definition. | and by conjoining,
“Nor a similitude of the things which are in the heaven, and
which are in the earth, and which are in the sea,” has
interdicted the servants of God from acts of that kind all the universe
over. Enoch had preceded, predicting that “the demons, and the
spirits of the angelic apostates,180
| 180 Compare de
Oratione, c. 23, and de Virg. Vel. c. 7. | would turn into
idolatry all the
elements, all the garniture of the universe, all things contained in
the heaven, in the sea, in the earth, that they might be consecrated as
God, in opposition to God.” All things, therefore, does human
error worship, except the Founder of all Himself. The images of
those things are idols; the consecration of the images is idolatry.
Whatever guilt idolatry incurs, must necessarily be imputed to every
artificer of every idol. In short, the same Enoch fore-condemns in
general menace both idol-worshippers and idol-makers together. And
again: “I swear to you, sinners, that against the day of
perdition of blood181
| 181 “Sanguinis
perditionis:” such is the reading of Oehler and others. If it be
correct, probably the phrase “perdition of blood” must be
taken as equivalent to “bloody perdition,” after the Hebrew
fashion. Compare, for similar instances, Bible:Ezek.22.2">2 Sam. xvi. 7; Ps. v. 6; xxvi. 9; lv. 23;
Ezek. xxii. 2, with the
marginal readings. But Fr. Junius would read, “Of blood
and of perdition”—sanguinis et perditionis.
Oehler’s own interpretation of the reading he
gives—“blood-shedding”—appears
unsatisfactory. | repentance is being
prepared. Ye who serve stones, and ye who make images of gold, and
silver, and wood, and stones and clay, and serve phantoms, and demons,
and spirits in fanes,182
| 182 “In fanis.”
This is Oehler’s reading on conjecture. Other readings
are—infamis, infamibus, insanis, infernis. | and all errors not
according to knowledge, shall find no help from them.” But
Isaiah183
says, “Ye are witnesses whether there
is a God except Me.” “And they who mould and carve out at
that time were not: all vain! who do that which liketh them, which
shall not profit them!” And that whole ensuing discourse sets a
ban as well on the artificers as the worshippers: the close of
which is, “Learn that their heart is ashes and earth, and that
none can free his own soul.” In which sentence David equally
includes the makers too. “Such,” says he, “let them
become who make them.”184
| 184 Ps. cxv. 8. In our version, “They that make
them are like unto them.” Tertullian again agrees with the
LXX. | And why should I, a
man of limited memory, suggest anything further? Why recall anything
more from the Scriptures? As if either the voice of the Holy Spirit
were not sufficient; or else any further deliberation were needful,
whether the Lord cursed and condemned by priority the artificers
of those things, of which He curses and condemns the
worshippers!E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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