DE CORONA

 1. Proxime factum est. Liberalitas praestantissimoram imperatorum expungebatur in castris, milites laureati adibant. Adhibetur quidam illic magis Dei

 2. Neminem dico fidelium coronam capite nosse alias, extra tempus temptationis eiusmodi. Omnes ita obseruant a catechumenis usque ad confessores et ma

 3. Et quamdiu per hanc lineam serram reciprocabimus, habentes obseruationem inueteratam, quae praeueniendo statum fecit ? Hanc si nulla scriptura dete

 4. Harum et aliarum eiusmodi disciplinarum si legem expostules, scripturarum nullam leges. Traditio tibi praetendetur auctrix et consuetudo confirmatr

 5. Maior efficitur ratio christianarum obseruationum, cum illas etiam natura defendit, quae prima omnium disciplina est. Ideoque haec prima praescribi

 6. Quaeres igitur Dei legem ? Habes communem istam in publico mundi, in naturalibus tabulis ad quas et apostolus solet prouocare, ut cum in uelamine f

 7. Proinde coronarii isti agnoscant interim naturae auctoritatem communis sapientiae nomine, qua homines, sed propriae religionis pignore, qua Deum na

 8. Tene interim hunc finem, dum incursum quaestionis excutio. Iam enim audio dici et alia multa, ab eis prolata quos saeculum deos credidit, tamen et

 9. Quis denique patriarches, quis prophetes, quis leuites aut sacerdos aut archon, quis uel postea apostolus aut euangelizator aut episcopus inuenitur

 10. Ita cum idcirco proponis deorum saecularium commenta etiam apud Deum deprehendi, ut inter haec coronam quoque capitis communi usui uindices, ipse

 11. Etenim, ut ipsam causam coronae militaris aggrediar, puto prius conquirendum an in totum christianis militia conueniat. Quale est alioquin de acci

 12. Sed et de corona prius dicamus. Laurea ista Apollini uel Libero sacra est, illi ut deo telorum, huic ut deo triumphorum. Sic docet Claudius, cum e

 13. Coronant et publicos ordines laureis publicae causae, magistratus uero insuper aureis, ut Athenis, ut Romae. Superferuntur etiam illis Etruscae. H

 14. Tanto abest ut capiti suo munus inferat idololatriae, immo iam dixerim Christo, siquidem caput uiri Christus est : tam liberum quam et Christus, n

 15. Serua Deo rem suam intaminatam. Ille eam, si uolet, coronabit. Immo et uult, denique inuitat : « Qui uicerit, inquit, dabo ei coronam uitae. » Est

Chapter III.

And how long shall we draw the saw to and fro through this line, when we have an ancient practice, which by anticipation has made for us the state, i.e., of the question? If no passage of Scripture has prescribed it, assuredly custom, which without doubt flowed from tradition, has confirmed it. For how can anything come into use, if it has not first been handed down?  Even in pleading tradition, written authority, you say, must be demanded. Let us inquire, therefore, whether tradition, unless it be written, should not be admitted. Certainly we shall say that it ought not to be admitted, if no cases of other practices which, without any written instrument, we maintain on the ground of tradition alone, and the countenance thereafter of custom, affords us any precedent.  To deal with this matter briefly, I shall begin with baptism.7    [Elucidation I., and see Bunsen’s Church and House Book, pp. 19–24.] When we are going to enter the water, but a little before, in the presence of the congregation and under the hand of the president, we solemnly profess that we disown the devil, and his pomp, and his angels. Hereupon we are thrice immersed, making a somewhat ampler pledge than the Lord has appointed in the Gospel. Then when we are taken up (as new-born children),8    [There is here an allusion to the Roman form of recognizing a lawful child. The father, taking up the new-born infant, gave him adoption into the family, and recognised him as a legitimate son and heir.] we taste first of all a mixture of milk and honey, and from that day we refrain from the daily bath for a whole week. We take also, in congregations before daybreak, and from the hand of none but the presidents, the sacrament of the Eucharist, which the Lord both commanded to be eaten at meal-times, and enjoined to be taken by all alike.9    [Men and women, rich and poor.] As often as the anniversary comes round, we make offerings for the dead as birthday honours. We count fasting or kneeling in worship on the Lord’s day to be unlawful. We rejoice in the same privilege also from Easter to Whitsunday. We feel pained should any wine or bread, even though our own, be cast upon the ground.  At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign.10    i.e., of the Cross.

3. Et quamdiu per hanc lineam serram reciprocabimus, habentes obseruationem inueteratam, quae praeueniendo statum fecit ? Hanc si nulla scriptura determinauit, certe consuetudo corroborauit, quae sine dubio de traditione manauit. Quomodo enim usurpari quid potest, si traditum prius non est ? Etiam in traditionis obtentu exigenda est, inquis, auctoritas scripta. Ergo quaeramus an et traditio nisi scripta non debeat recipi. Plane negabimus recipiendam, si nulla exempla praeiudicent aliarum obseruationum, quas sine ullius scripturae instrumento, solius traditionis titulo et exinde consuetudinis patrocinio uindicamus. Denique, ut a baptismate ingrediar, aquam adituri ibidem, sed et aliquanto prius in ecclesia, sub antistitis manu, contestamur nos renuntiare diabolo et pompae et angelis eius. Dehinc ter mergitamur amplius aliquid respondentes quam Dominus in euangelio determinauit. Inde suscepti, lactis et mellis concordiam praegustamus, exque ea die lauacro quotidiano per totam ebdomadem abstinemus. Eucharistiae sacramentum, et in tempore uictus et omnibus mandatum a Domino, etiam antelucanis coetibus nec de aliorum manu quam praesidentium sumimus. Oblationes pro defunctis, pro nataliciis, annua die facimus. Die dominico ieiunium nefas ducimus, uel de geniculis adorare. Eadem immunitate a die Paschae in Pentecosten usque gaudemus. Calicis aut panis etiam nostri aliquid decuti in terram anxie patimur. Ad omnem progressum atque promotum, ad omnem aditum et exitum, ad uestitum, ad calciatum, ad lauacra, ad mensas, ad lumina, ad cubilia, ad sedilia, quacumque nos conuersatio exercet, frontem signaculo terimus.