Tertullian on Shaving

Nor may men destroy the hair of their beards, and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the law says: "Ye shall not mar your beards."²² For God the Creator has made this decent for women, but has determined that it is unsuitable for men. But if thou do these things to please men, in contradiction to the law, thou wilt be abominable with God, who created thee after His own image. If, therefore, thou wilt be acceptable to God, abstain from all those things which He hates, and do none of those things that are unpleasing to Him.

No, that's a different Father. I see Cyprian feels the same way:

And although it is written, "Ye shall not mar the figure of your beard,"⁶⁶ he plucks out his beard, and dresses his hair; and does he now study to please any one who displeases God?

(Treatise III, on the lapsed - my, is a find!)

Commonplace book

I to my perils

Of cheat and charmer

Came clad in armour

By stars benign.

Hope lies to mortals

And most believe her,

But man’s deceiver

Was never mine.

The thoughts of others

Were light and fleeting,

Of lovers’ meeting

Or luck or fame.

Mine were of trouble,

And mine were steady,

So I was ready

When trouble came.


A E Housman

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