Whoeverwould see more concerning the nature of Church unity, and the sin of occasionalconformity, let him read the whole Conference. Pliny, lib. Accordingly, philo- sophers affect truth only in appearance, and this affectation putsthem upon corrupting her, for the glorious vanity of a name; butChristians are heartily and violently set upon pure truth, andperform her commands sincerely, as men who have nothing to carefor here, but in order to their salvation hereafter; and thereforeChristians, both in respect of conscience and discipline, notwith- standing your comparison, are very different persons. Strange ! Qua cineres Jovis texit. And he is the rather confirmed in his conjecture,because he knew it to be Plato's custom to wrap up his sublimest notions in fable,for fear of disobliging the fabulous Greeks, who hated the Jews, and who wouldhave themselves pass for the wisest, if not the most ancient people ; and I mayadd, too, that nobody else might know from whence Plato had his notions. 2 Wild uncultivated Rome; in which state Virgil thusdescribes it, Aen. The same disputes we findabout the state of the soul, some contending for it to be of a divineimmortal nature, and others of a nature corruptible; every oneinferring and reforming as the maggot bit. The Xystus was a gallery or portico of great lengthand breadth, and planted about with trees, where in the winter time the athletaeperformed. says Horace. we have this inscription,ENQADE "Where is the harm to say, O Lord Caesar, and to sacrifice, andso save yourself? " iii., has these wordsFidem in Capitoliovicinam Jovi Off. Et si Paradisum nominemus, Locum Divina: amoenitatis recipiendis Sanct- orum spiritibus distinatum, maceria quadam ignea illius Zonae segregatum. Tanta est Prudentia Hominis ad demonstrandum bonum:, quanta Auctoritasad exigendum, tam illa falli facilis, quam ista contemni. " Let an emperormake war upon heaven, and pride himself with the thoughts ofleading captive heaven in triumph; let him set guards upon heaven,and try to reduce it to a Roman province, and he will find hisweakness. Hence was Aerius accounted aheretic for meaning to innovate in so grand a point of discipline as the subordina- tion of bishops and presbyters. And in the house of Ashtaroth called by the LXX.0Asta&rth did the Philistines hang up Saul's armour after his death. p. 275"If therefore the worship of God among us continue undefiled, evenin the confession of all; if the sacraments be administered as before; if thepersons who officiate be ministers of the gospel, then certainly such as separatefrom our public meetings do forsake the assemblies of the saints, and so breakthe unity of the spirit and the bond of peace." Is it not more likely that the gods should be in Caesar'skeeping, than Caesar in theirs ? Secondly, hedenies the fact that the psalm was extempore, because no such thing as anextempore psalm was ever heard of; those of David, though inspired, werenotwithstanding precomposed. 2 To this purpose Theod. ", Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. The very devilskindle in us the belief of Holy Scripture; the very devils areedifying, and raise our hope to assurance. 8, 3 Nubes numeret orans. Manticularius. However, for fear they should be out of print, I shall give him ataste for his encouragement to read the whole. It is just as if youshould pass by the rightful emperor, and give his title to another;would not this be an unpardonable offence in you who give thetitle, and fatal to him who takes it ? Oh, never-to-be-forgotten example of Athenianwisdom ! cont. But had kingdoms been at Jove's disposal, Jove surely hadnever suffered his own Crete to have come under the Roman rod ;unmindful of the Idean cave and the never-to-be-forgotten noise theCorybantes made to drown his infant cries, and of the agreeablesweets of his fragrant nurse the Goat Amaithsea. make a way into the pockets of the people. For errors of such inoffensive nature atworst should only be condemned to ridicule, and not to fire andsword, gibbets and beasts; at which savage executions, not only themob are transported with insolence and cruel satisfaction, but evensome of you magistrates pride yourselves in the same barbarities,the better to recommend yourselves to the populace; as if thewhole of your power against us was not dependent upon our ownwill, and defeatable at pleasure. 1 It is more agreeable to me to see themfree and loose and scattered about in a grateful confusion; but yetwhen they are wreathed into a garland, even then it is my wayto apply them to my nose ; let them if they please apply them totheir head, who smell with their hair.1 We come not to yoursights, but if we want anything which is brought thither, we freelygo and buy it at those places where it is ordinarily sold. Our author mentions these several sorts of conjurors, because manyof them had been put to death upon this account by Severus. 119, 120. CONCERNING THE GOD OF CHRISTIANS, BY WHOM KINGS REIGN, AND THE PRAYERS OF CHRISTIANS FOR THE LIFE OF THE must be conformed ; for Christ Himself did not ascend into heaven till after His Itaque non sine foro, non sine macello, non sine balneis, etc. TO THE PUBLIC. i. cap. See more of this in Macrobius, Saturnal. Lactantius is not a little severe with Cicero upon thisvery score, for thus he delivers himself in his second book de Origine Erroris,sec. pneu&matoj th_n xa&rin fasi\n, oi9 de\ th_n 9Rwmaikh_n a0rxh_n oi9j Quis nisi Romanus Status? off Lucania from Italy, and banished it into an island, which goesnow by the name of Sicily. TERTULLIEN 1° Il est inique de condamner une cause sans l'instruire, de haïr ce qu'on ignore, ce qu'on veut ignorer (I, 2-3). Cui bello non Idonaei, etc. de Pud.cap. The loutra_ panu&stata (as Electra in Euripides calls it), extreme washings, or wash- ing the dead bodies, was counted so necessary a thing, that towards the conclusionof Plato's Phado, sec. after all the animals in which all the departed souls from thebeginning have taken up their lodgings. 106 Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. Amen.". "I will not call the emperor God. Haec Palmata vestis, etc. 10. think it, by the same Almighty word which called you from your CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. THAT HUMAN LAWS MAY ERR, AND THEREFORE MAY BE MENDED. what, so many people to one lion ! In allusion to this is thatof St. Jerome, Munerarius Pauperum, et Egentium Candidatus Epist. Tertullian's bosom or port was such an Eden of happiness for righteous spirits ; and as that ei0pon ai0re tou~j a0qe/ouj, that is, swear by Caesar's genius, repent, say takeoff the atheists, that is, the Christians. are we traitors to theemperors because we do not set them below their own possessions ?because we will not make mock addresses for their safety, con- cluding it cannot be in the keeping of hands of lead. 3 so again St. JeromeNisi, inquit, fuerit Romanum Imperium ante desolatum,et Antichristus praecessarit, Christus non veniet. mhde\ xreian a0sxoli/aj. cap. Legat. In allusion to this is that of Juvenal,Sat. A CONTINUATION OF THE UNLIMITED LOVE OF CHRISTIANS. Now then let me advise you to believe the devils when they speaktrue of themselves, you who are used to credit them in their lies;for no man is a fool to such a degree as to be at the pains of lyingto his disgrace, but only to his reputation ; and one is a thousandtimes apter to believe men when they confess to their disadvantagethan when they deny for interest. Sac.lib. Mission des apôtres (XXI). 174, 179. These are they which suborn men to discolour thedoctrines of salvation, and stain them with their own inventions.By the same spiritual wickednesses are fables foisted in, to invali- date the credibility of our religion, or rather to procure this credi- bility for themselves, that the doctrines of devils being dressed uplike truth might have the same veneration with the word of God;so that either a man might disbelieve a Christian, because hedisbelieves a poet or a philosopher, or rather conclude he has thegreater reason to give credit to a philosopher or a poet, because hecannot find in his heart to believe a Christian. For the truth of this I convene the populace of Rome, the nativesof the Seven Hills, and let them answer whether their tongues, asmuch Roman as it is, have spared any of their own Caesars? AND THE PRAYERS OF CHRISTIANS FOR THE LIFE OF THE Apology for the Christians. Tertullian's Hoc agile, boni Praesides, extorquete animam Deo supplicantem pro Impera-tore. in Syr. Sozomen in his sixth book, cap. THAT THE PAGANS ARE GUILTY BOTH IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC I lay out no money in chaplets of flowers to crown mytemples, and pray how is your interest concerned which way Idispose of my flowers ? for martyr- dom is sure of mercy. Capitolia certantia coelo. This Ammonhad a temple in the city of No, as we find from that of Jeremiah xlvi. How this passagedetermines the time of this Apology, I have already mentioned ; and that relatesnot to the death of Plautianus, according to Baronius, tom, ii., Annal. Augustus, ne Dominum quidem dici se volebat. Sac., have so nicely traced the plagiaries and discoveredthe foundation of almost the whole fabulous superstructure, in spite of all theirartifice to conceal it. Ham,which signifies fervidus from the radix [Hebrew] pleasure, a pleasure they usurp without a title, feed the Christiansufferers with just and substantial comforts, who choose to be con- demned rather than to fall from their affiance in God, and theexpectations of the other world; for would these people act conse- quently who thus hate us, they ought rather to grieve than rejoiceat our torments, because these torments put us in possession of our Vid. Why will he not be persuaded to think that the Being whohas done him the good without any thanks for his blessings, is thesame Being that does him the evil for his ingratitude, since everyperson is so far guilty as he is unthankful ? If you viewith us in fidelity, there is your Anaxagoras who had not fidelityenough to restore the strangers the goods they had deposited inhis trust; but a Christian has the name of faithful, even among theenemies of his faith. If Tiber overflows,1 CONCERNING THE DIFFERENT OBSERVATION OF PUBLIC FESTIVALS By which he undoubtedly means the Chiliasm,or thousand years' reign upon earth ; for this he maintains in his books againstMarcion, lib. proChristian. 132 Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. ; de Scripturis sanctis, vel deproprio Ingenio potest, provocatur in medium Deo canere. Numa Pompilius, utPopulum Romanum sacris obligaret, volebat videri sibi cum Dea Aegeriacongressus esse nocturnos, ejusque monitu accepta Diis Iinmortalibus sacrainstituere. But maybe we cannot pass for right brotherswith you, because you want a tragedy about the bloody feuds of theChristian fraternity; or because our brotherly love continues evento the division of our estates, which is a test few brotherhoods willbear, and which commonly divides the dearest unions among you. 2 divine pleasure, destined for the reception of the spirits of holymen, and guarded from the notice of the common world by thetorrid zone or wall of fire, immediately they trump upon us withtheir Elysium. We are no Brahmins, orIndian gymnosophists, who live in woods, and as it were in exilefrom other men; and we act as men under the warmest sense ofgratitude to God our Lord, the Creator of all things; and we rejectnothing He has made for the use of man. Apologie du Manteau 50 et martyr (l'an 252) 122 Avis à Scapula 30 CHAP. kai\ e0pimeloumenoj; tw|~ de\ e3petai A few letters of Hebrew have been omitted. Vid. v. Epigr. Tertullian's 20, Read "L'Apologétique Apologie du christianisme écrite en l'an 197 après J.-C." by Tertullien available from Rakuten Kobo. THE antiquity1 of the divine writings which I have alreadyestablished would be a proper topic to insist upon here, in orderto convince you that those writings have been the treasury of allsucceeding wisdom; and this topic I would pursue at large, was itnot for fear of swelling this Apology to a volume. 113, lighted up, every one is invited forth to sing praises to God, eithersuch as he collects from the Holy Scriptures, or such as are of his owncomposing ;: and by this you may judge of the measures of drinkingat a Christian feast. You who were not are made to be, and when you shall not be cap. Zeno Eleates being demanded byDionysius the use of philosophy, told him it was to raise men to acontempt of death, and by the tyrant's order was whipped to deathfor an experiment, and ratified his doctrine with his blood. It has been objected that theconsent of nations, if it argues anything, argues for Polytheism, that being moreuniversal, and consequently more natural than the worship of one god ; butthis is a very foolish objection ; for there is in all mankind a propensity toreligion in general, as there is an inclination to eat and drink in all; and asit is left to the direction of our appetites what we should choose to eat anddrink in particular, so is it left to our reason what we should worship; but toeat and drink and worship something, we are all inclined, though often abusedas to the object. Post aquam manualem et lumina ut quisq. their gods. to makebonfires, to bring out tables and feasts in the streets, and meta- morphose the whole city into a tavern ;2 to make the conduits runwine, and see the mob suck up dirt and liquor together, and run. Itis true, indeed, we are not against suffering, when the Captain of oursalvation calls us forth to suffer: but let me tell you, it is with us inour Christian warfare as it is with you in yours, we choose to suffer asyou choose to fight;1 but no man chooses fighting for fighting sake,because he cannot engage without fear and hazard of life. iii., speaks of Domitian, Mox imperium adeptus,Jovi Custodi templum ingens, seq, ; in sinu Dei sacravit. lib. Which is the wisest provision for innocence,to forbid evil-doing, or not to permit so much as evil-speaking?Which is the most instructing lesson for the good of mankind, todebar men from doing injury, or not so much as to allow theinjured person the common privilege of returning evil for evil ? 3 ii. It was the doctrine and example of their sufferingMaster which made them content to go this rugged way to heaven ; and 1cannot but think this extraordinary, supernatural patience, a mighty, strong, andmoving argument for the truth of Christianity, to see its professors in suchnumbers, and for some ages, so willingly comply with a religion which, asTertullian says, taught men they must choose rather to be killed than to kill.But because the measures of Christian obedience to the supreme powers are no- where better argued and more clearly stated both from Scripture and antiquity,and from these passages, than by the Right Reverend and learned Bishop of Sarumhimself in his four Conferences, printed at Glasgow in the year 1673, Irecommend the reader for fuller satisfaction on this head to those excellentdialogues. ON the contrary, faction is a name which belongs to those only whoconspire in the hatred of the good and virtuous, and remonstratefull cry for innocent blood, sheltering their malice under this vainpretence, that they are of opinion, forsooth, that the Christians arethe occasion of all the mischief in the world. CONCERNING ONE GREAT REASON FOR THE INNOCENCE OF seems to have increased the passion so much for martyrdom in that age. THE WAY OF CONDEMNING OR ABSOLVING THE CHRISTIANS. But with what forehead can men entitle their greatness toreligion, when their greatness stands upon the ruins of religion? ministering spirits, which the psalmist, and after him the author to the Hebrews, And solikewise where the Oriental languages were ambiguous or equivocal, by omittingthe obvious sense and following the obscure, they spun out strange stories. Agreeable to this description is that of Martial, lib. He made him an emperor whomade him a man ; the author of his life is the author of his power. such a one as had never been framed, had it not been a convenient engine to pro&ge a0pa&ntwn, etc., Ante omnia (Severus)de Militibus qui Pertinacem necaverant, et Juliano tradiderant Imperium,acerba Supplicia sumpsit. But then it is tobe remembered that this was an opinion they laid no stress upon, for JustinMartyr confesses, and without any censure, that there were many sincere anddevout Christians who did not hold it, and many others also of the same mindwith himself, and so leaves it as a matter indifferent. As yet, theJews, the original of the Christian sect, were not gone from Egyptinto Palestine when the adjacent countries of Sodom and Gomorrahwere consumed by a storm of fire; the land smells of burning to thisday, and the apples that grow there are agreeable to the eye only,but turn to ashes upon the touch. With what extraordinary illuminations didtheir porches overcast the sun !1 With what exquisite and statelytables did they take up the forum ! You mayobserve from hence that the Christians of old, as devout and religious as theywere, yet they conversed and traded with the heathen world, were active anddiligent in their secular professions, and refused no calling whatever that wasinnocent in itself and useful to the public ; for had they been never so good, andlived only to God and themselves, in woods and cloisters, they had not beenshining lights, but candles under a bushel. But if we would not revenge ourselves, in the dark, but asprofessed enemies engage you in the open field, do you think wecould want forces ? cap. 19, Hieron. Alex. Hear what his scholar St. Cyprian says to Demetrianus, proconsulof Africa, upon the same subject : O si audire eos velles, et videre quando a nobisadjurantur, et torquentur Spiritualibus flagris, et verborum tormentis deobsessis corporibus ejiciuntur, quando ejulantes et gementes voce humana,et potestate Divina flagella et verbera sentientes, venturum Judicium confitentur ;veni, et cognosce vera esse qua dicimus. However, that which you are pleased tocall madness and despair in us are the very actions which undervirtue's standard lift up your sons of fame and glory, and emblazonthem to future ages. But after all,supposing these hymns to have been extempore, yet it is granted on all handsthat the season of miracles and inspiration was not over in Tertullian's time, andtherefore it is great contempt of authority and presumption in them to pray thesame way, till they can prove they have the same gifts, especially since theyfind all such effusions censured and forbid by the Council of Laodicea alreadycited. New. ; vocant. much concerned about that chastity which their husbands think notworth keeping. Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. Cherchez des exemples de traductions tertullien dans des phrases, écoutez à la prononciation et apprenez la grammaire. lib. Why will you thus persist in error? Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. However, it may not be amiss just to mention some of theways they took to conceal and colour the impostures. How well we practise this command of our Master,you yourselves can tell with a witness ; for how many times, partlyin compliance with a brutish passion, partly in obedience to thelaws, have you judges showed a most savage cruelty to Christians !How often without your authority has the hostile mob of their ownmere motion invaded us with showers of stones and fire ! THAT THE CHRISTIANS ARE A VERY USEFUL SORT OF PEOPLE. But our author tells them that the flesh and blood of Christianswas like other folks, that they understood natural rights and liberties, had thesame aversion to suffering, the same passion for preservation and pleasure thatthe heathens had ; and whereas they alone were the people who seemed to haveforgot humanity, by their enduring the most exquisite torments not only withpatience, but with joy and thanksgiving, yet this was far from the effect of anystoical apathy, but purely the strength of their faith, which overcame the reluct- ance of nature, the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, whichenabled them to despise the life present, and that light affliction which is but fora moment, and which worketh for them a far more exceeding and eternal weightof glory. Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. Was there any worshipper of the true God atRome when Hannibal made such havoc of the Romans at Cannae, andcomputed the numbers of the slaughtered gentry by bushels of ringspicked up after the battle ? And arc not these matters of fact, not of reason, whereinChristians and heathens could not be imposed upon ? 15, p. 135. THEIR NOTIONS FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. Poor unhappy Juno, wife and sister both to Jove, and yet not amatch for fate ! Let them wipe off the brand of their own ignominy anddamnation. Eccles.lib. CONCERNING THE DISCIPLINE OF CHRISTIANS AND THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND WAYS OF LIVING. I care not afarthing for Janus, let him turn his brows upon me from whichforehead he pleases. Some dunghill-god, SterculusI suppose; but this could not well be, for Saturn and Jupiter wereboth dead long before Sterculus got his immortal honour at Romefor teaching his countrymen the art of dunging their ground. Hippias dum Civitati insidias disponit, occiditur ; hoc pro suis omni atrocitatedissipatis nemo unquam Christianas tentavit. 41, and lib. de Script. UNJUST. Nature, naissance, vie et miracles, passion, résurrection et ascension du Christ. Dei, lib. CONCERNING THE BIRTH AND CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST. This notion seems to be first set on foot by the forementionedPapias, a very good man but of no great reach, as Eusebius remarks, Eccl, Hist. 76 Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. THAT THE CRIMES CHARGED UPON THE CHRISTIANS ARE NEITHER POSSIBLE NOR PROBABLE. Vid. So likewise among the Romans,Caligula commanded himself to be called Optimus Maximus and JupiterLatialis. and Nile does not; if heaven stands still and withholds its rain, cap. And therefore let us enter a little into a comparisonbetween your laws and ours. 21. Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. cap. For, if Imistake not, such a multiplicity of sects is suppressed upon reasonsof State, that the city should not he split into parties, for suchbreaches would let in a general disorder into all your popularelections, councils, courts, assemblies, and public sights, by theambitious clashings of the contending factions; and never morereason to provide against such disorders than now, when the partiesare sure not to want violent hands for any design; if they want notmoney to pay them. Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. THAT THE EMPERORS MAINTAIN THE GODS RATHER THAN THE GODS THE EMPERORS. But for us who are stark cold and dead to all the glories uponearth, what occasion can we have for caballings? Upon which grounds " (says he at the conclusionof his discourse) " I do not scruple to affirm the recusants in England to be noless schismatics than any other separatists ; they are indeed somewhat worse, formost others do only forbear communion, these do rudely condemn the Church towhich they owe obedience, they strive to destroy it, they are most desperaterebels against it." For that your gods were not in beingin the time of the deluge, the cities wherein they breathed their firstand their last, as well as those they founded, are a proof with awitness; for had they existed before the flood, they had not continuedto this day, but been overwhelmed in the general ruin. THE PUBLIC. lib. and soothsayers, and augurs, and magiciansabout the life of the emperors;2 for these fortune-telling arts deliveredby fallen angels, and interdicted by God, the Christians never applyto in any cause of theirs. 1 Apology for the Christians. As if theirauthority was the less valuable in matters of faith wherein they are all unanimousand pressing, and in matters of fact wherein they cannot be mistaken, because,forsooth, in some cases of tradition or reasoning it is possible they may bemistaken, and wherein they expressly declare that it is no matter of consequenceif they are.
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