The Salii cannotsup without the advance of a loan, and upon the feast of tithes toHercules the entertainment is so very costly that you are forced tohave a bookkeeper on purpose for expenses. through the country, the word is, Away with these Christians to the Carnis cap. For if in anyplace truth appeared in its native simplicity without the disguise oftype or metaphor, worldly wisdom, instead of submitting her faith,blended the certainties of revelation with her own philosophicuncertainties; for having dipped in the Holy Scripture, and foundthere is no other God but one, they presently divided into variousspeculations about the divine nature, some asserting it to be incor- poreal, others corporeal, as the Platonics and Stoics; some com- posing him of atoms, and others of numbers, as Epicurus and. 14, p. 242. in vita ipsius, cap. Democritus by puttingout his eyes, because he could not look upon a woman withinnocence, and was not easy within the bounds of chastity, suffici- ently published his incontinence by his cure; but a Christian can. When therefore weare called forth to sacrifice, we set conscience before to support usagainst the order, which tells us what kind of beings those arewhich these sacrifices are made to, that are made to the imagesprostituted for worship, and to the consecrated names of men. For thoseyou presumed to be gods you plainly see to be devils; and by thehelp of Christians, and by the help of your very gods, not onlyconfessing themselves, but all the rest also not to be gods, you willpresently learn which is the true God; whether it is He, and Healone whom the Christians profess, and whether He is to be believedand worshipped, according to the Christian rule of faith and wor- ship. vi. Basil or Chrysostom ; sothat, allowing this conjecture, it will by no means follow that because ministers,while divinely inspired, prayed without a form, therefore they ought to keep onpraying extempore when the days of inspiration are over. can, to solve me the mode of your creation, and then demand the resurrection, but as His body rested in the grave, so His soul went into the place Accordingly, if they found any- thing in our divine digests1 which hit their fancies, or might serve. Civitatem tabernae habitu abolefacere. " To set up truth is our victory, and the victor's glory is toplease his God, and the precious spoil of that victory is eternal life ;and this life we certainly win by dying for it, therefore we conquerwhen we are killed, and being killed are out of the reach of youand all other vexations for ever. xi. 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 ? 2—Inprecationibus, ne quid Verborum praetereatur, Tertullian's But forasmuch as men of corrupted minds have always a burninghatred to truth, so her strictest followers must expect to meet withthe severest usage; but he who adulterates truth will be sure tohave the thanks of her enemies for his service. CONCERNING THE DISCIPLINE OF CHRISTIANS, AND THEIR                                  93. army, a faithful senate, an honest people, and a peaceful world, andwhatever else either prince or people can wish for. And in the house of Ashtaroth called by the LXX.0Asta&rth did the Philistines hang up Saul's armour after his death. But before I enter upon this contro- verted place, I desire the reader to take notice first, that though our author doesnot give us the very form, because he wrote to unbelievers, yet in this chapterhe gives the heads of a stated prayer for the emperor, namely, a long life, aquiet empire, a well-established family, a valiant army, a faithful senate, avirtuous people, etc. GOD. For, as another poet has it, And yet the Romans cannot afford the fates who made them mastersof Carthage in spite of all the intrigues of Juno, half so muchhonour as they pay to the most infamous of prostitutes, Larentina.But it is certain that many of your gods reigned once upon earth :if therefore kingdoms are now at their disposal, pray tell me fromwhom did they themselves receive their crowns? BUT your reason is so entirely blinded with prejudice that youhave not an eye left to see the public damage, a damage as visiblygreat as true. ii.—"And now ye know whatwithholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time," etc. favourites of heaven upon the account of their grandeur, is evident from that ofValerius, lib. Bochar. And will not many scruple to eat a piece of beef, forfear of eating a piece of their ancestors ? Se ha producido un problema al guardar tus preferencias de cookies. XII. But for us who are stark cold and dead to all the glories uponearth, what occasion can we have for caballings? the devil they knew to be prince of the air, and this lower region to be filled And our author complains notonly here of this tampering with Scripture among Christians, but cries out in hisPrescription against Heretics, cap. l. de S. Bab. Christian Subj. Vid. By Paradise or Abraham's bosom, or Abraham's port, as the The Christians made no scruple toobserve the day with a conscientious mirth, though they would not join in thepublic debauchery. Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. did you but under- stand the nobility of that title, and which you might have under- stood even from Apollo's oracle, how could you imagine that man,the lord of all these dying and reviving things, should himself diefor ever ? Did we evercome together to the ruin of any one person ? "We are onebody by our agreement in religion and our unity of discipline." turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life ; hereby intimating, as I L Apologetique de Tertullien: Apologie Du Christianisme (2e Edition) (Religion) (French Edition) [Tertullien] on Amazon.com. But now if this comparison be just, andChristianity and philosophy be the same things, pray, what is thereason that we have not the same philosophic treatment? But these are blessings I cannot persuade myself to ask of any,but Him who I know can give them, and that is my God, and myGod only, who has them in His disposal; and I am one to whomHe has obliged Himself by promise to grant what I ask, if 7 ask asI should do; for I am His servant, and serve Him only, and for. Cum ergo finis, et limes medius qui interhiat adfuerit, etc. fwsi\ kai\ stefanw&masi, by illuminationsand coronets of flowers. And who such cruel persecutors ofChristians as the emperors for whom they are persecuted ? But this is not all, for I must give you to understand that thesevery laws of yours, which are but in the way to perfection, are nomore in good truth than a transcript of the old law of God, olderby much than any law of your making, but I have already laidbefore you the antiquity of Moses. The reader will find this largely treatedby Eusebius in his Praepar. But we Christians, we alone arethe people who are not tolerated to enjoy a separate religion properto ourselves; we offend the Romans, and are not to be lookedupon as Romans, because we do not worship the God of theRomans; however, we have this advantage, that God is the Godof all, whose we are all, whether we will or no; but there is auniversal toleration among you to pay divine honours to any butthe true God, as if this was not emphatically the God of all, whosecreatures we all are. O drowsydispatches ! vi Vì thế, ông kết luận rằng ai sống theo lý trí thì đáng mang danh là tín đồ Ki-tô, dù họ tự nhận hoặc bị người khác cho là … against Christians, like that which other malefactors are chargedwithal? 85. curiosities had their first conception in Numa's brain,1 and yetduring his reign the Roman worship was without either statue ortemple, their old religion was a thrifty plain religion,2 without anypompous rites, or any capitol vying with heaven;3 their altarswere rude and hasty, and of turf only; their sacred vessels ofSamian clay. Aquarioli. Alexandrian Chronic, Select. REFUSE AND THE VILEST PARTS OF THE SACRIFICE. It was certainly a placetoo where philosophers and men of learning met, for here it was Justin Martyrmet and disputed with Trypho the Jew. made ourselves ample satisfaction by returning evil for evil, had wenot thought it unlawful to quit the score of one injury with another.But God forbid that any of this divine sect should seek revengeby fire, after the manner of men, or grudge to suffer what is sentto refine them. excess of joy." Observat. This, notwithout good reason, is thought to be the "common prayer" mentioned by St.Justin just before the communion, and much the same with that in ourCommunion Service for the Church Militant; the form whereof in the ApostolicalConstitutions is described at large, Const. Letthe devils keep their votaries company in derision, and join youwith their wit and drollery upon these things. 21, that Christ bysuffering for us left us His example how to follow His steps, which was followedby a glorious cloud of witnesses, yet in these last days, what a brood hathsprung up 'of men who are lovers of their own selves, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness,but denying the power thereof, who creep into houses, and lead captive sillywomen laden with sins !' Paperback. 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. Agreeable to whichMartial thus describes it—. Appian. lib. ii. THAT THE GENTILES ARE SET AGAINST CHRISTIANS BY THE                                     Post Vindemiam Parricidarum Racematio Superstes. But perhaps it may be replied that some Christians arefar from living up to their profession, to which I reply again, thatthen they are as far from having the reputation of Christians amongthose who truly are so; but yet philosophers shall enjoy the nameand honour of philosophy among you in spite of the wickedness of. 3 Numa Pompilius, utPopulum Romanum sacris obligaret, volebat videri sibi cum Dea Aegeriacongressus esse nocturnos, ejusque monitu accepta Diis Iinmortalibus sacrainstituere. from nothing, from nothing as it were but the death of privation or 8, lib. 57, p. 881, and so lib.viii. 21. 141. life. Chrysost. Such a system therefore of morality as was notonly perfectly agreeable to right reason, but also of divine indisputable authorityin every point, was wanting to the world before the coming of our Saviour,allowing mere human philosophy as perfect as you please in point of truth.Such a system, I say, was wanting which was not only right in every rule, but ofinfallible wisdom and authority in every precept, and easy and intelligible in allthings necessary to every understanding ; and the gospel, and only the gospel, issuch a system, dictated by divine wisdom, and confirmed by divine authority, bysuch a wisdom as is not subject to error, and by such a power as cannot bedisputed. 39, p. 112, who by not seeing into the mystical meaning of theapostle's discourses, ran presently away with it as an apostolical tradition ; justperhaps as we find from the misunderstanding of our Saviour's words to St.Peter : " If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? 26, pp. The very devilskindle in us the belief of Holy Scripture; the very devils areedifying, and raise our hope to assurance. Nay, many of them not only snarl, but hark aloudagainst the emperors, and you bear it very contentedly; and notonly so, but give them statues and pensions instead of throwingthem to the beasts for so doing; and all this, no doubt, with greatreason, because they go by the name of philosophers, and notChristians,—a name2 which gives no disturbance to the demons,and how should it ? 8—. 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. And where is now the similitude between a philosopherand a Christian ? If so, what can be urgedagainst this demonstration of the truth of the Christian religion ? [Hebrew] signifies both a bull and a wall, and lib. If he be a man, it is theinterest of a man to give place to God; let him content himselfwith the name of emperor, for this is the most majestic name uponearth, and it is the gift of God. Hist, Ecc. 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. 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 ! gods. Ille etiam qua prisca Fides stat Regia, nobisAurea Tarpeia ponet Capitolia rupe. entered into heaven, for they believed the souls of martyrs did, and this belief THAT CHRISTIANS ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE THEIR ENEMIES. 2 23, p. 411. So that in truth, whenI reflect upon the pollutions of the sacrificers who are to examinethe qualifications of the sacrifice, I cannot but wonder why theentrails of the beasts should be rather inspected than the inwardsof the priests. In allusion to this is thatof St. Jerome, Munerarius Pauperum, et Egentium Candidatus Epist. If the Quakerswould be determined by Tertullian, a person of great mortification, a mightystickler for anything which had the least appearance of extraordinary piety, andwithal an exceeding admirer of Montanus, and the false pretenders to the spiritof that age, they might hear him in this place frankly declaring that he shouldmake no scruple to call the emperor Dominus, or lord, to own him supreme, oras he in the foregoing chapter expresses it, subject to God only, provided thisterm Dominus might be taken in the common sense, and noways intrench uponthe prerogative of God. the notion into practice? ede. i, 2, giving order to the Churches of Galatia and Corinth for weeklyofferings for the saints, " That upon the first day of the week " (when they neverfailed to receive the sacrament) " they should every one of them lay by him instore according as God had prospered him." Praep. ; Jean-Pierre Waltzing] When supperis ended, and we have washed our hands, and the candles are, Tertullian's Apology for the Christians. 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. Sic enim Pyriphlegeton apud mortuos amnis est. ii. For certainly it is a veryfine figure to see your houses upon holy days dressed up in thefashion of the stews. And you, O man! 9, p. 659. lib. Antrum Jovis in Creta visitur. viii. 91. Reprinted in a second edition 1716/1717. Non lavor diluculo Saturnalibus, etc. 131, their hypothesis, they took it and turned it and bent it to a com- pliance with their own curiosity; not considering these writings tobe sacred and unalterable, nor understanding their sense, whichwas then under a cloud to those carnal minds, as it is at this dayto the very Jews, to whom they were appropriated. If therefore we feast only withsuch brave and excellent designs, I leave you from hence to guessat the rest of our discipline in matters of pure religion; nothingearthly, nothing unclean, has ever admittance here; our souls ascendin prayer to God before we sit down to meat; we eat only what sufficesnature, and drink no more than what is strictly becoming chasteand regular persons. Tanta est Prudentia Hominis ad demonstrandum bonum:, quanta Auctoritasad exigendum, tam illa falli facilis, quam ista contemni. " That piety, veneration, and loyalty, 1 Noae, p. 171, is sumbo&lon Oh, never-to-be-forgotten example of Athenianwisdom ! pro&ge a0pa&ntwn, etc., Ante omnia (Severus)de Militibus qui Pertinacem necaverant, et Juliano tradiderant Imperium,acerba Supplicia sumpsit. And if when hurt we must not return the evil,for fear of being like the rest of the world, where shall we find aman to hurt? Aquilicia Jovi immolamus. THAT HUMAN LAWS MAY ERR, AND THEREFORE MAY BE MENDED. UNJUST. iv. You would stand aghast at yourdesolation, and be struck dumb at the general silence and horrorof nature, as if the whole world was departed. Itaque non sine foro, non sine macello, non sine balneis, etc.