I04 ELUCIDATIONS.
He owns there is no Scripture for any of these usages, in which there was an amplifying of the precepts of Christ. Let us note there was yet no superstitious usage even of this sign of the Cross. It was an act by which, in suffering " shame for Jesus' name," they forti- fied themselves against betraying the Master. It took the place, be it remembered, of innumerable hQ3X.\\tn practices, and was a protest against them. It meant — "God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross." I express no personal opinion as to this ob- servance, but give the explanation which the early Christians would have given. Tertul- lian touched with Montanism, but not yet withdrawn from Catholic Communion, pleads the common cause of believers.
II.
(Traditions, cap. iv., p. 95.)
The traditions here argued for respect things in their nature indifferent. And as our author asserts the long continuance of such usages to be their chief justification, it is evi- dent that he supposed them common from the Sub-apostolic age. There is nothing here to justify amplifications and traditions which, subsequently, came in like a flood to change prin- ciples of the Faith once delivered to the Saints. Even in his little plea for Montanistic revelations of some possible novelties, he pre-supposes that reason must be subject to Scrip- ture and Apostolic Law. In a word, his own principle of " Prescription " must be honoured «ven in things indifferent: if novel they are not Catholic.
V.
TO SCAPULA/ [TRANSLATED BY THE REV. S. THELWALL.]
CHAP. I.
We are not in any great perturbation or alarm about the persecutions we suffer from the ignorance of men; for we have attached ourselves to this sect, fully accepting the terms of its covenant, so that, as men whose very lives are not their own, we engage in these conflicts, our desire being to obtain God's promised rewards, and our dread lest the woes with which He threatens an unchristian life should overtake us. Hence we shrink not from the grapple with your utmost rage, com- ing even forth of our own accord to the con- test; and condemnation gives us more pleas- are than acquittal. We have sent, therefore, this tract to you in no alarm about ourselves, but in much concern for you and for all our enemies, to say nothing of our friends. For our religion commands us to love even our enemies, and to pray for those who perse- cute us, aiming at a perfection all its own, and seeking in its disciples something of a higher type than the commonplace good- ness of the world. For all love those who love them; it is peculiar to Christians alone to love those that hate them. Therefore, mourning over your ignorance, and compas- sionating human error, and looking on to that future of which every day shows threaten- ing signs, necessity is laid on us to come forth in this way also, that we may set before you the truths you will not listen to openly.
CHAP. II.
We are worshippers of one God, of whose existence and character Nature teaches all men; at whose lightnings and thunders you tremble, whose benefits minister to your hap- piness. You think that others, too, are gods, whom we know to be devils. However, it is a fundamental human right, a privilege of nature, that every man should worship ac- ■ [See Elucidation I. Written late in our author's life, this tract contains no trace of MontanLsm, and shows that his heart was with the coranaon cause of all Christians. Who can give up such an Ephraim without recallinR the words of inspired love for the erring?— Jer. xxxi. 20; Hos. xi 8."
cording to his own convictions: one man's religion neither harms nor helps another man. It is assuredly no part of religion to compel religion — to which free-will and not force should lead us — the sacrificial victims even being required of a willing mind. You will render no real service to your gods by com- pelling us to sacrifice. For they can have no desire of offerings from the unwilling, unless they are animated by a spirit of con- tention, which is a thing altogether undivine. Accordingly the true God bestows His bless- ings alike on wicked men and on His own elect; upon which account He has appointed an eternal judgment, when both thankful and unthankful will have to stand before His bar. Yet you have never detected us — sacrilegious wretches though you reckon us to be — in any theft, far less in any sacrilege. But the rob- bers of your temples, all of them swear by your gods, and worship them; they are not Christians, and yet it is they who are found guilty of sacrilegious deeds. We have not time to unfold in how many other ways your gods are mocked and despised by their own votaries. So, too, treason is falsely laid to our charge, though no one has ever been able to find followers of Albinus, or Niger, or Cassius, among Christians; while the very men who had sworn by the genii of the em- perors, who had offered and vowed sacrifices for their safety, who had often pronounced condemnation on Christ's disciples, are till this day found traitors to the imperial throne. A Christian is enemy to none, least of all to the Emperor of Rome, whom he knows to b« appointed by his God, and so cannot but love and honour; and whose well-being moreover, he must needs desire, with that of the empirs over which he reigns so long as the world shall stand — for so long as that shall Rome con- tinue.- To the emperor, therefore, we render - [Kaye points out our author's inconsistencies on this matter. If Caractacus ever made the speech ascribed to him (Bede, or Gibbon, cap. Ixxi.) it would confirm the opinion of those who make him a convert to Christ: " Quando cadet Roma, cadet ct muadus.' Elucidation II.l io6 TO SCAPULA.
[chap. IV.
such reverential homage as is lawful for us and good for him; regarding him as the human being next to God who from God has received all his power, and is less than God alone. And this will be according to his own desires. For thus — as less only than the true God — he is greater than all besides. Thus he is greater than the very gods themselves, even they, too, being sub- ject to him. We therefore sacrifice for the emperor's safety, but to our God and his, and after the manner God has enjoined, in simple prayer. For God, Creator of the universe, has no need of odours or of blood. These things are the food of devits.' But we not only reject those wicked spirits: we overcome them; we daily hold them up to contempt; we exorcise them from their victims, as mul- titudes can testify. So all the more we pray for the imperial well-being, as those who seek it at the hands of Him who is able to bestow it. And one would think it must be abundantly clear to you that the religious system under whose rules we act is one inculcating a divine patience; since, though our numbers are so great — constituting all but the majority in every city — we conduct ourselves so quietly and modestly; I might perhaps say, known rather as individuals than as organized communities, and remarkable only for the refor- mation of our former vices. For far be it from us to take it ill that we have laid on us the very things we wish, or in any way plot the ven- geance at our own hands, which we expect to come from God.
CHAP. III.
However, as we have already remarked, it cannot but distress us that no state shall bear unpunished the guilt of shedding Christian blood; as you see, indeed, in what took place during the presidency of Hilarian, for when there had been some agitation about places of sepulture for our dead, and the cry arose, "No area. — no burial-grounds for the Chris- tians," it came that their own arece,"" their threshing-floors, were awanting, for they gath- ered in no harvests. As to the rains of the bygone year, it is abundantly plain of what they were intended to remind men — of the deluge, no doubt, which in ancient times over- took human unbelief and wickedness; and as to the fires which lately hung all night over the walls of Carthage, they who saw them know what they threatened; and what the preceding thunders pealed, they who were > [On this sort of Deraonology see Kaye, pp. 203-207, with his useful references. See De S/>ectacuiis, p. 80, sjt^ra.'\ 2 [An obvious play on the ambiguity of this word.]
hardened by them can tell. All these things are signs of God's impending wrath, which we must needs publish and proclaim in every possible way; and in the meanwhile we must pray it may be only local. Sure are they to experience it one day in its universal and final form, who interpret otherwise these samples of it. That sun, too, in the metropolis of Utica,^ with light all but extinguished, was a portent which could not have occurred from an or- dinary eclipse, situated as the lord of day was in his height and house. You have the astrol- ogers, consult them about it. We can point you also to the deaths of some provincial rulers, who in their last hours had painful memories of their sin in persecuting the fol- lowers of Christ.* Vigellius Saturninus, who first here used the sword against us, lost his eyesight. Claudius Lucius Herminianus in Cappadocia, enraged that his wife had become a Christian, had treated the Christians with great cruelty: well, left alone in his palace, suffering under a contagious malady, he boiled out in living worms, and was heard exclaiming, " Let nobody know of it, lest the Christians rejoice, and Christian wives take encourage- ment." Afterwards he came to see his error in having tempted so many from their stedfastness by the tortures he inflicted, and died almost a Christian himself. In that doom which overtook Byzantium, ^ Caecilius Capella could not help crying out, " Christians, re- joice! " Yes, and the persecators who seem to themselves to have acted with impunity shall not escape the day of judgment. For you we sincerely wish it may prove to have been a warning only, that, immediately after you had condemned Mavilus of Adrumetum to the wild beasts, you were overtaken by those troubles, and that even now for the same reason you are called to a blood-reckon- ing. But do not forget the future.
CHAP. IV.
We who cxte without fear ourselves are not seeking to frighten you, but we would save all men if possible by warning them not to fight with God. 5 You may perform the duties of your charge, and yet remember the claims of humanity; if on no other ground than that you are liable to punishment yourself, (you ought to do so). For is not your commission simply to condemn those who confess their guilt, and to give over to the torture those 3 [Notes of the time when this was written. See Kaye, p. 57. 1 4 [Christians remembered Herod (Acts, xii. 23) very naturally; but we may reserve remarks on such instances till we come to Lac- tantius. But see Kaye {p. 102) who speaks unfavourably of them.]
5 [Our author uses tne Greek (><.>j 9eo/iox«i»') but not textually CHAP. V ■] TO SCAPULA.
lo: who deny? You see, then, how you trespass yourselves against your instructions to wring from the confessing a denial. It is, in fact, an acknowledgment of our innocence that you refuse to condemn us at once when we con- fess. In doing your utmost to extirpate us, if that is your object, it is innocence you as- sail. But how many rulers, men more resolute and more cruel than you are, have contrived to get quit of such causes altogether, — as Cincius Severus, who himself suggested the remedy at Thysdris, pointing out how the Christians should answer that they might se- cure an acquittal; as Vespronius Candidus, who dismissed from his bar a Christian, on the ground that to satisfy his fellow-citizens would break the peace of the community; as Asper, who, in the case of a man who gave up his faith under slight infliction of the tor- ture, did not compel the offering of sacrifice, having owned before, among the advocates and assessors of court, that he was annoyed at having had to meddle with such a case. Pudens, too, at once dismissed a Christian who was brought before him, perceiving from the indictment that it was a case of vexatious accusation; tearing the document in pieces, he refused so much as to hear him without the presence of his accuser, as not being consistent with the imperial commands. All this might be officially brought under 5'our notice, and by the very advocates, who are themselves also under obligations to us, although in court they give their voice as it suits them. The clerk of one of them who was liable to be thrown upon the ground by an evil spirit, was set free from his affliction; as was also the relative of another, and the little boy of a third. How many men of rank (to say nothing of common people) have been delivered from devils, and healed of diseases! Even Severus himself, the father of Antonine, was graciously mind- ful of the Christians; for he sought out the Christian Proculus, surnamed Torpacion, the steward of Euhodias, and in gratitude for his having once cured him by anointing, he kept him in his palace till the day of his death.' Antonine, too, brought up as he was on Chris- tian milt, was intimately acquainted with this man. Both women and men of highest rank, whom Severus knew well to be Christians, were not merely permitted by him to remain uninjured; but he even bore distinguished testimony in their favour, and gave them publicly back to us from the hands of a raging populace. Marcus Aurelius also, in his ex- pedition to Germany, by the prayers his Christian soldiers offered to God, got rain in » [Another note of time. a.d. 211. See Kaye, as before.]
that well-known thirst. = When, indeed, have not droughts been put away by our kneelings and our fastings? At times like these, more- over, the people crying to " the God of gods, the alone Omnipotent," under the name of Jupiter, have borne witness to our God. Then we never deny the deposit placed in our hands; we never pollute the marriage bed; we deal faithfully with our wards; we give aid to the needy; we render to none evil for evil. As for those who falsely pretend to belong to us, and whom we, too, repudiate, let them answer for themselves. In a word, who has complaint to make against us on other grounds? To what else does the Christian devote himself, save the affairs of his own community, which during all the long period of its existence no one has ever proved guilty of the incest or the cruelty charged against it? It is for freedom from crime so singular, for a probity so great, for righteousness, for purity, for faithfulness, for truth, for the living God, that we are con- signed to the flames; for this is a punishment you are not wont to inflict either on the sacri- legious, or on undoubted public enemies, or on the treason-tainted, of whom you have so many. Nay, even now our people are endur- ing persecution from the governors of Legio and Mauritania; but it is only with the sword, as from the first it was ordained that we should suffer. But the greater our conflicts, the greater our rewards.
CHAP. V.
Your cruelty is our glory. Only see you to it, that in having such things as these to en- dure, we do not feel ourselves constrained to rush forth to the combat, if only to prove that we have no dread of them, but on the contrary, even invite their infliction. When Arrius Antoninus was driving things hard in Asia, the whole Christians of the province, in one united band, presented themselves before his judgment-seat; on which, ordering a few to be led forth to execution, he said to the rest "O miserable men, if you wish to die, you have precipices or halters." If we should take it into our heads to do the same thing: here, what will you make of so many thou- sands, of such a multitude of men and women, persons of every sex and every age and every rank, when they present themselves before you? How many fires, how many swords will be required? What will be the anguish of Carthage itself, which you will have to deci- mate,^ as each one recognises there his rela- 2 [Compare Vol. I., p. 187, this Series.]
3 [Compare De Fuga, cap. xii. It is incredible that our author could exaggerate in speaking to the chief magistrate of Car- thage.]
io8 ELUCIDATIONS.
tives and companions, as he sees there it may be men of your own order, and noble ladies, and all the leading persons of the city, and either kinsmen or friends of those of your own circle? Spare thyself, if not us poor Christians! Spare Carthage, if not thyself! Spare the province, which the indication of your purpose has subjected to the threats and extortions at once of the soldiers and of private enemies.
We have no master but God. He is before you, and cannot be hidden from you, but to Him you can do no injury. But those whom you regard as masters are only men, and one day they themselves must die. Yet still this community will be undying, for be assured that just in the time of its seeming overthrow it is built up into greater power. For all who witness the noble patience of its martyrs, as struck with misgivings, are inflamed with de- sire to examine into the matter in question;' and as soon as they come to know the truth, they straightway enrol themselves its disciples.
' [Mosheim's strange oversight, in neglecting ►o include such considerations, in accounting for the growth of the church, ia justly censured by Kaye, p. 124.]
ELUCIDATIONS.
I.
Scapula was Proconsul of Carthage, and though its date is conjectural (a.d. 217), this work gives valuable indices of its time and circumstances. It was composed after the death of Severus, to whom there is an allusion in chapter iv., after the destruction of Byzantium (a.d. 196), to which there is a reference in chapter iii.; and Dr. Allix suggests, after the dark day of Utica (a.d. 210) which he supposes to be referred to in the same chapter. Cincius Severus, who is mentioned in chapter iv.. was put to death by Severus, a.d. 198.
II.
(Caractacus, cap. ii., note 2, p. 105.)
Mr. Lewin {St. Paul, ii. 397), building on the fascinating theory of Archdeacon Williams, thinks St. Paul's Claudia {Qu. Gladys?) may very well have been the daughter of Caradoc, with whose noble character we are made acquainted by Tacitus. (Annals xii. 36.) And Archdeacon Williams gives us very strong reason to believe he was a Christian. He may very well have lived to behold the Coliseum completed. What more natural then, in view of the cruelty against Christians there exercised, for the expressions with which he is credited? In this case his words contain an eloquent ambiguity, which Christians would appreciate, and which may have been in our author's mind when he says — " quousque sasculum stabit." To those who looked for the Second Advent, daily, this did not mean what the heathen might suppose.
Bede's version of the speech (See Du Cange, II., 407.,) is this: " Quandiu stabit Colyseus — stabit et Roma: Quando cadet Colysevs — cadet et Roma: Quando cadet Roma — cadet et mundus."
VI.
AD NATIONES.- [TRANSLATED BY DR. HOLMES.]
CHAP. I." THE HATRED FELT BY THE HEATHEN AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS IS UNJUST, BECAUSE BASED ON CULPABLE IGNORANCE.
One proof of that ignorance of yours, which condemns ^ whilst it excuses " your injustice, is at once apparent in the fact, that all who once shared in your ignorance and hatred (of the Christian religion), as soon as they have come to know it, leave off their hatred when they cease to be ignorant; nay more, they actually themselves become what they had hated, and take to hating what they had once been. Day after day, indeed, you groan over the increasing number of the Christians. Your constant cry is, that the state is beset (by us); that Christians are in your fields, in your camps, in your islands. You grieve over it as a calamity, that each sex, every age — in short, every rank — is passing over from you to us; yet you do not even after this set your minds upon reflecting whether there be not here some latent good. You do not allow yourselves in suspicions which may prove too true, 5 nor do you like ventures which may be too near the mark.* This is the only instance in which human curiosity grows torpid. You iove to be ignorant of what other men rejoice to have discovered; you would rather not know it, because you now cherish your hatred as if you were aware that, (with the knowledge,) your hatred would certainly come to an end.
Still, 7 if there shall be no just ground for hatred, it will surely be found to be the best • [As a recapitulation I insert this here to close this class of argument for the reasons following.] This treatise resembles The Apology, both in its general purport as a vindication of Christianity against heathen prejudice, and in many of its expressions and statements. So great is the resemblance that this shorter work has been thought by some to have been a first draft of the longer and perfect one. TertuUian, however, here addresses his expos- tulations to the general public, while in The Apology it is the rulers and magistrates of the empire whom he seeks to influence. [Dr. Allix conjectures the date of this treatise to be about a.d. 217. See Kaye, p. 50.]
Compare The Apology, c. i.
3 Revincit. " Condemnat "' is Tertullian's word in The Apol- 4 Defendit. " Excusat " in ApoL 5 Non licet rectius suspicari. ' Non lubet propius experiri. 'At quin.
course to cease from the past injustics^. Should, however, a cause have really existeo', there will be no diminution of the hatred, which will indeed accumulate so much the more in the consciousness of its justice; unless it be, forsooth,* that you are ashamed to cast off your faults,^ or sorry to free yourselves from blame." I know very well with what answer you usually meet the argument from our rapid increase." That indeed must not, you say, be hastily accounted a good thing which converts a great number of persons, and gains them over to its side. I am aware how the mind is apt to take to evil courses. How many there are which forsake virtuous living! How many seek refuge in the opposite! Many, no doubt; '^ nay, very many, as the last days ap- proach.'^ But such a comparison as this fails in fairness of application; for all are agreed in thinking thus of the evil-doer, so that not even the guilty themselves, who take the wrong side, and turn away from the pursuit of good to perverse ways, are bold enough to defend evil as good.'"* Base things excite their fear, im- pious ones their shame. In short, they are eager for concealment, they shrink from pub- licity, they tremble when caught; when ac- cused, they deny; even when tortured, they do not readily or invariably confess (their crime); at all events, 's they grieve when they are condemned. They reproach themselves for their past life; their change from inno- cence to an evil disposition they even attribute to fate. They cannot say that it is not a wrong thing, therefore they will not admit it to be their own act. As for the Christians, however, in what does their case resemble this? No one is ashamed; no one is sorry, except for his former (sins).'* If he is pointed 8 Nisi si.
9 Emendari pudet. 'o Excusari piget.
" Redundantiae nostrac.
'2 Bona fide.
'3 Pro extremitatibus temporum.
'4 Or perhaps, " to maintain evil in preference to good."
»5 Certe.
'* Pristinorum. In the correspjonding passage (Apol. i.) tbc phrase is, " nisi plane retro non fuisse," i.e., " except that ne w«« not a Christian long ago."
I lO AD NATIONES.
[book I.
at (for his religion), he glories in it; if dragged to trial, he does not resist; if accused, he makes no defence. When questioned, he confesses; when condemned, he rejoices. What sort of evil is this, in which the nature of evil comes to a standstill? ' CHAP. 11.^ THE HEATHEN PERVERTED JUDG- MENT IN THE TRIAL OF CHRISTIANS. THEY WOULD BE MORE CONSISTENT IF THEY DIS- PENSED WITH ALL FORM OF TRIAL. TERTUL- LIAN URGES THIS WITH MUCH INDIGNATION.