the exercise of prudence in investigating the truth of reports, justice of course demanded 7 Traduces.
s Prodigiam. The word is " indicera " in The Apology.
9 Disciplina ejus illuxit. '° Damnatio invaluit. " j'Emula sibi. •2 Divinitatem consecutac. •3 See above, c. ii. note.
CHAP. Vll.]
AD NATIONES.
that you should examine by whom the report could have been spread among the multitude, and thus circulated through the world. For it could not have been by the Christians them- selves, I suppose, since by the very constitu- tion and law of all mysteries the obligation of silence is imposed. How much more would this be the case in such (mysteries as are as- cribed to us), which, if divulged, could not fail to bring down instant punishment from the prompt resentment of men! Since, there- fore, the Christians are not their own betray- ers, it follows that it must be strangers. Now I ask, how could strangers obtain knowledge of us, when even true and lawful mysteries exclude every stranger from witnessing them, unless illicit ones are less exclusive? Well, then, it is more in keeping with the character of strangers both to be ignorant (of the true state of a case), and to invent (a false ac- count). Our domestic servants (perhaps) lis- tened, and peeped through crevices and holes, and stealthily got information of our ways. What, then, shall we say when our servants betray them to you? ' It is better, (to be sure,)* for us all not to be betrayed by any; but still, if our practices be so atrocious, how much more proper is it when a righteous indignation bursts asunder even all ties of domestic fidelity? How was it possible for it to endure what horrified the mind and affrighted the eye? This is also a wonderful thing, both that he who was so overcome with impatient excite- ment as to turn informer, ^ did not likewise desire to prove (what he reported), and that he who heard the informer's story did not care to see for himself, since no doubt the reward ■♦ is equal both for the informer who proves what he reports, and for the hearer who con- vinces himself of the credibility ^ of what he hears. But then you say that (this is pre- cisely what has taken place): first came the rumour, then the exhibition of the proof; first the hearsay, then the inspection; and after this, fame received its commission. Now this, I must say,^ surpasses all admiration, that that was once for all detected and di- vulged which is being for ever repeated, un- less, forsooth, we have by this time ceased from the reiteration of such things ^ (as are alleged of us). But we are called still by the same (offensive) name, and we are sup- posed to be still engaged in the same prac- ' i.e., What is the value of suck evidence?
2 We have inserted this phrase as the sentence is strongly ironi- cal.
3 Deferre, an infinitive of purpose, of which construction of our author Oehler g^ves examples.
^ Fructus.
5 Si etiam sibi credat.
* Quidem.
7 Talia factitar«.
tices, and we multiply from day to day; the more * we are, to the more become we objects of hatred. Hatred increases as the material for it increases. Now, seeing that the multitude of offenders is ever advanc- ing, how is it that the crowd of informers does not keep equal pace therewith? To the best of my belief, even our manner of life' has become better known; you know the very days of our assemblies; therefore we are both besieged, and attacked, and kept prison- ers actually in our secret congregations. Yet who ever came upon a half-consumed corpse (amongst us)? Who has detected the traces of a bite in our blood-steeped loaf? Who has discovered, by a sudden light invading our darkness, any marks of impurity, I will not say of incest, (in our feasts)? If we save our- selves by a bribe '° from being dragged out be- fore the public gaze with such a character, how is it that we are still oppressed? We have it indeed in our own power not to be thus apprehended at all; for who either sells or buys information about a crime, if the crime itself has no existence? But why need I disparagingly refer to" strange spies and informers, when you allege against us such charges as we certainly do not ourselves di- vulge with very much noise — either as soon as you hear of them, if we previously show them to you, or after you have yourselves dis- covered them, if they are for the time con- cealed from you? For no doubt, '^ when any desire initiation in the mysteries, their cus- tom is first to go to the master or father of the sacred rites. Then he \vill say (to the applicant). You must bring an infant, as a guarantee for our rites, to be sacrificed, as well as some bread to be broken and dipped in his blood; you also want candles, and dogs tied together to upset them, and bits of meat to rouse the dogs. Moreover, a mother too, or a sister, is necessary for you. What, how- ever, is to be said if you have neither? I sup- pose in that case you could not be a genuine Christian. Now, do let me ask you, Will such things, when reported by strangers, bear to be spread about (as charges against us)? It is impossible for such persons to understand proceedings in which they take no part.'^ The first step of the process is perpetrated with artifice; our feasts and our marriages are invented and detailed '■* by ignorant persons, 8 We read " quo," and not " quod," because.
9 Conversatio.
10 This refers to a calumny which the heathen frequently spread about the Christians.
" Detrectem or simply " treat of," " refer to," like the simple verb " tractare".
" The irony of all this passage is evident.
13 Diversum opus.
'4 Subjiciuntur "are stealthily narrated."
ii6 AD NATIONES.
[book I.
who had never before heard about Christian mysteries. And though they afterwards can- not help acquiring some knowledge of them, it is even then as having to be administered by others whom they bring on the scene.' Besides, how absurd is it that the profane know mysteries which the priest knows not! They keep them all to themselves, then,= and take them for granted; and so these trage- dies, (worse than those) of Thyestes or OEdi- pus, do not at all come forth to light, nor find their way ^ to the public. Even more vora- cious bites take nothing away from the credit* of such as ce initiated, whether servants or masters. If, however, none of these allega- tions can be proved to be true, how incalculable must be esteemed the grandeur (of that relig- ion) which is manifestly not overbalanced even by the burden of these vast atrocities! O ye heathen, who have and deserve our pity,^ be- hold, we set before you the promise which our sacred system offers. It guarantees eternal life to such as follow and observe it; on the other hand, it threatens with the eternal punishment of an unending fire those who are profane and hostile; while to both classes alike is preached a resurrection from the dead. We are not now concerned * about the doctrine of these (verities), which are discussed in their proper place. 7 Meanwhile, however, believe them, even as we do ourselves, for I want to know whether you are ready to reach them, as we do, through such crimes. Come, whosoever you are, plunge your sword into an infant; or if that is another's office, then simply gaze at the breathing creature^ dying before it has lived; at any rate, catch its fresh ^ blood in which to steep your bread; then feed yourself without stint; and whilst this is going on, re- cline. Carefully distinguish the places where your mother or your sister may have made their bed; mark them well, in order that, when the shades of night have fallen upon them, putting of course to the test the care of every one of you, you may not make the awkward mistake of alighting on somebody else:'" you ' Inducunt.
" It is difficult to see what this " tacent igitur" means without referring to the similar passage in V'/ie Apology (end of c. viii.), which supplies a link wanted in the context. " At all events,' says he, " they know this afterward, and yet submit to it, and al- low it. They /ear to he /iiinis/ieti, while, if they proclaimed the truth, they would deserve universal approbation." Tertullian here states what the enemies of the Christians used to allege against them. After discovering the alleged atrocities of their secret as- .semblies, they kept their knowledge forsooth to themselves, being lifraid of the consequences of a disclosure, etc.
3 We have for convenience treated " protrahunt " (g.d. " nor do they report them ") as a neuter verb.
4 Kven worse than Thyestean atrocities would be believed of tkeni.
: Miserz atque miserands.
* Viderimus.
7 See below, in c. xii.
* Animam.
9Rudem, "hardly formed." >o Estraneam.
would have to make an atonement, if you failed of the incest. When you have effected all this, eternal life will be in store for you. I want you to tell me whether you think eter- nal life worth such a price. No, indeed," you do not believe it: even if you did believe it, I maintain that you would be unwilling to give (the fee); or if willing, would be unable. But why should others be able if you are un- able? Why should you be able if others are unable? What would you wish impunity (and) eternity to stand you in? '^ Do you suppose that these (blessings) can be bought by us at any price? Have Christians teeth of a differ- ent sort from others? Have they more ample jaws? " Are they of different nerve for incest- uous lust? I trow not. It is enough for us to differ from you in condition '■* by truth alone.
CHAP. VIII. 'S — THE CALUMNY AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS ILLUSTRATED IN THE DISCOVERY OF PSAMMETICHUS, REFUTATION OF THE STORY.
We are indeed said to be the " third race " of men. What, a dog-faced race? '* Or broad- ly shadow-footed? '^ Or some subterranean '* Antipodes? If you attach any meaning to these names, pray tell us what are the first and the second race, that so we may know something of this "third." Psammetichus thought that he had hit upon the ingenious discovery of the primeval man. He is said to have removed certain new-born infants from all human intercourse, and to have entrusted them to a nurse, whom he had previously de- prived of her tongue, in order that, being completely exiled from all sound of the human voice, they might form their speech without hearing it; and thus, deriving it from them- selves alone, might indicate what that first nation was whose speech was dictated by na- ture. Their first utterance was Bekkos, a word which means ''''bread'' in the language of Phrygia: the Phrygians, therefore, are sup- posed to be the first of the human race."' But it will not be out of place if we make one obser- vation,with a view to show how your faith aban- dons itself more to vanities than to verities.
'• Immo idcirco.
"= Quanto constare.
'3 " An alii ordines dentium Christianorum, et alii specus fauci- uni?" (literally, " Have Christians other sets of teeth, and other caverns of jaws? ") This seems to refer to voracious animals like the shark, whose terrible teeth, lying in several rows, and greediness to swallow anything, however incongruous, that comes in its way, are well-known facts in natural history.
■4 Positione.
'5 Compare The Apology^ c. viii.
'^Cynopae. This class would furnish the unnatural '■'' teeth^^ and "jawSy" just referred to.
'7 Sciapodes with broad feet producing a large shade: suited for the " incestuous lust " above mentioned.
'" Literally, " which come up from under ground."
'9 Tertullian got this story from H<riidotus, ii. 2.
CHAP. IX.]
AD NATION KS.
I I Can it be, then, at all credible that the nurse retained her life, after the loss of so important a member, the very organ of the breath of life,' — cut out, too, from the very root, with her throat '' mutilated, which cannot be wounded even on the outside without danger, and the putrid gore flowing back to the chest, and deprived for so long a time of her food? Come, even suppose that by the remedies of a Philomela she retained her life, in the way supposed by wisest persons, who account for the dumbness not by cutting out the tongue, but from the blush of shame; if on such a supposition she lived, she would still be able to blurt out some dull sound. And a shrill inarticulate noise from opening the mouth only, without any modulation of the lips, might be forced from the mere tliroat, though there were no tongue to help. This, it is probable, the infants readily imitated, and the more so because it was the only sound; only they did it a little more neatly, as they had tongues; ^ and then they attached to it a definite signifi- cation. Granted, then, that the Phrygians were the earliest race, it does not follow that the Christians are the third. For how many other nations come regularly after the Phry- gians? Take care, however, lest those whom you call the third race should obtain the first rank, since there is no nation indeed which is not Christian. Whatever nation, therefore, was the first, is nevertheless Christian now."* It is ridiculous folly which makes you say we are the latest race, and then specifically call us the third. But it is in respect of our re- ligion,s not of our nation, that we are supposed to be the third; the series being the Romans, the Jews, and the Christians after them. Where, then, are the Greeks? or if they are reckoned amongst the Romans in regard to their superstition (since it was from Greece that Rome borrowed even her gods), where at least are the Egyptians, since these have, so far as I know, a mysterious religion peculiar to themselves? Now, if they who belong to the third race are so monstrous, what must they be supposed to be who preceded them in the first and the second place?
CHAP. IX. ^ THE CHRISTIANS ARE NOT THE CAUSE OF PUBLIC CALAMITIES: THERE WERE SUCH TROUBLES BEFORE CHRISTIANITY.
But why should I be astonished at your vain imputations? Under the same natural form, < Ipsius animx organo.
^ Faucibus.
^ Utpote linguatuli.
♦ This is one of the passages which incidentally show how widely spread was Christianity.
sDe Superstitione.
malice and folly have always been associated in one body and growth, and have ever opposed us under the one instigator of error. ^ Indeed, I feel no astonishment; and therefore, as it is necessary for my subject, I will enumerate some instances, that you may feel the astonish- ment by the enumeration of the folly into which you fall, when you insist on our being the causes of every public calamity or injury. If the Tiber has overflowed its banks, if the Nile has remained in its bed, if the sky has been still, or the earth been in commotion, if death ** has made its devastations, or famine its afflictions, your cry immediately is, " This is the faults of the Christians! " As if they who fear the true God could have to fear a light thing, or at least anything else (than an earthquake or famine, or such visitations).'" 1 suppose it is as despisers of your gods that we call down on us these strokes of theirs. As we have remarked already," three hundred years have not yet passed in our existence; but what vast scourges before that time fell on all the world, on its various cities and prov- inces! what terrible wars, both foreign and domestic! what pestilences, famines, confla- grations, yawnings, and quakings of the earth has history recorded! "- Where were the Christians, then, when the Roman state furnished so many chronicles of its disasters? Where were the Christians when the islands Hiera, Anaphe, and Delos, and Rhodes, and Cea were desolated with multitudes of men? or, again, when the land mentioned by Plato as larger than Asia or Africa was sunk in the Atlantic Sea? or when fire from heaven over- whelmed Volsinii, and flames from their own mountain consumed Pompeii? when the sea of Corinth was engulphed by an earthquake? when the whole world was destroyed by the deluge? Where then were (I will not say the Christians, who despise your gods, but) your gods themselves, who are proved to be of later origin than that great ruin by the very places and cities in which they were born, sojourned, and were buried, and even those which they founded? For else they would not have re- mained to the present day, unless they had been more recent than that catastrophe. If you do not care to peruse and reflect upon these testimonies of history, the record of which affects you differently from us,'^ in order 7 By the " manceps erroris" he means the devil.
8 Libitina.
9Christianorummeritum, which with "sit" may be also, " Lee the Christians have their due." In The Apology tlie cry is, Chris- tianos ad leonem."
■o We insert this after Oehler. Tertullian's words are, " Qua«t modicum babeant aut aliud mctuere qui Deum veruin."
" See above, c. vii.
•2 Sseculum digessit.
•3 Aliter vobis renuntiata.
ii8 AD NATIONES.
[book I.
especially that you may not have to tax your gods with extreme injustice, since they injure even their worshippers on account of their de- spisers, do you not then prove yourselves to be also in the wrong, when you hold them to be gods, who make no distinction between the deserts of yourselves and profane persons? If, however, as it is now and then very vainly said, you incur the chastisement of your gods because you are too slack in our extirpation, you then have settled the question ' of their weakness and insignificance; for they would not be angry with you for loitering over our punishment, if they could do anything them- selves,— although you admit the same thing indeed in another way, whenever by inflicting punishment on us you seem to be avenging them. If one interest is maintained by an- other party, that which defends is the greater of the two. What a shame, then, must it be for gods to be defended by a human being!
CHAP. X.* — THE CHRISTIANS ARE NOT THE ONLY CONTEMNERS OF THE GODS. CON- TEMPT OF THEM OFTEN DISPLAYED BY HEATHEN OFFICIAL PERSONS. HOMER MADE THE GODS CONTEMPTIBLE.
Pour out now all your venom; fling against this name of ours all your shafts of calumny: I shall stay no longer to refute them; but they shall by and by be blunted, when we come to explain our entire discipline. ^ I shall content myself now indeed with plucking these shafts out of our own body, and hurling them back on yourselves. The same wounds which you have inflicted on us by your charges I shall show to be imprinted on yourselves, that you may fall by your own swords and javelins.'* Now, first, when you direct against us the general charge of divorcing ourselves from the institutions of our forefathers, consider again and again whether you are not yourselves open to that accusation in common with us. For when I look through your life and cus- toms, lo, what do I discover but the old order of things corrupted, nay, destroyed by you? Of the laws I have already said, that you are daily supplanting them with novel decrees and statutes. As to everything else in your man- ner of life, how great are the changes you have made from your ancestors — in your style, your dress, your equipage, your very food, and even in your speech; for the old-fashioned you banish, as if it were offensive to you! Every- where, in your public pursuits and private duties, antiquity is repealed; all the authority ' Absolutum est.
2 Comp. The Apology, cc. xii. xiii. xiv. xv.
3 See The Apology (passim), especially cc. xvi.-xxiv. xxx.- xxxvi. and xxxix.
< Admentationibus.
of your forefathers your own authority has superseded. To be sure,^ you are for ever praising old customs; but this is only to your greater discredit, for you nevertheless persis- tently reject them. How great must your per- verseness have been, to have bestowed appro- bation on your ancestors' institutions, which were too inefficient to be lasting, all the while that you were rejecting the very objects of your approbation! But even that very heir-loom * of your forefathers, which you seem to guard and defend with greatest fidelity, in which you actually ^ find your strongest grounds for im- peaching us as violators of the law, and from which your hatred of the Christian name de- rives all its life — I mean the worship of the gods— I shall prove to be undergoing ruin and contempt from yourselves no less than * (from us), — unless it be that there is no reason for our being regarded as despisers of the gods like yourselves, on the ground that nobody despises what he knows has absolutely no ex- istence. What certainly exists can be de- spised. That which is nothing, suffers nothing. From those, therefore, to whom it is an existing thing, 5 must necessarily proceed the suffering which affects it. All the heavier, then, is the accusation which burdens you who believe that there are gods and (at the same time) despise them, who worship and also reject them, who honour and also assail them. One may also gather the same conclusion from this consid- eration, above all: since you worship various gods, some one and some another, you of course despise those which you do not worship. A preference for the one is not possible with- out slighting the other, and no choice can he made without a rejection. He who selects some one out of many, has already slighted the other which he does not select. But it is impossible that so many and so great gods can be worshipped by all. Then you must have exercised your contempt (in this matter) even at the beginning, since indeed you were not then afraid of so ordering things, that all the gods could not become objects of worship to all. For those very wise and prudent ances- tors of yours, whose institutions you know not how to repeal, especially in respect of your gods, are themselves found to have been im- pious. I am much mistaken, if they did not sometimes decree that no general should dedi- cate a temple, which he may have vowed in battle, before the senate gave its sanction; as in the case of Marcus ^^milius, who had made