Thus guarded, it is hoped that the present volume, the first in which any number of the Treatises of Tertullian have been made accessible to English readers, may tend, under God's blessing, to form in them the earlier rather than the later character of that great mind, his sternness against self, and "boldness in rebuking sin," his uncompromising adherence to the lightest admonition of God's law, and ready submission of his will, at whatever cost, so that his very fall was in misdirected submission to an authority without him; And Cyprian's Master, as in age high-soul'd Yet choosing as in youth the better part', may act alike as a fire to kindle, a light to guide, and a beacon to warn against what he now, his slough cast away, would most wish to warn, his own errors and the tempers in which they originated. So may the scandal caused by his fall be compensated, and he, with the rest of the holy company, from whom on earth he was disunited, be employed in "preparing" for the coming of his Lord, for Whom he looked so ardently," by the preaching of repentance" in holy austerity and self-discipline. E. B. P. Feast of St. John the Baptist, 1842. 1 Lyra Apostolica, No. 91. Collect for St. John Baptist's Day. THE BOOK OF APOLOGY AGAINST THE HEATHEN. [The Apology was written probably A.D. 198. It was under Severus, because under one of the better Emperors (c. v. p. 13.) before he became a persecutor, (ib. and T. praises him c. 4.) and as the result of old laws, (c. 2-4.) i. e. before A.202; after the conspiracy of Albinus (c. 35.) A.D. 396, 7., while the remains of the conspirators were being gleaned up, public rejoicings held at Rome, and a largess given, (ib.) as did Severus, upon his victory over Albinus, A. 198. (Herodian, Hist. iii. 8.) upon which he set out on the war against the Parthians (Spartian. in Sever. c. 14.) alluded to, probably, c. 37. (see Mosheim Disq. de æt. Apol.) Lumper, (Hist. S. Patr. t. vi. c. 1. §. 16.) places it A. 199, imagining the gleaning" c. 25. to be that of the adherents of Niger. S. Clement Al. mentions" copious streams of the blood of martyrs shed daily," at the same time, before the edict of Severus, (Strom. ii. p. 494.) another proof that the sufferings of the early Christians were not confined to the great persecutions; they were demanded by the populace. Allix infers, from the way in which T. speaks of Rome and the Romans, (c. 9. 21. 35.) that the Apology was not written at Rome; it is addressed to the executive (c. i. 2. 9. 50.) in a Proconsulate, (c. 45. see Bp. Kaye, Tert. p. 52.) so that Eusebius is probably mistaken in saying it was addressed to the Roman Senate. (H. E. v. 5.) S. Jerome says of it, (Ep. 70. ad Magnum, §. 5.) "What more learned than Tertullian, what more acute? His Apology and his Books against the Gentiles comprise the whole range of secular learning."] IF it be not allowed you, Lords of the Roman empire, sitting above all, to judge, in an open and exalted spot, at the very summit almost of the city, openly to look about you, and publicly to examine what there be of very truth in the cause of the Christians; if in this instance alone your authority be either afraid or ashamed to make enquiry in public, touching the diligent use of justice; if finally, as hath just now happened, the enmity against this sect, having too much exercised itself in private condemnations ", formeth an obstacle to their defence, let the truth be permitted to reach your ears even by the secret way of silent writings. She asketh no favour for her cause, because she feeleth no John 15, 2 Christianity hated unheard. Implies suspicion of its truth. APOL. Wonder at her condition. She knoweth that she liveth a I. 1. stranger upon earth, that among aliens she easily findeth foes; but that she hath her birth, her home, her hope, her favour, and her worth in the heavens. One thing meanwhile she earnestly desireth, that she be not condemned unknown. If she be heard, what loss cometh thereby to the laws, supreme within their own dominion? Will not their power boast the more in this, that they will condemn Truth even when she hath been heard? But if they condemn her unheard, besides the ill-repute of injustice, they will merit also the suspicion of a certain consciousness, as being, namely, unwilling to hear that, which when heard, they could not condemn'. This therefore we lay before you as the first argument for the injustice of your hatred towards the name of Christians. Which injustice the same plea, namely, ignorance, which seemeth to excuse it, aggravateth and convicteth. For what more unjust than that men should hate that of which they know nothing, even if the thing deserve their hatred? For then doth it deserve, when it be known whether it do deserve. But when knowledge of the desert be wanting, whence is the justice of the hatred maintained? which ought to be approved, not by the event, but by previous conviction! When then men hate for this reason, because they know not what manner of thing that, which they hate, is, why may it not be of such a sort as that they ought not to hate it? Thus from either point we prove either against them, that they are both ignorant, in that they hate, and hate unjustly, in that they are ignorant. It is an evidence of that ignorance, which, while it is made the excuse, is the condemnation of injustice, when all, who aforetime hated because they quale were ignorant what it was which they hated', as soon as sit quod they cease to be ignorant, cease also to hate. From being added such, they become Christians, to wit from conviction, and begin to hate what they were, and to profess what they hated, and are as numerous as indeed we are publicly declared to be. Men cry out that the state is beset, that the Christians are in their fields, in their forts, in their oderant e Aug. de Civ. Dei, i. 15. v. fin. Lact. v. init. Minuc. p. 256, ap. Lac. Number of Christians, extent of Christianity. 3 islands". They mourn, as for a loss, that every sex, age, condition, and now even rank is going over to this sect". And yet they do not by this very means advance their minds to the idea of some good therein hidden: they allow not themselves to conjecture more rightly, they choose not to examine more closely. Here alone is the curiosity of man dull: they love to be ignorant, where others rejoice to know. How much more would Anacharsis have condemned these, the uninformed judging the informed, than the unmusical the musical! They had rather be ignorant, because they already hate. Thus they determine in the outset that that which they know not, is such as, if they knew, they could not hate; since if no due cause of hatred be found, surely it were best to cease to hate unjustly; but if it be clear that it is deserved, not only is their hatred nothing diminished, but stronger ground is gained for persevering in it, even with the sanction of justice itself. But,' saith one, it is not therefore at once determined1 to be good because it converteth many, for 'præju how many are remoulded to evil! how many are deserters to added the worse cause!' Who denieth it? Nevertheless, that 2 reforwhich is really evil not even those, whom it carrieth away, dare to defend as a good. Nature hath cast over every evil either fear or shame. Finally, evil-doers delight in hiding themselves; shun appearing3; are bewildered when dis-devicovered; being accused deny; not even when tortured, readily or always confess; certainly mourn when "There is no race of men, whether Barbarians, or Greeks, or by whatsoever name called, not even the wandering houseless tribes of Scythians, in which there are not prayers and Eucharists to God the Creator of all things, through the Name of the crucified Jesus." (Justin M. Dial. §. 117. on Mal. 1, 10.) See bel. c. 37. ad Scap. c. 2 and 5. adv. Jud. c. 7 and 12. de Cor. c. 12. ad Nat. i. 8. "Consider, whether they whom ye call a third race' hold not the chief place, seeing there is no nation not Christian; therefore whatever nation be first, is nevertheless Christian." Origen. c. Cels. i. speaks of the "myriads among barbarians," and that Christianity had 66 gained possession of the greatest part of Barbarism." Arnobius, 1. ii. p. 44. that "no barbarian was not softened." On the multitude of Christians, see Heathen Testimonies, Tac. xv. 44. dicatur mantur tant apparere con-om. in Rig. Lucian in Pseudom. " that Pontus was h Comp. Orig. c. Cels. iii. §. 9. Euseb. H. E. v. 21. of the times of Commodus. Diog. Laert. in vit. ej. i. 103. ed. Meib. |