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| Chapter XLVI.
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Chapter
XLVI.
We have sufficiently met, as I think, the accusation of
the various crimes on the ground of which these fierce demands are made
for Christian blood. We have made a full exhibition of our case;
and we have shown you how we are able to prove that our statement is
correct, from the trustworthiness, I mean, and antiquity of our sacred
writings, and from the confession likewise of the powers of spiritual
wickedness themselves. Who will venture to undertake our
refutation; not with skill of words, but, as we have managed our
demonstration, on the basis of reality? But while the truth we hold is
made clear to all, unbelief meanwhile, at the very time it is convinced
of the worth of Christianity, which has now become well known for its
benefits as well as from the intercourse of life, takes up the notion
that it is not really a thing divine, but rather a kind of
philosophy. These are the very things, it says, the philosophers
counsel and profess—innocence, justice, patience, sobriety,
chastity. Why, then, are we not permitted an equal liberty and impunity
for our doctrines as they have, with whom, in respect of what we teach,
we are compared? or why are not they, as so like us, not pressed to the
same offices, for declining which our lives are imperilled? For who
compels a philosopher to sacrifice or take an oath, or put out useless
lamps at midday? Nay, they openly overthrow your gods, and in their
writings they attack your superstitions; and you applaud them for it.
Many of them even, with your countenance, bark out against your rulers,
and are rewarded with statues and salaries, instead of being given to
the wild beasts. And very right it should be so. For they are called
philosophers, not Christians. This name of philosopher has no power to
put demons to the rout. Why are they not able to do that too? since
philosophers count demons inferior to gods. Socrates used to say,
“If the demon grant permission.” Yet he, too, though in denying the existence
of your divinities he had a glimpse of the truth, at his dying ordered
a cock to be sacrificed to Æsculapius, I believe in honour of his
father,143
| 143 [Tertullian’s
exposition of this enigmatical fact (see the Phædo) is
better than divers other ingenious theories.] | for Apollo pronounced Socrates the wisest of
men. Thoughtless Apollo! testifying to the wisdom of the man who denied
the existence of his race. In proportion to the enmity the truth
awakens, you give offence by faithfully standing by it; but the man who
corrupts and makes a mere pretence of it precisely on this ground gains
favour with its persecutors. The truth which philosophers, these
mockers and corrupters of it, with hostile ends merely affect to hold,
and in doing so deprave, caring for nought but glory, Christians both
intensely and intimately long for and maintain in its integrity, as
those who have a real concern about their salvation. So that we are
like each other neither in our knowledge nor our ways, as you
imagine. For what certain information did Thales, the first of
natural philosophers, give in reply to the inquiry of Crœsus
regarding Deity, the delay for further thought so often proving in
vain? There is not a Christian workman but finds out God, and
manifests Him, and hence assigns to Him all those attributes which go
to constitute a divine being, though Plato affirms that it is far from
easy to discover the Maker of the universe; and when He is found, it is
difficult to make Him known to all. But if we challenge you to
comparison in the virtue of chastity, I turn to a part of the sentence
passed by the Athenians against Socrates, who was pronounced a
corrupter of youth. The Christian confines himself to the female sex. I
have read also how the harlot Phryne kindled in Diogenes the fires of
lust, and how a certain Speusippus, of Plato’s school, perished
in the adulterous act. The Christian husband has nothing to do with any
but his own wife. Democritus, in putting out his eyes, because he could
not look on women without lusting after them, and was pained if his
passion was not satisfied, owns plainly, by the punishment he inflicts,
his incontinence. But a Christian with grace-healed eyes is
sightless in this matter; he is mentally blind against the assaults of
passion. If I maintain our superior modesty of behaviour, there at once
occurs to me Diogenes with filth-covered feet trampling on the proud
couches of Plato, under the influence of another pride: the Christian
does not even play the proud man to the pauper. If sobriety of spirit
be the virtue in debate, why, there are Pythagoras at Thurii, and Zeno
at Priene, ambitious of the supreme power: the Christian does not
aspire to the ædileship. If equanimity be the contention, you have
Lycurgus choosing death by self-starvation, because the Lacons had made
some emendation of his laws: the Christian, even when he is condemned,
gives thanks.144
If the comparison be
made in regard to trustworthiness, Anaxagoras denied the deposit of his
enemies: the Christian is noted for his fidelity even among those who
are not of his religion. If the matter of sincerity is to be
brought to trial, Aristotle basely thrust his friend Hermias from his
place: the Christian does no harm even to his foe. With equal
baseness does Aristotle play the sycophant to Alexander, instead of
exercising to keep him in the right way, and Plato allows himself to be
bought by Dionysius for his belly’s sake. Aristippus in the
purple, with all his great show of gravity, gives way to extravagance;
and Hippias is put to death laying plots against the state: no
Christian ever attempted such a thing in behalf of his brethren, even
when persecution was scattering them abroad with every atrocity.
But it will be said that some of us, too, depart from the rules of our
discipline. In that case, however, we count them no longer Christians;
but the philosophers who do such things retain still the name and the
honour of wisdom. So, then, where is there any likeness between
the Christian and the philosopher? between the disciple of Greece and
of heaven? between the man whose object is fame, and whose object is
life? between the talker and the doer? between the man who builds up
and the man who pulls down? between the friend and the foe of error?
between one who corrupts the truth, and one who restores and teaches
it? between its chief and its custodier?E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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