The Charge of Infanticide Retorted on the Heathen. - ANF03. Latin Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian

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The Charge of Infanticide Retorted on the Heathen.
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Chapter XV.⁶⁸⁶

⁶⁸⁶ Comp. The Apology, c. ix.
—The Charge of Infanticide Retorted on the Heathen.

Since we are on a par in respect of the gods, it follows that there is no difference between us on the point of sacrifice, or even of worship,⁶⁸⁷

⁶⁸⁷ Sacri.
if I may be allowed to make good our comparison from another sort of evidence. We begin our religious service, or initiate our mysteries, with slaying an infant. As for you, since your own transactions in human blood and infanticide have faded from your memory, you shall be duly reminded of them in the proper place; we now postpone most of the instances, that we may not seem to be everywhere⁶⁸⁸

⁶⁸⁸ He refers in this passage to his Apology, especially c. ix.
handling the selfsame topics. Meanwhile, as I have said, the comparison between us does not fail in another point of view. For if we are infanticides in one sense, you also can hardly be deemed such in any other sense; because, although you are forbidden by the laws to slay new-born infants, it so happens that no laws are evaded with more impunity or greater safety, with the deliberate knowledge of the public, and the suffrages⁶⁸⁹

⁶⁸⁹ Tabellis.
of this entire age.⁶⁹⁰

⁶⁹⁰ Unius ætatis. This Oehler explains by “per unam jam totam hanc ætatem.”
Yet there is no great difference between us, only you do not kill your infants in the way of a sacred rite, nor (as a service) to God. But then you make away with them in a more cruel manner, because you expose them to the cold and hunger, and to wild beasts, or else you get rid of them by the slower death of drowning. If, however, there does occur any dissimilarity between us in this matter,⁶⁹¹

⁶⁹¹ Genere.
you must not overlook the fact that it is your own dear children⁶⁹²

⁶⁹² Pignora, scil. amoris.
whose life you quench; and this will supplement, nay, abundantly aggravate, on your side of the question, whatever is defective in us on other grounds. Well, but we are said to sup off our impious sacrifice! Whilst we postpone to a more suitable place⁶⁹³

⁶⁹³ See Apology, c. ix.
whatever resemblance even to this practice is discoverable amongst yourselves, we are not far removed from you in voracity. If in the one case there is unchastity, and in ours cruelty, we are still on the same footing (if I may so far admit our guilt⁶⁹⁴

⁶⁹⁴ Si forte.
) in nature, where cruelty is always found in concord with unchastity. But, after all, what do you less than we; or rather, what do you not do in excess of us? I wonder whether it be a small matter to you⁶⁹⁵

⁶⁹⁵ Parum scilicet?
to pant for human entrails, because you devour full-grown men alive? Is it, forsooth, only a trifle to lick up human blood, when you draw out⁶⁹⁶

⁶⁹⁶ Elicitis.
the blood which was destined to live? Is it a light thing in your view to feed on an infant, when you consume one wholly before it is come to the birth?⁶⁹⁷

⁶⁹⁷ Infantem totum præcocum.
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