Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 29

About this work

A polished Latin dialogue in which pagan and Christian friends debate providence, Roman religion, accusations against Christians, resurrection, and the philosophical credibility of Christian monotheism.

Author: Minucius Felix
Date: Late 2nd or early 3rd century
Origin: Rome or North Africa
Genre: Dialogue

The work’s date relative to Tertullian and the author’s geographical setting remain debated.

Chapter XXIX.—Argument: Nor is It More True that a Man Fastened to a Cross on Account of His Crimes is Worshipped by Christians, for They Believe Not Only that He Was Innocent, But with Reason that He Was God. But, on the Other Hand, the Heathens Invoke the Divine Powers of Kings Raised into Gods by Themselves; They Pray to Images, and Beseech Their Genii.

“These, and such as these

‹ Chapter 28 Chapter 30 ›

infamous

things

,

we

are

not

at

liberty

even

to

hear

;

it

is

even

disgraceful

with

any

more

words

to

defend

ourselves

from

such

charges

.

For

you

pretend

that

those

things

are

done

by

chaste

and

modest

persons

,

which

we

should

not

believe

to

be

done

at

all

,

unless

you

proved

that

they

were

true

concerning

yourselves

.

For

in

that

you

attribute

to

our

religion

the

worship

of

a

criminal

and

his

cross

,

you

wander

far

from

the

neighbourhood

of

the

truth

,

in

thinking

either

that

a

criminal

deserved

,

or

that

an

earthly

being

was

able

,

to

be

believed

God

.

Miserable

indeed

is

that

man

whose

whole

hope

is

dependent

on

mortal

man

,

for

all

his

help

is

put

an

end

to

with

the

extinction

of

the

man

.

The

Egyptians

certainly

choose

out

a

man

for

themselves

whom

they

may

worship

;

him

alone

they

propitiate

;

him

they

consult

about

all

things

;

to

him

they

slaughter

victims

;

and

he

who

to

others

is

a

god

,

to

himself

is

certainly

a

man

whether

he

will

or

no

,

for

he

does

not

deceive

his

own

consciousness

,

if

he

deceives

that

of

others

.

“

Moreover

,

a

false

flattery

disgracefully

caresses

princes

and

kings

,

not

as

great

and

chosen

men

,

as

is

just

,

but

as

gods

;

whereas

honour

is

more

truly

rendered

to

an

illustrious

man

,

and

love

is

more

pleasantly

given

to

a

very

good

man

.

Thus

they

invoke

their

deity

,

they

supplicate

their

images

,

they

implore

their

Genius

,

that

is

,

their

demon

;

and

it

is

safer

to

swear

falsely

by

the

genius

of

Jupiter

than

by

that

of

a

king

.

Crosses

,

moreover

,

we

neither

worship

nor

wish

for

.

You

,

indeed

,

who

consecrate

gods

of

wood

,

adore

wooden

crosses

perhaps

as

parts

of

your

gods

.

For

your

very

standards

,

as

well

as

your

banners

;

and

flags

of

your

camp

,

what

else

are

they

but

crosses

glided

and

adorned

?

Your

victorious

trophies

not

only

imitate

the

appearance

of

a

simple

cross

,

but

also

that

of

a

man

affixed

to

it

.

We

assuredly

see

the

sign

of

a

cross

,

naturally

,

in

the

ship

when

it

is

carried

along

with

swelling

sails

,

when

it

glides

forward

with

expanded

oars

;

and

when

the

military

yoke

is

lifted

up

,

it

is

the

sign

of

a

cross

;

and

when

a

man

adores

God

with

a

pure

mind

,

with

hands

outstretched

.

Thus

the

sign

of

the

cross

either

is

sustained

by

a

natural

reason

,

or

your

own

religion

is

formed

with

respect

to

it

.

Notes

1
[A reverent allusion to the Crucified, believed in and worshipped as God.]
2
[Jer. xvii. 5–7.]
3
[See Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho, chap. lxxxix. et seqq. vol. i. p. 244. S.]
4
[See Reeves’s Apologies (ut supra), vol. ii. p. 144, note. S.]