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Tertullian

Book 1 · Chapter 15

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Author: Tertullian

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

Since we are on a par in respect of the gods,

‹ Book 1 · Chapter 14 Book 1 · Chapter 16 ›

it

follows

that

there

is

no

difference

between

us

on

the

point

of

sacrifice

,

or

even

of

worship

,

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

everywhere

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

suffrages

of

this

entire

age

.

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

,

you

must

not

overlook

the

fact

that

it

is

your

own

dear

children

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

place

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

guilt

)

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

you

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

out

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

?

Notes

2
Sacri.
3
He refers in this passage to his Apology, especially c. ix.
4
Tabellis.
5
Unius ætatis. This Oehler explains by “per unam jam totam hanc ætatem.”
6
Genere.
7
Pignora, scil. amoris.
8
See Apology, c. ix.
9
Si forte.
10
Parum scilicet?
11
Elicitis.
12
Infantem totum præcocum.