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Tertullian

Book 1 · Chapter 20

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter XX.—Truth and Reality Pertain to Christians Alone. The Heathen Counselled to Examine and Embrace It.

How long therefore, O most unjust heathen, will you refuse

‹ Book 1 · Chapter 19 Book 1 · Chapter 7 ›

to

acknowledge

us

,

and

(

what

is

more

)

to

execrate

your

own

(

worthies

)

,

since

between

us

no

distinction

has

place

,

because

we

are

one

and

the

same

?

Since

you

do

not

(

of

course

)

hate

what

you

yourselves

are

,

give

us

rather

your

right

hands

in

fellowship

,

unite

your

salutations

,

mingle

your

embraces

,

sanguinary

with

the

sanguinary

,

incestuous

with

the

incestuous

,

conspirators

with

conspirators

,

obstinate

and

vain

with

those

of

the

selfsame

qualities

.

In

company

with

each

other

,

we

have

been

traitors

to

the

majesty

of

the

gods

;

and

together

do

we

provoke

their

indignation

.

You

too

have

your

“

third

race

;

”

not

indeed

third

in

the

way

of

religious

rite

,

but

a

third

race

in

sex

,

and

,

made

up

as

it

is

of

male

and

female

in

one

,

it

is

more

fitted

to

men

and

women

(

for

offices

of

lust

)

.

Well

,

then

,

do

we

offend

you

by

the

very

fact

of

our

approximation

and

agreement

?

Being

on

a

par

is

apt

to

furnish

unconsciously

the

materials

for

rivalry

.

Thus

“

a

potter

envies

a

potter

,

and

a

smith

a

smith

.

”

But

we

must

now

discontinue

this

imaginary

confession

.

Our

conscience

has

returned

to

the

truth

,

and

to

the

consistency

of

truth

.

For

all

those

points

which

you

allege

(

against

us

)

will

be

really

found

in

ourselves

alone

;

and

we

alone

can

rebut

them

,

against

whom

they

are

adduced

,

by

getting

you

to

listen

to

the

other

side

of

the

question

,

whence

that

full

knowledge

is

learnt

which

both

inspires

counsel

and

directs

the

judgment

.

Now

it

is

in

fact

your

own

maxim

,

that

no

one

should

determine

a

cause

without

hearing

both

sides

of

it

;

and

it

is

only

in

our

own

case

that

you

neglect

(

the

equitable

principle

)

.

You

indulge

to

the

full

that

fault

of

human

nature

,

that

those

things

which

you

do

not

disallow

in

yourselves

you

condemn

in

others

,

or

you

boldly

charge

against

others

those

things

the

guilt

of

which

you

retain

a

lasting

consciousness

of

in

yourselves

.

The

course

of

life

in

which

you

will

choose

to

occupy

yourselves

is

different

from

ours

:

whilst

chaste

in

the

eyes

of

others

,

you

are

unchaste

towards

your

own

selves

;

whilst

vigorous

against

vice

out

of

doors

,

you

succumb

to

it

at

home

.

This

is

the

injustice

(

which

we

have

to

suffer

)

,

that

,

knowing

truth

,

we

are

condemned

by

those

who

know

it

not

;

free

from

guilt

,

we

are

judged

by

those

who

are

implicated

in

it

.

Remove

the

mote

,

or

rather

the

beam

,

out

of

your

own

eye

,

that

you

may

be

able

to

extract

the

mote

from

the

eyes

of

others

.

Amend

your

own

lives

first

,

that

you

may

be

able

to

punish

the

Christians

.

Only

so

far

as

you

shall

have

effected

your

own

reformation

,

will

you

refuse

to

inflict

punishment

on

them

—

nay

,

so

far

will

you

have

become

Christians

yourselves

;

and

as

you

shall

have

become

Christians

,

so

far

will

you

have

compassed

your

own

amendment

of

life

.

Learn

what

that

is

which

you

accuse

in

us

,

and

you

will

accuse

no

longer

;

search

out

what

that

is

which

you

do

not

accuse

in

yourselves

,

and

you

will

become

self

-

accusers

.

From

these

very

few

and

humble

remarks

,

so

far

as

we

have

been

able

to

open

out

the

subject

to

you

,

you

will

plainly

get

some

insight

into

(

your

own

)

error

,

and

some

discovery

of

our

truth

.

Condemn

that

truth

if

you

have

the

heart

,

but

only

after

you

have

examined

it

;

and

approve

the

error

still

,

if

you

are

so

minded

,

only

first

explore

it

.

But

if

your

prescribed

rule

is

to

love

error

and

hate

truth

,

why

,

(

let

me

ask

,

)

do

you

not

probe

to

a

full

discovery

the

objects

both

of

your

love

and

your

hatred

?

Notes

1
Compingite oscula.
2
Eunuchs (Rigalt.).
3
As the Christians were held to be; coming after (1) the heathen, (2) the Jews. See above, c. viii., and Scorpiace, c. x.
4
Eunuchs (Rigalt.).
5
An oft-quoted proverb in ancient writers. It occurs in Hesiod (Opp. et Dies) 25.
6
Literally, “cease henceforth, O, simulated confession.”
7
Omnia ista.
8
This seems to be the force of the “agnitione,” which Oehler renders “auditione.”
9
Satisfacitis.
10
Jactetis.
11
Quorum reatum.
12
Memineritis.
13
Si potestis.
14
Si putatis.