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Tertullian

Book 1 · Chapter 3

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter III.—The Great Offence in the Christians Lies in Their Very Name. The Name Vindicated.

Since, therefore, you who are in other cases most scrupulous

‹ Book 1 · Chapter 2 Book 1 · Chapter 4 ›

and

persevering

in

investigating

charges

of

far

less

serious

import

,

relinquish

your

care

in

cases

like

ours

,

which

are

so

horrible

,

and

of

such

surpassing

sin

that

impiety

is

too

mild

a

word

for

them

,

by

declining

to

hear

confession

,

which

should

always

be

an

important

process

for

those

who

conduct

judicial

proceedings

;

and

failing

to

make

a

full

inquiry

,

which

should

be

gone

into

by

such

as

sue

for

a

condemnation

,

it

becomes

evident

that

the

crime

laid

to

our

charge

consists

not

of

any

sinful

conduct

,

but

lies

wholly

in

our

name

.

If

,

indeed

,

any

real

crimes

were

clearly

adducible

against

us

,

their

very

names

would

condemn

us

,

if

found

applicable

,

so

that

distinct

sentences

would

be

pronounced

against

us

in

this

wise

:

Let

that

murderer

,

or

that

incestuous

criminal

,

or

whatever

it

be

that

we

are

charged

with

,

be

led

to

execution

,

be

crucified

,

or

be

thrown

to

the

beasts

.

Your

sentences

,

however

,

import

only

that

one

has

confessed

himself

a

Christian

.

No

name

of

a

crime

stands

against

us

,

but

only

the

crime

of

a

name

.

Now

this

in

very

deed

is

neither

more

nor

less

than

the

entire

odium

which

is

felt

against

us

.

The

name

is

the

cause

:

some

mysterious

force

intensified

by

your

ignorance

assails

it

,

so

that

you

do

not

wish

to

know

for

certain

that

which

for

certain

you

are

sure

you

know

nothing

of

;

and

therefore

,

further

,

you

do

not

believe

things

which

are

not

submitted

to

proof

,

and

,

lest

they

should

be

easily

refuted

,

you

refuse

to

make

inquiry

,

so

that

the

odious

name

is

punished

under

the

presumption

of

(

real

)

crimes

.

In

order

,

therefore

,

that

the

issue

may

be

withdrawn

from

the

offensive

name

,

we

are

compelled

to

deny

it

;

then

upon

our

denial

we

are

acquitted

,

with

an

entire

absolution

for

the

past

:

we

are

no

longer

murderers

,

no

longer

incestuous

,

because

we

have

lost

that

name

.

But

since

this

point

is

dealt

with

in

a

place

of

its

own

,

do

you

tell

us

plainly

why

you

are

pursuing

this

name

even

to

extirpation

?

What

crime

,

what

offence

,

what

fault

is

there

in

a

name

?

For

you

are

barred

by

the

rule

which

puts

it

out

of

your

power

to

allege

crimes

(

of

any

man

)

,

which

no

legal

action

moots

,

no

indictment

specifies

,

no

sentence

enumerates

.

In

any

case

which

is

submitted

to

the

judge

,

inquired

into

against

the

defendant

,

responded

to

by

him

or

denied

,

and

cited

from

the

bench

,

I

acknowledge

a

legal

charge

.

Concerning

,

then

,

the

merit

of

a

name

,

whatever

offence

names

may

be

charged

with

,

whatever

impeachment

words

may

be

amenable

to

,

I

for

my

part

think

,

that

not

even

a

complaint

is

due

to

a

word

or

a

name

,

unless

indeed

it

has

a

barbarous

sound

,

or

smacks

of

ill

-

luck

,

or

is

immodest

,

or

is

indecorous

for

the

speaker

,

or

unpleasant

to

the

hearer

.

These

crimes

in

(

mere

)

words

and

names

are

just

like

barbarous

words

and

phrases

,

which

have

their

fault

,

and

their

solecism

,

and

their

absurdity

of

figure

.

The

name

Christian

,

however

,

so

far

as

its

meaning

goes

,

bears

the

sense

of

anointing

.

Even

when

by

a

faulty

pronunciation

you

call

us

“

Chrestians

”

(

for

you

are

not

certain

about

even

the

sound

of

this

noted

name

)

,

you

in

fact

lisp

out

the

sense

of

pleasantness

and

goodness

.

You

are

therefore

vilifying

in

harmless

men

even

the

harmless

name

we

bear

,

which

is

not

inconvenient

for

the

tongue

,

nor

harsh

to

the

ear

,

nor

injurious

to

a

single

being

,

nor

rude

for

our

country

,

being

a

good

Greek

word

,

as

many

others

also

are

,

and

pleasant

in

sound

and

sense

.

Surely

,

surely

,

names

are

not

things

which

deserve

punishment

by

the

sword

,

or

the

cross

,

or

the

beasts

.

Notes

2
Adeo si.
3
Si accommodarent.
4
Porro.
5
Hæc ratio est.
6
Reprobentur.
7
Impunitate.
8
i.e., the name “Christians.”
9
By the “suo loco,” Tertullian refers to The Apology.
10
Præscribitur vobis.
11
Præsidi.
12
Ego.
13
Χρηστός means both “pleasant” and “good;” and the heathen founded this word with the sacred name Χριστός.
14
Detinetis.
15
Et utique.