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Apology

Tertullian

Chapter 43

About this work

A forceful Latin defense of Christians against legal injustice and popular accusation, explaining Christian worship and ethics while challenging Roman religious, political, and judicial assumptions.

Author: Tertullian
Date: c. AD 197
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Apology

I will confess, however, without hesitation, that there are

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some

who

in

a

sense

may

complain

of

Christians

that

they

are

a

sterile

race

:

as

,

for

instance

,

pimps

,

and

panders

,

and

bath

-

suppliers

;

assassins

,

and

poisoners

,

and

sorcerers

;

soothsayers

,

too

,

diviners

,

and

astrologers

.

But

it

is

a

noble

fruit

of

Christians

,

that

they

have

no

fruits

for

such

as

these

.

And

yet

,

whatever

loss

your

interests

suffer

from

the

religion

we

profess

,

the

protection

you

have

from

us

makes

amply

up

for

it

.

What

value

do

you

set

on

persons

,

I

do

not

here

urge

who

deliver

you

from

demons

,

I

do

not

urge

who

for

your

sakes

present

prayers

before

the

throne

of

the

true

God

,

for

perhaps

you

have

no

belief

in

that

—

but

from

whom

you

can

have

nothing

to

fear

?