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Tertullian

Chapter 2

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV Chapter V Elucidations

We are worshippers of one God, of whose existence and character

‹ Chapter 1 Chapter 3 ›

Nature

teaches

all

men

;

at

whose

lightnings

and

thunders

you

tremble

,

whose

benefits

minister

to

your

happiness

.

You

think

that

others

,

too

,

are

gods

,

whom

we

know

to

be

devils

.

However

,

it

is

a

fundamental

human

right

,

a

privilege

of

nature

,

that

every

man

should

worship

according

to

his

own

convictions

:

one

man’s

religion

neither

harms

nor

helps

another

man

.

It

is

assuredly

no

part

of

religion

to

compel

religion

—

to

which

free

-

will

and

not

force

should

lead

us

—

the

sacrificial

victims

even

being

required

of

a

willing

mind

.

You

will

render

no

real

service

to

your

gods

by

compelling

us

to

sacrifice

.

For

they

can

have

no

desire

of

offerings

from

the

unwilling

,

unless

they

are

animated

by

a

spirit

of

contention

,

which

is

a

thing

altogether

undivine

.

Accordingly

the

true

God

bestows

His

blessings

alike

on

wicked

men

and

on

His

own

elect

;

upon

which

account

He

has

appointed

an

eternal

judgment

,

when

both

thankful

and

unthankful

will

have

to

stand

before

His

bar

.

Yet

you

have

never

detected

us

—

sacrilegious

wretches

though

you

reckon

us

to

be

—

in

any

theft

,

far

less

in

any

sacrilege

.

But

the

robbers

of

your

temples

,

all

of

them

swear

by

your

gods

,

and

worship

them

;

they

are

not

Christians

,

and

yet

it

is

they

who

are

found

guilty

of

sacrilegious

deeds

.

We

have

not

time

to

unfold

in

how

many

other

ways

your

gods

are

mocked

and

despised

by

their

own

votaries

.

So

,

too

,

treason

is

falsely

laid

to

our

charge

,

though

no

one

has

ever

been

able

to

find

followers

of

Albinus

,

or

Niger

,

or

Cassius

,

among

Christians

;

while

the

very

men

who

had

sworn

by

the

genii

of

the

emperors

,

who

had

offered

and

vowed

sacrifices

for

their

safety

,

who

had

often

pronounced

condemnation

on

Christ’s

disciples

,

are

till

this

day

found

traitors

to

the

imperial

throne

.

A

Christian

is

enemy

to

none

,

least

of

all

to

the

Emperor

of

Rome

,

whom

he

knows

to

be

appointed

by

his

God

,

and

so

cannot

but

love

and

honour

;

and

whose

well

-

being

moreover

,

he

must

needs

desire

,

with

that

of

the

empire

over

which

he

reigns

so

long

as

the

world

shall

stand

—

for

so

long

as

that

shall

Rome

continue

.

To

the

emperor

,

therefore

,

we

render

such

reverential

homage

as

is

lawful

for

us

and

good

for

him

;

regarding

him

as

the

human

being

God

who

from

God

has

received

all

his

power

,

and

is

less

than

God

alone

.

And

this

will

be

according

to

his

own

desires

.

For

thus

—

as

less

only

than

the

true

God

—

he

is

greater

than

all

besides

.

Thus

he

is

greater

than

the

very

gods

themselves

,

even

they

,

too

,

being

subject

to

him

.

We

therefore

sacrifice

for

the

emperor’s

safety

,

but

to

our

God

and

his

,

and

after

the

manner

God

has

enjoined

,

in

simple

prayer

.

For

God

,

Creator

of

the

universe

,

has

no

need

of

odours

or

of

blood

.

These

things

are

the

food

of

devils

.

But

we

not

only

reject

those

wicked

spirits

:

we

overcome

them

;

we

daily

hold

them

up

to

contempt

;

we

exorcise

them

from

their

victims

,

as

multitudes

can

testify

.

So

all

the

more

we

pray

for

the

imperial

well

-

being

,

as

those

who

seek

it

at

the

hands

of

Him

who

is

able

to

bestow

it

.

And

one

would

think

it

must

be

abundantly

clear

to

you

that

the

religious

system

under

whose

rules

we

act

is

one

inculcating

a

divine

patience

;

since

,

though

our

numbers

are

so

great

—

constituting

all

but

the

majority

in

every

city

—

we

conduct

ourselves

so

quietly

and

modestly

;

I

might

perhaps

say

,

known

rather

as

individuals

than

as

organized

communities

,

and

remarkable

only

for

the

reformation

of

our

former

vices

.

For

far

be

it

from

us

to

take

it

ill

that

we

have

laid

on

us

the

very

things

we

wish

,

or

in

any

way

plot

the

vengeance

at

our

own

hands

,

which

we

expect

to

come

from

God

.

Notes

1
[Kaye points out our author’s inconsistencies on this matter. If Caractacus ever made the speech ascribed to him (Bede, or Gibbon, cap. lxxi.) it would confirm the opinion of those who make him a convert to Christ: “Quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus.” Elucidation II.]
2
[On this sort of Demonology see Kaye, pp. 203–207, with his useful references. See De Spectaculis, p. 80, supra.]