CHAPTER XLII
Tertullian's Apology for the Christians.
CHAPTER XLII.
THAT THE CHRISTIANS ARE A VERY USEFUL SORT OF PEOPLE.
ANOTHER article we are indicted upon is this, that we are a goodfor-nothing, useless sort of people to the world ; but how can this possibly be, since we converse with you as men, we use the same diet, habit, and necessary furniture?
We are no Brahmins, or Indian gymnosophists, who live in woods, and as it were in exile from other men; and we act as men under the warmest sense of « gratitude to God our Lord, the Creator of all things ; and we reject nothing He has made-for the use of man.
We are indeed very temperate in our enjoyments, and cautious in transgressing the bounds of reason, and abusing the favours of His indulging providence, therefore we come to your forum,' we frequent your shambles, your baths, your shops, your stalls, your inns, and your marts, and all other kinds of commerce ; we cohabit, we sail, we war, we till, we traffic with you; we likewise communicate our arts and work for the public; and notwithstanding all this, how we should be of no service to the public is a thing quite past my understanding.
But what if I do not frequent your festivals, I hope I may be a man, and have hands and feet for the public at that time as well as any other.
If I do not bathe about night at your Saturn's feasts,"
- 1 Jtague non sine foro, non sine macello, non sine balneis, etc.
You may observe from hence that the Christians of old, as devout and religious as they were, yet they conversed and traded with the heathen world, were active and diligent in their secular professions, and refused no calling whatever that was innocent in itself and useful to the public ; for had they been never so good, and lived only to God and themselves, in woods and cloisters, they had not been shining lights, but candles under a bushel.
Fishers of men must converse with multitudes, to spread their nets to greater advantage and for larger draughts ; and we find by all the apologists that they caught as many by their examples, and preached as powerfully with their lives, as their sermons.
And as the Jews were hated for their reservedness, selfishness, and ill-nature, and therefore made little progress; so, on the other hand, the Christians were as much admired even by their enemies, for the sweetness of their temper, their patience and unbounded charity, and therefore spread the more prodigiously.
2 Non lavor diluculo Saturnalibus, etc.
The Saturnalia were noted feasts in the month December, blessed times of liberty, wherein the servants all sat at table and the masters waited.
See more of this in Macrobius, Saturnal. lib. 1. cap. 7. And December being a cold season, our author jeeringly tells them that he did not much like bathing so early, and that it was time enough for washing
~ Tertullian's Apology for the Christians.
it is because I am a better husband for the public than to wash away day and night to so'little purpose ; however, I bathe at proper hours for my health's sake ; it is time enough in conscience to grow stiff and pale with washing when I am dead.
I do not care for feasting with you in public, upon the festivals of Bacchus, because methinks I look like one of those condemned wretches who at these feasts is supping his last, and when you have given him his bellyful you throw him to your beasts.
But however at this time, somewhere or other I do eat, and of some such victuals too as you eat.
I lay out no money in chaplets of flowers to crown my temples, and pray how is your interest concerned which way | dispose of my flowers?
It is more agreeable to me to see them ree and loose and scattered about in a grateful confusion; but yet when they are wreathed into a garland, even then it is 'my way to apply them to my nose; let them if they please apply them to _ their head, who smell with their hair.
We come not to your sights, but if we want anything which is brought thither, we freely go and buy it at those places where it is ordinarily sold.
We buy _ mo frankincense, and if the Arabians complain, let the Sabsean merchants know that we take off greater quantities of more costly spices for the embalming our dead,? than others do for incensing and being made stiff with cold when he was dead, alluding to the custom of washing the dead which was very ancient ; according to that of Ennius—
Tarquinit Corpus bona femina lavit et unxit, The asurpa ravierare (as Electra in Euripides calls it), extreme washings, or wash- ~ ing the dead bodies, was counted so necessary a thing, that towards the conclusion
' of Plato's Phedo, sec. 47, Edit. Cantab.
'Select. Dial., we find that Socrates, when he intended to drink his poison, thought it best to set about washing himself beforehand to save the women the labour.—oxsdév 21 pis Spx cpamedas apis
Th hurpov, Aoxsi yp Hon BeArrion. tives Aovodpevoy risiv Qupmanxoy, xx) wh Tpay ware
THis yuvaiRi wupirsiy vexpov Aovev, And we find this custom of washing the dead in the Acts of the Apostles, ix. 37—'' And it came to pass in those days, that she (Tabitha) was sick and died; whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber."
1 Non emo capiti coronam—Viderint, gui per capillum odorantur.
In reference to this, but in a more intelligible expression, is that of Minutius,—.
Sane quod caput non coronamus ; ignoscite, Auram boni Flores naribus ducere, non occipitio capillisve solemus haurire.
2 Sciant Sabet, pluris et carioris suas mercis Christianis sepeliendis, etc.
Thus again we have it in Minutius, Reservatis uneuento Funeribus, The primitive Christians were very careful about funerals, and very costly in their spices and odours for embalming their dead; and therefore when St. Polycarp was put to death they burnt his body in spite to the Christians, who had begged it of the proconsul, in order to embalm it and give it a solemn interment, whereupon they gathered up the bones and decently committed them to the earth, and there used to meet and celebrate the memory of that holy martyr.
Vid.