Chapter Xliii
Tertullian's Apology for the Christeans. their gods.
Certainly, say you, the rates for the temple now come to nothing, and who can brag of any collections for the gods?
And really we cannot help it; for in good truth we are not able to relieve such a parcel of beggars, both of gods and men; we think | it very well if we can give to those that ask; and I will pass my word that if Jupiter will but hold out his hand, he shall fare as well as any other beggar.
For we bestow more in the streets than you with all your religion do in your temples.
However, if your temple wardens have reason to complain against Christians, the public, I am sure, has not, but on the contrary very great reason to thank us for the customs we pay with the same conscience as we abstain
© — from stealing.
So that was the account fairly stated-how much the public is cheated in its revenues by the tricks and lies of those of your religion, who bring in an inventory of their goods in order to be taxed accordingly ; you would soon find, I say, at the foot of the account that what the temple may lose in her offerings by the Christian religion, the State sufficiently gets in her taxes by the Christian fidelity in their public payments.
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CHAPTER XLIII.
A FURTHER VINDICATION
OF THE USEFULNESS
OF CHRISTIANS TO
; :
THE PUBLIC.
; But shall I tell you who the gentlemen be, if there be any in good truth, who make these heavy complaints of the unprofitableness of Euseb. 47. Eccles. lib. iv. cap. 15, p. 135.
''This cost" (says Dr. Cave, Prim.
Christian, part iii. cap. 2, p. 275) ''the Christians doubtless bestowed upon the bodies of the dead, because they looked upon death as the entrance into a better life, and laid up the body as the canditate and expectant of a joyful and happy resurrection.
_ Besides, hereby they gave some encouragement to suffering, when men saw how much care was taken to honour and secure the relics of their mortality, and that their bodies should not be persecuted after death."
And I take leave to add, that considering how very careful the first Christians were to — follow the Scriptures even in ceremonies indifferent, I question not, but finding how Joseph was embalmed, Gen. 1. v. ult:, and especially considering how the alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious, was approved by our Lord
Himself for His own burial, in that of St. Mark xiv. 8, 'She has done what she could; she is come beforehand to anoint my body to the burying ;""—I doubt not, I say, but this prevailed very much with-the first Christians to be so expensiv in their spices upon the dead.
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Tertulhan's Apology for the Christians.
Christians to the public?
Why, first they are your panders, and pimps," and filthy pliers about your baths
;? next, your cut-throats, polsoners, and magicians; lastly, your soothsayers, wizards, and astrologers!
These the gentlemen we Christians are so useless _ to, and I think it is very well for the public we-are so; however, if you are sufferers in anything by Christians, they make you ample tecompense another way ; for what a valuable blessing is it you are
.1n possession of, in having such a people among you who are not only your defence against devils, and always upon their knees to the true God in your behalf; not to insist upon this, I say, what a _ treasure is it barely to have such people to serve you as you are sure will never do you any harm!
CHARPLE Re x IalVs
THAT THE CHRISTIANS ARE CONDEMNED MERELY UPON THE
ACCOUNT OF THEIR NAME.
Bur your reason is so entirely blinded with prejudice that you have not an eye left to see the public damage, a damage as visibly great as true.
Not a man weighs what the common injury amounts to by thus depopulating the empire of the most just and innocent subjects in it ; it is hardly credible to imagine how many Christian prisoners your judges destroy at every gaol delivery, but only their
+ ' trials are upon record.
Among all this number of criminals, and this varigty of indictments, what Christians do you find arraigned for assassinating, or for a pickpocket,* or for sacrilege, or for pilfering at the bath?
Do you hear at the trials any article , 1 These Preductores are much the same with Lenones, according to that of Horace— Putasne Perduci poterit, tam frugi tamq. ; pudica ? q 2 Aguario.
Filthy pliers about baths.
Agwarzoli, saith Festus, dicebantur Mulieram impudicarum Assecle.
And are what' Martial calls Balneatores— Certe Lucerné Balneator extinctad Admittat inter bustuarias mehas.
8 Manticularius.
A pickpocket.
Of this word Festus speaks thus: AZanticularum usus pauperibus in nummis recondendis etiam nostro seculo fuit, unde
Manticularii dicebantur qui furandi gratid manticulas attrectabant.