requirantur, quibus illam Germanicam sitim Christianorum forte militum precationibus impetrato imbri discussam contestatur. Qui sicut non palam ab eiusmodi hominibus poenam dimovit, ita alio modo palam dispersit, adiecta 5 etiam accusatoribus damnatione, et quidem tetriore. Quales ergo leges istae, quas adversus nos soli exsequuntur impii, iniusti, turpes, truces, vani, dementes? quas Traianus ex parte frustratus est vetando inquiri Christianorum ; quas nullus Hadrianus, quamquam curiositatum omnium 10 explorator, nullus Vespasianus, quamquam Iudaeorum debellator, nullus Pius, nullus Verus impressit.

TERTULLIAN, Apol. 5

XXXV.

VULTIS ex operibus ipsius tot ac talibus, quibus continemur, quibus sustinemur, quibus oblectamur, etiam quibus exterremur, vultis ex animae ipsius testimonio 15 comprobemus? Quae licet carcere corporis pressa, licet institutionibus pravis circumscripta, licet libidinibus ac concupiscentiis evigorata, licet falsis diis exancillata, cum tamen resipiscit, ut ex crapula, ut ex somno, ut ex aliqua valetudine, et sanitatem suam patitur, deum nominat, hoc 20 solo nomine, quia proprio dei veri: deus magnus, deus bonus, et quod deus dederit, omnium vox est. Iudicem quoque contestatur illum, deus videt, et deo commendo, et deus mihi reddet. O testimonium animae naturaliter Christianae! Denique pronuntians haec, non ad Capito25 lium, sed ad coelum respicit. Novit enim sedem dei vivi; ab illo, et inde descendit.

Ibid. 17.

that the great drought in Germany was removed by a shower of rain obtained by the prayers of Christians who chanced to be serving in the army. As on one side he did not openly free such men from the penalties of law, so on the other he openly made these of none effect, imposing 5 also a sentence, and that a severer one, on their accusers. What sort of laws then are these, which are put in force against us only by the impious, the unrighteous, the shameful, the savage, the senseless, the demented-laws which Trajan partly defeated by forbidding Christians to 10 be sought out, which neither a Hadrian, though so curious a student of every novelty, nor a Vespasian, conqueror of the Jews as he was, nor a Pius, nor a Verus ever enforced?

Testimony of the Soul.

WILL you have our proof from his works in all their 15 magnitude and number, which contain or sustain us, which delight us or again dismay us; or will you have it from the witness of the soul itself? Though it be shut up in the prison of the body, though it be limited by evil customs, though it be enervated by lusts and longings, though it be 20 a slave to false gods, yet when it comes to itself as after a debauch or after sleep or after a sickness, and feels its proper health, it makes mention of God, and by that name only, for it is peculiar to the true God. 'God is great,' 'God is good,' 'which may God grant,' are all men's 25 words. It appeals also to Him as judge-'God sees,' 'I commend to Him,' and 'God will repay me.' O testimony of the soul by nature Christian! Finally, in using these words, it looks up not to the Capitol but to heaven, for it recognizes the throne of the living God. From Him it is, 30 and thence came down.

XXXVI.

EST et alia maior necessitas nobis orandi pro imperatoribus, etiam pro omni statu imperii rebusque Romanis qui vim maximam universo orbi imminentem, ipsamque clausulam seculi acerbitates horrendas comminantem Ro5 mani imperii commeatu scimus retardari. Ita quae nolumus experiri, ea dum precamur differri, Romanae diuturnitati favemus. Sed et iuramus, sicut non per genios Caesarum ita per salutem eorum, quae est augustior omnibus geniis. Nescitis genios daemonas dici, et inde diminutiva voce 10 daemonia? Nos iudicium dei suspicimus in imperatoribus qui gentibus illos praefecit.

Ibid. 32.

XXXVII.

HESTERNI Sumus et vestra omnia implevimus, urbes, insulas, castella, municipia, conciliabula, castra ipsa, tribus, decurias, palatium, senatum, forum; sola vobis reliquimus 15 templa. Cui bello non idonei, non prompti fuissemus, etiam impares copiis, qui tam libenter trucidamur, si non apud istam disciplinam magis occidi liceret, quam occidere? Potuimus et inermes, nec rebelles, sed tantummodo discordes, solius divortii invidia adversus vos dimicasse. Si 20 enim tanta vis hominum in aliquem orbis remoti sinum abrupissemus a vobis, suffudisset pudore utique domi nationem vestram tot qualiumcunque amissio civium, imo etiam et ipsa destitutione punisset.

Ibid. 37.

Christians not disloyal.

WE are under another and a greater need of praying for the emperors, and further for the good estate of the Empire and the interests of Rome, knowing as we do that a mighty shock impending over the entire world and the end of the age itself with the fearful calamities it threatens 5 are delayed by the respite which the Roman Empire gives. Thus when we pray for those things to be put off which we do not wish ourselves to experience, we are in favour of the long endurance of Rome. Furthermore, even as we do not swear by the genii of the Caesars, so we do swear 10 by their health, which is more august than all the genii. Do you not know that the genii are called daemones, and thence by the diminutive word daemonia? We in the emperors look up to the judgement of God, who has set them over the nations.

Numbers of the Christians.

15

We are men of yesterday; yet we have filled all your places of resort-cities, lodging-houses, villages, towns, markets, even the camp, tribes, town-councils, palace, senate, forum; we have left you nothing but your temples. For what war should not we have been fit and ready, 20 though with unequal forces, who are so willing to be slaughtered, if according to our teaching it were not better to be killed than to kill? We could have fought against you even without arms, yet without rebellion, simply by the civil discord of an unfriendly separation. For if such 25 a force of men as we had broken off from you to some far corner of the world, your empire would undoubtedly have been put to shame by the loss of so many citizens of whatever sort, or rather actual bankruptcy would have been your punishment.

30

XXXVIII.

CORPUS sumus de conscientia religionis et disciplinae unitate et spei foedere. Coimus in coetum et congregationem, ut ad deum, quasi manu facta, precationibus ambiamus. Haec vis deo grata est. Oramus etiam pro 5 imperatoribus, pro ministeriis eorum ac potestatibus, pro statu saeculi, pro rerum quiete, pro mora finis. Cogimur ad litterarum divinarum commemorationem, si quid praesentium temporum qualitas aut praemonere cogit aut recognoscere. Certe fidem sanctis vocibus pascimus, 10 spem erigimus, fiduciam figimus, disciplinam praeceptorum nihilominus inculcationibus densamus; ibidem etiam exhortationes, castigationes et censura divina. Nam et iudicatur magno cum pondere, ut apud certos de dei conspectu, summumque futuri iudicii praeiudicium est, si quis 15 ita deliquerit, ut a communicatione orationis et conventus et omnis sancti commercii relegetur. Praesident probati quique seniores, honorem istum non pretio sed testimonio adepti; neque enim pretio ulla res dei constat. Etiam si quod arcae genus est, non de honoraria summa, quasi 20 redemptae religionis congregatur; modicam unusquisque stipem menstrua die, vel quum velit, et si modo velit et si modo possit, apponit: nam nemo compellitur, sed sponte confert. Haec quasi deposita pietatis sunt. Nam inde non epulis nec potaculis, nec ingratis voratrinis dispen25 satur, sed egenis alendis humandisque, et pueris ac puellis re ac parentibus destitutis, iamque domesticis senibus, item naufragis, et si qui in metallis, et si qui in insulis, vel in custodiis, dumtaxat ex causa dei sectae, alumni confessionis suae fiunt.

Ibid. 39.