Ante-Nicene Christian Library; Translations Of The Writings Of The Fathers Down To A.D. 325, Volume 11: The Writings Of Tertullian, Volume 1

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APOLOGETICUS. 115 traiiors, with wliat verdant and branching laureis they cladtheir doo posts, With What losty and brilliant lamps in sinohed their porches, With What most exquisite and gaudycouches they divided the Forum among themselves, not thatthey might celebrate public rejoicings, but that they might get a foret te of their oKn votive seMons in partising of the festivities of another, and inaugurate the modet and image of their liope, chaning in their minti the emperor'sname. The samo homage is pald, dussully to those

Who consuli astrologere, and soothsayers, and augura, and magicians, about the lite os the Caesars,-arts Which, as madoknown by the angels who sinnod and forbidden by God, Christians do not even mine me of in their oWn assaire. But who has any occasion to inquire about the life of theemperor, is he have not some wish or thought against it, orsome liopes and expectations aster it For consultations of this sort havs not the fame motivo in tho caso os friends asin the caso of fovereigns. The anxiety of a hinsmin is something very different irom that os a subjeci. 36. Is it is the saei that men bearing the name os Romansare sound to be enemies os Rome, Why are me, on the ground that Wo are regarded as enemies, dented the name of Romans' Me may be at once Romans and laes of Rome, When men passing for Romans are discovered to be ene es of their count . So the affection, and sealty, and NVerenee, due to the emperors do not consist in such tokens os homageas these, Whicli even hostility may bo aealous in perso ing, chiefly as a cloah to ita purposes; but in those ways Whicli Deity as certainly enjοius on us, as they are held to bo neces

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116 TERTULLIANUS

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APOLOGETICUS117

his error.

38. ought not Christians, therelare, to receive not merelya some hat milder triniment, but to have a place among thela toleratia societies, Meing they are not chameable With anysuch crimes as are commonly dreaded from societies of the illicit classi For, uniess I misi e the matter, the preventionos such associations is based on a prudentiat regard is publicorder, that the state may not be divided into parties, Whichwould naturali y lead to disturbanco in the electorat assem-blies, the counciis, the curiae, the species conventions, even intho public shows by tho hostilo collisions os rival parties, especialty When no , in pursuit os gain, men have begunto consider their violance an article in be bought and sold. But as those in Whom ali ardour in the purauit os glory and

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118 TERTULLIANUS

39. I shali at once go on, then, to exhibit the peculiarities of the Christian socie , that, as I havo resuted the ovit chargedagainst it, I may potnt outi iis positive good. We are a bovknit together as such by a common religious profession, is uni of discipline, and by the bond os a common hope. We meet together as an assembly and congregation, that, offering up prayer to God as With united force, Me may wresue with Ηim in Our supplications. This violenco God delighis in. We pray, too, for the emperors, for their ministers and sor ali in authori , for the weliare of the Worid, sor the prevalence of peace, for the delay of the finalconsummation. We assemble to read our sacred Writings, itany peculiari of the times mahes either fore-Warning orreminiscence needfui. However it be in that respect Withthe sacred mords, κε nourish our faith, We animale our liope, We mari our confidenco more stediast; and no less by inculcations os God's precepis Wo confirm good habiis. In the Same place also exhortations are made, rebuhes and sacrudcensures are administered. For With a great gravi is the

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tho most notabio examplo of judment to come When any one has sinned so grievousty as to require his severance Domus in prayer, and the meeling, and ali sacred intercourae. The tried men os our oldera preside over us, obtaining that

mother nature, though you are hardly men, because brothersso unkind. At the samo time, hoW much more fittinglythey are called and counted brothers who have been led totho knowledge of God as their common Father, Who havedrunk in one spirit of holiness, who from the fame Womb os a common ignoranco have agonized into the samo light of truth l But on this very account, perhaps, me are regarded if(jQuery('body').width()<970) {document.write('