d Roman Laws. He was naturally exceeding Hot and Impatient, a temper he very much laments in his Boook of Patience; to this natural Stock of Fire, and the joint Force of Letters, was added a furpriz ing Vivacity of Wit, edged with a Keenefs peculiar to himself, fo that he cou'd drive an Argument as far by dint of Reason, and clinch it as feverely by dint of Wit, as moft Men living; for in the Pfalmift's Phrafe, His Teeth were Spears and Arrows, and his Tongue a fharp Sword, which by his own Confeffion, in his merry Fits, he had often drawn against the True God, and fhot his most bitter Words against the Chriftian Religion: And as the greatest Wits are not always the ftricteft Livers, fo had he copy'd but too clofely after the Gods he worship'd, for he acknowledges himself not only an Adulterer, but one who had taken a cruel Pleasure in the bloody Entertainments of the Amphitheater, one who had arriv'd to a diftinguishing Eminency in Vice, and was an Ac complish'd Sinner in all Refpects. In a word, no Man feems deeper learn'd in the Mystery of Iniquity, in the Rife and Progrefs of Superftition, and in the creditable Abominations of the Age, than our Tertul lian in his Gentile State; and as a Perfon of such Ability and ftanding in Vice, was not likely to furrender upon eafie Terms, and becotne a Convert to a moft holy and fuffering Religion, without the clea reft and Itrongeft Conviction, to after his Converfion was no Man better appointed to Reafon and Ridi cule the Heathen Gods, and the Heathen Immoralities quite out of the World. g i Concerning the prime Motives and Manner of his Converfion, we have nothing exprefs, either from himself, or the Ancients; but as we naturally fes Lib. de Pat. at the beginning. Ap. 18. Hec nos rifimus aliquando; de veftris fuimus. De Poenit. p. 142. Pratantiam in deli&tis meam agnofco. Our our felves moft apt to dilate and dwell upon fuch Motives, as moft inwardly affect us; fo what we find this Convert moft warmly and emphatically urging in the Defence of Chriftianity, we may reasonably conjecture to have had the mightieft Operation on himself. We fee then this Author moft triumphantly infifting upon the Antiquity of the Mofaick Writings, with the mighty Works and Wifdom of that Lawgiver; upon the fucceffive Links of Prophecy, which make up one long Chain of continued Wonders, that will conduct an inquifitive Spirit directly to Chrift, with an Evidence as Illuftrious, as that of the Star which went before the Wife Men, till it came and ftood over, where the young Child was. We find him, likewife, full and overflowing upon the external Evidence taken from the Miracles of Chrift and his Apoftles, and from the Intrinfick Goodnefs, and amazing Influence of this new Philofophy upon the Lives of its Profeffors; and no lefs fenfibly affected with the Powers of ev'ry Chriftian over evil Spirits: And in truth, to fee the very Poffeffors themfelves poffefs'd with Fear and Trembling, To hear the very Devils they worship'd for Gods, turn Preachers of Chrift, and cry, and howl, and confefs themfelves Devils in the Prefence of their Votaries, was a Proof against 'em with a Witnefs, and as convincing, as Common in the Age of this Writer. Thefe, I fay, are fome of the most frequent and fhining Arguments he preffes against his Adverfaries, and fuch therefore, as we may well conclude, had the greatest Stroke in the Converfion of himself. Concerning the Date of this Apology, and the PerJons to whom it was dedicated, the Learned are at Variance; and I am not fond of interpofing in a critical Difpute of fo little confequence, but upon examination, that which to me feems most probable, is, that it was written about the Year of F. C. 200. for F Ap. cap. 19, 20, 23. and almoft every where at 4 m at this time the Chriftians at Rome were feverely treated by Plautianus the Prefect of the City, and in Africk by Saturninus the Proconful: Thus much is certain from the 'Apologetick it felf, that it was not written till after the Defeat of Niger and Albinus, and whileft the Emperor Severus was in hot purfuit of the Rebels; but Albinus was not defeated till February 19. 197. Vit. Sev. 21. after which the Em perour went into the Eaft, in queft of Niger and his Adherents; Vit. Sev. 26. In anfwer to this, 'tis objected, That thefe Factions of Niger and Albinus are both mention'd by Tertullian in his Book ad Scapulam, written after the Apology; but then the Objector does not take notice that 'tis faid here, whileft they were at that time in fresh purfuit of the Rebels, which is not faid in the Book ad Scapulam, and which is the most material Point; nor does the Objector call to mind, that the Church enjoy'd a profound Quiet in the Year 217. which is the time wherein he fixes the Date of the Apologetick. The learned Mr. " Dodwel was once of the fame Opinion with this Author, and to fupport it, interpos'd a Perfecution between Severus and Maximin, without giving any Reafon for fo doing. Tho' fince, he has chang'd his Mind, and dates this Apology from the Year 203, after the Death of Plautianus, applying to him (tho' not mention'd, the Racematio fuperftes & qui armati Pa latium irrumpunt, which is with much better Reafon applicable to the Death of Pertinax: But certain it is, that Severus iffued out no Edicts against the Chriftians till the Year 202; and it is as certain from Tertullian's own words, that at the writing of this Apology there were no fuch Edits. His words are as follow, Of all your Emperors down to this prefent Ap. c. 35. Sed & qui nunc fceleftarum partium Socii aut Plaufores quotidie revelantur, poft vindemiam Parricidarum racematio fuperftes. m Dalix, Tertul. vit. c. 9. p. 78. Cyp. dif. II. c. 1. p. 282. • Pears, dif. P. 173 Reign, who underflood any thing of Religion or Humanity, name me one, who perfecuted the Chriftians, Ap. cap. 5. and Chapter the 4th, he calls Severus the most conftant Prince. And he tells us elsewhere, that in the first part of his Reign he was a very indulgent Prince to the Chriftians: And he was under peculiar Obligations fo to be; for one Proculus a Chriftian had cur'd him of a dangerous Diftemper, by anointing him with Oil in the Name of the Lord, according to that of St. James, cap. 5. v. 14. Which Cure left fo deep an Impreffion upon his Mind, that Severus was no fooner Emperour but Proculus was fent for, and kept in Court to his dying Day. And as this Christian was a living Apology for the Chriftians, and a conftant Check upon him against hurting the Disciples of Chrift, in whofe Name he himfelf was healed; fo I doubt not but that which made him tolerate them the more, was, That he found not one Christian engag'd in the Factions either of Albinus or Niger; a Topick our Apologift triumphs upon more than once ; for a Factious Chriftian was a Monster not to be met with in the Days of old. But tho' Severus put out no Edids till the Year 202, yet the People were too hot againft Chriftians to stay for Edicts, and befides they had an old Law on their fide, which forbad the introducing of a new God with the Approbation of the Senate, and any thing we know will ferve an enraged Mob for Reasons, as well as Arms; and the Perfecution which raged in Africk about 200, and fomething fooner at Rome, in all the Varieties of Cruelty and in its full ftrength, faving the Emperor's Edit, is that which determines both the Date and the Occafion of this Apology. As to the Perfons to whom it was dedicated, I refer the Reader to the Notes upon the firft Chapter of the following Apology. Ad Scap. cap. 4. p. 71. 1 Ap. cap. 35. Ad Scap. c. 2. p. 85. Confidering the little Difference in point of Time between Justin Martyr and Tertullian, no wonder if in these two Apologifts upon the fame Subject, we often meet with the like Reafoning, tho' with a very diftinguishing Air according to the different Genius and Complexion of each Writer. For tho' Commodus was a Pagan Prince, and as bad a Man, as bad cou'd be, yet during his Reign the Church enjoy'd a favourable Seafon; for the bloody Ruler glutted his Cruelty upon his Pagan Subjects, and by peculiar Providence the human Monfter fpar'd none but Chriftians. In this lucid Interval Chriftianity got Ground, and grew apace; the little Leaven had fpread thro' the whole Mafs of the Roman Empire, Army and Senate, Town and Country, were all over-run with Chriftians: But notwithstanding this Encrease, yet the Kingdom of Darkness was the ruling Kingdom, the Demons reign'd ftill in Worship, and the fame Iniquities were acted by Law; and therefore he who who reads the Preliminary to Juftin, need not be told in this, the Particulars of the Apology following. After Tertullian with great Strength of Reafon, and Satyr in abundance, has expos'd the Heathen Gods, and given a fenfible Demonftration from their own Mouths that they were no Gods, he proceeds to the Proof of the Chriftian Religion; and having eftablifh'd' the Doctrine of three Perfons and one God, of the Divinity of Chrift, the Two Sacraments, of Baptifm and the Eucharift, an immediate State of Happiness or Mifery after Death, an univerfal Refurrection to eternal Life in Blifs or Torment, toge ther with their way of Worship and the manner of their Affemblies, he then goes on to remove a prevailing Calumny, which block'd up the Minds of the Heathen, and made it morally impoffible for the Chriftian Faith to get Admiffion, or to be fo much Eufeb. Hift. Eccl. l. 5. c. 21. |