Concern, than yours, to make those the Examples of Justice, if they can, who refufe to worship them; and while you thus harrafs them, and accuse them for Atheists, and object other things against them, and are not able to make good the Charge, you do but harden them in their Opinion; for it makes mightily. for 'em, or you cannot oblige them more, than to make 'em die for the Religion they are accus'd of; for thus they triumph over you, by choofing rather to fubmit to Death, than to comply with your Demands. As for Earthquakes, either paft or prefent, I advise you to be filent upon this Head; you who are defponding immediately upon these Occafions, and laying all your Calamities upon them, whereas they are more erect and confident in God upon fuch Accidents: But you all this time seem to be perfect Strangers to the Gods, and to neg lect their Worship, nay, the Worship of the great God himself, and therefore mortally hate thofe who do worship him, and perfecute 'em to death for fo doing. Concerning this fort of Men, feveral Governors of Provinces have formerly written to my Father of facred Memory; to whom he returned this Answer, That fuch Men should not be molested, unless they were found to attempt any thing against the Roman Government. And I my felf have receiv'd many Letters upon the fame Subject, and I return'd the fame Anfwer. So that if any one hereafter shall go on to inform against this fort of Men, purely because they are Chriftians, let the Perfons accus'd be discharg'd, K 2 altho' 132 The Epistle of Marcus the Emperor altho' they be found to be Chriftians, and let the Informer himself undergoe the Punish ment. The EPISTLE of MARCUS the TH To the People of Rome, and the facred Senate, d Concerning the Genuineness of this Epifle, the Reader may confult the Notes of Dr. Grabe, and those of Kortholtus at the end of his Edition; but fuppofing with Jofeph Scaliger, that this was not written in Greek by Marcus, nor tranflated from the true Latin, but patch'd together after the Emperor Juftinian's time by fome wretched Gracian; the Matter is not much, for as to the Occafion and the Contents in general, namely, the miraculous Relief here mention'd, we are affur'd of from an undoubted Authority very near that time, from Tertullian himself in his Apology, c.5. See likewife Orofius, in l. 7. Hift. c. St. Army of all forts of People, to the number of nine hundred feventy thoufand Men were juft upon us; (but I had a good Body of choice light-arm'd Soldiers about me, of the first, tenth, and double Legion) upon this Alarm I muster'd my Forces, and comparing 'em with those of the Barbarians, my Enemies, I had immediate Recourse to the Roman Gods by Prayer, but finding my felf neglected by them, and my Army reduc'd to very great Straits, I call'd out those who go by the Name of Chriftians, and 'upon the Mufter finding their Number confiderable, I charg'd our Calamities feverely upon them; which certainly I ought not by any means to have done, confidering the mighty Advantages I receiv'd from these very Men foon after: For upon this they put themselves in Battle Array, not by found of Trumpet, and putting their Javelins and Arms in order, becaufe they were accus'd upon the Account of that God they carry'd about 'em in their Minds: (Wherefore 'tis but reasonable that thofe we fufpected for Atheists, we should now conclude to have God, as it were, immur'd in their Minds, performing whatever they defire of Him.) For proftrating themselves upon the Earth, they offer'd up Prayers, not only for Me, but for the whole Army, infomuch that in this Article of Neceffity they pray'd down a prodigious Relief, while we were perifhing with Hunger and Thirst, having been five Days without Water, for there was none near us, we being then in the Heart of Germany, and upon the Frontiers t 134 The Epistle of Marcus the Emperor, &c.. of the Enemy. But no fooner had they fell to the Earth, and pray'd to a God I knew nothing of, but immediatly a Shower from Heaven fucceeded, a Shower of refreshing Water to us, and of fiery Hail to our Enemies. But moreover, upon their Prayers forthwith there was the Appearance of a God Almighty Invincible. This therefore is my ground for the Toleration of Chriftians, for fear that by the fame powerful Prayers they should fetch down the like Artillery from above against us. My Will and Pleasure therefore is, That no one henceforth be brought to the Bar merely for being a Christian; and if any fhall be found to inform against a Chriftian, purely upon the Score of his Religion, I order that the Chri ftian fo inform'd against confefs the Charge, and if he be found guilty of nothing but Chritianity, that the Informer be burnt alive; and that the Christian upon his Confeflion be therefore acquitted, and that the Governor of the Province do not force him to retract, nor deprive him of his Liberty. These things I defire fhould be confirm'd by Decree of Senate. And I order likewife, That this Decree be propos'd and publifh'd in Trajan's Forum to be read by All, and the Præfect Verafius Pollio fhall take Care to dispatch it into all the Provinces round about. And I order likewife, That none be prohibited to take out a Copy of this Decree, whoever has a mind so to do. A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE ΤΟ TERTULLIAN'S APOLOGETICK FOR THE CHRISTIANS. a b UINTUS Septimius Florens Tertullianus was the Son of a Centurion under the Proconful of Africk, born at Carthage about the Year 160; of Heathen Parentage, and of Heathen Education; he had a Head marvelloufly well turn'd for Science, and his Extenfive Genius foon led him the Round of human Learning; he had div'd into the Secrets of Geometry and Phyfick, and ftudy'd the Poets and Philofophers thro' and thro'; he was a great Mafter of Hiftory, and above all, as Eufebius tells us, and as from the Apology is evident, profoundly vers'd in the • Ap. cap. 9. cap. 3. с 135 |