History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene Christianity. A. D. 100-325

accusation, that they worshipped an ass’s head, may have arisen, as Tertullian already intimates,

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from a story of Tacitus, respecting some Jews, who were once directed by a wild ass to fresh water,

and thus relieved from the torture of thirst; and it is worth mentioning, only to show how passionate

and blind was the opposition with which Christianity in this period of persecution had to contend.

§ 37. The Apologetic Literature of Christianity.

Comp. Lit. in § 1 and 12.

I. The sources are all the writings of the Apologists of the second and third centuries; particularly

Justin M.: Apologia I. and II.; Tertull.: Apologeticus; Minucius Felix: Octavius; Origen: Contra

Celsum (

           

) libr. VIII. Aristidis, Philosophi Atheniensis, Sermones duo, Venetiis 1878. (From

an Armenian translation). Complete editions of the Apologists: Apologg. Christ. Opp. ed. Prud.

Maranus, Par. 1742; Corpus Apologetarum Christianorum seculi secundi, ed. Th. Otto, Jenae,

1847 sqq. ed. III. 1876 sqq. A new ed. by O. v. Gebhardt and E. Schwartz, begun 1888.

II. Fabricius:Dilectus argumentorum et Syllabus scriptorum, qui veritatem Rel. Christ. asseruerunt.

Hamb. 1725.

Tzschirner: 

Geschichte der Apologetik

. Lpz. 1805 (unfinished).

G. H. Van Sanden: 

Gesch. der Apol

. translated from Dutch into German by Quack and Binder. Stuttg.

1846. 2 vols.

Semisch: 

Justin der Mürt

. Bresl. 1840. II. 56–225.

W. B. Colton: The Evidences of Christianity as exhibited in the writings of its Apologists down to

Augustine (Hulsean Prize Essay, 1852), republ. in Boston, 1854.

Karl Werner (R.C.): 

Geschichte der apologetischen und polemischen Literatur der christl. Theologie.

 Schaffhausen,

1861–’65. 5 vols. (vol. I. belongs here).

James Donaldson: A Critical History of Christian Literature and Doctrine from, the Death of the

Apostles to the Nicene Council. London, 1864–66. 3 vols.

Adolf Harnack: 

Die Ueberlieferung der Griechischen Apologeten des zweiten Jahrhunderts in der alten Kirche und im Mittelalter

.

Band I. Heft 1 and 2. Leipz. 1882.

These assaults of argument and calumny called forth in the second century the Christian

apologetic literature, the vindication of Christianity by the pen, against the Jewish zealot, the Grecian

philosopher, and the Roman statesman. The Christians were indeed from the first "ready always

to give an answer to every man that asked them a reason of the hope that was in them." But when

heathenism took the field against them not only with fire and sword, but with argument and slander

besides, they had to add to their simple practical testimony a theoretical self-defence. The Christian

apology against non-Christian opponents, and the controversial efforts against Christian errorists,

are the two oldest branches of theological science.

The apologetic literature began to appear under the reign of Hadrian, and continued to grow

till the end of our period. Most of the church teachers took part in this labor of their day. The first

apologies, by Quadratus, bishop of Athens, Aristides, philosopher of Athens, and Aristo of Pella,

which were addressed to the emperor Hadrian, and the later works of Melito of Sardis, Claudius

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Apol.c. 16:"Somniastis caput asininun esse deum nostrum. Hanc Cornelius Tacitus suspicionem ejusmodi dei inseruit,"etc.

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Philip Schaff

History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene

Christianity. A.D. 100-325.

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Apollinaris of Hierapolis, and Miltiades, who lived under Marcus Aurelius, were either entirely

lost, or preserved only in scattered notices of Eusebius. But some interesting fragments of Melito

and Aristides have been recently discovered.

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0 More valuable are the apologetical works of the

Greek philosopher and martyr, Justin (d. 166), which we possess in full. After him come, in the

Greek church, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus of Antioch, and Hermias in the last half of the

second century, and Origen, the ablest of all, in the first half of the third.

The most important Latin apologists are Tertullian (d. about 220), Minucius Felix (d. between

220 and 230; according to some, between 161 and 200), the later Arnobius and Lactantius, all of

North Africa.

Here at once appears the characteristic difference between the Greek and the Latin minds.

The Greek apologies are more learned and philosophical, the Latin more practical and juridical in

their matter and style. The former labor to prove the truth of Christianity and its adaptedness to the

intellectual wants of man; the latter plead for its legal right to exist, and exhibit mainly its moral

excellency and salutary effect upon society. The Latin also are in general more rigidly opposed to

heathenism, while the Greek recognize in the Grecian philosophy a certain affinity to the Christian

religion.

The apologies were addressed in some cases to the emperors (Hadrian, Antoninus Pius,

Marcus Aurelius) or the provincial governors; in others, to the intelligent public. Their first object

was to soften the temper of the authorities and people towards Christianity and its professors by

refuting the false charges against them. It may be doubtful whether they ever reached the hands of

the emperors; at all events the persecution continued.

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1

 Conversion commonly proceeds from the

heart and will, not from the understanding and from knowledge. No doubt, however, these writings

contributed to dissipate prejudice among honest and susceptible heathens, to spread more favorable

views of the new religion, and to infuse a spirit of humanity into the spirit of the age, the systems

of moral philosophy and the legislation of the Antonines.

Yet the chief service of this literature was to strengthen believers and to advance theological

knowledge. It brought the church to a deeper and clearer sense of the peculiar nature of the Christian

religion, and prepared her thenceforth to vindicate it before the tribunal of reason and philosophy;

whilst Judaism and heathenism proved themselves powerless in the combat, and were driven to the

weapons of falsehood and vituperation. The sophisms and mockeries of a Celsus and a Lucian have

none but a historical interest; the Apologies of Justin and the Apologeticus of Tertullian, rich with

indestructible truth and glowing piety, are read with pleasure and edification to this day.

The apologists do not confine themselves to the defensive, but carry the war aggressively

into the territory of Judaism and heathenism. They complete their work by positively demonstrating

that Christianity is the divine religion, and the only true religion for all mankind.

§ 38. The Argument against Judaism.

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See on the works of these Apologists, lost and partly recovered, Harnack, l.c. pp. 100 sqq.; 240 sqq.; and Renan, L’egl.

chrét. p. 40 sqq. We shall refer to them in the chapter on Christian literature.

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Orosius, however, relates in big Hist. vii. 14, that Justin M., by his Apology, made the emperor Antoninus Pius "benignum

erqa Christianos."

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Philip Schaff

History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene

Christianity. A.D. 100-325.

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