who by holinesse of manners and innocency of their lives have rendred themselves capable of knowing and shewing his greatnesse to others He hath abundantly shed upon them the graces of his divine spirit that they might preach there is but one God who created this Universe who is the true Prometheus that tooke man from the earth who hath ordained in the world the change of seasons by which it subsists who hath given tokens of the dreadfull rigor of his judgements by water and fire who hath published his Lawes wherein all hee would have men doe to please him are set downe Lawes that you are ignorant of or neglect who hath ordained great recompences to those that keepe them who at the end of the world will rayse all the dead that ever lived from the Creation of the World commanding them to reassume their bodies to examine their good or evill actions that thereupon gives to the faithfull a felicity that hath no end and condemne Idolaters and such like to eternal flames We have heertofore been of your opinion and then mockt at this doctrine for men are not borne Christians they embrace this Religion after they know it Wee say then those to whom God hath given this charge to preach are called Prophets because they publish the things which should come to passe the oracles which they have declared concerning the mysteries of that God which we worship have been layd up in bookes as in the publicke treasury where they have been kept till now The most learned of the Ptolomies who was sirnamed Philadelphus a most accomplished Prince in the knowledge of learning would after the example of Pisistratus make a rich Library among the excellent peeces which hee sought after and had reputation either because of their antiquity or because they were rare and curious by the advice of Demetrius phalerius who was then the learnedst of all the Gramarians and to whom he had given the keeping of all that great number of volumes hee had gathered together askâ— of the Jews the holy bookes which were written in their mother tongue which were not found any where else but in their hands For the Prophets were alwayes of their nation and they alwayes addressed their Prophesies to them as to a people who by the merit of their ancient Patrianks had the happinesse to bee the beloved of God Wee called them heeretofore Hebrews whom you now call Jews and therefore their language was called the Hebrew tongue The Jews to make knowne to strangers the law of the true God granted Ptolemy that which he desired of them and sent him seventy two learned men to interpret those holy bookes Will you have witnesses the Philosopher Menedemus who was a powerfull Protector of the opinion of divine providence admired at what recorded in them and in that point was of the same opinion with them Aristaeus hath left a publicke monument of this history in a booke hee composed in Greeke These Hebrew volumes are found at this day in the liberary of Ptolemy and the Jews read them openly you may goe and heare them every Saturday in their Synagogues they buy this liberty with a great tribute which they annually pay He that heares the truths they declare shall meet with the truth of one onely God and whosoever will study to comhrehend the mysteries contained in the Holy Scriptures will bee presently forced to believe them CHAP. XIX THese holy Writings take their principall authority from their antiquity You are wont to make use of this proofe and will have it to be lawfull in upholding your Idolatry you ground the reverence you carry to your gods on long continuance of years but wee have more reason to make use of it then you for the books of one of our Prophets onely to wit Moses wherein it seemes God hath inclosed as in a treasure all the Religion of the Jewes and consequently all the Christian Religion preceding for many ages together reacheth beyond the ancientest you have even all your publick Monuments the antiquity of your originals the establishment of your estate the birth of most part of the people the foundation of many great Cities all that most advanced by you in all ages of History and memory of times the invention of Characters which are interpreters of Sciences and the Guardians of all excellent things I thinke wee may say more even your gods Temples Oracles and Sacrifices Have you heard mention made of that great Prophet Moses He was contemporary with Inachus he preceded Danaus three hundred fourscore and thirteen years the ancientest of all that have a name in your Histories He lived about a thousand years before the ruine of the City of Troy I could also say fifteen hundred and more before Homer for it is not without ground neither will I relate it but as others have reported it before me Every of the other Prophets succeeded Moses and yet the last of them all is of the same age as your first Wise-men Law-givers and Historians were The proof of these things are not so difficult as it would be troublesome so hard as long to make apparent wee must examine a great number of Volumes and Papers put our selves to calculate the sequell of times open the Records of the ancientest of all people namely of AEgyptians Caldeans and phaenitians make use of the testimonies of their Writets who have left to posterity the knowledge of things past of Manethon an AEgyptian Berosus a Chaldean Hierome a Phaenician King of Tire and of them that followed after Menedesius a Ptolomean Menander an Ephesian Demetrius a Phalerian King Juba Appion Thallus and Josephus the genuine and true Authour of the antiquity of the Jews whose Writings either approve that which others have said or make known their errours Wee must examine the publick Registers of the Greeks see what actions they report consider when such actions done that the order of times may appeare and cleare the Histories of the past ages in reducing them according to the sequell of years in conclusion we must turne over the leaves and Notes of all the earth But me thinks I have already made half the proof in shewing from whence it ought to be taken Certainly it is better to defer the spinning out this point any further for feare that touching it in half I say not all that importance thereof requires or that in resting here I stay too long from the principle meanes of our Defence CHAP. XX. IF defer to shew the antiquity of holy Scriptures I will shew you at persent something more important in lieu thereof for I discover to you their Majesty I tell you they are divine if you doubt still they are ancient There 's no need of any long discussion to let you know it neither will we go to seek the proof without us The World History of all ages the event of things do furnish us all don in our dayes was foretold here to fore what our Fathers
mines of the Emperours inheritance and if all these temples depend not absolutely on his will There are many gods have had experience of Caesaâ—s anger and this is an advantage to us that the Prince being favourable to them hath used his liberality and accorded some priviledges to them Now how is it possible that they that are subjects to the Emperour to whom all the world is subject should have the welfare of their Emperour in their power there is more likely-hood they have their welfare from Caesar then Caesar from them What offend we the majesty of the Prince because we cast him not under the things appertaining to him because we turne not into derision the prayers which should be raysed up to Heaven for his preservation and believe not that it is in the hands of the leaden statues of your gods Truely you appeare very pious to your Prince being you seeke his welfare where it is not and demand it of them who can do nothing forgetting him that hath the power to give it and seeing you persecute men who can demand it and knowing how to aske it know also how to obtaine it CHAP. XXX As for us in the prayers wee make for the Emperous wee call upon the eternall God the true God the living God this God to whom the Emperours prefer their assistance before that of other gods they know very well who gave them the empire they possesse and men as they are know who gave them the spirit wherewith they are animated They acknowledge there is no other then this onely God through whose power alone they subsist to whom they are inferiour one degree onely after whom they are next in place before and above all other that are called gods Why should they not be greater then these gods seeing they are masters of all the living which are more worth then the dead they consider how farr their authority goes and apprehend the essence of God in proving they can do nothing against him also seeing God greater and of more power then themselves they are forced to acknowledge they can doe nothing but by him Let the Princes of the earth makes as many designes as they please to subdue Heaven undertake to carry Heaven in triumph as a captive command courts of guard to be kept in Heaven strive to make Heaven tributary they labour in vaine hee is great because not altogether so great as heaven To him heaven and all creatures appertaine the Emperour drawes his originall from the same place whence man drew before hee was Emperour the author of his soule is the author of his power It is to him to whom wee Christians addresse our prayers make them with hands opened and lifted up because innocent the head bare because no cause to bee ashamed when wee pray to God There are none declares to us the words we are to say because it is our heart that acteth rather then our tongue Wee pray for all the Emperours and aske of God that he would give them along life that their Empire enjoy a profound peace their house a happy concord their armies be invincible themselves assisted with good counsells the people remaine in their duties no trouble arise in the world against their authority In the end we forget nothing the Prince can wish for either as a man or as an Emperour Neverthelesse we cannot aske these things but of him of whom wee know wee shall obtaine them as hee is the onely one that must grant them wee are they alone that must pray for them because we and none but we are his true subjects for of all men hee is worshipped of none but us let them put us to death because wee follow his doctrine and offer this rich and fat sacrifice which hee will have us consecrate unto him to wit a prayer conceaved and produced from a chast body an innocent soule a spirit filled with holinesse and not with the graines of incense of little value the teares of that tree of Arabia two drops of wine the blood of an Oxe ready to die of old age and for that reason even to bee rejected in true sacrifices finally after all sort of uncleanesse with a contaminated conscience In effect there is where withall to wonder that among you the Priests vicious as they are exactly consider it the sacrifices are pure and intire they examine rather the inwards of the sacrifices then the insides of them that offer them then whilst we implore the grace of God for the Emperours with our hands lifted up and stretched toward heaven let irons pierce us gibbets put us on crosses fires consume us knives cut our throats beasts devoure us A Christian while in prayer lifting up his hands to God is in a condition fit to receave all sorts of punishments and therefore continue O magistrates so affected to justice ravish our soules whilst they are in prayers for the welfare of the Emperours and make a crime of truth and the service of God CHAP. XXXI BUT it may bee you imagine our hearts belie our words that what we come from saying of the vowes wee make for the welfare of our Emperours is but flattery by which wee thinke to shelter our selves from the torments prepared for us But if wee use faigning this faigning is not unprofitable seeing you admit us to prove what we alleadg for our justification wee entreat them who believe our Religion takes no care of the preservation of the Emperours to examine the lawes of our God to read our bookes which wee hide not and which by divers accidents fall into other hands then ours They will learne there that it is commanded us by a superabundant charity to pray to God for our enemies and to wish good to them that persecute us Now have wee greater enemies and ruder persecuters then those who make offended majesty the ground of the crime they impute unto us Holy Scriptures content not themselves with this commandement they have another more precise and clearer pray say they for Kings Princes and powers that you may live in peace in the midst of publicke tranquilitie for if the Empire be shaken all its members suffer a generall shaking it is impossible we should not feel it because although people take us for strangers yet seeing wee occupie certaine places as well as they wee make a part of the state as well as they and together with them participate of its good and evill fortune CHAP. XXXII VVEE have yet an obligation greater then that of praying to God for the Emperours all estates of the Empire and prosperity of the Roman affaires Wee are assured that the generall dissolution that threatens the Universe and this consummation of ages which must bring such fearefull confusions in the world is retarded so long as the glorious majesty and triumphant Roman Empire shall last We desire not to bee present at the subversion of all nature and when wee pray to God to deferr it we pray
adultry or which turnes the eyes from the object surprising the mind when idle causeth evill desires to enter into the soul thereby which lawe wiser that which condemnes evill deeds or forbids evill speakings â—hich purer that which permits not to do wrong to others or which suffers not so much as to revenge wrong after done unto our selves but this is not all for you must know your lawes which seemed to set out innocence whereof notwithstanding they represent but an imperfect image have borrowed that they have of good from the law of God as far more ancient then what in lawes established by men I have already spoken of the time wherein Moses lived and therefore not necessary to repeate what before said to shew the lawes then published to bee the first before all other humane lawes since which have not the vertue of that primitive law for I pray you what force have those lawes whereof men may avoid the severity because very often their crimes are covered and wee may somtimes freely violate them when it is by accident or constraint they are offended by us But wee need do nothing to make them be neglected but this consideration that the punishments are not of long continuance and end with death so Epicurus mockes at all sorrowes and torments that afflict the body because hee saith one should not apprehend them it meane and tolerable and if violent they will not last long As for us who are to answer before a God who knowes the most hidden things and that his justice will revenge the faults of men with paines that shall never end it is with good reason wee labour onely to attaine true innocencie the perfect knowledge wee have of so rare a vertue the difficulty wee have to hide our actions from him that sees all the horror of torments this great God prepares for the wicked torments that are not onely long but eternall oblieging us to conserve purity whereof Jesus Christ hath given us an example for wee feare this God the Iudges ought also to feare that condemne them whose hearts are touched with this feare that is to say Christians who feare God and not man whatsoever power man hath on the earth to afflict them with CHAP. XLVI I Thinke I have cleared the Christians of all the crimes wherwith calumnious imputations make men thirst for their blood Explained all that tends to our justification shewne by what meanes wee can proove the verity of the grounds of our Religion in that I have produced the saith of antiquity consistent with the Holy Scriptures and the confession spirituall powers make of the Divinity of Jesus Christ He that shall bee bold enough to make us passe for impious should not rest on the skill of vaine eloquence and the weake endeavours of fine words but hee must make his proofe in the same forme as wee have established ours Certes these testimonies are of great authority but the admirable fruits our Doctrine produceth the knowledge whereof is become publicke by the commerce wee have in the world makes so downright a conflict with rude incredulity that to defend her selfe she is forced to say our profession hath no matter in it Divine but is onely a sect of Philosophy that obliegeth Christians to ranke themselves there in the exercise of morall vertues The Philosophers saith shee teach and practise the same things Innocence Justice Patience Temperance and Chastity If our Doctrine bee like that of Philosophers if the comparison you make of us with them bee just how comes it wee are not treated as they are for with you their sects are tolerated and you do not punish them But contrarily the Doctrine we publish is forbid by your lawes and exposeth us to all sorts of punishments or else why are not they you esteeme like unto us forced to doe the same things you impose upon us as necessary and which wee refuse on perill of our lives for is there any that forceth a Philosopher to sacrifice or sweare by their gods or to light candles at noone But contrarily they have the liberty to overthrow the worship of your gods openly and to reprehend your superstitions in the bookes they compose which when they make you commend them evidencing thereby that you approve of their opinions Many among them raile impudently against the Princes of the world and you suffer them and the justice of the land hath rather recompenses then punishments for them They set up Statues for them they recompence them with rewards and wee heare not that they are delivered to the fury of wild beasts and must avow that it is with a great deale of reason because they beare the name of Philosophers and not Christians This name Philosopher driveth not away Divells how should they drive them away seeing they put them in the ranke of gods and take them and Divels to bee for one and the same nature Socrates had alwayes this word in his mouth if my Daemon permit me and the same Philosopher who witnesseth hee had the same light of truth when hee taught we must not honour the gods ceased not to ordaine when giving up the Ghost they should sacrifice a cocke to AEsculapius I thinke it was an act of gratitude hee would render to Apollo father of AEsculapius because he said Socrates was the wisest of all men O strange imprudence of a God! he bore witnesse of the wisdome of a man who denied the power of the gods Now as truth is wont to kindle hatred whosoever is faithfull to it and presents it all pure and without disguise is liable to bee checked by the lovers of this passion but contrarily every man that makes profession of corrupting truth acquireth by an action so detestable the favour of those who persecute it The Philosophers will appeare followers of the truth and because glory is the end they propose to themselves in faigning to love it they corrupt it but the Christians that have their salvation for an object earnestly desire it with an holy necessity and after they have met with it conserve its purity and publish it without bringing any change It is not true then whatsoever you imagine that the knowledge and Discipline of Philosophers are like to ours but there are other arguments of difference betweene them and us What is this Thales Prince of Physitians who when Craesus sollicited him to deliver what believe with certainty of God Did hee not put him off with sundry delayes to thinke further upon it every handicraftsmen the least Christian knowes God and is able to shew how his greatnesse is to bee comprehended He shews by the sensible things all that humane understanding finds in God although Plato affirmes this author of the Universe cannot easily be knowne and when know him it is hard to expresse his nature and make his essence be conceived Besides if you object to us that the practise of morall vertues is common betweene the Philosophers and us let us examine
TERTVLLIANS APOLOGY OR DEFENCE OF THE CHRISTIANS AGAINST THE ACCUSATIONS OF THE GENTILES Now made English by H. B. Esq LONDON Printed by Tho. Harper and are to be sold by Thomas Butler at his shop in Lincolns-Inn field near the New-market 1655. To my honoured Father in Law ABRAHAM HAYNES Esq SIR THis Excellent Peece of Tertullian who lived about 1400. years since falling into my hands and perusing it for an Essay translated into English part therof Some of my friends who gave me a visit read this beginning and liking it although they have the same in Latine importuned me to finish what begun Esteeming it might bring some profit to the Christian Religion because therin Tertullian hath made such a solid confutation of the errors of Paganisme and so perfectly represented the innocence of Christians against the false accusations of the Gentiles that in truth Religion could not be better defended nor better perswaded then it is in this Divine Peece That which makes mee appropriate it to you for my particular you are he to whom I professe my selfe SIR Your humble and affectionate Son in Law HENRY BROWN TO HIS HONOURED Friend Henry Brown Esquire Translator of the ensuing Discourse into the English tongue SIR IT s very commendable when Gentlemen to avoid the irksome sin of Idlenes apply their minds unto studies beneficiall to themselves and others in making Exoâ—ick tongues hold forth the truth of things in our Native Language This it cannot be gainsayd in your late translation of this rare Peece into English you have done It was written at first by Tertullian the Author thereof in Latine Into how many severall tongues it hath been translated since I cannot say this I can its worthy for the excellency thereof to bee translated into all tongues the Contents being convincing Arguments for the proof of One God against the Heathen Romans who were then Worshippers of Many It were heartily to be wished we of this Nation could all of us bee as unanimous in the Profession of One true Religion as the Author of this Treatise earnestly laboured to make those unto whom hee wrot in the Confession of One true God This however at present wee may sooner wish then hope for in these suffering and distracting times you have seasonably done Chirst being the Center from whence all lines of truth tend to the Vniversality of Religion as to their Circumference in laying to your helping hand for supporting the sinking pillars of Christianity by translating out of a forraign tongue what the Primitive Christians did and suffered for the Name of Christ It s high time to put pen to paper and publish in our Mother tongue An Apologie or Defence for Christians when men and women nowadays who would bee thought true children of our Mother the Church secretly blaspheme and openly call in question the Godhead of Christ But as I and my Father am one saith our Saviour in the Gospel and therby declares himselfe consequently to be true God so this Apologie sufficiently sets forth the truth of our Christian Faith Which that it so doth in the English tongue we are all beholding to you for your pains alone in this translation The happy success wherof together with a further blessing upon it and your selfe from the Author of what ever blessings God blessed for evermore is heartily prayed for by him who is Sir Yours much devoted to serve you THOMAS WESTLEY THE PREFACE THis Apologie or Defence is the Work of an excellent Orator displaying all the forces of his wit to uphold a most deplored cause in the opinion of the Gentiles and yet the justest that ever was exposed to the judgement of men It s Reader will easily comprehend the merit of this peece so soon as know Tertullian the Author therof and its subject the defense of truth 'T was treated as criminall with them who shut their eyes to the lights therein and would not thereby bee informed Error seemed venerable to them for its antiquity they preferred the darknesse which blinded them for so many Ages before the most excellent Sun-shine of divine light although the accused made mention of in this Treatise were without spots yet their accusers endeavoured to find some and obscured their lustre whom they falsly accused with such impurity that it was necessary men illuminated with the beams of divine splendor should employ the graces they received from heaven to dissipate the darknesse of error and discover to the world a truth which till then they were utterly ignorant of Tertullian was one of those God made use of to lay open or unfold so glorious a ministry and certainly it was a labour worthy of him Hee had enriched his mind with all the choice ornaments of humane Learning was ignorant of nothing that was taught by any kind of Philosophers compleat he was in the knowledge of the Civill Lawes had read the histories of all Ages made to himselfe a treasure of what every science had most precious in it knew all the mysteries of idolatry and was fully informed of the beginning and progresse of Superstition having an understanding which made him capable of very great things His Discourse was so powerfull that one could not heare him without being perswaded by him every of his Arguments rendring him victorious at least over some of his Auditors Hee was equally subtill and solid in his reasonings he had united to those his sublime qualifications a perfect understanding of the holy Scriptures great piety and a marvellous zeale in the Religion of the true God It appertained to a man such as hee was to defend the Christians aginst the calumntes of the Goutiles to overthrow the Altars of the false Gods which Philosophy as he saith himselfe had set up to justifie the worship given by us to the Creator of the Vniversal Hee was an Affrican drawing his originall from a Noble Family of the City of Carthage his Father was an Heathen and commanded a Company of Souldiers under the charge of the Governour of the Province As himselfe tooke birth from an idolatrous house so brought up hee was in Error but God giving him an inquisitive soule he contented not himselfe with the knowledge of this world only but also soared and even penetrated into heaven to get knowledge of divine truth This saving well spring carefully laid up in the bosome of the Church was the water of life hee chiefly thirsted after which having once tasted of he happily plunged himselfe therein and took aful draught of the graces of God swallowed up at the same time this precious liquor Since when he ever after abhorred the fond blindnesse of foolish men who attribute to miserable creatures the glory due to God Charity the most excellent of Christian vertues so lively inflamed his heart that it made him undertake to instruct Infidels to communicate his lights unto them to confirme them therein by the Authority of holy Scriptures and by the strength of reason to ranke
themselves with him in the faith of Iesus Christ Heerupon it was he so powerfully resisted the vanity of Philosophy which he formerly so delighted in and knew to be the principall ground of Superstition So that the same things hee heertofore studied to adorn his mind withall and bring it to the knowledge of false Gods whilest hee lived under the servitude of Idolatry by an admirable working of divine providence served him since his conversion as strong instruments to destroy the worship of Idols Now it is very reasonable that hee who so earnestly desired the salvation of his enemies should have a particular care of his brethren groaning under the weight of persecutions which Pagans made them suffer As therefore he piously laboured to open the eyes of the Gentiles and make them worship his Master so he happily imployed himself likewise to represent to him the holinesse of those who most unjustly were charged with such strange crimes Two principall things hee equally endeavoured to set forth namely the falsenesse of the Gods of the Gentiles and the truth of one only God and joyning together the defence of doctrine and manners proved by one same work the faith and innocence of Christians Hee came into the Church neer the end of the second Age about the time when Severus came to the Empire The faithfull then enjoyed a profound peace after a furious war The Hmp rour Marcus Aurelius a wise Prince for the world but too much addicted to the opinions of Philosophers suffered the fourth Persecution to bee kindled which being stirred up in the year of our Lord 164. by the fury of the people and injustice of the Magistrates who governed the Provinces swept away an infinite number of the servants of GOD Neverthelesse although some rest they had in the year of our salvation 176. by the authority of that Prince his forbidding upon pain of death to accuse the Christians for their Religion by aâ—ust acknowledgement of the service hee had of their affection When by the prayers of Christian souldiers which were in his troops heaven poured down a favourable showr that refresht in extream necessity the Army bee commanded in Germany Yet this calm lasted not long the quiet of this unconstant sea brought in with it an horrible tempest especially on this side the Alps where the City of Vienna and Lions saw the Rhosâ— dyed with the first bloud the members of Iesus Christ spilt in Gaule The people that durst not directly resist the will of the Emperour transported with extreame rage against so many good people began againe to trouble their rest in the year 179 on othre pretences than that of Religion They accused them of supposed crimes the borror whereof made their names odious and by this detestable subtiloy dragd them unjustly before the Courts of Iustice whereby they cluded the punishment established by the Emperour against those who accused the Christians and boldly glutted their cruelty on these innocents whom they exposed to all kind of tortures and in the end in humanely put them to death for confessing the name of God only This Persecution ended with the life of Marcus Aurelius The faithfull after so many suffering had rest under the Emperour Commodus who transported with a bloudy outrage against all Orders of his State by a secret judgement of God spared none but Christians And certainly it was by a visible miracle that this Prince an enemy of all honesty was not also an enemy of those in like maner that made profession of godlinesse that this Prince who shed with so much tyranny the bloud of his people should close the wounds by which came out that of the Christians and that these Idolaters who before had no spectacle so agreeable to their madnesse as the punishments of the Faithfull should cease to afflict them in a time when heir hands were so accustomed to slaughter Wee must acknowledge God who inspires such motions as please him in the hearts of men the author of this so strange wonder Hee procured this peace to the Church to the end hee might fortifie it against the assaults it was to endure soon after It s certaine during this tranquility it was much increased the Gentiles moved to see such excellency in the Christians the innocent carriage of their lives could not consider therof without astonishment They admired the purity they saw shine in their actions From thence sprang desire in them of discovering the cause of such perfection and employed were they in the search of its originall which is truth And after they had broken downe the vail which hindred them from knowing the same they embraced it with as much affection as ever they strove against it So not only the people but those also whose birth and merit raysed them to great dignities followed the Crosse of Jesus Christ They renounced their Idols to consecraete themselves to the service of the true God and abandoned the Temples of the false Gods that they might serve no other but that one God that created them By this means Towns wrer peopled with Christians Armies made up of them and the Senate of Rome from whence flowed the Governours of all the World filled with them every day These are the fruits which peace had produced which the Church injoied since the Empire of Commodus Severus having found the Empire in this happy condition left it not so The Sovereigne power fell in his hands in the yeare of our Lord 195. At the beginning hee shewed no sign of any aversion against the Christians but contrarily made great esteem of them witnessed their probity and openly opposed the violence of the people when hee saw them most incensed to the Christians destruction He had still before his eyes the benefit wherwith he was obliged to a Christian named Proculus Torpacion who heertofore restored him to his health and by the remembrance of such a recovery was so dear to him that he alwayes kept this man neer him so long as he lived he durst not use violence to the Religion of him to whom he owed his life so long as he was in the world and his presence ready to reproove him of such ingratitude The death of this Christian time and the revolution of affairs changed his mind unhappily to indignation Hee had two Competitors in the Empire Piscenius Niger who held Syria and declared himselfe Emperour in the City of Antioch and Claudius Albinius who was Master of Gaule and Britain Severus accommodated himselfe to this man and associated him with himselfe in the Empire to defeat the other and after overcomming Niger who died of akurt hee received in fighting turned his thoughts unto procuring the ruin of Albinius whom he had honored for no other purpose then to destroy him Albinius being dead he came back from Gaule victorious and entring Rome he was there received with publick acclamations rejoycings and such solemnities as Superstition had brought in and which thwarted the holinesse of the