Chapter VIII.—Argument:  The Impious Temerity of Theodorus, Diagoras, and Protagoras is Not at All to Be Acquiesced In, Who Wished Either Altogether to Get Rid of the Religion of the Gods, or at Least to Weaken It.  But Infinitely Less to Be Endured is that Skulking and Light-Shunning People of the Christians, Who Reject the Gods, and Who, Fearing to Die After Death, Do Not in the Meantime Fear to Die.

“Therefore, since the consent of all nations concerning the existence of the immortal gods remains established, although their nature or their origin remains uncertain, I suffer nobody swelling with such boldness, and with I know not what irreligious wisdom, who would strive to undermine or weaken this religion, so ancient, so useful, so wholesome, even although he may be Theodorus of Cyrene, or one who is before him, Diagoras the Melian,21    According to the codex, “the Milesian.”  [See note in Reeve’s Apologies of Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Minucius Felix, vol. ii. p. 59.  S.] to whom antiquity applied the surname of Atheist,—both of whom, by asseverating that there were no gods, took away all the fear by which humanity is ruled, and all veneration absolutely; yet never will they prevail in this discipline of impiety, under the name and authority of their pretended philosophy.  When the men of Athens both expelled Protagoras of Abdera, and in public assembly burnt his writings, because he disputed deliberately22    Some have corrected this word, reading “without consideration,” scil. “inconsulte;” and the four first editions omit the subsequent words, “concerning the divinity.” rather than profanely concerning the divinity, why is it not a thing to be lamented, that men (for you will bear with my making use pretty freely of the force of the plea that I have undertaken)—that men, I say, of a reprobate, unlawful, and desperate faction, should rage against the gods? who, having gathered together from the lowest dregs the more unskilled, and women, credulous and, by the facility of their sex, yielding, establish a herd of a profane conspiracy, which is leagued together by nightly meetings, and solemn fasts and inhuman meats—not by any sacred rite, but by that which requires expiation—a people skulking and shunning the light, silent in public, but garrulous in corners.  They despise the temples as dead-houses, they reject the gods, they laugh at sacred things; wretched, they pity, if they are allowed, the priests; half naked themselves, they despise honours and purple robes.  Oh, wondrous folly and incredible audacity! they despise present torments, although they fear those which are uncertain and future; and while they fear to die after death, they do not fear to die for the present:  so does a deceitful hope soothe their fear with the solace of a revival.23    There are various emendations of this passage, but their meaning is somewhat obscure.  One is elaborately ingenious:  “Ita illis pavorum fallax spes solatio redivivo blanditur,” which is said to imply, “Thus the hope that deceives their fears, soothes them with the hope of living again.”

CAPUT VIII.

ARGUMENTUM.---Mimine ferenda Theodori, Diagorae ac Protagorae impia temeritas, qui deorum religionem vel penitus tollere, vel saltem infirmare voluere; at multo minus ferri debet latebrosa et lucifugax Christianorum natio, qui deos despuunt, et dum mori post mortem timent, interim mori non timent.

Itaque, cum omnium gentium de diis immortalibus, quamvis incerta sit vel ratio vel origo, maneat tamen firma consensio; neminem fero tanta audacia, tamque irreligiosa nescio qua prudentia tumescentem, qui hanc religionem tam vetustam, tam utilem, tam 0256B salubrem dissolvere aut infirmare nitatur. Sit licet ille Theodorus Cyrenaeus, vel, qui prior, Diagoras Melius, cui Atheon cognomen apposuit 0257A antiquitas, qui uterque, nullos deos asseverando, timorem omnem, quo humanitas regitur, venerationemque penitus sustulerunt: numquam tamen in hac impietatis disciplina simulatae philosophiae nomine atque auctoritate pollebunt, quum Abderiten Pithagoram [Protagoram] Athenienses viri, consulte potius quam profane de divinitate disputantem, et expulerint suis finibus, et in concione ejus scripta 0258A deusserint; quid homines (sustinebitis enim me impetum susceptae actionis liberius exserentem) homines, inquam, deploratae, illicitae ac desperatae factionis grassari in eos, non ingemiscendum est? qui de ultima faece collectis imperitioribus, et mulieribus credulis, sexus sui facilitate labentibus, plebemprofanae conjurationis instituunt; quae nocturnis congregationibus, et jejuniis solemnibus et inhumanis 0259A cibis, non sacro quodam sed piaculo foederantur. Latebrosa et lucifugax natio, in publicum muta, in angulis garrula: templa, ut busta, despiciunt; deos despuunt, rident sacra, miserentur miseri, si fas est, sacerdotum honores et purpuras despiciunt ipsi seminudi. Pro mira stultitia et incredibili audacia, spernunt tormenta praesentia, dum incerta metuunt et futura; et dum mori post mortem timent, interim mori non timent. Ita illis pavorem fallax spes solatio redivivo blanditur.