Quoniam autem facile iniquum videretur liberos homines invitos urgeri ad sacrificandum (nam et alias divinae rei faciundae libens animus indicitur), certe ineptum existimaretur, si quis ab alio cogeretur ad honorem deorum, quos ultro sui causa placare deberet, ne prae manu esset iure libertatis dicere: Nolo mihi Iovem propitium; tu quis es? Me conveniat Ianus iratus ex qua velit fronte; quid tibi mecum est? Formati estis ab isdem utique spiritibus, uti nos pro salute imperatoris sacrificare cogatis, et inposita est tam vobis necessitas cogendi quam nobis obligatio periclitandi.
It might easily seem unjust that free men should be compelled to sacrifice against their will, for in other acts of divine service a willing mind is enjoined.b It would certainly seem silly for a man to be forced by another to honour the gods whom he ought to wish to please on his own account'forced to do it, that he might not use a freemans right and rejoin offhand: I dont want Jove to be propitious to me; who are you? Let Janus confront me in anger, with either face he pleases; what have I to do with you? But you have been instructed of course by those very same evil spirits, to compel us to sacrifice for the health of the Emperorc; the necessity is laid upon you to compel us, just as much as the duty is laid upon us to face the danger.
final_alignments\Tertullian_Apology.json