A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

He must be as much unacquainted with these things, as some body else whom I shall not name honoris gratia, seems to be, who knows not that this foolish impiety was imputed in process of time to the Christians, by the Pagans, among a litter of other follies, as well as unto the Jews. Caecilius in Minucius tells us, audio •os ineptissimae pecudis Caput Asini consecratum inepta nescio qua persuasione venerari: I here that by a foolish persuasion they worship the head of an Ass, a vile beast. And Tertullian ⟨p. 561⟩Apol cap. 16. Nam quidam somniastis Caput Asininum esse Deum nostrum. Some of you dream that an Asses head is our God, presently declaring thereon, that this imputation was derived on them from the Jews, who first suffered under that Fable. And if any thing gave new occasion unto it among the Christians, it was not the Picture of Christ despised by the Jews as you imagine, but the report of his riding on an Ass; which Athanasius takes notice of, Homil. ad Pagan, they said [Greek or Hebrew], that the God of the Christians, who is called Christ, sate on an Ass. But you will prove what you say out of Tertullian; say you, the same Tertullian in his Apologetics adds these words, The Calumnies, saith he, invented to cry down our Religion grew to such an excess of impiety that not long ago in this very City, a picture of our God was shown by a certain infamous Person, with the ears of an Ass, and a hoof on one foot, clothed with a gown, and a book in his hand with this inscription, Onochoetes the God of the Christians; And he adds that the Christians in the City as they were much offended with the impiety, so did they not a little wonder at the strange uncouth name the villain had put upon our Lord and Master. Onochoetes, forsooth he must be called Onochoctes. In this Testimony of you know not what, you triumph and conclude, are you not a strange man to tell me that what I speak of this business is notoriously false; nay and that I know it is false, and that I cannot produce one Authentic Testimony, no not one, of any such thing: but this is your Ordinary Confidence. Seriously Sir, I wonder where you got this Quotation out of Tertullian? Let me desire you to be wary in receiving any thing hereafter from the same hand, out ⟨p. 560⟩[…] ⟨p. 561⟩[…] ⟨p. 562⟩