17. We every where, before all things, endeavour to pay Civil
Christ's commandment of obedience to rulers.
is none good but God only, Who made all things.
But let Apol. those who are not found to be living as He has commanded, ^' ^^' be assured, that they are not Christians at all; even though with the tongue they confess the doctrines of Christ.
He has declared, that not the sayers only, but those who are also doers, shall be saved.
His words are as follows ; Not Matt, r, every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord^ shall enter into '
^' the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father ivhich is in heaven : for whosoever heareth Me, and doeth what
I say, heareth Him that sent Me.
For many will say unto Me, Lord, Lord, have we not eaten and drunk in Thy Name, and do7ie wonders?
And then will L say unto them, Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.
Theji shall there be wailing and^^^^-^^, gnashing of teeth, when the righteous shall shine forth as the sun, but the ivicked are sent into everlasting fire.
For 77iany Matt. 7 ^ shall come to you in My name clothed outwardly in sheep's '
' clothing, but imvardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their ivorks.
But every tree that bringeth 7zo^ Ver. 19. forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
And we entreat that they who are not living according to His commandments, but who are only called Christians, may be punished also by you, 17. We every where, before all things, endeavour to pay Civil tribute and taxes to those whom you appoint, as we were^j^^g^'' taught by Him; for persons once at that time came to Him on that subject, to ask Him whether it were lawful to pay tribute to CaBsar, or not; and He answered, Tell me whose sut.-ii, image this coin bears'? and they said, Caesars: but ^(?20. 2i. ansivered them again. Render therefore unto Ccesar the things which are CcFsar's, and unto God the things that are God's.
Hence we render worship to God alone, but we serve you gladly in other things, acknowledging you to be kings, and rulers of men, and praying that you may be found to unite to your imperial power, sound wisdom also.
But if you disregard our prayers, and public professions, we shall suffer no loss, since we believe— I should rather say, we are fully convinced—that each will suffer punishment by eternal fire, according to the demerit of his actions ; and that an account will be required of every one in proportion to the powers which he received from God, as Christ has declared in these
The Christian doctrine of the Resurrection of the body.
Just, words, For unto whomsoever God has given much, of him ^^^^^2 *^^^^ ^^^^ more he required.
48.
18. For look back to the end of each of the Emperors, of Re- ^^"w they died the death which is common to all men, which, 8urrecjf it terminated in insensibility, would be a s^odsend^ to all tion.
•Ill • • • • Ti i"Ep^oi' the wicked ; but snice sensation remains m all men who **" have been in existence, and everlasting punishment is in store, do not hesitate to believe, and be convinced, that what I say is true.
And indeed, let even necromancy, and 2 eVothe divinations^ by uncontaminated children^, and the invo- ^^^^ " cation of human souls, and those who are termed by the magicians senders of dreams and familiars, together with the actions of those who are acquainted with these things, persuade you that souls are in a state of sensation even after death and those who are seized and dashed down by the souls of the dead, whom all term demoniacs, and insane, and your oracles as you term them, of Amphilochus, Dodona, Pytho, and others of the same kind, with the doctrines of your writers Empedocles, and Pythagoras, Plato, and Socrates, Od. xi. and the ditch of Homer% and the descent of Ulysses to see
25. the dead, and the testimony of those who have taught the same as these.
Do you receive us then in the same manner as you receive them, for we believe in God no less than they, but more, for we expect to receive our bodies again, even after they are dead and are cast into the earth, affirming that with God nothing is impossible.
Its ere19. And what would appear more incredible to a thoughtful ' person, than, if we had not a body and one asserted that from a small drop of human seed, it was possible for sinews and flesh to be created in the form we see ? granting this to be said hypothetically.
If, I say, when you were not in your present forms, and born of parents like yours, one shewed you human seed, and the picture of a man, and affirmed that such a being could be produced from the former, would you, before you saw it actually come to pass, believe it?
No one would venture to deny (that he would not ^ Ed.
Ben. refers to Tertullian, see the Dialogue with Trypho, §. 105.
Apol.
23.
Human v^acrifices for But here, as in Tertullian, the children divination are alluded to by Eusebius seem to have been employed by some in his History vii. 10.
Socrates iii. 13. means to obtain and utter oracles, as Clementine Recognitions ii.
13. and indeed has been done recently.