10. Our doctrines, then, appear to be more sublime than ^^"^'
The ground of all Truth is In Christ the Word.
Himself'', they who agree with them are not unjust'.
But -^p^^** ''— should any one instance the different laws which are found — among men, and say that with some this is thought to be good, and that to be evil; and with others what the former thought evil, is held to be good, and what they thouo-ht to be good is held to be evil; let him listen to what I will also reply to this.
We know that even the evil angels laid down laws akin to their own wickedness, in which such men as resemble them take pleasure; and the true Word, when He came, shewed that not all opinions, nor all doctrines, were good ; but that some were bad, and others were good so that I will declare the same and like things even to such men as these, and they shall be uttered at more length if need be.
But I will now return to my subject.
10. Our doctrines, then, appear to be more sublime than ^^"^' all human teaching, because Christ Who appeared for us was commade the whole rational being', both body, and reason, and J^^Jf^ soul : for all that the philosophers and legislators at any time philodeclared, or discovered aright, they accomplished according to i^Read* their portion of discovery and contemplation of the Word
; ^'""^o" but as they did not know all the properties of the Word, ^ ''^' which is Christ, they often said things that were even contrary to themselves.
And they who were born before Christ, as to His Humanity, when they endeavoured to examine and confute things by reason, were dragged before the judgment-seats as wicked men, and busy bodies.
He who was more active in this than all of them, Socrates, was accused of the same things as we are; for they said that he introduced new Gods", and did not acknowledge those whom the city considered as Gods.
' He, in fact, expelled from the polity" the evil demcns, and such as did what the Po.-ts described; and he taught men to reject Homer, and the other Poets; and he exhorted them to gain the knowledge ^ Ben. cites Philo de Sacr. Abel. p. follows that man does not Icck free153. and Tertull.
Apol.
45. and will ; and therefore, that they who obey Aug. de lib. arbitr. i.
15. not the lawgivers are unjust; and he 1 The original reading of this passupposes a reference to be made to sage is as represented in the text. The Luke vi. 35. Matt. v. 45.
Otto, howBenedictine would read, " they who do ever, makes no alteration in the lot obey them are unjust,'' taking text.
'. Justin's meaning to be, that sinee ™ Tbirlby cites Plato Apol. Soc. p, le lawgivers direct some things to be 24. Xen. Mem. i. p. 412. tone, and others to be avoided, and ^ Plat.
Hep. ii. p. 377. x. p. 595. lod Himself has given us a law, it where he makes Socrates the speaker.
pQicer of Truth slen-?i in Christian Martyrs, Just, of the God Who was Unknown to them, by the investigation
^-^^ of reason; saying, "It is not easy to discover the Father 23.
' and Creator of all things, nor when discovered is it safe to '
Plato, declare Him to alP."
This however our Christ did through TimsHis own power.
For no one trusted in Socrates so as to die ""5. for this doctrine.
But in Christ, Who was known even to Socrates in part, (for He was, and is, the Word, Who is in every one, and Who foretold all things that were about to come to pass, both by the Prophets, and by Himself also
; when He was made of like passions with us, and taught these things,) not only philosophers and grammarians put their faith, but even handicraftsmen, and such as were wholly uneducated, despising reputation, and fear, and death; for it is the power of the Ineifable Father which does this, and not the povv'ers of human reason.
Con11. Nor should we be slain, nor would wicked men and ^fc"jj^r^g. devils be stronger than we, were it not that to every man tians. that is born, it is also appointed to die; hence when we pay that debt, we give thanks.
And here I think it good and opportune to insert this extract from Xenophon, for the benefit of Crescens, and those who are as senseless as himself.
' Xen.
Xenophon says^ that Hercules, as he came to a place where )i 2?' three roads met, found Virtue and Vice, who appeared to him in the form of v/omen ; and that Vice, in a luxurious and sensual garb, and v;ith a countenance made alluring by such m.eans, and being instantly captivating to the sight, promised Hercules, that if he would be her follower, she would always take care that lie should pass his life amidst pleasure, and decked with the most brilliant ornaments, and such as she herself then wore: and that Virtue, who had a 2 avvhomely^ mien and vest, said, If you will obey me, you shall adorn yourself with no brief and perishable decoration or i-L-npo}. beauty, but with everlasting and beautiful ornaments.
And we are sure that every one who eschews those things which appear good, and prefers those which are considered difl5cult| and unaccountable, gains happiness: for Vice, as a disguise of her own actions, assuming the properties which appertain to Virtue, and v/liich are really good, through imitation of what is incorruptible, (for she has nothing that is incorruptible^ nor can she produce such,) leads captive the low-minded
If immoral, as souis said, they would fear death.
among men, putting her own evil iiabits on virtue.
But Apol. they who understand the things that belong to that which is ^^' truly good, are also uncorrupted in virtue; which every sensible person ought to think of Christians, and of the athletes, and of all who do such things as the Poets relate of those who are honoured as gods; drawing his conclusion from the fact, that death, even when we could escape it, is held by us in contempt.
\2. For I myself, when I took pleasure in the doctrines Only the of Plato, and heard the Christians slandered, seeing them to cent' be fearless of death, and of every thing else that was thought welcome dreadful, considered that it was impossible that they should live in wickedness and sensuality: for, who that was a sensualist, or licentious, and thought human flesh to be good
" food, would welcome death, that he might be deprived of his enjoyments, and not endeavour, by every means, always to continue his present life, and to escape the officers; not to speak of denouncing himself to death?
This also then have the evil demons, through the agency of certain wicked men, caused to be done ; for when they had killed some, to serve the false accusations which they bring against us, they dragged our domestics, or children, or wives to the torture, and compelled them by dreadful torments to admit those fabulous rites which they themselves openly perform
; of which, as we have no concern with them, we make no account ; having the Unbegotten and Ineffable God as a witness of our thoughts and actions.
For why did we not publicly confess even these things to be good, and prove them to be divine philosophy ; saying, that when we kill a man, we celebrate the mysteries of Saturn ; and that, when we take our fill of blood, (as it is said of us,) we imitate what you do to the idol that you honour", on which is sprinkled the blood not only of irrational animals, but even of men ?
For through him who is the most illustrious and noble among you, you make the libation of the blood of those who are put to death.
And why, when you imitate Jupiter, and ° The Editors cite Tertullian, Apol. c.
Gent. p.
24.
Firraicus de Prof.
§. 8. De Spec. cap.
6. Tatian, §.
26.
Rel. Epiph. Anc. p.
108. Prud. adv.
Theoph. Antioch. iii.
7. Mia. Fel. c.
Symmach. v. 380. Porphyr, de Ab.st. ii.
21.
Lact. i. c.
21, and 30.
Athanas. p. 226.
F 2
Piilloso})hy came from the Divine Word.
Just, the other gods, in your sodomitical practices, and your ^^^^'^' shameless connections with women, do you urge in your defence the writings of Epicurus and the Poets?
But when we persuade you to avoid these practices, and those who thus / acted, with their imitators ; as I have even now taken pains ' to do, in these pages ; we are attacked by you in various ways.
But for this we care not, for we know that God is a just observer of all things.
I would that we now had some one to mount a high rostrum, and cry with a loud voice, Shame, shame, on you, that ye charge what yourselves do openly on these innocent persons ; even attributing to them things that apply to yourselves, and your gods; but with which they have no concern whatever.
Alter your ways.
Learn moderation.
Chrisjo^ Yox I myself, when I discovered the evil disguise tiandoc- -^ .
. c^ r\^ - trine which was thrown around the divme doctrines of Christians passes by the evil demons, to deter others from them, laughed, both
Plato- -It the authors of these falsehoods, and their disguise, and the popular opinion; and I confess that I both prayed, and strove with all my might, to be found a Christian; not because the doctrines of Plato are entirely different from those of Christ, but because they are not in all respects like them; no more in fact are those of the others, tbe Stoics, for example, and poets, and prose writers ; for each seeing, through a part of the Seminal Divine Word, that which was kindred to those, discoursed rightly.
But they who contradict them on more important points, appear not to have possessed the hidden wisdom and the knowled><e which cannot be spoken against, f Whatever all men have uttered aright, then, belongs to us Cliristians; for we worship and love, next to God, the Word which is from the Unbegotten and Ineffable
God: for it was even for us that He was made Man, that He might be a partaker of our very sufferings, and bring us
' e/jicpvhealing.
For all writers through the engrafted' seed of the Y^ Word, which was planted in them, were able to see the truth
' darkly; for the seed and imitation of a thing, which is given 1,
according to capability, is one thing, and the thing itself of which the communication and imitation are given according
S.Justin to His grace, is another. public ^^'
I entreat you then to be pleased to subscribe your verdict.