Mathetes, translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson

“ The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, [27] though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves [28] that very body ”

“ INCE I see thee, most excellent Diognetus, exceedingly desirous to learn the mode of worshipping God prevalent among the Christians, and inquiring very carefully and earnestly concerning them, what God they trust in, and what form of religion they observe [1] , so as all to look down upon the world itself, and despise death, while they neither esteem those to be gods that are reckoned such by the Greeks, nor hold to the superstition of the Jews; and what is the affection which they cherish among themselves ”

“ For He that made heaven and earth, and all that is therein, and gives to us all the things of which we stand in need, certainly requires none of those things which He Himself bestows on such as think of furnishing them to Him. ”

“ But these things do not at all constitute His majesty. On the contrary he who takes upon himself the burden of his neighbour; he who, in whatsoever respect he may be superior, is ready to benefit another who is deficient; he who, whatsoever things he has received from God, by distributing these to the needy, becomes a god to those who receive [his benefits] : he is an imitator of God. Then thou shalt see, while still on earth, that God in the heavens rules over [the universe] ; then thou shalt begin to speak the mysteries of God ”

“ This was not that He at all delighted in our sins, but that He simply endured them; nor that He approved the time of working iniquity which then was, but that He sought to form a mind conscious of righteousness, [46] so that being convinced in that time of our unworthiness of attaining life through our own works, it should now, through the kindness of God, be vouchsafed to us; and having made it manifest that in ourselves we were unable to enter into the kingdom of God, we might through the power of God be made able. ”

“ For, as I said, this was no mere earthly invention which was delivered to them, nor is it a mere human system of opinion, which they judge it right to preserve so carefully, nor has a dispensation of mere human mysteries been committed to them, but truly God Himself, who is almighty, the Creator of all things, and invisible, has sent from heaven, and placed among men, [Him who is] the truth, and the holy and incomprehensible Word, and has firmly established Him in their hearts. ”

“ For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. ”

“ And next, I imagine that you are most desirous of hearing something on this point, that the Christians do not observe the same forms of divine worship as do the Jews. The Jews, then, if they abstain from the kind of service above described, and deem it proper to worship one God as being Lord of all, [are right] ; but if they offer Him worship in the way which we have described, they greatly err. For while the Gentiles, by offering such things to those that are destitute of sense and hearing, furnish an example of madness ”

“ For neither can life exist without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without life. Wherefore both were planted close together. The apostle, perceiving the force [of this conjunction] , and blaming that knowledge which, without true doctrine, is admitted to influence life, [63] declares, "Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth." For he who thinks he knows anything without true knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows nothing, but is deceived by the serpent, as not [64] loving life. But he who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit. ”

“ Is not a fourth silver, which needs a man to watch it, lest it be stolen? Is not a fifth iron, consumed by rust? Is not a sixth earthenware, in no degree more valuable than that which is formed for the humblest purposes? ”

“ The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies] , looking for an incorruptible dwelling [29] in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. ”

“ As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. ”

“ Do you not see them exposed to wild beasts, that they may be persuaded to deny the Lord, and yet not overcome? Do you not see that the more of them that are punished, the greater becomes the number of the rest? ”

“ They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. [21] They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. [22] They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. ”

“ And as to their observing months and days, [14] as if waiting upon [15] the stars and the moon, and their distributing, [16] according to their own tendencies, the appointments of God, and the vicissitudes of the seasons, some for festivities, [17] and others for mourning,—who would deem this a part of divine worship, and not much rather a manifestation of folly? ”

“ They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. [23] They are poor, yet make many rich; [24] they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all ”

“ Who of you would tolerate these things?" etc. ↑ The text is here uncertain, and the sense obscure. The meaning seems to be, that by sprinkling their gods with blood, etc., they tended to prove that these were not possessed of sense. ↑ The text is here very doubtful. We have followed that adopted by most critics. ↑ Otto, resting on ms. authority, omits the negative, but the sense seems to require its insertion. ”