Chapter I.—The self-evidencing power of truth.

The word of truth is free, and carries its own authority, disdaining to fall under any skilful argument, or to endure the logical scrutiny of its hearers. But it would be believed for its own nobility, and for the confidence due to Him who sends it. Now the word of truth is sent from God; wherefore the freedom claimed by the truth is not arrogant. For being sent with authority, it were not fit that it should be required to produce proof of what is said; since neither is there any proof beyond itself, which is God. For every proof is more powerful and trustworthy than that which it proves; since what is disbelieved, until proof is produced, gets credit when such proof is produced, and is recognised as being what it was stated to be. But nothing is either more powerful or more trustworthy than the truth; so that he who requires proof of this is like one who wishes it demonstrated why the things that appear to the senses do appear. For the test of those things which are received through the reason, is sense; but of sense itself there is no test beyond itself. As then we bring those things which reason hunts after, to sense, and by it judge what kind of things they are, whether the things spoken be true or false, and then sit in judgment no longer, giving full credit to its decision; so also we refer all that is said regarding men and the world to the truth, and by it judge whether it be worthless or no. But the utterances of truth we judge by no separate test, giving full credit to itself. And God, the Father of the universe, who is the perfect intelligence, is the truth. And the Word, being His Son, came to us, having put on flesh, revealing both Himself and the Father, giving to us in Himself resurrection from the dead, and eternal life afterwards. And this is Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. He, therefore, is Himself both the faith and the proof of Himself and of all things. Wherefore those who follow Him, and know Him, having faith in Him as their proof, shall rest in Him. But since the adversary does not cease to resist many, and uses many and divers arts to ensnare them, that he may seduce the faithful from their faith, and that he may prevent the faithless from believing, it seems to me necessary that we also, being armed with the invulnerable doctrines of the faith, do battle against him in behalf of the weak.

Ὁ μὲν τῆς ἀληθείας λόγος ἐστὶν ἐλεύθερός τε καὶ αὐτεξούσιος, ὑπὸ μηδεμίαν βάσανον ἐλέγχου θέλων πίπτειν μηδὲ τὴν παρὰ τοῖς ἀκούουσι δι' ἀποδείξεως ἐξέτασιν ὑπομένειν. Τὸ γὰρ εὐγενὲς αὐτοῦ καὶ πεποιθὸς αὐτῷ τῷ πέμψαντι πιστεύεσθαι θέλει. Λόγος δὲ ἀληθείας ἀπὸ θεοῦ πέμπεται: διὸ καὶ τὸ ἐλεύθερον τὸ περὶ αὐτὸν οὐ φορτικόν. Κατ' ἐξουσίαν γὰρ φερόμενος εἰκότως οὐδὲ τὰς ἀποδείξεις τῶν λεγομένων ἀπαιτεῖσθαι θέλει, ὅτι μηδέ εἰσιν ἄλλαι παρὲξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁ θεός. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἀπόδειξις ἰσχυροτέρα καὶ πιστοτέρα τοῦ ἀποδεικνυμένου τυγχάνει, εἴ γε τὸ πρότερον ἀπιστούμενον, πρὶν ἢ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ἐλθεῖν, ταύτης κομισθείσης ἔτυχε πίστεως, καὶ τοιοῦτον ἐφάνη ὁποῖον ἐλέγετο. Τῆς δὲ ἀληθείας ἰσχυρότερον οὐδὲν οὐδὲ πιστότερον, ὥστε ὁ περὶ ταύτης ἀπόδειξιν αἰτῶν ὅμοιός ἐστι τῷ τὰ φαινόμενα ταῖς αἰσθήσεσι λόγοις θέλοντι ἀποδείκνυσθαι διότι φαίνεται. Τῶν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ λόγου λαμβανομένων κριτήριόν ἐστιν ἡ αἴσθησις: αὐτῆς δὲ κριτήριον οὐκ ἔστι πλὴν αὐτῆς. Ὥσπερ οὖν τὰ διὰ τοῦ λόγου θηρώμενα, ἀπάγοντες ἐπὶ τὴν αἴσθησιν, ταύτῃ κρίνομεν, ὁποῖά ποτε ὄντα τυγχάνει, εἴτε ἀληθῆ εἴτε καὶ ψευδῆ, τὰ λεγόμενα, οὐκέτι δὲ κρίνομεν πιστεύοντες αὐτῇ, οὕτως τοὺς ἀνθρωπίνους καὶ κοσμικοὺς λόγους ἀναπέμπομεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ταύτῃ κρίνομεν, εἴτε φαῦλοι εἴτε καὶ μὴ τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες, τοὺς δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας οὐδενὶ κρίνομεν ἑτέρῳ, πιστεύοντες αὐτῇ. Ἔστι δὲ ἀλήθεια ὁ θεός, ὁ πατὴρ τῶν ὅλων, ὅς ἐστι νοῦς τέλειος. Οὗ γενόμενος υἱὸς ὁ λόγος ἦλθεν εἰς ἡμᾶς, σάρκα φορέσας, ἑαυτόν τε καὶ τὸν πατέρα μηνύων, διδοὺς ἡμῖν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν καὶ τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Ἔστι δὲ οὗτος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν καὶ δεσπότης: οὗτος τοίνυν αὐτός ἐστιν ἑαυτοῦ τε καὶ τῶν ὅλων πίστις τε καὶ ἀπόδειξις. Διόπερ οἱ τούτῳ κατακολουθοῦντες καὶ γνόντες αὐτόν, τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν πίστιν ὡς ἀπόδειξιν ἔχοντες, ἀναπαύονται ἐπ' αὐτῷ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πολλοὺς ὁ ἀντικείμενος πολεμῶν οὐ παύεται, πολλαῖς δὲ καὶ ποικίλαις μεθόδοις πρὸς ἐπιβουλὴν χρῆται, πρὸς μὲν τοὺς πεπιστευκότας, ἵνα τούτους τῆς πίστεως ἀπαγάγῃ, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἀπίστους ἔτι, ἵνα μὴ πιστεύσωσιν, ἀναγκαῖον εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ἡμᾶς, καθωπλισμένους τοῖς τῆς πίστεως λόγοις ἀτρώτοις οὖσιν, ἀντιπολεμεῖν αὐτῷ διὰ τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς.