Chapter VI.—We should acknowledge one only God.

Here, then, is a proof of virtue, and of a mind loving prudence, to recur to the communion of the unity,17    See chap. i., the opening sentence. and to attach one’s self to prudence for salvation, and make choice of the better things according to the free-will placed in man; and not to think that those who are possessed of human passions are lords of all, when they shall not appear to have even equal power with men. For in Homer,18    Odyssey, xxii. 347. Demodocus says he is self-taught —

though he is a mortal. Æsculapius and Apollo are taught to heal by Chiron the Centaur,—a very novel thing indeed, for gods to be taught by a man. What need I speak of Bacchus, who the poet says is mad? or of Hercules, who he says is unhappy? What need to speak of Mars and Venus, the leaders of adultery; and by means of all these to establish the proof which has been undertaken? For if some one, in ignorance, should imitate the deeds which are said to be divine, he would be reckoned among impure men, and a stranger to life and humanity; and if any one does so knowingly, he will have a plausible excuse for escaping vengeance, by showing that imitation of godlike deeds of audacity is no sin. But if any one should blame these deeds, he will take away their well-known names, and not cover them up with specious and plausible words. It is necessary, then, to accept the true and invariable Name, not proclaimed by my words only, but by the words of those who have introduced us to the elements of learning, in order that we may not, by living idly in this present state of existence, not only as those who are ignorant of the heavenly glory, but also as having proved ourselves ungrateful, render our account to the Judge.19    [N. B.—This tractate is probably the genuine work of Justin.]

Ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἔλεγχος ἀρετῆς καὶ γνώμης σύνεσιν ἀγαπώσης, ἐπαναδραμεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς συζυγίας κοινωνίαν καὶ προσάψαι ἑαυτὸν συνέσει εἰς σωτηρίαν αἱρεῖσθαί τε τὴν τῶν κρεισσόνων ἐκλογὴν κατὰ τὸ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπῳ κείμενον αὐτεξούσιον, μὴ τοὺς ἀνθρωποπαθεῖς ἡγουμένους τῶν ὅλων δεσπότας, ὅπου γε οὐδὲ ἀνθρώποις ἴσην ἔχοντες φανήσονται. Παρ' Ὁμήρῳ γὰρ ὁ μὲν Δημόδοκος αὐτοδίδακτός φησιν εἶναι: Θεὸς δέ μοι ἔμβαλεν οἴμους, θνητὸς ὤν. Ἀσκληπιὸς καὶ Ἀπόλλων παρὰ Χείρωνι τῷ Κενταύρῳ ἰᾶσθαι διδάσκονται, τὸ καινότατον παρὰ ἀνθρώπῳ θεοί. Τί γὰρ δίειμι περὶ Διονύσου, ὃν μαινόμενόν φησιν ὁ ποιητής, ἢ Ἡρακλέους, ὃν καὶ αὐτὸν σχέτλιον λέγει; Τί δέ μοι ἀναγορεύειν Ἄρη καὶ Ἀφροδίτην, τοὺς τῆς μοιχείας ἀρχηγούς, καὶ ἐξ ἁπάντων τούτων κρίσιν ἐπάγειν τοῖς δεικνυμένοις; Εἰ γάρ τις μὴ μαθὼν τὰς περὶ τὰ λεγόμενα θείας πράξεις μιμήσαιτο, κἂν ἐπὶ τῶν κιβδήλων ἀλλότριος βίου καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος λογισθείη: γνοὺς δέ τις εὔλογον ἕξει τὴν τῶν τιμωριῶν ἀποφυγήν, οὐ παρανομίαν δεικνύων τὴν τῶν θεϊκῶν τολμημάτων μίμησιν. Εἰ δ' ἄρα τις τοῖς ἔργοις ἐπιμέμψαιτο, ἀνελεῖ καὶ τὰ ἐκ τούτων γνωσθέντα ὀνόματα καὶ μὴ πεπινωμέναις καὶ στωμύλοις ῥήσεσιν ἐπισκεπάσει αὐτούς. Ἀσπάζεσθαι δὲ χρὴ τὸ ἀληθινὸν καὶ ἄτρεπτον ὄνομα, τὸ οὐχὶ διὰ τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν εἰσαγαγόντων ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς παιδείας κηρυσσόμενον, ἵνα μή, ἀργῶς τελειώσαντες τὸν ἐνταῦθα τοῦ ζῆν χρόνον, οὐ μόνον ὡς ἀγνῶτες τῆς οὐρανίου δόξης ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἀχάριστοι τῷ κριτῇ τὰς εὐθύνας παρέξομεν.