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Theophilus of Antioch, Theophilus to Autolycus
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Book I. Chapter I.—Autolycus an Idolater and Scorner of Christians.
Chapter II.—That the Eyes of the Soul Must Be Purged Ere God Can Be Seen.
Chapter IV.—Attributes of God.
Chapter V.—The Invisible God Perceived Through His Works.
Chapter VI.—God is Known by His Works.
Chapter VII.—We Shall See God When We Put on Immortality.
Chapter VIII.—Faith Required in All Matters.
Chapter IX.—Immoralities of the Gods.
Chapter X.—Absurdities of Idolatry.
Chapter XI.—The King to Be Honoured, God to Be Worshipped.
Chapter XII.—Meaning of the Name Christian.
Chapter XIII.—The Resurrection Proved by Examples.
Chapter XIV.—Theophilus an Example of Conversion.
Book II. Chapter I.—Occasion of Writing This Book.
Chapter II.—The Gods are Despised When They are Made But Become Valuable When Bought.
Chapter III.—What Has Become of the Gods?
Chapter IV.—Absurd Opinions of the Philosophers Concerning God.
Chapter V.—Opinions of Homer and Hesiod Concerning the Gods.
Chapter VI.—Hesiod on the Origin of the World.
Chapter VII.—Fabulous Heathen Genealogies.
Chapter VIII.— Opinions Concerning Providence.
Chapter IX.—The Prophets Inspired by the Holy Ghost.
Chapter X.—The World Created by God Through the Word.
Chapter XI.—The Six Days’ Work Described.
Chapter XII.—The Glory of the Six Days’ Work.
Chapter XIII.—Remarks on the Creation of the World.
Chapter XIV.—The World Compared to the Sea.
Chapter XV.—Of the Fourth Day.
Chapter XVI.—Of the Fifth Day.
Chapter XVII.—Of the Sixth Day.
Chapter XVIII.—The Creation of Man.
Chapter XIX.—Man is Placed in Paradise.
Chapter XX.—The Scriptural Account of Paradise.
Chapter XXI.—Of the Fall of Man.
Chapter XXII.—Why God is Said to Have Walked.
Chapter XXIII.—The Truth of the Account in Genesis.
Chapter XXIV.—The Beauty of Paradise.
Chapter XXV.—God Was Justified in Forbidding Man to Eat of the Tree of Knowledge.
Chapter XXVI.—God’s Goodness in Expelling Man from Paradise.
Chapter XXVII.—The Nature of Man.
Chapter XXVIII.—Why Eve Was Formed of Adam’s Rib.
Chapter XXX.—Cain’s Family and Their Inventions.
Chapter XXXI.—The History After the Flood.
Chapter XXXII.—How the Human Race Was Dispersed.
Chapter XXXIII.—Profane History Gives No Account of These Matters.
Chapter XXXIV.—The Prophets Enjoined Holiness of Life.
Chapter XXXV.—Precepts from the Prophetic Books.
Chapter XXXVI.—Prophecies of the Sibyl.
Chapter XXXVII.—The Testimonies of the Poets.
Theophilus to Autolycus. Chapter I.—Autolycus Not Yet Convinced.
Chapter II.—Profane Authors Had No Means of Knowing the Truth.
Chapter III.—Their Contradictions.
Chapter IV.—How Autolycus Had Been Misled by False Accusations Against the Christians.
Chapter V.—Philosophers Inculcate Cannibalism.
Chapter VI.—Other Opinions of the Philosophers.
Chapter VII.—Varying Doctrine Concerning the Gods.
Chapter VIII.—Wickedness Attributed to the Gods by Heathen Writers.
Chapter IX.—Christian Doctrine of God and His Law.
Chapter X.—Of Humanity to Strangers.
Chapter XII.—Of Righteousness.
Chapter XIV.—Of Loving Our Enemies.
Chapter XV.—The Innocence of the Christians Defended.
Chapter XVI.—Uncertain Conjectures of the Philosophers.
Chapter XVII.—Accurate Information of the Christians.
Chapter XVIII.—Errors of the Greeks About the Deluge.
Chapter XIX.—Accurate Account of the Deluge.
Chapter XX.—Antiquity of Moses.
Chapter XXI.—Of Manetho’s Inaccuracy.
Chapter XXII.—Antiquity of the Temple.
Chapter XXIII.—Prophets More Ancient Than Greek Writers.
Chapter XXIV.—Chronology from Adam.
Chapter XXV.—From Saul to the Captivity.
Chapter XXVI.—Contrast Between Hebrew and Greek Writings.
Chapter XXVII.—Roman Chronology to the Death of M. Aurelius.
Chapter XXVIII.—Leading Chronological Epochs.
Consider, therefore, whether those who teach such things can possibly live indifferently, and be commingled in unlawful intercourse, or, most impious of all, eat human flesh, especially when we are forbidden so much as to witness shows of gladiators, lest we become partakers and abettors of murders. But neither may we see the other spectacles,145 At the theatres. [N.B.—Let the easy Christians of our age be reminded of this warning; frequenting, as they do, plays and operas equally defiling, impure in purport often, even when not gross in language.] lest our eyes and ears be defiled, participating in the utterances there sung. For if one should speak of cannibalism, in these spectacles the children of Thyestes and Tereus are eaten; and as for adultery, both in the case of men and of gods, whom they celebrate in elegant language for honours and prizes, this is made the subject of their dramas. But far be it from Christians to conceive any such deeds; for with them temperance dwells, self-restraint is practiced, monogamy is observed, chastity is guarded, iniquity exterminated, sin extirpated, righteousness exercised, law administered, worship performed, God acknowledged: truth governs, grace guards, peace screens them; the holy word guides, wisdom teaches, life directs, God reigns. Therefore, though we have much to say regarding our manner of life, and the ordinances of God, the maker of all creation, we yet consider that we have for the present reminded you of enough to induce you to study these things, especially since you can now read [our writings] for yourself, that as you have been fond of acquiring information, you may still be studious in this direction also.
Σκόπει τοίνυν εἰ οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα μανθάνοντες δύνανται ἀδιαφόρως ζῆν καὶ συμφύρεσθαι ταῖς ἀθεμίτοις μίξεσιν, ἢ τὸ ἀθεώτατον πάντων, σαρκῶν ἀνθρωπείων ἐφάπτεσθαι, ὅπου γε καὶ τὰς θέας τῶν μονομάχων ἡμῖν ἀπείρηται ὁρᾶν, ἵνα μὴ κοινωνοὶ καὶ συνίστορες φόνων γενώμεθα. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὰς λοιπὰς θεωρίας ὁρᾶν χρή, ἵνα μὴ μολύνωνται ἡμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ τὰ ὦτα, γινόμενα συμμέτοχα τῶν ἐκεῖ φωνῶν δομένων. εἰ γὰρ εἴποι τις περὶ ἀνθρωποβορίας, ἐκεῖ τὰ Θυέστου καὶ Τηρέως τέκνα ἐσθιόμενα· εἰ δὲ περὶ μοιχείας, οὐ μόνον περὶ ἀνθρώπων ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ θεῶν, ὧν καταγγέλλουσιν εὐφώνως μετὰ τιμῶν καὶ ἄθλων, παρ' αὐτοῖς τραγῳδεῖται. μακρὰν δὲ ἀπείη χριστιανοῖς ἐνθυμηθῆναί τι τοιοῦτο πρᾶξαι, παρ' οἷς σωφροσύνη πάρεστιν, ἐγκράτεια ἀσκεῖται, μονογαμία τηρεῖται, ἁγνεία φυλάσσεται, ἀδικία ἐκπορθεῖται, ἁμαρτία ἐκριζοῦται, δικαιοσύνη μελετᾶται, νόμος πολιτεύεται, θεοσέβεια πράσσεται, θεὸς ὁμολογεῖται, ἀλήθεια βραβεύει, χάρις συντηρεῖ, εἰρήνη περισκέπει, λόγος ἅγιος ὁδηγεῖ, σοφία διδάσκει, ζωὴ βραβεύει, θεὸς βασιλεύει. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν ἔχοντες λέγειν περὶ τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς πολιτείας καὶ τῶν δικαιωμάτων τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ δημιουργοῦ πάσης κτίσεως, τὰ νῦν αὐτάρκως ἡγούμεθα ἐπιμεμνῆσθαι, εἰς τὸ καί σε ἐπιστῆσαι μάλιστα ἐξ ὧν ἀναγινώσκεις ἕως τοῦ δεῦρο, ἵνα ὡς φιλομαθὴς ἐγενήθης ἕως τοῦ δεῦρο οὕτως καὶ φιλομαθὴς ἔσῃ.