The First Apology of Justin

 Chapter I.—Address.

 Chapter II.—Justice demanded.

 Chapter III.—Claim of judicial investigation.

 Chapter IV.—Christians unjustly condemned for their mere name.

 Chapter V.—Christians charged with atheism.

 Chapter VI.—Charge of atheism refuted.

 Chapter VII.—Each Christian must be tried by his own life.

 Chapter VIII.—Christians confess their faith in God.

 Chapter IX.—Folly of idol worship.

 Chapter X.—How God is to be served.

 Chapter XI.—What kingdom Christians look for.

 Chapter XII.—Christians live as under God’s eye.

 Chapter XIII.—Christians serve God rationally.

 Chapter XIV.—The demons misrepresent Christian doctrine.

 Chapter XV.—What Christ himself taught.

 Chapter XVI.—Concerning patience and swearing.

 Chapter XVII.—Christ taught civil obedience.

 Chapter XVIII.—Proof of immortality and the resurrection.

 Chapter XIX.—The resurrection possible.

 Chapter XX.—Heathen analogies to Christian doctrine.

 Chapter XXI.—Analogies to the history of Christ.

 Chapter XXII.—Analogies to the sonship of Christ.

 Chapter XXIII.—The argument.

 Chapter XXIV.—Varieties of heathen worship.

 Chapter XXV.—False Gods abandoned by Christians.

 Chapter XXVI.—Magicians not trusted by Christians.

 Chapter XXVII.—Guilt of exposing children.

 Chapter XXVIII.—God’s care for men.

 Chapter XXIX.—Continence of Christians.

 Chapter XXX.—Was Christ not a magician?

 Chapter XXXI.—Of the Hebrew prophets.

 Chapter XXXII.—Christ predicted by Moses.

 Chapter XXXIII.—Manner of Christ’s birth predicted.

 Chapter XXXIV.—Place of Christ’s birth foretold.

 Chapter XXXV.—Other fulfilled prophecies.

 Chapter XXXVI.—Different modes of prophecy.

 Chapter XXXVII.—Utterances of the Father.

 Chapter XXXVIII.—Utterances of the Son.

 Chapter XXXIX.—Direct predictions by the Spirit.

 Chapter XL.—Christ’s advent foretold.

 Chapter XLI.—The crucifixion predicted.

 Chapter XLII.—Prophecy using the past tense.

 Chapter XLIII.—Responsibility asserted.

 Chapter XLIV.—Not nullified by prophecy.

 Chapter XLV.—Christ’s session in heaven foretold.

 Chapter XLVI.—The Word in the world before Christ.

 Chapter XLVII.—Desolation of Judæa foretold.

 Chapter XLVIII.—Christ’s work and death foretold.

 Chapter XLIX.—His rejection by the Jews foretold.

 Chapter L.—His humiliation predicted.

 Chapter LI.—The majesty of Christ.

 Chapter LII.—Certain fulfilment of prophecy.

 Chapter LIII.—Summary of the prophecies.

 Chapter LIV.—Origin of heathen mythology.

 Chapter LV.—Symbols of the cross.

 Chapter LVI.—The demons still mislead men.

 Chapter LVII.—And cause persecution.

 Chapter LVIII.—And raise up heretics.

 Chapter LIX.—Plato’s obligation to Moses.

 Chapter LX.—Plato’s doctrine of the cross.

 Chapter LXI.—Christian baptism.

 Chapter LXII.—Its imitation by demons.

 Chapter LXIII.—How God appeared to Moses.

 Chapter LXIV.—Further misrepresentations of the truth.

 Chapter LXV.—Administration of the sacraments.

 Chapter LXVI.—Of the Eucharist.

 Chapter LXVII.—Weekly worship of the Christians.

 Chapter LXVIII.—Conclusion.

 Epistle of Adrian in behalf of the Christians.

 Epistle of Antoninus to the common assembly of Asia.

 Epistle of Marcus Aurelius to the senate, in which he testifies that the Christians were the cause of his victory.

Chapter LV.—Symbols of the cross.

But in no instance, not even in any of those called sons of Jupiter, did they imitate the being crucified; for it was not understood by them, all the things said of it having been put symbolically. And this, as the prophet foretold, is the greatest symbol of His power and role; as is also proved by the things which fall under our observation. For consider all the things in the world, whether without this form they could be administered or have any community. For the sea is not traversed except that trophy which is called a sail abide safe in the ship; and the earth is not ploughed without it: diggers and mechanics do not their work, except with tools which have this shape. And the human form differs from that of the irrational animals in nothing else than in its being erect and having the hands extended, and having on the face extending from the forehead what is called the nose, through which there is respiration for the living creature; and this shows no other form than that of the cross. And so it was said by the prophet, “The breath before our face is the Lord Christ.”118    From Lam. iv. 20 (Sept.). And the power of this form is shown by your own symbols on what are called “vexilla” [banners] and trophies, with which all your state possessions are made, using these as the insignia of your power and government, even though you do so unwittingly.119    [The Orientals delight in such refinements, but the “scandal of the cross” led the early Christians thus to retort upon the heathen; and the Labarum may have been the fruit of this very suggestion.] And with this form you consecrate the images of your emperors when they die, and you name them gods by inscriptions. Since, therefore, we have urged you both by reason and by an evident form, and to the utmost of our ability, we know that now we are blameless even though you disbelieve; for our part is done and finished.

[55] Ἀλλ' οὐδαμοῦ οὐδ' ἐπί τινος τῶν λεγομένων υἱῶν τοῦ Διὸς τὸ σταυρωθῆναι ἐμιμήσαντο: οὐ γὰρ ἐνοεῖτο αὐτοῖς, συμβολικῶς, ὡς προδεδήλωται, τῶν εἰς τοῦτο εἰρημένων πάντων λελεγμένων. ὅπερ, ὡς προεῖπεν ὁ προφήτης, τὸ μέγιστον σύμβολον τῆς ἰσχύος καὶ ἀρχῆς αὐτοῦ ὑπάρχει, ὡς καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὑπ' ὄψιν πιπτόντων δείκνυται: κατανοήσατε γὰρ πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, εἰ ἄνευ τοῦ σχήματος τούτου διοικεῖται ἢ κοινωνίαν ἔχειν δύναται. θάλασσα μὲν γὰρ οὐ τέμνεται, ἢν μὴ τοῦτο τὸ τρόπαιον, ὃ καλεῖται ἱστίον, ἐν τῇ νηῒ σῶον μείνῃ: γῆ δὲ οὐκ ἀροῦται ἄνευ αὐτοῦ: σκαπανεῖς δὲ τὴν ἐργασίαν οὐ ποιοῦνται οὐδὲ βαναυσουργοὶ ὁμοίως εἰ μὴ διὰ τῶν τὸ σχῆμα τοῦτο ἐχόντων ἐργαλείων. τὸ δὲ ἀνθρώπειον σχῆμα οὐδενὶ ἄλλῳ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων διαφέρει, ἢ τῷ ὀρθόν τε εἶναι καὶ ἔκτασιν χειρῶν ἔχειν καὶ ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ μετωπίου τεταμένον τὸν λεγόμενον μυξωτῆρα φέρειν, δι' οὗ ἥ τε ἀναπνοή ἐστι τῷ ζώῳ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἄλλο δείκνυσιν ἢ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ σταυροῦ. καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου δὲ ἐλέχθη οὕτως: Πνεῦμα πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν χριστὸς κύριος. καὶ τὰ παρ' ὑμῖν δὲ σύμβολα τὴν τοῦ σχήματος τούτου δύναμιν δηλοῖ, [ἵνα ἀμε]λῶμεν καὶ τῶν τροπαίων, δι' ὧν αἵ τε πρόοδοι ὑμῶν πανταχοῦ γίνονται, τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ δυνάμεως τὰ σημεῖα ἐν τούτοις δεικνύντες, εἰ καὶ μὴ νοοῦντες τοῦτο πράττετε. καὶ τῶν παρ' ὑμῖν ἀποθνησκόντων αὐτοκρατόρων τὰς εἰκόνας ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ σχήματι ἀνατίθετε, καὶ θεοὺς διὰ γραμμάτων ἐπονομάζετε. καὶ διὰ λόγου οὖν καὶ σχήματος τοῦ φαινομένου, ὅση δύναμις, προτρεψάμενοι ὑμᾶς ἀνεύθυνοι οἴδαμεν λοιπὸν ὄντες, κἂν ὑμεῖς ἀπιστεῖτε: τὸ γὰρ ἡμέτερον γέγονε καὶ πεπέρανται.