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TO DIOGNETUS

Since I see, most excellent Diognetus, that you are exceedingly zealous to learn the religion of the Christians, and that you inquire very clearly and carefully about them, in what God they trust and how they worship him that they all disregard the world and despise death, and neither do they reckon as gods those who are considered such by the Greeks nor do they observe the superstition of the Jews, and what is this affection they have for one another, and why this new race or way of life has entered into the world now and not before. I welcome this zeal of yours, and from God—who supplies to us both the speaking and the hearing—I ask that it be granted to me to speak in such a way that you, upon hearing, might become better, and for you to hear in such a way that the one who speaks will not be grieved. Come then, having cleansed yourself of all the thoughts that preoccupy your mind, and having put away the deceitful habit, and having become like a new man from the beginning, as you would be a hearer of a new message, just as you yourself have acknowledged; see not only with your eyes, but also with your intelligence, of what substance or of what form are those whom you call and consider gods. Is not one a stone, like that which is trodden underfoot, another bronze, no better than the vessels forged for our use, another wood, already rotten, another silver, needing a man to guard it lest it be stolen, another iron, corrupted by rust, another earthenware, no more comely than that which is made for the most dishonorable service? Are not all these things of perishable matter? Are they not forged by iron and fire? Did not one of them a stonemason, another a bronzesmith, another a silversmith, another a potter make? Before they were fashioned by the skills of these craftsmen into these shapes, was not each of them, even now, capable of being transformed into other shapes? And could not vessels that now exist, being of the same material, be made like unto such things, if they should fall into the hands of the same craftsmen?

And could not these things, which are now worshiped by you, again be made by men into vessels like the others? Are they not all deaf, are they not blind, are they not lifeless, are they not without feeling, are they not motionless? Do they not all rot, do they not all perish? These things you call gods, these you serve, these you worship; and you become completely like them. For this reason you hate Christians, because they do not consider these to be gods. For do not you, who now consider and suppose them to be gods, despise them far more? Do you not mock and insult them much more, by worshiping the stone and earthenware ones unguarded, but locking up the silver and gold ones at night, and setting guards by them during the day, lest they be stolen? And with the honors you think you offer, if they are sentient, you are rather punishing them; but if they are without sensation, you are reproaching them by worshiping them with blood and the savor of fat. Let one of you endure these things, let one of you allow these things to be done to himself. But not a single man will willingly endure this punishment, for he has sensation and reason; but the stone endures it, for it is without sensation. Therefore you disprove its sentience. Concerning, then, the fact that Christians are not enslaved to such gods, I could say many other things; but if even these things do not seem sufficient to someone, I consider it superfluous to say more. Next, concerning the fact that they do not worship God in the same way as the Jews, I think you are most eager to hear.

The Jews, then, if they abstain from this aforementioned worship, and claim to believe in one God and to worship him as master of all,

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ΠΡOΣ ∆IOΓΝHΤOΝ

Ἐπειδὴ ὁρῶ, κράτιστε ∆ιόγνητε, ὑπερεσπουδακότα σε τὴν θεοσέβειαν τῶν Χριστιανῶν μαθεῖν καὶ πάνυ σαφῶς καὶ ἐπιμελῶς πυνθανόμενον περὶ αὐτῶν, τίνι τε Θεῷ πεποιθότες καὶ πῶς θρησκεύοντες αὐτὸν τόν τε κόσμον ὑπερορῶσι πάντες καὶ θανάτου καταφρονοῦσι, καὶ οὔτε τοὺς νομιζομένους ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων θεοὺς λογίζονται οὔτε τὴν Ἰουδαίων δεισιδαιμονίαν φυλάσσουσι, καὶ τίνα τὴν φιλοστοργίαν ἔχουσι πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ τί δήποτε καινὸν τοῦτο γένος ἢ ἐπιτήδευμα εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν βίον νῦν καὶ οὐ πρότερον. Ἀποδέχομαί γε τῆς προθυμίας σε ταύτης, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ-τοῦ καὶ τὸ λέγειν καὶ τὸ ἀκούειν ἡμῖν χορηγοῦντος-αἰτοῦμαι δοθῆναι ἐμοὶ μὲν εἰπεῖν οὕτως ὡς μάλιστα ἂν ἀκούσαντά σε βελτίω γενέσθαι, σοί τε οὕτως ἀκοῦσαι ὡς μὴ λυπηθῆναι τὸν εἰπόντα. Ἄγε δή, καθάρας σαυτὸν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν προκατεχόντων σου τὴν διάνοιαν λογισμῶν, καὶ τὴν ἀπατῶσάν σε συνήθειαν ἀποσκευασάμενος, καὶ γενόμενος ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς καινὸς ἄνθρωπος, ὡς ἂν καὶ λόγου καινοῦ, καθάπερ καὶ αὐτὸς ὡμολόγησας, ἀκροατὴς ἐσόμενος· ἴδε μὴ μόνον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ φρονήσει, τίνος ὑποστάσεως ἢ τίνος εἴδους τυγχάνουσιν οὓς ἐρεῖτε καὶ νομίζετε θεούς. Oὐχ ὁ μέν τις λίθος ἐστὶν ὅμοιος τῷ πατουμένῳ, ὁ δ' ἐστὶ χαλκὸς οὐ κρείσσων τῶν εἰς τὴν χρῆσιν ἡμῖν κεχαλκευμένων σκευῶν, ὁ δὲ ξύλον ἤδη καὶ σεσηπός, ὁ δὲ ἄργυρος χρῄζων ἀνθρώπου τοῦ φυλάξαντος ἵνα μὴ κλαπῇ, ὁ δὲ σίδηρος ὑπὸ ἰοῦ διεφθαρμένος, ὁ δὲ ὄστρακον, οὐδὲν τοῦ κατασκευασμένου πρὸς τὴν ἀτιμοτάτην ὑπηρεσίαν εὐπρεπέστερον; οὐ φθαρτῆς ὕλης ταῦτα πάντα; οὐχ ὑπὸ σιδήρου καὶ πυρὸς κεχαλκευμένα; οὐχ ὃ μὲν αὐτῶν λιθοξόος ὃ δὲ χαλκεὺς ὃ δὲ ἀργυροκόπος ὃ δὲ κεραμεὺς ἔπλασεν; οὐ πρὶν ἢ ταῖς τέχναις τούτων εἰς τὴν μορφὴν τούτων ἐκτυπωθῆναι ἦν ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἑκάστῳ ἔτι καὶ νῦν μεταμεμορφωμένον; οὐ τὰ νῦν, ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὕλης ὄντα σκεύη γένοιτ' ἄν, εἰ τύχοι τῶν αὐτῶν τεχνιτῶν, ὅμοια τοιού τοις;

Oὐ ταῦτα πάλιν τὰ νῦν ὑφ' ὑμῶν προσκυνούμενα δύναιτ' ἂν ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων σκεύη ὅμοια γενέσθαι τοῖς λοιποῖς; οὐ κωφὰ πάντα, οὐ τυφλά, οὐκ ἄψυχα, οὐκ ἀναίσθητα, οὐκ ἀκίνητα; οὐ πάντα σηπόμενα, οὐ πάντα φθειρόμενα; ταῦτα θεοὺς καλεῖτε, τούτοις δουλεύετε, τούτοις προσκυνεῖτε· τέλεον δ' αὐτοῖς ἐξομοιοῦσθε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μισεῖτε Χριστιανούς, ὅτι τούτους οὐχ ἡγοῦνται θεούς. Ὑμεῖς γὰρ οἱ νῦν νομίζοντες καὶ οἰόμενοι, οὐ πολὺ πλέον αὐτῶν καταφρονεῖτε; οὐ πολὺ μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς λευάζετε καὶ ὑβρίζετε, τοὺς μὲν λιθίνους καὶ ὀστρακίνους σέβοντες ἀφυλάκτους, τοὺς δὲ ἀργυρέους καὶ χρυσοῦς ἐγκλείοντες ταῖς νυξί, καὶ ταῖς ἡμέραις φύλακας παρακαθιστάντες, ἵνα μὴ κλαπῶσιν; αἷς δὲ δοκεῖτε τιμαῖς προσφέρειν, εἰ μὲν αἰσθάνονται, κολάζετε μᾶλλον αὐτούς· εἰ δὲ ἀναισθητοῦσιν, ἐλέγχοντες αἵματι καὶ κνίσαις αὐτοὺς θρησκεύετε. Ταῦθ' ὑμῶν τις ὑπομεινάτω, ταῦτα ἀνασχέσθω τις ἑαυτῷ γενέσθαι. Ἀλλὰ ἄνθρωπος μὲν οὐδὲ εἷς ταύτης τῆς κολάσεως ἑκὼν ἀνέξεται, αἴσθησιν γὰρ ἔχει καὶ λογισμόν· ὁ δὲ λίθος ἀνέχεται, ἀναισθητεῖ γάρ· οὐκοῦν τὴν αἴσθησιν αὐτοῦ ἐλέγχετε. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ μὴ δεδουλῶσθαι Χριστιανοὺς τοιούτοις θεοῖς πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα εἰπεῖν ἔχοιμι· εἰ δέ τινι μὴ δοκοίη κἂν ταῦτα ἱκανά, περισσὸν ἡγοῦμαι καὶ τὸ πλείω λέγειν. Ἑξῆς δὲ περὶ τοῦ μὴ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ Ἰουδαίοις θεοσεβεῖν αὐτοὺς οἶμαί σε μάλιστα ποθεῖν ἀκοῦσαι.

Ἰουδαῖοι τοίνυν, εἰ μὲν ἀπέχονται ταύτης τῆς προειρημένης λατρείας, καὶ εἰς θεὸν ἕνα πιστεύειν καὶ τοῦτον τῶν πάντων σέβειν [καὶ] δεσπότην, ἀξιοῦσι