OF SAINT JUSTIN PHILOSOPHER AND MARTYR ON MONARCHY.

Although human nature from the beginning received a union of understanding and salvation for the full knowledge of the truth and of religion toward the one Lord of all, malice, creeping in, turned aside the exceeding majesty of men to the making of idols; and the superfluous custom, having remained for a long time, hands down the error to the many as if it were proper and true. But it is the work of a lover of humanity, or rather a lover of God, to remind those who have neglected what they ought to have known. For truth was in itself sufficient to show, from the things contained under the heavens, the order of Him who created them; but forgetfulness, on account of the long-suffering of God, taking hold of the mind of men, worked mischief, transferring the name which befits only the true God to mortals. And through a few, the many found pasture for wickedness, being darkened in the knowledge of what is sure and unchangeable by vulgar custom; for some, in the beginning performing ceremonies and services in honour of their superiors, instilled in those who came after them a forgetfulness of the universal doctrine. But I, as I just now undertook, using a God-loving mind, will use a man-loving voice, and I present to those who have understanding that it is necessary for all who are concerned with the administration of the universe to have an unchangeable religion toward the Knower of all things. And I will not say this by embellishing it with words, but by using proof entirely from the ancient poetry of Greek history, from the writings commonly given to all; for from those from whom they handed down the law of the religion of idols to the many, having learned from them, they, being ignorant of mind, will be convicted by their own poets and lyricists. For first Aeschylus, having set forth the arrangement of his discourses, also brought forth a voice concerning the one God, as he says: Separate God from mortals, and do not think That He is, like them, made of flesh. You do not know Him; at one time He appears as fire, An unapproachable force, at another as water, at another darkness. And He Himself becomes like wild beasts, Wind, and cloud, and lightning, thunder, and rain. The sea and the rocks serve Him, And every spring and collection of water. Mountains and earth and the vast depth Of the sea tremble, and the great height of the mountains, When the stern eye of the Master looks upon them. For He is able to do all things; glory to the most high God. Not only was this man initiated into the knowledge concerning God, but also Sophocles the histor

ΤOΥ AΓIOΥ IOΥΣΤIΝOΥ ΦIΛOΣOΦOΥ ΚAI ΜAΡΤΥΡOΣ ΠEΡI ΜOΝAΡΧIAΣ.

Τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως τὸ κατ' ἀρχὴν συζυγίαν συν έσεως καὶ σωτηρίας λαβούσης εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας θρη σκείας τε τῆς εἰς τὸν ἕνα καὶ πάντων δεσπότην, παρεισδῦσα εἰς εἰδωλοποιΐας ἐξέτρεψε βασκανία τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων μεγαλειότητος, καὶ πολλῷ χρόνῳ μεῖναν τὸ περισ σὸν ἔθος ὡς οἰκείαν καὶ ἀληθῆ τὴν πλάνην τοῖς πολλοῖς παρα δίδωσι. Φιλανθρώπου δὲ ἢ μᾶλλον φιλοθέου ἔργον ἐστὶν ὑπομνῆσαι τοὺς ἅπερ ὤφελον εἰδέναι παραλελοιπότας. Ἠν μὲν γὰρ καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἀρκετὴ ἡ ἀλήθεια δεικνύναι ἐκ τῶν συν εχομένων ὑπὸ τὸν πόλον τὴν τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος ταῦτα τάξιν, λήθη δὲ διὰ τὸ μακρόθυμον τοῦ θεοῦ περικρατήσασα τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων γνώμης ἐρᾳδιούργησε, τὸ μόνῳ τῷ ὄντως θεῷ πρέ πον ὄνομα ἐπὶ θνητοὺς μεταφέρουσα. Καὶ δι' ὀλίγων νομὴν πονηρίας ἔσχον οἱ πολλοί, ἀμαυρούμενοι τῇ εἰς τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ἄτρεπτον γνώσει ὀχλικῇ συνηθείᾳ· οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὸ κατ' ἀρχὴν εἰς τιμὴν τῶν ὑπερεχόντων τελετὰς καὶ λειτουργίας τελοῦντες ἀμνηστίαν τοῖς μετ' αὐτοὺς τῆς καθολικῆς δόξης ἐνέβαλον. Ἐγὼ δέ, ὡς μικρῷ πρόσθεν ὑπέστην, φιλοθέῳ τῇ γνώμῃ κεχρημένος φιλανθρώπῳ χρήσομαι τῇ φωνῇ, καὶ παρίστημι τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσι, δέον ὑπάρχειν πᾶσι τοῖς κεχρημένοις τῇ τῶν ὅλων διοικήσει, ἄτρεπτον ἔχειν τὴν εἰς τὸν πάντων γνώ στην θρησκείαν. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ λόγῳ καλλωπίζων φράσω, ἀπο δείξει δὲ τῇ ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς τῆς ἑλληνικῆς ἱστορίας ποιήσει κεχρημένος, ἐκ τῶν πᾶσι κοινῇ δε δομένων γραμμάτων· ἐξ ὧν γὰρ οἱ πάνυ τῆς τῶν εἰδώλων θρησκείας νόμον τοῖς πολλοῖς παρέδοσαν, μαθόντες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀγνῶτες νοῦ ἐλεγχθήσονται ὑπὸ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς ποιητῶν καὶ μελογράφων. Πρῶτος μὲν γὰρ Aἰσχύλος, τὴν τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν λό γων σύνταξιν ἐκθείς, καὶ τὴν περὶ θεοῦ τοῦ μόνου ἐξήνεγκε φωνήν, ὡς λέγει· Χώριζε θνητῶν τὸν θεόν, καὶ μὴ δόκει Ὅμοιον αὑτῷ σάρκινον καθεστάναι. Oὐκ οἶσθα δ' αὐτόν· ποτὲ μὲν ὡς πῦρ φαίνεται Ἄπλατος ὁρμή, ποτὲ δ' ὕδωρ, ποτὲ γνόφος· Καὶ θηρσὶν αὐτὸς γίνεται παρεμφερής, Ἀνέμῳ, νεφέλῃ τε κἀστραπῇ, βροντῇ, βροχῇ. Ὑπηρετεῖ δ' αὐτῷ θάλασσα καὶ πέτραι Καὶ πᾶσα πηγὴ χὔδατος συστήματα· Τρέμει δ' ὄρη καὶ γαῖα καὶ πελώριος Βυθὸς θαλάσσης κὠρέων ὕψος μέγα, Ὅταν ἐπιβλέψῃ γοργὸν ὄμμα δεσπότου. Πάντα δύναται γάρ· δόξα δ' ὑψίστου θεοῦ. Oὐ μόνον δὲ οὗτος τὴν περὶ θεοῦ ἐμυήθη γνῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Σοφοκλῆς τὴν τοῦ μόνου ποιητοῦ τῶν ὅλων καὶ ἑνὸς θεοῦ ἱστο