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A Plea for the Christians

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 15

About this work

A polished petition to Roman emperors rebutting charges of atheism, incest, and cannibalism while explaining Christian monotheism, moral discipline, and belief in Father, Son, and Spirit.

Author: Athenagoras of Athens
Date: c. AD 176–177
Origin: Athens (traditional)
Genre: Apology

Chapter XV.—The Christians Distinguish God from Matter.

But grant that they acknowledge the same.

‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›

What

then

?

Because

the

multitude

,

who

cannot

distinguish

between

matter

and

God

,

or

see

how

great

is

the

interval

which

lies

between

them

,

pray

to

idols

made

of

matter

,

are

we

therefore

,

who

do

distinguish

and

separate

the

uncreated

and

the

created

,

that

which

is

and

that

which

is

not

,

that

which

is

apprehended

by

the

understanding

and

that

which

is

perceived

by

the

senses

,

and

who

give

the

fitting

name

to

each

of

them

,

—

are

we

to

come

and

worship

images

?

If

,

indeed

,

matter

and

God

are

the

same

,

two

names

for

one

thing

,

then

certainly

,

in

not

regarding

stocks

and

stones

,

gold

and

silver

,

as

gods

,

we

are

guilty

of

impiety

.

But

if

they

are

at

the

greatest

possible

remove

from

one

another

—

as

far

asunder

as

the

artist

and

the

materials

of

his

art

—

why

are

we

called

to

account

?

For

as

is

the

potter

and

the

clay

(

matter

being

the

clay

,

and

the

artist

the

potter

)

,

so

is

God

,

the

Framer

of

the

world

,

and

matter

,

which

is

subservient

to

Him

for

the

purposes

of

His

art

.

But

as

the

clay

cannot

become

vessels

of

itself

without

art

,

so

neither

did

matter

,

which

is

capable

of

taking

all

forms

,

receive

,

apart

from

God

the

Framer

,

distinction

and

shape

and

order

.

And

as

we

do

not

hold

the

pottery

of

more

worth

than

him

who

made

it

,

nor

the

vessels

of

glass

and

gold

than

him

who

wrought

them

;

but

if

there

is

anything

about

them

elegant

in

art

we

praise

the

artificer

,

and

it

is

he

who

reaps

the

glory

of

the

vessels

:

even

so

with

matter

and

God

—

the

glory

and

honour

of

the

orderly

arrangement

of

the

world

belongs

of

right

not

to

matter

,

but

to

God

,

the

Framer

of

matter

.

So

that

,

if

we

were

to

regard

the

various

forms

of

matter

as

gods

,

we

should

seem

to

be

without

any

sense

of

the

true

God

,

because

we

should

be

putting

the

things

which

are

dissoluble

and

perishable

on

a

level

with

that

which

is

eternal

.

Notes

44
[Kaye, p. 172.]