Opening the library…

Search the Bible

A Plea for the Christians

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 7

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 VII.—Superiority of the Christian Doctrine Respecting God.

Since, therefore, the unity of the

‹ Chapter 6 Chapter 8 ›

Deity

is

confessed

by

almost

all

,

even

against

their

will

,

when

they

come

to

treat

of

the

first

principles

of

the

universe

,

and

we

in

our

turn

likewise

assert

that

He

who

arranged

this

universe

is

God

,

—

why

is

it

that

they

can

say

and

write

with

impunity

what

they

please

concerning

the

Deity

,

but

that

against

us

a

law

lies

in

force

,

though

we

are

able

to

demonstrate

what

we

apprehend

and

justly

believe

,

namely

that

there

is

one

God

,

with

proofs

and

reason

accordant

with

truth

?

For

poets

and

philosophers

,

as

to

other

subjects

so

also

to

this

,

have

applied

themselves

in

the

way

of

conjecture

,

moved

,

by

reason

of

their

affinity

with

the

afflatus

from

God

,

each

one

by

his

own

soul

,

to

try

whether

he

could

find

out

and

apprehend

the

truth

;

but

they

have

not

been

found

competent

fully

to

apprehend

it

,

because

they

thought

fit

to

learn

,

not

from

God

concerning

God

,

but

each

one

from

himself

;

hence

they

came

each

to

his

own

conclusion

respecting

God

,

and

matter

,

and

forms

,

and

the

world

.

But

we

have

for

witnesses

of

the

things

we

apprehend

and

believe

,

prophets

,

men

who

have

pronounced

concerning

God

and

the

things

of

God

,

guided

by

the

Spirit

of

God

.

And

you

too

will

admit

,

excelling

all

others

as

you

do

in

intelligence

and

in

piety

towards

the

true

God

(

τὸ

ὄντως

θεῖον

)

,

that

it

would

be

irrational

for

us

to

cease

to

believe

in

the

Spirit

from

God

,

who

moved

the

mouths

of

the

prophets

like

musical

instruments

,

and

to

give

heed

to

mere

human

opinions

.

Notes

21
[See cap. xxx., infra. Important, as showing the degree of value attributed by the Fathers to the Sibylline and Orphic sayings. Comp. Kaye, p. 177.]