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Hortatory Address to the Greeks

Justin Martyr

Chapter 38

About this work

Author: Justin Martyr

Chapter XXXVIII.—Concluding appeal.

But since, ye men of Greece, the matters

of

the

true

religion

lie

not

in

the

metrical

numbers

of

poetry

,

nor

yet

in

that

culture

which

is

highly

esteemed

among

you

,

do

ye

henceforward

pay

less

devotion

to

accuracy

of

metres

and

of

language

;

and

giving

heed

without

contentiousness

to

the

words

of

the

Sibyl

,

recognise

how

great

are

the

benefits

which

she

will

confer

upon

you

by

predicting

,

as

she

does

in

a

clear

and

patent

manner

,

the

advent

of

our

Saviour

Jesus

Christ

;

who

,

being

the

Word

of

God

,

inseparable

from

Him

in

power

,

having

assumed

man

,

who

had

been

made

in

the

image

and

likeness

of

God

,

restored

to

us

the

knowledge

of

the

religion

of

our

ancient

forefathers

,

which

the

men

who

lived

after

them

abandoned

through

the

bewitching

counsel

of

the

envious

devil

,

and

turned

to

the

worship

of

those

who

were

no

gods

.

And

if

you

still

hesitate

and

are

hindered

from

belief

regarding

the

formation

of

man

,

believe

those

whom

you

have

hitherto

thought

it

right

to

give

heed

to

,

and

know

that

your

own

oracle

,

when

asked

by

some

one

to

utter

a

hymn

of

praise

to

the

Almighty

God

,

in

the

middle

of

the

hymn

spoke

thus

,

“

Who

formed

the

first

of

men

,

and

called

him

Adam

.

”

And

this

hymn

is

preserved

by

many

whom

we

know

,

for

the

conviction

of

those

who

are

unwilling

to

believe

the

truth

which

all

bear

witness

to

.

If

therefore

,

ye

men

of

Greece

,

ye

do

not

esteem

the

false

fancy

concerning

those

that

are

no

gods

at

a

higher

rate

than

your

own

salvation

,

believe

,

as

I

said

,

the

most

ancient

and

time

-

honoured

Sibyl

,

whose

books

are

preserved

in

all

the

world

,

and

who

by

some

kind

of

potent

inspiration

both

teaches

us

in

her

oracular

utterances

concerning

those

that

are

called

gods

,

that

have

no

existence

;

and

also

clearly

and

manifestly

prophesies

concerning

the

predicted

advent

of

our

Saviour

Jesus

Christ

,

and

concerning

all

those

things

which

were

to

be

done

by

Him

.

For

the

knowledge

of

these

things

will

constitute

your

necessary

preparatory

training

for

the

study

of

the

prophecies

of

the

sacred

writers

.

And

if

any

one

supposes

that

he

has

learned

the

doctrine

concerning

God

from

the

most

ancient

of

those

whom

you

name

philosophers

,

let

him

listen

to

Ammon

and

Hermes

:

to

Ammon

,

who

in

his

discourse

concerning

God

calls

Him

wholly

hidden

;

and

to

Hermes

,

who

says

plainly

and

distinctly

,

“

that

it

is

difficult

to

comprehend

God

,

and

that

it

is

impossible

even

for

the

man

who

can

comprehend

Him

to

declare

Him

to

others

.

”

From

every

point

of

view

,

therefore

,

it

must

be

seen

that

in

no

other

way

than

only

from

the

prophets

who

teach

us

by

divine

inspiration

,

is

it

at

all

possible

to

learn

anything

concerning

God

and

the

true

religion

.

Notes

85
[The fascinating use made of this by Virgil must not be overlooked:— “Ultima Cumæi venit jam carminis ætas,” etc. Ecl., iv. (Pollio) 4.]
86
[Hermes Trismegistus. Milton (Penseroso, line 88,) translates this name.]
87
[N.B.— This work is not supposed to be Justin’s by modern critics.]