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On the Sole Government of God

Justin Martyr

Chapter 1

About this work

Author: Justin Martyr

Chapter I.—Object of the author.

Although human nature at first received a union of intelligence

and

safety

to

discern

the

truth

,

and

the

worship

due

to

the

one

Lord

of

all

,

yet

envy

,

insinuating

the

excellence

of

human

greatness

,

turned

men

away

to

the

making

of

idols

;

and

this

superstitious

custom

,

after

continuing

for

a

long

period

,

is

handed

down

to

the

majority

as

if

it

were

natural

and

true

.

It

is

the

part

of

a

lover

of

man

,

or

rather

of

a

lover

of

God

,

to

remind

men

who

have

neglected

it

of

that

which

they

ought

to

know

.

For

the

truth

is

of

itself

sufficient

to

show

forth

,

by

means

of

those

things

which

are

contained

under

the

pole

of

heaven

,

the

order

[

instituted

by

]

Him

who

has

created

them

.

But

forgetfulness

having

taken

possession

of

the

minds

of

men

,

through

the

long

-

suffering

of

God

,

has

acted

recklessly

in

transferring

to

mortals

the

name

which

is

applicable

to

the

only

true

God

;

and

from

the

few

the

infection

of

sin

spread

to

the

many

,

who

were

blinded

by

popular

usage

to

the

knowledge

of

that

which

was

lasting

and

unchangeable

.

For

the

men

of

former

generations

,

who

instituted

private

and

public

rites

in

honour

of

such

as

were

more

powerful

,

caused

forgetfulness

of

the

Catholic

faith

to

take

possession

of

their

posterity

;

but

I

,

as

I

have

just

stated

,

along

with

a

God

-

loving

mind

,

shall

employ

the

speech

of

one

who

loves

man

,

and

set

it

before

those

who

have

intelligence

,

which

all

ought

to

have

who

are

privileged

to

observe

the

administration

of

the

universe

,

so

that

they

should

worship

unchangeably

Him

who

knows

all

things

.

This

I

shall

do

,

not

by

mere

display

of

words

,

but

by

altogether

using

demonstration

drawn

from

the

old

poetry

in

Greek

literature

,

and

from

writings

very

common

amongst

all

.

For

from

these

the

famous

men

who

have

handed

down

idol

-

worship

as

law

to

the

multitudes

,

shall

be

taught

and

convicted

by

their

own

poets

and

literature

of

great

ignorance

.

Notes

2
i.e., the doctrine that God only is to be worshipped.
3
Literally, “history.”