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The Second Apology

Justin Martyr

Chapter 15

About this work

A shorter defense responding to recent judicial violence against Christians and arguing that persecution, philosophical reason, human freedom, and Christian hope must be judged justly.

Author: Justin Martyr
Date: c. AD 150–160
Origin: Rome
Genre: Apology

Chapter XV.—Conclusion.

And I despised the wicked and deceitful doctrine of Simon

‹ Chapter 14

of

my

own

nation

.

And

if

you

give

this

book

your

authority

,

we

will

expose

him

before

all

,

that

,

if

possible

,

they

may

be

converted

.

For

this

end

alone

did

we

compose

this

treatise

.

And

our

doctrines

are

not

shameful

,

according

to

a

sober

judgment

,

but

are

indeed

more

lofty

than

all

human

philosophy

:

and

if

not

so

,

they

are

at

least

unlike

the

doctrines

of

the

Sotadists

,

and

Philænidians

,

and

Dancers

,

and

Epicureans

,

and

such

other

teachings

of

the

poets

,

which

all

are

allowed

to

acquaint

themselves

with

both

as

acted

and

as

written

.

And

henceforth

we

shall

be

silent

,

having

done

as

much

as

we

could

,

and

having

added

the

prayer

that

all

men

everywhere

may

be

counted

worthy

of

the

truth

.

And

would

that

you

also

,

in

a

manner

becoming

piety

and

philosophy

,

would

for

your

own

sakes

judge

justly

!

References

Notes

25
[Simon Magus appears to be one with whom Justin is perfectly familiar, and hence we are not to conclude rashly that he blundered as to the divine honours rendered to him as the Sabine God.]
26
[Another apostrophe, and a home thrust for “Pius the philosopher” and the emperor.]