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The Second Apology

Justin Martyr

Chapter 5

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 V.—How the angels transgressed.

But if this idea take possession of some one,

‹ Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ›

that

if

we

acknowledge

God

as

our

helper

,

we

should

not

,

as

we

say

,

be

oppressed

and

persecuted

by

the

wicked

;

this

,

too

,

I

will

solve

.

God

,

when

He

had

made

the

whole

world

,

and

subjected

things

earthly

to

man

,

and

arranged

the

heavenly

elements

for

the

increase

of

fruits

and

rotation

of

the

seasons

,

and

appointed

this

divine

law

—

for

these

things

also

He

evidently

made

for

man

—

committed

the

care

of

men

and

of

all

things

under

heaven

to

angels

whom

He

appointed

over

them

.

But

the

angels

transgressed

this

appointment

,

and

were

captivated

by

love

of

women

,

and

begat

children

who

are

those

that

are

called

demons

;

and

besides

,

they

afterwards

subdued

the

human

race

to

themselves

,

partly

by

magical

writings

,

and

partly

by

fears

and

the

punishments

they

occasioned

,

and

partly

by

teaching

them

to

offer

sacrifices

,

and

incense

,

and

libations

,

of

which

things

they

stood

in

need

after

they

were

enslaved

by

lustful

passions

;

and

among

men

they

sowed

murders

,

wars

,

adulteries

,

intemperate

deeds

,

and

all

wickedness

.

Whence

also

the

poets

and

mythologists

,

not

knowing

that

it

was

the

angels

and

those

demons

who

had

been

begotten

by

them

that

did

these

things

to

men

,

and

women

,

and

cities

,

and

nations

,

which

they

ascribed

them

to

god

himself

,

and

to

those

who

were

accounted

to

be

his

very

offspring

,

and

to

the

offspring

of

those

who

were

called

his

brothers

,

Neptune

and

Pluto

,

and

to

the

children

again

of

these

their

offspring

.

For

whatever

name

each

of

the

angels

had

given

to

himself

and

his

children

,

by

that

name

they

called

them

.