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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 33

About this work

A polished Latin dialogue in which pagan and Christian friends debate providence, Roman religion, accusations against Christians, resurrection, and the philosophical credibility of Christian monotheism.

Author: Minucius Felix
Date: Late 2nd or early 3rd century
Origin: Rome or North Africa
Genre: Dialogue

The work’s date relative to Tertullian and the author’s geographical setting remain debated.

Chapter XXXIII.—Argument: That Even If God Be Said to Have Nothing Availed the Jews, Certainly the Writers of the Jewish Annals are the Most Sufficient Witnesses that They Forsook God Before They Were Forsaken by Him.

“Neither let us flatter ourselves concerning

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our

multitude

.

We

seem

many

to

ourselves

,

but

to

God

we

are

very

few

.

We

distinguish

peoples

and

nations

;

to

God

this

whole

world

is

one

family

.

Kings

only

know

all

the

matters

of

their

kingdom

by

the

ministrations

of

their

servants

:

God

has

no

need

of

information

.

We

not

only

live

in

His

eyes

,

but

also

in

His

bosom

.

But

it

is

objected

that

it

availed

the

Jews

nothing

that

they

themselves

worshipped

the

one

God

with

altars

and

temples

,

with

the

greatest

superstition

.

You

are

guilty

of

ignorance

if

you

are

recalling

later

events

while

you

are

forgetful

or

unconscious

of

former

ones

.

For

they

themselves

also

,

as

long

as

they

worshipped

our

God

—

and

He

is

the

same

God

of

all

—

with

chastity

,

innocency

,

and

religion

,

as

long

as

they

obeyed

His

wholesome

precepts

,

from

a

few

became

innumerable

,

from

poor

became

rich

,

from

being

servants

became

kings

;

a

few

overwhelmed

many

;

unarmed

men

overwhelmed

armed

ones

as

they

fled

from

them

,

following

them

up

by

God’s

command

,

and

with

the

elements

striving

on

their

behalf

.

Carefully

read

over

their

Scriptures

,

or

if

you

are

better

pleased

with

the

Roman

writings

,

inquire

concerning

the

Jews

in

the

books

(

to

say

nothing

of

ancient

documents

)

of

Flavius

Josephus

or

Antoninus

Julianus

,

and

you

shall

know

that

by

their

wickedness

they

deserved

this

fortune

,

and

that

nothing

happened

which

had

not

before

been

predicted

to

them

,

if

they

should

persevere

in

their

obstinacy

.

Therefore

you

will

understand

that

they

forsook

before

they

were

forsaken

,

and

that

they

were

not

,

as

you

impiously

say

,

taken

captive

with

their

God

,

but

they

were

given

up

by

God

as

deserters

from

His

discipline

.

Notes

1
[Minucius is blamed for not introducing more Scripture! He relates his friend’s argument with a scoffing Pagan. How could Octavius have used the Scriptures with such an antagonist?]
2
[Wars of the Jews, b. v. cap. 9, etc.]