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7288

Justin, Second Apology, 11

nan But neither should we be put to death, nor would wicked men and devils be more powerful than we, were not death a debt due by every man that is born. Wherefore we give thanks when we pay this debt. And we judge it right and opportune to tell here, for the sake of Crescens and those who rave as he does, what is related by Xenophon. Hercules, says Xenophon, coming to a place where three ways met, found Virtue and Vice, who appeared to him in the form of women: Vice, in a luxurious dress, and with a seductive expression rendered blooming by such ornaments, and her eyes of a quickly melting tenderness, said to Hercules that if he would follow her, she would always enable him to pass his life in pleasure and adorned with the most graceful ornaments, such as were then upon her own person; and Virtue, who was of squalid look and dress, said, But if you obey me, you shall adorn yourself not with ornament nor beauty that passes away and perishes, but with everlasting and precious graces. And we are persuaded that every one who flees those things that seem to be good, and follows hard after what are reckoned difficult and strange, enters into blessedness. For Vice, when by imitation of what is incorruptible (for what is really incorruptible she neither has nor can produce) she has thrown around her own actions, as a disguise, the properties of virtue, and qualities which are really excellent, leads captive earthly-minded men, attaching to Virtue her own evil properties. But those who understood the excellences which belong to that which is real, are also uncorrupt in virtue. And this every sensible person ought to think both of Christians and of the athletes, and of those who did what the poets relate of the so-called gods, concluding as much from our contempt of death, even when it could be escaped.

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9 results
1. Clement of Rome, 1 Clement, 5.6-5.7 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE) 5.6. ἑπτάκις δεσμὰ φορέσας, φυγαδευθείς, λιθασθείς, κήρυξ γενόμενος ἔν τε τῇ ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἐν τῇ δύσει, τὸ γενναῖον τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ κλέος ἔλαβεν 5.7. δικαιοσύνην διδάξας ὅλον τὸν κόσμον, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ τέρμα τῆς δύσεως ἐλθὼν καὶ μαρτυρήσας ἐπὶ τῶν ἡγουμένων, οὕτως ἀπηλλάγη τοῦ κόσμου καὶ εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τόπον ἀνελήμφθη, So SLK, e)poreu/qh AC probably from v. 4. ὑπομονῆς γενόμενος μέγιστος ὑπογραμμός.
2. Justin, First Apology, 13.4, 14.3, 16.4, 23.2, 31.5-31.7 (2nd cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE) 10. But we have received by tradition that God does not need the material offerings which men can give, seeing, indeed, that He Himself is the provider of all things. And we have been taught, and are convinced, and do believe, that He accepts those only who imitate the excellences which reside in Him, temperance, and justice, and philanthropy, and as many virtues as are peculiar to a God who is called by no proper name. And we have been taught that He in the beginning did of His goodness, for man's sake, create all things out of unformed matter; and if men by their works show themselves worthy of this His design, they are deemed worthy, and so we have received - of reigning in company with Him, being delivered from corruption and suffering. For as in the beginning He created us when we were not, so do we consider that, in like manner, those who choose what is pleasing to Him are, on account of their choice, deemed worthy of incorruption and of fellowship with Him. For the coming into being at first was not in our own power; and in order that we may follow those things which please Him, choosing them by means of the rational faculties He has Himself endowed us with, He both persuades us and leads us to faith. And we think it for the advantage of all men that they are not restrained from learning these things, but are even urged thereto. For the restraint which human laws could not effect, the Word, inasmuch as He is divine, would have effected, had not the wicked demons, taking as their ally the lust of wickedness which is in every man, and which draws variously to all manner of vice, scattered many false and profane accusations, none of which attach to us.
3. Justin, Second Apology, 1.2, 2.2, 8.1, 11.2 (2nd cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
4. Justin, Dialogue With Trypho, 2.2-2.6, 4.7, 7.1, 17.1, 19.2-19.3, 34.7, 46.7, 82.2, 101.2, 108.2, 110.4-110.5, 114.4, 117.3, 120.6, 121.2-121.3, 134.6, 142.3 (2nd cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE) 1. While I was going about one morning in the walks of the Xystus, a certain man [Trypho], with others in his company, met me. Trypho: Hail, O philosopher! And immediately after saying this, he turned round and walked along with me; his friends likewise followed him. Justin: What is there important? Trypho: I was instructed by Corinthus the Socratic in Argos, that I ought not to despise or treat with indifference those who array themselves in this dress but to show them all kindness, and to associate with them, as perhaps some advantage would spring from the intercourse either to some such man or to myself. It is good, moreover, for both, if either the one or the other be benefited. On this account, therefore, whenever I see any one in such costume, I gladly approach him, and now, for the same reason, have I willingly accosted you; and these accompany me, in the expectation of hearing for themselves something profitable from you. Justin: (In jest.) But who are you, most excellent man? Then he told me frankly both his name and his family. Trypho: Trypho, I am called; and I am a Hebrew of the circumcision, and having escaped from the war lately carried on there I am spending my days in Greece, and chiefly at Corinth. Justin: And in what would you be profited by philosophy so much as by your own lawgiver and the prophets? Trypho: Why not? Do not the philosophers turn every discourse on God? And do not questions continually arise to them about His unity and providence? Is not this truly the duty of philosophy, to investigate the Deity? Justin: Assuredly, so we too have believed. But the most have not taken thought of this whether there be one or more gods, and whether they have a regard for each one of us or no, as if this knowledge contributed nothing to our happiness; nay, they moreover attempt to persuade us that God takes care of the universe with its genera and species, but not of me and you, and each individually, since otherwise we would surely not need to pray to Him night and day. But it is not difficult to understand the upshot of this; for fearlessness and license in speaking result to such as maintain these opinions, doing and saying whatever they choose, neither dreading punishment nor hoping for any benefit from God. For how could they? They affirm that the same things shall always happen; and, further, that I and you shall again live in like manner, having become neither better men nor worse. But there are some others, who, having supposed the soul to be immortal and immaterial, believe that though they have committed evil they will not suffer punishment (for that which is immaterial is insensible), and that the soul, in consequence of its immortality, needs nothing from God. Trypho: (Smiling gently.) Tell us your opinion of these matters, and what idea you entertain respecting God, and what your philosophy is.
5. Tatian, Oration To The Greeks, 3.2 (2nd cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
6. Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, 6.12 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
7. Origen, Against Celsus, 3.66 (3rd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) 3.66. Now here Celsus appears to me to have committed a great error, in refusing to those who are sinners by nature, and also by habit, the possibility of a complete transformation, alleging that they cannot be cured even by punishment. For it clearly appears that all men are inclined to sin by nature, and some not only by nature but by practice, while not all men are incapable of an entire transformation. For there are found in every philosophical sect, and in the word of God, persons who are related to have undergone so great a change that they may be proposed as a model of excellence of life. Among the names of the heroic age some mention Hercules and Ulysses, among those of later times, Socrates, and of those who have lived very recently, Musonius. Not only against us, then, did Celsus utter the calumny, when he said that it was manifest to every one that those who were given to sin by nature and habit could not by any means - even by punishments - be completely changed for the better, but also against the noblest names in philosophy, who have not denied that the recovery of virtue was a possible thing for men. But although he did not express his meaning with exactness, we shall nevertheless, though giving his words a more favourable construction, convict him of unsound reasoning. For his words were: Those who are inclined to sin by nature and habit, no one could completely reform even by chastisement; and his words, as we understood them, we refuted to the best of our ability.
8. Gregory of Nazianzus, Orations, 25 (4th cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
9. Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, 2.42 (4th cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)

Subjects of this text:

subject	book bibliographic info
apology, of justin	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 889
atheism, accusations against, christians	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 889
baptism	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 421
celsus	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 889
children	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
christians, numbers of	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
clement of alexandria	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
clement of rome	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
clivus	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
cosmos, cosmology, nature	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 421
council of ariminum	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
crescens	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 889
creszens	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 275, 417
cynics/cynicism	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666, 889
cynics	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 417
deacon	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
death	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 889
dialectic	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 421
dwellings	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
educated, erudite	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 275, 417, 421, 422
eleusis	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
epicurean	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 417
ethics	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103, 275, 417, 421
family	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
fraud, deceit	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
friendship	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
fullers (cloth)	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
god, concept of	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 421, 422
god, direct contemplation of	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 421
godlessness, reproach of	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
heracles/hercules, christian literature	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
heracles/hercules, church fathers	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
heracles/hercules, cult of	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
heracles/hercules, in church fathers	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
heracles/hercules, labors of	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
heracles/hercules, positive evaluation	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
heracles/hercules	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
hercules (heracles)	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 417, 422
hero	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
impiety	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 889
integration	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
jews, jewish	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
justice	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
justin	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103, 275, 417, 421, 422
justin martyr	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666, 889
labor	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
laborers, manual	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
labors of heracles	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
lactantius	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
logos, doctrine of	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 422
marcion	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 417, 421, 422
martyr/martyrdom	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
mixed marriages	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
nigrinus	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 275
origen	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
peripatetics	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 421, 422
persecution, martyrs	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103, 422
philosopher	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 889
philosophy	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 417, 421, 422
physics	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 421
platonism, middle	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
platonism	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 275, 417, 421, 422; Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
polemic	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
popular philosophy, platitudes	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 422
popular philosophy	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 422
porphyry	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 889
pythagoreans	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 417, 421, 422
residences (tenement houses)	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
rusticus	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 275
samson	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
shoemakers	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
slaves, slavery	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
soul	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 417, 421, 422
stoicism, stoics	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 275, 417, 421, 422
stratification, social	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103
tatian	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
teaching	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
virtue	Malherbe et al., Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J (2014) 666
women'	Lampe, Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus (2003) 103