The Epistle to Diogentus
Pseudo-Justinus Martyr
The Epistle to Diogentus. The Apostolic Fathers with an English translation by Kirsopp Lake. In Two Volumes. Vol. II. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1913
To put it shortly what the soul is in the body.[*](The world and Christians) that the Christians are in the world.
The soul is spread through all members of the body, and Christians throughout the cities of the world.
The soul dwells in the body, but is not of the body, and Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the
world.The soul is invisible, and is guarded in a visible body, and Christians are recognised when they are in the world, but their religion remains invisible.
The flesh hates the soul, and wages war upon it, though it has suffered no evil, because it is prevented from gratifying its pleasures, and the world hates the Christians though it has suffered no evil, because they are opposed to its pleasures.
The soul loves the flesh which hates it and the limbs, and Christians love those that hate them.
The soul has been shut up in the body, but itself sustains the body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, but themselves sustain the world.[*](Cf. Aristides, Apology 16. I have no doubt but that the world stands through the intercession of Christians.)
The soul dwells immortal in a mortal tabernacle, and Christians sojourn among corruptible things, waiting for the incorruptibility which is in heaven.
The soul when evil treated in food and drink becomes better, and Christians when buffeted day by day increase more.
10. God has appointed them to so great a post[*]( There is probably a recurrence of the idea of the church as the militia dei (cf. note on Hermas, Sim. v. i. 1).) and it is not right for them to decline it.
For it is not, as I said, an earthly discovery[*](The Christian revelation) which was given to them, nor do they take such pains to guard some mortal invention, nor have they been entrusted with the dispensation of human mysteries.
But in truth the Almighty and all-creating and invisible God himself founded among
men the truth from heaven, and the holy and incomprehensible word, and established it in their hearts, not, as one might suppose, by sending some minister to men, or an angel, or ruler, or one of those who direct earthly things, or one of those who are entrusted with the dispensations in heaven, but the very artificer and Creator of the universe himself, by whom he made the heavens, by whom he enclosed the sea in its own bounds, whose mysteries all the elements guard faithfully; from whom the sun received the measure of the courses of the day, to whose command the moon is obedient to give light by night, whom the stars obey, following the course of the moon, by whom all things were ordered, and ordained, and placed in subjection, the heavens and the things in the heavens, the earth and the things in the earth, the sea and the things in the sea, fire, air, abyss, the things in the heights, the things in the depths, the things between them—him he sent to them.Yes, but did he send him, as a man might suppose, in sovereignty and fear and terror?
Not so, but in gentleness and meekness, as a king sending a son, he sent him as King, he sent him as God, he sent him as Man to men, he was saving and persuading when he sent him, not compelling, for compulsion is not an attribute of God.
When he sent him he was calling, not pursuing; when he sent him he was loving, not judging.
For he will send him as judge, and who shall endure his coming?[*](There is here a lacuna in the MS. Probably the next sentence may be completed by prefixing Do you not see that before they are thrown.) ---
---they are thrown to wild beasts
that they may deny the lord, and are not overcome?