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| Chapter I.—Object of the author.
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Chapter I.—Object of the author.
treatise by Justin Martyr on" title="290" id="viii.vii.i-p1.2"/>Although human nature at first
received a union of intelligence and safety to discern the truth, and the
worship due to the one Lord of all, yet envy, insinuating the excellence
of human greatness, turned men away to the making of idols; and this
superstitious custom, after continuing for a long period, is handed down
to the majority as if it were natural and true. It is the part of a lover
of man, or rather of a lover of God, to remind men who have neglected it
of that which they ought to know. For the truth is of itself sufficient
to show forth, by means of those things which are contained under the
pole of heaven, the order [instituted by] Him who has created them. But
forgetfulness having taken possession of the minds of men, through the
long-suffering of God, has acted recklessly in transferring to mortals
the name which is applicable to the only true God; and from the few the
infection of sin spread to the many, who were blinded by popular usage to
the knowledge of that which was lasting and unchangeable. For the men of
former generations, who instituted private and public rites in honour of
such as were more powerful, caused forgetfulness of the Catholic2595
| 2595 i.e., the doctrine that God
only is to be worshipped. | faith to take possession of their
posterity; but I, as I have just stated, along with a God-loving mind,
shall employ the speech of one who loves man, and set it before those who
have intelligence, which all ought to have who are privileged to observe
the administration of the universe, so that they should worship
unchangeably Him who knows all things. This I shall do, not by mere
display of words, but by altogether using demonstration drawn from the
old poetry in Greek literature,2596
| 2596 Literally, “history.” | and from
writings very common amongst all. For from these the famous men who have
handed down idol-worship as law to the multitudes, shall be taught and
convicted by their own poets and literature of great ignorance.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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