Bayith ~ Sweeter Than Honey
A Letter to the Emperor Antonius Pius
"As for the Christians, they trace their line from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is confessed to be the Son of the most high God, who came down from heaven, by the Holy Ghost, (for the salvation of mankind) and was born of a (pure) virgin, (without seed of man, and without defilement) and took flesh, and in a daughter of man there dwelt the Son of God. This is taught from that Gospel which a little while ago was spoken among them as being preached; wherein if ye will also read, ye will comprehend the power that is upon it.
"This Jesus, then, was born of the tribe of the Hebrews; and he had twelve disciples, in order that a certain dispensation of his might be fulfilled. He was pierced by the Jews and he died and was buried; and they say that after three days he rose and ascended to heaven; and then these twelve disciples went forth into all the kingdoms of the world, telling of his greatness with all humility and sobriety; whence they who still serve the righteousness of his preaching are called Christians, who are well known.
"Now the Christians, O king, by going about and seeking have found the truth and as we have comprehended from their writings they are nearer to the truth and to exact knowledge than the rest of the peoples. For they acknowledge God the Creator and Maker of all things, … from whom are all things: (in the only-begotten Son, and in the Holy Ghost), and other God than him they worship none. They have the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ himself engraven on their hearts, and these they observe, looking for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
"They commit neither adultery nor fornication; nor do they bear false witness, they do not deny a deposit, nor covet other men’s goods: they honour father and mother, and love their neighbours: they give right judgment; and they do not worship idols... They do not unto other that which they would not have done unto themselves. They comfort such as wrong them, and make friends of them: they labour to do good to their enemies: (they are meek and gentle). And their wives, O king, are pure as virgins, and their daughters modest: and their men refrain themselves from all unlawful intercourse and all uncleanness, in the hope of the recompense that is to come in another world.
"But as for their servants, or handmaids, or their children if any of them have any, they persuade them to become Christians for the love that they have towards them; and when they have become so, they call them without distinction brethren: they do not worship strange gods: and they walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them, and they love one another. They despise not the widow, and grieve not the orphan. He that hath, distributeth liberally to him that hath not. If they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof, and rejoice over him, as it were their own brother: for they call themselves brethren, not after the flesh, but after the spirit and in God: but when one of their poor passes away from the world, and any of them sees him, then he provides for his burial according to his ability; and if they hear that any of their number is imprisoned or oppressed for the name of their Messiah, all of them provide for his needs, and if it is possible that he may be delivered, they deliver him.
"And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy, and they have not an abundance of necessaries, they fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with their necessary food. For Christ’s sake they are ready to lay down their lives: they keep his commandments faithfully, living righteous and holy lives: as the Lord commanded them, giving him thanks every morning and every hour, for meat and drink and every blessing. And if any righteous person of their number passes away from the world they rejoice and give thanks to God, and they follow his body, as if he were moving from one place to another: and when a child is born to any one of them, they praise God and if again it chance to die in its infancy they praise God mightily, as for one who has passed through the world without sins. And if again they see that one of their number has died in his iniquity or in his sins, over this one they weep bitterly and sigh, as over one who is about to go to punishment; such is the ordinance of the law of the Christians, O king, and such their conduct.
"As men who know God, they ask from him petitions which are proper for him to give and for them to receive: and thus they accomplish the course of their lives. And because they acknowledge the goodnesses of God towards them, lo! On account of them there flows forth the beauty that is in the world. And truly they are of the number of those that have found the truth by going about and seeking it, and as far as we have comprehended, we have understood that they only are near to the knowledge of the truth.
"But the good deeds which they do, they do not proclaim in the ears of the multitude, and they take care that no one shall perceive them, and hide their gift, as he who has found a treasure and hides it … And they labour to become righteous as those that expect to see their Messiah and receive from him the promises made to them with great glory. But their sayings and their ordinances, O king, and the glory of their service, and the expectation of their recompense of reward, according to the doing of each one of them, which they expect in another world, thou art able to know from their writings. It sufficeth for us that we have briefly made known to your majesty concerning the conversation and the truth of the Christians. For truly great and wonderful is their teaching to him that is willing to examine and understand it. And truly this people is a new people, and there is something divine mingled with it … not of myself have I brought these things forward nor as their advocate have I said them…"
Aristeides,
Apology, XV, XVI,
Christian Theology and Ethics, c150