Christians of the Early Church
This is a description of the Christians of the early church, as
found in a letter called the "Epistle to Diognetus",
by an unknown author of the 2nd Century.
"The Christians are not distinguished from other men by country,
by language, nor by civil institutions. For they neither dwell
in cities by themselves, nor use a peculiar tongue, no lead a
singular mode of life. They dwell in the Grecian or barbarian
cities, as the case may be; they follow the usage of the country
in dress, food, and the other affairs of life. Yet they present
a wonderful and confessedly paradoxical conduct. They dwell in
their own native lands, but as strangers.
"They take part in all things, as citizens; and they suffer
all things, as foreigners. Every foreign country is a fatherland
to them, and every native land is a foreign. They marry, like
all others; they have children; but they do not cast away their
offspring. They have the table in common, but not wives. They
are in the flesh, but do not live after the flesh. They live upon
the earth but are citizens of heaven. They obey the existing laws,
and excel the laws by their lives.
"They love all, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown,
and yet they are condemned. They are killed and are made alive.
They are poor and make many rich. They lack all things, and in
all things abound. They are reproached, and glory in their reproaches.
They are calumniated, and are justified. They are cursed, and
they bless. They receive scorn, and they give honor. They do good,
and are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice, as
being made alive. By the Jews they are attacked as aliens, and
by the Greeks persecuted; and the cause of the enmity their enemies
cannot tell.
"In short, what the soul is in the body, the Christians are
in the world. The soul is diffused through all the members of
the body, and the Christians are spread through the cities of
the world. The soul dwells in the body, but it is not of the body;
so the Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the world.
The soul, invisible, keeps watch in the visible body; so also
the Christians are seen to live in the world, but their piety
is invisible. The flesh hates and wars against the soul, suffering
no wrong from it, but because it resists fleshly pleasures; and
the world hates the Christians with no reason, but that they resist
its pleasures. The soul loves the flesh and members, by which
it is hated; so the Christians love their haters. The soul is
inclosed in the body, but holds the body together; so the Christians
are detained in the world as in a prison; but they contain the
world. Immortal, the soul dwells in the mortal body; so the Christians
dwell in the corruptible, but look for incorruption in heaven.
The soul is the better for restriction in food and drink; and
the Christians increase, though daily punished. This lot God has
assigned to the Christians in the world; and it cannot be taken
from them.