My LORD’s BibleEpistle to Diognetus 3
1And next, I imagine that you are most desirous of hearing something on this point, that the Christians do not observe the same forms of divine worship as do the Jews. The Jews, then, if they abstain from the kind of service above described, and deem it proper to worship one God as being Lord of all, [are right]; but if they offer Him worship in the way which we have described, they greatly err. For while the Gentiles, by offering such things to those that are destitute of sense and hearing, furnish an example of madness; they, on the other hand, by thinking to offer these things to God as if He needed them, might justly reckon it rather an act of folly than of divine worship. For He that made heaven and earth, and all that is therein, and gives to us all the things of which we stand in need, certainly requires none of those things which He Himself bestows on such as think of furnishing them to Him. But those who imagine that, by means of blood, and the smoke of sacrifices and burnt-offerings, they offer sacrifices [acceptable] to Him, and that by such honours they show Him respect,—these, by supposing that they can give anything to Him who stands in need of nothing, appear to me in no respect to differ from those who studiously confer the same honour on things destitute of sense, and which therefore are unable to enjoy such honours.
IIL Ἑξῆς δὲ περὶ τοῦ μὴ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ ᾿Ιουδαίοις ef θεοσεβεῖν αὐτοὺς οἶμαί ce μάλιστα ποθεῖν ἀκοῦσαι. Ἰουδαῖοι τοίνυν ef μὲν ἀπέχονται ταύτης τῆς προειρημένης π᾿ λατρείας, καλῶς Gedy Eva τῶν πάντων σέβειν καὶ δεσπότῳ τὰ ἀξιοῦσι φρονεῖν εἰ δὲ τοῖς προειρημένοις ὁμοιοτρόπως τὴν δι θρησκείαν προσάγουσιν αὐτῷ ταύτην, διαμαρτάνουσιν. we ἃ yap τοῖς ἀναισθήτοις καὶ κωφοῖς προσφέροντες of “Ἕλληνες: 7) ἀφροσύνης δεῦγμα παρέχουσι, ταῦθ᾽ οὗτοι καθάπερ wpocdeo- ἀν μένῳ τῷ θεῷ λογιζόμενοι παρέχειν μωρίαν εἰκὸς μᾶλλον [s εἰ Acts ἤγοῖντ᾽ ἄν, ov θεοσέβειαν. ὁ γὰρ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν : καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν χορηγῶν ὧν προσδεόμεθα, οὐδενὸς ἂν αὐτὸς προσδέοιτο τούτων ὧν τοῖς οἱομένοις διδόναε παρέχει αὐτός. οἱ δέ γε θυσίας αὐτῶ δι᾿’ αἵματος καὶ κνίσης καὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων ἐπιτελεῖν οἰόμενοι ‘gal ταύταις ταῖς τιμαῖς αὐτὸν γεραίρειν, οὐδέν μοι δοκοῦσι διαφέρειν τῶν εἰς τὰ κωφὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐνδεικνυμένων φιλο- τιμίαν" τῶν [μὲν] μὴ δυναμένοις τῆς τιμῆς μεταλαμβάνειν, τῶν δὲ δοκούντων παρέχειν τῷ μηδενὸς προσδεομένῳ.