For the Christians are
distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs
which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a
peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any
singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by
any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some,
proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines.
But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each
of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to
clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their
wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own
countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with
others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to
them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of
strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not
destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They
are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their
days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the
prescribed laws,
and at the same time surpass the laws by
their lives. They love all men,
and are persecuted by
all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death,
and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many
rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they
are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified.
They are called evil, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are
insulted, and repay the insult with honour;
they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as
if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as
foreigners, and are persecuted by
the Greeks; yet those who hate them
are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.

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