Apologies & Dialogue 1-10

But we have received that God does not need the material offering of men, seeing that he himself provides all things; and we have been taught and are persuaded and believe that he accepts only those who imitate the good things that belong to him—self-control and righteousness and love for mankind, and whatever is proper to God, who is called by no given name. And we have been taught that he in the beginning, being good, fashioned all things out of formless matter for the sake of men; and that if these by their works show themselves worthy of his counsel, we have received that they are deemed worthy of dwelling with him and of reigning together with him, having become incorruptible and free from suffering. For just as in the beginning he made us when we were not, so we hold that in the same way, on account of their choosing the things pleasing to him, those who so choose are deemed worthy of incorruption and of communion with him. For our coming into being at the first was not our own doing; but to follow after the things that are dear to him, choosing them by means of the rational powers which he himself bestowed—this he persuades us to do and leads us to faith. And we hold that it is for the good of all men that they should not be hindered from learning these things, but rather be urged toward them. For what the laws of men could not accomplish, the divine Reason would have brought about, had not the wicked demons scattered abroad many false and atheistic accusations, taking as their ally the evil and variform desire that is by nature in each man toward all things—of which none belongs to us.