The Proof of His Living Power

And now the time has come for us to go on to the proof of these things, if indeed such truths need proof, and if testimony is needed to confirm the certainty of plain facts. Still, testimony will be given here; and let it be received with an attentive and kindly ear.

In former times the nations of the earth, the whole human race, were divided up under provincial, national and local governments, subject to kingdoms and principalities of many kinds. The results of this division were war and strife, the emptying of lands and the carrying off of captives, which raged in country and city with unceasing fury. From this came the countless themes of history, adulteries and the carrying off of women by force; from this came the sorrows of Troy and the ancient tragedies, so well known among every people. [a] The origin of these things may rightly be traced to the delusion of the error of many gods. But then that instrument of our redemption, the thrice-holy body of Christ, which proved itself stronger than every deceit of Satan and free from evil in word and deed alike, was raised, both to do away with the ancient evils and as a token of his victory over the powers of darkness. At once the working of these evil spirits was destroyed. The many forms of government, the tyrannies and republics, the sieges of cities and the laying waste of countries that they caused, were now no more, and one God was proclaimed to all humankind. At the same time one universal power, the Roman empire, arose and flourished, and the lasting and implacable hatred of nation against nation was now removed. And as the knowledge of one God, and one way of religion and salvation, the teaching of Christ, was made known to all humankind, so at the very same time, when the whole dominion of the Roman empire was placed in the hands of a single sovereign, deep peace reigned throughout the world. So, by the express appointment of the same God, two roots of blessing sprang up together for the good of humankind: the Roman empire and the teaching of Christian godliness. [c]

For before this time the various countries of the world, such as Syria, Asia, Macedonia, Egypt and Arabia, had each been subject to different rulers. The Jewish people, again, had set up their own rule in the land of Palestine. And these nations, in every village, city and district, as though driven by some mad spirit, were engaged in constant and murderous war and conflict. But two mighty powers, starting from the same point, subdued and reconciled these warring elements: the Roman empire, which from then on was ruled by a single sovereign, and the Christian religion. [d] Our Savior’s mighty power destroyed at one stroke the many governments and the many gods of the powers of darkness, and proclaimed to all people, rough and civilized alike, to the ends of the earth, the sole sovereignty of God himself. Meanwhile the Roman empire, now that the causes of many governments had been removed, easily conquered those that still remained. Its aim was to unite all nations in one harmonious whole: an aim already secured in great measure, and destined to be reached still more perfectly, even to the final conquest of the farthest bounds of the inhabited world, by means of the saving teaching and with the help of that divine power which makes its way easy and smooth.

And surely this must seem a wonderful fact to those who will examine the question out of love for the truth, and who do not wish to find fault with these blessings. The falsehood of the demons’ superstition was exposed. The deep-rooted strife and mutual hatred of the nations was removed. At the same time one God, and the knowledge of that God, were proclaimed to all. One universal empire prevailed, and the whole human race, brought under the controlling power of peace and harmony, received one another as brothers and answered to the feelings of their common nature. So, as children of one God and Father, and owning true religion as their common mother, they greeted and welcomed one another with words of peace. The whole world looked like one well-ordered and united family. Anyone could travel without hindrance as far as he pleased and wherever he pleased. People could travel safely from West to East and from East to West as if in their own native country. In short, the ancient oracles and predictions of the prophets were fulfilled, more of them than we can cite at present, and especially those that speak as follows about the saving Word: “He will have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.” And again: “In his days righteousness will spring up, and abundance of peace.” “And they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into sickles, and nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they learn war any more.” [e] These words, foretold ages before in the Hebrew language, have been visibly fulfilled in our own day, and by this the testimony of the ancient oracles is clearly confirmed. And now, if you still want fuller proof, take it, not from words but from the facts themselves. Open the eyes of your understanding; throw wide the gates of thought; pause a while and consider. Question yourself as though you were someone else, and so examine carefully the nature of the case. What king or prince in any age of the world, what philosopher, lawgiver or prophet, in civilized or barbarian lands, has reached such a height of excellence, I do not say after death, but while still living and full of mighty power, as to fill the ears and tongues of all humankind with the praises of his name? Surely no one but our only Savior has done this. After his victory over death he spoke the word to his followers, and fulfilled it by the event, saying to them, “Go and make disciples of all nations in my name.” It was he who gave the plain assurance that his gospel must be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and he at once made his word good: for within a short time the world itself was filled with his teaching. [f]

How, then, will those who found fault at the beginning of my speech be able to answer this? For surely the force of what the eyes see is greater than any argument in words. Who else but he, with an invisible yet mighty hand, has driven out of human society, like savage beasts, that ever harmful and destructive tribe of evil spirits, who in the past made all nations their prey and worked many a deception on humankind by the movements of their images? Who else but our Savior, through calling on his name and through sincere prayer offered through him to the supreme God, has given power to drive the remnant of those wicked spirits out of the world? He gave it to those who, with genuine and sincere obedience, follow the way of life and conduct he himself has laid down. Who else but our Savior has taught his followers to offer those bloodless and rational sacrifices that are performed by prayer and the secret worship of God? [g] That is why throughout the inhabited world altars are set up and churches dedicated, in which these spiritual and rational sacrifices are offered as a sacred service by every nation to the one supreme God. Once more, who but he, with invisible and secret power, has put down and utterly abolished those bloody sacrifices that were offered with fire and smoke, as well as the cruel and senseless slaughter of human victims? The pagan historians themselves bear witness to this fact. For it was not until after the Savior’s divine teaching had been published, about the time of Hadrian’s reign, that the practice of human sacrifice was everywhere given up. [h]

Such, and so plain, are the proofs of our Savior’s power and working after death. Who, then, can be found so hard of spirit as to withhold his assent to the truth, and refuse to acknowledge that his life is divine? Deeds such as I have described are done by the living, not the dead; and visible acts serve us as evidence of those we cannot see. It is, as it were, only yesterday that an impious and godless race disturbed and threw into confusion the peace of human society, and held mighty power. But as soon as life left them they lay flat on the ground, worthless as dung, without breath, without motion, without speech, and they have left behind them neither fame nor memorial. For such is the state of the dead: one who no longer lives is nothing, and how can one who is nothing do anything? But how can anyone question the existence of him whose active power and working are greater than those of people still alive? And though he cannot be seen by the natural eye, the power of judgment does not lie in the outward senses. We do not grasp the rules of an art or the theories of a science through the senses of the body, nor has any eye yet seen the mind of a man. Much less, then, the power of God. In such cases our judgment is formed from the results we can see. In just this way we are bound to judge our Savior’s invisible power, and to decide from its plain effects whether we shall acknowledge the mighty works he is carrying on even now to be the works of a living agent; or whether they are to be credited to one who does not exist; or, lastly, whether the question is not absurd and self-contradictory. For how can we reasonably say that one who does not exist exists? Everyone agrees that what does not exist has no power, no working and no action. These are the marks of the living; the opposite is the mark of the dead.