{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">Celsus also urges us to “take office in the government of the\r\ncountry, if that is required for the maintenance of the laws and\r\nthe support of religion.” But we recognise in each state the\r\nexistence of another national organization,<a id=\"r1687\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1687\"><sup>[1687]</sup></a> founded by the\r\nWord of God, and we exhort those who are mighty in word\r\nand of blameless life to rule over churches. Those who are\r\nambitious of ruling we reject; but we constrain those who,\r\nthrough excess of modesty, are not easily induced to take a\r\npublic charge in the church of God. And those who rule over\r\nus well are under the constraining influence of the great King,\r\nwhom we believe to be the Son of God, God the Word. And\r\nif those who govern in the church, and are called rulers of the\r\ndivine nation—that is, the church—rule well, they rule in\r\naccordance with the divine commands, and never suffer themselves\r\nto be led astray by worldly policy. And it is not for the\r\npurpose of escaping public duties that Christians decline public\r\noffices, but that they may reserve themselves for a diviner and\r\nmore necessary service in the church of God—for the salvation\r\nof men. And this service is at once necessary and right. They\r\ntake charge of all—of those that are within, that they may day\r\nby day lead better lives, and of those that are without, that they\r\nmay come to abound in holy words and in deeds of piety; and\r\nthat, while thus worshipping God truly, and training up as\r\nmany as they can in the same way, they may be filled with the\r\nword of God and the law of God, and thus be united with the\r\nsupreme God through His Son the Word, wisdom, truth, and\r\nrighteousness, who unites to God all who are resolved to conform\r\ntheir lives in all things to the law of God.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK VIII.","Chapter LXXV."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-625"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"f8d00cd9980ea66d9e050ab4aa52473e3b3b032fca914eda0a365f5fc03e502c","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f1687","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1872 English edition; listed translators died 1889 and 1872. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f1687","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1687\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1687\">1687</a>. </span><span lang=\"grc\">σύστημα πατρίδος.</span></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f1687","text_sha256":"14dfb6a54aff48ee7620fadab167c62c3c59a9485eddf17c0068d7522537d185","verified":false,"work_id":null}