For the Church [3524] of God, e.g., which is at Athens, is a meek and stable body, as being one which desires to please God, who is over all things; whereas the assembly [3525] of the Athenians is given to sedition, and is not at all to be compared to the Church of God in that city. And you may say the same thing of the Church of God at Corinth, and of the assembly of the Corinthian people; and also of the Church of God at Alexandria, and of the assembly of the people of Alexandria. And if he who hears this be a candid man, and one who investigates things with a desire to ascertain the truth, he will be filled with admiration of Him who not only conceived the design, but also was able to secure in all places the establishment of Churches of God alongside [3526] of the assemblies of the people in each city. In like manner, also, in comparing the council [3527] of the Church of God with the council in any city, you would find that certain councillors [3528] of the Church are worthy to rule in the city of God, if there be any such city in the whole world; [3529] whereas the councillors in all other places exhibit in their characters no quality worthy of the conventional [3530] superiority which they appear to enjoy over their fellow-citizens. And so, too, you must compare the ruler of the Church in each city with the ruler of the people of the city, in order to observe that even amongst those councillors and rulers of the Church of God who come very far short of their duty, and who lead more indolent lives than others who are more energetic, it is nevertheless possible to discover a general superiority in what relates to the progress of virtue over the characters of the councillors and rulers in the various cities. [3531]

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Footnotes:

[3524] ekklesia.

[3525] ekklesia.

[3526] paroikousas.

[3527] boulen.

[3528] bouleutai.

[3529] heurois an tines men tes ekklesias bouleutai axioi eisin, ei tis estin en to panti pogis tou Theou, en ekeine politeuesthai. Boherellus conjectures heurois an hoti tines men, k.t.l.

[3530] tes ek katataxeos huperoches.

[3531] hoti kai epi ton sphodra apotunchanomenon bouleuton kai archonton ekklesias Theou, kai rhathumoteron para tous eutonoteros biountas, ouden hetton estin heurein hos epipan huperochen, ten en te epi tas aretas prokope, para ta ethe ton en tais polesi bouleuton kai archonton. Boherellus conjectures rhathumoteron.