Why Christians govern churches rather than cities
Celsus also urges us to take office in our country, if this too must be done for the sake of preserving the laws and piety. But we know that in each city there is another organised country, founded by the Word of God, and we call those who are able to govern, sound in word and in life, to govern churches. We do not accept those who love to rule, but we press those who, out of great modesty, do not wish to take on hastily the common care of the church of God. And those who rule well among us are men who were pressed into it, compelled by the great King, whom we are persuaded is the Son of God, God the Word.
And if those who rule well in the church rule over the country that is according to God (I mean the Church), whether asked or pressed, they rule according to what God has commanded, and in doing so they defile none of the laws that have been laid down. And it is not to escape the more common public duties of life that Christians avoid such offices, but to keep themselves for a more divine and more necessary service, that of the church of God, for the salvation of men. In this service they lead both of necessity and with justice, and they take thought for all: for those within, that they may live better day by day; and for those who seem to be outside, that they may come to be within the holy words and works of godliness, and so, worshipping God truly and teaching many as far as they can, may be blended with the Word of God and the divine law, and thus be united to the God over all through the Son of God, who is Word, Wisdom, Truth and Righteousness, and who unites to him everyone who has been moved to live in all things according to God.
Greek
Προτρέπει δ᾿ ἡμᾶς Κέλσος καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄρχειν τῆς πατρίδος, ἐὰν δέῃ καὶ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἕνεκεν σωτηρίας νόμων καὶ εὐσεβείας. ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει ἄλλο σύστημα πατρίδος κτισθὲν λόγῳ θεοῦ ἐπιστάμενοι τοὺς δυνατοὺς λόγῳ καὶ βίῳ ὑγιεῖ χρωμένους ἄρχειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄρχειν ἐκκλησιῶν παρακαλοῦμεν; οὐκ ἀποδεχόμενοι μὲν τοὺς φιλάρχους βιαζόμενοι δὲ τοὺς διὰ πολλὴν μετριότητα τὴν κοινὴν φροντίδα τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ μὴ βουλομένους προπετῶς ἀναδέξασθαι· καὶ οἱ καλῶς ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν βιασθέντες ὑπάρχουσι. τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως ἀναγκάζοντος, ὃν πεπείσμεθα εἶναι υἱὸν θεοῦ λόγον θεόν. καὶ εἰ ἄρχουσιν οἱ καλῶς ἄρχοντες ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῆς κατὰ θεὸν πατρίδος (λέγω δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας), λεγόμενοι ἢ (βιαζόμενοι) , καὶ ἄρχουσι κατὰ τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προστεταγμένα, οὐδὲν παρὰ τοῦτο μολύνοντες τῶν θετῶν νόμων. καὶ οὐ φεύγοντές γε τὰς κοινοτέρας τοῦ βίου λειτουργίας Χριστιανοὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα περιΐστανται ἀλλὰ τηροῦντες ἑαυτοὺς θειοτέρᾳ καὶ ἀναγκαιοτέρᾳ λειτουργίᾳ ἐκκλησίας θεοῦ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀναγκαίως ἅμα καὶ δικαίως ἡγούμενοι καὶ πάντων πεφροντικότες, τῶν μὲν ἔνδον, ἵν᾿ ὁσημέραι βέλτιον βιῶσι, τῶν δὲ δοκούντων ἔξω, ἵνα γένωνται ἐν τοῖς σεμνοῖς τῆς θεοσεβείας λόγοις καὶ ἔργοις καὶ οὕτω θεὸν ἀληθῶς σέβοντες καὶ πολλοὺς ὅση δύναμις παιδεύοντες ἀνακραθῶσι τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγῳ καὶ τῷ θείῳ νόμῳ καὶ οὕτως ἑνωθῶσι τῷ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεῷ διὰ τοῦ ἑνοῦντος αὐτῷ υἱοῦ θεοῦ λόγου καὶ σοφίας καὶ ἀληθείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης πάντα τὸν προτετραμμένον ἐπὶ τὸ κατὰ θεὸν ἐν πᾶσι ζῆν.