First Apology 13

That we are not atheists, then, since we worship the Maker of this universe, declaring, as we have been taught, that he has no need of blood and libations and incense, praising him as much as we can by the word of prayer and thanksgiving for all that we receive; having received as the only honor worthy of him not to consume by fire what he made for our nourishment, but to offer it to ourselves and to those in need, and, being thankful to him, to send up through the word solemn praises and hymns for our creation and for all the means of health, for the varieties of kinds and the changes of seasons, and sending up petitions that we may be again in incorruption through faith in him: what person of sound mind will not admit? And we will show that we honor with reason the one who became our teacher of these things and was born for this purpose, Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the times of Tiberius Caesar, having learned that he is the Son of the true God and holding him in the second place, and the prophetic Spirit in the third rank. For in this they declare our madness, saying that we give the second place after the unchangeable and eternal God, the Begetter of all, to a crucified man, not knowing the mystery in this, to which we urge you to attend as we explain it.