Epistle to Diognetus 8

1For what human being at all had any knowledge of what God was before he came? Or do you accept the empty and senseless statements of those pretentious philosophers: some of whom said that God was fire (they call that God, to which they themselves shall go), and others water, and others some other of the elements created by God? And yet, if any of these statements is worthy of acceptance, any other created thing might just as well be made out to be God. No, all this is the trickery and deceit of magicians; and no one has either seen or recognized him, but he revealed himself. And he revealed (himself) by faith, whereby alone it is given to see God. For God, the Master and Creator of the universe, who made all things and arranged them in order, was found to be not only friendly toward humanity, but also long-suffering. And such indeed he always was, and is, and will be, kind and good and dispassionate and true, and he alone is good. And having conceived a great and unutterable plan, he communicated it to his Son alone. For so long as he kept and guarded his wise design as a mystery, he seemed to neglect us and to be careless about us. But when he revealed it through his beloved Son, and manifested the purpose that he had prepared from the beginning, he gave us all these gifts at once: participation in his benefits, and sight and understanding of (mysteries) which none of us ever would have expected.