It is necessary for me to say now what kind of work I am offering you here.
3. Forgive me for having resolved to speak not only against a king, but also
for the glory of Christ, the great King, who reigns with his Father over the
world; it is with him alone that it is true to say: "Through me kings
reign", because he is the "Lord of glory" in heaven and on earth.
It necessarily follows that the champions of the divine teachings - us, in fact
- given this office by Christ, must oppose to those who intend to defile his
glory the arguments able to plead his cause, to appear sound to readers, to be a
more useful aid for those whose heart is easily led astray and is inclined to
yield to difficulties, and for those on the other hand who are well established
in the faith to be a kind of stick able to support them in the strengthening of
this faith and to maintain undimmed the tradition of orthodoxy.
However who is it that has entered into war against the glory of Christ? They
are legion, those who at various periods have let themselves go at this
foolishnes, driven by the perversity of the devil; but none as went far as
Julian, who damaged the prestige of the Empire by refusing to recognize Christ,
dispenser of royalty and power. Before his accession to the throne, he was
counted among the believers: he had even been admitted to Holy Baptism and had
studied the Holy Scriptures.