On the Sovereignty of God explores God’s rule over the universe and denounces the worship of other gods. It was written in the mid-second century and is regarded to most likely have been written by St. Justin Martyr.

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Excerpts From On the Sovereignty of God

“It is necessary, then, to accept the true and invariable Name, not proclaimed by my words only, but by the words of those who have introduced us to the elements of learning.”

“For the men of former generations, who instituted private and public rites in honor of such as were more powerful, caused forgetfulness of the Catholic faith to take possession of their posterity; but I, as I have just stated, along with a God-loving mind, shall employ the speech of one who loves man, and set it before those who have intelligence, which all ought to have who are privileged to observe the administration of the universe, so that they should worship unchangeably Him who knows all things.”

“It is the part of a lover of man, or rather of a lover of God, to re- mind men who have neglected it of that which they ought to know.”

“Although human nature at first received a union of intelligence and safety to discern the truth, and the worship due to the one Lord of all, yet envy, insinuating the excellence of human greatness, turned men away to the making of idols; and this superstitious custom, af- ter continuing for a long period, is handed down to the majority as if it were natural and true.”