Eusebius of Caesarea · a new plain-English translation from the Greek
1| And when they praise my service, which had its beginning in an inspiration from God, do they not thereby affirm that God is the cause of my valor? Most certainly they do. It is for God to command what is best, and to human beings to obey God. And the finest and best ministry, I think, is when someone, before setting his hand to a task, secures in advance the safety of what is to be done.
2| Indeed, all people know that the most holy worship these hands render is owed to God with a pure and wholly sincere faith, and that, together with these hands, through prayers and supplications everything accomplished for the common good is brought to success, and that benefit has followed, both private and public, as great as anyone could have prayed for himself and for those dearest to him. They have also learned of the battles and witnessed the war, when the providence of God awarded the victory to the people, and they saw God joining in the work of our prayers. For righteous prayer is an invincible thing, and no one who makes supplication in holiness fails to reach his goal. Indeed, no room is left for failure except only where faith gives way. For God is always present and gracious, welcoming the goodness of human beings. And so it is human to stumble at times, but God bears no blame for human stumblings. Therefore all who pursue godliness must confess their thanks to the Savior of all for our own salvation and for the good fortune of public affairs, and with holy prayers and constant supplications must make Christ propitious to us, so that he may preserve his benefits. For he is the righteous’ unconquerable ally and protector; he is also the best of judges, the leader into immortality, the giver of everlasting life.
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