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and defining philosophy by the hair of the head, seeing the ridiculousness of poetic theology, devised other paths of error, leading to that very 83.560 poetic abyss. For some, with elegance of speech, and with cleverness of arguments, covered up the poetic obscenity about the gods. Others assigned the divine name to the passions, and pleasure they named Aphrodite; and anger, Ares; and drunkenness, Dionysus; and theft, Hermes; and prudence, Athena; and spinning tales of this sort with an arrogant brow, and with Attic chatter, they led the majority of men over into another kind of deceit. And those who promised to philosophize, and who reaped honor from all because of their appearance, and who proclaimed to master the passions, made men worship the passions, and the sovereign mind, the charioteer of the passions, they have senselessly persuaded to sacrifice to desire, and anger, and theft, and drunkenness, and the other passions. But others again, being unable to conceive of anything beyond what is seen, but having imprisoned their mind in sensible things, the things set before their eyes for viewing, they called gods. And the august name, which inspires dread in those who hear it, some applied to the elements, others to parts of these. And some [said], that the world came to be by chance; others, imagined many gods instead of one. And some [said], that the Divine does not exist at all; others, that it exists, but cares for none of the things that are; and others said that it does care, but that it does so in a petty way, and that it limits its providence to the moon, while the remaining part of the world is carried along by chance, being forced to serve the necessity of fate. But there are some, who indeed have the name of Christians, but openly war against the doctrines of the truth. For some cut the unbegotten into three; and one they call good; another, evil; and another, just. Others depict in their discourse two unbegotten principles, diametrically opposed to one another. Still others, profess to war against these impious doctrines, but devise another way of impiety. For while confessing the only-begotten Word of God to be Son, they number him as a product with the creation, and place the Creator with the creation. And the Holy Spirit with their impious discourse they banish from the divine nature. And others in other ways, having lost the straight road, and not wishing to follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before, have become somewhere far from the truth. And some have completely denied the economy that was accomplished for our sake; while others confess that God the Word became man, but [say] that he assumed only a body. Others call the flesh that was assumed ensouled, but [say] that a rational and intelligent soul was not in it; perhaps having their own folly as proof of this. But we know of no other human soul, than the rational and immortal one. But let us leave all the others for the present; for it is not possible for the argument to launch the arrows of refutation against all at the same time, as in battle array. Therefore, let all the other troops of the impious keep quiet, and of those who war against the 83.561 providence of God, having brought their phalanx into the middle, let us both break it with refutations, and let us tear it apart, and let us dissolve its density, and let us lead them captive, and let us draw every thought into obedience to Christ. And let the remaining crowd of the impious hold the position of spectators, and watch the contest. For it is likely that each of their divisions will not need its own engagement, but will desert to the truth, having seen the defeat of these, and having reckoned the power of the truth. But perhaps the argument, by delaying and proceeding too leisurely, will weary both those who are now listening, and those who will read it later. Therefore, putting on the full armor of the spirit, the breastplate

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καὶ κόμῃ κεφαλῆς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ὁριζομένη, τῆς ποιητικῆς θεολογίας τὸ καταγέλαστον ὁρῶσα, ἑτέ ρας πλάνης ἐπενόησεν ἀτραποὺς, εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ ποιητικὸν 83.560 ἐκεῖνο βάραθρον ἀπαγούσας. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ, τῇ κομψείᾳ τοῦ λόγου, καὶ τῇ τῶν ἐνθυμημάτων δεινότητι, τὴν ποιητικὴν περὶ τῶν θεῶν αἰσχρολογίαν ἐκά λυψαν. Οἱ δὲ, τοῖς πάθεσι τὴν θείαν προσηγορίαν ἀν έθεσαν, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἡδονὴν, Ἀφροδίτην ὠνόμασαν· Ἄρεα δὲ, τὸν θυμόν· τὴν δὲ μέθην, ∆ιόνυσον· Ἑρμῆν δὲ, τὴν κλοπήν· τὴν δὲ φρόνησιν, Ἀθηνᾶν· καὶ τοιαῦτά τινα μετὰ ἀλαζονικῆς ὀφρύος, καὶ τῆς Ἀτ τικῆς στωμυλίας τερατευόμενοι, τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς ἑτέραν εἴδους ἀπάτην μετήγαγον. Καὶ οἱ τὸ φιλοσοφεῖν ὑπισχνούμενοι, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σχή ματος τιμὴν παρὰ πάντων δρεπόμενοι, καὶ τῶν παθῶν κρατεῖν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, προσκυνεῖν τὰ πάθη τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐποίησαν, καὶ τὸν αὐτοκρά τορα νοῦν τῶν παθῶν ἡνίοχον, θύειν ἐπιθυμίᾳ, καὶ θυμῷ, καὶ κλοπῇ, καὶ μέθῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πάθεσιν ἀνοήτως πεπείκασιν. Ἄλλοι δὲ πάλιν, οὐδὲν ὑπὲρ τὰ ὁρώμενα νοῆσαι δυνηθέντες, ἀλλὰ τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς τὸν νοῦν ἐγκαθείρξαντες, τὰ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἰς θεω ρίαν προκείμενα, θεοὺς προσηγόρευσαν. Καὶ τὸ σε πτὸν ὄνομα, φρίκην ἐμποιοῦν τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, οἱ μὲν τοῖς στοιχείοις, οἱ δὲ μέρεσι τούτων ἐπέθεσαν. Καὶ οἱ μὲν, ἀπὸ ταυτομάτου γεγενῆσθαι τὸν κόσμον· οἱ δὲ, πολλοὺς ἀνθ' ἑνὸς ἐφαντάσθησαν. Καὶ οἱ μὲν, μηδὲ εἶναι παντελῶς τὸ Θεῖον· οἱ δὲ, εἶναι μὲν, οὐδενὸς δὲ τῶν ὄντων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι· οἱ δὲ, ἐπιμελεῖσθαι μὲν ἔφασαν, σμικρολόγως δὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ περιορίζειν τὴν πρόνοιαν, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν τοῦ κόσμου μέρος ὡς ἔτυχε φέρεσθαι, τῇ τῆς εἱμαρμένης ἀνάγκῃ δουλεύειν ἠναγκασμένον. Εἰσὶ δέ τινες, οἳ καὶ Χρι στιανῶν μὲν προσηγορίαν ἔχουσιν, ἄντικρυς δὲ τοῖς τῆς ἀληθείας δόγμασι πολεμοῦσιν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὸ ἀγένητον εἰς τρία τέμνουσι· καὶ τὸ μὲν καλοῦσιν ἀγαθόν· τὸ δὲ, κακόν· τὸ δὲ, δίκαιον. Οἱ δὲ δύο ἀρχὰς ἀγεννήτους ζωγραφοῦσι τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλήλαις ἐναντίας ἐκ διαμέτρου. Ἄλλοι δὲ, τοῖς μὲν ἀσεβέσι τούτοις πο λεμεῖν ἐπαγγέλλονται δόγμασιν, ἑτέραν δὲ δυσσεβείας ἐπινοοῦσιν ὁδόν. Τὸν γὰρ μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον ὁμολογοῦντες Υἱὸν, ὡς ποίημα τῇ κτίσει συναρι θμοῦσι, καὶ τὸν Κτίστην ἱστῶσι μετὰ τῆς κτίσεως. Καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τῷ δυσσεβεῖ λόγῳ τῆς θείας ἐξορίζουσι φύσεως. Ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλως τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδὸν ἀπολέσαντες, καὶ τοῖς τῶν προωδευκότων ἴχνεσιν ἀκο λουθῆσαι μὴ βουληθέντες, πόῤῥω που τῆς ἀληθείας ἐγένοντο. Καὶ οἱ μὲν τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γεγενημένην οἰ κονομίαν παντελῶς ἀπηρνήσαντο· οἱ δὲ ὁμολογοῦσι μὲν ἐνανθρωπῆσαι τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον, σῶμα δὲ μόνον ἀνειληφέναι. Οἱ δὲ, ἔμψυχον μὲν καλοῦσι τὴν ληφθεῖσαν σάρκα, οὐ τὴν λογικὴν δὲ καὶ νοερὰν ἐν ταύτῃ γεγενῆσθαι ψυχήν· ἴσως τὴν οἰκείαν ἄνοιαν τούτου τεκμήριον ἔχοντες. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀνθρώπου ψυ χὴν οὐδεμίαν ἴσμεν ἑτέραν, ἢ τὴν λογικὴν καὶ ἀθά νατον. Ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἅπαντας ἐπὶ τοῦ παρ όντος καταλίπωμεν· οὐ γὰρ δύναται κατὰ πάντων ὁ λόγος κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἀφιέναι τῶν ἐλέγχων τὰ βέλη ὡς ἐν παρατάξει. Τοιγαροῦν τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα στί φη τῶν δυσσεβῶν ἡσυχίαν ἀγέτω, τῶν δὲ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ 83.561 προνοίᾳ πολεμούντων εἰς μέσον ἀγαγόντες τὴν φά λαγγα, ῥήξωμέν τε αὐτὴν τοῖς ἐλέγχοις, καὶ διασπά σωμεν, καὶ τὴν πυκνότητα διαλύσωμεν, καὶ δορυ αλώτους ἀγάγωμεν, καὶ ἑλκύσωμεν πᾶν νόημα εἰς τὴν ὑπακοὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὁ δὲ λοιπὸς τῶν δυσσεβούν των ὅμιλος, θεωρῶν τάξιν ἐχέτω, καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα θεα σάσθω. Εἰκὸς γὰρ κἀκείνων ἕκαστον τῶν ταγμά των συμπλοκῆς ἰδίας μὴ δεηθῆναι, ἀλλ' αὐτομολῆσαι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τὴν τούτων ἧτταν θεασαμένους, καὶ λογισαμένους τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν δύναμιν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἴσως μέλλων ὁ λόγος, καὶ σχολαιότερον ὁδεύων, ἀποκναίσει καὶ τοὺς νῦν ἀκροωμένους, καὶ τοὺς ὕστε ρον ἐντευξομένους. Περιθέμενοι τοιγαροῦν τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ πνεύματος, τὸν θώρακα