§12. For though man was created in grace, God, foreseeing his forgetfulness, provided also the works of creation to remind man of him. Yet further, He ordained a Law and Prophets, whose ministry was meant for all the world. Yet men heeded only their own lusts.

For whereas the grace of the Divine Image was in itself sufficient to make known God the Word, and through Him the Father; still God, knowing the weakness of men, made provision even for their carelessness: so that if they cared not to know God of themselves, they might be enabled through the works of creation to avoid ignorance of the Maker. 2. But since men’s carelessness, by little and little, descends to lower things, God made provision, once more, even for this weakness of theirs, by sending a law, and prophets, men such as they knew, so that even if they were not ready to look up to heaven and know their Creator, they might have their instruction from those near at hand. For men are able to learn from men more directly about higher things. 3. So it was open to them, by looking into the height of heaven, and perceiving the harmony of creation, to know its Ruler, the Word of the Father, Who, by His own providence over all things makes known the Father to all, and to this end moves all things, that through Him all may know God. 4. Or, if this were too much for them, it was possible for them to meet at least the holy men, and through them to learn of God, the Maker of all things, the Father of Christ; and that the worship of idols is godlessness, and full of all impiety. 5. Or it was open to them, by knowing the law even, to cease from all lawlessness and live a virtuous life. For neither was the law for the Jews alone, nor were the Prophets sent for them only, but, though sent to the Jews and persecuted by the Jews, they were for all the world a holy school of the knowledge of God and the conduct of the soul. 6. God’s goodness then and loving-kindness being so great—men nevertheless, overcome by the pleasures of the moment and by the illusions and deceits sent by demons, did not raise their heads toward the truth, but loaded themselves the more with evils and sins, so as no longer to seem rational, but from their ways to be reckoned void of reason.

Αὐτάρκης μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἡ κατ' εἰκόνα χάρις γνωρίζειν τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τὸν Πατέρα· εἰδὼς δὲ ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, προενοήσατο καὶ τῆς ἀμελείας τούτων, ἵν' ἐὰν ἀμελήσαιεν δι' ἑαυτῶν τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιγνῶναι, ἔχωσι διὰ τῶν τῆς κτίσεως ἔργων τὸν δημιουργὸν μὴ ἀγνοεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ ἀνθρώπων ἀμέλεια ἐπὶ τὰ χείρονα κατ' ὀλίγον ἐπικαταβαίνει· προενοήσατο πάλιν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης αὐτῶν ἀσθενείας, νόμον καὶ προφήτας τοὺς αὐτοῖς γνωρίμους ἀποστείλας, ἵνα ἐὰν καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ὀκνήσωσιν ἀναβλέψαι καὶ γνῶναι τὸν ποιητήν, ἔχωσιν ἐκ τῶν ἐγγὺς τὴν διδασκαλίαν. Ἄνθρωποι γὰρ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐγγυτέρω δύνανται μαθεῖν περὶ τῶν κρειττόνων. Ἐξὸν οὖν ἦν ἀναβλέψαντας αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ κατανοήσαντας τὴν τῆς κτίσεως ἁρμονίαν, γνῶναι τὸν ταύτης ἡγεμόνα τὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον, τὸν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ εἰς πάντα προνοίᾳ γνωρίζοντα πᾶσι τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὰ ὅλα κινοῦντα, ἵνα δι' αὐτοῦ πάντες γινώσκωσι τὸν Θεόν. Ἢ εἰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς ἦν ὀκνηρόν, κἂν τοῖς ἁγίοις δυνατὸν ἦν αὐτοὺς συντυγχάνειν, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν μαθεῖν τὸν τῶν πάντων δημιουργὸν Θεόν, τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ Πατέρα· καὶ ὅτι τῶν εἰδώλων ἡ θρησκεία ἀθεότης ἐστὶ καὶ πάσης ἀσεβείας μεστή. Ἐξὸν δὲ ἦν αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸν νόμον ἐγνωκότας, παύσασθαι πάσης παρανομίας καὶ τὸν κατ' ἀρετὴν ζῆσαι βίον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ διὰ Ἰουδαίους μόνους ὁ νόμος ἦν οὐδὲ δι' αὐτοὺς μόνους οἱ προφῆται ἐπέμποντο, ἀλλὰ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους μὲν ἐπέμποντο, καὶ παρὰ Ἰουδαίων ἐδιώκοντο· πάσης δὲ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἦσαν διδασκά λιον ἱερὸν τῆς περὶ Θεοῦ γνώσεως, καὶ τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν πολιτείας. Τοσαύτης οὖν οὔσης τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγαθότητος καὶ φιλανθρωπίας, ὅμως οἱ ἄνθρωποι, νικώμενοι ταῖς παραυτίκα ἡδοναῖς καὶ ταῖς παρὰ δαιμόνων φαντασίαις καὶ ἀπάταις, οὐκ ἀνένευσαν πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ἀλλ' ἑαυτοὺς πλείοσι κακοῖς καὶ ἁμαρτήμασιν ἐνεφόρησαν, ὡς μηκέτι δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς λογικούς, ἀλλὰ ἀλόγους ἐκ τῶν τρόπων νομίζεσθαι.