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they were inflamed in their lust for one another, males with males committing shameful acts. And doing these and such things, they confess and prove that their so-called gods had such a life. For from Zeus they have learned pederasty and adultery, and from Aphrodite fornication, and from Rhea licentiousness, and from Ares murders, and from others other such things they have learned, which the laws punish, but every sober-minded man turns away from. Is it then any longer worthy to consider these to be gods, those who do such things, and not rather to deem them more irrational than the irrational animals on account of the licentiousness of their ways? Is it worthy to consider those who worship them to be human, and not rather pity them as more irrational than the irrational, and more soulless than the soulless? For if they considered the mind of their own soul, they would not have fallen headlong completely into these things, and denied the true God, the Father of Christ.

27 But perhaps those who have gone beyond these things and are in awe of creation, being put to shame by the refutations concerning these abominations, will not themselves deny that these things are easily condemned and easily refuted by all; but they will suppose that their opinion is safe and irrefutable, namely the worship of the cosmos and the parts of the cosmos; for they will boast not of simply worshipping stones and wood and forms of men and of irrational birds and reptiles and quadrupeds, but the sun and moon and all the heavenly cosmos, and again the earth and the entire nature of liquid; and they will say that no one can prove that these are not gods by nature, it being manifest to all that they happen to be neither soulless nor irrational, but even surpass human nature, in that some dwell in the heavens, and others upon the earth. It is therefore worthy to look at and investigate these things also. For in these things also the argument will surely find the true refutation against them. But before we look and begin the proof, it is sufficient for creation itself to all but cry out against them, and to show its own Maker and Creator God, who rules both it and the universe, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; whom the wise in their own conceit turn away from, but worship and deify the creation made by Him, although it itself also worships and confesses the Lord whom they deny on account of it. For thus, when men are gaping at its parts and considering them gods, the need of the parts for one another would well put them to shame; and it makes known and signifies the Lord and Maker of them, the Father of the Word, by the irrefutable command of obedience to him, as the divine legislation also says: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands. And the proof of these things is not obscure, but very clear to those who do not have the eye of the mind completely blinded. For if one should take the parts of creation by themselves and consider each one on its own, such as the sun by itself alone, and the moon separately, and again the earth and air, and dividing the hot and cold and dry and wet substance from their connection with one another, should take each by itself and contemplate it on its own; he will find that none is at all self-sufficient, but all are in need of one another's aid, and are held together by the assistance from one another. For the sun is carried around with and is contained in the whole heaven, and could never exist outside of its circuit; and the moon and the other stars testify to the assistance they receive from the sun; and the earth again is seen not to yield its fruits without rains; and the rains would not come down upon the earth without the need of the clouds; nor would clouds ever appear and be formed by themselves without the air. And the air is not from itself, but is kindled by the aether, and is made bright, being illuminated by the sun. And springs and

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ἐξεκαύθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρέξει αὐτῶν εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἄρρενες ἐν ἄρσεσι τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην κατεργαζόμενοι. ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράσσοντες, ὁμολογοῦσι καὶ ἐλέγχουσι καὶ τοὺς λεγομένους αὐτῶν θεοὺς τοιοῦτον ἐσχηκέναι τὸν βίον. ἐκ μὲν γὰρ ∆ιὸς τὴν παιδοφθορίαν καὶ τὴν μοιχείαν, ἐκ δὲ Ἀφροδίτης τὴν πορνείαν, καὶ ἐκ μὲν Ῥέας τὴν ἀσέλγειαν, ἐκ δὲ Ἄρεος τοὺς φόνους, καὶ ἐξ ἄλλων ἄλλα τοιαῦτα μεμαθήκασιν, ἃ οἱ νόμοι μὲν κολάζουσι, πᾶς δὲ σώφρων ἀνὴρ ἀποστρέφεται. ἆρ' οὖν ἄξιον ἔτι τούτους νομίζειν εἶναι θεούς, τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα ποιοῦντας, καὶ μὴ μᾶλλον τῶν ἀλόγων ἀλογωτέρους ἡγεῖσθαι τούτους διὰ τὴν ἀσέλγειαν τῶν τρόπων; ἆρα ἄξιον τοὺς θρησκεύοντας αὐτοὺς νομίζειν ἀνθρώπους, καὶ μὴ μᾶλλον ὡς ἀλόγων ἀλογωτέρους, καὶ τῶν ἀψύχων ἀψυχοτέρους, οἰκτείρειν; εἰ γὰρ ἐλογίζοντο τῆς ἑαυτῶν ψυχῆς τὸν νοῦν, οὐκ ἂν ἐν τούτοις κατε πεπτώκεισαν ὅλοι πρηνεῖς, καὶ τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἠρνοῦντο τοῦ Χριστοῦ Πατέρα Θεόν.

27 Ἀλλ' ἴσως οἱ ἐπαναβεβηκότες τούτων καὶ περὶ τὴν κτίσιν ἐπτοημένοι, δυσωπούμενοι τοῖς περὶ τῶν βδελυγμάτων ἐλέγχοις, εὐκατάγνωστα μὲν καὶ εὐέλεγκτα παρὰ πᾶσιν ὄντα ταῦτα οὐκ ἀρνήσονται καὶ αὐτοί· ἐκείνην δὲ αὐτοῖς ἀσφαλῆ τὴν δόξαν καὶ ἀναντίρρητον εἶναι οἰήσονται τὴν πρὸς τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου μέρη θρησκείαν· καυχήσονται γὰρ οὐχ ὡς λίθους καὶ ξύλα καὶ μορφὰς ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀλόγων πτηνῶν τε καὶ ἑρπετῶν καὶ τετραπόδων ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην καὶ πάντα τὸν κατ' οὐρανὸν κόσμον, καὶ γῆν αὖ πάλιν καὶ σύμπασαν τοῦ ὑγροῦ τὴν φύσιν σέβοντες καὶ θρησκεύοντες· καὶ φήσουσι μὴ δύνασθαί τινας ἀποδεῖξαι καὶ τούτους μὴ εἶναι φύσει θεούς, πᾶσιν ὄντος φανεροῦ ὅτι οὔτε ἄψυχα οὔτε ἄλογα τυγχάνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀνθρώπων ὑπεραίρει φύσιν, τῷ τὰ μὲν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κατοικεῖν. ἄξιον οὖν καὶ περὶ τούτων ἰδεῖν καὶ διερευνῆσαι. πάντως γὰρ καὶ ἐν τούτοις εὑρήσει ὁ λόγος τὸν ἔλεγχον ἀληθῆ κατ' αὐτῶν. Πρὶν δὲ ἡμᾶς ἰδεῖν καὶ τῆς ἀποδείξεως ἄρξασθαι, ἀρκεῖ τὴν κτίσιν αὐτὴν κατ' αὐτῶν μονονουχὶ βοῆσαι, καὶ δεῖξαι τὸν αὐτῆς ποιητὴν καὶ δημιουργὸν θεόν, τὸν καὶ ταύτης καὶ τοῦ παντὸς βασιλεύοντα τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· ὃν ἀποστρέφονται μὲν οἱ δοκησίσοφοι, τὴν δὲ παρ' αὐτοῦ γενομένην κτίσιν προσκυνοῦσι καὶ θεοποιοῦσι, καίτοι προσκυνοῦσαν καὶ αὐτὴν καὶ ὁμολογοῦσαν ὃν ἐκεῖνοι δι' αὐτὴν ἀρνοῦνται Κύριον. οὕτω γὰρ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς τὰ ταύτης μέρη κεχηνότας καὶ θεοὺς νομίζοντας ταῦτα, δυσωπήσῃ ἂν καλῶς αὐτοὺς ἡ τῶν μερῶν πρὸς ἄλληλα χρεία· γνωρίζει δὲ καὶ σημαίνει τὸν καὶ αὐτῶν ὄντα Κύριον καὶ ποιητὴν τὸν τοῦ Λόγου Πατέρα, τῇ ἀναντιρρήτῳ προστάξει τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ὑπακοῆς, ᾗ φησι καὶ ἡ θεία νομοθεσία· Οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ· ποίησιν δὲ χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀναγγέλλει τὸ στερέωμα. πίστις δὲ τούτων οὐκ ἀφανής, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ἐναργής ἐστι τοῖς τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τῆς διανοίας μὴ πάντη πεπηρωμένον ἔχουσιν. εἰ γάρ τις καθ' ἑαυτὰ τὰ μέρη τῆς κτίσεως λάβοι καὶ ἕκαστον ἰδίᾳ νοήσει, οἷον ἥλιον καθ' ἑαυτὸν μόνον, καὶ σελήνην χωρίς, καὶ γῆν αὖ καὶ ἀέρα, καὶ τὴν θερμὴν καὶ ψυχρὰν καὶ ξηρὰν καὶ ὑγρὰν οὐσίαν διελὼν ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς ἄλληλα συναφῆς, ἕκαστον ἐκλάβοι καθ' ἑαυτὸ καὶ ἰδίᾳ θεωρήσειεν· εὑρήσει πάντως μηδὲν ἱκανούμενον ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλὰ πάντα τῆς ἀλλήλων χρείας δεόμενα, καὶ ταῖς παρ' ἀλλήλων ἐπικουρίαις συνιστάμενα. ἥλιος μὲν γὰρ τῷ σύμπαντι οὐρανῷ συμπεριφέρεται καὶ ἐμπεριέχεται, καὶ ἐκτὸς τῆς ἐκείνου κυκλοφορίας οὐκ ἄν ποτε γένοιτο· σελήνη δὲ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἄστρα μαρτυροῦσι τὴν παρὰ ἡλίου γιγνομένην αὐτοῖς ἐπικουρίαν· γῆ δὲ πάλιν οὐκ ἄνευ ὑετῶν τοὺς καρποὺς ἀποδιδοῦσα φαίνεται· οἱ δὲ ὑετοὶ χωρὶς τῆς τῶν νεφελῶν χρείας οὐκ ἂν καταβαῖεν ἐπὶ γῆς· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ νέφη χωρὶς τοῦ ἀέρος καθ' ἑαυτὰ ἂν φανείη καὶ συσταίη ποτέ. ὅ τε ἀὴρ οὐχ ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ μὲν τοῦ αἰθέρος διακαίεται, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἡλίου καταλαμπό μενος λαμπρύνεται. καὶ πηγαὶ μὲν καὶ