16. What, then, is that sluggishness of mind; yea, what blind and stupid madness of fools, to be unwilling to come out of darkness into light, and to be unwilling, when bound in the toils of eternal death, to receive the hope of immortality, and not to fear God when He threatens and says, “He that sacrifices unto any gods, but unto the Lord only, shall be rooted out?”24    Ex. xxii. 20. And again: “They worshipped them whom their fingers made; and the mean man hath bowed down, and the great man hath humbled himself, and I will not forgive them.”25    Isa. ii. 8. Why do you humble and bend yourself to false gods? Why do you bow your body captive before foolish images and creations of earth? God made you upright; and while other animals are downlooking, and are depressed in posture bending towards the earth, yours is a lofty attitude; and your countenance is raised upwards to heaven, and to God. Look thither, lift your eyes thitherward, seek God in the highest, that you may be free from things below; lift your heart to a dependence on high and heavenly things. Why do you prostrate yourself into the ruin of death with the serpent whom you worship? Why do you fall into the destruction of the devil, by his means and in his company?  Keep the lofty estate in which you were born. Continue such as you were made by God. To the posture of your countenance and of your body, conform your soul. That you may be able to know God, first know yourself. Forsake the idols which human error has invented. Be turned to God, whom if you implore He will aid you. Believe in Christ, whom26    Some read, “the Son whom.” the Father has sent to quicken and restore us. Cease to hurt the servants of God and of Christ with your persecutions, since when they are injured the divine vengeance defends them.

XVI. Quae ergo mentis ignavia est, immo quae desipientium caeca et stulta dementia, ad lucem de tenebris nolle venire et mortis aeternae laqueis vinctos spem nolle immortalitatis excipere, non metuere Deum comminantem et dicentem: Sacrificans diis, eradicabitur, nisi Domino soli (Exod. XXII, 19). Et iterum: Adoraverunt eos quos fecerunt digiti eorum, et incurvatus est homo et humiliatus est vir, et non laxabo illis (Isa. II, 8). quid te ad falsos deos humilias et inclinas? Quid ante inepta simulacra et figmenta terrena captivum corpus incurvas? Rectum te Deus fecit; et cum caetera animalia prona et ad terram situ vergente depressa sint, tibi sublimis status et ad 0556B coelum atque ad Deum sursum vultus erectus est. Illuc intuere, illuc oculos tuos erige, in supernis Deum quaere. Ut carere inferis possis, ad alta et coelestia suspensum pectus attolle. Quid te in lapsum mortis, cum serpente quem colis, sternis? quid in ruinam diaboli per ipsam et cum ipso cadis? Sublimitatem 0557A serva qua natus es; persevera talis qualis a Deo factus es. Cum statu oris et corporis animum tuum statue. Ut cognoscere Deum possis, te ante cognosce. Relinque idola quae humanus error invenit. Ad Deum convertere; quem si imploraveris, subvenit. Christo crede, quem vivificandis ac reparandis nobis Pater misit. Laedere servos Dei et Christi persecutionibus tuis desine, quos laesos ultio divina defendit.