24

with terrors for the soul from the visions, fashioning pale forms, and a grim or downcast eye, as of the dead promising just now to breathe in and out again; for the forger is accustomed by hypocrisy to conform himself to terrible things. 30.5 But sometimes he himself changes himself into many forms, and sometimes he uses as helpers the demons of like character with himself, and he summons neither souls of prophets from Hades, nor spirits of the just, nor the angelic dignities, but on the contrary he came to be mocked by the angels, and he was given over to the best of men so as to be trodden on, dashed headlong to the ground. 30.6 But this one, having been brought down from the highest places with a violent rush, submitted his back; but it is possible for the almighty God alone and for his most divine Son to lead up souls from Hades and to have choirs of angels standing by in order, which is a special property of the divine nature.

24

δείμασι τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκ τῶν ὄψεων, ὠχρὰ μὲν εἴδη πλάττων, ὄμμα δὲ βλοσυρὸν ἢ κατηφές, ἅτε δὴ νεκρῶν ἀρτίως ἐμπνεῖν καὶ πάλιν ἐκπνεῖν ὑπισχνουμένων· εἴωθε γὰρ ὑποκρίσει συσχηματίζεσθαι τοῖς δεινοῖς ὁ πλαστογράφος. 30.5 ἀλλ' ἔσθ' ὅτε μὲν αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν εἰς πολλὰς ἀλλάττει μορφάς, ἔσθ' ὅτε δὲ συνεργοῖς ἀποκέχρηται τοῖς ὁμοήθεσιν αὐτῷ δαίμοσιν, οὔτε δὲ ψυχὰς ἐξ ᾅδου μεταπέμπεται προφητῶν οὔτε πνεύματα δικαίων οὔτε τὰς ἀγγελικὰς ἀξίας, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἐγένετο μὲν εἰς τὸ καταπαίζεσθαι πρὸς τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἐξεδόθη δὲ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἀνδράσιν ὥστε πατεῖσθαι πρηνὴς εἰς τοὔδαφος ἀπορραγείς. 30.6 ἀλλ' οὗτος μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἀνωτάτω ῥοιζήματι βιαίῳ κατενεχθεὶς ὑπεστόρεσε τὰ νῶτα· μόνῳ δὲ τῷ παντοκράτορι πάρεστι θεῷ καὶ τῷ θειοτάτῳ τούτου παιδὶ ψυχὰς ἀνάγειν ἐξ ᾅδου καὶ χοροὺς ἀγγέλων ἐν τάξει παρεστῶτας ἔχειν, ὅπερ ἴδιον ἔκκριτον ὑπάρχει τῆς τοῦ θείου φύσεως.