26. Is this, I pray, that daring and heinous iniquity on account of which the mighty powers of heaven whet against us the stings of passionate indignation, on account of which you yourselves, whenever the savage desire has seized you, spoil us of our goods, drive us from the homes of our fathers, inflict upon us capital punishment, torture, mangle, burn us, and at the last expose us to wild beasts, and give us to be torn by monsters? Whosoever condemns that in us, or considers that it should be laid against us as a charge, is he deserving either to be called by the name of man, though he seem so to himself? or is he to be believed a god, although he declare himself to be so by the mouth of a thousand40    So LB. and Orelli; but the ms. reads, “himself to be like a god by his prophets,” etc.—se esse similem profiteatur in vatibus. prophets? Does Trophonius,41    So corrected by Pithœus for the ms. profanus. or Jupiter of Dodona, pronounce us to be wicked? And will he himself be called god, and be reckoned among the number of the deities, who either fixes the charge of impiety on those who serve the King Supreme, or is racked with envy because His majesty and His worship are preferred to his own?

Is Apollo, whether called Delian or Clarian, Didymean, Philesian, or Pythian, to be reckoned divine, who either knows not the Supreme Ruler, or who is not aware that He is entreated by us in daily prayers? And although he knew not the secrets of our hearts, and though he did not discover what we hold in our inmost thoughts, yet he might either know by his ear, or might perceive by the very tone of voice which we use in prayer, that we invoke God Supreme, and that we beg from Him what we require.

XXVI. Hoccine est, quaeso, audax illud facinus et 0746B immane, propter quod maximi coelites aculeos in nos intendunt irarum atque indignationum suarum? propter quod vos ipsi, cum libido incesserit saeva, exuitis nos bonis, exterminatis patriis sedibus, irrogatis 0747A supplicia capitalia, torquetis, dilaceratis, exuritis, et ad extremum nos feris et belluarum laniatibus objectatis? Quisquis istud in nobis damnat, aut in aliqua ducit criminatione ponendum, is aut nomine appellandus est hominis, quamvis ille videatur sibi? aut Deus esse credendus est, quamvis ipse se esse mille profiteatur in vatibus? Trophonius nos impios Dodonaeus aut Jupiter nominat , et ipse dicetur Deus, atque in ordine computabitur numinum, qui aut summo servientibus regi crimen impietatis affingit, aut sibi torquetur majestatem ejus, cultumque praeponi? Delius Apollo, vel Clarius, Didymaeus, Philesius, 0748A Pythius, et is habendus divinus est, qui aut summum imperatorem nescit, aut ignorat a nobis quotidianis ei precibus supplicari? Qui si pectorum secreta nesciret, nec quid in intimis sensibus contineamus, agnosceret: summum tamen invocare nos Deum, et ab eo quod postulamus orare, vel auribus potuit scire, vel ipsius vocis sono, qua utimur in precibus, noscitare.