29. For He that said unto backsliding Israel, "If ye offer a wheaten cake, it is vain: your incense is an abomination unto me;" not accepting their New Moons and Sabbaths and Great Day, seeing that He, being full, stands not in need of anything that is human and little, so that He should take pleasure in those who offer to Him unworthily; for He abominates the sacrifice of transgressors, even though, it be a calf, as that of a dog, and their frankincense like a blasphemy; and excluding from the Temple and shaking off as defilement the hire of a harlot; whilst He gives honour to that sacrifice alone which pure hands bring unto the Most Pure, and a high and sanctified spirit. What wonder, then, if He did not accept honour from that man, offered in bad manner and from a bad motive,----He that seeth not as man seeth, nor looketh at the outward appearance, but at the hidden man, and the inward workshop of virtue or of wickedness! So much for this; and if anyone is incredulous, we call in evidence those that beheld the fact, for they are numerous, who have delivered down the miracle to us, and will deliver it down to those who come after.

ΚΘʹ. Ὁ γὰρ εἰπὼν ἀσεβοῦντι τῷ Ἰσραήλ: Ἐὰν προσφέρητε σεμίδαλιν, μάταιον: θυμίαμα βδέλυγμά μοί ἐστι: τάς τε Νουμηνίας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ Σάββατα, καὶ ἡμέραν μεγάλην οὐ προσιέμενος: μηδὲ γὰρ δεῖσθαι, πλήρης ὢν, μηδενὸς τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων τε καὶ μικρῶν, ἵνα χαίρῃ καὶ τοῖς ἀναξίως προσφερομένοις: τήν τε τοῦ ἀνόμου θυσίαν, κἂν ᾖ μόσχος, ὡς κυνὸς βδελυττόμενος, καὶ ὡς βλασφημίαν τὸν λίβανον, καὶ ἄλλαγμα πόρνης ἐξορίζων τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ ἀποσειόμενος, μόνην δὲ θυσίαν τιμῶν, ἣν καθαραὶ τῷ καθαρωτάτῳ προσφέρουσι χεῖρες, καὶ νοῦς ὑψηλός τε καὶ ἡγνισμένος: τί θαυμαστὸν, εἰ μηδὲ τὴν ἐκείνου τιμὴν προσεδέξατο πονηρῶς τε καὶ μετὰ πονηρᾶς τῆς διανοίας προσαγομένην, ὁ μὴ καθορῶν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, μηδὲ εἰς τὸ φαινόμενον βλέπων, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν κρυπτὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἔνδον τῆς κακίας ἢ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐργαστήριον; Τοῦτο μὲν δὴ τοιοῦτο: καὶ εἴ τις ἀπιστεῖ, τοὺς τεθεαμένους αὐτοὺς ἐπιμαρτυρόμεθα: πολλοὶ δέ εἰσιν, οἳ καὶ ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς ἔπειτα τὸ θαῦμα τοῦτο παρέπεμψάν τε καὶ παραπέμψουσιν.