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13. THAT IT IS AMONG THE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS FOR THE PARTS OF THE COSMOS OR THE DIVINE POWERS TO BE DRAWN DOWN BY MAGICAL COMPULSIONS AND THROUGH

ORACLES TO PROPHESY TO THOSE WHO ASK

The falsehood of the oracle can also be refuted in another way. For surely the sun did not descend for them from heaven, and then having filled the medium, deliver the oracle, since it is neither possible nor right for so great a luminary to be subject to human compulsions; nor even if they should say it was the divine and intellectual 3.16.2 power within it, because not even of this could a human soul ever become receptive. And the same argument would apply to the moon. For if they say that she is Hecate, and is somehow drawn down by human compulsions, and through the medium gives oracles, and is employed for erotic and shameful services, being herself the leader of the evil demons, it would be likely that Hecate does these things; which 3.16.3 the same author also admits, as we shall refute in due course. But how could Pluto and Sarapis be allegorized as the sun, when the same author again declares that Sarapis is the ruler of the evil demons, being the same as Pluto? And when he records oracles of Sarapis, 3.16.4 how could he say they are the sun's? But from all these things it remains to admit that the aforementioned physical explanations bear nothing true, but are the sophistries and inventions of sophistical men; 3.17.1

14. THAT ALL SUCH THINGS ARE THE WORK OF DEMONIC ENERGY

we should say with true reason that the ministers of the oracles are base demons, playing both parts for the deception of men, at one time agreeing with the more mythical opinions about them for the sake of popular error, and at another time sanctioning the practices of philosophical sorcery for the ruin and inflation of these men also; so that they are convicted on all sides of speaking no truth. 3.17.2 Since we have said so much, it is now time to move on and address the third type of Greek theology, which they say is both political and legal. For this is thought to be most capable of astonishing the masses, both because of the celebrated oracles and the cures and healings of afflicted 3.17.3 bodies through oracles, and the visitations upon certain people. Claiming to have come to these things through experience, they have quite convinced themselves that they act justly in being pious towards the gods, but that we commit the greatest impiety by not honoring with the appropriate services powers that are so manifest and beneficent. And so, taking up another starting point for our argument, let us address these things. 4.pin.t 4 THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE EVANGELICAL CONTAINS THESE THINGS

PREPARATION 4.pin.1 1. Preface concerning the oracles in the cities and those whose prophecies are most celebrated in paradoxical epiphanies of demons, and for what reason we have despised them 2. That for those who wish, it is easy to show that the promise concerning the oracles is a deception and the villainy of sorcerers 3. That their divination is inconsistent and mostly false, and that their prediction is useless and harmful 4. That the evangelical teaching of our Savior has freed us from the greatest evils of these very things 5. What is the division of the theology among the Greeks 6. That not from ourselves, but from Greek citations we confirm our testimonies 7. Concerning the secret rites associated with the oracles, from the Greek

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ιγʹ. ΟΤΙ ΤΩΝ Α∆ΥΝΑΤΩΝ ΠΕΦΥΚΕΝ ΤΑ ΜΕΡΗ ΤΟΥ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ Η ΤΑΣ ΘΕΙΑΣ ∆ΥΝΑΜΕΙΣ ΓΟΗΤΙΚΑΙΣ ΑΝΑΓΚΑΙΣ ΚΑΘΕΛΚΕΣΘΑΙ ΚΑΙ ∆ΙΑ

ΧΡΗΣΜΩΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΕΡΩΤΩΣΙ ΘΕΣΠΙΖΕΙΝ Τοῦ δὲ χρησμοῦ τὸ ψεῦδος καὶ ἄλλως ἔστιν ἀπελέγχειν. οὐ γὰρ δὴ ὁ ἥλιος οὐρανόθεν αὐτοῖς καταβάς, ἔπειτα τὸν δοχέα πληρώσας τὸν χρησμὸν ἀπεφοίβαζεν, ἐπεὶ οὔτε δυνατὸν οὔτε θέμις ἀνάγκαις ἀνθρώπων τὸν τηλικοῦτον ὑποτάττεσθαι φωστῆρα· ἀλλ' οὐδ' εἰ φαῖεν τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ θείαν καὶ νοερὰν 3.16.2 δύναμιν, ὅτι μηδὲ ταύτης γένοιτ' ἄν ποτε δεκτικὴ ἀνθρωπεία ψυχή. ὁ δ' αὐτὸς ἂν εἴη λόγος καὶ ἐπὶ σελήνης. εἰ γὰρ τὴν Ἑκάτην αὐτὴν εἶναι φήσουσιν καί πως ἀνάγκαις ἀνθρώπων καθέλκεθαι καὶ διὰ τοῦ δοχέως χρᾶν εἴς τε ἐρωτικὰς καὶ αἰσχρὰς διακονίας παραλαμβάνεσθαι αὐτὴν ἀρχηγὸν οὖσαν τῶν πονηρῶν δαιμόνων, εἰκὸς ἂν εἴη τὴν Ἑκάτην ταῦτα πράττειν· ὃ 3.16.3 καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ὁμολογεῖ συγγραφεύς, ὡς κατὰ καιρὸν ἀπελέγξομεν. πῶς δὲ ὁ Πλούτων καὶ ὁ Σάραπις εἰς τὸν ἥλιον δυνατοὶ ἂν εἶεν φυσιολογεῖσθαι, ὅτε τὸν ἄρχοντα τῶν πονηρῶν δαιμόνων ὁ αὐτὸς πάλιν ἀποφαίνεται τὸν Σάραπιν εἶναι τὸν αὐτὸν τῷ Πλούτωνι; καὶ χρησμοὺς δὲ τοῦ Σαράπιδος 3.16.4 ἐγγράφων πῶς ἂν δύναιτο τοῦ ἡλίου λέγειν αὐτοὺς εἶναι; ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐξ ἁπάντων τούτων λείπεται μηδὲν μὲν ἀληθὲς φέρειν ὁμολογεῖν τὰς δηλωθείσας φυσιολογίας, σοφίσματα δ' εἶναι σοφιστῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ εὑρησιλογίας· 3.17.1

ιδʹ. ΟΤΙ ∆ΑΙΜΟΝΙΚΗΣ ΕΝΕΡΓΕΙΑΣ ΠΑΝΤΑ ΤΑ ΤΟΙΑ∆Ε ΤΥΓΧΑΝΕΙ τούς γέ τοι τῶν χρησμῶν ὑπηρέτας ἀληθεῖ λόγῳ φάσκειν δαίμονας εἶναι φαύλους, ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων ἀπάτῃ τὰ ἀμφότερα παίζοντας καὶ τοτὲ μὲν συντιθεμένους ταῖς μυθικωτέραις περὶ αὐτῶν ὑπολήψεσιν ἐπὶ τῇ πανδήμῳ πλάνῃ, τοτὲ δὲ τὰ τῆς φιλοσόφου γοητείας ἐπικυροῦντας ἐπὶ τῇ καὶ τούτων ἐπιτριβῇ καὶ φυσιώσει· ὥστε πανταχόθεν ἁλίσκεσθαι μηδὲν αὐτοὺς ἀληθεύειν. 3.17.2 Τοσούτων ἡμῖν εἰρημένων καιρὸς ἤδη μεταβάντας τὸ τρίτον εἶδος ἐπελθεῖν τῆς Ἑλλήνων θεολογίας, ὃ δή φασιν εἶναι πολιτικόν τε καὶ νόμιμον. μάλιστα γὰρ ἱκανὸν τοῦτο πρὸς ἔκπληξιν τῶν πολλῶν εἶναι νενόμισται διά τε τὰ θρυλούμενα μαντεῖα καὶ τὰς διὰ χρησμῶν ἀκέσεις τε καὶ θεραπείας τῶν 3.17.3 πεπονθότων σωμάτων τάς τε κατά τινων ἐπισκήψεις. ὧν δὴ καὶ διὰ πείρας ἐλθεῖν φάσκοντες εὖ μάλα πεπείκασιν ἑαυτοὺς μὲν εὐσεβοῦντας εἰς τοὺς θεοὺς δίκαια πράττειν, ἡμᾶς δὲ τὰ μέγιστα ἀσεβεῖν τὰς οὕτως ἐμφανεῖς καὶ εὐεργετικὰς δυνάμεις μὴ ταῖς προσηκούσαις θεραπείαις τιμῶντας. καὶ πρὸς ταῦτ' οὖν ἑτέραν λόγου ἀρχὴν ἀναλαβόντες ὑπαντήσωμεν. 4.pin.t ∆ ΤΑ∆Ε ΤΟ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΟΝ ΠΕΡΙΕΧΕΙ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΚΗΣ

ΠΡΟΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΗΣ 4.pin.1 αʹ. Προοίμιον περὶ τῶν κατὰ πόλεις χρηστηρίων καὶ ὧν μάλιστα διατεθρύληται τὰ μαντεῖα ἐν παραδόξοις δαιμόνων ἐπιφανείαις, τίνι τε λόγῳ καὶ τούτων κατεφρονήσαμεν βʹ. Ὅτι τοῖς θέλουσιν εὐχερὲς ἀποφῆναι πλάνην εἶναι τὴν περὶ τῶν χρηστηρίων ἐπαγγελίαν καὶ γοήτων ἀνδρῶν ῥᾳδιουργίαν γʹ. Ὅτι ἀσύστατος αὐτῶν ἡ μαντικὴ καὶ τὰ πολλὰ ψευδομένη, καὶ ὅτι ἄχρηστος αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπιβλαβὴς ἡ πρόρρησις δʹ. Ὅτι μεγίστων ἡμᾶς κακῶν τούτων αὐτῶν ἠλευθέρωσεν ἡ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν εὐαγγελικὴ διδασκαλία εʹ. Τίς ἡ διαίρεσις τῆς καθ' Ἕλληνας θεολογίας ʹ. Ὅτι μὴ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλ' ἐκ Ἑλληνικῶν παραθέσεων μαρτυρίας πιστούμεθα ζʹ. Περὶ τῶν κατὰ τοὺς χρησμοὺς ἀπορρήτων ἐκ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς