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concerning them, that they are not gods, but corruptible and changeable things, brought into being from non-being by the command of the true God, who is incorruptible and unchangeable and invisible; but He Himself sees all things, and, as He wills, alters and changes them. What then do I say concerning the elements? Those who suppose the heaven to be a god are mistaken. For we see it being turned and moved by necessity, and composed of many parts; wherefore it is also called cosmos. But a cosmos is the construction of some craftsman; and that which has been constructed has a beginning and an end. The heaven is moved by necessity along with its luminaries; for the stars, borne in order and interval from point to point, some set, and others rise, and in their seasons they make their course to bring about summers and winters, as it has been commanded them by God, and they do not transgress their own bounds, according to the inviolable necessity of nature, together with the heavenly cosmos. Whence it is manifest that the heaven is not a god but a work of God. But those who suppose the earth to be a goddess have been mistaken. For we see it being insulted by men and mastered and defiled and made useless. For if it is baked, it becomes dead; for from baked clay nothing grows. Furthermore 402 and if it is soaked too much, both it and its fruits are destroyed. And it is trodden under foot by both men and the other animals, it is stained with the blood of the slain, it is dug up, it becomes a receptacle for dead bodies. These things being so, it is not possible for the earth to be a goddess but a work of God for the use of men. But those who suppose the water to be a god have been mistaken. For it also has come into being for the use of men, and it is mastered by them, it is polluted and destroyed, and it is altered by being boiled and changed by colors, and congealed by the cold, and brought for the washing of all unclean things. Wherefore it is impossible for water to be a god but a work of God. But those who suppose fire to be a god are mistaken. For it also came into being for the use of men. And it is mastered by them, being carried about from place to place for the boiling and roasting of all kinds of meats, and even of dead bodies. And it is destroyed in many ways, being extinguished by men. Wherefore it is not possible for fire to be a god but a work of God. But those who suppose the breath of the winds to be a goddess are mistaken; for it is manifest that it is a servant to another, and for the sake of men it has been prepared by God for the transport of ships and the gathering of foods, and for their other needs it increases and it ceases, by the command of God. Wherefore it is not supposed that the breath of the winds is a goddess but a work of God. But those who suppose the sun to be a god are mistaken 404. For we see it being moved by necessity and turning, and passing from sign to sign, setting and rising, to warm the plants and shoots for the use of men, and furthermore having divisions with the rest of the stars, and being much smaller than the heaven, and eclipsed of its light, and having no sovereignty. Wherefore it is not supposed that the sun is a god but a work of God. But those who suppose the moon to be a goddess are mistaken. For we see it being moved by necessity and turning, and passing from sign to sign, both setting and rising for the need of men, and being smaller than the sun, both waxing and waning, and having eclipses. Wherefore it is not supposed that the moon is a goddess but a work of God. But those who suppose man to be a god are mistaken. For we see him being moved by necessity, and being nourished and growing old, even against his will. And sometimes he rejoices, and sometimes he grieves, needing food and drink and clothing. And he is wrathful and jealous and lustful, and repentant, and having many defects.

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περὶ αὐτῶν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί, ἀλλὰ φθαρτὰ καὶ ἀλλοιούμενα, ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος παραχθέντα προστάγματι τοῦ ὄντως Θεοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν ἄφθαρτός τε καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος καὶ ἀόρατος· αὐτὸς δὲ πάντα ὁρᾷ, καί, καθὼς βούλεται, ἀλλοιοῖ καὶ μεταβάλλει. τί οὖν λέγω περὶ τῶν στοιχείων; Οἱ νομίζοντες τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶναι θεὸν πλανῶνται. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὸν τρεπόμενον καὶ κατὰ ἀνάγκην κινούμενον, καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν συνεστῶτα· διὸ καὶ κόσμος καλεῖται. κόσμος δὲ κατασκευή ἐστί τινος τεχνίτου· τὸ κατασκευασθὲν δὲ ἀρχὴν καὶ τέλος ἔχει. κινεῖται δὲ ὁ οὐρανὸς κατὰ ἀνάγκην σὺν τοῖς αὐτοῦ φωστῆρσι· τὰ γὰρ ἄστρα τάξει καὶ διαστήματι φερόμενα ἀπὸ σημείου εἰς σημεῖον, οἱ μὲν δύουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἀνατέλλουσι, καὶ κατὰ καιροὺς πορείαν ποιοῦνται τοῦ ἀποτελεῖν θέρη καὶ χειμῶνας, καθὰ ἐπιτέτακται αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οὐ παραβαίνουσι τοὺς ἰδίους ὅρους, κατὰ ἀπαραίτητον φύσεως ἀνάγκην, σὺν τῷ οὐρανίῳ κόσμῳ. ὅθεν φανερόν ἐστι μὴ εἶναι τὸν οὐρανὸν θεὸν ἀλλ' ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὴν γῆν εἶναι θεὰν ἐπλανήθησαν. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑβριζομένην καὶ κατακυριευομένην καὶ φυρομένην καὶ ἄχρηστον γινομένην. ἐὰν γὰρ ὀπτηθῇ, γίνεται νεκρά· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ ὀστράκου φύεται οὐδέν. ἔτι 402 δὲ καὶ ἐὰν ἐπὶ πλέον βραχῇ, φθείρεται καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ οἱ καρποὶ αὐτῆς. καταπατεῖται δὲ ὑπό τε ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ζῴων, αἵμασι φονευομένων μιαίνεται, διορύσσεται, νεκρῶν θήκη γίνεται σωμάτων. τούτων οὕτως ὄντων, οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τὴν γῆν εἶναι θεὰν ἀλλ' ἔργον Θεοῦ εἰς χρῆσιν ἀνθρώπων. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὸ ὕδωρ εἶναι θεὸν ἐπλανήθησαν. καὶ αὐτὸ γὰρ εἰς χρῆσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων γέγονε, καὶ κατακυριεύεται ὑπ' αὐτῶν, μιαίνεται καὶ φθείρεται, καὶ ἀλλοιοῦται ἑψόμενον καὶ ἀλλασσόμενον χρώμασι, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κρύους πηγνύμενον, καὶ εἰς πάντων τῶν ἀκαθάρτων πλύσιν ἀγόμενον. διὸ ἀδύνατον τὸ ὕδωρ εἶναι θεὸν ἀλλ' ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὸ πῦρ εἶναι θεὸν πλανῶνται. καὶ αὐτὸ γὰρ εἰς χρῆσιν ἐγένετο ἀνθρώπων. καὶ κατακυριεύεται ὑπ' αὐτῶν, περιφερόμενον ἐκ τόπου εἰς τόπον εἰς ἕψησιν καὶ ὄπτησιν παντοδαπῶν κρεῶν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ νεκρῶν σωμάτων. φθείρεται δὲ καὶ κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σβεννύμενον. διὸ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τὸ πῦρ εἶναι θεὸν ἀλλ' ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὴν τῶν ἀνέμων πνοὴν εἶναι θεὰν πλανῶνται· φανερὸν γάρ ἐστιν ὅτι δουλεύει ἑτέρῳ, καὶ χάριν τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατεσκεύασται ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς μεταγωγὴν πλοίων καὶ συγκομιδὰς τῶν σιτίων, καὶ εἰς λοιπὰς αὐτῶν χρείας αὔξει τε καὶ λήγει, κατ' ἐπιταγὴν Θεοῦ. διὸ οὐ νενόμισται τὴν τῶν ἀνέμων πνοὴν εἶναι θεὰν ἀλλ' ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὸν ἥλιον εἶναι θεὸν πλανῶν 404 ται. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὸν κινούμενον κατὰ ἀνάγκην καὶ τρεπόμενον, καὶ μεταβαίνοντα ἀπὸ σημείου εἰς σημεῖον, δύνοντα καὶ ἀνατέλλοντα, τοῦ θερμαίνειν τὰ φυτὰ καὶ βλαστὰ εἰς χρῆσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἔτι δὲ καὶ μερισμοὺς ἔχοντα μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀστέρων, καὶ ἐλάττονα ὄντα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πολύ, καὶ ἐκλείποντα τοῦ φωτός, καὶ μηδεμίαν αὐτοκράτειαν ἔχοντα. διὸ οὐ νενόμισται τὸν ἥλιον εἶναι θεὸν ἀλλ' ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὴν σελήνην εἶναι θεὰν πλανῶνται. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὴν κινουμένην κατὰ ἀνάγκην καὶ τρεπομένην, καὶ μεταβαίνουσαν ἀπὸ σημείου εἰς σημεῖον, δύνουσάν τε καὶ ἀνατέλλουσαν εἰς χρείαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἐλάττονα οὖσαν τοῦ ἡλίου, αὐξομένην τε καὶ μειουμένην, καὶ ἐκλείψεις ἔχουσαν. διὸ οὐ νενόμισται τὴν σελήνην εἶναι θεὰν ἀλλ' ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἶναι θεὸν πλανῶνται. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὸν κινούμενον κατὰ ἀνάγκην, καὶ τρεφόμενον καὶ γηράσκοντα, καὶ μὴ θέλοντος αὐτοῦ. καί ποτε μὲν χαίρει, ποτὲ δὲ λυπεῖται, δεόμενος βρωμάτων καὶ ποτοῦ καὶ ἐσθῆτος. εἶναι δὲ αὐτὸν ὀργίλον καὶ ζηλωτὴν καὶ ἐπιθυμητήν, καὶ μεταμελόμενον, καὶ πολλὰ ἐλαττώματα ἔχοντα.