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overseeing all things, decreeing that neither the universal mind, nor the substance beyond all things which is the creator of all, exists; while the rest of men, having given themselves over to the polytheistic error of idolatry, have fallen into atheism by another manner of folly; who also corrupted the sound seeds concerning God sown in them, and have given themselves over to the abomination of dead idols, having revered things dishonorable and truly abominable. Wherefore it is said: They have corrupted and have become abominable in iniquity; which indeed Symmachus interpreted more clearly, saying: They have been corrupted and have practiced abomination with injustice. For they practiced 23.457 abomination, fashioning idols of things that are not as if they were, with the highest injustice. For what other injustice could be worse than this, by which, professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things, according to the holy Apostle? Then, acting in accordance with their godless and perverse practices, they have fallen into every kind of wicked life. Wherefore it is added next: There is none that does good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, or that did seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become unprofitable; there is none that does kindness, no, not one. The fool indeed deceived himself, saying in his heart that there is no God; and all the rest became abominable, having practiced abomination. But the true word teaches that the God and Lord over all not only exists and contains all things, but also oversees and visits, not only the universal parts of the whole, but also the particular parts, and the sons of men who make their sojourns on the earth. Then, since, exercising providence over the sons of men, condescending from His own greatness, and as if from the highest summit of His supreme and transcendent power, He descends to the judgment of men on earth, observing if there is anyone anywhere who understands the administration of His providence, and if there is anyone anywhere who, putting aside all the deceit of this life, has undertaken the search for Him. And since, in seeking, He found no such person, because all had turned aside, and at the same time and in the same way had become unprofitable, so that He found not one that does good; He rightly threatens those who have corrupted themselves, saying the things that follow: Shall not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they eat bread? They have not called upon the Lord; there they will fear with a fear where there was no fear. Since God, having looked down from His own dwelling place, that is, from heaven, where He is said to dwell because of those who there receive His kingdom, saw all the sons of men having become unprofitable and having turned aside from the straight and right way; rightly, like a good shepherd caring for his flock among men, He threatens those who are the cause of the perversion, saying: Shall not the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they eat bread? And it seems to me that these things are said concerning the opposing powers of the invisible enemies and foes of the human race. For these have made the human race their food, like terrible beasts devouring their souls, according to what is said in the prophecies: Who devour my people with their whole mouth. These then, he says, for now, as not having set God before their eyes, have done these things against the people and against my rational flock among 23.460 men. Shall they then continue doing these things forever? Let it be for now, they have not called upon God, working things contrary to God and hostile to Him; shall they not know at some time the judgment that is coming upon them? And surely there will be a time in which they will fear a fear. What sort could this be, or that

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τὰ πάντα ἐφορῶσαν, οὔτε νοῦν τὸν καθόλου, οὔτε τὴν ἐπέκεινα τῶν ὅλων οὐσίαν τὴν ἁπάντων ποιητικὴν, ὑφεστάναι ὁριζόμενος· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πολυθέῳ πλάνῃ τῇ κατὰ τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδόντες, ἑτέρῳ ἀφροσύνης τρόπῳ εἰς ἀθεότητα πεπτώκασιν· οἳ καὶ αὐτοὶ διέφθειραν τὰ σπαρέντα ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑγιῆ περὶ Θεοῦ σπέρματα, καὶ τῇ τῶν νεκρῶν εἰδώλων βδελυρίᾳ ἑαυτοὺς παραδεδώκασιν, ἄτιμα καὶ ἀληθῶς βδελύγματα σεβασθέντες. ∆ιὸ εἴρηται· ∆ιέφθειραν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἀνομίᾳ· ὃ δὴ σαφέστερον ἡρμήνευσεν ὁ Σύμμαχος εἰπών· ∆ιεφθάρησαν καὶ βδελυρίαν ἐπετήδευσαν μετὰ ἀδικίας. Ἐπετή 23.457 δευσαν γὰρ τὴν βδελυρίαν, τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα ἂν εἰδωλοποιήσαντες μετὰ τῆς ἀνωτάτω ἀδικίας. Τίς γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο ταύτης ἑτέρα χείρων ἀδικία, καθ' ἣν φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ, ἐμωράνθησαν, καὶ ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου Θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ πετεινῶν, καὶ τετραπόδων, καὶ ἑρπετῶν, κατὰ τὸν ἱερὸν Ἀπόστολον; Εἶτ' ἀκόλουθα δρῶντες τοῖς ἀθέοις καὶ διαστρόφοις ἑαυτῶν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν, εἰς πᾶν εἶδος βίου μοχθηρίας περιπεπτώκασι. ∆ιὸ ἐπιλέγεται ἑξῆς· Οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν ἀγαθόν. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν. Πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα ἕως ἑνός. Ὁ μὲν ἄφρων ἠπάτα ἑαυτὸν, λέγων ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἑαυτοῦ μὴ εἶναι Θεόν· καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ πάντες ἐβδελύχθησαν βδελυρίαν ἐπιτηδεύσαντες. Ὁ δὲ ἀληθὴς λόγος τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸν καὶ Κύριον οὐχ ὑφεστάναι μόνον καὶ τὰ πάντα περιέχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφορᾷν καὶ ἐπισκέπτεσθαι, οὐ τὰ καθόλου μέρη τοῦ παντὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κατὰ μέρος, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὰς διατριβὰς ποιουμένους υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, διδάσκει. Εἶτ' ἐπειδήπερ πρόνοιαν ποιούμενος τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ ἰδίου μεγέθους ὑποβαίνων, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐξ ὑψηλοτάτης ἀκρωρείας τῆς ἀνωτάτω καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντα δυνάμεως ἑαυτοῦ, καθίησιν ἐπὶ τὴν διάκρισιν τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπων, ἐπισκοπῶν εἴ πού τίς ἐστι τῆς αὐτοῦ προνοίας τὴν διοίκησιν συνιὼν, καὶ εἴ πού τις, πάντα δεύτερα θέμενος τὰ τῆς τοῦ βίου ἀπάτης, τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ ζήτησιν ἀνείληφε. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ, ζητῶν, οὐδένα τοιοῦτον εὗρεν, τῷ πάντας ἐκκλῖναι, ὁμοῦ τε καὶ κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀχρειωθῆναι, ὡς μὴ ποιοῦντα ἀγαθὸν ἕως ἑνὸς εὑρεῖν· εἰκότως ἐπαπειλεῖ τοῖς διαφθείρασιν αὑτοὺς, τὰ ἑξῆς λέγων· Οὐχὶ γνώσονται πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν, οἱ ἐσθίοντες τὸν λαόν μου βρώσει ἄρτου; Τὸν Κύριον οὐκ ἐπεκαλέσαντο· ἐκεῖ φοβηθήσονται φόβῳ οὗ οὐκ ἦν φόβος. Ἐπειδὴ, διακύψας ἐκ τοῦ ἰδίου κατοικητηρίου ὁ Θεὸς, τουτέστιν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἔνθα κατοικεῖν λέγεται διὰ τοὺς αὐτόθι χωροῦντας αὐτοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν, πάντας εἶδε τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀχρειωθέντας καὶ τῆς εὐθείας καὶ ὀρθῆς ἀποκλίναντας ὁδοῦ· εἰκότως οἷά τις ποιμὴν ἀγαθὸς κηδόμενος τῆς ἐν ἀνθρώποις αὐτοῦ ἀγέλης, ἐπαπειλεῖ τοῖς αἰτίοις τῆς διαστροφῆς, λέγων· Οὐχὶ γνώσονται οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν, οἱ ἐσθίοντες τὸν λαόν μου βρώσει ἄρτου; Καί μοι δοκεῖ ταῦτα περὶ δυνάμεων ἀντικειμένων λέγεσθαι τῶν ἀοράτων ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων τοῦ γένους τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου. Οὗτοι γὰρ τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος κατάβρωμα ἑαυτοῖς ἐποιήσαντο, οἷα δεινοὶ θῆρες τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν κατεσθίοντες, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν προφητείαις· Οἱ κατεσθίοντες τὸν λαόν μου ὅλῳ τῷ στόματι. Οὗτοι οὖν αὐτοὶ νῦν μὲν, φησὶν, ὡς οὐκ ἂν τὸν Θεὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν θέμενοι, ταῦτα κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ κατὰ τῆς ἐμῆς ἐν ἀνθρώποις λογικῆς ἀγέλης δι 23.460 επράξαντο. Μήτι οὖν καὶ εἰς τὸ παντελὲς ταῦτα πράττοντες διατελέσουσιν; Ἔστω δὲ νῦν, τὸν Θεὸν οὐκ ἐπεκαλέσαντο, τἀναντία τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τὰ ἐχθρὰ αὐτῷ ἐνεργοῦντες, μὴ οὐχὶ γνώσονται καιρῷ τινι τὴν ἐπελευσομένην αὐτοῖς δίκην; Καὶ μὴν ἔσται καιρὸς, ἐν ᾧ φοβηθήσονται φόβον. Ποῖος δ' ἂν εἴη οὗτος ἢ ἐκεῖνος