9. We worship the gods, you say, by means of images.1383    [It is manifest that nothing of the kind was said by Christians. See p. 506, note 3, supra.]    Lit., “from the hands to us,” nobis, the reading of the ms., both Roman edd., Gelenius, LB., and Oehler; for which the rest give vobis—“out of your hands.” What then? Without these, do the gods not know that they are worshipped, and will they not think that any honour is shown to them by you? Through bypaths, as it were, then, and by assignments to a third party,1384    i.e., you do not seek access to the gods directly, and seek to do them honour by giving that honour to the idols instead.    i.e., the learned men referred to above. as they are called, they receive and accept your services; and before those to whom that service is owed experience it, you first sacrifice to images, and transmit, as it were, some remnants to them at the pleasure of others.1385    i.e., the transmission of the sacrifice to the gods is made dependent on idols. And what greater wrong, disgrace, hardship, can be inflicted than to acknowledge one god, and yet make supplication to something else—to hope for help from a deity, and pray to an image without feeling? Is not this, I pray you, that which is said in the common proverbs: “to cut down the smith when you strike at the fuller;”1386    This corresponds exactly to the English, “to shoot at the pigeon and hit the crow.” “and when you seek a man’s advice, to require of asses and pigs their opinions as to what should be done?”

IX. Deos, inquitis, per simulacra veneramur. Quid ergo? si haec non sint, coli se dii nesciunt, nec impertiri a vobis ullum sibi existimabunt honorem? Per tramites ergo quosdam, et per quaedam fidei commissa, ut dicitur, vestras sumunt atque accipiunt cultiones: et antequam hi sentiant, quibus illud debetur 1180B obsequium, simulacris litatis prius, et velut reliquias quasdam aliena ad illos ex auctoritate transmittitis. Et quid fieri potis est injuriosius, contumeliosius, durius, quam deum alterum scire, et rei alteri supplicare? opem sperare de numine, et nullius sensus 1181A ad effigiem deprecari? Nonne illud est quaeso, quod in vulgaribus proverbiis dicitur, fabrum caedere cum ferias fullonem? et cum hominis consilium quaeras, ab asellis et porculis agendarum rerum sententias postulare?