Chapter LXIV.

As, then, this act of self-restraint, which in appearance is one and the same, is found in fact to be different in different persons, according to the principles and motives which lead to it; so in the same way with those who cannot allow in the worship of the Divine Being altars, or temples, or images.  The Scythians, the Nomadic Libyans, the godless Seres, and the Persians, agree in this with the Christians and Jews, but they are actuated by very different principles.  For none of these former abhor altars and images on the ground that they are afraid of degrading the worship of God, and reducing it to the worship of material things wrought by the hands of men.1754    [Note this wholesome fear of early Christians.]  Neither do they object to them from a belief that the demons choose certain forms and places, whether because they are detained there by virtue of certain charms, or because for some other possible reason they have selected these haunts, where they may pursue their criminal pleasures, in partaking of the smoke of sacrificial victims.  But Christians and Jews have regard to this command, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him alone;”1755    Deut. vi. 13. and this other, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me:  thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them;”1756    Ex. xx. 3, 4. and again, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”1757    Matt. iv. 10.  It is in consideration of these and many other such commands, that they not only avoid temples, altars, and images, but are ready to suffer death when it is necessary, rather than debase by any such impiety the conception which they have of the Most High God.

Ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ ἓν τοῦτο πρᾶγμα, ἡ τῆς μοιχείας ἀποχή, ἓν εἶναι δοκοῦσα πολλὰ ἁλίσκεται τυγχάνουσα παρὰ τὰ διάφορα δόγματα καὶ τὰς προθέσεις, οὕτως καὶ τῶν μὴ ἀνεχομένων παρὰ βωμοῖς καὶ ναοῖς καὶ ἀγάλμασι σέβειν τὸ θεῖον Σκύθαι μὲν ἢ Λιβύων οἱ Νομάδες ἢ Σῆρες οἱ ἄθεοι ἢ Πέρσαι ἀπὸ δογμάτων τοῦτο πράττουσιν ἄλλων, ἢ ὧν Χριστιανοὶ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι οὐκ ἀνέχονται τῆς τοιαύτης ὑπολαμβανομένης εἰς τὸ θεῖον θεραπείας· οὐδεὶς [γὰρ] ἐκείνων διὰ τὸ ἐκκλίνειν καὶ κατασπᾶν καὶ κατάγειν τὴν περὶ τὸ θεῖον θρησκείαν ἐπὶ τὴν τοιαύτην ὕλην οὑτωσὶ ἐσχηματισμένην οὐκ ἀνέχεται βωμῶν καὶ ἀγαλμάτων οὐδὲ διὰ τὸ διειληφέναι περὶ δαιμόνων ὅτι τοιοῖσδε παρακαθέζονται σχήμασι καὶ χωρίοις, ἤτοι ὑπό τινων μαγγανειῶν κατακλη θέντες ἢ καὶ ἄλλως δυνηθέντες προκαταλαβεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τόπους, ἐν οἷς τῆς τῶν θυομένων ἀποφορᾶς λίχνως μεταλαμ βάνοντες παράνομον ἡδονὴν καὶ παρανόμους θηράσονται· Χριστιανοὶ δὲ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι διὰ τὸ "Κύριον τὸν θεόν σου φοβηθήσῃ καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις" [καὶ] διὰ τὸ "Οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ" καὶ "Οὐ ποιήσεις σεαυτῷ εἴδωλον οὐδὲ παντὸς ὁμοίωμα, ὅσα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ [ἄνω] καὶ ὅσα ἐν τῇ γῇ κάτω καὶ ὅσα ἐν τῷ ὕδατι ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς· οὐ προσκυνήσεις αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ μὴ λατρεύσεις αὐτοῖς" καὶ διὰ τὸ "Κύριον τὸν θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις" καὶ ἄλλα πλείονα τούτοις παραπλήσια οὐ μόνον ἐκτρέπονται νεὼς καὶ βωμοὺς καὶ ἀγάλματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἀποθνῄσκειν, ὅτε δεῖ, ἑτοίμως ἔρχονται ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ μολῦναι τὴν περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ὑπόληψιν διά τινος τοιούτου παρανομήματος.