Greeks, Chapter 2
1
Come, then: cleanse yourself from all the reasonings that preoccupy your mind, cast off the custom that deceives you, and become as it were a new man from the beginning — as one about to hear a new word, just as you yourself confessed. Behold, not merely with the eyes but with prudence, what is the substance or form of those which you⁺ call and think gods.
2
Is not one a stone, like what we tread on, and one bronze, no better than the vessels forged for our use, and one wood, already decayed, and one silver, needing a man to guard it from being stolen, and one iron, corroded, and one earthen, no more fitting than what is prepared for the most shameful service?
3
Are not all these of corruptible matter? Are they not all made by iron and fire? Did not the sculptor form one, the coppersmith another, the silversmith a third, and the potter a fourth? Before they were fashioned into these forms by the arts of those men, was not each of them transformed, and that even now, by its respective craftsman? Could not the vessels which now are of the same matter, if they met with the same craftsmen, be made like such as these?
4
And again, these [objects] which are now worshiped by you⁺, could they not be made by men into vessels like the rest? Are they not all deaf? All blind? All without life? All without touch? All motionless? All rotting? All decaying?
5
These [objects] you⁺ call gods, these you⁺ serve as slaves, these you⁺ worship; and you⁺ become altogether like them.
6
For this cause you⁺ hate the Christians, because they do not count these gods.
7
For you⁺, who regard and worship them, do you⁺ not despise them even more? Do you⁺ not much more mock and shamefully treat them, worshiping without a guard those of stone and earth, but shutting up the gold and silver ones at night, and by day setting guards, lest they should be stolen?
8
When you⁺ worship them with blood and fat, you⁺ think you⁺ are honoring them. But if they have touch, you⁺ are actually punishing them. And if they are without touch, [they cannot even respond] — proving [it].
9
Let any one of you⁺ endure this! Let any one tolerate having these things done to himself! But not even one man would willingly tolerate such punishment, for he has touch and reasoning; but the stone tolerates it, for it is without touch. Therefore you⁺ prove it [to be] without touch.
10
In regard then, to the freedom of Christians from being enslaved to such gods, I would have many other things to say; but if, to any, these do not seem sufficient, I count it superfluous to say more.
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