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| Chapter II.—Testimonies to the unity of God.
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poets: Æschylus" title="290" id="viii.vii.ii-p1.1"/>First, then, Æschylus,2597
| 2597 Grotius supposes this to be
Æschylus the younger in some prologue. | in expounding the
arrangement of his work,2598
| 2598
This may also be translated: “expounding the set of opinions
prevalent in his day.” | expressed himself also as
follows respecting the only God:—
“Afar
from mortals place the holy God,
Nor
ever think that He, like to thyself,
In
fleshly robes is clad; for all unknown
Is
the great God to such a worm as thou.
Divers
similitudes He bears; at times
He
seems as a consuming fire that burns
Unsated;
now like water, then again
In
sable folds of darkness shrouds Himself.
Nay,
even the very beasts of earth reflect
His
sacred image; whilst the wind, clouds, rain,
The
roll of thunder and the lightning flash,
Reveal
to men their great and sovereign Lord.
Before
Him sea and rocks, with every fount,
And
all the water floods, in reverence bend;
And
as they gaze upon His awful face,
Mountains
and earth, with the profoundest depths
Of
ocean, and the highest peaks of hills,
Tremble:
for He is Lord Omnipotent;
And
this the glory is of God Most High.”
poets: Sophocles" title="290" id="viii.vii.ii-p4.1"/>But he was not the only
man initiated in the knowledge of God; for Sophocles also thus describes
the nature of the only Creator of all things, the One God:—
“There
is one God, in truth there is but one,
Who
made the heavens and the broad earth beneath,
The
glancing waves of ocean, and the winds;
But
many of us mortals err in heart,
And
set up, for a solace in our woes,
Images
of the gods in stone and brass,
Or
figures carved in gold or ivory;
And,
furnishing for these, our handiworks,
Both
sacrifice and rite magnificent,
We
think that thus we do a pious work.”
poets: Philemon" title="290" id="viii.vii.ii-p5.1"/>And Philemon
also, who published many explanations of ancient customs, shares in the
knowledge of the truth; and thus he writes:—
“Tell
me what thoughts of God we should conceive?
One,
all things seeing, yet Himself unseen.”
poets: Orpheus" title="290" id="viii.vii.ii-p6.1"/>Even Orpheus, too, who introduces three hundred
and sixty gods, will bear testimony in my
favour from the
tract called Diathecæ, in which he appears to repent of his error
by writing the following:—
“I’ll
speak to those who lawfully may hear;
All
others, ye profane, now close the doors!
And,
O Musæus, hearken thou to me,
Who
offspring art of the light-bringing moon.
The
words I tell thee now are true indeed,
And
if thou former thoughts of mine hast seen,
Let
them not rob thee of the blessed life;
But
rather turn the depths of thine own heart
Unto
that place where light and knowledge dwell.
Take
thou the word divine to guide thy steps;
And
walking well in the straight certain path,
Look
to the one and universal King,
One,
self-begotten, and the only One
Of
whom all things, and we ourselves, are sprung.
All
things are open to His piercing gaze,
While
He Himself is still invisible;
Present
in all His works, though still unseen,
He
gives to mortals evil out of good,
Sending
both chilling wars and tearful griefs;
And
other than the Great King there is none.
The
clouds for ever settle round His throne;
And
mortal eyeballs in mere mortal eyes
Are
weak to see Jove, reigning over all.
He
sits established in the brazen heavens
Upon
His throne; and underneath His feet
He
treads the earth, and stretches His right hand
To
all the ends of ocean, and around
Tremble
the mountain ranges, and the streams,
The
depths, too, of the blue and hoary sea.”
He speaks indeed as if he had been an eyewitness of
God’s greatness. And Pythagoras2599
| 2599 “Pythagorei cujusdam fetus.”—Otto, after Goezius. |
agrees with him when he writes:—
“Should
one in boldness say, Lo, I am God!
Besides
the One—Eternal—Infinite,
Then
let him from the throne he has usurped
Put
forth his power and form another globe,
Such
as we dwell in, saying, This is mine.
Nor
only so, but in this new domain
For
ever let him dwell. If this he can,
Then
verily he is a god proclaimed.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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