9. We worship the gods, you
say, by means of images.4621
| 4621 [It
is manifest that nothing of the kind was said by Christians. See
p. 506, note 3, supra.] |
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,
4622
| 4622
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. |
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.
4623
| 4623
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;”
4624
| 4624
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?”
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
