34. Whence, therefore, have
these vicious opinions flowed, or from what causes have they
sprung? From this it is clear, in great measure, that men
are unable to know what God is, what is His essence, nature,
substance, quality; whether He has a form, or is limited by no bodily
outline, does anything or not, is ever watchful, or is at times sunk in
slumbers, runs, sits, walks, or is free from such motions and
inactivity. Being, as I have said, unable to know all these
things, or to discern them by any power of reason, they fell into these
fanciful beliefs, so that they fashioned gods after themselves, and
gave to these such a nature as they have themselves, in actions,
circumstances, and desires. But if they were to perceive that
they are worthless creatures,4934
| 4934
Lit., “an animal of no value.” |
and that there is no great difference
between themselves and a little ant, they would cease, indeed, to think
that they have anything in common with the gods of
heaven, and would
confine their unassuming insignificance
4935
| 4935
Lit., “the modesty of their humility.” |
within its proper limits. But
now, because they see that they themselves have faces,
eyes, heads,
cheeks,
ears, noses, and all the other parts of
our limbs and
muscles, they think that the gods also have been formed in the same
way, that the
divine nature is embodied in a human frame;
4936
| 4936
Lit., “they contain their nature in a corporeal form.” |
and because
they perceive that they themselves
rejoice and are
glad, and
again are made
sad by what is too disagreeable, they think that
the deities also on joyous occasions are
glad, and on less pleasant
ones become dejected.
They see that they are affected by
the games, and think that the minds of the celestials are soothed by
enjoying games; and because they have
pleasure in refreshing themselves
with
warm baths, they think that the cleanness produced by
4937
bathing is
pleasing to the gods above. We men
gather our vintages, and they
think and believe that the gods
gather and bring in their
grapes; we
have
birthdays, and they
affirm that the powers of
heaven have
birthdays.
4938
But
if they could ascribe to the gods ill-health, sickness, and bodily
disease, they would not hesitate to say that they were splenetic,
blear-eyed, and ruptured, because they are themselves both splenetic,
and often blear-eyed, and weighed down by huge
herniæ.
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