God Alone a Fit Object of Worship.
1860.
Oh! Into what wretched plight the understanding of men has fallen!
1861.
For if it is reckoned the greatest folly to fear the dead, what shall we judge of those who fear something that is worse than the dead are?
1862.
For those images are not even to be reckoned among the number of the dead, because they were never alive.
1863.
Even the sepulchres of the dead are preferable to them, since, although they are now dead, yet they once had life; but those whom you worship never possessed even such base life as is in all, the life of frogs and owls.
1864.
But why say more about them, since it is enough to say to him who adores them:
1865.
Do you not see that he whom you adore sees not, hear that he whom you adore hears not, and understand that he understands not?
— for he is the work of man's hand, and necessarily is void of understanding.
1866.
You therefore worship a god without sense, whereas every one who has sense believes that not even those things are to be worshipped which have been made by God and have sense, such as the sun, moon, and stars, and all things that are in heaven and upon earth.
1867.
For they think it reasonable, that not those things which have been made for the service of the world, but the Creator of those things themselves, and of the whole world, should be worshipped.
1868.
For even these things rejoicewhen He is adored and worshipped, and do not take it well that the honour of the Creator should be bestowed on the creature.
1869.
For the worship of God alone is acceptable to them, who alone is uncreated, and all things also are His creatures.
1870.
For as it belongs to him who alone is uncreated to be God, so everything that has been created is not truly God.
The Book of Recognitions CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE
Divisions 1871-1890
Book 5
RECOGNITIONS 5
Suggestions of the Old Serpent.
1871.
Above all, therefore, you ought to understand the deception of the old serpent and his cunning suggestions, who deceives you as it were by prudence, and as by a sort of reason creeps through your senses; and beginning at the head, he glides through your inner marrow, accounting the deceiving of you a great gain.
1872.
Therefore he insinuates into your minds opinions of gods of whatsoever kinds, only that he may withdraw you from the faith of one God knowing that your sin is his comfort.
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1873
For he, for his wickedness, was condemned from the beginning to eat dust, for that he caused to be again resolved into dust him who had been taken from the dust, even till the time when your souls shall be restored, being brought through the fire; as we shall instruct you more fully at another time.
1874.
From him, therefore, proceed all the errors and doubts, by which you are driven from the faith and belief of one God.
His First Suggestion.
1875.
And first of all he suggests to men's thoughts not to hear the words of truth,
by which they might put to flight the ignorance of those things which are evils.
1876.
And this he does, as by the presentation of another knowledge, making a show of that opinion which very many hold, to think that they shall not be held guilty if they have been in ignorance, and that they shall not be called to account for what they have not heard;
and thereby he persuades them to turn aside from hearing the word.
1877.
Yet I tell you, in opposition to this, that ignorance is in itself a most deadly poison, which is sufficient to ruin the soul without any aid from without.
1878.
And therefore there is no one who is ignorant who shall escape through his ignorance, but it is certain that he shall perish.
1879.
For the power of sin naturally destroys the sinner.
1880.
But since the judgment shall be according to reason, the cause and origin of ignorance shall be inquired into, as well as of every sin.
1881.
For he who is unwilling to know how he may attain to life, and prefers to be in ignorance lest he thereby be made guilty, from this very fact is judged as if he knew and had knowledge.
1882.
For he knew what it was that he was unwilling to hear; and the cunning obtained by the artifice of the serpent will avail him nothing for an excuse, for he will have to do with Him to whom the heart is open.
1883.
But that you may know that ignorance of itself brings destruction, I assure you that when the soul departs from the body, if it leave it in ignorance of Him by whom it was created, and from whom in this world it obtained all things that were necessary for its uses, it is driven forth from the light of His kingdom as ungrateful and unfaithful.
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His Second Suggestion.
1884.
Again, the wicked serpent suggests another opinion to men,
which many of you are in the habit of bringing forward,
— that there is, as we say, one God, who is Lord of all;
yet these also, they say, are gods.
1885.
For as there is one Cæsar, and he has under him many judges,
— for example, prefects, consuls, tribunes, and other officers,— .
in like manner we think, that while there is one God greater than all, yet still that these gods are ordained in this world, after the likeness of those officers of whom we have spoken, subject indeed to that greater God, yet ruling us and the things that are in this world.
1886.
In answer to this, I shall show you how, in those very things which you propose for deception, you are confuted by the reasons of truth.
1887.
You say that God occupies the place of Cæsar, and those who are called gods represent His judges and officers.
1888.
Hold then, as you have adduced it, by the example of Cæsar; and know that, as one of Cæsar's judges or administrators, as prefects, proconsuls, generals, or tribunes, may lawfully take the name of Cæsar,
— or else both he who should take it and those who should confer it should be destroyed together,—
1889.
so also in this case you ought to observe, that if any one give the name of God to any but Himself, and he accept it, they shall partake one and the same destruction, by a much more terrible fate than the servants of Cæsar.
1890.
For he who offends against Cæsar shall undergo temporal destruction; but he who offends against Him who is the sole and true God, shall suffer eternal punishment, and that deservedly, as having injured by a wrongful condition the name which is unique.
The Book of Recognitions CHAPTER SIXTY SIX
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Divisions 1891-1925
Book 5
RECOGNITIONS 5
Egyptian Idolatry.
1891.
Although this word God is not the name of God, but meantime that word is employed by men as His name; and therefore, as I have said, when it is used reproachfully, the reproach is referred to the injury of the true name.
1892.
In short, the ancient Egyptians, who thought that they had discovered the theory of the heavenly revolutions and the nature of the stars, nevertheless, through the demon's blocking up their senses, subjected the incommunicable name to all kinds of indignity.
1893.
For some taught that their ox, which is called Apis, ought to be worshipped;
others taught that the he-goat, others that cats, the ibis, a fish also, a serpent, onions, drains, crepitus ventris, ought to be regarded as deities, and innumerable other things, which I am ashamed even to mention.
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