Fire-Worship of the Persians.
1741.
First among whom is named a certain king Nimrod, the magic art having been handed down to him as by a flash, whom the Greeks, also called Ninus, and from whom the city of Nineveh took its name.
1742.
Thus, therefore, diverse and erratic superstitions took their beginning from the magic art.
1743.
For, because it was difficult to draw away the human race from the love of God,
and attach them to deaf and lifeless images, the magicians made use of higher efforts,
that men might be turned to erratic worship, by signs among the stars,
and motions brought down as it were from heaven, and by the will of God.
1744.
And those who had been first deceived, collecting the ashes of Zoroaster,
brought them to the Persians, that they might be preserved by them with perpetual watching,
as divine fire fallen from heaven, and might be worshipped as a heavenly God.
i.e. the ashes of the Avesta, the holy book of the prophet Zarathustra burnt by Alexander's troops
Hero-Worship.
1745.
By a like example, other men in other places built temples,
set up statues, instituted mysteries and ceremonies and sacrifices, to those whom they had admired,
either for some arts or for virtue, or at least had held in very great affection;
1746.
and rejoiced, by means of all things belonging to gods, to hand down their fame to posterity;
and that especially, because, as we have already said, they seemed to be supported by some phantasies of magic art, so that by invocation of demons something seemed to be done and moved by them towards the deception of men.
1747.
To these they add also certain solemnities, and drunken banquets, in which men might with all freedom indulge; and demons, conveyed into them in the chariot of repletion, might be mixed with their very bowels, and holding a place there, might bind the acts and thoughts of men to their own will.
1748.
Such errors, then, having been introduced from the beginning, and having been aided by lust and drunkenness, in which carnal men chiefly delight, the religion of God, which consisted in continence and sobriety, began to become rare among men, and to be nearly abolished.
Idolatry Led to All Immorality.
1749.
For whereas at first, men worshipping a righteous and all-seeing God, neither dared sin nor do injury to their neighbours, being persuaded that God sees the actions and movements of every one;
1750.
when religious worship was directed to lifeless images, concerning which they were certain that they were incapable of hearing, or sight, or motion, they began to sin licentiously, and to go forward to every crime, because they had no fear of suffering anything at the hands of those whom they worshipped as gods.
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1751.
Hence the madness of wars burst out;
hence plunderings, rapines, captivities, and liberty reduced to slavery;
each one, as he could, satisfied his lust and his covetousness,
although no power can satisfy covetousness.
1752.
For as fire, the more fuel it gets, is the more extensively kindled and strengthened, so also the madness of covetousness is made greater and more vehement by means of those things which it acquires.
Invitation.
1753.
Wherefore begin now with better understanding to resist yourselves in those things which you do not rightly desire;
1754.
if so be that you can in any way repair and restore in your hearts that purity of religion and innocence of life which at first were bestowed upon man by God,
that thereby also the hope of immortal blessings may be restored to you.
1755.
And give thanks to the bountiful Father of all, by Him whom He has constituted King of peace, and the treasury of unspeakable honours, that even at the present time your sins may be washed away with the water of the fountain, or river, or even sea:
1756.
the threefold name of blessedness being called over you,
that by it not only evil spirits may be driven out, if any dwell in you,
yet also that, when you have forsaken your sins,
and have with entire faith and entire purity of mind believed in God,
you may drive out wicked spirits and demons from others also,
and may be able to set others free from sufferings and sicknesses.
1757.
For the demons themselves know and acknowledge those who have given themselves up to God,
and sometimes they are driven out by the mere presence of such,
as you saw a little while ago, how, when we had only addressed to you the word of salutation,
straightway the demons, on account of their respect for our religion,
began to cry out, and could not bear our presence even for a little.
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