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| Chapter LXIV
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Chapter
LXIV.
As, then, this act of self-restraint, which in
appearance is one and the same, is found in fact to be different in
different persons, according to the principles and motives which lead
to it; so in the same way with those who cannot allow in the worship of
the Divine Being altars, or temples, or images. The Scythians,
the Nomadic Libyans, the godless Seres, and the Persians, agree in this
with the Christians and Jews, but they are actuated by very different
principles. For none of these former abhor altars and images on
the ground that they are afraid of degrading the worship of God, and
reducing it to the worship of material things wrought by the hands of
men.4830
Neither do they object to them from a belief that
the demons choose certain forms and places, whether because they are
detained there by virtue of certain charms, or because for some other
possible reason they have selected these haunts, where they may pursue
their criminal pleasures, in partaking of the smoke of sacrificial
victims. But Christians and Jews have regard to this command,
“Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him
alone;”4831
and this other,
“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me: thou shalt not
make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them;”4832
and again,
“Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou
serve.”4833
It is in
consideration of these and many other such commands, that they not only
avoid temples, altars, and images, but are ready to suffer death when
it is necessary, rather than debase by any such impiety the conception
which they have of the Most High God.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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