XV

Chapter 16

1And those of them who were most subject to passion deified their passions , or honoured them among their gods; Anger and Blood-thirstiness, Lust and Drunkenness, and every similar wickedness ; and made out of this an ignoble and unjust excuse for their own sins . And some they left on earth, and some they hid beneath the earth (this being the only sign of wisdom about them), and some they raised to heaven. O ridiculous distribution of inheritance! Then they gave to each of these concepts the name of some god or demon , by the authority and private judgment of their error , and set up statues whose costliness is a snare, and thought to honour them with blood and the steam of sacrifices , and sometimes even by most shameful actions, frenzies and manslaughter. For such honours were the fitting due of such gods. And before now men have insulted themselves by worshipping monsters, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things, Romans 1:23 and of the very vilest and most absurd, and have made an offering to them of the glory of God ; so that it is not easy to decide whether we ought most to despise the worshippers or the objects of their worship. Probably the worshippers are far the most contemptible, for though they are of a rational nature, and have received grace from God , they have set up the worse as the better. And this was the trick of the Evil One , who abused good to an evil purpose, as in most of his evil deeds . For he laid hold of their desire in its wandering in search of God , in order to distort to himself the power, and steal the desire, leading it by the hand, like a blind man asking a road; and he hurled down and scattered some in one direction and some in another, into one pit of death and destruction.