| [p. 357] from being brought upon men and induced by other devices similar
to these? So that the cause is no longer divine, but human. For whoever
is able, by purifications conjurations, to drive away such an affection,
will be able, by other practices, to excite it; and, according to
this view, its divine nature is entirely done away with. By such sayings
and doings, they profess to be possessed of superior knowledge, and
deceive mankind by enjoining lustrations and purifications upon them,
while their discourse turns upon the divinity and the godhead. And
yet it would appear to me that their discourse savors not of piety,
as they suppose, but rather of impiety, and as if there were no gods,
and that what they hold to be holy and divine, were impious and unholy.
This I will now explain.
For, if they profess to know how to bring down the moon, darken the
sun, induce storms and fine weather, and rains and droughts, and make
the sea and land unproductive, and so forth, whether they arrogate
this power as being derived from mysteries or any other knowledge
or consideration, they appear to me to practice impiety, and either
to fancy that there are no gods, or, if there are, that they have
no ability to ward off any of the greatest evils. How, then, are they
not enemies to the gods? For if a man by magical arts and sacrifices
will bring down the moon, and darken the sun, and induce storms, or
fine weather, I should not believe that there was anything divine,
but human, in these things, provided the power of the divine were
overpowered by human knowledge and subjected to it. But perhaps it
will be said, these things are not so, but, not withstanding, men
being in want of the means of life, invent many and various things,
and devise many contrivances for all other things, and for this disease,
in every phase of the disease, assigning the cause to a god. Nor do
they remember the same things once, but frequently. For, if they imitate
a goat, or grind their teeth, or if their right side be convulsed,
they say that the mother of the gods is the cause. But if they speak
in a sharper and more intense tone, they resemble this state to a
horse, and say that Poseidon(Neptune) is the cause. Or if any excrement be
passed, which is often the case, owing to the violence of the disease,
the appellation of Enodia (Hecate?)is adhibited;
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