barlaam and ioasaph- 第31部分

〃In　like　manner　they　introduce　the　story　of　Ganymede。　　And　so　befel　it；　O　king；　that　men　imitated　all　these　things；　and　became　adulterers；　and　defilers　of　themselves　with　mankind；　and　doers　of　other　monstrous　deeds；　in　imitation　of　their　god。　　How　then　can　an　adulterer；　one　that　defileth　himself　by　unnatural　lust；　a　slayer　of　his　father　be　a　god？

〃With　Zeus　also　they　represent　one　Hephaestus　as　a　god；　and　him　lame；　holding　hammer　and　fire…tongs；　and　working　as　a　copper…　smith　for　hire。　　So　it　appeareth　that　he　is　needy。　　But　it　is　impossible　for　one　who　is　lame　and　wanteth　men's　aid　to　be　a　God。

〃After　him；　they　represent　as　a　god　Hermes；　a　lusty　fellow；　a　thief；　and　a　covetous；　a　sorcerer；　bowlegged；　and　an　interpreter　of　speech。　　It　is　impossible　for　such　an　one　to　be　a　God。

〃They　also　exhibit　Asklepius　as　god；　a　physician；　a　maker　of　medicines；　a　compounder　of　plasters　for　his　livelihood　（for　he　is　a　needy　wight）；　and　in　the　end；　they　say　that　he　was　struck　by　Zeus　with　a　thunder…bolt；　because　of　Tyndareus；　son　of　Lakedaemon；　and　thus　perished。　　Now　if　Asklepius；　though　a　god；　when　struck　by　a　thunder…bolt；　could　not　help　himself；　how　can　he　help　others？

〃Ares　is　represented　as　a　warlike　god；　emulous；　and　covetous　of　sheep　and　other　things。　　But　in　the　end　they　say　he　was　taken　in　adultery　with　Aphrodite　by　the　child　Eros　and　Hephaestus　and　was　bound　by　them。　　How　then　can　the　covetous；　the　warrior；　the　bondman　and　adulterer　be　a　god？

〃Dionysus　they　show　as　a　god；　who　leadeth　nightly　orgies；　and　teacheth　drunkenness；　and　carrieth　off　his　neighbours'　wives；　a　madman　and　an　exile；　finally　slain　by　the　Titans。　　If　then　Dionysus　was　slain　and　unable　to　help　himself；　nay；　further　was　a　madman；　a　drunkard；　and　vagabond；　how　could　he　be　a　god？

〃Herakles；　too；　is　represented　as　drunken　and　mad；　as　slaying　his　own　children；　then　consuming　with　fire　and　thus　dying。　　How　then　could　a　drunkard　and　slayer　of　his　own　children；　burnt　to　death　by　fire；　be　a　god？　　Or　how　can　he　help　others　who　could　not　help　himself？

〃Apollo　they　represent　as　an　emulous　god；　holding　bow　and　quiver；　and；　at　times；　harp　and　flute；　and　prophesying　to　men　for　pay。　Soothly　he　is　needy：　but　one　that　is　needy　and　emulous　and　a　minstrel　cannot　be　a　god。

〃Artemis；　his　sister；　they　represent　as　an　huntress；　with　bow　and　quiver；　ranging　the　mountains　alone；　with　her　hounds；　in　chase　of　stag　or　boar。　　How　can　such　an　one；　that　is　an　huntress　and　a　ranger　with　hounds；　be　a　goddess？

〃Of　Aphrodite；　adulteress　though　she　be；　they　say　that　she　is　herself　a　goddess。　　Once　she　had　for　leman　Ares；　once　Anchises；　once　Adonis；　whose　death　she　lamenteth；　seeking　her　lost　lover。　They　say　that　she　even　descended　into　Hades　to　ransom　Adonis　from　Persephone。　　Didst　thou；　O　king；　ever　see　madness　greater　than　this？　　They　represent　this　weeping　and　wailing　adulteress　as　a　goddess。

〃Adonis　they　show　as　an　hunter…god；　violently　killed　by　a　boar…　tusk；　and　unable　to　help　his　own　distress。　　How　then　shall　he　take　thought　for　mankind；　he　the　adulterer；　the　hunter　who　died　a　violent　death？

〃All　such　tales；　and　many　like　them；　and　many　wicked　tales　more　shameful　still；　have　the　Greeks　introduced；　O　king；　concerning　their　gods；　tales；　whereof　it　is　unlawful　to　speak；　or　even　to　have　them　in　remembrance。　　Hence　men；　taking　occasion　from　their　gods；　wrought　all　lawlessness；　lasciviousness　and　ungodliness；　polluting　earth　and　air　with　their　horrible　deeds。

〃But　the　Egyptians；　more　fatuous　and　foolish　than　they；　have　erred　worse　than　any　other　nation。　　They　were　not　satisfied　with　the　idols　worshipped　by　the　Chaldeans　and　Greeks；　but　further　introduced　as　gods　brute　beasts　of　land　and　water；　and　herbs　and　trees；　and　were　defiled　in　all　madness　and　lasciviousness　worse　than　all　people　upon　earth。　　From　the　beginning　they　worshipped　Isis；　which　had　for　her　brother　and　husband　that　Osiris　which　was　slain　by　his　brother　Typhon。　　And　for　this　reason　Isis　fled　with　Horus　her　son　to　Byblos　in　Syria；　seeking　Osiris　and　bitterly　wailing；　until　Horus　was　grown　up　and　killed　Typhon。　　Isis　then　was　not　able　to　help　her　own　brother　and　husband；　nor　had　Osiris；　who　was　slain　by　Typhon；　power　to　succour　himself；　nor　had　Typhon；　who　killed　his　brother　and　was　himself　destroyed　by　Horus　and　Isis；　any　resource　to　save　himself　from　death。　　And　yet；　although　famous　for　all　these　misadventures；　these　be　they　that　were　considered　gods　by　the　senseless　Egyptians。

〃The　same　people；　not　content　therewith；　nor　with　the　rest　of　the　idols　of　the　heathen；　also　introduced　brute　beasts　as　gods。　Some　of　them　worshipped　the　sheep；　some　the　goat；　and　others　the　calf　and　the　hog；　while　certain　of　them　worshipped　the　raven；　the　kite；　the　vulture；　and　the　eagle。　　Others　again　worshipped　the　crocodile；　and　some　the　cat　and　dog；　the　wolf　and　ape；　the　dragon

and　serpent；　and　others　the　onion；　garlic　and　thorns；　and　every　other　creature。　　And　the　poor　fools　do　not　perceive；　concerning　these　things；　that　they　have　no　power　at　all。　　Though　they　see　their　gods　being　devoured；　burnt　and　killed　by　other　men；　and　rotting　away；　they　cannot　grasp　the　fact　that　they　are　no　gods。

〃Great；　then；　is　the　error　that　the　Egyptians；　the　Chaldeans；　and　the　Greeks　have　erred　in　introducing　such　gods　as　these；　and　making　images　thereof；　and　deifying　dumb　and　senseless　idols。　　I　marvel　how；　when　they　behold　their　gods　being　sawn　and　chiselled　by　workmen's　axes；　growing　old　and　dissolving　through　lapse　of　time；　and　molten　in　the　pot；　they　never　reflected　concerning　them　that　they　are　no　gods。　　For　when　these　skill　not　to　work　their　own　salvation；　how　can　they　take　care　of　mankind？　　Nay；　even　the　poets　and　philosophers　among　the　Chaldeans；　Greeks　and　Egyptians；　although　by　their　poems　and　histories　they　desired　to　glorify　their　people's　gods；　yet　they　rather　revealed　and　exposed　their　shame　before　all　men。　　If　the　body　of　a　man；　consisting　of　many　parts；　loseth　not　any　of　its　proper　members；　but；　having　an　unbroken　union　with　all　its　members；　is　in　harmony　with　itself；　how　in　the　nature　of　God　shall　there　be　such　warfare　and　discord？　For　if　the　nature　of　the　gods　were　one；　then　ought　not　one　god　to　persecute；　slay　or　injure　another。　　But　if　the　gods　were　persecuted　by　other　gods；　and　slain　and　plundered　and　killed　with　thunder…stones；　then　is　their　nature　no　longer　one；　but　their　wills　are　divided；　and　are　all　mischievous；　so　that　not　one　among　them　is　God。　　So　it　is　manifest；　O　king；　that　all　this　history　of　the　nature　of　the　gods　is　error。

〃Furthermore；　how　do　the　wise　and　eloquent　among　the　Greeks　fail　to　perceive　that　law…givers　themselves　are　judged　by　their　own　laws？　　For　if　their　laws　are　just；　then　are　their　gods　assuredly　unjust；　in　that　they　have　offended　against　law　by　murders；　sorceries；　adulteries；　thefts　and　unnatural　crimes。　　But；　if　they　did　well　in　so　doing；　then　are　their　laws　unjust；　seeing　that　they　have　been　framed　in　condemnation　of　the　gods。　　But　now　the　laws　are　good　and　just；　because　they　encourage　good　and　forbid　evil；　whereas　the　deeds　of　their　gods　offend　against　law。　　Their　gods　then　are　offenders　against　law；　and　all　that　introduce　such　gods　as　these　are　worthy　of　death　and　are　ungodly。　　If　the　stories　of　the　gods　be　myths；　then　are　the　gods　mere　words：　but　if　the　stories　be　natural；　then　are　they　that　wrought　or　endured　such　things　no　longer　gods：　if　the　stories　be　allegorical；　then　are　the　gods　myths　and　nothing　else。　　Therefore　it　hath　been　proven；　O　king；　that　all　these　idols；　belonging　to　many　gods；　are　works　of　error　and　destruction。　　So　it　is　not　meet　to　call　those　gods　that　are　seen；　but　cannot　see：　but　it　is　right　to　worship　as　God　him　who　is　unseen　and　is　the　Maker　of　all　mankind。

〃Come　we　now；　O　king；　to　the　Jews；　that　we　may　see　what　they　also　think　concerning　God。　　The　Jews　are　the　descendants　of　Abraham；　Isaac　and　Jacob；　and　went　once　to　sojourn　in　Egypt。　　From　thence　God　brought　them　out　with　a　mighty　hand　and　stretched　out　arm　by　Moses　their　lawgiver；　and　with　many　miracles　and　signs　made　he　known　unto　them　his　power。　　But；　like　the　rest；　these　proved　ungrateful　and　unprofitable；　and　often　worshipped　images　of　the　heathen；　and　killed　the　prophets　and　righteous　men　that　were　sent　unto　them。　　Then；　when　it　pleased　the　Son　of　God　to　come　on　earth；　they　did　shamefully　entreat　him　and　deliver　him　to　Pilate　the　Roman　governor；　and　condemn　him　to　the　Cross；　regardless　of　his　benefits　and　the　countless　miracles　that　he　had　worked　amongst　them。　　Wherefore　by　their　own　lawlessness　they　perished。　For　though　to　this　day　they　worship　the　One　Omnipotent　God；　yet　it　is　not　according　unto　knowledge；　for　they　deny　Christ　the　Son　of　God；　and　are　like　the　heathen；　although　they　seem　to　approach　the　truth　from　which　they　have　estranged　themselves。　　So　much　for　the　Jews。

〃As　for　the　Christians；　they　trace　their　line　from　the　Lord　Jesus　Christ。　　He　is　confessed　to　be　the　Son　of　the　most　high　God；　who　came　down　from　heaven；　by　the　Holy　Ghost；　for　the　salvation　of　mankind；　and　was　born　of　a　pure　Virgin；　without　seed　of　man；　and　without　defilement；　and　took　flesh；　and　appeared　among　men；　that　he　might　recall　them　from　the　error　of　worshipping　many　gods。　When　he　had　accomplished　his　marvellous　dispensation；　of　his　own　free　will　by　a　mighty　dispensation　he　tasted　of　death　upon　the　Cross。　　But　after　three　days　he　came　to　life　again；　and　ascended　into　the　heavens；　the　glory　of　whose　coming　thou　mayest　learn；　O　king；　by　the　reading　of　the　holy　Scripture；　which　the　Christians　call　the　Gospel；　shouldst　thou　meet　therewith。　　This　Jesus　had　twelve　disciples；　who；　after　his　ascent　into　the　heavens；　went　out　into　all　the　kingdoms　of　the　world；　telling　of　his　greatness。　Even　so　one　of　them　visited　our　coasts；　preaching　the　doctrine　of　truth；　whence　they　who　still　serve　the　righteousness　of　his　preaching　are　called　Christians。　　And　these　are　they　who；　above　all　the　nations　of　the　earth；　have　found　the　truth：　for　they　acknowledge　God　the　Creator　and　Maker　of　all　things　in　the　only　begotten　Son；　and　in　the　Holy　Ghost；　and　other　God　than　him　they　worship　none。　　They　have　the　commandments　of　the　Lord　Jesus　Christ　himself　engraven　on　their　hearts；　and　these　they　observe；　looking　for　the　resurrection　of　the　dead　and　th