26
unless compelled to it, endure such treatment, since he is endowed with sense and reason.
A stone, however, readily bears it, seeing it is insensible. Certainly you do not show [by
your11 conduct] that he [your God] is possessed of sense. And as to the fact that Christians
are not accustomed to serve such gods, I might easily find many other things to say; but if
even what has been said does not seem to any one sufficient, I deem it idle to say anything
further.
11 The text is here uncertain, and the sense obscure. The meaning seems to be, that by sprinkling their gods
with blood, etc., they tended to prove that these were not possessed of sense.
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Chapter II.—The vanity of idols.