Chapter XLIV.--The Serpent, the Author of Polytheism.
"But even if there be others, as we have said, who are called gods, they are under the power of the God of the Jews; for thus saith the Scripture to the Jews, The Lord our God, He is God of gods, and Lord of lords.' [647] Him alone the Scripture also commands to be worshipped, saying, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve;' [648] and, Hear, O Israel: the Lord thy God is one God.' [649] Yea, also the saints, filled with the Spirit of God, and bedewed with the drops of His mercy, cried out, saying, Who is like unto Thee among the gods? O Lord, who is like unto Thee?' [650] And again, Who is God, but the Lord; and who is God, but our Lord?' [651] Therefore Moses, when he saw that the people were advancing, by degrees initiated them in the understanding of the monarchy and the faith of one God, as he says in the following words: Thou shalt not make mention of the names of other gods;' [652] doubtless remembering with what penalty the serpent was visited, which had first named gods. [653] For it is condemned to feed upon dust, and is judged worthy of such food, for this cause, that it first of all introduced the name of gods into the world. But if you also wish to introduce many gods, see that you partake not the serpent's doom.
[647] Deut. x. 17.
[648] Deut. vi. 13, x. 20.
[649] Deut. vi. 4.
[650] Ps. lxxxvi. 8; lxxi. 19.
[651] Ps. xviii. 31.
[652] Josh. xxiii. 7, in Sept.
[653] Gen. iii. [The same thought occurs in Homily X. 10, 11 --R.]
Chapter XLV.--Polytheism Inexcusable.
"For be sure of this, that you shall not have us participators in this attempt; nor will we suffer ourselves to be deceived by you. For it will not serve us for an excuse in the judgment, if we say that you deceived us; because neither could it excuse the first woman, that she had unhappily believed the serpent; but she was condemned to death, because she believed badly. For this cause therefore, Moses, also commending the faith of one God to the people, says, Take heed to thyself, that thou be not seduced from the Lord thy God.' [654] Observe that he makes use of the same word which the first woman also made use of in excusing herself, saying that she was seduced; but it profited her nothing. But over and above all this, even if some true prophet should arise, who should perform signs and miracles, but should wish to persuade us to worship other gods besides the God of the Jews, we should never be able to believe him. For so the divine law has taught us, handing down a secret injunction more purely by means of tradition, for thus it saith: If there arise among you a prophet, or one dreaming a dream, and give you signs or wonders, and these signs or wonders come to pass, and he say to you, Let us go and worship strange gods, whom ye know not; ye shall not hear the words of that prophet, nor the dream of that dreamer, because proving he hath proved you, that he may see if ye love the Lord your God.' [655]
[654] Deut. viii. 11.
[655] Deut. xiii. 1-3.
Chapter XLVI.--Christ Acknowledged the God of the Jews.
"Wherefore also our Lord, who wrought signs and wonders, preached the God of the Jews; and therefore we are right in believing what He preached. But as for you, even if you were really a prophet, and performed signs and wonders, as you promise to do, if you were to announce other gods besides Him who is the true God, it would be manifest that you were raised up as a trial to the people of God; and therefore you can by no means be believed. For He alone is the true God, who is the God of the Jews; and for this reason our Lord Jesus Christ did not teach them that they must inquire after God, for Him they knew well already, but that they must seek His kingdom and righteousness, [656] which the scribes and Pharisees, having received the key of knowledge, had not shut in, but shut out. [657] For if they had been ignorant of the true God, surely He would never have left the knowledge of this thing, which was the chief of all, and blamed them for small and little things, as for enlarging their fringes, and claiming the uppermost rooms in feasts, and praying standing in the highways, and such like things; which assuredly, in comparison of this great charge, ignorance of God, seem to be small and insignificant matters."
[656] Matt. vi. 33.
[657] Luke xi. 52.