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Gegen die Heiden (BKV)
Nr. 2
Wer sind die wahren Götter? fragt ihr. Im Allgemeinen und ganz einfach antworten wir euch: wir wissen dieß nicht; und auf welche Weise können wir wissen wer die sind, welche wir nie sehen? Wir haben uns gewöhnt, von euch her zu vernehmen, wie daß gar viele Götter es gebe und daß man sie zur Ordnung göttlicher Wesen hinzurechne. Sind sie irgendwo, wie ihr sagt, und wahrhaftig, wie Terentius glaubt, so folgt, daß sie ihrem Namen völlig ähnlich, d. h. daß sie solcher Beschaffenheit seyen, wie wir S. 181 erwägen, daß sie seyn müssen, genannt nach dem Gesammtnamen. Ja, um mich kurz zu erklären, sie müssen solcher Beschaffenheit seyn, wie der Herr aller Dinge, der Allmächtige selbst, den wir Alle bei Erwähnung seines Namens als den wahren Gott ausgesagt wissen und verstehen: denn Gott unterscheidet sich von einem Anderen darin, wodurch er Gott ist, auf keine Weise, und insofern er der Art nach nur Einzig ist, so kann er in seinen Theilen Weder mehr noch weniger seyn, der eigenthümlichen Beschaffenheit Einförmigkeit sich bewahrend. Da dieß keinem Zweifel unterliegt, so folgt, daß sie auch unwandelbar seyn müssen, von Außen her Nichts begehrend und keinerlei irdische Ergötzlichkeit aus der Fülle der Materie sich aneignend.
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The Seven Books of Arnobius Against the Heathen
2.
Who are the true gods? you say. To answer you in common and simple language, we do not know; 1 for how can we know who those are whom we have never seen? We have been accustomed to hear from you that an infinite number 2 are gods, and are reckoned among 3 the deities; but if these exist 4 anywhere, and are true gods, as Terentius 5 believes, it follows as a consequence, that they correspond to their name; that is, that they are such as we all see that they should be, and that they are worthy to be called by this name; nay, more,--to make an end without many words,--that they are such as is the Lord of the universe, and the King omnipotent Himself, whom we have knowledge and understanding enough to speak of as the true God when we are led to mention His name. For one god differs from another in nothing as respects his divinity; 6 nor can that which is one in kind be less or more in its parts while its own qualities remain unchanged. 7 Now, as this is certain, it follows that they should never have been begotten, but should be immortal, seeking nothing from without, and not drawing any earthly pleasures from the resources of matter.
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On this Heraldus [most ignorantly] remarks, that it shows conclusively how slight was the acquaintance with Christianity possessed by Arnobius, when he could not say who were the true gods. [The Edin. editor clears up the cases as follows:] This, however, is to forget that Arnobius is not declaring his own opinions here, but meeting his adversaries on their own ground. He knows who the true God is--the source and fountain of all being, and framer of the universe (ii. 2), and if there are any lesser powers called gods, what their relation to Him must be (iii. 2, 3); but he does not know any such gods himself, and is continually reminding the heathen that they know these gods just as little. (Cf. the very next sentence.) ↩
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Lit., "as many as possible." ↩
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Lit., "in the series of." ↩
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Lit., "are." ↩
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i.e., M. Terentius Varro, mentioned in the last chapter. ↩
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Lit., "in that in which he is a god." ↩
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Lit., "uniformity of quality being preserved." ↩