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On the Vanity of Idols

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 6

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

6. Of all these, however, the principle is the

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same

,

which

misleads

and

deceives

,

and

with

tricks

which

darken

the

truth

,

leads

away

a

credulous

and

foolish

rabble

.

They

are

impure

and

wandering

spirits

,

who

,

after

having

been

steeped

in

earthly

vices

,

have

departed

from

their

celestial

vigour

by

the

contagion

of

earth

,

and

do

not

cease

,

when

ruined

themselves

,

to

seek

the

ruin

of

others

;

and

when

degraded

themselves

,

to

infuse

into

others

the

error

of

their

own

degradation

.

These

demons

the

poets

also

acknowledge

,

and

Socrates

declared

that

he

was

instructed

and

ruled

at

the

will

of

a

demon

;

and

thence

the

Magi

have

a

power

either

for

mischief

or

for

mockery

,

of

whom

,

however

,

the

chief

Hostanes

both

says

that

the

form

of

the

true

God

cannot

be

seen

,

and

declares

that

true

angels

stand

round

about

His

throne

.

Wherein

Plato

also

on

the

same

principle

concurs

,

and

,

maintaining

one

God

,

calls

the

rest

angels

or

demons

.

Moreover

,

Hermes

Trismegistus

speaks

of

one

God

,

and

confesses

that

He

is

incomprehensible

,

and

beyond

our

estimation

.