In the next place, as if he had devoted himself solely to the
manifestation of his hatred and dislike of the Jewish and Christian
doctrine, he says: “The more modest of Jewish and Christian writers give
all these things an allegorical meaning;” and, “Because they are ashamed
of these things, they take refuge in allegory.” Now one might say to
him, that if we must admit fables and fictions, whether written with a
concealed meaning or with any other object, to be shameful narratives
when taken in their literal acceptation,[688] of what histories can this
be said more truly than of the Grecian? In these histories, gods who are
sons castrate the gods who are their fathers, and gods who are parents
devour their own children, and a goddess-mother gives to the “father of
gods and men” a stone to swallow instead of his own son, and a father
has intercourse with his daughter, and a wife binds her own husband,
having as her allies in the work the brother of the fettered god and his
own daughter! But why should I enumerate these absurd stories of the
Greeks regarding their gods, which are most shameful in themselves, even
though invested with an allegorical meaning? [Take the instance] where
Chrysippus of Soli, who is considered to be an ornament of the Stoic
sect, on account of his numerous and learned treatises, explains a
picture at Samos, in which Juno was represented as committing
unspeakable abominations with Jupiter. This reverend philosopher says in
his treatises, that matter receives the spermatic words[689] of the god,
and retains them within herself, in order to ornament the universe. For
in the picture at Samos Juno represents matter, and Jupiter God. Now it
is on account of these, and of countless other similar fables, that we
would not even in word call the God of all things Jupiter, or the sun
Apollo, or the moon Diana. But we offer to the Creator a worship which
is pure, and speak with religious respect of His noble works of
creation, not contaminating even in word the things of God; approving of
the language of Plato in the _Philebus_, who would not admit that
pleasure was a goddess, “so great is my reverence, Protarchus,” he says,
“for the very names of the gods.” We verily entertain such reverence for
the name of God, and for His noble works of creation, that we would not,
even under pretext of an allegorical meaning, admit any fable which
might do injury to the young.
Footnote 688:
κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἐκδοχὴν.
Footnote 689:
τοὺς σπερματικοὺς λόγους.