We revile neither statues nor demons
Next, railing at us like old women, he says: “You revile their statues and laugh at them. But if you had reviled Dionysus himself or Heracles while he was present, perhaps you would not have got away with it. Yet those who stretched out and punished your God when he was present suffered nothing for doing it, nor even afterwards, in all the long life that followed. What new thing has happened since then to make anyone believe that he was not a human sorcerer but a child of God? And the one who sent his son for the sake of certain messages, it seems, looked on while he was punished so cruelly that the messages were destroyed with him, and in all the time that has passed since then he has paid no heed. What father is so unholy? Now perhaps he wished it, as you say, and that is why he suffered outrage. But as for these whom you blaspheme, one could have said that they too wish it, and for that reason bear being blasphemed; for it is best to compare like with like. But these at least take vigorous vengeance on the one who blasphemes them, so that he either flees for this reason and hides, or is caught and perishes.”
To this I would answer that we revile no one, for we are persuaded that “revilers” will not “inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:10), and we read, “Bless those who curse you” (Luke 6:28), and, “Bless, and do not curse” (Romans 12:14). We know also the saying, “When reviled, we bless” (1 Corinthians 4:12). And if reviling has some justification as self-defence for one who thinks he has been wronged, yet the word of God does not allow us even this, how much more must we refrain from reviling where reviling shows great folly? It is equally foolish to revile stone or gold or silver, shaped into the form of gods that is customary among those who are far from the divine. So we do not laugh at the lifeless images either, but, if at anyone, at those who worship them.
Nor, even if there are demons settled in certain statues, and one of them is thought to be Dionysus and another Heracles, do we revile them either. Such a thing is futile, and in no way fits the man who is gentle, peaceable and calm of soul, and who has learned that one must not revile anyone, man or demon, even for his wickedness.
Greek
Εἶτα ὡς αἱ γρᾶες διαλοιδορούμενος ἡμῖν φησι· σὺ μὲν τὰ ἀγάλματα τούτων λοιδορῶν καταγελᾷς. ὡς αὐτόν γε τὸν Διόνυσον ἢ τὸν Ἡρακλέα παρόντα εἰ ἐλοιδόρησας, οὐκ ἂν ἴσως χαίρων ἀπήλλαξας· τὸν δὲ σὸν θεὸν παρόντα κατατείνοντες καὶ κολάζοντες οὐδὲν οἱ ταῦτα δράσαντες πεπόνθασιν ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐν τοσούτῳ βίῳ. τί καινὸν ἐξ ἐκείνου γέγονε τῷ πιστεύσαντι ἂν ὡς οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖνος ἄνθρωπος γόης ἀλλὰ θεοῦ παῖς; καὶ ὁ πέμψας ἄρα τὸν υἱὸν ἀγγελμάτων τινῶν εἵνεκα οὕτως ὠμῶς κολασθέντα, ὡς συνδιαφθεῖραι καὶ τὰ ἀγγέλματα, περιεῖδε καὶ τοσούτου χρόνου διελθόντος οὐκ ἐπεστράφη. τίς οὕτως ἀνόσιος πατήρ; ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν τυχὸν ἐβούλετο, ὡς φῂς, διὰ τοῦτο περιϋβρίζετο. οἵδε δὲ, οὓς σὺ βλασφημεῖς, ἐνῆν μὲν εἰπεῖν ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ βούλονται καὶ διὰ τοῦτ᾿ ἀνέχονται βλασφημούμενοι· τὰ γὰρ ἴσα τοῖς ἴσοις παραβαλεῖν κράτιστον· ἀλλ᾿ οὗτοί γε καὶ σφόδρα ἀμύνονται τὸν βλασφημοῦντα, ἤτοι φεύγοντα διὰ τοῦτο καὶ κρυπτόμενον ἢ ἁλισκόμενον καὶ ἀπολλύμενον. καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα δ᾿ εἴποιμ᾿ ἂν ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐδενὶ λοιδορούμεθα, πειθόμενοι ὅτι „λοίδοροι“ „βασιλείαν θεοῦ“ οὐ „κληρονομήσουσι,“ καὶ ἀναγινώσκοντες τὸ „εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμῖν“ (καὶ) „εὐλογεῖτε καὶ μὴ καταρᾶσθε.“ εἰδότες δὲ καὶ τὸ „λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν.“ καὶ εἴπερ τὸ λοιδορεῖν λόγον τινὰ ἔχει ἀμυντικὸν τοῦ δοκοῦντος ἠδικῆσθαι, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτον ἐπιτρέπει ἡμῖν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος· πόσῳ πλέον, ἔνθα πολλὴν ἠλιθιότητα ἐμφαίνει τὸ λοιδορεῖν, οὐ χρὴ λοιδορεῖν; ἐπ᾿ ἴσης δὲ ἠλίθιον τὸ λοιδορεῖσθαι λίθῳ ἢ χρυσῷ ἢ ἀργύρῳ, τοῖς μεμορφωμένοις εἰς τὴν νενομισμένην τοῖς μακρὰν θειότητος τυγχάνουσι θεῶν μορφήν. οὕτω δὲ οὐδὲ καταγελῶμεν τῶν ἀψύχων ξοάνων ἀλλ᾿ εἰ ἄρα τῶν προσκυνούντων αὐτοῖς. ἀλλ᾿ οὐδ᾿, ἂν ὦσί τινες δαίμονες ἐνιδρυμένοι τισὶν ἀγάλμασι, καὶ νομίζηται ὁ μέν τις αὐτῶν εἶναι Διόνυσος ὁ δ᾿ Ἡρακλῆς, οὐδὲ τούτοις λοιδορούμεθα· μάταιον γὰρ τὸ τοιοῦτον καὶ οὐδαμῶς κατὰ τὸν πρᾷον καὶ εἰρηναῖον καὶ γαληνὸν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ μαθόντα ὅτι οὐδὲ διὰ τὴν κακίαν δεῖ τινι λοιδορεῖσθαι, εἴτ᾿ ἀνθρώπῳ εἴτε δαίμονι.