Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
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The Delay <strong>of</strong> the Deity<br />
may turn to repentance, <strong>and</strong> He gives time for amend<br />
ment to those whose vices are not ineradicable <strong>and</strong><br />
incurable. For, knowing (as He does) what portion<br />
<strong>of</strong> virtue souls going forth from Him to be born,<br />
carry with them, <strong>and</strong> how strong <strong>and</strong> ineffaceable is<br />
the nobleness implanted in them, <strong>and</strong> that virtue<br />
yields to vice contrary to its nature because corrupted<br />
by food <strong>and</strong> evil communications, <strong>and</strong> that some, after<br />
undergoing a cure, again resume their former nature,<br />
He does not inflict upon all a penalty equally severe.<br />
But him who is incorrigible He removes forthwith<br />
from life <strong>and</strong> cuts <strong>of</strong>f, because constant association<br />
with wickedness is very harmful to others, <strong>and</strong> in the<br />
highest degree<br />
harmful to the soul itself. On the<br />
contrary, to those who from ignorance <strong>of</strong> the good<br />
rather than from a predilection for<br />
evil <strong>and</strong> to whom<br />
it is only second nature to go astray, He gives time<br />
for repentance. But if they remain obdurate He vis<br />
its these also with punishment, for, <strong>of</strong> course, He has<br />
no fear lest they may escape Him. Consider also<br />
what transformations have taken place in the char<br />
acter <strong>of</strong> men <strong>and</strong> in their life; for which reason also<br />
this change <strong>and</strong> character (&gt;?0o?)<br />
is called a turning<br />
(rPOTTO?) as habit (*0?) for the most part shapes<br />
it<br />
<strong>and</strong> by laying hold <strong>of</strong> it controls it. I think, there<br />
fore, that the ancients represented Kecrops dual in<br />
form (a combination <strong>of</strong> man <strong>and</strong> dragon), not as<br />
some say, because, after he had been an excellent<br />
but for<br />
king he became a cruel <strong>and</strong> ruthless tyrant, the opposite reason, namely, that after having been<br />
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