18. Yet, it passes into their care, and those whom they did not know, they love because of the excellence of the artist.
19. For he, wishing to please the one who hired him, embellished his art, so as to fashion a better likeness.
20. But the multitude of men, brought together by the beauty of the work, now considered him to be a god, whom they had formerly honored as a man.
21. And this was the deception of human life: that men, serving either their own inclination or their kings, assigned the unutterable name to stones and wood.
22. And it was not enough for them to go astray concerning the knowledge of God, but also, while living in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and such great evils 'peace.'
23. For either they sacrifice their own sons, or they make dark sacrifices, or they hold vigils full of madness,
24. so that now they neither protect life, nor preserve a clean marriage, but one kills another through envy, or grieves him by adultery.