32:32
Παρ ἡμῖν δὲ τῆς μὲν κενοδοξίας ὁ ἵμερος οὐκ ἔστι, δογμάτων δὲ ποικιλίαις οὐ καταχρώμεθα. Λόγου γὰρ τοῦ δημοσίου καὶ ἐπιγείου κεχωρισμένοι, καὶ πειθόμενοι θεοῦ παραγγέλμασι καὶ νόμῳ πατρὸς ἀφθαρσίας ἑπόμενοι, πᾶν τὸ ἐν δόξῃ κείμενον ἀνθρωπίνῃ παραιτούμεθα. Φιλοσοφοῦσί τε οὐ μόνον οἱ πλουτοῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ πένητες προῖκα τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀπολαύουσι· τὰ γὰρ παρὰ θεοῦ τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ δωρεᾶς ὑπερπαίει τὴν ἀμοιβήν. Τοὺς δὲ ἀκροᾶσθαι βουλομένους πάντας οὕτως προσιέμεθα, κἂν πρεσβύτιδες ὦσι κἂν μειράκια, πᾶσά τε ἁπαξαπλῶς ἡλικία παρ ἡμῖν τυγχάνει τιμῆς· τὰ δὲ τῆς ἀσελγείας πόῤῥω κεχώρισται. Καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν λέγοντες οὐ ψευδόμεθα. Τὰ δὲ τῆς ὑμετέρας περὶ τὴν ἀπιστίαν ἐπιμονῆς καλὸν μὲν εἰ λαμβάνοι περιγραφήν· εἰδ οὐ, τὰ ἡμέτερα ἔστω θεοῦ γνώμῃ βεβαιούμενα. Γελᾶτε δὲ ὑμεῖς, ὡς καὶ κλαύσοντες. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον Νέστορα μὲν καθ ὑμᾶς, τῶν ἵππων τὰς παρηορίας βραδέως ἀποτέμνοντα διὰ τὸ ἄτονον καὶ νωθὲς τῆς ἡλικίας, θαυμάζεσθαι πειρώμενον ἐπ ἴσης τοῖς νέοις πολεμεῖν, τοὺς δὲ παρ ἡμῖν τῷ γήρᾳ παλαίοντας καὶ τὰ περὶ θεοῦ πραγματευομένους γελᾶσθαι; Τίς δὲ οὐκ ἂν γελάσειεν Ἀμαζόνας μὲν καὶ Σεμίραμιν καί τινας ἄλλας πολεμικὰς φασκόντων ὑμῶν γεγονέναι, τὰς δὲ παρ ἡμῖν παρθένους λοιδορούντων; Μειράκιον ἦν ὁ Ἀχιλλεύς, καὶ γενναῖος εἷναι πεπίστευται σφόδρα· καὶ ὁ Νεοπτόλεμος νεώτερος, ἀλλὰ ἱσχυρὸς ἦν· Φιλοκτήτης ἀσθενής, ἀλλ ἔχρῃζεν αὐτοῦ κατὰ Τροίας τὸ δαιμόνιον.Ὁ Θερσίτης ὁποῖος ἦν; Ἀλλ ἐστρατήγει· τὸδ ἀμετροεπὲς εἰ μὴ προσῆν αὐτῷ διὰ τὴν ἀμαθίαν, οὐκ ἂν ὡς φοξὸς καὶ ψεδνὸς διεβάλλετο.Πάντες οἱ βουλόμενοι φιλοσοφεῖν παρ ἡμῖν ἄνθρωποι οὐ τὸ ὁρώμενον δοκιμάζομεν, οὐδὲ τοὺς προσιόντας ἡμῖν ἀπὸ σχήματος κρίνομεν· τὸ γὰρ τῆς γνώμης ἐῤῥωμένον παρὰ πᾶσιν εἶναι δύνασθαι λελογίσμεθα, κἂν ἀσθενεῖς ὦσι τοῖς σώμασι. Τὰ δὲ ὑμέτερα φθόνου μεστὰ καὶ βλακείας πολλῆς
But among us there is no yearning for vainglory, nor do we make use of a multiplicity of doctrines. For, separated from public and earthly discourse, and obeying the commandments of God and following the law of the Father of incorruption, we renounce everything that lies within human opinion. And not only the rich philosophize among us, but the poor also enjoy the teaching free of charge; for the things from God surpass the recompense of any earthly gift. We thus admit all who wish to listen, whether they be old women or youths, and absolutely every age meets with honor among us; but the things of licentiousness are kept far off. And we, in speaking, do not lie. As for your persistence in unbelief, it would be well if it should receive some limit; but if not, let our affairs be confirmed by the will of God. You laugh, but as those who shall also weep. For how is it not absurd that, according to you, Nestor—slowly cutting the traces of the horses on account of the feebleness and sluggishness of his age—is admired for attempting to fight on equal terms with the young, while those among us who wrestle with old age and busy themselves with the things of God are laughed at? And who would not laugh when you say that the Amazons and Semiramis and certain other warlike women existed, while you revile the maidens among us? Achilles was a youth, and is believed to have been exceedingly noble; and Neoptolemus was younger, yet was strong; Philoctetes was weak, but the demon (oracle) had need of him against Troy. What sort of man was Thersites? Yet he commanded; and if immoderate speech had not been his on account of his ignorance, he would not have been slandered as bald-headed and pointed-skulled. All of us who wish to philosophize among us are men who do not test by appearance, nor judge those who come to us by outward form; for we have reckoned that strength of mind can belong to all, even if they be weak in body. But your affairs are full of envy and much stupidity.
但在我們當中沒有對虛榮的渴慕，我們也不採用紛繁的學說。因為我們與那公眾的、屬地的言論分別出來，順從神的誡命，跟隨那不朽之父的律法，便摒棄一切落在屬人意見中的事。在我們當中，不單富人能研習這道，貧窮人也白白享受這教導；因為從神而來之物超過任何屬地恩賜的報償。凡願意聽的，我們都這樣接納，無論是老婦或少年，凡有年歲的，在我們當中都得尊重；但淫蕩之事卻被遠遠隔開。我們說話也不撒謊。至於你們執迷不信，這若能有個盡頭便好；若不能，就讓我們的事藉神的旨意得堅立罷。你們嗤笑，卻要像那將要哭泣的人。照你們所說，涅斯托耳因年邁而體力衰弱、遲緩地割斷馬的韁繩，卻因試圖與年輕人平等作戰而受讚嘆，而我們當中那些與老年搏鬥、操心神之事的人，反倒被嗤笑——這豈不荒謬嗎？你們說有亞馬遜人、塞彌拉米斯，以及某些別的好戰婦女存在，卻辱罵我們當中的童女——誰不為此發笑呢？阿基里斯本是少年，卻被信為極其高尚；涅俄普托勒摩斯更年幼，卻是強壯的；菲羅克忒忒斯軟弱，那神諭卻需要他去攻打特洛伊。忒耳西忒斯是何等人呢？他卻當了統領；倘若他不因無知而口無遮攔，便不致被毀謗為禿頭尖顱。我們當中凡願研習哲學的人，都不憑外貌品評人，也不按外表評斷那來就我們的人；因為我們已斷定，心智的剛強可以屬於眾人，縱然他們身體軟弱。但你們的事卻滿了嫉妒與許多愚蠢。