The Arguments of the Emperor Julian Against the Christians — page 105: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

: 82 THE EMPEROR JULIAN’S ARGUMENTS propitious to us. For as those who reverence the images of kings, who are not in want of any such reverence, at the same time attract to themselves their benevolence ; thus, also those who venerate the statues of the gods, who are not in want of any thing, persuade the gods by this veneration to assist and be favourable to them. For alacrity in the performance of things in our power is a test of true sanctity; and it is very evident that he who accomplishes the former, will, in a greater degree, possess the latter. But he who despises things in his power, and afterwards pretends to desire impossibilities, evidently does not pursue the latter, but overlooks the former. For though divinity is not in want of any thing, it does not follow that on this account nothing is to be offered to him. For neither is he in want of celebration through the ministry of words. What then? Is it, therefore, reasonable that he should also be deprived of this? By no means. Neither there- fore, is he to be deprived of the honour which is — paid him through works ; which honour has been-. legally established, not for three, or for three thou- | sand years, but in all preceding ages, among all | nations of the earth. A CONNIE DOOKS. COM