divinity. And he too who lies is guilty of impiety to the same divinity;
for the universal nature is the nature of things that are; and things
that are have a relation to all things that come into existence. And
further, this universal nature is named truth, and is the prime cause of
all things that are true. He then who lies intentionally is guilty of
impiety inasmuch as he acts unjustly by deceiving; and he also who lies
unintentionally, inasmuch as he is at variance with the universal nature,
and inasmuch as he disturbs the order by fighting against the nature of
the world; for he fights against it, who is moved of himself to that
which is contrary to truth, for he had received powers from nature
through the neglect of which he is not able now to distinguish falsehood
from truth. And indeed he who pursues pleasure as good, and avoids pain
as evil, is guilty of impiety. For of necessity such a man must often
find fault with the universal nature, alleging that it assigns things to
the bad and the good contrary to their deserts, because frequently the
bad are in the enjoyment of pleasure and possess the things which procure
pleasure, but the good have pain for their share and the things which
cause pain. And further, he who is afraid of pain will sometimes also be
afraid of some of the things which will happen in the world, and even
this is impiety. And he who pursues pleasure will not abstain from
injustice, and this is plainly impiety. Now with respect to the things
towards which the universal nature is equally affected,--for it would not
have made both, unless it was equally affected towards both,--towards
these they who wish to follow nature should be of the same mind with it,
and equally affected. With respect to pain, then, and pleasure, or death
and life, or honor and dishonor, which the universal nature employs
equally, whoever is not equally affected is manifestly acting impiously.
And I say that the universal nature employs them equally, instead of
saying that they happen alike to those who are produced in continuous
series and to those who come after them by virtue of a certain original