# In filium prodigum 14

Severianus Gabalensis, In filium prodigum, Section 14. Ancient Greek.

Canonical: https://interlinea.aeterna-institute.org/library/greek/severianus-gabalensis/in-filium-prodigum/14

Ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἀκούσῃς δράκοντα καὶ ὄφιν, μὴ ῥίζαν κακίας ὑπολάβῃς, ὥς φασιν οἱ Μανιχαῖοι. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ῥίζα κακοῦ, οὐδὲ φύσις πονηρίας, ἀλλὰ ῥοπὴ παρανομίας. Ὁρᾷς φησι τὴν γραφήν, ὅπως αὐτὸν ὄφιν ἐκάλεσε καὶ δράκοντα καὶ ὥσπερ ξένην τινὰ φύσιν πονηρίας εισηγουμένην; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τῶν ἀσεβῶν τὰ ῥήματα κενὰ καὶ μάταια καὶ λογισμὸν οὐκ ἔχοντα. Καὶ ὅταν γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους λέγῃ ὁ κύριος· Ὄφεις, γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν , οὐ τὴν φύσιν διαβάλλει, ἢ τὴν προαίρεσιν διαμάχεται. Οὕτως οὐ δεῖ λέξεσι πείθεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐννοίαις παιδεύεσθαι.

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Severianus Gabalensis, In filium prodigum. Text: The Greek Library, from the Perseus Digital Library and other open sources, CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: apostrophes normalised and the text divided into reading sections by Interlinea.
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Source: https://thegreeklibrary.pages.lisn.upsaclay.fr/works/tlg4139.tlg006.local001/.