I saw a man who would rather be wrong than admit his own ignorance. He claims I teach new gods while denying the old ones, yet he cannot see that if the spirits are children of the gods, the parents must exist for the children to have a name. To deny the father while praising the son is not wisdom; it is confusion. I compared this to saying there are mules but no horses or donkeys. A mule is born only when a horse and an ass join together. If the offspring exists, the parent kinds must surely be real. It is impossible to hold such a belief without contradicting oneself.

I ask you now, do not let your anger cloud your reason like a storm obscures the sun. When you accuse another of lying or teaching falsely, first look at your own mind. Is it possible for you to believe what you say while knowing it to be nonsense? If you cannot answer my questions without stumbling, perhaps you should examine yourself before condemning me. True strength lies in knowing one does not know everything, not in pretending to have all the answers.