,the writings of ,origen1 ,vol4 #b of #b ,,ante-,,nicene ,,christian ,,library3 ,,translations ,,of ,,the ,,writings ,,of ,,the ,,fathers ,,down ,,to ,a4,d4 #cbe4 ,,edited ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,alexander ,,roberts1 ,d4,d41 ,,and ,,james ,,donaldson1 ,,ll4,d4 ,,vol4 ,,xxiii4 ,,origen ,,contra ,,celsum4 ,,edinburgh3 ,t4 ,t4 ,,clark1 #ch1 ,,george ,,street4 ,,mdccclxxii4 ,,printed ,,by ,,murray ,,and ,,gibb1 ,,for ,t4 ,t4 ,,clark1 ,,edinburgh4 ,,london1 ,,hamilton1 ,,adams1 ,,and ,,co4 ,,dublin1 ,,john ,,robertson ,,and ,,co4 ,,new ,,york1 ,c4 ,,scribner ,,and ,,co4 ,,the ,,writings ,,of ,,origen4 ,,translated ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,frederick ,,crombie1 ,d4,d41 ,,professor ,,of ,,biblical ,,criticism1 ,,st4 ,,mary',s ,,college1 ,,st4 ,,andrews4 ,,volume ,,ii4 ,,origen ,,contra ,,celsum1 ,,books ,,ii4-,,viii4 ,,edinburgh3 ,t4 ,t4 ,,clark1 #ch1 ,,george ,,street4 ,,mdccclxxii4 ,books ,,vii4 and ,,viii4 have been translated by the late ,w4 ,h4 ,,cairns1 ,m4,a41 ,rector of the ,dumfries ,academy1 and the rest by ,,professor ,,crombie4 ,,analysis ,,of ,,contents4 ,,volume ,i4 ,,book ,i41 #cic-dgh ,,preface4--,origen undertakes this treatise at the desire of ,ambrose1 but thinks it unnecessary1 as the facts and doctrines of ,christianity form its best defence--work begun on one plan and carried on on another4 ,first objection of ,celsus is1 that ,christians enter into secret associations1 some of which are illegal1--his object being to discredit the 8love-feasts0 of the ,christians3 ,answer of ,origen--chap4 i4 ,second objection of ,celsus1 that ,judaism1 on which ,christianity depends1 had a barbarous origin3 ,answer--chap4 ii4 ,celsus objects that ,christians practise their doctrines in secret to avoid the penalty of death3 ,answer--chap4 iii4 ,morality of ,christianity neither venerable nor new3 ,answer--chap4 iv4 ,celsus approves of the views of ,christians respecting idolatry1 but asserts that these views are prior to ,christianity3 ,answer--chap4 v4 ,asserts that the miracles of ,christianity were performed by means of the invocation of demons3 ,answer--chap4 vi4 ,that ,christianity is a secret system of belief3 ,answer--chap4 vii4 ,maintains that a man should die for his belief2 inconsistency of this with his profession as an ,epicurean--chap4 viii4 ,maintains that reason ought to be the guide of men in adopting opinions1 and charges ,christians with inculcating a blind belief3 ,answer--chaps4 ix4-xi4 ,boast of ,celsus1 that he is acquainted with all the opinions of the ,christians1 shown to be unfounded--chap4 xii4 ,misrepresentation by ,celsus of the statement in #a ,cor4 iii4 #ah1 #ai3 ,correction and explanation--chap4 xiii4 ,inconsistency of ,celsus in accepting the accounts of ,greeks and barbarians as to their antiquity1 while rejecting the histories of the ,jews--chaps4 xiv4-xvi4 ,celsus objects to giving an allegorical signification to the ,jewish history2 inconsistency of this--chap4 xvii4 ,challenges a comparison between the writings of ,linus1 ,musus1 etc41 and the laws of ,moses3 ,answer--chap4 xviii4 ,celsus holds that the world was uncreated1 and yet is led to admit that it is comparatively modern--chaps4 xix41 xx4 ,celsus asserts that ,moses borrowed his doctrines from wise nations and eloquent men1 and thus obtained the reputation of divinity3 ,answer--chap4 xxi4 ,circumcision1 according to ,celsus1 first practised by the ,egyptians3 ,answer--chap4 xxii4 ,the followers of ,moses1 shepherds and herdsmen1 were led to believe in the unity of ,god through delusion and vulgar conceit3 ,answer--chap4 xxiii4 ,various names given to the one ,god by the followers of ,moses1 all evincing their ignorance of ,his nature3 ,discussion regarding the significance of the divine names in various languages--chaps4 xxiv41 xxv4 ,celsus charges the ,jews with worshipping angels and practising sorcery3 ,answer--chaps4 xxvi41 xxvii4 ,inconsistency of ,celsus in introducing a ,jew1 as an opponent of ,jesus1 who does not maintain the character of a ,jew throughout the discussion3 ,this ,jew represented as accusing ,jesus of having 8invented his birth from a virgin10 and upbraiding ,him with 8being born in a certain ,jewish village of a poor woman of the country who gained her subsistence by spinning1 and who was turned out of doors by her husband1 a carpenter by trade1 because she was convicted of adultery2 and after being driven away by her husband and wandering about for a time1 she disgracefully gave birth to ,jesus1 an illegitimate child1 who1 having hired himself out as a servant in ,egypt on account of his poverty1 and having there acquired some miraculous powers1 on which the ,egyptians greatly pride themselves1 returned to his own country1 highly elated on account of them1 and by help of them proclaimed himself a god0--chap4 xxviii4 ,preliminary remarks to a full answer to these charges--chaps4 xxix4-xxxii4 ,proof that the birth of ,christ from a virgin was predicted by the prophets--chaps4 xxxiii4-xxxv4 ,proof that prophets existed among the ,jews--chap4 xxxvi4 ,possibility of the miraculous birth of ,christ--chap4 xxxvii4 ,answer to the assertion that ,jesus wrought ,his miracles by magic1 and not by divine power--chap4 xxxviii4 ,scoffs of ,celsus regarding the mother of ,jesus not deserving of answer--chap4 xxxix4 ,celsus charges the narrative in ,matthew regarding the dove which alighted upon the ,saviour at ,his baptism with being fictitious2 shows great want of method and order in the manner in which he brings his charges--chap4 xl4 ,answer--chaps4 xli4-xlviii4 ,celsus sets aside the fact that the coming of ,jesus was predicted by the ,jewish prophets1 perhaps because he was not acquainted with the prophecies relating to ,christ3 ,inconsistency of representing the ,jew as saying1 8,my prophet once declared in ,jerusalem that the ,son of ,god will come as the judge of the righteous and the punisher of the wicked0--chaps4 xlix41 l4 ,detailed evidence from prophecy respecting the birth of ,christ--chaps4 li4-liii4 ,answer to objection of ,celsus regarding the sufferings of ,christ--chaps4 liv4-lvi4 ,celsus asserts that every man1 born according to the decree of divine ,providence1 is a son of ,god3 ,answer--chap4 lvii4 ,the ,jew of ,celsus goes on to misrepresent the ,gospel account of the visit of the ,magi1 and of the slaughter of the innocents by ,herod3 ,answer--chaps4 lviii4-lxi4 ,calumnies of ,celsus regarding the number and character and conduct of the disciples of ,jesus3 ,answer--chaps4 lxii4-lxv4 ,the absurdity of the story of our ,lord's removal when an infant1 is1 according to ,celsus1 a proof that ,he was not divine3 ,answer--chap4 lxvi4 ,celsus denies that the works of ,jesus were at all remarkable as compared with those attributed to ,perseus and ,amphion1 and other mythological personages1 but admits afterwards that some of them were remarkable1--such as ,his cures1 and ,his resurrection1 and the feeding of the multitude1--although he immediately afterwards compares them to the tricks of jugglers1 and denies that they can furnish any proof of ,his being 8,son of ,god30 ,answer--chaps4 lxvii41 lxviii4 ,objection of ,celsus that the body of ,jesus could not have been that of a god1 nor could be nourished with such food as ,jesus partook of3 ,answer--chaps4 lxix41 lxx4 ,declares that opinions of ,jesus were those of a wicked and ,god-hated sorcerer3 ,answer--chap4 lxxi4 ,,volume ,,ii4 ,,book ,,ii41 #a -#hd ,this book contains ,origen's answers to the charges which ,celsus1 in the person of a ,jew1 brings against the converts from ,judaism to ,christianity4 ,main charge is1 that 8they have forsaken the law of their fathers1 in consequence of their minds being led captive by ,jesus2 that they have been most ridiculously deceived2 and that they have become deserters to another name and to another mode of life40 ,answer to these charges--chap4 i4 ,digression upon certain declarations of ,jesus in the ,gospels--chap4 ii4 ,ignorance of ,celsus evinced by the manner in which he represents the ,jew as addressing the ,israelitish converts--chap4 iii4 ,objection of ,jew1 that ,christianity takes its origin from ,judaism1 and that after a certain point it discards ,judaism3 ,answer--chap4 iv4 ,assertion of ,celsus1 that ,jesus was punished by the ,jews for ,his crimes1 already answered--chap4 v4 ,observance by ,jesus of ,jewish usages and sacrificial observances1 no argument against ,his recognition as the ,son of ,god--chap4 vi4 ,language of ,jesus furnishes not the slightest evidence1 but the reverse1 of arrogance3 ,quotations--chap4 vii4 ,allegation1 that when men are willing to be deceived1 many persons like ,jesus would find a friendly reception2 inconsistency of this2 various other charges disposed of--chap4 viii4 ,assertion of ,celsus1 that ,jesus could not be deemed a god because he was currently reported to have performed none of his promises1 and1 after conviction and sentence1 was found attempting to conceal himself and endeavouring to escape1 and was then betrayed by his disciples2 impossibility of such things1 according to ,celsus1 happening to a god3 ,answer to these calumnies and objections--chaps4 ix4-xi4 ,assertion of ,celsus1 that ,jesus was inferior to a brigand chief1 because ,he was betrayed by ,his disciples3 ,answer--chap4 xii4 ,celsus asserts that he omits mention of many things in the life of ,christ which he could state to ,his disadvantage2 challenged to produce such3 ,several predictions of ,jesus quoted and commented on--chap4 xiii4 ,celsus makes light of the admission that future events were predicted by ,jesus3 ,remarks of ,origen in answer--chap4 xiv4 ,assertion of ,celsus1 that the disciples of ,jesus devised the fiction that ,he foreknew everything before it happened3 ,answer--chap4 xv4 ,asserts that the disciples wrote the accounts they have given by way of extenuating the charges against ,him3 ,answer--chap4 xvi4 ,celsus alleges that a prudent man--much more a god or spirit--would have tried to escape dangers that were foreseen1 whereas ,jesus did the reverse3 ,answer--chap4 xvii4 ,objection of ,celsus1 that the announcements which ,jesus made regarding those disciples who were to betray and deny ,him had not the effect of deterring them from their treason and perjury1 shown to be self-contradictory--chap4 xviii4 ,further statement of ,celsus1 that in such cases intending criminals abandon their intentions1 shown to be untrue--chap4 xix4 ,objection1 that if ,jesus had been a ,god1 ,his predictions must infallibly have come to pass2 and assertion1 that ,he plotted against the members of ,his own table3 ,refuted--chaps4 xx4-xxii4 ,assertion1 that the things which ,he suffered could have been neither painful nor distressing1 because ,he submitted to them voluntarily and as a ,god--chap4 xxiii4 ,misrepresentation of ,celsus as to the language employed by ,jesus during ,his sufferings--chaps4 xxiv41 xxv4 ,celsus charges the disciples with having invented statements3 ,answer--chap4 xxvi4 ,alleges that ,christian believers have corrupted the gospel in order to be able to reply to objections3 ,answer--chap4 xxvii4 ,the ,jew of ,celsus reproaches ,christians with making use of the prophets3 ,answer--chap4 xxviii4 ,assertion of ,celsus1 that from such signs and misinterpretations1 and from proofs so mean1 no one could prove ,jesus to be ,god and the ,son of ,god3 ,answer--chap4 xxx4 ,charges ,christians with sophistical reasoning in saying that the ,son of ,god is the ,logos ,himself3 ,refutation--chap4 xxxi4 ,objection of ,celsus to our ,lord's genealogy3 ,refutation--chap4 xxxii4 ,celsus ridicules the actions of ,jesus as unworthy of a ,god3 ,refutation--chap4 xxxiii4 ,inconsistency of ,celsus in representing the ,jew as conversant with ,greek literature2 various remarks of ,celsus answered--chap4 xxxiv4 ,question of ,celsus1 why ,jesus does not give some manifestation of ,his divinity by taking vengeance upon those who insult ,him and ,his ,father3 ,answered--chap4 xxxv4 ,celsus scoffingly inquires1 ,what was the nature of the ichor in the body of ,jesus8 and asserts that ,jesus rushed with open mouth to drink of the vinegar and gall3 ,answer--chaps4 xxxvi41 xxxvii4 ,sneer of the ,jew1 that ,christians find fault with ,jews for not recognising ,jesus as ,god3 ,answer--chap4 xxxviii4 ,falsehood of the assertion of this ,jew of ,celsus1 that ,jesus gained over to ,his cause no one during ,his life1 not even ,his own disciples--chap4 xxxix4 ,jew goes on to assert that ,jesus did not show ,himself to be pure from all evil3 ,answer--chaps4 xli41 xlii4 ,falsity of the statement1 that ,jesus1 after failing to gain over those who were in this world1 went to ,hades to gain over those who were there--chap4 xliii4 ,celsus asserts further1 that other individuals who have been condemned and died miserable deaths ought to be regarded as greater and more divine messengers of heaven than ,jesus3 ,answer--chap4 xliv4 ,argument of ,celsus against the truth of ,christianity1 from the different behaviour of the actual followers of ,jesus during ,his life and that of ,christians at the present day3 ,answer--chap4 xlv4 ,falsehood of the assertion1 that ,jesus when on earth gained over to ,himself only sailors and tax-gatherers of the most worthless character--chap4 xlvi4 ,answer to the question1 ,by what train of argument were ,christians led to regard ,jesus as the ,son of ,god8--chap4 xlvii4 ,assertion of ,celsus1 that ,jesus is deemed by ,christians to be the ,son of ,god because ,he healed the lame and the blind and is asserted to have raised the dead3 ,answer--chap4 xlviii4 ,statement of ,celsus1 that ,jesus convicted ,himself of being a sorcerer3 ,refuted by ,his predictions regarding false prophets1 etc4--chaps4 xlix41 l4 ,no resemblance between the works of ,jesus and those of a sorcerer--chap4 li4 ,inconsistency of the ,jew in raising the objections which he does1 seeing that the same objections might be raised against the divinity of ,mosaism--chaps4 lii4-liv4 ,jew objects further1 that the predictions1 although actually uttered1 prove nothing1 because many have been deceived by juggling tricks2 asserts also1 that there is no satisfactory evidence of the resurrection of ,jesus1 the report of which can be explained in other ways3 ,answer--chaps4 lv4-lxii4 ,celsus proceeds to bring1 as a serious charge against ,jesus1 that ,he did not appear after ,his resurrection to those who had ill-treated ,him and condemned ,him1 and to men in general3 ,answer--chaps4 lxiii4-lxvii4 ,celsus asserts1 that it would have helped to manifest ,his divinity if ,he had at once disappeared from the cross3 ,answer--chaps4 lxviii41 lxix4 ,inconsistency of ,celsus' statement 7that ,jesus concealed ,himself7 with the facts of the case1 pointed out--chap4 lxx4 ,certain declarations of ,jesus regarding ,himself1 noticed--chap4 lxxi4 ,celsus asks why1 if ,jesus wished to remain hid1 a voice was heard from heaven proclaiming ,him to be the ,son of ,god8 or1 if ,he did not seek concealment1 why was ,he punished8 or1 why did ,he die8 ,answer--chap4 lxxii4 ,celsus asserts1 that no witness is needed to refute the statements of the ,christians1 because these are taken from their own books1 which are self-contradictory3 ,answer--chap4 lxxiv4 ,impossibility1 according to ,celsus1 that a god1 who was expected to appear among men1 should be received with incredulity on his coming1 or should fail to be recognised by those who have been looking for him3 ,answer--chap4 lxxv4 ,all objections brought by the ,jew against ,christianity might be retorted on himself3 ,illustrations--chap4 lxxvi4 ,jew professes his belief in a bodily resurrection and in eternal life--chap4 lxxvii4 ,asks if ,jesus came into the world to produce unbelief in the minds of men3 ,answer--chap4 lxxviii4 ,conclusion of the ,jew is that everything proves ,jesus to have been a man3 ,general refutation4 ,,book ,,iii41 #he-afj ,object of ,book ,third to refute the charges which ,celsus makes against ,christianity in his own person4 ,assertion of ,celsus that the controversy between ,jews and ,christians is most foolish2 that there is nothing of importance in the investigations of ,jews and ,christians2 because1 although both believe that a ,saviour was predicted1 yet they do not agree on the point whether ,he has actually come or not4 ,refutation of these statements generally--chaps4 i4-iv4 ,celsus alleges that both ,judaism and ,christianity originated in rebellion against the ,state2 impossibility of this--chaps4 v4-vii4 ,jews shown from their language not to be ,egyptians--chap4 viii4 ,falsehood of the assertion that ,christians do not desire to convert all men1 even if they could--chap4 ix4 ,proof of ,celsus in support of his assertion3 ,answer--chaps4 x4-xiii4 ,union of ,christians alleged to rest upon no substantial reason1 save on rebellion and fear of external enemies3 ,answer--chaps4 xiv41 xv4 ,falsity of the charge that ,christians invent terrors--chap4 xvi4 ,comparison of the articles of the ,christian faith to ,egyptian temples1 where1 after passing through imposing avenues1 nothing is found as an object of worship save a cat1 or an ape1 or a crocodile1 or a goat1 or a dog3 ,refutation of this--chaps4 xvii4-xxi4 ,celsus asserts that the ,dioscuri1 and ,hercules1 and sculapius1 and ,dionysus1 are believed by the ,greeks to have become gods after being men2 but that we refuse to recognise them as such1 although they manifested many noble qualities1 displayed for the benefit of mankind3 ,general answer--chap4 xxii4 ,comparison of our ,lord's character with that of individuals referred to--chap4 xxiii4 ,unfairness of ,celsus in requiring ,christians to believe the stories regarding such beings1 and yet refusing his assent to the credibility of the ,gospel narratives regarding ,jesus--chap4 xxiv4 ,examination of the case of sculapius--chaps4 xxv41 xxvi42 of ,aristeas of ,proconnesus--chaps4 xxvi4-xxix4 ,superiority of the churches of ,god over the public assemblies--chaps4 xxix41 xxx4 ,comparison of the cases of ,abaris the ,hyperborean and of the ,clazomenian with ,jesus--chaps4 xxxi41 xxxii4 ,examination of the story of ,cleomedes of ,astypalea--chap4 xxxiii4 ,celsus alleges that there are many other similar instances3 ,this statement1 even if true1 shown to be inapplicable--chap4 xxxiv4 ,celsus challenged to say whether he believes such beings really to be demons1 or heroes1 or gods3 ,consequences which will follow--chap4 xxxv4 ,comparison of case of ,antinous1 the favourite of ,hadrian1 shown to be absurd--chaps4 xxxvi4-xxxviii4 ,allegation of ,celsus that faith alone leads ,christians to give their assent to the doctrines of ,jesus3 ,examination of this statement--chaps4 xxxix4-xli4 ,comparison of mortal flesh of ,jesus to gold1 silver1 or stone1 shown to be inept--chap4 xlii4 ,celsus asserts1 that in ridiculing the worshippers of ,jupiter1 who was buried in ,crete1 while worshipping ,jesus1 who rose from the grave1 we are guilty of inconsistency3 ,answer--chap4 xliii4 ,various objections against ,christianity1 gathered from the more unintelligent ,christians1 adduced by ,celsus2 enumeration of these3 ,answers--chaps4 xliv41 xlv4 ,christians do desire that there should be wise men among them--chaps4 xlv4-xlviii4 ,allegation that only the low1 and the vile1 and the ignorant1 with women and children1 are desired as converts1 shown to be false in the sense in which it is advanced by ,celsus--chaps4 xlix4-liv4 ,charge brought against teachers of ,christianity of surreptitiously inculcating their doctrines upon children without the knowledge of their parents--chap4 lv4 ,examination of this charge--chaps4 lvi4-lviii4 ,answer to charge of ,celsus1 that ,christians invite the wicked alone to participation in their sacred rites--chaps4 lix4-lxii4 ,refutation of the charge that ,god does not decide in accordance with truth1 but with flattery--chap4 lxiii4 ,answer to question of ,celsus1 why sinners are preferred over others--chap4 lxiv4 ,falsehood of the assertion that ,christians are able to gain over none but sinners--chap4 lxv4 ,error of ,celsus in denying the possibility of a complete transformation of character--chap4 lxvi4 ,his meaning probably was1 that such transformation could not be effected by punishment2 this shown to be false--chap4 lxvii4 ,transformation of character1 in certain cases1 by means of philosophical discourses1 not a matter to excite surprise3 character of ,christian preaching--chap4 lxviii4 ,examination of ,celsus' statement1 that to change a nature entirely is exceedingly difficult--chap4 lxix4 ,god can do all that it is possible for ,him to do without ceasing to be ,god--chap4 lxx4 ,falsity of statement that ,god alleviates the sufferings of the wicked through pity for their wailings1 but casts off the good--chap4 lxxi4 ,no truly wise man could be misled by any statements of an unintelligent ,christian--chap4 lxxii4 ,falsity of statements1 that the ambassador of ,christianity relates only ridiculous things--chap4 lxxiii4 ,that he seeks after the unintelligent alone--chap4 lxxiv4 ,that he acts like a person who promises to restore patients to bodily health1 but who prevents them from consulting skilled physicians1 who would expose his ignorance--chap4 lxxv4 ,that the ,christian teacher acts like a drunken man1 who should enter a company of drunkards1 and accuse those who were sober of being drunk--chap4 lxxvi4 ,that he is like one suffering from ophthalmia1 who should accuse the clear-sighted of blindness4 ,assertion of ,celsus that ,christians lead on men by empty hopes3 ,answer--chap4 lxxvii4 ,character of those who become converts--chap4 lxxviii4 ,christianity the best system which men were capable of receiving--chaps4 lxxix4-lxxxi4 ,,book ,,iv41 #afa-bfg ,subject of ,fourth ,book mainly to show that the prophecies regarding ,christ are true predictions--chap4 i4 ,the position maintained by certain ,christians1 that there has already descended upon the earth a certain ,god1 or ,son of a ,god1 who will make the inhabitants of the earth righteous1 and by the ,jews1 that the advent of this being is still future1 asserted by ,celsus to be false3 ,answer--chap4 ii4 ,question of ,celsus as to the meaning of such a descent3 ,answered--chap4 iii4 ,argument of ,celsus turned against himself--chap4 iv4 ,celsus misrepresents ,christians as saying that ,god ,himself will come down to men1 and that it follows that ,he has left ,his own abode--chap4 v4 ,celsus represents the object of ,god's descent to be a desire to make ,himself known1 and to make trial of men2 and this1 he alleges1 testifies to an excessive and mortal ambition on the part of ,god3 ,answer--chaps4 vi4-ix4 ,celsus asserts1 that ,christians talk of ,god in a way that is neither holy nor reverential1 and likens them to those who in the ,bacchic mysteries introduce phantoms and objects of terror3 ,answer--chap4 x4 ,celsus endeavours to prove that the statements in the ,christian records regarding floods and conflagrations are neither new nor wonderful1 but may be paralleled and explained from the accounts of the ,greeks3 ,answer--chaps4 xi4-xiii4 ,celsus returns to the subject of the descent of ,god1 alleging that if ,he came down among men1 ,he must have undergone a change from better to worse1 which is impossible in the case of an immortal being3 ,answer--chaps4 xiv4-xvi4 ,superiority of the scriptural accounts of these matters over those of the ,greek mythology--chap4 xvii4 ,celsus repeats his objections3 ,answer--chaps4 xviii41 xix4 ,celsus' representation of the manner in which the ,jews maintain that the advent of ,jesus is still future--chap4 xx4 ,absurdity of the statement of ,celsus that the overturning of the tower of ,babel had the same object as the ,deluge1 viz4 the purification of the earth--chap4 xxi4 ,proof that ,jews brought on themselves the divine wrath1 because of their treatment of ,jesus--chap4 xxii4 ,celsus insolently compares ,jews and ,christians to bats1 and ants1 and frogs1 and worms1 etc4--chap4 xxiii4 ,answer--chaps4 xxiv41 xxv4 ,superiority of ,christians in their opinions and practice to idolaters--chaps4 xxvi41 xxvii4 ,celsus misrepresents the language of ,christians as to ,god's descent among men1 and ,his intercourse with them--chaps4 xxviii41 xxix4 ,celsus1 not understanding the words1 8,let us make man in our image and likeness10 has represented ,christians as saying that they resemble ,god because created by ,him3 ,answer--chap4 xxx4 ,celsus again asserts that the ,jews were fugitives from ,egypt1 who never performed anything of note1 and were never held in any account3 ,answer--chaps4 xxxi41 xxxii4 ,celsus1 in very ambiguous language1 asserts that the ,jews endeavoured to derive their origin from the first race of jugglers and deceivers1 and appealed to the testimony of dark and ambiguous words3 ,answer--chaps4 xxxiii4-xxxv4 ,celsus adduces instances of alleged great antiquity put forth by other nations1 and asserts that the ,jews wove together some most incredible and stupid stories1 regarding the creation of man1 the formation of the woman1 the issuing of certain commands by ,god1 the opposition of the serpent1 and the defeat of ,god1 who is thus shown to have been weak at the very beginning of things1 and unable to persuade a single individual to obey ,his will3 ,detailed answers to these misrepresentations--chaps4 xxxvi4-xl4 ,celsus next ridicules the accounts of the ,deluge and the ,ark3 ,answers--chaps4 xli41 xlii4 ,goes on to carp at the histories of ,abraham and ,sarah1 of ,cain and ,abel1 of ,esau and ,jacob1 of ,laban and ,jacob--chap4 xliii4 ,explanation of the statement that 8,god gave wells to the righteous20 other matters1 also1 to be allegorically understood--chap4 xliv4 ,celsus does not recognise the love of truth which characterizes the writers of ,scripture2 figurative signification of ,sodom1 and of ,lot and his daughters2 discussion on the nature of actions--chap4 xlv4 ,spirit of hostility which characterizes ,celsus1 in selecting from the narratives of ,scripture whatever may serve as ground of accusation against ,christians1 while passing without notice whatever may redound to their credit3 ,instances--chap4 xlvi4 ,celsus refers vaguely to the dreams of the butler and baker in the history of ,joseph1 and endeavours to find ground of objection in the history of ,joseph's conduct towards his brethren--chap4 xlvii4 ,asserts that the more modest among ,jews and ,christians endeavour to give these things an allegorical meaning1 because they are ashamed of them3 ,answer--chap4 xlviii4 ,falsity of his assertion that the scriptural writings are incapable of receiving an allegorical meaning--chaps4 xlix41 l4 ,the treatises which give allegorical explanations of the law of ,moses evidently unknown to ,celsus1 otherwise he could not have said that these allegorical explanations were more shameful than the fables themselves3 ,illustrations--chap4 li4 ,celsus refers to the work entitled 8,controversy between ,papiscus and ,jason10 in support of his assertions--chaps4 lii41 liii4 ,celsus conceals his real opinions1 although he ought to have avowed them1 when quoting from the ,timus of ,plato1 to the effect that ,god made immortal things alone1 while mortal things are the work of others2 that the soul is the work of ,god1 while the body is different2 that there is no difference between the body of a man1 and that of a bat3 ,examination of these statements--chaps4 liv4-lix4 ,asserts that a common nature pervades all bodies1 and that no product of matter is immortal3 ,answers--chaps4 lx41 lxi4 ,maintains that the amount of evil is a fixed quantity1 which has never varied3 ,answers--chaps4 lxii4-lxiv4 ,that it is difficult for any but a philosopher to ascertain the origin of evils1 but that it is sufficient for the multitude to say that they do not proceed from ,god1 but cleave to matter2 and that1 as the cause of mortal events never varies1 the same things must always return1 according to the appointed cycles3 ,answers--chaps4 lxv4-lxix4 ,assertion of ,celsus that a thing which seems to be evil may not necessarily be so3 ,examined--chap4 lxx4 ,celsus misunderstands the anthropopathic language of ,scripture3 ,explanation--chaps4 lxxi4-lxxiii4 ,celsus finds fault with ,christians for asserting that ,god made all things for the sake of man1 whereas they were made as much for the sake of the irrational animals3 ,answer--chap4 lxxiv4 ,celsus holds that thunders1 and lightnings1 and rains are not the works of ,god2 that even if they were1 they were brought into existence as much for the sake of plants1 and trees1 and herbs1 as for that of human beings3 ,answer--chaps4 lxxv41 lxxvi4 ,celsus maintains that the verse of ,euripides1 viz4 8,the sun and night are to mortals slaves10 is untrue1 as these luminaries may be said to be created for the use of ants and flies as much as of man3 ,answer--chap4 lxxvii4 ,asserts that we may be said to be created as much on account of irrational animals as they on our account3 ,answer--chaps4 lxxviii4-lxxx4 ,celsus maintains that the superiority of man over irrational animals in building cities and founding political communities is only apparent3 ,examination of this assertion--chaps4 lxxxi4-lxxxiv4 ,no great difference1 according to ,celsus1 between the actions of men1 and those of ants and bees--chap4 lxxxv4 ,certain irrational animals1 according to ,celsus1 possess the power of sorcery2 instances3 ,examination of these--chaps4 lxxxvi41 lxxxvii4 ,assertion that the thoughts entertained of ,god by irrational animals are not inferior to those of men2 illustrations3 ,answer--chaps4 lxxxviii41 lxxxix4 ,degrading views of ,celsus--chaps4 xc4-xcix4 ,,book ,v41 #bfh-cce ,continuation of the subject--chap4 i4 ,celsus repeats his denial that no ,god1 or son of ,god1 has either come1 or will come1 to earth2 that if certain angels did come1 by what name are they to be called8 whether by that of gods or some other race of beings8 in all probability such angels were demons3 ,refutation--chaps4 ii4-v4 ,celsus proceeds to express surprise that the ,jews should worship heaven and angels1 and yet pass by the heavenly bodies1 as the sun and moon2 which procedure is1 according to his view1 most unreasonable3 ,refutation--chaps4 vi4-x4 ,defence of ,christians against the same charge--chaps4 x4-xiii4 ,celsus declares the ,christian belief in the future conflagration of the world1 in the salvation of the righteous1 in the resurrection of the body1 most foolish and irrational1 alleging that this belief is not held by some of the ,christian believers1 and adducing certain considerations regarding the character of ,god and the nature of bodies which render such things impossible--chap4 xiv4 ,refutation in detail of these objections--chaps4 xv4-xxiv4 ,examination of ,celsus' statement that the various quarters of the earth were from the beginning allotted to different superintending spirits1 and that in this way the administration of the world is carried on--chaps4 xxv4-xxviii4 ,considerations of a profounder kind may be stated regarding the original distribution of the various quarters of the earth among different superintending spirits1 which considerations may be shown to be free from the absurd consequences which would follow from the views of ,celsus2 enumeration of these--chaps4 xxix4-xxxiii4 ,statement of ,celsus regarding the request of the people of ,marea and ,apis to the oracle of ,ammon1 as related by ,herodotus1 and the inference which he seems to draw from it and other similar instances adduced by him1 examined and refuted--chaps4 xxxiv4-xxxix4 ,examination of ,celsus' quotation from ,pindar1 that 8,law is king of all things0--chap4 xl4 ,celsus goes on to state objections which apply to ,jews much more than to ,christians1 viz4 that the ,jewish doctrine regarding heaven is not peculiar to them1 but has long ago been received by the ,persians2 and proceeds to observe that it makes no difference by what name the ,supreme ,being is called2 nor are the ,jews to be deemed holier than other nations because abstaining from swine's flesh1 etc4 ,detailed examination and refutation of these statements--chaps4 xli4-xlix4 ,celsus denies that the ,jews were regarded by ,god with greater favour than other nations3 ,answer--chap4 l4 ,statement of ,celsus that1 admitting ,jesus to have been an angel1 ,he was not the first who came to visit men1 for the histories relate that there have been many instances1 several of which he enumerates--chap4 lii4 ,refutation--chaps4 liii4-lviii4 ,conclusion of ,celsus that ,jews and ,christians have the same ,god1 and that the latter adopt the ,jewish accounts regarding the six days2 other points of agreement mentioned3 examination of these statements1 as well as of his admission that certain ,christians will admit the identity1 while others will deny it--chaps4 lix4-lxii4 ,argument of ,celsus against ,christianity1 founded upon the existence of those who have worshipped demons as their teacher1 and of sects that have hated each other1 examined and refuted--chap4 lxiii4 ,celsus has misunderstood the prediction of the apostle that deceivers will come in the last times--chap4 lxiv4 ,falsity of ,celsus' statement that all who differ so widely may be heard saying1 8,the world is crucified to me1 and ,i unto the world0--chap4 lxv4 ,,book ,,vi41 #ccf-dbd ,object of ,sixth ,book specially to refute those objections which ,celsus brings against ,christians1 and not those derived from writers on philosophy--chap4 i4 ,explanation of the reasons which led the writers of ,scripture to adopt a simple style of address--chap4 ii4 ,quotation from ,plato regarding the 8chief good10 and remarks upon it--chap4 iii4 ,inconsistent conduct of those who can so express themselves pointed out--chap4 iv4 ,comparison of the ,platonic phraseology1 regarding the kindling of a light in the soul1 with the language of ,scripture--chap4 v4 ,examination of the question whether ,plato was acquainted with doctrines more profound than those which are contained in his writings1 and demonstration of the fact that the prophets did know of greater things than any in ,scripture1 but did not commit them to writing--chaps4 vi4-x4 ,celsus inquires whether1 amid the perplexity arising from the existence of different ,christs1 men are to cast the dice to divine which of them they ought to follow8 ,answer--chap4 xi4 ,perversion of the language of ,paul regarding wisdom corrected--chaps4 xii41 xiii4 ,examination of ,celsus' charge that ,christians are uninstructed1 servile1 and ignorant--chap4 xiv4 ,sneer of ,celsus at the humility of ,christians answered--chap4 xv4 ,celsus charges ,jesus with having perverted the language of ,plato in ,his saying regarding the impossibility of a rich man's entering the kingdom of heaven3 ,answer--chap4 xvi4 ,comparison of some points of ,scripture doctrine with statements of ,plato--chaps4 xvii41 xviii4 ,charge of ,celsus that ,christians have misunderstood language of ,plato1 in boasting of a 8super-celestial0 ,god3 ,answer--chap4 xix4 ,explanation of certain terms referring to heaven--chaps4 xx41 xxi4 ,assertion of ,celsus1 that the ,persian mysteries of ,mithras contain many obscure allusions to those heavenly things mentioned in the ,christian writings2 absurdity of his statements--chaps4 xxii41 xxiii4 ,celsus refers to a certain diagram1 the statements regarding which he appears to have borrowed from the sect of the ,ophites2 which statements1 however1 are of no credibility--chap4 xxiv4 ,description of said diagram1 and explanation of the names inscribed in it--chaps4 xxv41 xxvi4 ,certain statements of ,celsus regarding the 8seal0 examined--chap4 xxvii4 ,celsus asserts that ,christians term the ,creator an 8accursed0 divinity1 and asks what could be more foolish or insane than such senseless wisdom8 ,examination of these statements--chaps4 xxviii41 xxix4 ,celsus returns to the subject of the seven ruling demons1 and makes reference to the diagram--chap4 xxx4 ,quotations illustrating the manner of invoking said demons--chap4 xxxi4 ,remarks on the procedure of ,celsus--chap4 xxxii4 ,further statements of ,celsus--chap4 xxxiii4 ,continuation of statements of ,celsus1 to the effect that ,christians heap together one thing after another1--discourses of prophets1 circles upon circles1 effluents from an earthly church1 and from circumcision2 and a power flowing from one ,prunicos1 a virgin and living soul2 and a heaven slain in order to live1 etc4 etc4--chap4 xxxiv4 ,detailed examination and answer to these statements--chaps4 xxxv4-xxxvii4 ,celsus introduces other charges1 stating that there are inscriptions in the diagram containing two words1 8a greater and a less10 which are referred to ,father and ,son3 ,answer--chap4 xxxviii4 ,statement of ,celsus1 that names of demons among the ,greeks are different from what they are among the ,scythians2 gives illustrations3 ,answer--chap4 xxxix4 ,statement of ,celsus1 on the authority of ,dionysius1 an ,egyptian magician1 that magic arts have no power over philosophers1 but only over uneducated men and persons of corrupt morals3 ,falsity of this shown--chap4 xli4 ,allegation of ,celsus1 that ,christians have invented the fiction of the devil or ,satan1 as an adversary to ,god1 who counterworks ,his plans and defeats them2 that the ,son of ,god1 even1 has been vanquished by the devil2 and that the devil will exhibit great and marvellous works1 and claim for himself the glory of ,god3 ,examination and refutation of these statements--chaps4 xlii4-xliv4 ,celsus has misunderstood the statements of ,scripture regarding ,antichrist3 ,explanation of these--chaps4 xlv41 xlvi4 ,celsus perverts the language of ,christians regarding the 8,son of ,god30 ,answer--chap4 xlvii4 ,mystical meaning of 8,son of ,god0 explained--chap4 xlviii4 ,celsus characterizes the ,mosaic cosmogony as extremely silly1 and alleges that ,moses and the prophets1 from ignorance1 have woven together a web of sheer nonsense3 ,answers--chaps4 xlix4-li4 ,celsus will not decide whether the world was uncreated and indestructible1 or created but not destructible--chap4 lii4 ,brings forward objections that were raised against ,marcion1 and after several disparaging observations on the manner of the divine procedure towards men1 asks how it is that ,god created evil1 etc4--chap4 liii4 ,answer to the foregoing--chaps4 liv4-lix4 ,celsus repeats charges formerly made regarding the days of creation--chaps4 lx41 lxi4 ,comments on the expression1 8,the mouth of the ,lord hath spoken it30 ,answer--chap4 lxii4 ,asserts that 8the first-born of every creature0 is the image of ,god1 and that ,god did not make man in ,his image1 because he is unlike to any other species of being2 explanation of the expression1 8,man is made after the image of ,god0--chap4 lxiii4 ,god partakes neither of form nor colour1 nor can motion be predicated of ,him2 explanation of passages that seem to imply the reverse--chap4 lxiv4 ,inconsistency of ,celsus with his declared opinions1 in saying that ,god is the source of all things2 asserts that ,he cannot be reached by word3 ,explanation and distinction--chap4 lxv4 ,celsus asks1 in the person of another1 how it is possible to know ,god1 or to learn the way that leads to ,him1 because darkness is thrown before the eyes1 and nothing distinctly seen3 ,answer to this query1 and remark of ,celsus retorted upon himself--chaps4 lxvi4-lxviii4 ,celsus represents our answer as being this3 8,since ,god is great and difficult to see1 ,he put ,his own ,spirit into a body that resembled ours1 and sent it down to us1 that we might be enabled to hear ,him1 and become acquainted with ,him30 ,examination of this statement--chaps4 lxix41 lxx4 ,according to ,celsus1 our doctrine regarding the spirit is the same as that of the ,stoics1 who maintain that 8,god is a spirit1 diffused through all things1 and containing all things within ,himself30 ,answer--chap4 lxxi4 ,assertion that the ,son of ,god would not be immortal1 because ,he was a spirit existing in a human body3 ,answer--chap4 lxxii4 ,criticises1 in scoffing language1 the incarnation2 exposure of his errors--chap4 lxxiii4 ,returns to the subject of ,marcion's opinions2 introduces 8two sons of ,god10 and speaks scoffingly of the supposed controversies between them--chap4 lxxiv4 ,maintains that the body of ,jesus must have been different from that of other beings1 in virtue of ,his divine qualities4 ,consideration of the prophecies regarding ,jesus3 ,answers to his statements--chaps4 lxxv4-lxxvii4 ,celsus ridicules the sending of ,god's ,spirit into one corner of the world alone1 and compares ,god to ,jupiter in the comedy1 who sent ,mercury to the ,athenians and ,lacedemonians3 ,answer--chaps4 lxxviii41 lxxix4 ,celsus terms the ,chaldeans a divinely-inspired nation2 speaks of the ,egyptian people as also inspired1 although he condemned them formerly1 and refuses this title to the ,jews2 inconsistency of all this--chap4 lxxx4 ,pretends not to understand how ,god could send ,his ,son amongst wicked men1 who were to inflict punishment upon ,him3 ,answer--chap4 lxxxi4 ,,book ,,vii41 #dbe-dia ,celsus denies that the ,jewish prophets predicted any of the events which occurred in the life of ,christ1 and asserts that those who believe in the existence of another ,god1 besides that of the ,jews1 cannot refute his objections2 while ,christians1 who recognise the ,god of the ,jews1 rely for their defence on the alleged predictions regarding ,christ3 ,remarks--chap4 ii4 ,celsus declares ,christians inconsistent in rejecting the ancient ,grecian oracles of ,delphi1 ,dodona1 ,clarus1 ,branchid1 ,jupiter ,ammon1 etc41 which nevertheless were of high importance1 while insisting that the sayings uttered in ,judea are marvellous and unchangeably true3 ,detailed answer to this objection--chaps4 iii4-viii4 ,asserts that many individuals assume the attitude of inspiration1 and claim to be ,god1 or the ,son of ,god1 or the divine ,spirit1 and to have come down to save a perishing world1 and promise rewards to those who do them homage1 and threaten vengeance upon others2 and1 moreover1 to these promises add strange and unintelligible words1 which may be applied by any impostor to his own purposes--chap4 ix4 ,answer to these charges--chaps4 x4-xii4 ,falsity of ,celsus' statement that ,god favours the commission of evil--chap4 xiii4 ,celsus objects1 that even if the prophets foretold that the great ,god would become a slave1 or die1 there was no necessity that ,he should do so simply because such things had been predicted3 ,answers--chaps4 xiv4-xvii4 ,celsus objects further1 that if the prophets of the ,god of the ,jews foretold that ,jesus was to be the ,son of the same ,god1 how could commands have been given through ,moses that the ,jews should accumulate wealth1 extend their dominion1 fill the earth1 put their enemies to the sword1 under threat of being treated by ,god as ,his enemies2 whilst the man of ,nazareth1 ,his ,son1 delivered commands of a totally opposite kind8 ,errors of ,celsus pointed out in detail1 and the nature of the two dispensations explained--chaps4 xviii4-xxvi4 ,falsity of assertion that ,christians believe the ,divine ,being to be corporeal in ,his nature1 and to possess a body like a man--chap4 xxvii4 ,celsus alleges that the idea of a better land than this1 to which ,christians hope to go after death1 has been borrowed from the divine men of a former age1 and quotes from ,homer and ,plato in support of his assertion3 ,answers--chaps4 xxviii4-xxxi4 ,celsus next assails the doctrine of the resurrection1 and asserts that we uphold this doctrine in order that we may see and know ,god3 ,answer--chaps4 xxxii4-xxxiv4 ,the oracles of ,trophonius1 etc41 to which ,celsus would direct ,christians1 assuring them that there they would see ,god distinctly1 shown to be demons--chap4 xxxv4 ,language of ,christians as to the manner in which they see ,god misrepresented by ,celsus--chaps4 xxxvi4-xxxix4 ,language of ,celsus quite inappropriate as addressed to ,christians1 and applicable only to those whose doctrines differ widely from theirs--chap4 xl4 ,celsus recommends ,christians to follow the guidance of divinely inspired poets1 wise men1 and philosophers1 without mentioning their names3 ,remarks on this--chap4 xli4 ,proceeds to name ,plato as an effective teacher of theological truth1 quoting from the ,timus to the effect that it is a hard matter to find out the ,maker and ,father of the universe1 and an impossibility to make ,him known to all after having found ,him2 and remarking that ,christians cannot follow the example of ,plato and others1 who proceed by analysis and synthesis1 because they are wedded to the flesh3 ,answers--chaps4 xlii4-xlv4 ,general remarks upon the tone in which ,christians carry on controversy with their opponents--chap4 xlvi4 ,actions of those who1 although seeming to be wise1 did not yield themselves to the divine teaching--chap4 xlvii4 ,purity of life exhibited by ,christians--chap4 xlviii4 ,even by those who are unable to investigate the deeper questions of theology--chap4 xlix4 ,explanation of certain scriptural expressions regarding 8birth0 or 8generation0--chap4 l4 ,difference between ,christians and those who received a portion of the divine ,spirit before the dispensation of ,christianity--chap4 li4 ,celsus proceeds to say to ,christians that they would have done better to have selected as the object of their homage some one who had died a glorious death1 whose divinity might have received the support of some myth to perpetuate his memory1 and names ,hercules1 sculapius1 ,anaxarchus1 and ,epictetus1 as instances1 alleging that ,jesus never uttered under suffering any words that could be compared to their utterances--chap4 liii4 ,answers--chaps4 liv4-lv4 ,sneering remark of ,celsus that we might better have given the name of ,son of ,god to the ,sibyl than to ,jesus--chap4 lvi4 ,scoffing advice of ,celsus1 that we had better choose ,jonah than ,jesus for our ,god3 ,answer--chap4 lvii4 ,celsus asserts that the ,christian precept1 8,whosoever shall strike thee on the one cheek1 turn to him the other also10 is an ancient saying1 admirably expressed long ago1 and reported by ,christians in a coarser way1 and quotes from ,plato in support of his statement3 ,answer--chaps4 lviii4-lxi4 ,celsus goes on to say that ,christians cannot tolerate temples1 altars1 or images1 and that in this peculiarity they resemble ,scythians and other barbarous nations1 adducing quotations from ,herodotus and ,heraclitus in support of his opinion that none1 save those who are utterly childish1 can take these things for gods--chap4 lxii4 ,detailed answer--chaps4 lxiii4-lxvi4 ,celsus remarks that ,christians will not admit that these images are erected in honour of certain beings who are gods1 but maintain that these are demons1 and ought not to be worshipped3 ,remarks in answer--chap4 lxvii4 ,asks why demons are not to be worshipped1 and asserts that everything1 whether the work of angels1 demons1 or heroes1 is part of the providential government of the ,most ,high ,god3 ,answers--chaps4 lxviii4-lxx4 ,,book ,,viii41 #dib-eei ,celsus1 after his question regarding the worship of demons1 proceeds to represent us as saying that it is impossible to serve many masters1 and remarks that this is the language of sedition1 and used only by those who stand aloof from all human society1 etc4 ,consideration of the true language of ,scripture upon this and kindred points1 in answer to this statement--chaps4 ii4-viii4 ,reckless language of ,celsus1 who would have us believe that we are led by our worship of ,god to that of other things which belong to ,god1 without injury to ourselves1 and who yet adds1 8,we may honour none except those to whom that right has been given by ,god30 ,remarks--chap4 ix4 ,nature of the honour which ,christians pay to the ,son of ,god--chap4 x4 ,celsus asserts that those who uphold the unity of ,god are guilty of impiety3 ,answer--chap4 xi4 ,that if ,christians worshipped one ,god alone1 they would have valid arguments against the worship of others1 but they pay excessive reverence to one who is the servant of ,god3 ,refutation--chaps4 xii4-xiv4 ,celsus quotes from the opinions of some obscure heretical sect1 contained in what is called a ,heavenly ,dialogue1 to the effect that we suppose another ,god1 who is above the heavens1 to be the father of ,him whom we honour1 in order that we may honour the ,son of ,man alone2 whom also we assert to be stronger than ,god1 who rules the world and who rules over them3 ,answers--chaps4 xv4-xvi4 ,celsus goes on to say1 that our shrinking from raising altars1 statues1 and temples1 has been agreed upon among us as the badge of a secret society3 ,answer--chaps4 xvii4-xx4 ,assertion of ,celsus1 that those devoted to the service of ,god may take part in public feasts or idol offerings3 ,answer--chap4 xxi4 ,answer to objection that ,christians themselves observe certain days1 as the ,preparation1 the ,passover1 and ,pentecost--chaps4 xxii41 xxiii4 ,reasons urged by ,celsus why ,christians may make use of idol offerings and public sacrifices at public feasts2 examination of these--chaps4 xxiv4-xxvii4 ,celsus proceeds to state that if ,christians abstain from idol offerings1 they ought1 in consistency1 to abstain from all animal food1 like the ,pythagoreans3 ,answer--chaps4 xxviii4-xxxii4 ,celsus alleges that if we come into the world at all1 we must give thanks1 and first-fruits1 and prayers to demons1 that they may prove good and kind3 ,answer--chaps4 xxxiii41 xxxiv4 ,celsus remarks that the satraps of a ,persian or ,roman monarch could do great injury to those who despised them1 and asks1 will the satraps and ministers of air and earth be insulted with impunity8 ,answer--chaps4 xxxv41 xxxvi4 ,asserts that if ,christians invoke those whom they address by barbarous names they will have power1 but not if invoked in ,latin and ,greek2 falsity and absurdity of this statement--chap4 xxxvii4 ,misrepresents the language addressed by ,christians to the ,grecian statues--chap4 xxxviii4 ,scoffing language of ,celsus to the ,christians on the rejection of ,jesus1 whom he terms a demon1 and on his inability to save ,his followers from being put to death--chap4 xxxix4 ,contrast between the ,christian and heathen doctrine of punishment--chap4 xl4 ,railing address of ,celsus1 to the effect that although ,christians may revile the statues of the gods1 they would not have reviled the gods themselves with impunity2 that nothing happened to those who crucified ,jesus2 that no father was ever so inhuman as was the father of ,jesus1 etc4 etc43 ,answers--chaps4 xli4-xliv4 ,celsus asserts that it is of no use to collect all the oracular responses that have been delivered1 for the world is full of them1 and many remarkable events have happened in consequence of them1 which establish their reality and divinity2 general remark in answer--chap4 xlv4 ,contrast between conduct of ,pythian priestess1 who frequently allowed herself to be bribed1 and that of the prophets1 who were admired for their downright truthfulness--chap4 xlvi4 ,assertion of ,greeks1 that the ,jewish history contains fabulous accounts1 refuted--chap4 xlvii4 ,endeavour of ,celsus to show that the doctrines delivered at the celebration of the pagan mysteries are the same as those of the ,christians2 absurdity of this--chap4 xlviii4 ,celsus reproaches ,christians with inconsistency in their treatment of the body3 ,answer--chaps4 xlix41 l4 ,celsus approves the ,christian doctrine that the righteous shall enjoy everlasting life1 and the wicked shall suffer everlasting punishment2 inconsistency of this on the part of ,celsus--chap4 li4 ,anxiety of ,origen to bring all men to receive the whole system of ,christian truth--chap4 lii4 ,doubtful manner in which ,celsus speaks of certain weighty matters1 and reluctance on his part to set down any of them as false2 inconsistency of this with the manner in which he treats the doctrines of ,christianity1 which he regards with a hostile spirit--chaps4 liii41 liv4 ,celsus asserts that ,christians must make their choice between two alternatives2 nature of these3 ,answer--chaps4 lv4-lvii4 ,seeks to degrade the souls of men to the worship of demons1 by referring to certain practices and beliefs prevalent among the ,egyptians3 ,answer--chaps4 lviii4-lix4 ,admits that there is a dangerous tendency in demon-worship3 ,remarks--chaps4 lx4-lxii4 ,yet adds that the more just opinion is that demons desire and need nothing1 but that they take pleasure in those who discharge towards them offices of piety3 ,answer--chaps4 lxiii4-lxv4 ,celsus admits that no worshipper of ,god should submit to anything base1 but should encounter any torments or death1 rather than do anything unworthy of ,god2 and yet to celebrate the sun1 or the praises of ,minerva1 is only to render higher praise to ,god2 inconsistency of this--chaps4 lxvi41 lxvii4 ,maintains that the ,homeric saying must be observed1 8,let one be king1 whom the son of crafty ,saturn appointed20 sense in which this must be understood by ,christians--chap4 lxviii4 ,inconsistency on the part of ,celsus1 after what he has said1 in asking whether ,god would fight for the ,romans1 if they were to become converts to the worship of the ,most ,high--chaps4 lxix41 lxx4 ,further misrepresentations of ,celsus pointed out--chap4 lxxi4 ,time will come when the ,word will change every soul into ,his own perfections--chap4 lxxii4 ,celsus enjoins us to help the king with all our might1 and1 if required1 to fight under him1 or lead an army along with him3 ,answer--chap4 lxxiii4 ,also to take office in the government of the country1 if necessary for the maintenance of the laws and the support of religion3 ,answer--chap4 lxxv4 ,conclusion1 in which ,origen mentions that ,celsus had announced his intention of writing a second treatise1 which ,origen requests ,ambrose to send him if he should have carried his intentions into execution4 ,,life ,,of ,,origen4 ,origen was born in all probability at ,alexandria1 about the year #ahe ,a4,d4#a ,notwithstanding that his name is derived from that of an ,egyptian deity 7,horus or ,or#b71 there seems no reason to doubt that his parents were ,christian at the time of his birth4 ,his father ,leonides was probably1 as has been conjectured1#c one of the many teachers of rhetoric or grammar who abounded in that city of ,grecian culture1 and appears to have been a man of decided piety4 ,under his superintendence1 the youthful ,origen was not only educated in the various branches of ,grecian learning1 but was also required daily to commit to memory and to repeat portions of ,scripture prescribed him by his father2 and while under this training1 the spirit of inquiry into the meaning of ,scripture1 which afterwards formed so striking a feature in the literary character of the great ,alexandrine1 began to display itself4 ,eusebius#d relates that he was not satisfied with the plain and obvious meaning of the text1 but sought to penetrate into its deeper signification1 and caused his father trouble by the questions which he put to him regarding the sense of particular passages of ,holy ,writ4 ,leonides1 like many parents1 assumed the appearance of rebuking the curiosity of the boy for inquiring into things which were beyond his youthful capacity1 and recommended him to be satisfied with the simple and apparent meaning of ,scripture1 while he is described as inwardly rejoicing at the signs of talent exhibited by his son1 and as giving thanks to ,god for having made him the parent of such a child4#e ,but this state of things was not to last2 for in the year #bjb1 when ,origen was about seventeen years of age1 the great persecution of the ,christians under ,septimius ,severus broke out1 and among the victims was his father ,leonides1 who was apprehended and put in prison4 ,origen wished to share the fate of his father1 but was prevented from quitting his home by the artifice of his mother1 who was obliged to conceal his clothes to prevent him from carrying out his purpose6 ,he wrote to his father1 however1 a letter1 exhorting him to constancy under his trials1 and entreating him not to change his convictions for the sake of his family4#f ,by the death of his father1 whose property was confiscated to the imperial treasury1 ,origen was left1 with his mother and six younger brothers dependent upon him for support4 ,at this juncture1 a wealthy and benevolent lady of ,alexandria opened to him her house1 of which he became an inmate for a short time4 ,the society1 however1 which he found there was far from agreeable to the feelings of the youth4 ,the lady had adopted as her son one ,paul of ,antioch1 whom ,eusebius terms an 8advocate of the heretics then existing at ,alexandria40 ,the eloquence of the man drew crowds to hear him1 although ,origen could never be induced to regard him with any favour1 nor even to join with him in any act of worship1 giving then1 as ,eusebius remarks1 8unmistakeable specimens of the orthodoxy of his faith40#g ,finding his position in this household so uncomfortable1 he resolved to enter upon the career of a teacher of grammar1 and to support himself by his own exertions4 ,as he had been carefully instructed by his father in ,grecian literature1 and had devoted himself to study after his death1 he was enabled successfully to carry out his intention4 ,and now begins the second stadium of his career4 ,the diligence and ability with which ,origen prosecuted his profession speedily attracted attention and brought him many pupils4 ,among others who sought to avail themselves of his instructions in the principles of the ,christian religion1 were two young men1 who afterwards became distinguished in the history of the ,church1--,plutarch1 who died the death of martyrdom1 and ,heraclas1 who afterwards became bishop of ,alexandria4 ,it was not1 however1 merely by his success as a teacher that ,origen gained a reputation4 ,the brotherly kindness and unwearied affection which he displayed to all the victims of the persecution1 which at that time was raging with peculiar severity at ,alexandria under the prefect ,aquila1 and in which many of his old pupils and friends were martyred1 are described as being so marked and conspicuous1 as to draw down upon him the fury of the mob1 so that he was obliged on several occasions to flee from house to house to escape instant death4 ,it is easy to understand that services of this kind could not fail to attract the attention of the heads of the ,christian community at ,alexandria2 and partly1 no doubt1 because of these1 but chiefly on account of his high literary reputation1 ,bishop ,demetrius appointed him to the office of master in the ,catechetical ,school1 which was at that time vacant 7by the departure of ,clement1 who had quitted the city on the outbreak of the persecution71 although he was still a layman1 and had not passed his eighteenth year4 ,the choice of ,demetrius was amply justified by the result4 ,origen discontinued his instructions in literature1 in order to devote himself exclusively to the work of teaching in the ,catechetical ,school4 ,for his labours he refused all remuneration4 ,he sold the books which he possessed1--many of them manuscripts which he himself had copied1--on condition of receiving from the purchaser four obols#h a day2 and on this scanty pittance he subsisted1 leading for many years a life of the greatest asceticism and devotion to study4 ,after a day of labour in the school1 he used to devote the greater part of the night to the investigation of ,scripture1 sleeping on the bare ground1 and keeping frequent fasts4 ,he carried out literally the command of the ,saviour1 not to possess two coats1 or to wear shoes1 and consummated his work of mortification of the flesh by an act of self-mutilation1 springing from a perverted interpretation of our ,lord's words in ,matt4 xix4 #ab1 and undertaken from a desire to place himself beyond the reach of temptation in the intercourse which he necessarily had to hold with his youthful female catechumens4#i ,this act was destined to exercise a baneful influence upon his future fortunes in the ,church4 ,during the episcopate of ,zephyrinus 7#bja-bah7 ,origen visited ,rome1 and on his return again resumed his duties in the ,catechetical ,school1 transferring the care of the younger catechumens to his friend and former pupil ,heraclas1 that he might devote himself with less distraction to the instruction of the more advanced1 and to the more thorough investigation and exposition of ,scripture4 ,with a view to accomplish this more successfully1 it is probable that about this time he set himself to acquire a knowledge of the ,hebrew language1 the fruit of which may be seen in the fragments which remain to us of his magnum opus1 the ,hexapla2 and as many among the more cultured heathens1 attracted by his reputation1 seem to have attended his lectures1 he felt it necessary to make himself more extensively acquainted with the doctrines of the ,grecian schools1 that he might meet his opponents upon their own ground1 and for this purpose he attended the prelections of ,ammonius ,saccas1 at that time in high repute at ,alexandria as an expounder of the ,neo-,platonic philosophy1 of which school he has generally been considered the founder4 ,the influence which the study of philosophical speculations exerted upon the mind of ,origen may be traced in the whole course of his after development1 and proved the fruitful source of many of those errors which were afterwards laid to his charge1 and the controversies arising out of which disturbed the peace of the ,church during the two following centuries4 ,as was to be expected1 the fame of the great ,alexandrine teacher was not confined to his native city1 but spread far and wide2 and an evidence of this was the request made by the ,roman governor of the province of ,arabia to ,demetrius and to the prefect of ,egypt1 that they would send ,origen to him that he might hold an interview with one whose reputation was so great4 ,we have no details of this visit1 for all that ,eusebius relates is that1 8having accomplished the objects of his journey1 he again returned to ,alexandria40#aj ,it was in the year #baf that the ,emperor ,caracalla visited ,alexandria1 and directed a bloody persecution against its inhabitants1 especially the literary members of the community1 in revenge for the sarcastic verses which had been composed against him for the murder of his brother ,geta1 a crime which he had perpetrated under circumstances of the basest treachery and cruelty4 ,origen occupied too prominent a position in the literary society of the city to be able to remain with safety1 and therefore withdrew to ,palestine to his friend ,bishop ,alexander of ,jerusalem1 and afterwards to ,csarea1 where he received an honourable welcome from ,bishop ,theoctistus4 ,this step proved the beginning of his after troubles4 ,these two men1 filled with becoming admiration for the most learned teacher in the ,church1 requested him to expound the ,scriptures in their presence in a public assembly of the ,christians4 ,origen1 although still a layman1 and without any sacerdotal dignity in the ,church1 complied with the request4 ,when this proceeding reached the ears of ,demetrius1 he was filled with the utmost indignation4 8,such an act was never either heard or done before1 that laymen should deliver discourses in the presence of the bishops10#aa was his indignant remonstrance to the two offending bishops1 and ,origen received a command to return immediately to ,alexandria4 ,he obeyed1 and for some years appears to have devoted himself solely to his studies in his usual spirit of self-abnegation4 ,it was probably during this period that the commencement of his friendship with ,ambrosius is to be dated4 ,little is known of this individual4 ,eusebius#ab states that he had formerly been an adherent of the ,valentinian heresy1 but had been converted by the arguments and eloquence of ,origen to the orthodox faith of the ,church4 ,they became intimate friends2 and as ,ambrose seems to have been possessed of large means1 and entertained an unbounded admiration of the learning and abilities of his friend1 it was his delight to bear the expenses attending the transcription and publication of the many works which he persuaded him to give to the world4 ,he furnished him 8with more than seven amanuenses1 who relieved each other at stated times1 and with an equal number of transcribers1 along with young girls who had been practised in caligraphy10#ac to make fair copies for publication of the works dictated by ,origen4 ,the literary activity of these years must have been prodigious1 and probably they were among the happiest which ,origen ever enjoyed4 ,engaged in his favourite studies1 surrounded by many friends1 adding yearly to his own stores of learning1 and enriching the literature of the ,church with treatises of the highest value in the department of sacred criticism and exegesis1 it is difficult to conceive a condition of things more congenial to the mind of a true scholar4 ,only one incident of any importance seems to have taken place during these peaceful years1--his visit to ,julia ,mamma1 the pious mother of ,alexander ,severus4 ,this noble lady had heard of the fame of ,origen1 and invited him to visit her at ,antioch1 sending a military escort to conduct him from ,alexandria to the ,syrian capital4 ,he remained with her some time1 8exhibiting innumerable illustrations of the glory of the ,lord1 and of the excellence of divine instruction1 and then hastened back to his accustomed studies40#ad ,these happy years1 however1 were soon to end4 ,origen was called to ,greece1 probably about the year #bbh1ae upon what ,eusebius vaguely calls 8the pressing need of ecclesiastical affairs10#af but which has generally been understood#ag to refer to the prevalence of heretical views in the ,church there1 for the eradication of which the assistance of ,origen was invoked4 ,before entering on this journey1 he obtained letters of recommendation from his bishop4#ah ,he passed through ,palestine on his way to ,greece1 and at ,csarea received at the hands of his friends ,alexander and ,theoctistus the consecration to the office of presbyter1--an honour which proved to him afterwards the source of much persecution and annoyance4 ,no doubt the motives of his friends were of the highest kind1 and among them may have been the desire to take away the ground of objection formerly raised by ,demetrius against the public preaching of a mere layman in the presence of a bishop4 ,but they little dreamed of the storm which this act of theirs was to raise1 and of the consequences which it was to bring upon the head of him whom they had sought to honour4 ,after completing his journey through ,greece1 ,origen returned to ,alexandria about the year #bcj4 ,he there found his bishop greatly incensed against him for what had taken place at ,csarea4 ,nor did his anger expend itself in mere objurgations and rebukes4 ,in the year #bca a synod was summoned by ,demetrius1 composed of ,egyptian bishops and ,alexandrian presbyters1 who declared ,origen unworthy to hold the office of teacher1 and excommunicated him from the fellowship of the church of ,alexandria4 ,even this did not satisfy the vindictive feeling of ,demetrius4 ,he summoned a second synod1 in which the bishops alone were permitted to vote1 and by their suffrages ,origen was degraded from the office of presbyter1 and intimation of this sentence was ordered to be made by encyclical letter to the various churches4 ,the validity of the sentence was recognised by all of them1 with the exception of those in ,palestine1 ,phnicia1 ,arabia1 and ,achaia1--a remarkable proof of the position of influence which was at that time held by the church of ,alexandria4 ,origen appears to have quitted the city before the bursting of the storm1 and betook himself to ,csarea1 which henceforth became his home1 and the seat of his future labours for a period of nearly a quarter of a century4 ,the motives which impelled ,demetrius to this treatment of ,origen have been variously stated and variously criticised4 ,eusebius#ai refers his readers for a full account of all the matters involved to the treatise which he and ,pamphilus composed in his defence2 but this work has not come down to us1#bj although we possess a brief notice of it in the ,bibliotheca of ,photius1#ba from which we derive our knowledge of the proceedings of the two synods4 ,there seems little reason to doubt that jealousy of interference on the part of the bishops of another diocese was one main cause of the resentment displayed by ,demetrius2 while it is also possible that another alleged cause1 the heterodox character of some of ,origen's opinions1 as made known in his already published works1 among which were his ,stromata and ,de ,principiis1#bb may have produced some effect upon the minds of the hostile bishops4 ,hefele#bc asserts that the act of the ,palestinian bishops was contrary to the ,church law of the time1 and that ,demetrius was justified on that ground for his procedure against him4 ,but it may well be doubted whether there was any generally understood law or practice existing at so early a period of the ,church's history4 ,if so1 it is difficult to understand how it should have been unknown to the ,palestinian bishops2 or1 on the supposition of any such existing law or usage1 it is equally difficult to conceive that either they themselves or ,origen should have agreed to disregard it1 knowing as they did the jealous temper of ,demetrius1 displayed on the occasion of ,origen's preaching at ,csarea already referred to1 and which had drawn from the ,alexandrine bishop an indignant remonstrance1 in which he had asserted that such an act was 8quite unheard-of before40#bd ,to this statement the ,csarean bishops had replied in a letter1 in which they enumerated several instances of laymen who had addressed the congregation4#be ,the probabilities1 therefore1 are in favour of there being no generally understood law or practice on the subject1 and that the procedure1 therefore1 was dictated by hierarchical jealousy on the part of ,demetrius4 ,according to ,eusebius1#bf indeed1 the act of mutilation already referred to was made a ground of accusation against ,origen2 and there seems no doubt that there existed an old canon of the ,church1#bg based upon the words in ,deut4 xxiii4 #a1 which rendered one who had committed such an act ineligible for office in the ,church4 ,but there is no trace of this act1 as disqualifying ,origen for the office of presbyter1 having been urged by ,demetrius1 so far as can be discovered from the notices of the two synods which have been preserved by ,rufinus and ,photius2 and it seems extremely probable1 as ,redepenning remarks1#bh that if ,demetrius were acquainted with this act of ,origen1 as ,eusebius says he was1#bi he made no public mention of it1 far less that he made it a pretence for his deposition4 ,demetrius did not long survive the execution of his vengeance against his unfortunate catechist4 ,he died about a year afterwards1 and was succeeded by ,heraclas1 the friend and former pupil of ,origen4 ,it does not1 however1 appear that ,heraclas made any effort to have the sentence against ,origen recalled1 so that he might return to the early seat of his labours4 ,origen devoted himself at ,csarea chiefly to exegetical studies upon the books of ,scripture1 enjoying the countenance and friendship of the two bishops ,alexander and ,theoctistus1 who are said by ,eusebius 8to have attended him the whole time as pupils do their master40 ,he speedily raised the theological school of that city to a degree of reputation which attracted many pupils4 ,among those who placed themselves under his instructions were two young ,cappadocians1 who had come to ,csarea with other intentions1 but who were so attracted by the whole character and personality of ,origen1 that they immediately became his pupils4 ,the former of these1 afterwards ,gregory ,thaumaturgus1 ,bishop of ,new ,csarea1 has left us1 in the panegyric which he wrote after a discipleship of five years1 a full and admiring account of the method of his great master4 ,the persecution under the ,emperor ,maximin obliged ,origen to take refuge in ,csarea in ,cappadocia1 where he remained in concealment about two years in the house of a ,christian lady named ,juliana1 who was the heiress of ,symmachus1 the ,ebionite translator of the ,septuagint1 and from whom he obtained several ,,mss4 which had belonged to him4 ,here1 also1 he composed his ,exhortation to ,martyrdom1 which was expressly written for the sake of his friends ,ambrosius and ,protoctetus1 who had been imprisoned on account of their ,christian profession1 but who recovered their freedom after the death of ,maximin1--an event which allowed ,origen to return to the ,palestinian ,csarea and to the prosecution of his labours4 ,a visit to ,athens1 where he seems to have remained some time1 and to ,bostra in ,arabia1 in order to bring back to the true faith ,bishop ,beryllus1 who had expressed heterodox opinions upon the subject of the divinity of ,christ1 and in which attempt he proved successful1 were the chief events of his life during the next five years4 ,on the outbreak of the ,decian persecution1 however1 in #bdi1 he was imprisoned at ,tyre1 to which city he had gone from ,csarea for some unknown reason1 and was made to suffer great cruelties by his persecutors4 ,the effect of these upon a frame worn out by ascetic labours may be easily conceived4 ,although he survived his imprisonment1 his body was so weakened by his sufferings1 that he died at ,tyre in #bed1 in the seventieth year of his age4 ,the character of ,origen is singularly pure and noble2 for his moral qualities are as remarkable as his intellectual gifts4 ,the history of the church records the names of few whose patience and meekness under unmerited suffering were more conspicuous than his4 ,how very differently would ,jerome have acted under circumstances like those which led to ,origen's banishment from ,alexandria6 and what a favourable contrast is presented by the self-denying asceticism of his whole life1 to the sins which stained the early years of ,augustine prior to his conversion6 ,the impression which his whole personality made upon those who came within the sphere of his influence is evidenced in a remarkable degree by the admiring affection displayed towards him by his friend ,ambrose and his pupil ,gregory4 ,nor was it friends alone that he so impressed4 ,to him belongs the rare honour of convincing heretics of their errors1 and of leading them back to the church1--a result which must have been due as much to the gentleness and earnestness of his ,christian character1 as to the prodigious learning1 marvellous acuteness1 and logical power1 which entitle him to be regarded as the greatest of the ,fathers4 ,it is singular1 indeed1 that a charge of heresy should have been brought1 not only after his death1 but even during his life1 against one who rendered such eminent services to the cause of orthodox ,christianity4 ,but this charge must be considered in reference to the times when he lived and wrote4 ,no ,general ,council had yet been held to settle authoritatively the doctrine of the church upon any of those great questions1 the discussion of which convulsed the ,christian world during the two following centuries2 and in these circumstances greater latitude was naturally permissible than would have been justifiable at a later period4 ,moreover1 a mind so speculative as that of ,origen1 and so engrossed with the deepest and most difficult problems of human thought1 must sometimes have expressed itself in a way liable to be misunderstood4 ,but no doubt the chief cause of his being regarded as a heretic is to be found in the haste with which he allowed many of his writings to be published4 ,had he considered more carefully what he intended to bring before the public eye1 less occasion would have been furnished to objectors1 and the memory of one of the greatest scholars and most devoted ,christians that the world has ever seen would have been freed1 to a great extent at least1 from the reproach of heresy4 ,origen was a very voluminous author4 ,jerome says that he wrote more than any individual could read2 and ,epiphanius 7,hres4 lxiv4 #fc7 relates that his writings amounted to #fjjj volumes1 by which statement we are probably to understand that every individual treatise1 large or small1 including each of the numerous homilies1 was counted as a separate volume4 ,the admiration entertained for him by his friend ,ambrosius1 and the readiness with which the latter bore all the expenses of transcription and publication1 led ,origen to give to the world much which otherwise would never have seen the light4 ,the works of the great ,adamantinus may be classed under the following divisions3-- ,,exegetical ,,works4 ,these comprise 1 brief notes on ,scripture1 of which only fragments remain3 1 ,commentaries1 lengthened expositions1 of which we possess considerable portions1 including those on ,matthew1 ,john1 and ,epistle to the ,romans2 and about #bjj ,homilies1 upon the principal books of the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 a full list of which may be seen in ,migne's edition4 ,in these works his peculiar system of interpretation found ample scope for exercise2 and although he carried out his principle of allegorizing many things1 which in their historical and literal signification offended his exegetical sense1 he nevertheless maintains that 8the passages which hold good in their historical acceptation are much more numerous than those which contain a purely spiritual meaning20#cj and the student will find much that is striking and suggestive in his remarks upon the various passages which he brings under review4 ,for an account of his method of interpreting ,scripture1 and the grounds on which he based it1 the reader may consult the fourth book of the treatise ,on the ,principles4 ,,critical ,,works4 ,the great critical work of ,origen was the ,hexapla or ,six-columned ,bible1--an attempt to provide a revised text of the ,septuagint translation of ,old ,testament ,scripture4 ,on this undertaking he is said to have spent eight-and-twenty years of his life1 and to have acquired a knowledge of ,hebrew in order to qualify himself for the task4 ,each page of this work consisted1 with the exception to be noticed immediately1 of six columns4 ,in the first was placed the current ,hebrew text2 in the second1 the same represented in ,greek letters2 in the third1 the version of ,aquila2 in the fourth1 that of ,symmachus2 in the fifth1 the text of the ,,lxx41 as it existed at the time2 and in the sixth1 the version of ,theodotion4 ,having come into possession also of certain other ,greek translations of some of the books of ,scripture1 he added these in their appropriate place1 so that the work presented in some parts the appearance of seven1 eight1 or nine columns1 and was termed ,heptapla1 ,octopla1 or ,enneapla1 in consequence4 ,he inserted critical marks in the text of the ,,lxx41 an asterisk to denote what ought to be added1 and an obelus to denote what ought to be omitted2 taking the additions chiefly from the version of ,theodotion4 ,the work1 with the omission of the ,hebrew column1 and that representing the ,hebrew in ,greek letters1 was termed ,tetrapla2 and with regard to it1 it is uncertain whether it is to be considered a preliminary work on the part of ,origen1 undertaken by way of preparation for the larger1 or merely as an excerpt from the latter4 ,the whole extended1 it is said1 to nearly fifty volumes1 and was1 of course1 far too bulky for common use1 and too costly for transcription4 ,it was placed in some repository in the city of ,tyre1 from which it was removed after ,origen's death to the library at ,csarea1 founded by ,pamphilus1 the friend of ,eusebius4 ,it is supposed to have been burnt at the capture of ,csarea by the ,arabs in #fec ,a4,d4 ,the column1 however1 containing the version of the ,,lxx4 had been copied by ,pamphilus and ,eusebius1 along with the critical marks of ,origen1 although1 owing to carelessness on the part of subsequent transcribers1 the text was soon again corrupted4 ,the remains of this work were published by ,montfaucon at ,paris1 #agac1 #b vols4 folio2 by ,bahrdt at ,leipsic in #agfi2 and is at present again in course of publication from the ,clarendon ,press1 ,oxford1 under the editorship of ,mr4 ,field1 who has made use of the ,syriac-,hexaplar version1 and has added various fragments not contained in prior editions4 7,for a full and critical account of this work1 the ,english reader is referred to ,dr4 ,sam4 ,davidson's ,biblical ,criticism1 vol4 i4 ch4 xii41 which has been made use of for the above notice47 ,,apologetical ,,works4 ,his great apologetical work was the treatise undertaken at the special request of his friend ,ambrosius1 in answer to the attack of the heathen philosopher ,celsus on the ,christian religion1 in a work which he entitled 1 or ,a ,true ,discourse4 ,origen states that he had heard that there were two individuals of this name1 both of them ,epicureans1 the earlier of the two having lived in the time of ,nero1 and the other in the time of ,adrian1 or later4#ca ,redepenning is of opinion that ,celsus must have composed his work in the time of ,marcus ,aurelius 7#afa-ahj ,a4,d471 on account of his supposed mention of the ,marcionites 7whose leader did not make his appearance at ,rome before #adb ,a4,d471 and of the ,marcellians 7followers of the ,carpocratian ,marcellina71 a sect which was founded after the year #aee ,a4,d4 under ,bishop ,anicetus4#cb ,origen believed his opponent to be an ,epicurean1 but to have adopted other doctrines than those of ,epicurus1 because he thought that by so doing he could assail ,christianity to greater advantage4#cc ,the work which ,origen composed in answer to the so-styled ,true ,discourse consists of eight books1 and belongs to the latest years of his life4 ,it has always been regarded as the great apologetic work of antiquity2 and no one can peruse it without being struck by the multifarious reading1 wonderful acuteness1 and rare subtlety of mind which it displays4 ,but the rule which ,origen prescribed to himself1 of not allowing a single objection of his opponent to remain unanswered1 leads him into a minuteness of detail1 and into numerous repetitions1 which fatigue the reader1 and detract from the interest and unity of the work4 ,he himself confesses that he began it on one plan1 and carried it out on another4#cd ,no doubt1 had he lived to re-write and condense it1 it would have been more worthy of his reputation4 ,but with all its defects1 it is a great work1 and well deserves the notice of the students of ,apologetics4 ,the table of contents prefixed to the translation will convey a better idea of its nature than any description which our limits would permit us to give4 ,,dogmatic ,,works4 ,these include the 1 a work composed in imitation of the treatise of ,clement of the same name1 and consisting originally of ten books1 of which only three fragments exist in a ,latin version by ,jerome 7,migne1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ajb-ajg72 a treatise on the ,resurrection1 of which four fragments remain 7,migne1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ia-ajj72 and the treatise 1 ,de ,principiis1 which contains ,origen's views on the various questions of systematic theology4 ,the work has come down to us in the ,latin translation of his admirer ,rufinus2 but1 from a comparison of the few fragments of the original ,greek which have been preserved1 we see that ,rufinus was justly chargeable with altering many of ,origen's expressions1 in order to bring his doctrine on certain points more into harmony with the orthodox views of the time4 ,the ,de ,principiis consists of four books1 and is translated in the first volume of the works of ,origen in this series1 to which we refer the reader4 ,,practical ,,works4 ,under this head we place the little treatise 1 ,on ,prayer1 written at the instance of his friend ,ambrose1 and which contains an exposition of the ,lord's ,prayer2 the 1 ,exhortation to ,martyrdom1 composed at the outbreak of the persecution by ,maximian1 when his friends ,ambrose and ,protoctetus were imprisoned4 ,of his numerous letters only two have come down entire1 viz4 that which was addressed to ,julius ,africanus1 who had questioned the genuineness of the history of ,susanna in the apocryphal additions to the book of ,daniel1 and that to ,gregory ,thaumaturgus on the use of ,greek philosophy in the explanation of ,scripture1 although1 from the brevity of the latter1 it is questionable whether it is more than a fragment of the original4 7,both of these are translated in the first volume of ,origen's works in this series47 ,the 1 ,philocalia1 was a compilation from the writings of ,origen1 intended to explain the difficult passages of ,scripture1 and executed by ,basil the ,great and ,gregory of ,nazianzus2 large extracts of which have been preserved1 especially of that part which was taken from the treatise against ,celsus4 ,the remains were first printed at ,paris in #afah1 and again at ,cambridge in #afgf1 in the reprint of ,spencer's edition of the ,contra ,celsum4 ,in the ,benedictine edition1 and in ,migne's reprint1 the various portions are quoted in footnotes under the respective passages of ,origen's writings4 ,,editions ,,of ,,origen4 ,the first published works of ,origen were his ,homilies1 which appeared in #adge1 although neither the name of the publisher nor the place of publication is given4 ,these were followed by the treatise against ,celsus in the translation of ,christopher ,persana1 which appeared at ,rome in #adha2 and this1 again1 by an edition of the ,homilies at ,venice in #aejc1 containing those on the four first books of ,moses1 ,joshua1 and ,judges4 ,the first collective edition of the whole works was given to the world in a ,latin translation by ,james ,merlin1 and was published in two folio volumes1 first at ,paris in #aeab and #aeai1 and afterwards at ,paris in #aebb and #aecj4 ,a revision of ,merlin's edition was begun by ,erasmus1 and completed1 after his death1 by ,beatus ,rhenanus4 ,this appeared at ,basle in #aecf in two folio volumes1 and again in #aeeg and #aega4 ,a much better and more complete edition was undertaken by the ,benedictine ,gilbertus ,genebrardus1 which was published also in two volumes folio at ,paris in #aegd1 and again in #afjd and #afai4 ,hoeschel published the treatise against ,celsus at ,augsburg in #afje2 ,spencer1 at ,cambridge in #afeh and #afgg1 to which was added the ,philocalia1 which had first appeared in a ,latin translation by ,genebrardus1 and afterwards in ,greek by ,tarinus at ,paris in #afah and #afbd1 in quarto4 ,huet1 ,bishop of ,avranches1 published the exegetical writings in ,greek1 including the ,commentaries on ,matthew and ,john1 in two volumes folio1 of which the one appeared at ,rouen in #affh1 and the other at ,paris in #afgi4 ,the great edition by the two learned ,benedictines of ,st4 ,maur--,charles de la ,rue1 and his nephew ,vincent de la ,rue--was published at ,paris between the years #agcc and #agei4 ,this is a work of immense industry and labour1 and remains the standard to the present time4 ,it has been reprinted by ,migne in his series of the ,greek ,fathers1 in nine volumes1 large #hvo4 ,in ,oberthr's series of the ,greek ,fathers1 seven volumes contain the chief portion of ,origen's writings2 while ,lommatzsch has published the whole in twenty-five small volumes1 ,berlin #ahca-dh1 containing the ,greek text alone4--,abridged from ,redepenning4 ,for further information upon the life and opinions of ,origen1 the reader may consult ,redepenning's ,origenes1 #b vols41 ,bonn #ahda1 #ahdf2 the articles in ,herzog's ,encyclopdie and ,wetzer's and ,wette's ,kirchen-,lexikon1 by ,kling and ,hefele respectively2 the brilliant sketch by ,pressens in his ,martyrs and ,apologists 7,harwood's translation72 and the learned compilation of ,huet1 entitled ,origeniana1 to be found in the ninth volume of ,migne's edition4 ,footnote #a3 ,cf4 ,redepenning's ,origenes1 vol4 i4 pp4 #dag-dbj 7,erste ,beilage3 ber ,origenes ,geburtsjahr und den ,ort1 wo er geboren wurde74 ,footnote #b3 ,cf4 ,ibid4 7,zweite ,beilage3 ber ,namen und ,beinamen der ,origenes74 ,footnote #c3 ,encyclopaedie der ,katholischen ,theologie1 s4v4 ,origenes4 ,footnote #d3 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 ii4 #i4 ,footnote #e3 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 ii4 #aj1 #aa4 ,footnote #f3 ,eusebius1 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 ii43 1 ' 4 ,footnote #g3 4 ,footnote #h3 ,the obol was about three-halfpence of our money4 ,footnote #i3 ,for a full discussion of the doubts which have been thrown upon the credibility of ,eusebius in this matter by ,schnitzer and ,baur1 cf4 ,redepenning1 ,origenes1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ddd-deh1 and ,hefele1 ,encyclopaedie der ,katholischen ,theologie1 s4v4 ,origenes4 ,footnote #aj3 ,euseb4 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 #ai1 #af4 ,footnote #aa3 ,ibid4 b4 vi4 c4 #ai4 ,footnote #ab3 ,ibid4 b4 vi4 c4 #ah4 ,footnote #ac3 ,euseb4 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 #bc4 ,footnote #ad3 ,euseb4 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 #ba3 ' 1 1 4 ,footnote #ae3 ,cf4 ,hefele1 ,encyclopaedie1 etc41 s4v4 ,origenes4 ,footnote #af3 4 ,footnote #ag3 ,cf4 ,redepenning1 vol4 i4 p4 #djf1 etc4 ,footnote #ah3 ,cf4 ibid4 ,footnote #ai3 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 #bb and c4 #cc4 ,footnote #bj3 ,with the exception of the first book2 cf4 ,migne1 vol4 ix4 pp4 #edb-fcb4 ,footnote #ba3 ,cf4 ,photii ,bibliotheca1 ed4 ,hoeschel1 p4 #bih4 ,footnote #bb3 ,eusebius expressly mentions that both these works1 among others1 were published before he left ,alexandria4--,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 #bd4 ,footnote #bc3 s4v4 ,origenes4 ,footnote #bd3 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 #ai4 ,footnote #be3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #bf3 ,ibid4 b4 vi4 c4 #h4 ,footnote #bg3 4 ,cf4 ,redepenning1 vol4 i4 pp4 #bjh1 #baf1 #bah4 ,footnote #bh3 ,cf4 ,redepenning1 vol4 i4 p4 #dji1 note #b4 ,footnote #bi3 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 vi4 c4 #h4 ,footnote #cj3 ,origen's ,works1 vol4 i4 pp4 #cbc-d 7,ante-,nicene ,library74 ,footnote #ca3 ,cf4 ,contra ,celsum1 i4 c4 viii4 ad fin4 ,footnote #cb3 ,cf4 ,redepenning1 vol4 ii4 p4 #aca1 note #b4 ,footnote #cc3 ,contra ,celsum1 i4 ch4 viii4 ,footnote #cd3 ,preface1 #f2 cf4 vol4 i4 p4 #cig4 ,,origen ,,against ,,celsus4 ,,book ,,ii4 ,chapter ,i4 ,the first book of our answer to the treatise of ,celsus1 entitled ,a ,true ,discourse1 which concluded with the representation of the ,jew addressing ,jesus1 having now extended to a sufficient length1 we intend the present part as a reply to the charges brought by him against those who have been converted from ,judaism to ,christianity4 ,and we call attention1 in the first place1 to this special question1 viz4 why ,celsus1 when he had once resolved upon the introduction of individuals upon the stage of his book1 did not represent the ,jew as addressing the converts from heathenism rather than those from ,judaism1 seeing that his discourse1 if directed to us1 would have appeared more likely to produce an impression4#ce ,but probably this claimant to universal knowledge does not know what is appropriate in the matter of such representations2 and therefore let us proceed to consider what he has to say to the converts from ,judaism4 ,he asserts that 8they have forsaken the law of their fathers1 in consequence of their minds being led captive by ,jesus2 that they have been most ridiculously deceived1 and that they have become deserters to another name and to another mode of life40 ,here he has not observed that the ,jewish converts have not deserted the law of their fathers1 inasmuch as they live according to its prescriptions1 receiving their very name from the poverty of the law1 according to the literal acceptation of the word2 for ,ebion signifies 8poor0 among the ,jews1#cf and those ,jews who have received ,jesus as ,christ are called by the name of ,ebionites4 ,nay1 ,peter himself seems to have observed for a considerable time the ,jewish observances enjoined by the law of ,moses1 not having yet learned from ,jesus to ascend from the law that is regulated according to the letter1 to that which is interpreted according to the spirit1--a fact which we learn from the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,for on the day after the angel of ,god appeared to ,cornelius1 suggesting to him 8to send to ,joppa1 to ,simon surnamed ,peter10 ,peter 8went up into the upper room to pray about the sixth hour4 ,and he became very hungry1 and would have eaten3 but while they made ready he fell into a trance1 and saw heaven opened1 and a certain vessel descending unto him1 as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners1 and let down to the earth2 wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts1 and creeping things of the earth1 and fowls of the air4 ,and there came a voice to him1 ,rise1 ,peter2 kill1 and eat4 ,but ,peter said1 ,not so1 ,lord2 for ,i have never eaten anything that is common or unclean4 ,and the voice spake unto him again the second time1 ,what ,god hath cleansed1 that call thou not common40#cg ,now observe how1 by this instance1 ,peter is represented as still observing the ,jewish customs respecting clean and unclean animals4 ,and from the narrative that follows1 it is manifest that he1 as being yet a ,jew1 and living according to their traditions1 and despising those who were beyond the pale of ,judaism1 stood in need of a vision to lead him to communicate to ,cornelius 7who was not an ,israelite according to the flesh71 and to those who were with him1 the word of faith4 ,moreover1 in the ,epistle to the ,galatians1 ,paul states that ,peter1 still from fear of the ,jews1 ceased upon the arrival of ,james to eat with the ,gentiles1 and 8separated himself from them1 fearing them that were of the circumcision20#ch and the rest of the ,jews1 and ,barnabas also1 followed the same course4 ,and certainly it was quite consistent that those should not abstain from the observance of ,jewish usages who were sent to minister to the circumcision1 when they who 8seemed to be pillars0 gave the right hand of fellowship to ,paul and ,barnabas1 in order that1 while devoting themselves to the circumcision1 the latter might preach to the ,gentiles4 ,and why do ,i mention that they who preached to the circumcision withdrew and separated themselves from the heathen1 when even ,paul himself 8became as a ,jew to the ,jews1 that he might gain the ,jews80 ,wherefore also in the ,acts of the ,apostles it is related that he even brought an offering to the altar1 that he might satisfy the ,jews that he was no apostate from their law4#ci ,now1 if ,celsus had been acquainted with all these circumstances1 he would not have represented the ,jew holding such language as this to the converts from ,judaism3 8,what induced you1 my fellow-citizens1 to abandon the law of your fathers1 and to allow your minds to be led captive by him with whom we have just conversed1 and thus be most ridiculously deluded1 so as to become deserters from us to another name1 and to the practices of another life80 ,footnote #ce3 4 ,footnote #cf3 4 ,footnote #cg3 ,cf4 ,acts x4 #i-ae4 ,footnote #ch3 ,cf4 ,gal4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #ci3 ,cf4 ,acts xxi4 #bf4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,now1 since we are upon the subject of ,peter1 and of the teachers of ,christianity to the circumcision1 ,i do not deem it out of place to quote a certain declaration of ,jesus taken from the ,gospel according to ,john1 and to give the explanation of the same4 ,for it is there related that ,jesus said3 8,i have yet many things to say unto you1 but ye cannot bear them now4 ,howbeit when ,he1 the ,spirit of truth1 is come1 ,he will guide you into all the truth3 for ,he shall not speak of ,himself2 but whatsoever ,he shall hear1 that shall ,he speak40#dj ,and when we inquire what were the 8many things0 referred to in the passage which ,jesus had to say to ,his disciples1 but which they were not then able to bear1 ,i have to observe that1 probably because the apostles were ,jews1 and had been trained up according to the letter of the ,mosaic law1 ,he was unable to tell them what was the true law1 and how the ,jewish worship consisted in the pattern and shadow of certain heavenly things1 and how future blessings were foreshadowed by the injunctions regarding meats and drinks1 and festivals1 and new moons1 and sabbaths4 ,these were many of the subjects which ,he had to explain to them2 but as ,he saw that it was a work of exceeding difficulty to root out of the mind opinions that have been almost born with a man1 and amid which he has been brought up till he reached the period of maturity1 and which have produced in those who have adopted them the belief that they are divine1 and that it is an act of impiety to overthrow them2 and to demonstrate by the superiority of ,christian doctrine1 that is1 by the truth1 in a manner to convince the hearers1 that such opinions were but 8loss and dung10 ,he postponed such a task to a future season--to that1 namely1 which followed ,his passion and resurrection4 ,for the bringing of aid unseasonably to those who were not yet capable of receiving it1 might have overturned the idea which they had already formed of ,jesus1 as the ,christ1 and the ,son of the living ,god4 ,and see if there is not some well-grounded reason for such a statement as this1 8,i have many things to say unto you1 but ye cannot bear them now20 seeing there are many points in the law which require to be explained and cleared up in a spiritual sense1 and these the disciples were in a manner unable to bear1 having been born and brought up amongst ,jews4 ,i am of opinion1 moreover1 that since these rites were typical1 and the truth was that which was to be taught them by the ,holy ,spirit1 these words were added1 8,when ,he is come who is the ,spirit of truth1 ,he will lead you into all the truth20 as if ,he had said1 into all the truth about those things which1 being to you but types1 ye believed to constitute a true worship which ye rendered unto ,god4 ,and so1 according to the promise of ,jesus1 the ,spirit of truth came to ,peter1 saying to him1 with regard to the four-footed beasts1 and creeping things of the earth1 and fowls of the air3 8,arise1 ,peter2 kill1 and eat40 ,and the ,spirit came to him while he was still in a state of superstitious ignorance2 for he said1 in answer to the divine command1 8,not so1 ,lord2 for ,i have never yet eaten anything common or unclean40 ,he instructed him1 however1 in the true and spiritual meaning of meats1 by saying1 8,what ,god hath cleansed1 that call not thou common40 ,and so1 after that vision1 the ,spirit of truth1 which conducted ,peter into all the truth1 told him the many things which he was unable to bear when ,jesus was still with him in the flesh4 ,but ,i shall have another opportunity of explaining those matters1 which are connected with the literal acceptation of the ,mosaic law4 ,footnote #dj3 ,john xvi4 #ab1 #ac4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,our present object1 however1 is to expose the ignorance of ,celsus1 who makes this ,jew of his address his fellow-citizen and the ,israelitish converts in the following manner3 8,what induced you to abandon the law of your fathers80 etc4 ,now1 how should they have abandoned the law of their fathers1 who are in the habit of rebuking those who do not listen to its commands1 saying1 8,tell me1 ye who read the law1 do ye not hear the law8 ,for it is written1 that ,abraham had two sons20 and so on1 down to the place1 8which things are an allegory10#da etc48 ,and how have they abandoned the law of their fathers1 who are ever speaking of the usages of their fathers in such words as these3 8,or does not the law say these things also8 ,for it is written in the law of ,moses1 ,thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn4 ,doth ,god care for oxen8 or saith ,he it altogether for our sakes8 for for our sakes it was written10 and so on8#db ,now1 how confused is the reasoning of the ,jew in regard to these matters 7although he had it in his power to speak with greater effect7 when he says3 8,certain among you have abandoned the usages of our fathers under a pretence of explanations and allegories2 and some of you1 although1 as ye pretend1 interpreting them in a spiritual manner1 nevertheless do observe the customs of our fathers2 and some of you1 without any such interpretation1 are willing to accept ,jesus as the subject of prophecy1 and to keep the law of ,moses according to the customs of the fathers1 as having in the words the whole mind of the ,spirit40 ,now how was ,celsus able to see these things so clearly in this place1 when in the subsequent parts of his work he makes mention of certain godless heresies altogether alien from the doctrine of ,jesus1 and even of others which leave the ,creator out of account altogether1 and does not appear to know that there are ,israelites who are converts to ,christianity1 and who have not abandoned the law of their fathers8 ,it was not his object to investigate everything here in the spirit of truth1 and to accept whatever he might find to be useful2 but he composed these statements in the spirit of an enemy1 and with a desire to overthrow everything as soon as he heard it4 ,footnote #da3 ,gal4 iv4 #ba1 #bb4 ,footnote #db3 #a ,cor4 ix4 #h4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,the ,jew1 then1 continues his address to converts from his own nation thus3 8,yesterday and the day before1 when we visited with punishment the man who deluded you1 ye became apostates from the law of your fathers20 showing by such statements 7as we have just demonstrated7 anything but an exact knowledge of the truth4 ,but what he advances afterwards seems to have some force1 when he says3 8,how is it that you take the beginning of your system from our worship1 and when you have made some progress you treat it with disrespect1 although you have no other foundation to show for your doctrines than our law80 ,now1 certainly the introduction to ,christianity is through the ,mosaic worship and the prophetic writings2 and after the introduction1 it is in the interpretation and explanation of these that progress takes place1 while those who are introduced prosecute their investigations into 8the mystery according to revelation1 which was kept secret since the world began1 but now is made manifest in the ,scriptures of the prophets10#dc and by the appearance of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,but they who advance in the knowledge of ,christianity do not1 as ye allege1 treat the things written in the law with disrespect4 ,on the contrary1 they bestow upon them greater honour1 showing what a depth of wise and mysterious reasons is contained in these writings1 which are not fully comprehended by the ,jews1 who treat them superficially1 and as if they were in some degree even fabulous4#dd ,and what absurdity should there be in our system--that is1 the gospel--having the law for its foundation1 when even the ,lord ,jesus ,himself said to those who would not believe upon ,him3 8,if ye had believed ,moses1 ye would have believed me1 for he wrote of me4 ,but if ye do not believe his writings1 how shall ye believe my words80#de ,nay1 even one of the evangelists--,mark--says3 8,the beginning of the gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 as it is written in the prophet ,isaiah1 ,behold1 ,i send my messenger before ,thy face1 who shall prepare ,thy way before ,thee10#df which shows that the beginning of the gospel is connected with the ,jewish writings4 ,what force1 then1 is there in the objection of the ,jew of ,celsus1 that 8if any one predicted to us that the ,son of ,god was to visit mankind1 he was one of our prophets1 and the prophet of our ,god80 ,or how is it a charge against ,christianity1 that ,john1 who baptized ,jesus1 was a ,jew8 ,for although ,he was a ,jew1 it does not follow that every believer1 whether a convert from heathenism or from ,judaism1 must yield a literal obedience to the law of ,moses4 ,footnote #dc3 ,rom4 xvi4 #be4 ,footnote #dd3 4 ,footnote #de3 ,john v4 #df1 #dg4 ,footnote #df3 ,mark i4 #a1 #b4 ,chapter ,v4 ,after these matters1 although ,celsus becomes tautological in his statements about ,jesus1 repeating for the second time that 8he was punished by the ,jews for his crimes10 we shall not again take up the defence1 being satisfied with what we have already said4 ,but1 in the next place1 as this ,jew of his disparages the doctrine regarding the resurrection of the dead1 and the divine judgment1 and of the rewards to be bestowed upon the just1 and of the fire which is to devour the wicked1 as being stale#dg opinions1 and thinks that he will overthrow ,christianity by asserting that there is nothing new in its teaching upon these points1 we have to say to him1 that our ,lord1 seeing the conduct of the ,jews not to be at all in keeping with the teaching of the prophets1 inculcated by a parable that the kingdom of ,god would be taken from them1 and given to the converts from heathenism4 ,for which reason1 now1 we may also see of a truth that all the doctrines of the ,jews of the present day are mere trifles and fables1#dh since they have not the light that proceeds from the knowledge of the ,scriptures2 whereas those of the ,christians are the truth1 having power to raise and elevate the soul and understanding of man1 and to persuade him to seek a citizenship1 not like the earthly#di ,jews here below1 but in heaven4 ,and this result shows itself among those who are able to see the grandeur of the ideas contained in the law and the prophets1 and who are able to commend them to others4 ,footnote #dg3 4 ,footnote #dh3 4 ,footnote #di3 4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,but let it be granted that ,jesus observed all the ,jewish usages1 including even their sacrificial observances1 what does that avail to prevent our recognising ,him as the ,son of ,god8 ,jesus1 then1 is the ,son of ,god1 who gave the law and the prophets2 and we1 who belong to the church1 do not transgress the law1 but have escaped the mythologizings#ej of the ,jews1 and have our minds chastened and educated by the mystical contemplation of the law and the prophets4 ,for the prophets themselves1 as not resting the sense of these words in the plain history which they relate1 nor in the legal enactments taken according to the word and letter1 express themselves somewhere1 when about to relate histories1 in words like this1 8,i will open my mouth in parables1 ,i will utter hard sayings of old20#ea and in another place1 when offering up a prayer regarding the law as being obscure1 and needing divine help for its comprehension1 they offer up this prayer1 8,open ,thou mine eyes1 that ,i may behold wondrous things out of ,thy law40#eb ,footnote #ej3 4 ,footnote #ea3 ,ps4 lxxvii4 #b4 ,footnote #eb3 ,ps4 cxix4 #ah4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,moreover1 let them show where there is to be found even the appearance of language dictated by arrogance1#ec and proceeding from ,jesus4 ,for how could an arrogant man thus express himself1 8,learn of me1 for ,i am meek and lowly of heart1 and you shall find rest for your souls80#ed or how can ,he be styled arrogant1 who after supper laid aside ,his garments in the presence of ,his disciples1 and1 after girding ,himself with a towel1 and pouring water into a basin1 proceeded to wash the feet of each disciple1 and rebuked him who was unwilling to allow them to be washed1 with the words1 8,except ,i wash thee1 thou hast no part with me80#ee ,or how could ,he be called such who said1 8,i was amongst you1 not as he that sitteth at meat1 but as he that serveth80#ef ,and let any one show what were the falsehoods which ,he uttered1 and let him point out what are great and what are small falsehoods1 that he may prove ,jesus to have been guilty of the former4 ,and there is yet another way in which we may confute him4 ,for as one falsehood is not less or more false than another1 so one truth is not less or more true than another4 ,and what charges of impiety he has to bring against ,jesus1 let the ,jew of ,celsus especially bring forward4 ,was it impious to abstain from corporeal circumcision1 and from a literal ,sabbath1 and literal festivals1 and literal new moons1 and from clean and unclean meats1 and to turn the mind to the good and true and spiritual law of ,god1 while at the same time he who was an ambassador for ,christ knew how to become to the ,jews as a ,jew1 that he might gain the ,jews1 and to those who are under the law1 as under the law1 that he might gain those who are under the law8 ,footnote #ec3 4 ,footnote #ed3 ,matt4 xi4 #bi4 ,footnote #ee3 ,john xvi4 #d4 ,footnote #ef3 ,luke xxii4 #bg4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,he says1 further1 that 8many other persons would appear such as ,jesus was1 to those who were willing to be deceived40 ,let this ,jew of ,celsus then show us1 not many persons1 nor even a few1 but a single individual1 such as ,jesus was1 introducing among the human race1 with the power that was manifested in ,him1 a system of doctrine and opinions beneficial to human life1 and which converts men from the practice of wickedness4 ,he says1 moreover1 that this charge is brought against the ,jews by the ,christian converts1 that they have not believed in ,jesus as in ,god4 ,now on this point we have1 in the preceding pages1 offered a preliminary defence1 showing at the same time in what respects we understand ,him to be ,god1 and in what we take ,him to be man4 8,how should we10 he continues1 8who have made known to all men that there is to come from ,god one who is to punish the wicked1 treat him with disregard when he came80 ,and to this1 as an exceedingly silly argument1 it does not seem to me reasonable to offer any answer4 ,it is as if some one were to say1 8,how could we1 who teach temperance1 commit any act of licentiousness8 or we1 who are ambassadors for righteousness1 be guilty of any wickedness80 ,for as these inconsistencies are found among men1 so1 to say that they believed the prophets when speaking of the future advent of ,christ1 and yet refused their belief to ,him when ,he came1 agreeably to prophetic statement1 was quite in keeping with human nature4 ,and since we must add another reason1 we shall remark that this very result was foretold by the prophets4 ,isaiah distinctly declares3 8,hearing ye shall hear1 and shall not understand2 and seeing ye shall see1 and shall not perceive3 for the heart of this people has become fat10#eg etc4 ,and let them explain why it was predicted to the ,jews1 that although they both heard and saw1 they would not understand what was said1 nor perceive what was seen as they ought4 ,for it is indeed manifest1 that when they beheld ,jesus they did not see who ,he was2 and when they heard ,him1 they did not understand from ,his words the divinity that was in ,him1 and which transferred ,god's providential care1 hitherto exercised over the ,jews1 to ,his converts from the heathen4 ,therefore we may see1 that after the advent of ,jesus the ,jews were altogether abandoned1 and possess now none of what were considered their ancient glories1 so that there is no indication of any ,divinity abiding amongst them4 ,for they have no longer prophets nor miracles1 traces of which to a considerable extent are still found among ,christians1 and some of them more remarkable than any that existed among the ,jews2 and these we ourselves have witnessed1 if our testimony may be received4 ,but the ,jew of ,celsus exclaims3 8,why did we treat him1 whom we announced beforehand1 with dishonour8 ,was it that we might be chastised more than others80 ,to which we have to answer1 that on account of their unbelief1 and the other insults which they heaped upon ,jesus1 the ,jews will not only suffer more than others in that judgment which is believed to impend over the world1 but have even already endured such sufferings4 ,for what nation is an exile from their own metropolis1 and from the place sacred to the worship of their fathers1 save the ,jews alone8 ,and these calamities they have suffered1 because they were a most wicked nation1 which1 although guilty of many other sins1 yet has been punished so severely for none1 as for those that were committed against our ,jesus4 ,footnote #eg3 ,isa4 vi4 #i4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,the ,jew continues his discourse thus3 8,how should we deem him to be a ,god1 who not only in other respects1 as was currently reported1 performed none of his promises1 but who also1 after we had convicted him1 and condemned him as deserving of punishment1 was found attempting to conceal himself1 and endeavouring to escape in a most disgraceful manner1 and who was betrayed by those whom he called disciples8 ,and yet10 he continues1 8he who was a ,god could neither flee nor be led away a prisoner2 and least of all could he be deserted and delivered up by those who had been his associates1 and had shared all things in common1 and had had him for their teacher1 who was deemed to be a ,saviour1 and a ,son of the greatest ,god1 and an angel40 ,to which we reply1 that even we do not suppose the body of ,jesus1 which was then an object of sight and perception1 to have been ,god4 ,and why do ,i say ,his body8 ,nay1 not even ,his soul1 of which it is related1 8,my soul is exceeding sorrowful1 even unto death40#eh ,but as1 according to the ,jewish manner of speaking1 8,i am the ,lord1 the ,god of all flesh10 and1 8,before me there was no ,god formed1 neither shall there be after me10 ,god is believed to be ,he who employs the soul and body of the prophet as an instrument2 and as1 according to the ,greeks1 he who says1 8,i know both the number of the sand1 and the measures of the sea1 ,and ,i understand a dumb man1 and hear him who does not speak10#ei is considered to be a god when speaking1 and making himself heard through the ,pythian priestess2 so1 according to our view1 it was the ,logos ,god1 and ,son of the ,god of all things1 who spake in ,jesus these words1 8,i am the way1 and the truth1 and the life20 and these1 8,i am the door20 and these1 8,i am the living bread that came down from heaven20 and other expressions similar to these4 ,we therefore charge the ,jews with not acknowledging ,him to be ,god1 to whom testimony was borne in many passages by the prophets1 to the effect that ,he was a mighty power1 and a ,god next to#fj the ,god and ,father of all things4 ,for we assert that it was to ,him the ,father gave the command1 when in the ,mosaic account of the creation ,he uttered the words1 8,let there be light10 and 8,let there be a firmament10 and gave the injunctions with regard to those other creative acts which were performed2 and that to ,him also were addressed the words1 8,let us make man in our own image and likeness20 and that the ,logos1 when commanded1 obeyed all the ,father's will4 ,and we make these statements not from our own conjectures1 but because we believe the prophecies circulated among the ,jews1 in which it is said of ,god1 and of the works of creation1 in express words1 as follows3 8,he spake1 and they were made2 ,he commanded1 and they were created40#fa ,now if ,god gave the command1 and the creatures were formed1 who1 according to the view of the spirit of prophecy1 could he be that was able to carry out such commands of the ,father1 save ,him who1 so to speak1 is the living ,logos and the ,truth8 ,and that the ,gospels do not consider him who in ,jesus said these words1 8,i am the way1 and the truth1 and the life10 to have been of so circumscribed a nature1#fb as to have an existence nowhere out of the soul and body of ,jesus1 is evident both from many considerations1 and from a few instances of the following kind which we shall quote4 ,john the ,baptist1 when predicting that the ,son of ,god was to appear immediately1 not in that body and soul1 but as manifesting ,himself everywhere1 says regarding ,him3 8,there stands in the midst of you ,one whom ye know not1 who cometh after me40#fc ,for if he had thought that the ,son of ,god was only there1 where was the visible body of ,jesus1 how could he have said1 8,there stands in the midst of you ,one whom ye know not80 ,and ,jesus ,himself1 in raising the minds of ,his disciples to higher thoughts of the ,son of ,god1 says3 8,where two or three are gathered together in my name1 there am ,i in the midst of you40#fd ,and of the same nature is ,his promise to ,his disciples3 8,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even to the end of the world40#fe ,and we quote these passages1 making no distinction between the ,son of ,god and ,jesus4 ,for the soul and body of ,jesus formed1 after the 1 one being with the ,logos of ,god4 ,now if1 according to ,paul's teaching1 8he that is joined unto the ,lord is one spirit10#ff every one who understands what being joined to the ,lord is1 and who has been actually joined to ,him1 is one spirit with the ,lord2 how should not that being be one in a far greater and more divine degree1 which was once united with the ,logos of ,god8#fg ,he1 indeed1 manifested ,himself among the ,jews as the power of ,god1 by the miracles which ,he performed1 which ,celsus suspected were accomplished by sorcery1 but which by the ,jews of that time were attributed1 ,i know not why1 to ,beelzebub1 in the words3 8,he casteth out devils through ,beelzebub1 the prince of the devils40#fh ,but these our ,saviour convicted of uttering the greatest absurdities1 from the fact that the kingdom of evil was not yet come to an end4 ,and this will be evident to all intelligent readers of the ,gospel narrative1 which it is not now the time to explain4 ,footnote #eh3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #ch4 ,footnote #ei3 ,herodot4 b4 i4 #dg4 ,footnote #fj3 4 8,ex mente ,origenis1 inquit ,boherellus1 vertendum #8,secundo post universi ,deum atque parentem loco2' non cum interprete ,gelenio1 #8,ipsius rerum universarum ,dei atque ,parentis testimonio4' ,nam si hic esset sensus1 frustra post 1 adderetur 4 ,prterea1 hc epitheta1 1 manifestam continent antithesin ad ista1 1 ut ,pater supra ,filium evehatur1 quemadmodum evehitur ab ,origene infra libro octavo1 num4 #ae4 1 1 inferiorem ordinem denotantis exempla afferre supersedeo1 cum obvia sint40--,,ru,,us4 ,footnote #fa3 ,ps4 cxlviii4 #e4 ,footnote #fb3 4 ,footnote #fc3 ,john i4 #bf4 ,footnote #fd3 ,matt4 xviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #fe3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #ff3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #af4 ,footnote #fg3 1 8 1 0 1 1 2 ,footnote #fh3 ,matt4 xii4 #bd4 ,chapter ,x4 ,but what promise did ,jesus make which ,he did not perform8 ,let ,celsus produce any instance of such1 and make good his charge4 ,but he will be unable to do so1 especially since it is from mistakes1 arising either from misapprehension of the ,gospel narratives1 or from ,jewish stories1 that he thinks to derive the charges which he brings against ,jesus or against ourselves4 ,moreover1 again1 when the ,jew says1 8,we both found him guilty1 and condemned him as deserving of death10 let them show how they who sought to concoct false witness against ,him proved ,him to be guilty4 ,was not the great charge against ,jesus1 which ,his accusers brought forward1 this1 that ,he said1 8,i am able to destroy the temple of ,god1 and after three days to raise it up again80#fi ,but in so saying1 ,he spake of the temple of ,his body2 while they thought1 not being able to understand the meaning of the speaker1 that ,his reference was to the temple of stone1 which was treated by the ,jews with greater respect than ,he was who ought to have been honoured as the true ,temple of ,god--the ,word1 and the ,wisdom1 and the ,truth4 ,and who can say that 8,jesus attempted to make ,his escape by disgracefully concealing ,himself80 ,let any one point to an act deserving to be called disgraceful4 ,and when he adds1 8he was taken prisoner10 ,i would say that1 if to be taken prisoner implies an act done against one's will1 then ,jesus was not taken prisoner2 for at the fitting time ,he did not prevent ,himself falling into the hands of men1 as the ,lamb of ,god1 that ,he might take away the sin of the world4 ,for1 knowing all things that were to come upon ,him1 ,he went forth1 and said to them1 8,whom seek ye80 and they answered1 8,jesus of ,nazareth20 and ,he said unto them1 8,i am ,he40 ,and ,judas also1 who betrayed ,him1 was standing with them4 ,when1 therefore1 ,he had said to them1 8,i am ,he10 they went backwards and fell to the ground4 ,again ,he asked them1 8,whom seek ye80 and they said again1 8,jesus of ,nazareth40 ,jesus said to them1 8,i told you ,i am ,he2 if then ye seek me1 let these go away40#gj ,nay1 even to him who wished to help ,him1 and who smote the high priest's servant1 and cut off his ear1 ,he said3 8,put up thy sword into its sheath3 for all they who draw the sword shall perish by the sword4 ,thinkest thou that ,i cannot even now pray to my ,father1 and ,he will presently give me more than twelve legions of angels8 ,but how then should the ,scriptures be fulfilled1 that thus it must be80#ga ,and if any one imagines these statements to be inventions of the writers of the ,gospels1 why should not those statements rather be regarded as inventions which proceeded from a spirit of hatred and hostility against ,jesus and the ,christians8 and these the truth1 which proceed from those who manifest the sincerity of their feelings towards ,jesus1 by enduring everything1 whatever it may be1 for the sake of ,his words8 ,for the reception by the disciples of such power of endurance and resolution continued even to death1 with a disposition of mind that would not invent regarding their ,teacher what was not true1 is a very evident proof to all candid judges that they were fully persuaded of the truth of what they wrote1 seeing they submitted to trials so numerous and so severe1 for the sake of ,him whom they believed to be the ,son of ,god4 ,footnote #fi3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #fa4 ,footnote #gj3 ,john xviii4 #d sqq4 ,footnote #ga3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #eb-ed4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,in the next place1 that ,he was betrayed by those whom ,he called ,his disciples1 is a circumstance which the ,jew of ,celsus learned from the ,gospels2 calling the one ,judas1 however1 8many disciples10 that he might seem to add force to the accusation4 ,nor did he trouble himself to take note of all that is related concerning ,judas2 how this ,judas1 having come to entertain opposite and conflicting opinions regarding his ,master1 neither opposed ,him with his whole soul1 nor yet with his whole soul preserved the respect due by a pupil to his teacher4 ,for he that betrayed ,him gave to the multitude that came to apprehend ,jesus1 a sign1 saying1 8,whomsoever ,i shall kiss1 it is he2 seize ye him10--retaining still some element of respect for his ,master3 for unless he had done so1 he would have betrayed ,him1 even publicly1 without any pretence of affection4 ,this circumstance1 therefore1 will satisfy all with regard to the purpose of ,judas1 that along with his covetous disposition1 and his wicked design to betray his ,master1 he had still a feeling of a mixed character in his mind1 produced in him by the words of ,jesus1 which had the appearance 7so to speak7 of some remnant of good4 ,for it is related that1 8when ,judas1 who betrayed ,him1 knew that ,he was condemned1 he repented1 and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the high priest and elders1 saying1 ,i have sinned1 in that ,i have betrayed the innocent blood4 ,but they said1 ,what is that to us8 see thou to that20#gb--;and that1 having thrown the money down in the temple1 he departed1 and went and hanged himself4 ,but if this covetous ,judas1 who also stole the money placed in the bag for the relief of the poor1 repented1 and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders1 it is clear that the instructions of ,jesus had been able to produce some feeling of repentance in his mind1 and were not altogether despised and loathed by this traitor4 ,nay1 the declaration1 8,i have sinned1 in that ,i have betrayed the innocent blood10 was a public acknowledgment of his crime4 ,observe1 also1 how exceedingly passionate#gc was the sorrow for his sins that proceeded from that repentance1 and which would not suffer him any longer to live2 and how1 after he had cast the money down in the temple1 he withdrew1 and went away and hanged himself3 for he passed sentence upon himself1 showing what a power the teaching of ,jesus had over this sinner ,judas1 this thief and traitor1 who could not always treat with contempt what he had learned from ,jesus4 ,will ,celsus and his friends now say that those proofs which show that the apostasy of ,judas was not a complete apostasy1 even after his attempts against his ,master1 are inventions1 and that this alone is true1 viz4 that one of ,his disciples betrayed ,him2 and will they add to the scriptural account that he betrayed ,him also with his whole heart8 ,to act in this spirit of hostility with the same writings1 both as to what we are to believe and what we are not to believe1 is absurd4#gd ,and if we must make a statement regarding ,judas which may overwhelm our opponents with shame1 we would say that1 in the book of ,psalms1 the whole of the #ajhth contains a prophecy about ,judas1 the beginning of which is this3 8,o ,god1 hold not ,thy peace before my praise2 for the mouth of the sinner1 and the mouth of the crafty man1 are opened against me40#ge ,and it is predicted in this psalm1 both that ,judas separated himself from the number of the apostles on account of his sins1 and that another was selected in his place2 and this is shown by the words3 8,and his bishopric let another take40#gf ,but suppose now that ,he had been betrayed by some one of ,his disciples1 who was possessed by a worse spirit than ,judas1 and who had completely poured out1 as it were1 all the words which he had heard from ,jesus1 what would this contribute to an accusation against ,jesus or the ,christian religion8 ,and how will this demonstrate its doctrine to be false8 ,we have replied in the preceding chapter to the statements which follow this1 showing that ,jesus was not taken prisoner when attempting to flee1 but that ,he gave ,himself up voluntarily for the sake of us all4 ,whence it follows1 that even if ,he were bound1 ,he was bound agreeably to ,his own will2 thus teaching us the lesson that we should undertake similar things for the sake of religion in no spirit of unwillingness4 ,footnote #gb3 ,matt4 xxvii4 #c-e4 ,footnote #gc3 4 ,footnote #gd3 4 ,footnote #ge3 ,ps4 cix4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #gf3 ,ps4 cix4 #h4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,and the following appear to me to be childish assertions1 viz4 that 8no good general and leader of great multitudes was ever betrayed2 nor even a wicked captain of robbers and commander of very wicked men1 who seemed to be of any use to his associates2 but ,jesus1 having been betrayed by his subordinates1 neither governed like a good general1 nor1 after deceiving his disciples1 produced in the minds of the victims of his deceit that feeling of good-will which1 so to speak1 would be manifested towards a brigand chief40 ,now one might find many accounts of generals who were betrayed by their own soldiers1 and of robber chiefs who were captured through the instrumentality of those who did not keep their bargains with them4 ,but grant that no general or robber chief was ever betrayed1 what does that contribute to the establishment of the fact as a charge against ,jesus1 that one of ,his disciples became ,his betrayer8 ,and since ,celsus makes an ostentatious exhibition of philosophy1 ,i would ask of him1 ,if1 then1 it was a charge against ,plato1 that ,aristotle1 after being his pupil for twenty years1 went away and assailed his doctrine of the immortality of the soul1 and styled the ideas of ,plato the merest trifling8#gg ,and if ,i were still in doubt1 ,i would continue thus3 ,was ,plato no longer mighty in dialectics1 nor able to defend his views1 after ,aristotle had taken his departure2 and1 on that account1 are the opinions of ,plato false8 ,or may it not be1 that while ,plato is true1 as the pupils of his philosophy would maintain1 ,aristotle was guilty of wickedness and ingratitude towards his teacher8 ,nay1 ,chrysippus also1 in many places of his writings1 appears to assail ,cleanthes1 introducing novel opinions opposed to his views1 although the latter had been his teacher when he was a young man1 and began the study of philosophy4 ,aristotle1 indeed1 is said to have been ,plato's pupil for twenty years1 and no inconsiderable period was spent by ,chrysippus in the school of ,cleanthes2 while ,judas did not remain so much as three years with ,jesus4 ,but from the narratives of the lives of philosophers we might take many instances similar to those on which ,celsus founds a charge against ,jesus on account of ,judas4 ,even the ,pythagoreans erected cenotaphs#gh to those who1 after betaking themselves to philosophy1 fell back again into their ignorant mode of life2 and yet neither was ,pythagoras nor his followers1 on that account1 weak in argument and demonstration4 ,footnote #gg3 4 ,footnote #gh3 ,cf4 ,clem4 ,alex4 ,strom4 v4 c4 ix4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,this ,jew of ,celsus continues1 after the above1 in the following fashion3 8,although he could state many things regarding the events of the life of ,jesus which are true1 and not like those which are recorded by the disciples1 he willingly omits them40 ,what1 then1 are those true statements1 unlike the accounts in the ,gospels1 which the ,jew of ,celsus passes by without mention8 ,or is he only employing what appears to be a figure of speech1#gi in pretending to have something to say1 while in reality he had nothing to produce beyond the ,gospel narrative which could impress the hearer with a feeling of its truth1 and furnish a clear ground of accusation against ,jesus and ,his doctrine8 ,and he charges the disciples with having invented the statement that ,jesus foreknew and foretold all that happened to ,him2 but the truth of this statement we shall establish1 although ,celsus may not like it1 by means of many other predictions uttered by the ,saviour1 in which ,he foretold what would befall the ,christians in after generations4 ,and who is there who would not be astonished at this prediction3 8,ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake1 for a testimony against them and the ,gentiles20#hj and at any others which ,he may have delivered respecting the future persecution of ,his disciples8 ,for what system of opinions ever existed among men on account of which others are punished1 so that any one of the accusers of ,jesus could say that1 foreseeing the impiety or falsity of his opinions to be the ground of an accusation against them1 he thought that this would redound to his credit1 that he had so predicted regarding it long before8 ,now if any deserve to be brought1 on account of their opinions1 before governors and kings1 what others are they1 save the ,epicureans1 who altogether deny the existence of providence8 ,and also the ,peripatetics1 who say that prayers are of no avail1 and sacrifices offered as to the ,divinity8 ,but some one will say that the ,samaritans suffer persecution because of their religion4 ,in answer to whom we shall state that the ,sicarians1#ha on account of the practice of circumcision1 as mutilating themselves contrary to the established laws and the customs permitted to the ,jews alone1 are put to death4 ,and you never hear a judge inquiring whether a ,sicarian who strives to live according to this established religion of his will be released from punishment if he apostatizes1 but will be led away to death if he continues firm2 for the evidence of the circumcision is sufficient to ensure the death of him who has undergone it4 ,but ,christians alone1 according to the prediction of their ,saviour1 8,ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake10 are urged up to their last breath by their judges to deny ,christianity1 and to sacrifice according to the public customs2 and after the oath of abjuration1 to return to their homes1 and to live in safety4 ,and observe whether it is not with great authority that this declaration is uttered3 8,whosoever therefore shall confess me before men1 him will ,i confess also before my ,father who is in heaven4 ,and whosoever shall deny me before men10#hb etc4 ,and go back with me in thought to ,jesus when ,he uttered these words1 and see ,his predictions not yet accomplished4 ,perhaps you will say1 in a spirit of incredulity1 that he is talking folly1 and speaking to no purpose1 for his words will have no fulfilment2 or1 being in doubt about assenting to his words1 you will say1 that if these predictions be fulfilled1 and the doctrine of ,jesus be established1 so that governors and kings think of destroying those who acknowledge ,jesus1 then we shall believe that he utters these prophecies as one who has received great power from ,god to implant this doctrine among the human race1 and as believing that it will prevail4 ,and who will not be filled with wonder1 when he goes back in thought to ,him who then taught and said1 8,this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world1 for a testimony against them and the ,gentiles10 and beholds1 agreeably to ,his words1 the gospel of ,jesus ,christ preached in the whole world under heaven to ,greeks and barbarians1 wise and foolish alike8 ,for the word1 spoken with power1 has gained the mastery over men of all sorts of nature1 and it is impossible to see any race of men which has escaped accepting the teaching of ,jesus4 ,but let this ,jew of ,celsus1 who does not believe that ,he foreknew all that happened to ,him1 consider how1 while ,jerusalem was still standing1 and the whole ,jewish worship celebrated in it1 ,jesus foretold what would befall it from the hand of the ,romans4 ,for they will not maintain that the acquaintances and pupils of ,jesus ,himself handed down ,his teaching contained in the ,gospels without committing it to writing1 and left ,his disciples without the memoirs of ,jesus contained in their works4 ,now in these it is recorded1 that 8when ye shall see ,jerusalem compassed about with armies1 then shall ye know that the desolation thereof is nigh40#hc ,but at that time there were no armies around ,jerusalem1 encompassing and enclosing and besieging it2 for the siege began in the reign of ,nero1 and lasted till the government of ,vespasian1 whose son ,titus destroyed ,jerusalem1 on account1 as ,josephus says1 of ,james the ,just1 the brother of ,jesus who was called ,christ1 but in reality1 as the truth makes clear1 on account of ,jesus ,christ the ,son of ,god4 ,footnote #gi3 4 ,footnote #hj3 ,matt4 x4 #ah4 ,footnote #ha3 ,modestinus1 lib4 vi4 ,regularum1 ad legem ,corneliam de ,sicariis3 8,circumcidere filios suos ,judis tantum rescripto divi ,pii permittitur3 in non ejusdem religionis qui hoc fecerit1 castrantis pna irrogatur40 ,footnote #hb3 ,matt4 x4 #ah4 ,footnote #hc3 ,matt4 xxiv4 #ad4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,celsus1 however1 accepting or granting that ,jesus foreknew what would befall ,him1 might think to make light of the admission1 as he did in the case of the miracles1 when he alleged that they were wrought by means of sorcery2 for he might say that many persons by means of divination1 either by auspices1 or auguries1 or sacrifices1 or nativities1 have come to the knowledge of what was to happen4 ,but this concession he would not make1 as being too great a one2 and although he somehow granted that ,jesus worked miracles1 he thought to weaken the force of this by the charge of sorcery4 ,now ,phlegon1 in the thirteenth or fourteenth book1 ,i think1 of his ,chronicles1 not only ascribed to ,jesus a knowledge of future events 7although falling into confusion about some things which refer to ,peter1 as if they referred to ,jesus71 but also testified that the result corresponded to ,his predictions4 ,so that he also1 by these very admissions regarding foreknowledge1 as if against his will1 expressed his opinion that the doctrines taught by the fathers of our system were not devoid of divine power4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,celsus continues3 8,the disciples of ,jesus1 having no undoubted fact on which to rely1 devised the fiction that he foreknew everything before it happened20 not observing1 or not wishing to observe1 the love of truth which actuated the writers1 who acknowledged that ,jesus had told ,his disciples beforehand1 8,all ye shall be offended because of me this night10--a statement which was fulfilled by their all being offended2 and that ,he predicted to ,peter1 8,before the cock crow1 thou shalt deny me thrice10 which was followed by ,peter's threefold denial4 ,now if they had not been lovers of truth1 but1 as ,celsus supposes1 inventors of fictions1 they would not have represented ,peter as denying1 nor ,his disciples as being offended4 ,for although these events actually happened1 who could have proved that they turned out in that manner8 ,and yet1 according to all probability1 these were matters which ought to have been passed over in silence by men who wished to teach the readers of the ,gospels to despise death for the sake of confessing ,christianity4 ,but now1 seeing that the word1 by its power1 will gain the mastery over men1 they related those facts which they have done1 and which1 ,i know not how1 were neither to do any harm to their readers1 nor to afford any pretext for denial4 ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,exceedingly weak is his assertion1 that 8the disciples of ,jesus wrote such accounts regarding him1 by way of extenuating the charges that told against him3 as if10 he says1 8any one were to say that a certain person was a just man1 and yet were to show that he was guilty of injustice2 or that he was pious1 and yet had committed murder2 or that he was immortal1 and yet was dead2 subjoining to all these statements the remark that he had foretold all these things40 ,now his illustrations are at once seen to be inappropriate2 for there is no absurdity in ,him who had resolved that ,he would become a living pattern to men1 as to the manner in which they were to regulate their lives1 showing also how they ought to die for the sake of their religion1 apart altogether from the fact that ,his death on behalf of men was a benefit to the whole world1 as we proved in the preceding book4 ,he imagines1 moreover1 that the whole of the confession of the ,saviour's sufferings confirms his objection instead of weakening it4 ,for he is not acquainted either with the philosophical remarks of ,paul1#hd or the statements of the prophets1 on this subject4 ,and it escaped him that certain heretics have declared that ,jesus underwent ,his sufferings in appearance1 not in reality4 ,for had he known1 he would not have said3 8,for ye do not even allege this1 that he seemed to wicked men to suffer this punishment1 though not undergoing it in reality2 but1 on the contrary1 ye acknowledge that he openly suffered40 ,but we do not view ,his sufferings as having been merely in appearance1 in order that ,his resurrection also may not be a false1 but a real event4 ,for he who really died1 actually arose1 if he did arise2 whereas he who appeared only to have died1 did not in reality arise4 ,but since the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ is a subject of mockery to unbelievers1 we shall quote the words of ,plato1#he that ,herus the son of ,armenius rose from the funeral pile twelve days after he had been laid upon it1 and gave an account of what he had seen in ,hades2 and as we are replying to unbelievers1 it will not be altogether useless to refer in this place to what ,heraclides#hf relates respecting the woman who was deprived of life4 ,and many persons are recorded to have risen from their tombs1 not only on the day of their burial1 but also on the day following4 ,what wonder is it1 then1 if in the case of one who performed many marvellous things1 both beyond the power of man and with such fulness of evidence1 that he who could not deny their performance1 endeavoured to calumniate them by comparing them to acts of sorcery1 should have manifested also in ,his death some greater display of divine power1 so that ,his soul1 if it pleased1 might leave its body1 and having performed certain offices out of it1 might return again at pleasure8 ,and such a declaration is ,jesus said to have made in the ,gospel of ,john1 when ,he said3 8,no man taketh my life from me1 but ,i lay it down of myself4 ,i have power to lay it down1 and ,i have power to take it again40#hg ,and perhaps it was on this account that ,he hastened ,his departure from the body1 that ,he might preserve it1 and that ,his legs might not be broken1 as were those of the robbers who were crucified with ,him4 8,for the soldiers broke the legs of the first1 and of the other who was crucified with ,him2 but when they came to ,jesus1 and saw that ,he was dead1 they brake not ,his legs40#hh ,we have accordingly answered the question1 8,how is it credible that ,jesus could have predicted these things80 ,and with respect to this1 8,how could the dead man be immortal80 let him who wishes to understand know1 that it is not the dead man who is immortal1 but ,he who rose from the dead4 ,so far1 indeed1 was the dead man from being immortal1 that even the ,jesus before ,his decease--the compound being1 who was to suffer death--was not immortal4#hi ,for no one is immortal who is destined to die2 but he is immortal when he shall no longer be subject to death4 ,but 8,christ1 being raised from the dead1 dieth no more3 death hath no more dominion over ,him20#ij although those may be unwilling to admit this who cannot understand how such things should be said4 ,footnote #hd3 4 ,footnote #he3 ,cf4 ,plato1 de ,rep4 x4 ,footnote #hf3 ,cf4 ,plin4 ,nat4 ,hist4 vii4 c4 #eb4 ,footnote #hg3 ,john x4 #ah4 ,footnote #hh3 ,john xix4 #eb4 ,footnote #hi3 1 ' ' 1 4 ,footnote #ij3 ,rom4 vi4 #i4 ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,extremely foolish also is his remark1 8,what ,god1 or spirit1 or prudent man would not1 on foreseeing that such events were to befall him1 avoid them if he could2 whereas he threw himself headlong into those things which he knew beforehand were to happen80 ,and yet ,socrates knew that he would die after drinking the hemlock1 and it was in his power1 if he had allowed himself to be persuaded by ,crito1 by escaping from prison1 to avoid these calamities2 but nevertheless he decided1 as it appeared to him consistent with right reason1 that it was better for him to die as became a philosopher1 than to retain his life in a manner unbecoming one4 ,leonidas also1 the ,lacedemonian general1 knowing that he was on the point of dying with his followers at ,thermopyl1 did not make any effort to preserve his life by disgraceful means1 but said to his companions1 8,let us go to breakfast1 as we shall sup in ,hades40 ,and those who are interested in collecting stories of this kind1 will find numbers of them4 ,now1 where is the wonder if ,jesus1 knowing all things that were to happen1 did not avoid them1 but encountered what ,he foreknew2 when ,paul1 ,his own disciple1 having heard what would befall him when he went up to ,jerusalem1 proceeded to face the danger1 reproaching those who were weeping around him1 and endeavouring to prevent him from going up to ,jerusalem8 ,many also of our contemporaries1 knowing well that if they made a confession of ,christianity they would be put to death1 but that if they denied it they would be liberated1 and their property restored1 despised life1 and voluntarily selected death for the sake of their religion4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,after this the ,jew makes another silly remark1 saying1 8,how is it that1 if ,jesus pointed out beforehand both the traitor and the perjurer1 they did not fear him as a ,god1 and cease1 the one from his intended treason1 and the other from his perjury80 ,here the learned ,celsus did not see the contradiction in his statement3 for if ,jesus foreknew events as a ,god1 then it was impossible for ,his foreknowledge to prove untrue2 and therefore it was impossible for him who was known to ,him as going to betray ,him not to execute his purpose1 nor for him who was rebuked as going to deny ,him not to have been guilty of that crime4 ,for if it had been possible for the one to abstain from the act of betrayal1 and the other from that of denial1 as having been warned of the consequences of these actions beforehand1 then ,his words were no longer true1 who predicted that the one would betray ,him and the other deny ,him4 ,for if ,he had foreknowledge of the traitor1 ,he knew the wickedness in which the treason originated1 and this wickedness was by no means taken away by the foreknowledge4 ,and1 again1 if ,he had ascertained that one would deny ,him1 ,he made that prediction from seeing the weakness out of which that act of denial would arise1 and yet this weakness was not to be taken away thus at once#ia by the foreknowledge4 ,but whence he derived the statement1 8that these persons betrayed and denied him without manifesting any concern about him10 ,i know not2 for it was proved1 with respect to the traitor1 that it is false to say that he betrayed his master without an exhibition of anxiety regarding ,him4 ,and this was shown to be equally true of him who denied ,him2 for he went out1 after the denial1 and wept bitterly4 ,footnote #ia3 4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,superficial also is his objection1 that 8it is always the case when a man against whom a plot is formed1 and who comes to the knowledge of it1 makes known to the conspirators that he is acquainted with their design1 that the latter are turned from their purpose1 and keep upon their guard40 ,for many have continued to plot even against those who were acquainted with their plans4 ,and then1 as if bringing his argument to a conclusion1 he says3 8,not because these things were predicted did they come to pass1 for that is impossible2 but since they have come to pass1 their being predicted is shown to be a falsehood3 for it is altogether impossible that those who heard beforehand of the discovery of their designs1 should carry out their plans of betrayal and denial60 ,but if his premisses are overthrown1 then his conclusion also falls to the ground1 viz4 8that we are not to believe1 because these things were predicted1 that they have come to pass40 ,now we maintain that they not only came to pass as being possible1 but also that1 because they came to pass1 the fact of their being predicted is shown to be true2 for the truth regarding future events is judged of by results4 ,it is false1 therefore1 as asserted by him1 that the prediction of these events is proved to be untrue2 and it is to no purpose that he says1 8,it is altogether impossible for those who heard beforehand that their designs were discovered1 to carry out their plans of betrayal and denial40 ,chapter ,,xx4 ,let us see how he continues after this3 8,these events10 he says1 8he predicted as being a ,god1 and the prediction must by all means come to pass4 ,god1 therefore1 who above all others ought to do good to men1 and especially to those of his own household1 led on his own disciples and prophets1 with whom he was in the habit of eating and drinking1 to such a degree of wickedness1 that they became impious and unholy men4 ,now1 of a truth1 he who shared a man's table would not be guilty of conspiring against him2 but after banqueting with ,god1 he became a conspirator4 ,and1 what is still more absurd1 ,god himself plotted against the members of his own table1 by converting them into traitors and villains60 ,now1 since you wish me to answer even those charges of ,celsus which seem to me frivolous1#ib the following is our reply to such statements4 ,celsus imagines that an event1 predicted through foreknowledge1 comes to pass because it was predicted2 but we do not grant this1 maintaining that he who foretold it was not the cause of its happening1 because he foretold it would happen2 but the future event itself1 which would have taken place though not predicted1 afforded the occasion to him1 who was endowed with foreknowledge1 of foretelling its occurrence4 ,now1 certainly this result is present to the foreknowledge of him who predicts an event1 when it is possible that it may or may not happen1 viz4 that one or other of these things will take place4 ,for we do not assert that he who foreknows an event1 by secretly taking away the possibility of its happening or not1 makes any such declaration as this3 8,this shall infallibly happen1 and it is impossible that it can be otherwise40 ,and this remark applies to all the foreknowledge of events dependent upon ourselves1 whether contained in the sacred ,scriptures or in the histories of the ,greeks4 ,now1 what is called by logicians an 8idle argument10#ic which is a sophism1 will be no sophism as far as ,celsus can help1 but according to sound reasoning it is a sophism4 ,and that this may be seen1 ,i shall take from the ,scriptures the predictions regarding ,judas1 or the foreknowledge of our ,saviour regarding him as the traitor2 and from the ,greek histories the oracle that was given to ,laius1 conceding for the present its truth1 since it does not affect the argument4 ,now1 in ,ps4 cix41 ,judas is spoken of by the mouth of the ,saviour1 in words beginning thus3 8,hold not ,thy peace1 ,o ,god of my praise2 for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me40 ,now1 if you carefully observe the contents of the psalm1 you will find that1 as it was foreknown that he would betray the ,saviour1 so also was he considered to be himself the cause of the betrayal1 and deserving1 on account of his wickedness1 of the imprecations contained in the prophecy4 ,for let him suffer these things1 8because10 says the psalmist1 8he remembered not to show mercy1 but persecuted the poor and needy man40 ,wherefore it was possible for him to show mercy1 and not to persecute him whom he did persecute4 ,but although he might have done these things1 he did not do them1 but carried out the act of treason1 so as to merit the curses pronounced against him in the prophecy4 ,and in answer to the ,greeks we shall quote the following oracular response to ,laius1 as recorded by the tragic poet1 either in the exact words of the oracle or in equivalent terms4 ,future events are thus made known to him by the oracle3 8,do not try to beget children against the will of the gods4 ,for if you beget a son1 your son shall murder you2 and all your household shall wade in blood40#id ,now from this it is clear that it was within the power of ,laius not to try to beget children1 for the oracle would not have commanded an impossibility2 and it was also in his power to do the opposite1 so that neither of these courses was compulsory4 ,and the consequence of his not guarding against the begetting of children was1 that he suffered from so doing the calamities described in the tragedies relating to dipus and ,jocasta and their sons4 ,now that which is called the 8idle argument10 being a quibble1 is such as might be applied1 say in the case of a sick man1 with the view of sophistically preventing him from employing a physician to promote his recovery2 and it is something like this3 8,if it is decreed that you should recover from your disease1 you will recover whether you call in a physician or not2 but if it is decreed that you should not recover1 you will not recover whether you call in a physician or no4 ,but it is certainly decreed either that you should recover1 or that you should not recover2 and therefore it is in vain that you call in a physician40 ,now with this argument the following may be wittily compared3 8,if it is decreed that you should beget children1 you will beget them1 whether you have intercourse with a woman or not4 ,but if it is decreed that you should not beget children1 you will not do so1 whether you have intercourse with a woman or no4 ,now1 certainly1 it is decreed either that you should beget children or not2 therefore it is in vain that you have intercourse with a woman40 ,for1 as in the latter instance1 intercourse with a woman is not employed in vain1 seeing it is an utter impossibility for him who does not use it to beget children2 so1 in the former1 if recovery from disease is to be accomplished by means of the healing art1 of necessity the physician is summoned1 and it is therefore false to say that 8in vain do you call in a physician40 ,we have brought forward all these illustrations on account of the assertion of this learned ,celsus1 that 8being a ,god he predicted these things1 and the predictions must by all means come to pass40 ,now1 if by 8by all means0 he means 8necessarily10 we cannot admit this4 ,for it was quite possible1 also1 that they might not come to pass4 ,but if he uses 8by all means0 in the sense of 8simple futurity10#ie which nothing hinders from being true 7although it was possible that they might not happen71 he does not at all touch my argument2 nor did it follow1 from ,jesus having predicted the acts of the traitor or the perjurer1 that it was the same thing with ,his being the cause of such impious and unholy proceedings4 ,for ,he who was amongst us1 and knew what was in man1 seeing his evil disposition1 and foreseeing what he would attempt from his spirit of covetousness1 and from his want of stable ideas of duty towards his ,master1 along with many other declarations1 gave utterance to this also3 8,he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish1 the same shall betray me40#if ,footnote #ib3 4 ,footnote #ic3 4 ,footnote #id3 ,euripid4 ,phniss1 #ah-bj4 ,footnote #ie3 4 ,footnote #if3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #bc4 ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,observe also the superficiality and manifest falsity of such a statement of ,celsus1 when he asserts 8that he who was partaker of a man's table would not conspire against him2 and if he would not conspire against a man1 much less would he plot against a ,god after banqueting with him40 ,for who does not know that many persons1 after partaking of the salt on the table1#ig have entered into a conspiracy against their entertainers8 ,the whole of ,greek and barbarian history is full of such instances4 ,and the ,iambic poet of ,paros1#ih when upbraiding ,lycambes with having violated covenants confirmed by the salt of the table1 says to him3 8,but thou hast broken a mighty oath--that1 viz41 by the salt of the table40 ,and they who are interested in historical learning1 and who give themselves wholly to it1 to the neglect of other branches of knowledge more necessary for the conduct of life1#ii can quote numerous instances1 showing that they who shared in the hospitality of others entered into conspiracies against them4 ,footnote #ig3 4 ,footnote #ih3 ,archilochus4 ,footnote #ii3 ,guietus would expunge these words as 8inept40 ,chapter ,,xxii4 ,he adds to this1 as if he had brought together an argument with conclusive demonstrations and consequences1 the following3 8,and1 which is still more absurd1 ,god himself conspired against those who sat at his table1 by converting them into traitors and impious men40 ,but how ,jesus could either conspire or convert ,his disciples into traitors or impious men1 it would be impossible for him to prove1 save by means of such a deduction as any one could refute with the greatest ease4 ,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,he continues in this strain3 8,if he had determined upon these things1 and underwent chastisement in obedience to his ,father1 it is manifest that1 being a ,god1 and submitting voluntarily1 those things that were done agreeably to his own decision were neither painful nor distressing40 ,but he did not observe that here he was at once contradicting himself4 ,for if he granted that ,he was chastised because ,he had determined upon these things1 and had submitted ,himself to ,his ,father1 it is clear that ,he actually suffered punishment1 and it was impossible that what was inflicted on ,him by ,his chastisers should not be painful1 because pain is an involuntary thing4 ,but if1 because ,he was willing to suffer1 ,his inflictions were neither painful nor distressing1 how did ,he grant that 8,he was chastised80 ,he did not perceive that when ,jesus had once1 by ,his birth1 assumed a body1 ,he assumed one which was capable both of suffering pains1 and those distresses incidental to humanity1 if we are to understand by distresses what no one voluntarily chooses4 ,since1 therefore1 ,he voluntarily assumed a body1 not wholly of a different nature from that of human flesh1 so along with ,his body ,he assumed also its sufferings and distresses1 which it was not in ,his power to avoid enduring1 it being in the power of those who inflicted them to send upon ,him things distressing and painful4 ,and in the preceding pages we have already shown1 that ,he would not have come into the hands of men had ,he not so willed4 ,but ,he did come1 because ,he was willing to come1 and because it was manifest beforehand that ,his dying upon behalf of men would be of advantage to the whole human race4 ,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,after this1 wishing to prove that the occurrences which befell ,him were painful and distressing1 and that it was impossible for ,him1 had ,he wished1 to render them otherwise1 he proceeds3 8,why does he mourn1 and lament1 and pray to escape the fear of death1 expressing himself in terms like these3 #8,o ,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me8'0#ajj ,now in these words observe the malignity of ,celsus1 how not accepting the love of truth which actuates the writers of the ,gospels 7who might have passed over in silence those points which1 as ,celsus thinks1 are censurable1 but who did not omit them for many reasons1 which any one1 in expounding the ,gospel1 can give in their proper place71 he brings an accusation against the ,gospel statement1 grossly exaggerating the facts1 and quoting what is not written in the ,gospels1 seeing it is nowhere found that ,jesus lamented4 ,and he changes the words in the expression1 8,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me10 and does not give what follows immediately after1 which manifests at once the ready obedience of ,jesus to ,his ,father1 and ,his greatness of mind1 and which runs thus3 8,nevertheless1 not as ,i will1 but as ,thou wilt40#aja ,nay1 even the cheerful obedience of ,jesus to the will of ,his ,father in those things which ,he was condemned to suffer1 exhibited in the declaration1 8,if this cup cannot pass from me except ,i drink it1 ,thy will be done10 he pretends not to have observed1 acting here like those wicked individuals who listen to the ,holy ,scriptures in a malignant spirit1 and 8who talk wickedness with lofty head40 ,for they appear to have heard the declaration1 8,i kill10#ajb and they often make it to us a subject of reproach2 but the words1 8,i will make alive10 they do not remember1--the whole sentence showing that those who live amid public wickedness1 and who work wickedly1 are put to death by ,god1 and that a better life is infused into them instead1 even one which ,god will give to those who have died to sin4 ,and so also these men have heard the words1 8,i will smite20 but they do not see these1 8and ,i will heal10 which are like the words of a physician1 who cuts bodies asunder1 and inflicts severe wounds1 in order to extract from them substances that are injurious and prejudicial to health1 and who does not terminate his work with pains and lacerations1 but by his treatment restores the body to that state of soundness which he has in view4 ,moreover1 they have not heard the whole of the announcement1 8,for ,he maketh sore1 and again bindeth up20 but only this part1 8,he maketh sore40 ,so in like manner acts this ,jew of ,celsus1 who quotes the words1 8,o ,father1 would that this cup might pass from me20 but who does not add what follows1 and which exhibits the firmness of ,jesus1 and ,his preparedness for suffering4 ,but these matters1 which afford great room for explanation from the wisdom of ,god1 and which may reasonably be pondered over#ajc by those whom ,paul calls 8perfect0 when he said1 8,we speak wisdom among them who are perfect10#ajd we pass by for the present1 and shall speak for a little of those matters which are useful for our present purpose4 ,footnote #ajj3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #ci4 ,footnote #aja3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #ci4 ,footnote #ajb3 ,deut4 xxxii4 #ci4 ,footnote #ajc3 1 4 ,footnote #ajd3 #a ,cor4 ii4 #f4 ,chapter ,,xxv4 ,we have mentioned in the preceding pages that there are some of the declarations of ,jesus which refer to that ,being in ,him which was the 8first-born of every creature10 such as1 8,i am the way1 and the truth1 and the life10 and such like2 and others1 again1 which belong to that in ,him which is understood to be man1 such as1 8,but now ye seek to kill me1 a man that hath told you the truth which ,i have heard of the ,father40#aje ,and here1 accordingly1 he describes the element of weakness belonging to human flesh1 and that of readiness of spirit which existed in ,his humanity3 the element of weakness in the expression1 8,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me20 the readiness of the spirit in this1 8,nevertheless1 not as ,i will1 but as ,thou wilt40 ,and since it is proper to observe the order of our quotations1 observe that1 in the first place1 there is mentioned only the single instance1 as one would say1 indicating the weakness of the flesh2 and afterwards those other instances1 greater in number1 manifesting the willingness of the spirit4 ,for the expression1 8,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me10 is only one3 whereas more numerous are those others1 viz41 8,not as ,i will1 but as ,thou wilt20 and1 8,o my ,father1 if this cup cannot pass from me except ,i drink it1 ,thy will be done40 ,it is to be noted also1 that the words are not1 8let this cup depart from me20 but that the whole expression is marked by a tone of piety and reverence1 8,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me40 ,i know1 indeed1 that there is another explanation of this passage to the following effect3--,the ,saviour1 foreseeing the sufferings which the ,jewish people and the city of ,jerusalem were to undergo in requital of the wicked deeds which the ,jews had dared to perpetrate upon ,him1 from no other motive than that of the purest philanthropy towards them1 and from a desire that they might escape the impending calamities1 gave utterance to the prayer1 8,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me40 ,it is as if ,he had said1 8,because of my drinking this cup of punishment1 the whole nation will be forsaken by ,thee1 ,i pray1 if it be possible1 that this cup may pass from me1 in order that ,thy portion1 which was guilty of such crimes against me1 may not be altogether deserted by ,thee40 ,but if1 as ,celsus would allege1 8nothing at that time was done to ,jesus which was either painful or distressing10 how could men afterwards quote the example of ,jesus as enduring sufferings for the sake of religion1 if ,he did not suffer what are human sufferings1 but only had the appearance of so doing8 ,footnote #aje3 ,john viii4 #dj4 ,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,this ,jew of ,celsus still accuses the disciples of ,jesus of having invented these statements1 saying to them3 8,even although guilty of falsehood1 ye have not been able to give a colour of credibility to your inventions40 ,in answer to which we have to say1 that there was an easy method of concealing these occurrences1--that1 viz41 of not recording them at all4 ,for if the ,gospels had not contained the accounts of these things1 who could have reproached us with ,jesus having spoken such words during ,his stay upon the earth8 ,celsus1 indeed1 did not see that it was an inconsistency for the same persons both to be deceived regarding ,jesus1 believing ,him to be ,god1 and the subject of prophecy1 and to invent fictions about ,him1 knowing manifestly that these statements were false4 ,of a truth1 therefore1 they were not guilty of inventing untruths1 but such were their real impressions1 and they recorded them truly2 or else they were guilty of falsifying the histories1 and did not entertain these views1 and were not deceived when they acknowledged ,him to be ,god4 ,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,after this he says1 that certain of the ,christian believers1 like persons who in a fit of drunkenness lay violent hands upon themselves1 have corrupted the ,gospel from its original integrity1 to a threefold1 and fourfold1 and many-fold degree1 and have remodelled it1 so that they might be able to answer objections4 ,now ,i know of no others who have altered the ,gospel1 save the followers of ,marcion1 and those of ,valentinus1 and1 ,i think1 also those of ,lucian4 ,but such an allegation is no charge against the ,christian system1 but against those who dared so to trifle with the ,gospels4 ,and as it is no ground of accusation against philosophy1 that there exist ,sophists1 or ,epicureans1 or ,peripatetics1 or any others1 whoever they may be1 who hold false opinions2 so neither is it against genuine ,christianity that there are some who corrupt the ,gospel histories1 and who introduce heresies opposed to the meaning of the doctrine of ,jesus4 ,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,and since this ,jew of ,celsus makes it a subject of reproach that ,christians should make use of the prophets1 who predicted the events of ,christ's life1 we have to say1 in addition to what we have already advanced upon this head1 that it became him to spare individuals1 as he says1 and to expound the prophecies themselves2 and after admitting the probability of the ,christian interpretation of them1 to show how the use which they make of them may be overturned4#ajf ,for in this way he would not appear hastily to assume so important a position on small grounds1 and particularly when he asserts that the 8prophecies agree with ten thousand other things more credibly than with ,jesus40 ,and he ought to have carefully met this powerful argument of the ,christians1 as being the strongest which they adduce1 and to have demonstrated with regard to each particular prophecy1 that it can apply to other events with greater probability than to ,jesus4 ,he did not1 however1 perceive that this was a plausible argument to be advanced against the ,christians only by one who was an opponent of the prophetic writings2 but ,celsus has here put in the mouth of a ,jew an objection which a ,jew would not have made4 ,for a ,jew will not admit that the prophecies may be applied to countless other things with greater probability than to ,jesus2 but he will endeavour1 after giving what appears to him the meaning of each1 to oppose the ,christian interpretation1 not indeed by any means adducing convincing reasons1 but only attempting to do so4 ,footnote #ajf3 ,the original here is probably corrupt3 7 7 1 1 4 ,for ,boherellus would read 1 and 4 ,chapter ,,xxix4 ,in the preceding pages we have already spoken of this point1 viz4 the prediction that there were to be two advents of ,christ to the human race1 so that it is not necessary for us to reply to the objection1 supposed to be urged by a ,jew1 that 8the prophets declare the coming one to be a mighty potentate1 ,lord of all nations and armies40 ,but it is in the spirit of a ,jew1 ,i think1 and in keeping with their bitter animosity1 and baseless and even improbable calumnies against ,jesus1 that he adds3 8,nor did the prophets predict such a pestilence40#ajg ,for neither ,jews1 nor ,celsus1 nor any other1 can bring any argument to prove that a pestilence converts men from the practice of evil to a life which is according to nature1 and distinguished by temperance and other virtues4 ,footnote #ajg3 4 ,chapter ,,xxx4 ,this objection also is cast in our teeth by ,celsus3 8,from such signs and misinterpretations1 and from proofs so mean1 no one could prove him to be ,god1 and the ,son of ,god40 ,now it was his duty to enumerate the alleged misinterpretations1 and to prove them to be such1 and to show by reasoning the meanness of the evidence1 in order that the ,christian1 if any of his objections should seem to be plausible1 might be able to answer and confute his arguments4 ,what he said1 however1 regarding ,jesus1 did indeed come to pass1 because ,he was a mighty potentate1 although ,celsus refuses to see that it so happened1 notwithstanding that the clearest evidence proves it true of ,jesus4 8,for as the sun10 he says1 8which enlightens all other objects1 first makes himself visible1 so ought the ,son of ,god to have done40 ,we would say in reply1 that so ,he did2 for righteousness has arisen in ,his days1 and there is abundance of peace1 which took its commencement at ,his birth1 ,god preparing the nations for ,his teaching1 that they might be under one prince1 the king of the ,romans1 and that it might not1 owing to the want of union among the nations1 caused by the existence of many kingdoms1 be more difficult for the apostles of ,jesus to accomplish the task enjoined upon them by their ,master1 when ,he said1 8,go and teach all nations40 ,moreover it is certain that ,jesus was born in the reign of ,augustus1 who1 so to speak1 fused together into one monarchy the many populations of the earth4 ,now the existence of many kingdoms would have been a hindrance to the spread of the doctrine of ,jesus throughout the entire world2 not only for the reasons mentioned1 but also on account of the necessity of men everywhere engaging in war1 and fighting on behalf of their native country1 which was the case before the times of ,augustus1 and in periods still more remote1 when necessity arose1 as when the ,peloponnesians and ,athenians warred against each other1 and other nations in like manner4 ,how1 then1 was it possible for the gospel doctrine of peace1 which does not permit men to take vengeance even upon enemies1 to prevail throughout the world1 unless at the advent of ,jesus a milder spirit had been everywhere introduced into the conduct of things8 ,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,he next charges the ,christians with being 8guilty of sophistical reasoning1 in saying that the ,son of ,god is the ,logos ,himself40 ,and he thinks that he strengthens the accusation1 because 8when we declare the ,logos to be the ,son of ,god1 we do not present to view a pure and holy ,logos1 but a most degraded man1 who was punished by scourging and crucifixion40 ,now1 on this head we have briefly replied to the charges of ,celsus in the preceding pages1 where ,christ was shown to be the first-born of all creation1 who assumed a body and a human soul2 and that ,god gave commandment respecting the creation of such mighty things in the world1 and they were created2 and that ,he who received the command was ,god the ,logos4 ,and seeing it is a ,jew who makes these statements in the work of ,celsus1 it will not be out of place to quote the declaration1 8,he sent ,his word1 and healed them1 and delivered them from their destruction10#ajh--;a passage of which we spoke a little ago4 ,now1 although ,i have conferred with many ,jews who professed to be learned men1 ,i never heard any one expressing his approval of the statement that the ,logos is the ,son of ,god1 as ,celsus declares they do1 in putting into the mouth of the ,jew such a declaration as this3 8,if your ,logos is the ,son of ,god1 we also give our assent to the same40 ,footnote #ajh3 ,ps4 cvi4 #bj4 ,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,we have already shown that ,jesus can be regarded neither as an arrogant man1 nor a sorcerer2 and therefore it is unnecessary to repeat our former arguments1 lest1 in replying to the tautologies of ,celsus1 we ourselves should be guilty of needless repetition4 ,and now1 in finding fault with our ,lord's genealogy1 there are certain points which occasion some difficulty even to ,christians1 and which1 owing to the discrepancy between the genealogies1 are advanced by some as arguments against their correctness1 but which ,celsus has not even mentioned4 ,for ,celsus1 who is truly a braggart1 and who professes to be acquainted with all matters relating to ,christianity1 does not know how to raise doubts in a skilful manner against the credibility of ,scripture4 ,but he asserts that the 8framers of the genealogies1 from a feeling of pride1 made ,jesus to be descended from the first man1 and from the kings of the ,jews40 ,and he thinks that he makes a notable charge when he adds1 that 8the carpenter's wife could not have been ignorant of the fact1 had she been of such illustrious descent40 ,but what has this to do with the question8 ,granted that she was not ignorant of her descent1 how does that affect the result8 ,suppose that she were ignorant1 how could her ignorance prove that she was not descended from the first man1 or could not derive her origin from the ,jewish kings8 ,does ,celsus imagine that the poor must always be descended from ancestors who are poor1 or that kings are always born of kings8 ,but it appears folly to waste time upon such an argument as this1 seeing it is well known that1 even in our own days1 some who are poorer than ,mary are descended from ancestors of wealth and distinction1 and that rulers of nations and kings have sprung from persons of no reputation4 ,chapter ,,xxxiii4 8,but10 continues ,celsus1 8what great deeds did ,jesus perform as being a ,god8 ,did he put his enemies to shame1 or bring to a ridiculous conclusion what was designed against him80 ,now to this question1 although we are able to show the striking and miraculous character of the events which befell ,him1 yet from what other source can we furnish an answer than from the ,gospel narratives1 which state that 8there was an earthquake1 and that the rocks were split asunder1 and the tombs opened1 and the veil of the temple rent in twain from top to bottom1 and that darkness prevailed in the day-time1 the sun failing to give light80#aji ,but if ,celsus believe the ,gospel accounts when he thinks that he can find in them matter of charge against the ,christians1 and refuse to believe them when they establish the divinity of ,jesus1 our answer to him is3 8,sir1#aaj either disbelieve all the ,gospel narratives1 and then no longer imagine that you can found charges upon them2 or1 in yielding your belief to their statements1 look in admiration on the ,logos of ,god1 who became incarnate1 and who desired to confer benefits upon the whole human race4 ,and this feature evinces the nobility of the work of ,jesus1 that1 down to the present time1 those whom ,god wills are healed by ,his name4 ,and with regard to the eclipse in the time of ,tiberius ,csar1 in whose reign ,jesus appears to have been crucified1 and the great earthquakes which then took place1 ,phlegon too1 ,i think1 has written in the thirteenth or fourteenth book of his ,chronicles40#aaa ,footnote #aji3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxvii4 #ea1 #eb2 cf4 ,luke xxiii4 #dd1 #de4 ,footnote #aaj3 4 ,footnote #aaa3 ,on ,phlegon1 cf4 note in ,migne1 pp4 #hbc1 #hed4 ,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,this ,jew of ,celsus1 ridiculing ,jesus1 as he imagines1 is described as being acquainted with the ,bacch of ,euripides1 in which ,dionysus says3 8,the divinity himself will liberate me whenever ,i wish40#aab ,now the ,jews are not much acquainted with ,greek literature2 but suppose that there was a ,jew so well versed in it as to make such a quotation on his part appropriate1 how does it follow that ,jesus could not liberate ,himself1 because ,he did not do so8 ,for let him believe from our own ,scriptures that ,peter obtained his freedom after having been bound in prison1 an angel having loosed his chains2 and that ,paul1 having been bound in the stocks along with ,silas in ,philippi of ,macedonia1 was liberated by divine power1 when the gates of the prison were opened4 ,but it is probable that ,celsus treats these accounts with ridicule1 or that he never read them2 for he would probably say in reply1 that there are certain sorcerers who are able by incantations to unloose chains and to open doors1 so that he would liken the events related in our histories to the doings of sorcerers4 8,but10 he continues1 8no calamity happened even to him who condemned him1 as there did to ,pentheus1 viz4 madness or discerption40#aac ,and yet he does not know that it was not so much ,pilate that condemned ,him 7who knew that 8for envy the ,jews had delivered ,him071 as the ,jewish nation1 which has been condemned by ,god1 and rent in pieces1 and dispersed over the whole earth1 in a degree far beyond what happened to ,pentheus4 ,moreover1 why did he intentionally omit what is related of ,pilate's wife1 who beheld a vision1 and who was so moved by it as to send a message to her husband1 saying3 8,have thou nothing to do with that just man2 for ,i have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him80#aad ,and again1 passing by in silence the proofs of the divinity of ,jesus1 ,celsus endeavours to cast reproach upon ,him from the narratives in the ,gospel1 referring to those who mocked ,jesus1 and put on ,him the purple robe1 and the crown of thorns1 and placed the reed in ,his hand4 ,from what source now1 ,celsus1 did you derive these statements1 save from the ,gospel narratives8 ,and did you1 accordingly1 see that they were fit matters for reproach1 while they who recorded them did not think that you1 and such as you1 would turn them into ridicule2 but that others would receive from them an example how to despise those who ridiculed and mocked ,him on account of ,his religion1 who appropriately laid down ,his life for its sake8 ,admire rather their love of truth1 and that of the ,being who bore these things voluntarily for the sake of men1 and who endured them with all constancy and long-suffering4 ,for it is not recorded that ,he uttered any lamentation1 or that after ,his condemnation ,he either did or uttered anything unbecoming4 ,footnote #aab3 ,eurip4 ,bacch1 v4 #dih 7ed4 ,dindorf74 ,footnote #aac3 ,cf4 ,euseb4 ,hist4 ,eccles4 b4 ii4 c4 vii4 ,footnote #aad3 ,matt4 xxvii4 #ai4 ,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,but in answer to this objection1 8,if not before1 yet why now1 at least1 does he not give some manifestation of his divinity1 and free himself from this reproach1 and take vengeance upon those who insult both him and his ,father80 ,we have to reply1 that it would be the same thing as if we were to say to those among the ,greeks who accept the doctrine of providence1 and who believe in portents1 ,why does ,god not punish those who insult the ,divinity1 and subvert the doctrine of providence8 ,for as the ,greeks would answer such objections1 so would we1 in the same1 or a more effective manner4 ,there was not only a portent from heaven--the eclipse of the sun--but also the other miracles1 which show that the crucified ,one possessed something that was divine1 and greater than was possessed by the majority of men4 ,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,celsus next says3 8,what is the nature of the ichor in the body of the crucified ,jesus8 ,is it #8such as flows in the bodies of the immortal gods8'0#aae ,he puts this question in a spirit of mockery2 but we shall show from the serious narratives of the ,gospels1 although ,celsus may not like it1 that it was no mythic and ,homeric ichor which flowed from the body of ,jesus1 but that1 after ,his death1 8one of the soldiers with a spear pierced ,his side1 and there came thereout blood and water4 ,and he that saw it bare record1 and his record is true1 and he knoweth that he saith the truth40#aaf ,now1 in other dead bodies the blood congeals1 and pure water does not flow forth2 but the miraculous feature in the case of the dead body of ,jesus was1 that around the dead body blood and water flowed forth from the side4 ,but if this ,celsus1 who1 in order to find matter of accusation against ,jesus and the ,christians1 extracts from the ,gospel even passages which are incorrectly interpreted1 but passes over in silence the evidences of the divinity of ,jesus1 would listen to divine portents1 let him read the ,gospel1 and see that even the centurion1 and they who with him kept watch over ,jesus1 on seeing the earthquake1 and the events that occurred1 were greatly afraid1 saying1 8,this man was the son of ,god40#aag ,footnote #aae3 ,cf4 ,iliad1 vi4 #cdj4 ,footnote #aaf3 ,cf4 ,john xix4 #cd1 #ce4 ,footnote #aag3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxvii4 #ed4 ,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,after this1 he who extracts from the ,gospel narrative those statements on which he thinks he can found an accusation1 makes the vinegar and the gall a subject of reproach to ,jesus1 saying that 8he rushed with open mouth#aah to drink of them1 and could not endure his thirst as any ordinary man frequently endures it40 ,now this matter admits of an explanation of a peculiar and figurative kind2 but on the present occasion1 the statement that the prophets predicted this very incident may be accepted as the more common answer to the objection4 ,for in the sixty-ninth ,psalm there is written1 with reference to ,christ3 8,and they gave me gall for my meat1 and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink40#aai ,now1 let the ,jews say who it is that the prophetic writing represents as uttering these words2 and let them adduce from history one who received gall for his food1 and to whom vinegar was given as drink4 ,would they venture to assert that the ,christ whom they expect still to come might be placed in such circumstances8 ,then we would say1 ,what prevents the prediction from having been already accomplished8 ,for this very prediction was uttered many ages before1 and is sufficient1 along with the other prophetic utterances1 to lead him who fairly examines the whole matter to the conclusion that ,jesus is ,he who was prophesied of as ,christ1 and as the ,son of ,god4 ,footnote #aah3 4 ,footnote #aai3 ,ps4 lxix4 #ba4 ,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,the ,jew next remarks3 8,you1 ,o sincere believers1#abj find fault with us1 because we do not recognise this individual as ,god1 nor agree with you that he endured these sufferings for the benefit of mankind1 in order that we also might despise punishment40 ,now1 in answer to this1 we say that we blame the ,jews1 who have been brought up under the training of the law and the prophets 7which foretell the coming of ,christ71 because they neither refute the arguments which we lay before them to prove that ,he is the ,messiah1#aba adducing such refutation as a defence of their unbelief2 nor yet1 while not offering any refutation1 do they believe in ,him who was the subject of prophecy1 and who clearly manifested through ,his disciples1 even after the period of ,his appearance in the flesh1 that ,he underwent these things for the benefit of mankind2 having1 as the object of ,his first advent1 not to condemn men and their actions#abb before ,he had instructed them1 and pointed out to them their duty1#abc nor to chastise the wicked and save the good1 but to disseminate ,his doctrine in an extraordinary#abd manner1 and with the evidence of divine power1 among the whole human race1 as the prophets also have represented these things4 ,and we blame them1 moreover1 because they did not believe in ,him who gave evidence of the power that was in ,him1 but asserted that ,he cast out demons from the souls of men through ,beelzebub the prince of the demons2 and we blame them because they slander the philanthropic character of ,him1 who overlooked not only no city1 but not even a single village in ,judea1 that ,he might everywhere announce the kingdom of ,god1 accusing ,him of leading the wandering life of a vagabond1 and passing an anxious existence in a disgraceful body4 ,but there is no disgrace in enduring such labours for the benefit of all those who may be able to understand ,him4 ,footnote #abj3 4 ,footnote #aba3 4 ,footnote #abb3 4 ,footnote #abc3 4 ,footnote #abd3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,and how can the following assertion of this ,jew of ,celsus appear anything else than a manifest falsehood1 viz4 that ,jesus 8having gained over no one during his life1 not even his own disciples1 underwent these punishments and sufferings80 ,for from what other source sprang the envy which was aroused against ,him by the ,jewish high priests1 and elders1 and scribes1 save from the fact that multitudes obeyed and followed ,him1 and were led into the deserts not only by the persuasive#abe language of ,him whose words were always appropriate to ,his hearers1 but who also by ,his miracles made an impression on those who were not moved to belief by ,his words8 ,and is it not a manifest falsehood to say that 8he did not gain over even his own disciples10 who exhibited1 indeed1 at that time some symptoms of human weakness arising from cowardly fear--for they had not yet been disciplined to the exhibition of full courage--but who by no means abandoned the judgments which they had formed regarding ,him as the ,christ8 ,for ,peter1 after his denial1 perceiving to what a depth of wickedness he had fallen1 8went out and wept bitterly20 while the others1 although stricken with dismay on account of what had happened to ,jesus 7for they still continued to admire ,him71 had1 by ,his glorious appearance1#abf their belief more firmly established than before that ,he was the ,son of ,god4 ,footnote #abe3 4 ,footnote #abf3 4 ,chapter ,,xl4 ,it is1 moreover1 in a very unphilosophical spirit that ,celsus imagines our ,lord's pre-eminence among men to consist1 not in the preaching of salvation and in a pure morality1 but in acting contrary to the character of that personality which ,he had taken upon ,him1 and in not dying1 although ,he had assumed mortality2 or1 if dying1 yet at least not such a death as might serve as a pattern to those who were to learn by that very act how to die for the sake of religion1 and to comport themselves boldly through its help1 before those who hold erroneous views on the subject of religion and irreligion1 and who regard religious men as altogether irreligious1 but imagine those to be most religious who err regarding ,god1 and who apply to everything rather than to ,god the ineradicable#abg idea of ,him which is implanted in the human mind1 and especially when they eagerly rush to destroy those who have yielded themselves up with their whole soul 7even unto death71 to the clear evidence of one ,god who is over all things4 ,footnote #abg3 4 ,chapter ,,xli4 ,in the person of the ,jew1 ,celsus continues to find fault with ,jesus1 alleging that 8he did not show himself to be pure from all evil40 ,let ,celsus state from what 8evil0 our ,lord did not show ,himself to be pure4 ,if he means that ,he was not pure from what is properly termed 8evil10 let him clearly prove the existence of any wicked work in ,him4 ,but if he deems poverty and the cross to be evils1 and conspiracy on the part of wicked men1 then it is clear that he would say that evil had happened also to ,socrates1 who was unable to show himself pure from evils4 ,and how great also the other band of poor men is among the ,greeks1 who have given themselves to philosophical pursuits1 and have voluntarily accepted a life of poverty1 is known to many among the ,greeks from what is recorded of ,democritus1 who allowed his property to become pasture for sheep2 and of ,crates1 who obtained his freedom by bestowing upon the ,thebans the price received for the sale of his possessions4 ,nay1 even ,diogenes himself1 from excessive poverty1 came to live in a tub2 and yet1 in the opinion of no one possessed of moderate understanding1 was ,diogenes on that account considered to be in an evil 7sinful7 condition4 ,chapter ,,xlii4 ,but further1 since ,celsus will have it that 8,jesus was not irreproachable10 let him instance any one of those who adhere to ,his doctrine1 who has recorded anything that could truly furnish ground of reproach against ,jesus2 or if it be not from these that he derives his matter of accusation against ,him1 let him say from what quarter he has learned that which has induced him to say that ,he is not free from reproach4 ,jesus1 however1 performed all that ,he promised to do1 and by which ,he conferred benefits upon ,his adherents4 ,and we1 continually seeing fulfilled all that was predicted by ,him before it happened1 viz4 that this gospel of ,his should be preached throughout the whole world1 and that ,his disciples should go among all nations and announce ,his doctrine2 and1 moreover1 that they should be brought before governors and kings on no other account than because of ,his teaching2 we are lost in wonder at ,him1 and have our faith in ,him daily confirmed4 ,and ,i know not by what greater or more convincing proofs ,celsus would have ,him confirm ,his predictions2 unless1 indeed1 as seems to be the case1 not understanding that the ,logos had become the man ,jesus1 he would have ,him to be subject to no human weakness1 nor to become an illustrious pattern to men of the manner in which they ought to bear the calamities of life1 although these appear to ,celsus to be most lamentable and disgraceful occurrences1 seeing that he regards labour#abh to be the greatest of evils1 and pleasure the perfect good1--a view accepted by none of those philosophers who admit the doctrine of providence1 and who allow that courage1 and fortitude1 and magnanimity are virtues4 ,jesus1 therefore1 by ,his sufferings cast no discredit upon the faith of which ,he was the object2 but rather confirmed the same among those who would approve of manly courage1 and among those who were taught by ,him that what was truly and properly the happy life was not here below1 but was to be found in that which was called1 according to ,his own words1 the 8coming world20 whereas in what is called the 8present world0 life is a calamity1 or at least the first and greatest struggle of the soul4#abi ,footnote #abh3 4 ,footnote #abi3 4 ,chapter ,,xliii4 ,celsus next addresses to us the following remark3 8,you will not1 ,i suppose1 say of him1 that1 after failing to gain over those who were in this world1 he went to ,hades to gain over those who were there40 ,but whether he like it or not1 we assert that not only while ,jesus was in the body did ,he win over not a few persons merely1 but so great a number1 that a conspiracy was formed against ,him on account of the multitude of ,his followers2 but also1 that when ,he became a soul1 without the covering of the body1 ,he dwelt among those souls which were without bodily covering1 converting such of them as were willing to ,himself1 or those whom ,he saw1 for reasons known to ,him alone1 to be better adapted to such a course4 ,chapter ,,xliv4 ,celsus in the next place says1 with indescribable silliness3 8,if1 after inventing defences which are absurd1 and by which ye were ridiculously deluded1 ye imagine that you really make a good defence1 what prevents you from regarding those other individuals who have been condemned1 and have died a miserable death1 as greater and more divine messengers of heaven than ,jesus80 ,now1 that manifestly and clearly there is no similarity between ,jesus1 who suffered what is described1 and those who have died a wretched death on account of their sorcery1 or whatever else be the charge against them1 is patent to every one4 ,for no one can point to any acts of a sorcerer which turned away souls from the practice of the many sins which prevail among men1 and from the flood of wickedness 7in the world74#acj ,but since this ,jew of ,celsus compares ,him to robbers1 and says that 8any similarly shameless fellow might be able to say regarding even a robber and murderer whom punishment had overtaken1 that such an one was not a robber1 but a god1 because he predicted to his fellow-robbers that he would suffer such punishment as he actually did suffer10 it might1 in the first place1 be answered1 that it is not because ,he predicted that ,he would suffer such things that we entertain those opinions regarding ,jesus which lead us to have confidence in ,him1 as one who has come down to us from ,god4 ,and1 in the second place1 we assert that this very comparison#aca has been somehow foretold in the ,gospels2 since ,god was numbered with the transgressors by wicked men1 who desired rather a 8murderer0 7one who for sedition and murder had been cast into prison7 to be released unto them1 and ,jesus to be crucified1 and who crucified ,him between two robbers4 ,jesus1 indeed1 is ever crucified with robbers among ,his genuine disciples and witnesses to the truth1 and suffers the same condemnation which they do among men4 ,and we say1 that if those persons have any resemblance to robbers1 who on account of their piety towards ,god suffer all kinds of injury and death1 that they may keep it pure and unstained1 according to the teaching of ,jesus1 then it is clear also that ,jesus1 the author of such teaching1 is with good reason compared by ,celsus to the captain of a band of robbers4 ,but neither was ,he who died for the common good of mankind1 nor they who suffered because of their religion1 and alone of all men were persecuted because of what appeared to them the right way of honouring ,god1 put to death in accordance with justice1 nor was ,jesus persecuted without the charge of impiety being incurred by ,his persecutors4 ,footnote #acj3 4 ,footnote #aca3 4 ,chapter ,,xlv4 ,but observe the superficial nature of his argument respecting the former disciples of ,jesus1 in which he says3 8,in the next place1 those who were his associates while alive1 and who listened to his voice1 and enjoyed his instructions as their teacher1 on seeing him subjected to punishment and death1 neither died with him1 nor for him1 nor were even induced to regard punishment with contempt1 but denied even that they were his disciples1 whereas now ye die along with him40 ,and here he believes the sin which was committed by the disciples while they were yet beginners and imperfect1 and which is recorded in the ,gospels1 to have been actually committed1 in order that he may have matter of accusation against the gospel2 but their upright conduct after their transgression1 when they behaved with courage before the ,jews1 and suffered countless cruelties at their hands1 and at last suffered death for the doctrine of ,jesus1 he passes by in silence4 ,for he would neither hear the words of ,jesus1 when ,he predicted to ,peter1 8,when thou shalt be old1 thou shalt stretch forth thy hands10#acb etc41 to which the ,scripture adds1 8,this spake ,he1 signifying by what death he should glorify ,god20 nor how ,james the brother of ,john--an apostle1 the brother of an apostle--was slain with the sword by ,herod for the doctrine of ,christ2 nor even the many instances of boldness displayed by ,peter and the other apostles because of the gospel1 and 8how they went forth from the presence of the ,sanhedrim after being scourged1 rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for ,his name10#acc and so surpassing many of the instances related by the ,greeks of the fortitude and courage of their philosophers4 ,from the very beginning1 then1 this was inculcated as a precept of ,jesus among ,his hearers1 which taught men to despise the life which is eagerly sought after by the multitude1 but to be earnest in living the life which resembles that of ,god4 ,footnote #acb3 ,john xxi4 #ah4 ,footnote #acc3 ,acts v4 #da4 ,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,but how can this ,jew of ,celsus escape the charge of falsehood1 when he says that ,jesus1 8when on earth1 gained over to himself only ten sailors and tax-gatherers of the most worthless character1 and not even the whole of these80 ,now it is certain that the ,jews themselves would admit that ,he drew over not ten persons merely1 nor a hundred1 nor a thousand1 but on one occasion five thousand at once1 and on another four thousand2 and that ,he attracted them to such a degree that they followed ,him even into the deserts1 which alone could contain the assembled multitude of those who believed in ,god through ,jesus1 and where ,he not only addressed to them discourses1 but also manifested to them ,his works4 ,and now1 through his tautology1 he compels us also to be tautological1 since we are careful to guard against being supposed to pass over any of the charges advanced by him2 and therefore1 in reference to the matter before us1 following the order of his treatise as we have it1 he says3 8,is it not the height of absurdity to maintain1 that if1 while he himself was alive1 he won over not a single person to his views1 after his death any who wish are able to gain over such a multitude of individuals80 ,whereas he ought to have said1 in consistency with truth1 that if1 after ,his death1 not simply those who will1 but they who have the will and the power1 can gain over so many proselytes1 how much more consonant to reason is it1 that while ,he was alive ,he should1 through the greater power of ,his words and deeds1 have won over to ,himself manifold greater numbers of adherents8 ,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,he represents1 moreover1 a statement of his own as if it were an answer to one of his questions1 in which he asks3 8,by what train of argument were you led to regard him as the ,son of ,god80 ,for he makes us answer that 8we were won over to him1 because#acd we know that his punishment was undergone to bring about the destruction of the father of evil40 ,now we were won over to ,his doctrine by innumerable other considerations1 of which we have stated only the smallest part in the preceding pages2 but1 if ,god permit1 we shall continue to enumerate them1 not only while dealing with the so-called ,true ,discourse of ,celsus1 but also on many other occasions4 ,and1 as if we said that we consider ,him to be the ,son of ,god because ,he suffered punishment1 he asks3 8,what then8 have not many others1 too1 been punished1 and that not less disgracefully80 ,and here ,celsus acts like the most contemptible enemies of the gospel1 and like those who imagine that it follows as a consequence from our history of the crucified ,jesus1 that we should worship those who have undergone crucifixion6 ,footnote #acd3 ,the reading in the text is 2 for which both ,bohereau and ,de la ,rue propose 1 which has been adopted in the translation3 cf4 1 infra4 ,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,celsus1 moreover1 unable to resist the miracles which ,jesus is recorded to have performed1 has already on several occasions spoken of them slanderously as works of sorcery2 and we also on several occasions have1 to the best of our ability1 replied to his statements4 ,and now he represents us as saying that 8we deemed ,jesus to be the ,son of ,god1 because he healed the lame and the blind40 ,and he adds3 8,moreover1 as you assert1 he raised the dead40 ,that ,he healed the lame and the blind1 and that therefore we hold ,him to be the ,christ and the ,son of ,god1 is manifest to us from what is contained in the prophecies3 8,then the eyes of the blind shall be opened1 and the ears of the deaf shall hear2 then shall the lame man leap as an hart40#ace ,and that ,he also raised the dead1 and that it is no fiction of those who composed the ,gospels1 is shown by this1 that if it had been a fiction1 many individuals would have been represented as having risen from the dead1 and these1 too1 such as had been many years in their graves4 ,but as it is no fiction1 they are very easily counted of whom this is related to have happened2 viz4 the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue 7of whom ,i know not why ,he said1 8,she is not dead1 but sleepeth10 stating regarding her something which does not apply to all who die72 and the only son of the widow1 on whom ,he took compassion and raised him up1 making the bearers of the corpse to stand still2 and the third instance1 that of ,lazarus1 who had been four days in the grave4 ,now1 regarding these cases we would say to all persons of candid mind1 and especially to the ,jew1 that as there were many lepers in the days of ,elisha the prophet1 and none of them was healed save ,naaman the ,syrian1 and many widows in the days of ,elijah the prophet1 to none of whom was ,elijah sent save to ,sarepta in ,sidonia 7for the widow there had been deemed worthy by a divine decree of the miracle which was wrought by the prophet in the matter of the bread72 so also there were many dead in the days of ,jesus1 but those only rose from the grave whom the ,logos knew to be fitted for a resurrection1 in order that the works done by the ,lord might not be merely symbols of certain things1 but that by the very acts themselves ,he might gain over many to the marvellous doctrine of the gospel4 ,i would say1 moreover1 that1 agreeably to the promise of ,jesus1 ,his disciples performed even greater works than these miracles of ,jesus1 which were perceptible only to the senses4#acf ,for the eyes of those who are blind in soul are ever opened2 and the ears of those who were deaf to virtuous words1 listen readily to the doctrine of ,god1 and of the blessed life with ,him2 and many1 too1 who were lame in the feet of the 8inner man10 as ,scripture calls it1 having now been healed by the word1 do not simply leap1 but leap as the hart1 which is an animal hostile to serpents1 and stronger than all the poison of vipers4 ,and these lame who have been healed1 receive from ,jesus power to trample1 with those feet in which they were formerly lame1 upon the serpents and scorpions of wickedness1 and generally upon all the power of the enemy2 and though they tread upon it1 they sustain no injury1 for they also have become stronger than the poison of all evil and of demons4 ,footnote #ace3 ,cf4 ,isa4 xxxv4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #acf3 4 ,chapter ,,xlix4 ,jesus1 accordingly1 in turning away the minds of ,his disciples1 not merely from giving heed to sorcerers in general1 and those who profess in any other manner to work miracles--for ,his disciples did not need to be so warned--but from such as gave themselves out as the ,christ of ,god1 and who tried by certain apparent#acg miracles to gain over to them the disciples of ,jesus1 said in a certain passage3 8,then1 if any man shall say unto you1 ,lo1 here is ,christ1 or there2 believe it not4 ,for there shall arise false ,christs and false prophets1 and shall show great signs and wonders2 insomuch that1 if it were possible1 they shall deceive the very elect4 ,behold1 ,i have told you before4 ,wherefore1 if they shall say unto you1 ,behold1 he is in the desert1 go not forth2 behold1 he is in the secret chambers1 believe it not4 ,for as the lightning cometh out of the east1 and shineth even to the west1 so also shall the coming of the ,son of man be40#ach ,and in another passage3 8,many will say unto me in that day1 ,lord1 ,lord1 have we not eaten and drunk in ,thy name1 and by ,thy name have cast out demons1 and done many wonderful works8 ,and then will ,i say unto them1 ,depart from me1 because ye are workers of iniquity40#aci ,but ,celsus1 wishing to assimilate the miracles of ,jesus to the works of human sorcery1 says in express terms as follows3 8,o light and truth6 he distinctly declares1 with his own voice1 as ye yourselves have recorded1 that there will come to you even others1 employing miracles of a similar kind1 who are wicked men1 and sorcerers2 and he calls him who makes use of such devices1 one ,satan4 ,so that ,jesus himself does not deny that these works at least are not at all divine1 but are the acts of wicked men2 and being compelled by the force of truth1 he at the same time not only laid open the doings of others1 but convicted himself of the same acts4 ,is it not1 then1 a miserable inference1 to conclude from the same works that the one is ,god and the others sorcerers8 ,why ought the others1 because of these acts1 to be accounted wicked rather than this man1 seeing they have him as their witness against himself8 ,for he has himself acknowledged that these are not the works of a divine nature1 but the inventions of certain deceivers1 and of thoroughly wicked men40 ,observe1 now1 whether ,celsus is not clearly convicted of slandering the gospel by such statements1 since what ,jesus says regarding those who are to work signs and wonders is different from what this ,jew of ,celsus alleges it to be4 ,for if ,jesus had simply told ,his disciples to be on their guard against those who professed to work miracles1 without declaring what they would give themselves out to be1 then perhaps there would have been some ground for his suspicion4 ,but since those against whom ,jesus would have us to be on our guard give themselves out as the ,christ--which is not a claim put forth by sorcerers--and since he says that even some who lead wicked lives will perform miracles in the name of ,jesus1 and expel demons out of men1 sorcery in the case of these individuals1 or any suspicion of such1 is rather1 if we may so speak1 altogether banished1 and the divinity of ,christ established1 as well as the divine mission#adj of ,his disciples2 seeing that it is possible that one who makes use of ,his name1 and who is wrought upon by some power1 in some way unknown1 to make the pretence that he is the ,christ1 should seem to perform miracles like those of ,jesus1 while others through ,his name should do works resembling those of ,his genuine disciples4 ,footnote #acg3 4 ,footnote #ach3 ,matt4 xxiv4 #bc-bg4 ,footnote #aci3 ,cf4 ,matt4 vii4 #bb1 #bc1 with ,luke xiii4 #bf1 #bg4 ,footnote #adj3 1 lit4 divinity4 ,chapter ,l4 ,paul1 moreover1 in the ,second ,epistle to the ,thessalonians1 shows in what manner there will one day be revealed 8the man of sin1 the son of perdition1 who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called ,god1 or that is worshipped2 so that he sitteth in the temple of ,god1 showing himself that he is ,god40#ada ,and again he says to the ,thessalonians3 8,and now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time4 ,for the mystery of iniquity doth already work3 only ,he who now letteth will let1 until he be taken out of the way3 and then shall that ,wicked be revealed1 whom the ,lord will consume with the spirit of ,his mouth1 and shall destroy with the brightness of ,his coming3 even him1 whose coming is after the working of ,satan1 with all power1 and signs1 and lying wonders1 and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish40#adb ,and in assigning the reason why the man of sin is permitted to continue in existence1 he says3 8,because they received not the love of the truth1 that they might be saved4 ,and for this cause ,god shall send them strong delusion1 that they should believe a lie2 that they all might be damned who believed not the truth1 but had pleasure in unrighteousness40#adc ,let any one now say whether any of the statements in the ,gospel1 or in the writings of the apostle1 could give occasion for the suspicion that there is therein contained any prediction of sorcery4 ,any one1 moreover1 who likes may find the prophecy in ,daniel respecting antichrist4#add ,but ,celsus falsifies the words of ,jesus1 since ,he did not say that others would come working similar miracles to ,himself1 but who are wicked men and sorcerers1 although ,celsus asserts that ,he uttered such words4 ,for as the power of the ,egyptian magicians was not similar to the divinely-bestowed grace of ,moses1 but the issue clearly proved that the acts of the former were the effect of magic1 while those of ,moses were wrought by divine power2 so the proceedings of the antichrists1 and of those who feign that they can work miracles as being the disciples of ,christ1 are said to be lying signs and wonders1 prevailing with all deceivableness of unrighteousness among them that perish2 whereas the works of ,christ and ,his disciples had for their fruit1 not deceit1 but the salvation of human souls4 ,and who would rationally maintain that an improved moral life1 which daily lessened the number of a man's offences1 could proceed from a system of deceit8 ,footnote #ada3 #b ,thess4 ii4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #adb3 #b ,thess4 ii4 #f-aj4 ,footnote #adc3 #b ,thess4 ii4 #aj-ab4 ,footnote #add3 ,cf4 ,dan4 vii4 #bf4 ,chapter ,,li4 ,celsus1 indeed1 evinced a slight knowledge of ,scripture when he made ,jesus say1 that it is 8a certain ,satan who contrives such devices20 although he begs the question#ade when he asserts that 8,jesus did not deny that these works have in them nothing of divinity1 but proceed from wicked men10 for he makes things which differ in kind to be the same4 ,now1 as a wolf is not of the same species as a dog1 although it may appear to have some resemblance in the figure of its body and in its voice1 nor a common wood-pigeon#adf the same as a dove1#adg so there is no resemblance between what is done by the power of ,god and what is the effect of sorcery4 ,and we might further say1 in answer to the calumnies of ,celsus1 ,are those to be regarded as miracles which are wrought through sorcery by wicked demons1 but those not which are performed by a nature that is holy and divine8 and does human life endure the worse1 but never receive the better8 ,now it appears to me that we must lay it down as a general principle1 that as1 wherever anything that is evil would make itself to be of the same nature with the good1 there must by all means be something that is good opposed to the evil2 so also1 in opposition to those things which are brought about by sorcery1 there must also of necessity be some things in human life which are the result of divine power4 ,and it follows from the same1 that we must either annihilate both1 and assert that neither exists1 or1 assuming the one1 and particularly the evil1 admit also the reality of the good4 ,now1 if one were to lay it down that works are wrought by means of sorcery1 but would not grant that there are also works which are the product of divine power1 he would seem to me to resemble him who should admit the existence of sophisms and plausible arguments1 which have the appearance of establishing the truth1 although really undermining it1 while denying that truth had anywhere a home among men1 or a dialectic which differed from sophistry4 ,but if we once admit that it is consistent with the existence of magic and sorcery 7which derive their power from evil demons1 who are spell-bound by elaborate incantations1 and become subject to sorcerers7 that some works must be found among men which proceed from a power that is divine1 why shall we not test those who profess to perform them by their lives and morals1 and the consequences of their miracles1 viz4 whether they tend to the injury of men or to the reformation of conduct8 ,what minister of evil demons1 e4g41 can do such things8 and by means of what incantations and magic arts8 ,and who1 on the other hand1 is it that1 having his soul and his spirit1 and ,i imagine also his body1 in a pure and holy state1 receives a divine spirit1 and performs such works in order to benefit men1 and to lead them to believe on the true ,god8 ,but if we must once investigate 7without being carried away by the miracles themselves7 who it is that performs them by help of a good1 and who by help of an evil power1 so that we may neither slander all without discrimination1 nor yet admire and accept all as divine1 will it not be manifest1 from what occurred in the times of ,moses and ,jesus1 when entire nations were established in consequence of their miracles1 that these men wrought by means of divine power what they are recorded to have performed8 ,for wickedness and sorcery would not have led a whole nation to rise not only above idols and images erected by men1 but also above all created things1 and to ascend to the uncreated origin of the ,god of the universe4 ,footnote #ade3 4 ,footnote #adf3 4 ,footnote #adg3 4 ,chapter ,,lii4 ,but since it is a ,jew who makes these assertions in the treatise of ,celsus1 we would say to him3 ,pray1 friend1 why do you believe the works which are recorded in your writings as having been performed by ,god through the instrumentality of ,moses to be really divine1 and endeavour to refute those who slanderously assert that they were wrought by sorcery1 like those of the ,egyptian magicians2 while1 in imitation of your ,egyptian opponents1 you charge those which were done by ,jesus1 and which1 you admit1 were actually performed1 with not being divine8 ,for if the final result1 and the founding of an entire nation by the miracles of ,moses1 manifestly demonstrate that it was ,god who brought these things to pass in the time of ,moses the ,hebrew lawgiver1 why should not such rather be shown to be the case with ,jesus1 who accomplished far greater works than those of ,moses8 ,for the former took those of his own nation1 the descendants of ,abraham1 who had observed the rite of circumcision transmitted by tradition1 and who were careful observers of the ,abrahamic usages1 and led them out of ,egypt1 enacting for them those laws which you believe to be divine2 whereas the latter ventured upon a greater undertaking1 and superinduced upon the pre-existing constitution1 and upon ancestral customs and modes of life agreeable to the existing laws1 a constitution in conformity with the gospel4 ,and as it was necessary1 in order that ,moses should find credit not only among the elders1 but the common people1 that there should be performed those miracles which he is recorded to have performed1 why should not ,jesus also1 in order that ,he may be believed on by those of the people who had learned to ask for signs and wonders1 require to work such miracles as1 on account of their greater grandeur and divinity 7in comparison with those of ,moses71 were able to convert men from ,jewish fables1 and from the human traditions which prevailed among them1 and make them admit that ,he who taught and did such things was greater than the prophets8 ,for how was not ,he greater than the prophets1 who was proclaimed by them to be the ,christ1 and the ,saviour of the human race8 ,chapter ,,liii4 ,all the arguments1 indeed1 which this ,jew of ,celsus advances against those who believe on ,jesus1 may1 by parity of reasoning1 be urged as ground of accusation against ,moses3 so that there is no difference in asserting that the sorcery practised by ,jesus and that by ,moses were similar to each other1#adh--;both of them1 so far as the language of this ,jew of ,celsus is concerned1 being liable to the same charge2 as1 e4g41 when this ,jew says of ,christ1 8,but1 ,o light and truth6 ,jesus with his own voice expressly declares1 as you yourselves have recorded1 that there will appear among you others also1 who will perform miracles like mine1 but who are wicked men and sorcerers10 some one1 either ,greek or ,egyptian1 or any other party who disbelieved the ,jew1 might say respecting ,moses1 8,but1 ,o light and truth6 ,moses with his own voice expressly declares1 as ye also have recorded1 that there will appear among you others also1 who will perform miracles like mine1 but who are wicked men and sorcerers4 ,for it is written in your law1 #8,if there arise among you a prophet1 or a dreamer of dreams1 and giveth thee a sign or a wonder1 and the sign or wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee1 saying1 ,let us go after other gods which thou hast not known1 and let us serve them2 thou shalt not hearken to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams1'0#adi etc4 ,again1 perverting the words of ,jesus1 he says1 8,and he terms him who devises such things1 one ,satan20 while one1 applying this to ,moses1 might say1 8,and he terms him who devises such things1 a prophet who dreams dreams40 ,and as this ,jew asserts regarding ,jesus1 that 8even he himself does not deny that these works have in them nothing of divinity1 but are the acts of wicked men20 so any one who disbelieves the writings of ,moses might say1 quoting what has been already said1 the same thing1 viz41 that 8even ,moses does not deny that these works have in them nothing of divinity1 but are the acts of wicked men40 ,and he will do the same thing also with respect to this3 8,being compelled by the force of truth1 ,moses at the same time both exposed the doings of others1 and convicted himself of the same40 ,and when the ,jew says1 8,is it not a wretched inference from the same acts1 to conclude that the one is a ,god1 and the others sorcerers80 one might object to him1 on the ground of those words of ,moses already quoted1 8,is it not then a wretched inference from the same acts1 to conclude that the one is a prophet and servant of ,god1 and the others sorcerers80 ,but when1 in addition to those comparisons which ,i have already mentioned1 ,celsus1 dwelling upon the subject1 adduces this also3 8,why from these works should the others be accounted wicked1 rather than this man1 seeing they have him as a witness against himself80--we1 too1 shall adduce the following1 in addition to what has been already said3 8,why1 from those passages in which ,moses forbids us to believe those who exhibit signs and wonders1 ought we to consider such persons as wicked1 rather than ,moses1 because he calumniates some of them in respect of their signs and wonders80 ,and urging more to the same effect1 that he may appear to strengthen his attempt1 he says3 8,he himself acknowledged that these were not the works of a divine nature1 but were the inventions of certain deceivers1 and of very wicked men40 ,who1 then1 is 8himself80 ,you1 ,o ,jew1 say that it is ,jesus2 but he who accuses you as liable to the same charges1 will transfer this 8himself0 to the person of ,moses4 ,footnote #adh3 4 ,footnote #adi3 ,deut4 xiii4 #a-c4 ,chapter ,,liv4 ,after this1 forsooth1 the ,jew of ,celsus1 to keep up the character assigned to the ,jew from the beginning1 in his address to those of his countrymen who had become believers1 says3 8,by what1 then1 were you induced to become his followers8 ,was it because he foretold that after his death he would rise again80 ,now this question1 like the others1 can be retorted upon ,moses4 ,for we might say to the ,jew3 8,by what1 then1 were you induced to become the follower of ,moses8 ,was it because he put on record the following statement about his own death3 #8,and ,moses1 the servant of the ,lord1 died there1 in the land of ,moab1 according to the word of the ,lord2 and they buried him in ,moab1 near the house of ,phogor3 and no one knoweth his sepulchre until this day8'0#aej ,for as the ,jew casts discredit upon the statement1 that 8,jesus foretold that after ,his death ,he would rise again10 another person might make a similar assertion about ,moses1 and would say in reply1 that ,moses also put on record 7for the book of ,deuteronomy is his composition7 the statement1 that 8no one knoweth his sepulchre until this day10 in order to magnify and enhance the importance of his place of burial1 as being unknown to mankind4 ,footnote #aej3 ,cf4 ,deut4 xxxiv4 #e1 #f4 ,chapter ,,lv4 ,the ,jew continues his address to those of his countrymen who are converts1 as follows3 8,come now1 let us grant to you that the prediction was actually uttered4 ,yet how many others are there who practise such juggling tricks1 in order to deceive their simple hearers1 and who make gain by their deception8--as was the case1 they say1 with ,zamolxis#aea in ,scythia1 the slave of ,pythagoras2 and with ,pythagoras himself in ,italy2 and with ,rhampsinitus#aeb in ,egypt 7the latter of whom1 they say1 played at dice with ,demeter in ,hades1 and returned to the upper world with a golden napkin which he had received from her as a gift72 and also with ,orpheus#aec among the ,odrysians1 and ,protesilaus in ,thessaly1 and ,hercules#aed at ,cape ,tnarus1 and ,theseus4 ,but the question is1 whether any one who was really dead ever rose with a veritable body4#aee ,or do you imagine the statements of others not only to be myths1 but to have the appearance of such1 while you have discovered a becoming and credible termination to your drama in the voice from the cross1 when he breathed his last1 and in the earthquake and the darkness8 ,that while alive he was of no assistance to himself1 but that when dead he rose again1 and showed the marks of his punishment1 and how his hands were pierced with nails3 who beheld this8 ,a half-frantic#aef woman1 as you state1 and some other one1 perhaps1 of those who were engaged in the same system of delusion1 who had either dreamed so1 owing to a peculiar state of mind1#aeg or under the influence of a wandering imagination had formed to himself an appearance according to his own wishes1#aeh which has been the case with numberless individuals2 or1 which is most probable1 one who desired to impress others with this portent1 and by such a falsehood to furnish an occasion to impostors like himself40 ,now1 since it is a ,jew who makes these statements1 we shall conduct the defence of our ,jesus as if we were replying to a ,jew1 still continuing the comparison derived from the accounts regarding ,moses1 and saying to him3 8,how many others are there who practise similar juggling tricks to those of ,moses1 in order to deceive their silly hearers1 and who make gain by their deception80 ,now this objection would be more appropriate in the mouth of one who did not believe in ,moses 7as we might quote the instances of ,zamolxis and ,pythagoras1 who were engaged in such juggling tricks7 than in that of a ,jew1 who is not very learned in the histories of the ,greeks4 ,an ,egyptian1 moreover1 who did not believe the miracles of ,moses1 might credibly adduce the instance of ,rhampsinitus1 saying that it was far more credible that he had descended to ,hades1 and had played at dice with ,demeter1 and that after stealing from her a golden napkin he exhibited it as a sign of his having been in ,hades1 and of his having returned thence1 than that ,moses should have recorded that he entered into the darkness1 where ,god was1 and that he alone1 above all others1 drew near to ,god4 ,for the following is his statement3 8,moses alone shall come near the ,lord2 but the rest shall not come nigh40#aei ,we1 then1 who are the disciples of ,jesus1 say to the ,jew who urges these objections3 8,while assailing our belief in ,jesus1 defend yourself1 and answer the ,egyptian and the ,greek objectors3 what will you say to those charges which you brought against our ,jesus1 but which also might be brought against ,moses first8 ,and if you should make a vigorous effort to defend ,moses1 as indeed his history does admit of a clear and powerful defence1 you will unconsciously1 in your support of ,moses1 be an unwilling assistant in establishing the greater divinity of ,jesus40 ,footnote #aea3 ,cf4 ,herodot4 iv4 #ie4 ,footnote #aeb3 ,cf4 ,herodot4 ii4 #abb4 ,footnote #aec3 ,cf4 ,diodor4 iv4 ,bibl4 ,hist4 ,footnote #aed3 ,cf4 ,diodor4 iv4 ,bibl4 ,hist4 ,footnote #aee3 4 ,footnote #aef3 4 ,footnote #aeg3 4 ,footnote #aeh3 4 ,footnote #aei3 ,cf4 ,ex4 xxiv4 #b4 ,chapter ,,lvi4 ,but since the ,jew says that these histories of the alleged descent of heroes to ,hades1 and of their return thence1 are juggling impositions1#afj maintaining that these heroes disappeared for a certain time1 and secretly withdrew themselves from the sight of all men1 and gave themselves out afterwards as having returned from ,hades1--for such is the meaning which his words seem to convey respecting the ,odrysian ,orpheus1 and the ,thessalian ,protesilaus1 and the ,tnarian ,hercules1 and ,theseus also1--let us endeavour to show that the account of ,jesus being raised from the dead cannot possibly be compared to these4 ,for each one of the heroes respectively mentioned might1 had he wished1 have secretly withdrawn himself from the sight of men1 and returned again1 if so determined1 to those whom he had left2 but seeing that ,jesus was crucified before all the ,jews1 and ,his body slain in the presence of ,his nation1 how can they bring themselves to say that ,he practised a similar deception#afa with those heroes who are related to have gone down to ,hades1 and to have returned thence8 ,but we say that the following consideration might be adduced1 perhaps1 as a defence of the public crucifixion of ,jesus1 especially in connection with the existence of those stories of heroes who are supposed to have been compelled#afb to descend to ,hades3 that if we were to suppose ,jesus to have died an obscure death1 so that the fact of ,his decease was not patent to the whole nation of the ,jews1 and afterwards to have actually risen from the dead1 there would1 in such a case1 have been ground for the same suspicion entertained regarding the heroes being also entertained regarding ,himself4 ,probably1 then1 in addition to other causes for the crucifixion of ,jesus1 this also may have contributed to ,his dying a conspicuous death upon the cross1 that no one might have it in his power to say that ,he voluntarily withdrew from the sight of men1 and seemed only to die1 without really doing so2 but1 appearing again1 made a juggler's trick#afc of the resurrection from the dead4 ,but a clear and unmistakeable proof of the fact ,i hold to be the undertaking of ,his disciples1 who devoted themselves to the teaching of a doctrine which was attended with danger to human life1--a doctrine which they would not have taught with such courage had they invented the resurrection of ,jesus from the dead2 and who also1 at the same time1 not only prepared others to despise death1 but were themselves the first to manifest their disregard for its terrors4 ,footnote #afj3 4 ,footnote #afa3 1 etc4 ,footnote #afb3 4 ,bohereau proposes the omission of 4 ,footnote #afc3 4 ,chapter ,,lvii4 ,but observe whether this ,jew of ,celsus does not talk very blindly1 in saying that it is impossible for any one to rise from the dead with a veritable body1 his language being3 8,but this is the question1 whether any one who was really dead ever rose again with a veritable body80 ,now a ,jew would not have uttered these words1 who believed what is recorded in the third and fourth books of ,kings regarding little children1 of whom the one was raised up by ,elijah1#afd and the other by ,elisha4#afe ,and on this account1 too1 ,i think it was that ,jesus appeared to no other nation than the ,jews1 who had become accustomed to miraculous occurrences2 so that1 by comparing what they themselves believed with the works which were done by ,him1 and with what was related of ,him1 they might confess that ,he1 in regard to whom greater things were done1 and by whom mightier marvels were performed1 was greater than all those who preceded ,him4 ,footnote #afd3 ,cf4 #a ,kings xvii4 #ba1 #bb4 ,footnote #afe3 ,cf4 #b ,kings iv4 #cd1 #ce4 ,chapter ,,lviii4 ,further1 after these ,greek stories which the ,jew adduced respecting those who were guilty of juggling practices1#aff and who pretended to have risen from the dead1 he says to those ,jews who are converts to ,christianity3 8,do you imagine the statements of others not only to be myths1 but to have the appearance of such1 while you have discovered a becoming and credible termination to your drama in the voice from the cross1 when he breathed his last80 ,we reply to the ,jew3 8,what you adduce as myths1 we regard also as such2 but the statements of the ,scriptures which are common to us both1 in which not you only1 but we also1 take pride1 we do not at all regard as myths4 ,and therefore we accord our belief to those who have therein related that some rose from the dead1 as not being guilty of imposition2 and to ,him especially there mentioned as having risen1 who both predicted the event ,himself1 and was the subject of prediction by others4 ,and ,his resurrection is more miraculous than that of the others in this respect1 that they were raised by the prophets ,elijah and ,elisha1 while ,he was raised by none of the prophets1 but by ,his ,father in heaven4 ,and therefore ,his resurrection also produced greater results than theirs4 ,for what great good has accrued to the world from the resurrection of the children through the instrumentality of ,elijah and ,elisha1 such as has resulted from the preaching of the resurrection of ,jesus1 accepted as an article of belief1 and as effected through the agency of divine power80 ,footnote #aff3 4 ,chapter ,,lix4 ,he imagines also that both the earthquake and the darkness were an invention2#afg but regarding these1 we have in the preceding pages made our defence1 according to our ability1 adducing the testimony of ,phlegon1 who relates that these events took place at the time when our ,saviour suffered4 ,and he goes on to say1 that 8,jesus1 while alive1 was of no assistance to himself1 but that he arose after death1 and exhibited the marks of his punishment1 and showed how his hands had been pierced by nails40 ,we ask him what he means by the expression1 8was of no assistance to himself80 ,for if he means it to refer to want of virtue1 we reply that ,he was of very great assistance4 ,for ,he neither uttered nor committed anything that was improper1 but was truly 8led as a sheep to the slaughter1 and was dumb as a lamb before the shearer20#afh and the ,gospel testifies that ,he opened not ,his mouth4 ,but if ,celsus applies the expression to things indifferent and corporeal1#afi meaning that in such ,jesus could render no help to ,himself1 we say that we have proved from the ,gospels that ,he went voluntarily to encounter ,his sufferings4 ,speaking next of the statements in the ,gospels1 that after ,his resurrection ,he showed the marks of ,his punishment1 and how ,his hands had been pierced1 he asks1 8,who beheld this80 ,and discrediting the narrative of ,mary ,magdalene1 who is related to have seen ,him1 he replies1 8,a half-frantic woman1 as ye state40 ,and because she is not the only one who is recorded to have seen the ,saviour after ,his resurrection1 but others also are mentioned1 this ,jew of ,celsus calumniates these statements also in adding1 8,and some one else of those engaged in the same system of deception60 ,footnote #afg3 4 ,footnote #afh3 ,isa4 liii4 #g4 ,footnote #afi3 80 4 ,chapter ,,lx4 ,in the next place1 as if this were possible1 viz4 that the image of a man who was dead could appear to another as if he were still living1 he adopts this opinion as an ,epicurean1 and says1 8,that some one having so dreamed owing to a peculiar state of mind1 or having1 under the influence of a perverted imagination1 formed such an appearance as he himself desired1 reported that such had been seen2 and this10 he continues1 8has been the case with numberless individuals40 ,but even if this statement of his seems to have a considerable degree of force1 it is nevertheless only fitted to confirm a necessary doctrine1 that the soul of the dead exists in a separate state from the body2 and he who adopts such an opinion does not believe without good reason in the immortality1 or at least continued existence1 of the soul1 as even ,plato says in his treatise on the ,soul that shadowy phantoms of persons already dead have appeared to some around their sepulchres4 ,now the phantoms which exist about the soul of the dead are produced by some substance1 and this substance is in the soul1 which exists apart in a body said to be of splendid appearance4#agj ,but ,celsus1 unwilling to admit any such view1 will have it that some dreamed a waking dream1#aga and1 under the influence of a perverted imagination1 formed to themselves such an image as they desired4 ,now it is not irrational to believe that a dream may take place while one is asleep2 but to suppose a waking vision in the case of those who are not altogether out of their senses1 and under the influence of delirium or hypochondria1 is incredible4 ,and ,celsus1 seeing this1 called the woman 8half-mad10--a statement which is not made by the history recording the fact1 but from which he took occasion to charge the occurrences with being untrue4 ,footnote #agj3 1 4 ,cf4 note in ,benedictine ed4 ,footnote #aga3 4 ,chapter ,,lxi4 ,jesus accordingly1 as ,celsus imagines1 exhibited after ,his death only the appearance of wounds received on the cross1 and was not in reality so wounded as ,he is described to have been2 whereas1 according to the teaching of the ,gospel--some portions of which ,celsus arbitrarily accepts1 in order to find ground of accusation1 and other parts of which he rejects--,jesus called to ,him one of ,his disciples who was sceptical1 and who deemed the miracle an impossibility4 ,that individual had1 indeed1 expressed his belief in the statement of the woman who said that she had seen ,him1 because he did not think it impossible that the soul of a dead man could be seen2 but he did not yet consider the report to be true that ,he had been raised in a body1 which was the antitype of the former4#agb ,and therefore he did not merely say1 8,unless ,i see1 ,i will not believe20 but he added1 8,unless ,i put my hand into the print of the nails1 and lay my hands upon ,his side1 ,i will not believe40 ,these words were spoken by ,thomas1 who deemed it possible that the body of the soul might be seen by the eye of sense1 resembling in all respects its former appearance1 8,both in size1 and in beauty of eyes1 ,and in voice20 and frequently1 too1 8,having1 also1 such garments around the person#agc as when alive40 ,jesus accordingly1 having called ,thomas1 said1 8,reach hither thy finger1 and behold my hands2 and reach hither thy hand1 and thrust it into my side3 and be not faithless1 but believing40#agd ,footnote #agb3 4 ,footnote #agc3 ,cf4 ,homer1 ,iliad1 xxiii4 #ff1 #fg4 ,footnote #agd3 ,cf4 ,john xx4 #bg4 ,chapter ,,lxii4 ,now it followed from all the predictions which were uttered regarding ,him--amongst which was this prediction of the resurrection--and from all that was done by ,him1 and from all the events which befell ,him1 that this event should be marvellous above all others4 ,for it had been said beforehand by the prophet in the person of ,jesus3 8,my flesh shall rest in hope1 and ,thou wilt not leave my soul in ,hades1 and wilt not suffer ,thine ,holy ,one to see corruption40#age ,and truly1 after ,his resurrection1 ,he existed in a body intermediate1 as it were1 between the grossness of that which ,he had before ,his sufferings1 and the appearance of a soul uncovered by such a body4 ,and hence it was1 that when ,his disciples were together1 and ,thomas with them1 there 8came ,jesus1 the doors being shut1 and stood in the midst1 and said1 ,peace be unto you4 ,then saith ,he to ,thomas1 ,reach hither thy finger10#agf etc4 ,and in the ,gospel of ,luke also1 while ,simon and ,cleopas were conversing with each other respecting all that had happened to them1 ,jesus 8drew near1 and went with them4 ,and their eyes were holden1 that they should not know ,him4 ,and ,he said unto them1 ,what manner of communications are these that ye have one to another1 as ye walk80 ,and when their eyes were opened1 and they knew ,him1 then the ,scripture says1 in express words1 8,and ,he vanished out of their sight40#agg ,and although ,celsus may wish to place what is told of ,jesus1 and of those who saw ,him after ,his resurrection1 on the same level with imaginary appearances of a different kind1 and those who have invented such1 yet to those who institute a candid and intelligent examination1 the events will appear only the more miraculous4 ,footnote #age3 ,ps4 xvi4 #i1 #aj4 ,footnote #agf3 ,john xx4 #bf1 #bg4 ,footnote #agg3 ,luke xxiv4 #ae1 #ca4 ,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,after these points1 ,celsus proceeds to bring against the ,gospel narrative a charge which is not to be lightly passed over1 saying that 8if ,jesus desired to show that his power was really divine1 he ought to have appeared to those who had ill-treated him1 and to him who had condemned him1 and to all men universally40 ,for it appears to us also to be true1 according to the ,gospel account1 that ,he was not seen after ,his resurrection in the same manner as ,he used formerly to show ,himself--publicly1 and to all men4 ,but it is recorded in the ,acts1 that 8being seen during forty days10 ,he expounded to ,his disciples 8the things pertaining to the kingdom of ,god40#agh ,and in the ,gospels#agi it is not stated that ,he was always with them2 but that on one occasion ,he appeared in their midst1 after eight days1 when the doors were shut1 and on another in some similar fashion4 ,and ,paul also1 in the concluding portions of the first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 in reference to ,his not having publicly appeared as ,he did in the period before ,he suffered1 writes as follows3 8,for ,i delivered unto you first of all that which ,i also received1 how that ,christ died for our sins according to the ,scriptures2 and that ,he was seen of ,cephas1 then of the twelve3 after that ,he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once1 of whom the greater part remain unto the present time1 but some are fallen asleep4 ,after that ,he was seen of ,james1 then of all the apostles4 ,and last of all ,he was seen of me also1 as of one born out of due time40#ahj ,i am of opinion now that the statements in this passage contain some great and wonderful mysteries1 which are beyond the grasp not merely of the great multitude of ordinary believers1 but even of those who are far advanced in ,christian knowledge1 and that in them the reason would be explained why ,he did not show ,himself1 after ,his resurrection from the dead1 in the same manner as before that event4 ,and in a treatise of this nature1 composed in answer to a work directed against the ,christians and their faith1 observe whether we are able to adduce a few rational arguments out of a greater number1 and thus make an impression upon the hearers of this apology4 ,footnote #agh3 ,acts i4 #c4 ,footnote #agi3 ,cf4 ,john xx4 #bf4 ,footnote #ahj3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #c-h4 ,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,although ,jesus was only a single individual1 ,he was nevertheless more things than one1 according to the different standpoint from which ,he might be regarded2#aha nor was ,he seen in the same way by all who beheld ,him4 ,now1 that ,he was more things than one1 according to the varying point of view1 is clear from this statement1 8,i am the way1 and the truth1 and the life20 and from this1 8,i am the bread20 and this1 8,i am the door10 and innumerable others4 ,and that when seen ,he did not appear in like fashion to all those who saw ,him1 but according to their several ability to receive ,him1 will be clear to those who notice why1 at the time when ,he was about to be transfigured on the high mountain1 ,he did not admit all ,his apostles to this sight1 but only ,peter1 and ,james1 and ,john1 because they alone were capable of beholding ,his glory on that occasion1 and of observing the glorified appearance of ,moses and ,elijah1 and of listening to their conversation1 and to the voice from the heavenly cloud4 ,i am of opinion1 too1 that before ,he ascended the mountain where ,his disciples came to ,him alone1 and where ,he taught them the beatitudes1 when ,he was somewhere in the lower part of the mountain1 and when1 as it became late1 ,he healed those who were brought to ,him1 freeing them from all sickness and disease1 ,he did not appear the same person to the sick1 and to those who needed ,his healing aid1 as to those who were able by reason of their strength to go up the mountain along with ,him4 ,nay1 even when ,he interpreted privately to ,his own disciples the parables which were delivered to the multitudes without1 from whom the explanation was withheld1 as they who heard them explained were endowed with higher organs of hearing than they who heard them without explanation1 so was it altogether the same with the eyes of their soul1 and1 ,i think1 also with those of their body4#ahb ,and the following statement shows that ,he had not always the same appearance1 viz4 that ,judas1 when about to betray ,him1 said to the multitudes who were setting out with him1 as not being acquainted with ,him1 8,whomsoever ,i shall kiss1 the same is he40#ahc ,and ,i think that the ,saviour ,himself indicates the same thing by the words3 8,i was daily with you1 teaching in the temple1 and ye laid no hold on me40#ahd ,entertaining1 then1 such exalted views regarding ,jesus1 not only with respect to the ,deity within1 and which was hidden from the view of the multitude1 but with respect to the transfiguration of ,his body1 which took place when and to whom ,he would1 we say1 that before ,jesus had 8put off the governments and powers10#ahe and while as yet ,he was not dead unto sin1 all men were capable of seeing ,him2 but that1 when ,he had 8put off the governments and powers10 and had no longer anything which was capable of being seen by the multitude1 all who had formerly seen ,him were not now able to behold ,him4 ,and therefore1 sparing them1 ,he did not show ,himself to all after ,his resurrection from the dead4 ,footnote #aha3 4 ,footnote #ahb3 1 ' 1 4 ,footnote #ahc3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #dh4 ,footnote #ahd3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #ee4 ,footnote #ahe3 1 etc4 ,cf4 ,alford1 in loco 7,col4 ii4 #ae74 ,chapter ,,lxv4 ,and why do ,i say 8to all80 ,for even with ,his own apostles and disciples ,he was not perpetually present1 nor did ,he constantly show ,himself to them1 because they were not able without intermission#ahf to receive ,his divinity4 ,for ,his deity was more resplendent after ,he had finished the economy#ahg of salvation3 and this ,peter1 surnamed ,cephas1 the first-fruits as it were of the apostles1 was enabled to behold1 and along with him the twelve 7,matthias having been substituted in room of ,judas72 and after them ,he appeared to the five hundred brethren at once1 and then to ,james1 and subsequently to all the others besides the twelve apostles1 perhaps to the seventy also1 and lastly to ,paul1 as to one born out of due time1 and who knew well how to say1 8,unto me1 who am less than the least of all saints1 is this grace given20 and probably the expression 8least of all0 has the same meaning with 8one born out of due time40 ,for as no one could reasonably blame ,jesus for not having admitted all ,his apostles to the high mountain1 but only the three already mentioned1 on the occasion of ,his transfiguration1 when ,he was about to manifest the splendour which appeared in ,his garments1 and the glory of ,moses and ,elias talking with ,him1 so none could reasonably object to the statements of the apostles1 who introduce the appearance of ,jesus after ,his resurrection as having been made not to all1 but to those only whom ,he knew to have received eyes capable of seeing ,his resurrection4 ,i think1 moreover1 that the following statement regarding ,him has an apologetic value#ahh in reference to our subject1 viz43 8,for to this end ,christ died1 and rose again1 that ,he might be ,lord both of the dead and living40#ahi ,for observe1 it is conveyed in these words1 that ,jesus died that ,he might be ,lord of the dead2 and that ,he rose again to be ,lord not only of the dead1 but also of the living4 ,and the apostle understands1 undoubtedly1 by the dead over whom ,christ is to be ,lord1 those who are so called in the first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 8,for the trumpet shall sound1 and the dead shall be raised incorruptible20#aij and by the living1 those who are to be changed1 and who are different from the dead who are to be raised4 ,and respecting the living the words are these1 8,and we shall be changed20 an expression which follows immediately after the statement1 8,the dead shall be raised first40#aia ,moreover1 in the first ,epistle to the ,thessalonians1 describing the same change in different words1 he says that they who sleep are not the same as those who are alive2 his language being1 8,i would not have you to be ignorant1 brethren1 concerning them who are asleep1 that ye sorrow not1 even as others which have no hope4 ,for if we believe that ,jesus died1 and rose again1 even so them also that sleep in ,jesus will ,god bring with ,him4 ,for this we say unto you by the word of the ,lord1 that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the ,lord1 shall not prevent them that are asleep40#aib ,the explanation which appeared to us to be appropriate to this passage1 we gave in the exegetical remarks which we have made on the first ,epistle to the ,thessalonians4 ,footnote #ahf3 4 ,footnote #ahg3 4 ,footnote #ahh3 ' 4 ,footnote #ahi3 ,cf4 ,rom4 xiv4 #i4 ,footnote #aij3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #eb4 ,footnote #aia3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #eb with #a ,thess4 iv4 #af4 ,footnote #aib3 ,cf4 #a ,thess4 iv4 #ac-ae4 ,chapter ,,lxvi4 ,and be not surprised if all the multitudes who have believed on ,jesus do not behold ,his resurrection1 when ,paul1 writing to the ,corinthians1 can say to them1 as being incapable of receiving greater matters1 8,for ,i determined not to know anything among you1 save ,jesus ,christ1 and ,him crucified20#aic which is the same as saying1 8,hitherto ye were not able1 neither yet now are ye able1 for ye are still carnal40#aid ,the ,scripture1 therefore1 doing everything by appointment of ,god1 has recorded of ,jesus1 that before ,his sufferings ,he appeared to all indifferently1 but not always2 while after ,his sufferings ,he no longer appeared to all in the same way1 but with a certain discrimination which measured out to each his due4 ,and as it is related that 8,god appeared to ,abraham10 or to one of the saints1 and this 8appearance0 was not a thing of constant occurrence1 but took place at intervals1 and not to all1 so understand that the ,son of ,god appeared in the one case on the same principle that ,god appeared to the latter4#aie ,footnote #aic3 #a ,cor4 ii4 #b4 ,footnote #aid3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 iii4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #aie3 1 1 4 ,chapter ,,lxvii4 ,to the best of our ability1 therefore1 as in a treatise of this nature1 we have answered the objection1 that 8if ,jesus had really wished to manifest his divine power1 he ought to have shown himself to those who ill-treated him1 and to the judge who condemned him1 and to all without reservation40 ,there was1 however1 no obligation on ,him to appear either to the judge who condemned ,him1 or to those who ill-treated ,him4 ,for ,jesus spared both the one and the other1 that they might not be smitten with blindness1 as the men of ,sodom were when they conspired against the beauty of the angels entertained by ,lot4 ,and here is the account of the matter3 8,but the men put forth their hand1 and pulled ,lot into the house to them1 and shut to the door4 ,and they smote the men who were at the door of the house with blindness1 both small and great2 so that they wearied themselves to find the door40#aif ,jesus1 accordingly1 wished to show that ,his power was divine to each one who was capable of seeing it1 and according to the measure of ,his capability4 ,and ,i do not suppose that ,he guarded against being seen on any other ground than from a regard to the fitness of those who were incapable of seeing ,him4 ,and it is in vain for ,celsus to add1 8,for he had no longer occasion to fear any man after his death1 being1 as you say1 a ,god2 nor was he sent into the world at all for the purpose of being hid40 ,yet ,he was sent into the world not only to become known1 but also to be hid4 ,for all that ,he was1 was not known even to those to whom ,he was known1 but a certain part of ,him remained concealed even from them2 and to some ,he was not known at all4 ,and ,he opened the gates of light to those who were the sons of darkness and of night1 and had devoted themselves to becoming the sons of light and of the day4 ,for our ,saviour ,lord1 like a good physician1 came rather to us who were full of sins1 than to those who were righteous4 ,footnote #aif3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xix4 #aj1 #aa4 ,chapter ,,lxviii4 ,but let us observe how this ,jew of ,celsus asserts that1 8if this at least would have helped to manifest his divinity1 he ought accordingly to have at once disappeared from the cross40 ,now this seems to me to be like the argument of those who oppose the doctrine of providence1 and who arrange things differently from what they are1 and allege that the world would be better if it were as they arrange it4 ,now1 in those instances in which their arrangement is a possible one1 they are proved to make the world1 so far as depends upon them1 worse by their arrangement than it actually is2 while in those cases in which they do not portray things worse than they really are1 they are shown1 to desire impossibilities2 so that in either case they are deserving of ridicule4 ,and here1 accordingly1 that there was no impossibility in ,his coming1 as a being of diviner nature1 in order to disappear when ,he chose1 is clear from the very nature of the case2 and is certain1 moreover1 from what is recorded of ,him1 in the judgment of those who do not adopt certain portions merely of the narrative that they may have ground for accusing ,christianity1 and who consider other portions to be fiction4 ,for it is related in ,st4 ,luke's ,gospel1 that ,jesus after ,his resurrection took bread1 and blessed it1 and breaking it1 distributed it to ,simon and ,cleopas2 and when they had received the bread1 8their eyes were opened1 and they knew ,him1 and ,he vanished out of their sight40#aig ,footnote #aig3 ,cf4 ,luke xxiv4 #cj1 #ca4 ,chapter ,,lxix4 ,but we wish to show that ,his instantaneous bodily disappearance from the cross was not better fitted to serve the purposes of the whole economy of salvation than ,his remaining upon it was4 ,for the mere letter and narrative of the events which happened to ,jesus do not present the whole view of the truth4 ,for each one of them can be shown1 to those who have an intelligent apprehension of ,scripture1 to be a symbol of something else4 ,accordingly1 as ,his crucifixion contains a truth1 represented in the words1 8,i am crucified with ,christ10 and intimated also in these1 8,god forbid that ,i should glory1 save in the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 by whom the world is crucified to me1 and ,i unto the world20#aih and as ,his death was necessary1 because of the statement1 8,for in that ,he died1 ,he died unto sin once10#aii and this1 8,being made conformable to ,his death10#bjj and this1 8,for if we be dead with ,him1 we shall also live with ,him30#bja so also ,his burial has an application to those who have been made conformable to ,his death1 who have been both crucified with ,him1 and have died with ,him2 as is declared by ,paul1 8,for we were buried with ,him by baptism1 and have also risen with ,him40#bjb ,these matters1 however1 which relate to ,his burial1 and his sepulchre1 and him who buried ,him1 we shall expound at greater length on a more suitable occasion1 when it will be our professed purpose to treat of such things4 ,but1 for the present1 it is sufficient to notice the clean linen in which the pure body of ,jesus was to be enwrapped1 and the new tomb which ,joseph had hewn out of the rock1 where 8no one was yet lying10#bjc or1 as ,john expresses it1 8wherein was never man yet laid40#bjd ,and observe whether the harmony of the three evangelists here is not fitted to make an impression3 for they have thought it right to describe the tomb as one that was 8quarried or hewn out of the rock20 so that he who examines the words of the narrative may see something worthy of consideration1 both in them and in the newness of the tomb1--a point mentioned by ,matthew and ,john1#bje--;and in the statement of ,luke and ,john1#bjf that no one had ever been interred therein before4 ,for it became ,him1 who was unlike other dead men 7but who even in death manifested signs of life in the water and the blood71 and who was1 so to speak1 a new dead man1 to be laid in a new and clean tomb1 in order that1 as ,his birth was purer than any other 7in consequence of ,his being born1 not in the way of ordinary generation1 but of a virgin71 ,his burial also might have the purity symbolically indicated in ,his body being deposited in a sepulchre which was new1 not built of stones gathered from various quarters1 and having no natural unity1 but quarried and hewed out of one rock1 united together in all its parts4 ,regarding the explanation1 however1 of these points1 and the method of ascending from the narratives themselves to the things which they symbolized1 one might treat more profoundly1 and in a manner more adapted to their divine character1 on a more suitable occasion1 in a work expressly devoted to such subjects4 ,the literal narrative1 however1 one might thus explain1 viz4 that it was appropriate for ,him who had resolved to endure suspension upon the cross1 to maintain all the accompaniments of the character ,he had assumed1 in order that ,he who as a man had been put to death1 and who as a man had died1 might also as a man be buried4 ,but even if it had been related in the ,gospels1 according to the view of ,celsus1 that ,jesus had immediately disappeared from the cross1 he and other unbelievers would have found fault with the narrative1 and would have brought against it some such objection as this3 8,why1 pray1 did he disappear after he had been put upon the cross1 and not disappear before he suffered80 ,if1 then1 after learning from the ,gospels that ,he did not at once disappear from the cross1 they imagine that they can find fault with the narrative1 because it did not invent1 as they consider it ought to have done1 any such instantaneous disappearance1 but gave a true account of the matter1 is it not reasonable that they should accord their faith also to ,his resurrection1 and should believe that ,he1 according to ,his pleasure1 on one occasion1 when the doors were shut1 stood in the midst of ,his disciples1 and on another1 after distributing bread to two of ,his acquaintances1 immediately disappeared from view1 after ,he had spoken to them certain words8 ,footnote #aih3 ,cf4 ,gal4 vi4 #ad4 ,footnote #aii3 ,rom4 vi4 #aj4 ,footnote #bjj3 ,phil4 iii4 #aj4 ,footnote #bja3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #aa4 ,footnote #bjb3 ,cf4 ,rom4 vi4 #d4 ,footnote #bjc3 ,luke xxiii4 #ec1 4 ,footnote #bjd3 ,john xix4 #da1 4 ,footnote #bje3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxvii4 #fj with ,john xix4 #da4 ,footnote #bjf3 ,cf4 ,luke xxiii4 #ec with ,john xix4 #da4 ,chapter ,,lxx4 ,but how is it that this ,jew of ,celsus could say that ,jesus concealed ,himself8 ,for his words regarding ,him are these3 8,and who that is sent as a messenger ever conceals himself when he ought to make known his message80 ,now1 ,he did not conceal ,himself1 who said to those who sought to apprehend ,him1 8,i was daily teaching openly in the temple1 and ye laid no hold upon me40 ,but having once already answered this charge of ,celsus1 now again repeated1 we shall content ourselves with what we have formerly said4 ,we have answered1 also1 in the preceding pages1 this objection1 that 8while he was in the body1 and no one believed upon him1 he preached to all without intermission2 but when he might have produced a powerful belief in himself after rising from the dead1 he showed himself secretly only to one woman1 and to his own boon companions40#bjg ,now it is not true that ,he showed ,himself only to one woman2 for it is stated in the ,gospel according to ,matthew1 that 8in the end of the ,sabbath1 as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week1 came ,mary ,magdalene1 and the other ,mary1 to see the sepulchre4 ,and1 behold1 there had been a great earthquake3 for the angel of the ,lord had descended from heaven1 and come and rolled back the stone40#bjh ,and1 shortly after1 ,matthew adds3 8,and1 behold1 ,jesus met them0--clearly meaning the afore-mentioned ,marys--8saying1 ,all hail4 ,and they came and held ,him by the feet1 and worshipped ,him40#bji ,and we answered1 too1 the charge1 that 8while undergoing his punishment he was seen by all1 but after his resurrection only by one10 when we offered our defence of the fact that 8,he was not seen by all40 ,and now we might say that ,his merely human attributes were visible to all men1 but those which were divine in their nature--,i speak of the attributes not as related1 but as distinct#baj--were not capable of being received by all4 ,but observe here the manifest contradiction into which ,celsus falls4 ,for having said1 a little before1 that ,jesus had appeared secretly to one woman and ,his own boon companions1 he immediately subjoins3 8,while undergoing his punishment he was seen by all men1 but after his resurrection by one1 whereas the opposite ought to have happened40 ,and let us hear what he means by 8ought to have happened40 ,the being seen by all men while undergoing ,his punishment1 but after ,his resurrection only by one individual1 are opposites4#baa ,now1 so far as his language conveys a meaning1 he would have that to take place which is both impossible and absurd1 viz41 that while undergoing ,his punishment ,he should be seen only by one individual1 but after ,his resurrection by all men6 or else how will you explain his words1 8,the opposite ought to have happened80 ,footnote #bjg3 4 ,footnote #bjh3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #bji3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #i4 ,footnote #baj3 1 4 ,footnote #baa3 1 4 ,the ,benedictine editor reads 1 and ,bohereau proposes 1 etc4 ,chapter ,,lxxi4 ,jesus taught us who it was that sent ,him1 in the words1 8,none knoweth the ,father but the ,son20#bab and in these1 8,no man hath seen ,god at any time2 the only begotten ,son1 who is in the bosom of the ,father1 ,he hath declared ,him40#bac ,he1 treating of ,deity1 stated to ,his true disciples the doctrine regarding ,god2 and we1 discovering traces of such teaching in the ,scripture narratives1 take occasion from such to aid our theological conceptions1#bad hearing it declared in one passage1 that 8,god is light1 and in ,him there is no darkness at all20#bae and in another1 8,god is a ,spirit1 and they that worship ,him must worship ,him in spirit and in truth40#baf ,but the purposes for which the ,father sent ,him are innumerable2 and these any one may ascertain who chooses1 partly from the prophets who prophesied of ,him1 and partly from the narratives of the evangelists4 ,and not a few things also will he learn from the apostles1 and especially from ,paul4 ,moreover1 those who are pious ,he leadeth to the light1 and those who sin ,he will punish1--a circumstance which ,celsus not observing1 has represented ,him 8as one who will lead the pious to the light1 and who will have mercy on others1 whether they sin or repent40#bag ,footnote #bab3 ,cf4 ,luke x4 #bb4 ,footnote #bac3 ,john i4 #ah4 ,footnote #bad3 4 ,footnote #bae3 #a ,john i4 #e4 ,footnote #baf3 ,john iv4 #bd4 ,footnote #bag3 ,the text is1 4 ,bohereau would read 1 or would render the passage as if the reading were 1 4 ,this suggestion has been adopted in the translation4 ,chapter ,,lxxii4 ,after the above statements1 he continues3 8,if he wished to remain hid1 why was there heard a voice from heaven proclaiming him to be the ,son of ,god8 ,and if he did not seek to remain concealed1 why was he punished8 or why did he die80 ,now1 by such questions he thinks to convict the histories of discrepancy1 not observing that ,jesus neither desired all things regarding ,himself to be known to all whom ,he happened to meet1 nor yet all things to be unknown4 ,accordingly1 the voice from heaven which proclaimed ,him to be the ,son of ,god1 in the words1 8,this is my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased10#bah is not stated to have been audible to the multitudes1 as this ,jew of ,celsus supposed4 ,the voice from the cloud on the high mountain1 moreover1 was heard only by those who had gone up with ,him4 ,for the divine voice is of such a nature1 as to be heard only by those whom the speaker wishes to hear it4 ,and ,i maintain1 that the voice of ,god which is referred to1 is neither air which has been struck1 nor any concussion of the air1 nor anything else which is mentioned in treatises on the voice2#bai and therefore it is heard by a better and more divine organ of hearing than that of sense4 ,and when the speaker will not have his voice to be heard by all1 he that has the finer ear hears the voice of ,god1 while he who has the ears of his soul deadened does not perceive that it is ,god who speaks4 ,these things ,i have mentioned because of his asking1 8,why was there heard a voice from heaven proclaiming him to be the ,son of ,god80 while with respect to the query1 8,why was he punished1 if he wished to remain hid80 what has been stated at greater length in the preceding pages on the subject of ,his sufferings may suffice4 ,footnote #bah3 ,matt4 iii4 #ag4 ,footnote #bai3 1 1 1 4 ,chapter ,,lxxiii4 ,the ,jew proceeds1 after this1 to state as a consequence what does not follow from the premises2 for it does not follow from 8,his having wished1 by the punishments which ,he underwent1 to teach us also to despise death10 that after ,his resurrection ,he should openly summon all men to the light1 and instruct them in the object of ,his coming4 ,for ,he had formerly summoned all men to the light in the words1 8,come unto me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest40#bbj ,and the object of ,his coming had been explained at great length in ,his discourses on the beatitudes1 and in the announcements which followed them1 and in the parables1 and in ,his conversations with the scribes and ,pharisees4 ,and the instruction afforded us by the ,gospel of ,john1 shows that the eloquence of ,jesus consisted not in words1 but in deeds2 while it is manifest from the ,gospel narratives that ,his speech was 8with power10 on which account also they marvelled at ,him4 ,footnote #bbj3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xi4 #bh4 ,chapter ,,lxxiv4 ,in addition to all this1 the ,jew further says3 8,all these statements are taken from your own books1 in addition to which we need no other witness2 for ye fall upon your own swords40#bba ,now we have proved that many foolish assertions1 opposed to the narratives of our ,gospels1 occur in the statements of the ,jew1 either with respect to ,jesus or ourselves4 ,and ,i do not think that he has shown that 8we fall upon our own swords20 but he only so imagines4 ,and when the ,jew adds1 in a general way1 this to his former remarks3 8,o most high and heavenly one6 what ,god1 on appearing to men1 is received with incredulity80 we must say to him1 that according to the accounts in the law of ,moses1 ,god is related to have visited the ,hebrews in a most public manner1 not only in the signs and wonders performed in ,egypt1 and also in the passage of the ,red ,sea1 and in the pillar of fire and cloud of light1 but also when the ,decalogue was announced to the whole people1 and yet was received with incredulity by those who saw these things3 for had they believed what they saw and heard1 they would not have fashioned the calf1 nor changed their own glory into the likeness of a grass-eating calf2 nor would they have said to one another with reference to the calf1 8,these be thy gods1 ,o ,israel1 who brought thee up out of the land of ,egypt40#bbb ,and observe whether it is not entirely in keeping with the character of the same people1 who formerly refused to believe such wonders and such appearances of divinity1 throughout the whole period of wandering in the wilderness1 as they are recorded in the law of the ,jews to have done1 to refuse to be convinced also1 on occasion of the glorious advent of ,jesus1 by the mighty words which were spoken by ,him with authority1 and the marvels which ,he performed in the presence of all the people4 ,footnote #bba3 4 ,footnote #bbb3 ,cf4 ,ex4 xxxii4 #d4 ,chapter ,,lxxv4 ,i think what has been stated is enough to convince any one that the unbelief of the ,jews with regard to ,jesus was in keeping with what is related of this people from the beginning4 ,for ,i would say in reply to this ,jew of ,celsus1 when he asks1 8,what ,god that appeared among men is received with incredulity1 and that1 too1 when appearing to those who expect him8 or why1 pray1 is he not recognised by those who have been long looking for him80 what answer1 friends1 would you have us return to your#bbc questions8 ,which class of miracles1 in your judgment1 do you regard as the greater8 ,those which were wrought in ,egypt and the wilderness1 or those which we declare that ,jesus performed among you8 ,for if the former are in your opinion greater than the latter1 does it not appear from this very fact to be in conformity with the character of those who disbelieved the greater to despise the less8 ,and this is the opinion entertained with respect to our accounts of the miracles of ,jesus4 ,but if those related of ,jesus are considered to be as great as those recorded of ,moses1 what strange thing has come to pass among a nation which has manifested incredulity with regard to the commencement of both dispensations8#bbd ,for the beginning of the legislation was in the time of ,moses1 in whose work are recorded the sins of the unbelievers and wicked among you1 while the commencement of our legislation and second covenant is admitted to have been in the time of ,jesus4 ,and by your unbelief of ,jesus ye show that ye are the sons of those who in the desert discredited the divine appearances2 and thus what was spoken by our ,saviour will be applicable also to you who believed not on ,him3 8,therefore ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers40#bbe ,and there is fulfilled among you also the prophecy which said3 8,your life shall hang in doubt before your eyes1 and you will have no assurance of your life40#bbf ,for ye did not believe in the life which came to visit the human race4 ,footnote #bbc3 ,the text reads 1 for which ,bohereau and the ,benedictine editor propose either or 1 the former of which is preferred by ,lommatzsch4 ,footnote #bbd3 ' 4 ,footnote #bbe3 ,cf4 ,luke xi4 #dh4 ,footnote #bbf3 ,cf4 ,deut4 xxviii4 #ff4 ,chapter ,,lxxvi4 ,celsus1 in adopting the character of a ,jew1 could not discover any objections to be urged against the gospel which might not be retorted on him as liable to be brought also against the law and the prophets4 ,for he censures ,jesus in such words as the following3 8,he makes use of threats1 and reviles men on light grounds1 when he says1 #8,woe unto you1' and #8,i tell you beforehand4' ,for by such expressions he manifestly acknowledges his inability to persuade2 and this would not be the case with a ,god1 or even a prudent man40 ,observe1 now1 whether these charges do not manifestly recoil upon the ,jew4 ,for in the writings of the law and the prophets ,god makes use of threats and revilings1 when ,he employs language of not less severity than that found in the ,gospel1 such as the following expressions of ,isaiah3 8,woe unto them that join house to house1 and lay field to field20#bbg and1 8,woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink20#bbh and1 8,woe unto them that draw their sins after them as with a long rope20#bbi and1 8,woe unto them that call evil good1 and good evil20#bcj and1 8,woe unto those of you who are mighty to drink wine20#bca and innumerable other passages of the same kind4 ,and does not the following resemble the threats of which he speaks3 8,ah1 sinful nation1 a people laden with iniquity1 a seed of evil-doers1 children that are corrupters80#bcb and so on1 to which he subjoins such threats as are equal in severity to those which1 he says1 ,jesus made use of4 ,for is it not a threatening1 and a great one1 which declares1 8,your country is desolate1 your cities are burned with fire3 your land1 strangers devour it in your presence1 and it is desolate1 as overthrown by strangers80#bcc ,and are there not revilings in ,ezekiel directed against the people1 when the ,lord says to the prophet1 8,thou dwellest in the midst of scorpions80#bcd ,were you serious1 then1 ,celsus1 in representing the ,jew as saying of ,jesus1 that 8he makes use of threats and revilings on slight grounds1 when he employs the expressions1 #8,woe unto you1' and #8,i tell you beforehand8'0 ,do you not see that the charges which this ,jew of yours brings against ,jesus might be brought by him against ,god8 ,for the ,god who speaks in the prophetic writings is manifestly liable to the same accusations1 as ,celsus regards them1 of inability to persuade4 ,i might1 moreover1 say to this ,jew1 who thinks that he makes a good charge against ,jesus by such statements1 that if he undertakes1 in support of the scriptural account1 to defend the numerous curses recorded in the books of ,leviticus and ,deuteronomy1 we should make as good1 or better1 a defence of the revilings and threatenings which are regarded as having been spoken by ,jesus4 ,and as respects the law of ,moses itself1 we are in a position to make a better defence of it than the ,jew is1 because we have been taught by ,jesus to have a more intelligent apprehension of the writings of the law4 ,nay1 if the ,jew perceive the meaning of the prophetic ,scriptures1 he will be able to show that it is for no light reason that ,god employs threatenings and revilings1 when ,he says1 8,woe unto you10 and 8,i tell you beforehand40 ,and how should ,god employ such expressions for the conversion of men1 which ,celsus thinks that even a prudent man would not have recourse to8 ,but ,christians1 who know only one ,god--the same who spoke in the prophets and in the ,lord ,jesus--can prove the reasonableness of those threatenings and revilings1 as ,celsus considers and entitles them4 ,and here a few remarks shall be addressed to this ,celsus1 who professes both to be a philosopher1 and to be acquainted with all our system4 ,how is it1 friend1 when ,hermes1 in ,homer1 says to ,odysseus1 8,why1 now1 wretched man1 do you come wandering alone over the mountain-tops80#bce that you are satisfied with the answer1 which explains that the ,homeric ,hermes addresses such language to ,odysseus to remind him of his duty1#bcf because it is characteristic of the ,sirens to flatter and to say pleasing things1 around whom 8,is a huge heap of bones10#bcg and who say1 8,come hither1 much lauded ,odysseus1 great glory of the ,greeks20#bch whereas1 if our prophets and ,jesus ,himself1 in order to turn their hearers from evil1 make use of such expressions as 8,woe unto you10 and what you regard as revilings1 there is no condescension in such language to the circumstances of the hearers1 nor any application of such words to them as healing#bci medicine8 ,unless1 indeed1 you would have ,god1 or one who partakes of the divine nature1 when conversing with men1 to have regard to ,his own nature alone1 and to what is worthy of ,himself1 but to have no regard to what is fitting to be brought before men who are under the dispensation and leading of ,his word1 and with each one of whom ,he is to converse agreeably to his individual character4 ,and is it not a ridiculous assertion regarding ,jesus1 to say that ,he was unable to persuade men1 when you compare the state of matters not only among the ,jews1 who have many such instances recorded in the prophecies1 but also among the ,greeks1 among whom all of those who have attained great reputation for their wisdom have been unable to persuade those who conspired against them1 or to induce their judges or accusers to cease from evil1 and to endeavour to attain to virtue by the way of philosophy8 ,footnote #bbg3 ,isa4 v4 #h4 ,footnote #bbh3 ,isa4 v4 #aa4 ,footnote #bbi3 ,isa4 v4 #ah4 ,footnote #bcj3 ,isa4 v4 #bj4 ,footnote #bca3 ,isa4 v4 #bb4 ,footnote #bcb3 ,cf4 ,isa4 i4 #d4 ,footnote #bcc3 ,isa4 i4 #g4 ,footnote #bcd3 ,ezek4 ii4 #f4 ,footnote #bce3 ,cf4 ,odyss4 x4 #bha4 ,footnote #bcf3 4 ,footnote #bcg3 ,cf4 ,odyss4 xii4 #de4 ,footnote #bch3 ,ibid4 xii4 #ahd4 ,footnote #bci3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxvii4 ,after this the ,jew remarks1 manifestly in accordance with the ,jewish belief3 8,we certainly hope that there will be a bodily resurrection1 and that we shall enjoy an eternal life2 and the example and archetype of this will be ,he who is sent to us1 and who will show that nothing is impossible with ,god40 ,we do not know1 indeed1 whether the ,jew would say of the expected ,christ1 that ,he exhibits in ,himself an example of the resurrection2 but let it be supposed that he both thinks and says so4 ,we shall give this answer1 then1 to him who has told us that he drew his information from our own writings3 8,did you read those writings1 friend1 in which you think you discover matter of accusation against us1 and not find there the resurrection of ,jesus1 and the declaration that ,he was the first-born from the dead8 ,or because you will not allow such things to have been recorded1 were they not actually recorded80 ,but as the ,jew still admits the resurrection of the body1 ,i do not consider the present a suitable time to discuss the subject with one who both believes and says that there is a bodily resurrection1 whether he has an articulate#bdj understanding of such a topic1 and is able to plead well on its behalf1#bda or not1 but has only given his assent to it as being of a legendary character4#bdb ,let the above1 then1 be our reply to this ,jew of ,celsus4 ,and when he adds1 8,where1 then1 is he1 that we may see him and believe upon him80 we answer3 ,where is ,he now who spoke in the prophecies1 and who wrought miracles1 that we may see and believe that ,he is part of ,god8 ,are you to be allowed to meet the objection1 that ,god does not perpetually show ,himself to the ,hebrew nation1 while we are not to be permitted the same defence with regard to ,jesus1 who has both once risen ,himself1 and led ,his disciples to believe in ,his resurrection1 and so thoroughly persuaded them of its truth1 that they show to all men by their sufferings how they are able to laugh at all the troubles of life1 beholding the life eternal and the resurrection clearly demonstrated to them both in word and deed8 ,footnote #bdj3 ' 4 ,footnote #bda3 4 ,footnote #bdb3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxviii4 ,the ,jew continues3 8,did ,jesus come into the world for this purpose1 that we should not believe him80 ,to which we immediately answer1 that ,he did not come with the object of producing incredulity among the ,jews2 but knowing beforehand that such would be the result1 ,he foretold it1 and made use of their unbelief for the calling of the ,gentiles4 ,for through their sin salvation came to the ,gentiles1 respecting whom the ,christ who speaks in the prophecies says1 8,a people whom ,i did not know became subject to me3 they were obedient to the hearing of my ear20#bdc and1 8,i was found of them who sought me not2 ,i became manifest to those who inquired not after me40#bdd ,it is certain1 moreover1 that the ,jews were punished even in this present life1 after treating ,jesus in the manner in which they did4 ,and let the ,jews assert what they will when we charge them with guilt1 and say1 8,is not the providence and goodness of ,god most wonderfully displayed in your punishment1 and in your being deprived of ,jerusalem1 and of the sanctuary1 and of your splendid worship80 ,for whatever they may say in reply with respect to the providence of ,god1 we shall be able more effectually to answer it by remarking1 that the providence of ,god was wonderfully manifested in using the transgression of that people for the purpose of calling into the kingdom of ,god1 through ,jesus ,christ1 those from among the ,gentiles who were strangers to the covenant and aliens to the promises4 ,and these things were foretold by the prophets1 who said that1 on account of the transgressions of the ,hebrew nation1 ,god would make choice1 not of a nation1 but of individuals chosen from all lands2#bde and1 having selected the foolish things of the world1 would cause an ignorant nation to become acquainted with the divine teaching1 the kingdom of ,god being taken from the one and given to the other4 ,and out of a larger number it is sufficient on the present occasion to adduce the prediction from the song in ,deuteronomy regarding the calling of the ,gentiles1 which is as follows1 being spoken in the person of the ,lord3 8,they have moved me to jealousy with those who are not gods2 they have provoked me to anger with their idols3 and ,i will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people2 ,i will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation40#bdf ,footnote #bdc3 ,cf4 #b ,sam4 xxii4 #dd1 #de4 ,footnote #bdd3 ,cf4 ,isa4 lxv4 #a4 ,footnote #bde3 1 4 ,footnote #bdf3 ,cf4 ,deut4 xxxii4 #ba4 ,chapter ,,lxxix4 ,the conclusion of all these arguments regarding ,jesus is thus stated by the ,jew3 8,he was therefore a man1 and of such a nature1 as the truth itself proves1 and reason demonstrates him to be40 ,i do not know1 however1 whether a man who had the courage to spread throughout the entire world his doctrine of religious worship and teaching1#bdg could accomplish what he wished without the divine assistance1 and could rise superior to all who withstood the progress of his doctrine--kings and rulers1 and the ,roman senate1 and governors in all places1 and the common people4 ,and how could the nature of a man possessed of no inherent excellence convert so vast a multitude8 ,for it would not be wonderful if it were only the wise who were so converted2 but it is the most irrational of men1 and those devoted to their passions1 and who1 by reason of their irrationality1 change with the greater difficulty so as to adopt a more temperate course of life4 ,and yet it is because ,christ was the power of ,god and the wisdom of the ,father that ,he accomplished1 and still accomplishes1 such results1 although neither the ,jews nor ,greeks who disbelieve ,his word will so admit4 ,and therefore we shall not cease to believe in ,god1 according to the precepts of ,jesus ,christ1 and to seek to convert those who are blind on the subject of religion1 although it is they who are truly blind themselves that charge us with blindness3 and they1 whether ,jews or ,greeks1 who lead astray those that follow them1 accuse us of seducing men--a good seduction1 truly6--that they may become temperate instead of dissolute1 or at least may make advances to temperance2 may become just instead of unjust1 or at least may tend to become so2 prudent instead of foolish1 or be on the way to become such2 and instead of cowardice1 meanness1 and timidity1 may exhibit the virtues of fortitude and courage1 especially displayed in the struggles undergone for the sake of their religion towards ,god1 the ,creator of all things4 ,jesus ,christ therefore came announced beforehand1 not by one prophet1 but by all2 and it was a proof of the ignorance of ,celsus1 to represent a ,jew as saying that one prophet only had predicted the advent of ,christ4 ,but as this ,jew of ,celsus1 after being thus introduced1 asserting that these things were indeed in conformity with his own law1 has somewhere here ended his discourse1 with a mention of other matters not worthy of remembrance1 ,i too shall here terminate this second book of my answer to his treatise4 ,but if ,god permit1 and the power of ,christ abide in my soul1 ,i shall endeavour in the third book to deal with the subsequent statements of ,celsus4 ,footnote #bdg3 ' 4 ,,book ,,iii4 ,chapter ,i4 ,in the first book of our answer to the work of ,celsus1 who had boastfully entitled the treatise which he had composed against us ,a ,true ,discourse1 we have gone through1 as you enjoined1 my faithful ,ambrosius1 to the best of our ability1 his preface1 and the parts immediately following it1 testing each one of his assertions as we went along1 until we finished with the tirade#bdh of this ,jew of his1 feigned to have been delivered against ,jesus4 ,and in the second book we met1 as we best could1 all the charges contained in the invective of the said ,jew1 which were levelled at us who are believers in ,god through ,christ2 and now we enter upon this third division of our discourse1 in which our object is to refute the allegations which he makes in his own person4 ,he gives it as his opinion1 that 8the controversy between ,jews and ,christians is a most foolish one10 and asserts that 8the discussions which we have with each other regarding ,christ differ in no respect from what is called in the proverb #8a fight about the shadow of an ass2'0#bdi and thinks that 8there is nothing of importance#bej in the investigations of the ,jews and ,christians3 for both believe that it was predicted by the ,divine ,spirit that one was to come as a ,saviour to the human race1 but do not yet agree on the point whether the person predicted has actually come or not40 ,for we ,christians1 indeed1 have believed in ,jesus1 as ,he who came according to the predictions of the prophets4 ,but the majority of the ,jews are so far from believing in ,him1 that those of them who lived at the time of ,his coming conspired against ,him2 and those of the present day1 approving of what the ,jews of former times dared to do against ,him1 speak evil of ,him1 asserting that it was by means of sorcery#bea that he passed himself off for ,him who was predicted by the prophets as the ,one who was to come1 and who was called1 agreeably to the traditions of the ,jews1#beb the ,christ4 ,footnote #bdh3 2 cf4 book i4 c4 #ga4 ,footnote #bdi3 4 ,on this proverb1 see ,zenobius1 ,centuria ,sexta1 adag4 #bh1 and the note of ,schottius4 ,cf4 also ,suidas1 s4v4 4--,,de ,,la ,,rue4 ,footnote #bej3 4 ,footnote #bea3 4 ,footnote #beb3 4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,but let ,celsus1 and those who assent to his charges1 tell us whether it is at all like 8an ass's shadow10 that the ,jewish prophets should have predicted the birth-place of ,him who was to be the ruler of those who had lived righteous lives1 and who are called the 8heritage0 of ,god2#bec and that ,emmanuel should be conceived by a virgin2 and that such signs and wonders should be performed by ,him who was the subject of prophecy2 and that ,his word should have such speedy course1 that the voice of ,his apostles should go forth into all the earth2 and that ,he should undergo certain sufferings after ,his condemnation by the ,jews2 and that ,he should rise again from the dead4 ,for was it by chance#bed that the prophets made these announcements1 with no persuasion of their truth in their minds1#bee moving them not only to speak1 but to deem their announcements worthy of being committed to writing8 ,and did so great a nation as that of the ,jews1 who had long ago received a country of their own wherein to dwell1 recognise certain men as prophets1 and reject others as utterers of false predictions1 without any conviction of the soundness of the distinction8 ,and was there no motive which induced them to class with the books of ,moses1 which were held as sacred1 the words of those persons who were afterwards deemed to be prophets8 ,and can those who charge the ,jews and ,christians with folly1 show us how the ,jewish nation could have continued to subsist1 had there existed among them no promise of the knowledge of future events8 and how1 while each of the surrounding nations believed1 agreeably to their ancient institutions1 that they received oracles and predictions from those whom they accounted gods1 this people alone1 who were taught to view with contempt all those who were considered gods by the heathen1 as not being gods1 but demons1 according to the declaration of the prophets1 8,for all the gods of the nations are demons10#bef had among them no one who professed to be a prophet1 and who could restrain such as1 from a desire to know the future1 were ready to desert#beg to the demons of other nations8 ,judge1 then1 whether it were not a necessity1 that as the whole nation had been taught to despise the deities of other lands1 they should have had an abundance of prophets1 who made known events which were of far greater importance in themselves1#beh and which surpassed the oracles of all other countries4 ,footnote #bec3 4 ,footnote #bed3 4 ,footnote #bee3 4 ,footnote #bef3 ,ps4 xcvi4 #e1 2 8idols10 ,auth4 ,vers4 ,we have in this passage1 and in many others1 the identification of the or gods of the heathen with the or 1 8evil spirits10 or angels1 supposed to be mentioned in ,gen4 vi4 #b4 ,footnote #beg3 ,the reading in the text is 1 on which ,bohereau1 with whom the ,benedictine editor agrees1 remarks that we must either read 1 or understand some such word as before 4 ,footnote #beh3 4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,in the next place1 miracles were performed in all countries1 or at least in many of them1 as ,celsus himself admits1 instancing the case of ,esculapius1 who conferred benefits on many1 and who foretold future events to entire cities1 which were dedicated to him1 such as ,tricca1 and ,epidaurus1 and ,cos1 and ,pergamus2 and along with ,esculapius he mentions ,aristeas of ,proconnesus1 and a certain ,clazomenian1 and ,cleomedes of ,astypala4 ,but among the ,jews alone1 who say they are dedicated to the ,god of all things1 there was wrought no miracle or sign which might help to confirm their faith in the ,creator of all things1 and strengthen their hope of another and better life6 ,but how can they imagine such a state of things8 ,for they would immediately have gone over to the worship of those demons which gave oracles and performed cures1 and deserted the ,god who was believed1 as far as words went1#bei to assist them1 but who never manifested to them ,his visible presence4 ,but if this result has not taken place1 and if1 on the contrary1 they have suffered countless calamities rather than renounce ,judaism and their law1 and have been cruelly treated1 at one time in ,assyria1 at another in ,persia1 and at another under ,antiochus1 is it not in keeping with the probabilities of the case#bfj for those to suppose who do not yield their belief to their miraculous histories and prophecies1 that the events in question could not be inventions1 but that a certain divine ,spirit being in the holy souls of the prophets1 as of men who underwent any labour for the cause of virtue1 did move them to prophesy some things relating to their contemporaries1 and others to their posterity1 but chiefly regarding a certain personage who was to come as a ,saviour to the human race8 ,footnote #bei3 4 ,footnote #bfj3 4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,and if the above be the state of the case1 how do ,jews and ,christians search after 8the shadow of an ass10 in seeking to ascertain from those prophecies which they believe in common1 whether ,he who was foretold has come1 or has not yet arrived1 and is still an object of expectation8 ,but even suppose#bfa it be granted to ,celsus that it was not ,jesus who was announced by the prophets1 then1 even on such a hypothesis1 the investigation of the sense of the prophetic writings is no search after 8the shadow of an ass10 if he who was spoken of can be clearly pointed out1 and it can be shown both what sort of person he was predicted to be1 and what he was to do1 and1 if possible1 when he was to arrive4 ,but in the preceding pages we have already spoken on the point of ,jesus being the individual who was foretold to be the ,christ1 quoting a few prophecies out of a larger number4 ,neither ,jews nor ,christians1 then1 are wrong in assuming that the prophets spoke under divine influence2#bfb but they are in error who form erroneous opinions respecting ,him who was expected by the prophets to come1 and whose person and character were made known in their 8true discourses40 ,footnote #bfa3 ' 4 ,footnote #bfb3 4 ,chapter ,v4 ,immediately after these points1 ,celsus1 imagining that the ,jews are ,egyptians by descent1 and had abandoned ,egypt1 after revolting against the ,egyptian state1 and despising the customs of that people in matters of worship1 says that 8they suffered from the adherents of ,jesus1 who believed in ,him as the ,christ1 the same treatment which they had inflicted upon the ,egyptians2 and that the cause which led to the new state of things#bfc in either instance was rebellion against the state40 ,now let us observe what ,celsus has here done4 ,the ancient ,egyptians1 after inflicting many cruelties upon the ,hebrew race1 who had settled in ,egypt owing to a famine which had broken out in ,judea1 suffered1 in consequence of their injustice to strangers and suppliants1 that punishment which divine ,providence had decreed was to fall on the whole nation for having combined against an entire people1 who had been their guests1 and who had done them no harm2 and after being smitten by plagues from ,god1 they allowed them1 with difficulty1 and after a brief period1 to go wherever they liked1 as being unjustly detained in slavery4 ,because1 then1 they were a selfish people1 who honoured those who were in any degree related to them far more than they did strangers of better lives1 there is not an accusation which they have omitted to bring against ,moses and the ,hebrews1--not altogether denying1 indeed1 the miracles and wonders done by him1 but alleging that they were wrought by sorcery1 and not by divine power4 ,moses1 however1 not as a magician1 but as a devout man1 and one devoted to the ,god of all things1 and a partaker in the divine ,spirit1 both enacted laws for the ,hebrews1 according to the suggestions of the ,divinity1 and recorded events as they happened with perfect fidelity4 ,footnote #bfc3 4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,celsus1 therefore1 not investigating in a spirit of impartiality the facts1 which are related by the ,egyptians in one way1 and by the ,hebrews in another1 but being bewitched1 as it were1#bfd in favour of the former1 accepted as true the statements of those who had oppressed the strangers1 and declared that the ,hebrews1 who had been unjustly treated1 had departed from ,egypt after revolting against the ,egyptians1--not observing how impossible it was for so great a multitude of rebellious ,egyptians to become a nation1 which1 dating its origin from the said revolt1 should change its language at the time of its rebellion1 so that those who up to that time made use of the ,egyptian tongue1 should completely adopt1 all at once1 the language of the ,hebrews6 ,let it be granted1 however1 according to his supposition1 that on abandoning ,egypt they did conceive a hatred also of their mother tongue1#bfe how did it happen that after so doing they did not rather adopt the ,syrian or ,phnician language1 instead of preferring the ,hebrew1 which is different from both8 ,but reason seems to me to demonstrate that the statement is false1 which makes those who were ,egyptians by race to have revolted against ,egyptians1 and to have left the country1 and to have proceeded to ,palestine1 and occupied the land now called ,judea4 ,for ,hebrew was the language of their fathers before their descent into ,egypt2 and the ,hebrew letters1 employed by ,moses in writing those five books which are deemed sacred by the ,jews1 were different from those of the ,egyptians4 ,footnote #bfd3 4 ,footnote #bfe3 4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,in like manner1 as the statement is false 8that the ,hebrews1 being originally ,egyptians1 dated the commencement of their political existence from the time of their rebellion10 so also is this1 8that in the days of ,jesus others who were ,jews rebelled against the ,jewish state1 and became ,his followers20 for neither ,celsus nor they who think with him are able to point out any act on the part of ,christians which savours of rebellion4 ,and yet1 if a revolt had led to the formation of the ,christian commonwealth1 so that it derived its existence in this way from that of the ,jews1 who were permitted to take up arms in defence of the members of their families1 and to slay their enemies1 the ,christian ,lawgiver would not have altogether forbidden the putting of men to death2 and yet ,he nowhere teaches that it is right for ,his own disciples to offer violence to any one1 however wicked4 ,for ,he did not deem it in keeping with such laws as ,his1 which were derived from a divine source1 to allow the killing of any individual whatever4 ,nor would the ,christians1 had they owed their origin to a rebellion1 have adopted laws of so exceedingly mild a character as not to allow them1 when it was their fate to be slain as sheep1 on any occasion to resist their persecutors4 ,and truly1 if we look a little deeper into things1 we may say regarding the exodus from ,egypt1 that it is a miracle if a whole nation at once adopted the language called ,hebrew1 as if it had been a gift from heaven1 when one of their own prophets said1 8,as they went forth from ,egypt1 they heard a language which they did not understand40#bff ,footnote #bff3 ,cf4 ,ps4 lxxxi4 #e4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,in the following way1 also1 we may conclude that they who came out of ,egypt with ,moses were not ,egyptians2 for if they had been ,egyptians1 their names also would be ,egyptian1 because in every language the designations of persons and things are kindred to the language4#bfg ,but if it is certain1 from the names being ,hebrew1 that the people were not ,egyptians1--and the ,scriptures are full of ,hebrew names1 and these bestowed1 too1 upon their children while they were in ,egypt1--it is clear that the ,egyptian account is false1 which asserts that they were ,egyptians1 and went forth from ,egypt with ,moses4 ,now it is absolutely certain#bfh that1 being descended1 as the ,mosaic history records1 from ,hebrew ancestors1 they employed a language from which they also took the names which they conferred upon their children4 ,but with regard to the ,christians1 because they were taught not to avenge themselves upon their enemies 7and have thus observed laws of a mild and philanthropic character72 and because they would not1 although able1 have made war even if they had received authority to do so1--they have obtained this reward from ,god1 that ,he has always warred in their behalf1 and on certain occasions has restrained those who rose up against them and desired to destroy them4 ,for in order to remind others1 that by seeing a few engaged in a struggle for their religion1 they also might be better fitted to despise death1 some1 on special occasions1 and these individuals who can be easily numbered1 have endured death for the sake of ,christianity1--,god not permitting the whole nation to be exterminated1 but desiring that it should continue1 and that the whole world should be filled with this salutary and religious doctrine4 ,and again1 on the other hand1 that those who were of weaker minds might recover their courage and rise superior to the thought of death1 ,god interposed ,his providence on behalf of believers1 dispersing by an act of ,his will alone all the conspiracies formed against them2 so that neither kings1 nor rulers1 nor the populace1 might be able to rage against them beyond a certain point4 ,such1 then1 is our answer to the assertions of ,celsus1 8that a revolt was the original commencement of the ancient ,jewish state1 and subsequently of ,christianity40 ,footnote #bfg3 4 ,footnote #bfh3 4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,but since he is manifestly guilty of falsehood in the statements which follow1 let us examine his assertion when he says1 8,if all men wished to become ,christians1 the latter would not desire such a result40 ,now that the above statement is false is clear from this1 that ,christians do not neglect1 as far as in them lies1 to take measures to disseminate their doctrine throughout the whole world4 ,some of them1 accordingly1 have made it their business to itinerate not only through cities1 but even villages and country houses1#bfi that they might make converts to ,god4 ,and no one would maintain that they did this for the sake of gain1 when sometimes they would not accept even necessary sustenance2 or if at any time they were pressed by a necessity of this sort1 were contented with the mere supply of their wants1 although many were willing to share their abundance with them1 and to bestow help upon them far above their need4 ,at the present day1 indeed1 when1 owing to the multitude of ,christian believers1 not only rich men1 but persons of rank1 and delicate and high-born ladies1 receive the teachers of ,christianity1 some perhaps will dare to say that it is for the sake of a little glory#bgj that certain individuals assume the office of ,christian instructors4 ,it is impossible1 however1 rationally to entertain such a suspicion with respect to ,christianity in its beginnings1 when the danger incurred1 especially by its teachers1 was great2 while at the present day the discredit attaching to it among the rest of mankind is greater than any supposed honour enjoyed among those who hold the same belief1 especially when such honour is not shared by all4 ,it is false1 then1 from the very nature of the case1 to say that 8if all men wished to become ,christians1 the latter would not desire such a result40 ,footnote #bfi3 4 ,footnote #bgj3 4 ,chapter ,x4 ,but observe what he alleges as a proof of his statement3 8,christians at first were few in number1 and held the same opinions2 but when they grew to be a great multitude1 they were divided and separated1 each wishing to have his own individual party3#bga for this was their object from the beginning40 ,that ,christians at first were few in number1 in comparison with the multitudes who subsequently became ,christian1 is undoubted2 and yet1 all things considered1 they were not so very few4#bgb ,for what stirred up the envy of the ,jews against ,jesus1 and aroused them to conspire against ,him1 was the great number of those who followed ,him into the wilderness1--five thousand men on one occasion1 and four thousand on another1 having attended ,him thither1 without including the women and children4 ,for such was the charm#bgc of ,jesus' words1 that not only were men willing to follow ,him to the wilderness1 but women also1 forgetting#bgd the weakness of their sex and a regard for outward propriety#bge in thus following their ,teacher into desert places4 ,children1 too1 who are altogether unaffected by such emotions1#bgf either following their parents1 or perhaps attracted also by ,his divinity1 in order that it might be implanted within them1 became ,his followers along with their parents4 ,but let it be granted that ,christians were few in number at the beginning1 how does that help to prove that ,christians would be unwilling to make all men believe the doctrine of the gospel8 ,footnote #bga3 4 ,footnote #bgb3 4 ,footnote #bgc3 4 ,footnote #bgd3 ,the reading in ,spencer's and the ,benedictine edition is 1 for which ,lommatzsch reads 4 ,footnote #bge3 4 ,footnote #bgf3 4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,he says1 in addition1 that 8all the ,christians were of one mind10 not observing1 even in this particular1 that from the beginning there were differences of opinion among believers regarding the meaning#bgg of the books held to be divine4 ,at all events1 while the apostles were still preaching1 and while eye-witnesses of the works of ,jesus were still teaching ,his doctrine1 there was no small discussion among the converts from ,judaism regarding ,gentile believers1 on the point whether they ought to observe ,jewish customs1 or should reject the burden of clean and unclean meats1 as not being obligatory on those who had abandoned their ancestral ,gentile customs1 and had become believers in ,jesus4 ,nay1 even in the epistles of ,paul1 who was contemporary with those who had seen ,jesus1 certain particulars are found mentioned as having been the subject of dispute1--viz4 respecting the resurrection1#bgh and whether it were already past1 and the day of the ,lord1 whether it were nigh at hand#bgi or not4 ,nay1 the very exhortation to 8avoid profane and vain babblings1 and oppositions of science falsely so called3 which some professing1 have erred concerning the faith10#bhj is enough to show that from the very beginning1 when1 as ,celsus imagines1 believers were few in number1 there were certain doctrines interpreted in different ways4#bha ,footnote #bgg3 4 ,footnote #bgh3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ab sqq4 ,footnote #bgi3 ,cf4 #b ,thess4 ii4 #b4 ,footnote #bhj3 ,cf4 #a ,tim4 vi4 #bj4 ,footnote #bha3 4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,in the next place1 since he reproaches us with the existence of heresies in ,christianity as being a ground of accusation against it1 saying that 8when ,christians had greatly increased in numbers1 they were divided and split up into factions1 each individual desiring to have his own party20 and further1 that 8being thus separated through their numbers1 they confute one another1 still having1 so to speak1 one name in common1 if indeed they still retain it4 ,and this is the only thing which they are yet ashamed to abandon1 while other matters are determined in different ways by the various sects40 ,in reply to which1 we say that heresies of different kinds have never originated from any matter in which the principle involved was not important and beneficial to human life4 ,for since the science of medicine is useful and necessary to the human race1 and many are the points of dispute in it respecting the manner of curing bodies1 there are found1 for this reason1 numerous heresies confessedly prevailing in the science of medicine among the ,greeks1 and also1 ,i suppose1 among those barbarous nations who profess to employ medicine4 ,and1 again1 since philosophy makes a profession of the truth1 and promises a knowledge of existing things with a view to the regulation of life1 and endeavours to teach what is advantageous to our race1 and since the investigation of these matters is attended with great differences of opinion1#bhb innumerable heresies have consequently sprung up in philosophy1 some of which are more celebrated than others4 ,even ,judaism itself afforded a pretext for the origination of heresies1 in the different acceptation accorded to the writings of ,moses and those of the prophets4 ,so1 then1 seeing ,christianity appeared an object of veneration to men1 not to the more servile class alone1 as ,celsus supposes1 but to many among the ,greeks who were devoted to literary pursuits1#bhc there necessarily originated heresies1--not at all1 however1 as the result of faction and strife1 but through the earnest desire of many literary men to become acquainted with the doctrines of ,christianity4 ,the consequence of which was1 that1 taking in different acceptations those discourses which were believed by all to be divine1 there arose heresies1 which received their names from those individuals who admired1 indeed1 the origin of ,christianity1 but who were led1 in some way or other1 by certain plausible reasons1 to discordant views4 ,and yet no one would act rationally in avoiding medicine because of its heresies2 nor would he who aimed at that which is seemly#bhd entertain a hatred of philosophy1 and adduce its many heresies as a pretext for his antipathy4 ,and so neither are the sacred books of ,moses and the prophets to be condemned on account of the heresies in ,judaism4 ,footnote #bhb3 4 ,footnote #bhc3 4 ,footnote #bhd3 4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,now1 if these arguments hold good1 why should we not defend1 in the same way1 the existence of heresies in ,christianity8 ,and respecting these1 ,paul appears to me to speak in a very striking manner when he says1 8,for there must be heresies among you1 that they who are approved may be made manifest among you40#bhe ,for as that man is 8approved0 in medicine who1 on account of his experience in various medical heresies1 and his honest examination of the majority of them1 has selected the preferable system1--and as the great proficient in philosophy is he who1 after acquainting himself experimentally with the various views1 has given in his adhesion to the best1--so ,i would say that the wisest ,christian was he who had carefully studied the heresies both of ,judaism and ,christianity4 ,whereas he who finds fault with ,christianity because of its heresies would find fault also with the teaching of ,socrates1 from whose school have issued many others of discordant views4 ,nay1 the opinions of ,plato might be chargeable with error1 on account of ,aristotle's having separated from his school1 and founded a new one1--on which subject we have remarked in the preceding book4 ,but it appears to me that ,celsus has become acquainted with certain heresies which do not possess even the name of ,jesus in common with us4 ,perhaps he had heard of the sects called ,ophites and ,cainites1 or some others of a similar nature1 which had departed in all points from the teaching of ,jesus4 ,and yet surely this furnishes no ground for a charge against the ,christian doctrine4 ,footnote #bhe3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #ai4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,after this he continues3 8,their union is the more wonderful1 the more it can be shown to be based on no substantial reason4 ,and yet rebellion is a substantial reason1 as well as the advantages which accrue from it1 and the fear of external enemies4 ,such are the causes which give stability to their faith40 ,to this we answer1 that our union does thus rest upon a reason1 or rather not upon a reason1 but upon the divine working1#bhf so that its commencement was ,god's teaching men1 in the prophetical writings1 to expect the advent of ,christ1 who was to be the ,saviour of mankind4 ,for in so far as this point is not really refuted 7although it may seem to be by unbelievers71 in the same proportion is the doctrine commended as the doctrine of ,god1 and ,jesus shown to be the ,son of ,god both before and after ,his incarnation4 ,i maintain1 moreover1 that even after ,his incarnation1 ,he is always found by those who possess the acutest spiritual vision to be most ,god-like1 and to have really come down to us from ,god1 and to have derived ,his origin or subsequent development not from human wisdom1 but from the manifestation#bhg of ,god within ,him1 who by ,his manifold wisdom and miracles established ,judaism first1 and ,christianity afterwards2 and the assertion that rebellion1 and the advantages attending it1 were the originating causes of a doctrine which has converted and improved so many men was effectually refuted4 ,footnote #bhf3 4 ,footnote #bhg3 4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,but again1 that it is not the fear of external enemies which strengthens our union1 is plain from the fact that this cause1 by ,god's will1 has already1 for a considerable time1 ceased to exist4 ,and it is probable that the secure existence1 so far as regards the world1 enjoyed by believers at present1 will come to an end1 since those who calumniate ,christianity in every way are again attributing the present frequency of rebellion to the multitude of believers1 and to their not being persecuted by the authorities as in old times4 ,for we have learned from the gospel neither to relax our efforts in days of peace1 and to give ourselves up to repose1 nor1 when the world makes war upon us1 to become cowards1 and apostatize from the love of the ,god of all things which is in ,jesus ,christ4 ,and we clearly manifest the illustrious nature of our origin1 and do not 7as ,celsus imagines7 conceal it1 when we impress upon the minds of our first converts a contempt for idols1 and images of all kinds1 and1 besides this1 raise their thoughts from the worship of created things instead of ,god1 and elevate them to the universal ,creator2 clearly showing ,him to be the subject of prophecy1 both from the predictions regarding ,him--of which there are many--and from those traditions which have been carefully investigated by such as are able intelligently to understand the ,gospels1 and the declarations of the apostles4 ,chapter ,,xvi4 8,but what the legends are of every kind which we gather together1 or the terrors which we invent10 as ,celsus without proof asserts1 he who likes may show4 ,i know not1 indeed1 what he means by 8inventing terrors10 unless it be our doctrine of ,god as ,judge1 and of the condemnation of men for their deeds1 with the various proofs derived partly from ,scripture1 partly from probable reason4 ,and yet--for truth is precious--,celsus says1 at the close1 8,forbid that either ,i1 or these1 or any other individual should ever reject the doctrine respecting the future punishment of the wicked and the reward of the good60 ,what terrors1 then1 if you except the doctrine of punishment1 do we invent and impose upon mankind8 ,and if he should reply that 8we weave together erroneous opinions drawn from ancient sources1 and trumpet them aloud1 and sound them before men1 as the priests of ,cybele clash their cymbals in the ears of those who are being initiated in their mysteries20#bhh we shall ask him in reply1 8,erroneous opinions from what ancient sources80 ,for1 whether he refers to ,grecian accounts1 which taught the existence of courts of justice under the earth1 or ,jewish1 which1 among other things1 predicted the life that follows the present one2 he will be unable to show that we who1 striving to believe on grounds of reason1 regulate our lives in conformity with such doctrines1 have failed correctly to ascertain the truth4#bhi ,footnote #bhh3 1 4 ,footnote #bhi3 1 1 1 4 ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,he wishes1 indeed1 to compare the articles of our faith to those of the ,egyptians2 8among whom1 as you approach their sacred edifices1 are to be seen splendid enclosures1 and groves1 and large and beautiful gateways1#bij and wonderful temples1 and magnificent tents around them1 and ceremonies of worship full of superstition and mystery2 but when you have entered1 and passed within1 the object of worship is seen to be a cat1 or an ape1 or a crocodile1 or a goat1 or a dog60 ,now1 what is the resemblance#bia between us and the splendours of ,egyptian worship which are seen by those who draw near their temples8 ,and where is the resemblance to those irrational animals which are worshipped within1 after you pass through the splendid gateways8 ,are our prophecies1 and the ,god of all things1 and the injunctions against images1 objects of reverence in the view of ,celsus also1 and ,jesus ,christ crucified1 the analogue to the worship of the irrational animal8 ,but if he should assert this--and ,i do not think that he will maintain anything else--we shall reply that we have spoken in the preceding pages at greater length in defence of those charges affecting ,jesus1 showing that what appeared to have happened to ,him in the capacity of ,his human nature1 was fraught with benefit to all men1 and with salvation to the whole world4 ,footnote #bij3 4 ,footnote #bia3 4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,in the next place1 referring to the statements of the ,egyptians1 who talk loftily about irrational animals1 and who assert that they are a sort of symbols of ,god1 or anything else which their prophets1 so termed1 are accustomed to call them1 ,celsus says that 8an impression is produced in the minds of those who have learned these things2 that they have not been initiated in vain20#bib while with regard to the truths which are taught in our writings to those who have made progress in the study of ,christianity 7through that which is called by ,paul the gift consisting in the 8word of wisdom0 through the ,spirit1 and in the 8word of knowledge0 according to the ,spirit71 ,celsus does not seem even to have formed an idea1#bic judging not only from what he has already said1 but from what he subsequently adds in his attack upon the ,christian system1 when he asserts that ,christians 8repel every wise man from the doctrine of their faith1 and invite only the ignorant and the vulgar20 on which assertions we shall remark in due time1 when we come to the proper place4 ,footnote #bib3 1 4 ,footnote #bic3 4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,he says1 indeed1 that 8we ridicule the ,egyptians1 although they present many by no means contemptible mysteries#bid for our consideration1 when they teach us that such rites are acts of worship offered to eternal ideas1 and not1 as the multitude think1 to ephemeral animals2 and that we are silly1 because we introduce nothing nobler than the goats and dogs of the ,egyptian worship in our narratives about ,jesus40 ,now to this we reply1 8,good sir1#bie suppose that you are right in eulogizing the fact that the ,egyptians present to view many by no means contemptible mysteries1 and obscure explanations about the animals worshipped among them1 you nevertheless do not act consistently in accusing us as if you believed that we had nothing to state which was worthy of consideration1 but that all our doctrines were contemptible and of no account1 seeing we unfold#bif the narratives concerning ,jesus according to the #8wisdom of the word' to those who are #8perfect' in ,christianity4 ,regarding whom1 as being competent to understand the wisdom that is in ,christianity1 ,paul says3 #8,we speak wisdom among them that are perfect2 yet not the wisdom of this world1 nor of the princes of this world1 who come to nought1 but we speak the wisdom of ,god in a mystery1 even the hidden wisdom which ,god ordained before the world unto our glory1 which none of the princes of this world knew4'0#big ,footnote #bid3 4 ,footnote #bie3 4 ,footnote #bif3 4 ,footnote #big3 #a ,cor4 ii4 #f-h4 ,chapter ,,xx4 ,and we say to those who hold similar opinions to those of ,celsus3 8,paul then1 we are to suppose1 had before his mind the idea of no pre-eminent wisdom when he professed to speak wisdom among them that are perfect80 ,now1 as he spoke with his customary boldness when in making such a profession he said that he was possessed of no wisdom1 we shall say in reply3 first of all examine the epistles of him who utters these words1 and look carefully at the meaning of each expression in them--say1 in those to the ,ephesians1 and ,colossians1 and ,thessalonians1 and ,philippians1 and ,romans1--and show two things1 both that you understand ,paul's words1 and that you can demonstrate any of them to be silly or foolish4 ,for if any one give himself to their attentive perusal1 ,i am well assured either that he will be amazed at the understanding of the man who can clothe great ideas in common language2 or if he be not amazed1 he will only exhibit himself in a ridiculous light1 whether he simply state the meaning of the writer as if he had comprehended it1 or try to controvert and confute what he only imagined that he understood6 ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,and ,i have not yet spoken of the observance#bih of all that is written in the ,gospels1 each one of which contains much doctrine difficult to be understood1 not merely by the multitude1 but even by certain of the more intelligent1 including a very profound explanation of the parables which ,jesus delivered to 8those without10 while reserving the exhibition of their full meaning#bii for those who had passed beyond the stage of exoteric teaching1 and who came to ,him privately in the house4 ,and when he comes to understand it1 he will admire the reason why some are said to be 8without10 and others 8in the house40 ,and again1 who would not be filled with astonishment that is able to comprehend the movements#cjj of ,jesus2 ascending at one time a mountain for the purpose of delivering certain discourses1 or of performing certain miracles1 or for ,his own transfiguration1 and descending again to heal the sick and those who were unable to follow ,him whither ,his disciples went8 ,but it is not the appropriate time to describe at present the truly venerable and divine contents of the ,gospels1 or the mind of ,christ--that is1 the wisdom and the word--contained in the writings of ,paul4 ,but what we have said is sufficient by way of answer to the unphilosophic sneers#cja of ,celsus1 in comparing the inner mysteries of the church of ,god to the cats1 and apes1 and crocodiles1 and goats1 and dogs of ,egypt4 ,footnote #bih3 4 ,footnote #bii3 4 ,footnote #cjj3 4 ,footnote #cja3 4 ,chapter ,,xxii4 ,but this low jester#cjb ,celsus1 omitting no species of mockery and ridicule which can be employed against us1 mentions in his treatise the ,dioscuri1 and ,hercules1 and sculapius1 and ,dionysus1 who are believed by the ,greeks to have become gods after being men1 and says that 8we cannot bear to call such beings gods1 because they were at first men1#cjc and yet they manifested many noble qualities1 which were displayed for the benefit of mankind1 while we assert that ,jesus was seen after ,his death by ,his own followers20 and he brings against us an additional charge1 as if we said that 8,he was seen indeed1 but was only a shadow60 ,now to this we reply1 that it was very artful of ,celsus not here clearly to indicate that he did not regard these beings as gods1 for he was afraid of the opinion of those who might peruse his treatise1 and who might suppose him to be an atheist2 whereas1 if he had paid respect to what appeared to him to be the truth1 he would not have feigned to regard them as gods4#cjd ,now to either of the allegations we are ready with an answer4 ,let us1 accordingly1 to those who do not regard them as gods reply as follows3 ,these beings1 then1 are not gods at all2 but agreeably to the view of those who think that the soul of man perishes immediately after death1 the souls of these men also perished2 or according to the opinion of those who say that the soul continues to subsist or is immortal1 these men continue to exist or are immortal1 and they are not gods but heroes1--or not even heroes1 but simply souls4 ,if1 then1 on the one hand1 you suppose them not to exist1 we shall have to prove the doctrine of the soul's immortality1 which is to us a doctrine of pre-eminent importance2#cje if1 on the other1 they do exist1 we have still to prove#cjf the doctrine of immortality1 not only by what the ,greeks have so well said regarding it1 but also in a manner agreeable to the teaching of ,holy ,scripture4 ,and we shall demonstrate that it is impossible for those who were polytheists during their lives to obtain a better country and position after their departure from this world1 by quoting the histories that are related of them1 in which is recorded the great dissoluteness of ,hercules1 and his effeminate bondage with ,omphale1 together with the statements regarding sculapius1 that their ,zeus struck him dead by a thunderbolt4 ,and of the ,dioscuri1 it will be said that they die often-- 8,at one time live on alternate days1 and at another ,die1 and obtain honour equally with the gods40#cjg ,how1 then1 can they reasonably imagine that one of these is to be regarded as a god or a hero8 ,footnote #cjb3 4 ,footnote #cjc3 ,the reading in the text is 1 for which ,bohereau proposes 1 which we have adopted in the translation4 ,footnote #cjd3 ,we have followed in the translation the emendation of ,guietus1 who proposed 1 1 4441 instead of the textual reading1 1 1 444 ,footnote #cje3 4 ,footnote #cjf3 ,bohereau conjectures1 with great probability1 that instead of 1 we ought to read 4 ,footnote #cjg3 ,cf4 ,hom4 ,odyss4 xi4 #cjc and #cjd4 ,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,but we1 in proving the facts related of our ,jesus from the prophetic ,scriptures1 and comparing afterwards ,his history with them1 demonstrate that no dissoluteness on his part is recorded4 ,for even they who conspired against ,him1 and who sought false witnesses to aid them1 did not find even any plausible grounds for advancing a false charge against ,him1 so as to accuse ,him of licentiousness2 but ,his death was indeed the result of a conspiracy1 and bore no resemblance to the death of sculapius by lightning4 ,and what is there that is venerable in the madman ,dionysus1 and his female garments1 that he should be worshipped as a god8 ,and if they who would defend such beings betake themselves to allegorical interpretations1 we must examine each individual instance1 and ascertain whether it is well founded1#cjh and also in each particular case1 whether those beings can have a real existence1 and are deserving of respect and worship who were torn by the ,titans1 and cast down from their heavenly throne4 ,whereas our ,jesus1 who appeared to the members of ,his own troop#cji--;for ,i will take the word that ,celsus employs--did really appear1 and ,celsus makes a false accusation against the gospel in saying that what appeared was a shadow4 ,and let the statements of their histories and that of ,jesus be carefully compared together4 ,will ,celsus have the former to be true1 but the latter1 although recorded by eye-witnesses who showed by their acts that they clearly understood the nature of what they had seen1 and who manifested their state of mind by what they cheerfully underwent for the sake of ,his gospel1 to be inventions8 ,now1 who is there that1 desiring to act always in conformity with right reason1 would yield his assent at random#caj to what is related of the one1 but would rush to the history of ,jesus1 and without examination refuse to believe what is recorded of ,him8#caa ,footnote #cjh3 4 ,footnote #cji3 4 ,footnote #caj3 4 ,footnote #caa3 4 ,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,and again1 when it is said of sculapius that a great multitude both of ,greeks and barbarians acknowledge that they have frequently seen1 and still see1 no mere phantom1 but sculapius himself1 healing and doing good1 and foretelling the future2 ,celsus requires us to believe this1 and finds no fault with the believers in ,jesus1 when we express our belief in such stories1 but when we give our assent to the disciples1 and eye-witnesses of the miracles of ,jesus1 who clearly manifest the honesty of their convictions 7because we see their guilelessness1 as far as it is possible to see the conscience revealed in writing71 we are called by him a set of 8silly0 individuals1 although he cannot demonstrate that an incalculable#cab number1 as he asserts1 of ,greeks and barbarians acknowledge the existence of sculapius2 while we1 if we deem this a matter of importance1 can clearly show a countless multitude of ,greeks and barbarians who acknowledge the existence of ,jesus4 ,and some give evidence of their having received through this faith a marvellous power by the cures which they perform1 invoking no other name over those who need their help than that of the ,god of all things1 and of ,jesus1 along with a mention of ,his history4 ,for by these means we too have seen many persons freed from grievous calamities1 and from distractions of mind1#cac and madness1 and countless other ills1 which could be cured neither by men nor devils4 ,footnote #cab3 4 ,footnote #cac3 4 ,chapter ,,xxv4 ,now1 in order to grant that there did exist a healing spirit named sculapius1 who used to cure the bodies of men1 ,i would say to those who are astonished at such an occurrence1 or at the prophetic knowledge of ,apollo1 that since the cure of bodies is a thing indifferent1#cad and a matter within the reach not merely of the good1#cae but also of the bad2 and as the foreknowledge of the future is also a thing indifferent--for the possessor of foreknowledge does not necessarily manifest the possession of virtue--you must show that they who practise healing or who foretell the future are in no respect wicked1 but exhibit a perfect pattern of virtue1 and are not far from being regarded as gods4 ,but they will not be able to show that they are virtuous who practise the art of healing1 or who are gifted with foreknowledge1 seeing many who are not fit to live are related to have been healed2 and these1 too1 persons whom1 as leading improper lives1 no wise physician would wish to heal4 ,and in the responses of the ,pythian oracle also you may find some injunctions which are not in accordance with reason1 two of which we will adduce on the present occasion2 viz4 when it gave commandment that ,cleomedes#caf--the boxer1 ,i suppose--should be honoured with divine honours1 seeing some great importance or other attaching to his pugilistic skill1 but did not confer either upon ,pythagoras or upon ,socrates the honours which it awarded to pugilism2 and also when it called ,archilochus 8the servant of the ,muses0--a man who employed his poetic powers upon topics of the most wicked and licentious nature1 and whose public character was dissolute and impure--and entitled him 8pious10#cag in respect of his being the servant of the ,muses1 who are deemed to be goddesses6 ,now ,i am inclined to think that no one would assert that he was a 8pious0 man who was not adorned with all moderation and virtue1 or that a decorous#cah man would utter such expressions as are contained in the unseemly#cai iambics of ,archilochus4 ,and if nothing that is divine in itself is shown to belong either to the healing skill of sculapius or the prophetic power of ,apollo1 how could any one1 even were ,i to grant that the facts are as alleged1 reasonably worship them as pure divinities8--and especially when the prophetic spirit of ,apollo1 pure from any body of earth1 secretly enters through the private parts the person of her who is called the priestess1 as she is seated at the mouth of the ,pythian cave6#cbj ,whereas regarding ,jesus and ,his power we have no such notion2 for the body which was born of the ,virgin was composed of human material1 and capable of receiving human wounds and death4 ,footnote #cad3 4 ,footnote #cae3 4 ,footnote #caf3 ,cf4 ,smith's ,dict4 of ,biograph4 s4v4 ,footnote #cag3 4 ,footnote #cah3 4 ,footnote #cai3 4 ,footnote #cbj3 1 1 4 ,boherellus conjectures 4 ,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,let us see what ,celsus says next1 when he adduces from history marvellous occurrences1 which in themselves seem to be incredible1 but which are not discredited by him1 so far at least as appears from his words4 ,and1 in the first place1 regarding ,aristeas of ,proconnesus1 of whom he speaks as follows3 8,then1 with respect to ,aristeas of ,proconnesus1 who disappeared from among men in a manner so indicative of divine intervention1#cba and who showed himself again in so unmistakeable a fashion1 and on many subsequent occasions visited many parts of the world1 and announced marvellous events1 and whom ,apollo enjoined the inhabitants of ,metapontium to regard as a god1 no one considers him to be a god40 ,this account he appears to have taken from ,pindar and ,herodotus4 ,it will be sufficient1 however1 at present to quote the statement of the latter writer from the fourth book of his histories1 which is to the following effect3 8,of what country ,aristeas1 who made these verses1 was1 has already been mentioned1 and ,i shall now relate the account ,i heard of him in ,proconnesus and ,cyzicus4 ,they say that ,aristeas1 who was inferior to none of the citizens by birth1 entering into a fuller's shop in ,proconnesus1 died suddenly1 and that the fuller1 having closed his workshop1 went to acquaint the relatives of the deceased4 ,when the report had spread through the city that ,aristeas was dead1 a certain ,cyzicenian1 arriving from ,artace1 fell into a dispute with those who made the report1 affirming that he had met and conversed with him on his way to ,cyzicus1 and he vehemently disputed the truth of the report2 but the relations of the deceased went to the fuller's shop1 taking with them what was necessary for the purpose of carrying the body away2 but when the house was opened1 ,aristeas was not to be seen1 either dead or alive4 ,they say that afterwards1 in the seventh year1 he appeared in ,proconnesus1 composed those verses which by the ,greeks are now called ,arimaspian1 and having composed them1 disappeared a second time4 ,such is the story current in these cities4 ,but these things ,i know happened to the ,metapontines in ,italy #cdj years after the second disappearance of ,aristeas1 as ,i discovered by computation in ,proconnesus and ,metapontium4 ,the ,metapontines say that ,aristeas himself1 having appeared in their country1 exhorted them to erect an altar to ,apollo1 and to place near it a statue bearing the name of ,aristeas the ,proconnesian2 for he said that ,apollo had visited their country only of all the ,italians1 and that he himself1 who was now ,aristeas1 accompanied him2 and that when he accompanied the god he was a crow2 and after saying this he vanished4 ,and the ,metapontines say they sent to ,delphi to inquire of the god what the apparition of the man meant2 but the ,pythian bade them obey the apparition1 and if they obeyed it would conduce to their benefit4 ,they accordingly1 having received this answer1 fulfilled the injunctions4 ,and now1 a statue bearing the name of ,aristeas is placed near the image of ,apollo1 and around it laurels are planted3 the image is placed in the public square4 ,thus much concerning ,aristeas40#cbb ,footnote #cba3 4 ,footnote #cbb3 ,herod4 book iv4 chap4 #ad and #ae 7,cary's transl474 ,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,now1 in answer to this account of ,aristeas1 we have to say1 that if ,celsus had adduced it as history1 without signifying his own assent to its truth1 it is in a different way that we should have met his argument4 ,but since he asserts that he 8disappeared through the intervention of the divinity10 and 8showed himself again in an unmistakeable manner10 and 8visited many parts of the world10 and 8made marvellous announcements20 and1 moreover1 that there was 8an oracle of ,apollo1 enjoining the ,metapontines to treat ,aristeas as a god10 he gives the accounts relating to him as upon his own authority1 and with his full assent4 ,and this being the case1 we ask1 ,how is it possible that1 while supposing the marvels related by the disciples of ,jesus regarding their ,master to be wholly fictitious1 and finding fault with those who believe them1 you1 ,o ,celsus1 do not regard these stories of yours to be either products of jugglery#cbc or inventions8 ,and how1#cbd while charging others with an irrational belief in the marvels recorded of ,jesus1 can you show yourself justified in giving credence to such statements as the above1 without producing some proof or evidence of the alleged occurrences having taken place8 ,or do ,herodotus and ,pindar appear to you to speak the truth1 while they who have made it their concern to die for the doctrine of ,jesus1 and who have left to their successors writings so remarkable on the truths which they believed1 entered upon a struggle for the sake of 8fictions0 7as you consider them71 and 8myths10 and 8juggleries10 which entails a life of danger and a death of violence8 ,place yourself1 then1 as a neutral party1 between what is related of ,aristeas and what is recorded of ,jesus1 and see whether1 from the result1 and from the benefits which have accrued to the reformation of morals1 and to the worship of the ,god who is over all things1 it is not allowable to conclude that we must believe the events recorded of ,jesus not to have happened without the divine intervention1 but that this was not the case with the story of ,aristeas the ,proconnesian4 ,footnote #cbc3 4 ,footnote #cbd3 ,guietus conjectures1 1 4 ,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,for with what purpose in view did ,providence accomplish the marvels related of ,aristeas8 ,and to confer what benefit upon the human race did such remarkable events1 as you regard them1 take place8 ,you cannot answer4 ,but we1 when we relate the events of the history of ,jesus1 have no ordinary defence to offer for their occurrence2--this1 viz41 that ,god desired to commend the doctrine of ,jesus as a doctrine which was to save mankind1 and which was based1 indeed1 upon the apostles as foundations of the rising#cbe edifice of ,christianity1 but which increased in magnitude also in the succeeding ages1 in which not a few cures are wrought in the name of ,jesus1 and certain other manifestations of no small moment have taken place4 ,now what sort of person is ,apollo1 who enjoined the ,metapontines to treat ,aristeas as a god8 ,and with what object does he do this8 ,and what advantage was he procuring to the ,metapontines from this divine worship1 if they were to regard him as a god1 who a little ago was a mortal8 ,and yet the recommendations of ,apollo 7viewed by us as a demon who has obtained the honour of libation and sacrificial odours#cbf7 regarding this ,aristeas appear to you to be worthy of consideration2 while those of the ,god of all things1 and of ,his holy angels1 made known beforehand through the prophets--not after the birth of ,jesus1 but before ,he appeared among men--do not stir you up to admiration1 not merely of the prophets who received the ,divine ,spirit1 but of ,him also who was the object of their predictions1 whose entrance into life was so clearly predicted many years beforehand by numerous prophets1 that the whole ,jewish people who were hanging in expectation of the coming of ,him who was looked for1 did1 after the advent of ,jesus1 fall into a keen dispute with each other2 and that a great multitude of them acknowledged ,christ1 and believed ,him to be the object of prophecy1 while others did not believe in ,him1 but1 despising the meekness of those who1 on account of the teaching of ,jesus1 were unwilling to cause even the most trifling sedition1 dared to inflict on ,jesus those cruelties which ,his disciples have so truthfully and candidly recorded1 without secretly omitting from their marvellous history of ,him what seems to the multitude to bring disgrace upon the doctrine of ,christianity4 ,but both ,jesus ,himself and ,his disciples desired that ,his followers should believe not merely in ,his ,godhead and miracles1 as if ,he had not also been a partaker of human nature1 and had assumed the human flesh which 8lusteth against the ,spirit20#cbg but they saw also that the power which had descended into human nature1 and into the midst of human miseries1 and which had assumed a human soul and body1 contributed through faith1 along with its divine elements1 to the salvation of believers1#cbh when they see that from ,him there began the union of the divine with the human nature1 in order that the human1 by communion with the divine1 might rise to be divine1 not in ,jesus alone1 but in all those who not only believe1 but#cbi enter upon the life which ,jesus taught1 and which elevates to friendship with ,god and communion with ,him every one who lives according to the precepts of ,jesus4 ,footnote #cbe3 4 ,footnote #cbf3 ' 1 4 ,footnote #cbg3 1 ' 4 ,footnote #cbh3 1 1 4 ,footnote #cbi3 4 ,others read1 4 ,chapter ,,xxix4 ,according to ,celsus1 then1 ,apollo wished the ,metapontines to treat ,aristeas as a god4 ,but as the ,metapontines considered the evidence in favour of ,aristeas being a man--and probably not a virtuous one--to be stronger than the declaration of the oracle to the effect that he was a god or worthy of divine honours1 they for that reason would not obey ,apollo1 and consequently no one regarded ,aristeas as a god4 ,but with respect to ,jesus we would say that1 as it was of advantage to the human race to accept him as the ,son of ,god--,god come in a human soul and body--and as this did not seem to be advantageous to the gluttonous appetites#ccj of the demons which love bodies1 and to those who deem them to be gods on that account1 the demons that are on earth 7which are supposed to be gods by those who are not instructed in the nature of demons71 and also their worshippers1 were desirous to prevent the spread of the doctrine of ,jesus2 for they saw that the libations and odours in which they greedily delighted were being swept away by the prevalence of the instructions of ,jesus4 ,but the ,god who sent ,jesus dissipated all the conspiracies of the demons1 and made the gospel of ,jesus to prevail throughout the whole world for the conversion and reformation of men1 and caused churches to be everywhere established in opposition to those of superstitious and licentious and wicked men2 for such is the character of the multitudes who constitute the citizens#cca in the assemblies of the various cities4 ,whereas the churches of ,god which are instructed by ,christ1 when carefully contrasted with the assemblies of the districts in which they are situated1 are as beacons#ccb in the world2 for who would not admit that even the inferior members of the church1 and those who in comparison with the better are less worthy1 are nevertheless more excellent than many of those who belong to the assemblies in the different districts8 ,footnote #ccj3 4 ,footnote #cca3 4 ,footnote #ccb3 4 ,chapter ,,xxx4 ,for the church#ccc of ,god1 e4g4 which is at ,athens1 is a meek and stable body1 as being one which desires to please ,god1 who is over all things2 whereas the assembly#ccd of the ,athenians is given to sedition1 and is not at all to be compared to the church of ,god in that city4 ,and you may say the same thing of the church of ,god at ,corinth1 and of the assembly of the ,corinthian people2 and also of the church of ,god at ,alexandria1 and of the assembly of the people of ,alexandria4 ,and if he who hears this be a candid man1 and one who investigates things with a desire to ascertain the truth1 he will be filled with admiration of ,him who not only conceived the design1 but also was able to secure in all places the establishment of churches of ,god alongside#cce of the assemblies of the people in each city4 ,in like manner1 also1 in comparing the council#ccf of the church of ,god with the council in any city1 you would find that certain councillors#ccg of the church are worthy to rule in the city of ,god1 if there be any such city in the whole world2#cch whereas the councillors in all other places exhibit in their characters no quality worthy of the conventional#cci superiority which they appear to enjoy over their fellow-citizens4 ,and so1 too1 you must compare the ruler of the church in each city with the ruler of the people of the city1 in order to observe that even amongst those councillors and rulers of the church of ,god who come very far short of their duty1 and who lead more indolent lives than others who are more energetic1 it is nevertheless possible to discover a general superiority in what relates to the progress of virtue over the characters of the councillors and rulers in the various cities4#cdj ,footnote #ccc3 4 ,footnote #ccd3 4 ,footnote #cce3 4 ,footnote #ccf3 4 ,footnote #ccg3 4 ,footnote #cch3 1 1 4 ,boherellus conjectures 1 444 ,footnote #cci3 4 ,footnote #cdj3 1 1 1 1 4 ,boherellus conjectures 4 ,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,now if these things be so1 why should it not be consistent with reason to hold with regard to ,jesus1 who was able to effect results so great1 that there dwelt in ,him no ordinary divinity8 while this was not the case either with the ,proconnesian ,aristeas 7although ,apollo would have him regarded as a god71 or with the other individuals enumerated by ,celsus when he says1 8,no one regards ,abaris the ,hyperborean as a god1 who was possessed of such power as to be borne along like an arrow from a bow40#cda ,for with what object did the deity who bestowed upon this ,hyperborean ,abaris the power of being carried along like an arrow1 confer upon him such a gift8 ,was it that the human race might be benefited thereby1#cdb or did he himself obtain any advantage from the possession of such a power8--always supposing it to be conceded that these statements are not wholly inventions1 but that the thing actually happened through the co-operation of some demon4 ,but if it be recorded that my ,jesus was received up into glory1#cdc ,i perceive the divine arrangement#cdd in such an act1 viz4 because ,god1 who brought this to pass1 commends in this way the ,teacher to those who witnessed it1 in order that as men who are contending not for human doctrine1 but for divine teaching1 they may devote themselves as far as possible to the ,god who is over all1 and may do all things in order to please ,him1 as those who are to receive in the divine judgment the reward of the good or evil which they have wrought in this life4 ,footnote #cda3 4 ,spencer and ,bohereau would delete as a gloss4 ,footnote #cdb3 ,guietus would insert before 4 ,this emendation is adopted in the translation4 ,footnote #cdc3 ,cf4 #a ,tim4 iii4 #af4 ,footnote #cdd3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,but as ,celsus next mentions the case of the ,clazomenian1 subjoining to the story about him this remark1 8,do they not report that his soul frequently quitted his body1 and flitted about in an incorporeal form8 and yet men did not regard him as a god10 we have to answer that probably certain wicked demons contrived that such statements should be committed to writing 7for ,i do not believe that they contrived that such a thing should actually take place71 in order that the predictions regarding ,jesus1 and the discourses uttered by ,him1 might either be evil spoken of1 as inventions like these1 or might excite no surprise1 as not being more remarkable than other occurrences4 ,but my ,jesus said regarding ,his own soul 7which was separated from the body1 not by virtue of any human necessity1 but by the miraculous power which was given ,him also for this purpose73 8,no one taketh my life from me1 but ,i lay it down of myself4 ,i have power to lay it down1 and ,i have power to take it again40#cde ,for as ,he had power to lay it down1 ,he laid it down when ,he said1 8,father1 why hast ,thou forsaken me8 ,and when ,he had cried with a loud voice1 ,he gave up the ghost10#cdf anticipating the public executioners of the crucified1 who break the legs of the victims1 and who do so in order that their punishment may not be further prolonged4 ,and ,he 8took ,his life10 when ,he manifested ,himself to ,his disciples1 having in their presence foretold to the unbelieving ,jews1 8,destroy this temple1 and in three days ,i will raise it up again10#cdg and 8,he spake this of the temple of ,his body20 the prophets1 moreover1 having predicted such a result in many other passages of their writings1 and in this1 8,my flesh also shall rest in hope3 for ,thou wilt not leave my soul in hell1 neither wilt ,thou suffer thine holy ,one to see corruption40#cdh ,footnote #cde3 ,cf4 ,john x4 #ah4 ,footnote #cdf3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxvii4 #df-ej4 ,footnote #cdg3 ,cf4 ,john ii4 #ai4 ,footnote #cdh3 ,ps4 xvi4 #i1 #aj4 ,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,celsus1 however1 shows that he has read a good many ,grecian histories1 when he quotes further what is told of ,cleomedes of ,astypalea1 8who10 he relates1 8entered into an ark1 and although shut up within it1 was not found therein1 but through some arrangement of the divinity1 flew out1 when certain persons had cut open the ark in order to apprehend him40 ,now this story1 if an invention1 as it appears to be1 cannot be compared with what is related of ,jesus1 since in the lives of such men there is found no indication of their possessing the divinity which is ascribed to them2 whereas the divinity of ,jesus is established both by the existence of the churches of the saved1#cdi and by the prophecies uttered concerning ,him1 and by the cures wrought in ,his name1 and by the wisdom and knowledge which are in ,him1 and the deeper truths which are discovered by those who know how to ascend from a simple faith1 and to investigate the meaning which lies in the divine ,scriptures1 agreeably to the injunctions of ,jesus1 who said1 8,search the ,scriptures10#cej and to the wish of ,paul1 who taught that 8we ought to know how to answer every man20#cea nay1 also of him who said1 8,be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh of you a reason of the faith#ceb that is in you40#cec ,if he wishes to have it conceded1 however1 that it is not a fiction1 let him show with what object this supernatural power made him1 through some arrangement of the divinity1 flee from the ark4 ,for if he will adduce any reason worthy of consideration1 and point out any purpose worthy of ,god in conferring such a power on ,cleomedes1 we will decide on the answer which we ought to give2 but if he fail to say anything convincing on the point1 clearly because no reason can be discovered1 then we shall either speak slightingly of the story to those who have not accepted it1 and charge it with being false1 or we shall say that some demoniac power1 casting a glamour over the eyes1 produced1 in the case of the ,astypalean1 a result like that which is produced by the performers of juggling tricks1#ced while ,celsus thinks that with respect to him he has spoken like an oracle1 when he said that 8by some divine arrangement he flew away from the ark40 ,footnote #cdi3 4 ,footnote #cej3 ,john v4 #ci4 ,footnote #cea3 ,cf4 ,col4 iv4 #f4 ,footnote #ceb3 4 ,footnote #cec3 #a ,pet4 iii4 #ae4 ,footnote #ced3 1 4 ,spencer in his edition includes in brackets1 and renders1 8,aut eos incusabimus1 qui istam virtutem admiserint40 ,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,i am1 however1 of opinion that these individuals are the only instances with which ,celsus was acquainted4 ,and yet1 that he might appear voluntarily to pass by other similar cases1 he says1 8,and one might name many others of the same kind40 ,let it be granted1 then1 that many such persons have existed who conferred no benefit upon the human race3 what would each one of their acts be found to amount to in comparison with the work of ,jesus1 and the miracles related of ,him1 of which we have already spoken at considerable length8 ,he next imagines that1 8in worshipping him who10 as he says1 8was taken prisoner and put to death1 we are acting like the ,get who worship ,zamolxis1 and the ,cilicians who worship ,mopsus1 and the ,acarnanians who pay divine honours to ,amphilochus1 and like the ,thebans who do the same to ,amphiaraus1 and the ,lebadians to ,trophonius40 ,now in these instances we shall prove that he has compared us to the foregoing without good grounds4 ,for these different tribes erected temples and statues to those individuals above enumerated1 whereas we have refrained from offering to the divinity honour by any such means 7seeing they are adapted rather to demons1 which are somehow fixed in a certain place which they prefer to any other1 or which take up their dwelling1 as it were1 after being removed from one place to another by certain rites and incantations71 and are lost in reverential wonder at ,jesus1 who has recalled our minds from all sensible things1 as being not only corruptible1 but destined to corruption1 and elevated them to honour the ,god who is over all with prayers and a righteous life1 which we offer to ,him as being intermediate between the nature of the uncreated and that of all created things1#cee and who bestows upon us the benefits which come from the ,father1 and who as ,high ,priest conveys our prayers to the supreme ,god4 ,footnote #cee3 1 4 8,hoeschel 7itemque ,spencerus ad marg47 suspicabatur legendum3 4 ,male4 ,nihil mutari necesse est4 ,agitur quippe de precibus1 quas offerimus ,deo #8per eum1 qui veluti medius est inter increatam naturam et creatam4'0--,,ru,,us4 ,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,but ,i should like1 in answer to him who for some unknown reason advances such statements as the above1 to make in a conversational way#cef some such remarks as the following1 which seem not inappropriate to him4 ,are then those persons whom you have mentioned nonentities1 and is there no power in ,lebadea connected with ,trophonius1 nor in ,thebes with the temple of ,amphiaraus1 nor in ,acarnania with ,amphilochus1 nor in ,cilicia with ,mopsus8 ,or is there in such persons some being1 either a demon1 or a hero1 or even a god1 working works which are beyond the reach of man8 ,for if he answer that there is nothing either demoniacal or divine about these individuals more than others1 then let him at once make known his own opinion1 as being that of an ,epicurean1 and of one who does not hold the same views with the ,greeks1 and who neither recognises demons nor worships gods as do the ,greeks2 and let it be shown that it was to no purpose that he adduced the instances previously enumerated 7as if he believed them to be true71 together with those which he adds in the following pages4 ,but if he will assert that the persons spoken of are either demons1 or heroes1 or even gods1 let him notice that he will establish by what he has admitted a result which he does not desire1 viz4 that ,jesus also was some such being2 for which reason1 too1 he was able to demonstrate to not a few that ,he had come down from ,god to visit the human race4 ,and if he once admit this1 see whether he will not be forced to confess that ,he is mightier than those individuals with whom he classed ,him1 seeing none of the latter forbids the offering of honour to the others2 while ,he1 having confidence in ,himself1 because ,he is more powerful than all those others1 forbids them to be received as divine#ceg because they are wicked demons1 who have taken possession of places on earth1 through inability to rise to the purer and diviner region1 whither the grossnesses of earth and its countless evils cannot reach4 ,footnote #cef3 4 ,footnote #ceg3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,but as he next introduces the case of the favourite of ,adrian 7,i refer to the accounts regarding the youth ,antinous1 and the honours paid him by the inhabitants of the city of ,antinous in ,egypt71 and imagines that the honour paid to him falls little short of that which we render to ,jesus1 let us show in what a spirit of hostility this statement is made4 ,for what is there in common between a life lived among the favourites of ,adrian1 by one who did not abstain even from unnatural lusts1 and that of the venerable ,jesus1 against whom even they who brought countless other charges1 and who told so many falsehoods1 were not able to allege that ,he manifested1 even in the slightest degree1 any tendency to what was licentious8#ceh ,nay1 further1 if one were to investigate1 in a spirit of truth and impartiality1 the stories relating to ,antinous1 he would find that it was due to the magical arts and rites of the ,egyptians that there was even the appearance of his performing anything marvellous in the city which bears his name1 and that too only after his decease1--an effect which is said to have been produced in other temples by the ,egyptians1 and those who are skilled in the arts which they practise4 ,for they set up in certain places demons claiming prophetic or healing power1 and which frequently torture those who seem to have committed any mistake about ordinary kinds of food1 or about touching the dead body of a man1 that they may have the appearance of alarming the uneducated multitude4 ,of this nature is the being that is considered to be a god in ,antinoopolis in ,egypt1 whose reputed virtues are the lying inventions of some who live by the gain derived therefrom2#cei while others1 deceived by the demon placed there1 and others again convicted by a weak conscience1 actually think that they are paying a divine penalty inflicted by ,antinous4 ,of such a nature also are the mysteries which they perform1 and the seeming predictions which they utter4 ,far different from such are those of ,jesus4 ,for it was no company of sorcerers1 paying court to a king or ruler at his bidding1 who seemed to have made him a god2 but the ,architect of the universe ,himself1 in keeping with the marvellously persuasive power of ,his words1#cfj commended ,him as worthy of honour1 not only to those men who were well disposed1 but to demons also1 and other unseen powers1 which even at the present time show that they either fear the name of ,jesus as that of a being of superior power1 or reverentially accept ,him as their legal ruler4#cfa ,for if the commendation had not been given ,him by ,god1 the demons would not have withdrawn from those whom they had assailed1 in obedience to the mere mention of ,his name4 ,footnote #ceh3 ' 2 ,footnote #cei3 4 ,footnote #cfj3 4 ,footnote #cfa3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,the ,egyptians1 then1 having been taught to worship ,antinous1 will1 if you compare him with ,apollo or ,zeus1 endure such a comparison1 ,antinous being magnified in their estimation through being classed with these deities2 for ,celsus is clearly convicted of falsehood when he says1 8that they will not endure his being compared with ,apollo or ,zeus40 ,whereas ,christians 7who have learned that their eternal life consists in knowing the only true ,god1 who is over all1 and ,jesus ,christ1 whom ,he has sent2 and who have learned also that all the gods of the heathen are greedy demons1 which flit around sacrifices and blood1 and other sacrificial accompaniments1#cfb in order to deceive those who have not taken refuge with the ,god who is over all1 but that the divine and holy angels of ,god are of a different nature and will#cfc from all the demons on earth1 and that they are known to those exceedingly few persons who have carefully and intelligently investigated these matters7 will not endure a comparison to be made between them and ,apollo or ,zeus1 or any being worshipped with odours and blood and sacrifices2 some of them1 so acting from their extreme simplicity1 not being able to give a reason for their conduct1 but sincerely observing the precepts which they have received2 others1 again1 for reasons not to be lightly regarded1 nay1 even of a profound description1 and 7as a ,greek would say7 drawn from the inner nature of things2#cfd and amongst the latter of these ,god is a frequent subject of conversation1 and those who are honoured by ,god1 through ,his only-begotten ,word1 with participation in ,his divinity1 and therefore also in ,his name4 ,they speak much1 too1 both regarding the angels of ,god and those who are opposed to the truth1 but have been deceived2 and who1 in consequence of being deceived1 call them gods or angels of ,god1 or good demons1 or heroes who have become such by the transference into them of a good human soul4#cfe ,and such ,christians will also show1 that as in philosophy there are many who appear to be in possession of the truth1 who have yet either deceived themselves by plausible arguments1 or by rashly assenting to what was brought forward and discovered by others2 so also1 among those souls which exist apart from bodies1 both angels and demons1 there are some which have been induced by plausible reasons to declare themselves gods4 ,and because it was impossible that the reasons of such things could be discovered by men with perfect exactness1 it was deemed safe that no mortal should entrust himself to any being as to ,god1 with the exception of ,jesus ,christ1 who is1 as it were1 the ,ruler over all things1 and who both beheld these weighty secrets1 and made them known to a few4 ,footnote #cfb3 4 ,footnote #cfc3 4 ,footnote #cfd3 4 ,footnote #cfe3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,the belief1 then1 in ,antinous1 or any other such person1 whether among the ,egyptians or the ,greeks1 is1 so to speak1 unfortunate2 while the belief in ,jesus would seem to be either a fortunate one1 or the result of thorough investigation1 having the appearance of the former to the multitude1 and of the latter to exceedingly few4#cff ,and when ,i speak of a certain belief being1 as the multitude would call it1 unfortunate1 ,i in such a case refer the cause to ,god1 who knows the reasons of the various fates allotted to each one who enters human life4 ,the ,greeks1 moreover1 will admit that even amongst those who are considered to be most largely endowed with wisdom1 good fortune has had much to do1 as in the choice of teachers of one kind rather than another1 and in meeting with a better class of instructors 7there being teachers who taught the most opposite doctrines71 and in being brought up in better circumstances2 for the bringing up of many has been amid surroundings of such a kind1 that they were prevented from ever receiving any idea of better things1 but constantly passed their life1 from their earliest youth1 either as the favourites of licentious men or of tyrants1 or in some other wretched condition which forbade the soul to look upwards4 ,and the causes of these varied fortunes1 according to all probability1 are to be found in the reasons of providence1 though it is not easy for men to ascertain these2 but ,i have said what ,i have done by way of digression from the main body of my subject1 on account of the proverb1 that 8such is the power of faith1 because it seizes that which first presents itself40#cfg ,for it was necessary1 owing to the different methods of education1 to speak of the differences of belief among men1 some of whom are more1 others less fortunate in their belief2 and from this to proceed to show that what is termed good or bad fortune would appear to contribute1 even in the case of the most talented1 to their appearing to be more fully endowed with reason1 and to give their assent on grounds of reason to the majority of human opinions4 ,but enough on these points4 ,footnote #cff3 1 1 1 4 ,footnote #cfg3 1 4 ,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,we must notice the remarks which ,celsus next makes1 when he says to us1 that 8faith1 having taken possession of our minds1 makes us yield the assent which we give to the doctrine of ,jesus20 for of a truth it is faith which does produce such an assent4 ,observe1 however1 whether that faith does not of itself exhibit what is worthy of praise1 seeing we entrust ourselves to the ,god who is over all1 acknowledging our gratitude to ,him who has led us to such a faith1 and declaring that ,he could not have attempted or accomplished such a result without the divine assistance4 ,and we have confidence also in the intentions of the writers of the ,gospels1 observing their piety and conscientiousness1 manifested in their writings1 which contain nothing that is spurious1 or deceptive1#cfh or false1 or cunning2 for it is evident to us that souls unacquainted with those artifices which are taught by the cunning sophistry of the ,greeks 7which is characterized by great plausibility and acuteness71 and by the kind of rhetoric in vogue in the courts of justice1 would not have been able thus to invent occurrences which are fitted of themselves to conduct to faith1 and to a life in keeping with faith4 ,and ,i am of opinion that it was on this account that ,jesus wished to employ such persons as teachers of ,his doctrines1 viz4 that there might be no ground for any suspicion of plausible sophistry1 but that it might clearly appear to all who were capable of understanding1 that the guileless purpose of the writers being1 so to speak1 marked with great simplicity1 was deemed worthy of being accompanied by a diviner power1 which accomplished far more than it seemed possible could be accomplished by a periphrasis of words1 and a weaving of sentences1 accompanied by all the distinctions of ,grecian art4 ,footnote #cfh3 4 ,chapter ,,xl4 ,but observe whether the principles of our faith1 harmonizing with the general ideas implanted in our minds at birth1 do not produce a change upon those who listen candidly to its statements2 for although a perverted view of things1 with the aid of much instruction to the same effect1 has been able to implant in the minds of the multitude the belief that images are gods1 and that things made of gold1 and silver1 and ivory1 and stone are deserving of worship1 yet common sense#cfi forbids the supposition that ,god is at all a piece of corruptible matter1 or is honoured when made to assume by men a form embodied in dead matter1 fashioned according to some image or symbol of ,his appearance4 ,and therefore we say at once of images that they are not gods1 and of such creations 7of art7 that they are not to be compared with the ,creator1 but are small in contrast with the ,god who is over all1 and who created1 and upholds1 and governs the universe4 ,and the rational soul recognising1 as it were1 its relationship to the divine1 at once rejects what it for a time supposed to be gods1 and resumes its natural love#cgj for its ,creator2 and because of its affection towards ,him1 receives ,him also who first presented these truths to all nations through the disciples whom ,he had appointed1 and whom ,he sent forth1 furnished with divine power and authority1 to proclaim the doctrine regarding ,god and ,his kingdom4 ,footnote #cfi3 4 ,footnote #cgj3 4 ,chapter ,,xli4 ,but since he has charged us1 ,i know not how often already1 8with regarding this ,jesus1 who was but a mortal body1 as a ,god1 and with supposing that we act piously in so doing10 it is superfluous to say any more in answer to this1 as a great deal has been said in the preceding pages4 ,and yet let those who make this charge understand that ,he whom we regard and believe to have been from the beginning ,god1 and the ,son of ,god1 is the very ,logos1 and the very ,wisdom1 and the very ,truth2 and with respect to ,his mortal body1 and the human soul which it contained1 we assert that not by their communion merely with ,him1 but by their unity and intermixture1#cga they received the highest powers1 and after participating in ,his divinity1 were changed into ,god4 ,and if any one should feel a difficulty at our saying this regarding ,his body1 let him attend to what is said by the ,greeks regarding matter1 which1 properly speaking1 being without qualities1 receives such as the ,creator desires to invest it with1 and which frequently divests itself of those which it formerly possessed1 and assumes others of a different and higher kind4 ,and if these opinions be correct1 what is there wonderful in this1 that the mortal quality of the body of ,jesus1 if the providence of ,god has so willed it1 should have been changed into one that was ethereal and divine8 ,footnote #cga3 4 ,chapter ,,xlii4 ,celsus1 then1 does not speak as a good reasoner1#cgb when he compares the mortal flesh of ,jesus to gold1 and silver1 and stone1 asserting that the former is more liable to corruption than the latter4 ,for1 to speak correctly1 that which is incorruptible is not more free from corruption than another thing which is incorruptible1 nor that which is corruptible more liable to corruption than another corruptible thing4 ,but1 admitting that there are degrees of corruptibility1 we can say in answer1 that if it is possible for the matter which underlies all qualities to exchange some of them1 how should it be impossible for the flesh of ,jesus also to exchange qualities1 and to become such as it was proper for a body to be which had its abode in the ether and the regions above it1 and possessing no longer the infirmities belonging to the flesh1 and those properties which ,celsus terms 8impurities10 and in so terming them1 speaks unlike a philosopher8 ,for that which is properly impure1 is so because of its wickedness4 ,now the nature of body is not impure2 for in so far as it is bodily nature1 it does not possess vice1 which is the generative principle of impurity4 ,but1 as he had a suspicion of the answer which we would return1 he says with respect to the change of the body of ,jesus1 8,well1 after he has laid aside these qualities1 he will be a ,god30 and if so1 why not rather sculapius1 and ,dionysus1 and ,hercules8 ,to which we reply1 8,what great deed has sculapius1 or ,dionysus1 or ,hercules wrought80 ,and what individuals will they be able to point out as having been improved in character1 and made better by their words and lives1 so that they may make good their claim to be gods8 ,for let us peruse the many narratives regarding them1 and see whether they were free from licentiousness1 or injustice1 or folly1 or cowardice4 ,and if nothing of that kind be found in them1 the argument of ,celsus might have force1 which places the forenamed individuals upon an equality with ,jesus4 ,but if it is certain that1 although some things are reported of them as reputable1 they are recorded1 nevertheless1 to have done innumerable things which are contrary to right reason1 how could you any longer say1 with any show of reason1 that these men1 on putting aside their mortal body1 became gods rather than ,jesus8 ,footnote #cgb3 4 ,chapter ,,xliii4 ,he next says of us1 that 8we ridicule those who worship ,jupiter1 because his tomb is pointed out in the island of ,crete2 and yet we worship him who rose from the tomb1#cgc although ignorant of the grounds#cgd on which the ,cretans observe such a custom40 ,observe now that he thus undertakes the defence of the ,cretans1 and of ,jupiter1 and of his tomb1 alluding obscurely to the allegorical notions1 in conformity with which the myth regarding ,jupiter is said to have been invented2 while he assails us who acknowledge that our ,jesus has been buried1 indeed1 but who maintain that ,he has also been raised from the tomb1--a statement which the ,cretans have not yet made regarding ,jupiter4 ,but since he appears to admit that the tomb of ,jupiter is in ,crete1 when he says that 8we are ignorant of the grounds on which the ,cretans observe such a custom10 we reply that ,callimachus the ,cyrenian1 who had read innumerable poetic compositions1 and nearly the whole of ,greek history1 was not acquainted with any allegorical meaning which was contained in the stories about ,jupiter and his tomb2 and accordingly he accuses the ,cretans in his hymn addressed to ,jupiter1 in the words3#cge 8,the ,cretans are always liars3 for thy tomb1 ,o king1 ,the ,cretans have reared2 and yet thou didst not die1 ,for thou ever livest40 ,now he who said1 8,thou didst not die1 for thou ever livest10 in denying that ,jupiter's tomb was in ,crete1 records nevertheless that in ,jupiter there was the beginning of death4#cgf ,but birth upon earth is the beginning of death4 ,and his words run3 8,and ,rhea bore thee among the ,parrhasians20-- whereas he ought to have seen1 after denying that the birth of ,jupiter took place in ,crete because of his tomb1 that it was quite congruous with his birth in ,arcadia that he who was born should also die4 ,and the following is the manner in which ,callimachus speaks of these things3 8,o ,jupiter1 some say that thou wert born on the mountains of ,ida1 others in ,arcadia4 ,which of them1 ,o father1 have lied8 ,the ,cretans are always liars10 etc4 ,now it is ,celsus who made us discuss these topics1 by the unfair manner in which he deals with ,jesus1 in giving his assent to what is related about ,his death and burial1 but regarding as an invention ,his resurrection from the dead1 although this was not only foretold by innumerable prophets1 but many proofs also were given of ,his having appeared after death4 ,footnote #cgc3 4 ,footnote #cgd3 4 ,footnote #cge3 ,cf4 ,callimach4 ,hymn i4 ,cf4 also ,tit4 i4 #ab4 ,footnote #cgf3 4 ,chapter ,,xliv4 ,after these points ,celsus quotes some objections against the doctrine of ,jesus1 made by a very few individuals who are considered ,christians1 not of the more intelligent1 as he supposes1 but of the more ignorant class1 and asserts that 8the following are the rules laid down by them4 ,let no one come to us who has been instructed1 or who is wise or prudent 7for such qualifications are deemed evil by us72 but if there be any ignorant1 or unintelligent1 or uninstructed1 or foolish persons1 let them come with confidence4 ,by which words1 acknowledging that such individuals are worthy of their ,god1 they manifestly show that they desire and are able to gain over only the silly1 and the mean1 and the stupid1 with women and children40 ,in reply to which1 we say that1 as if1 while ,jesus teaches continence1 and says1 8,whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her1 hath already committed adultery with her in his heart10 one were to behold a few of those who are deemed to be ,christians living licentiously1 he would most justly blame them for living contrary to the teaching of ,jesus1 but would act most unreasonably if he were to charge the gospel with their censurable conduct2 so1 if he found nevertheless that the doctrine of the ,christians invites men to wisdom1 the blame then must remain with those who rest in their own ignorance1 and who utter1 not what ,celsus relates 7for although some of them are simple and ignorant1 they do not speak so shamelessly as he alleges71 but other things of much less serious import1 which1 however1 serve to turn aside men from the practice of wisdom4 ,chapter ,,xlv4 ,but that the object of ,christianity#cgg is that we should become wise1 can be proved not only from the ancient ,jewish writings1 which we also use1 but especially from those which were composed after the time of ,jesus1 and which are believed among the churches to be divine4 ,now1 in the fiftieth ,psalm1 ,david is described as saying in his prayer to ,god these words3 8,the unseen and secret things of ,thy wisdom ,thou hast manifested to me40#cgh ,solomon1 too1 because he asked for wisdom1 received it2 and if any one were to peruse the ,psalms1 he would find the book filled with many maxims of wisdom2 and the evidences of his wisdom may be seen in his treatises1 which contain a great amount of wisdom expressed in few words1 and in which you will find many laudations of wisdom1 and encouragements towards obtaining it4 ,so wise1 moreover1 was ,solomon1 that 8the queen of ,sheba1 having heard his name1 and the name of the ,lord1 came to try him with difficult questions1 and spake to him all things1 whatsoever were in her heart2 and ,solomon answered her all her questions4 ,there was no question omitted by the king which he did not answer her4 ,and the queen of ,sheba saw all the wisdom of ,solomon1 and the possessions which he had1#cgi and there was no more spirit in her4#chj ,and she said to the king1 ,the report is true which ,i heard in mine own land regarding thee and thy wisdom2 and ,i believed not them who told me1 until ,i had come1 and mine eyes have seen it4 ,and1 lo1 they did not tell me the half4 ,thou hast added wisdom and possessions above all the report which ,i heard40#cha ,it is recorded also of him1 that 8,god gave ,solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much1 and largeness of heart1 even as the sand that is on the sea-shore4 ,and the wisdom that was in ,solomon greatly excelled the wisdom of all the ancients1 and of all the wise men of ,egypt2 and he was wiser than all men1 even than ,gethan the ,ezrahite1 and ,emad1 and ,chalcadi1 and ,aradab1 the sons of ,madi4 ,and he was famous among all the nations round about4 ,and ,solomon spake three thousand proverbs1 and his songs were five thousand4 ,and he spake of trees1 from the cedar that is in ,lebanon even to the hyssop which springeth out of the wall2 and also of fishes and of beasts4 ,and all nations came to hear the wisdom of ,solomon1 and from all the kings of the earth who had heard of the fame of his wisdom40#chb ,and to such a degree does the gospel desire that there should be wise men among believers1 that for the sake of exercising the understanding of its hearers1 it has spoken certain truths in enigmas1 others in what are called 8dark0 sayings1 others in parables1 and others in problems4#chc ,and one of the prophets--,hosea--says at the end of his prophecies3 8,who is wise1 and he will understand these things8 or prudent1 and he shall know them80#chd ,daniel1 moreover1 and his fellow-captives1 made such progress in the learning which the wise men around the king in ,babylon cultivated1 that they were shown to excel all of them in a tenfold degree4 ,and in the book of ,ezekiel it is said to the ruler of ,tyre1 who greatly prided himself on his wisdom1 8,art thou wiser than ,daniel8 ,every secret was not revealed to thee40#che ,footnote #cgg3 4 ,footnote #cgh3 4 ,footnote #cgi3 ' 4 ,footnote #chj3 4 ,footnote #cha3 ,cf4 #a ,kings x4 #a-i4 ,footnote #chb3 ,cf4 #a ,kings iv4 #bi-cd4 ,the text reads1 1 for which has been substituted4 ,footnote #chc3 4 ,footnote #chd3 ,hos4 x4 #i4 ,footnote #che3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 xx4 #c4 ,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,and if you come to the books written after the time of ,jesus1 you will find that those multitudes of believers who hear the parables are1 as it were1 8without10 and worthy only of exoteric doctrines1 while the disciples learn in private the explanation of the parables4 ,for1 privately1 to ,his own disciples did ,jesus open up all things1 esteeming above the multitudes those who desired to know ,his wisdom4 ,and ,he promises to those who believe upon ,him to send them wise men and scribes1 saying1 8,behold1 ,i will send unto you wise men and scribes1 and some of them they shall kill and crucify40#chf ,and ,paul also1 in the catalogue of 8,charismata0 bestowed by ,god1 placed first 8the word of wisdom10 and second1 as being inferior to it1 8the word of knowledge10 but third1 and lower down1 8faith40#chg ,and because he regarded 8the word0 as higher than miraculous powers1 he for that reason places 8workings of miracles0 and 8gifts of healings0 in a lower place than the gifts of the word4 ,and in the ,acts of the ,apostles ,stephen bears witness to the great learning of ,moses1 which he had obtained wholly from ancient writings not accessible to the multitude4 ,for he says3 8,and ,moses was learned in all the wisdom of the ,egyptians40#chh ,and therefore1 with respect to his miracles1 it was suspected that he wrought them perhaps1 not in virtue of his professing to come from ,god1 but by means of his ,egyptian knowledge1 in which he was well versed4 ,for the king1 entertaining such a suspicion1 summoned the ,egyptian magicians1 and wise men1 and enchanters1 who were found to be of no avail as against the wisdom of ,moses1 which proved superior to all the wisdom of the ,egyptians4 ,footnote #chf3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxiii4 #cd4 ,footnote #chg3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xii4 #h4 ,footnote #chh3 ,acts vii4 #bb4 ,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,but it is probable that what is written by ,paul in the ,first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1#chi as being addressed to ,greeks who prided themselves greatly on their ,grecian wisdom1 has moved some to believe that it was not the object of the gospel to win wise men4 ,now1 let him who is of this opinion understand that the gospel1 as censuring wicked men1 says of them that they are wise not in things which relate to the understanding1 and which are unseen and eternal2 but that in busying themselves about things of sense alone1 and regarding these as all-important1 they are wise men of the world3 for as there are in existence a multitude of opinions1 some of them espousing the cause of matter and bodies1#cij and asserting that everything is corporeal which has a substantial existence1#cia and that besides these nothing else exists1 whether it be called invisible or incorporeal1 it says also that these constitute the wisdom of the world1 which perishes and fades away1 and belongs only to this age1 while those opinions which raise the soul from things here to the blessedness which is with ,god1 and to ,his kingdom1 and which teach men to despise all sensible and visible things as existing only for a season1 and to hasten on to things invisible1 and to have regard to those things which are not seen1--these1 it says1 constitute the wisdom of ,god4 ,but ,paul1 as a lover of truth1 says of certain wise men among the ,greeks1 when their statements are true1 that 8although they knew ,god1 they glorified ,him not as ,god1 neither were thankful40#cib ,and he bears witness that they knew ,god1 and says1 too1 that this did not happen to them without divine permission1 in these words3 8,for ,god showed it unto them20#cic dimly alluding1 ,i think1 to those who ascend from things of sense to those of the understanding1 when he adds1 8,for the invisible things of ,god from the creation of the world are clearly seen1 being understood by the things that are made1 even ,his eternal power and ,godhead2 so that they are without excuse3 because that1 when they knew ,god1 they glorified ,him not as ,god1 neither were thankful40#cid ,footnote #chi3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 i4 #ah1 etc4 ,footnote #cij3 4 ,footnote #cia3 4 ,footnote #cib3 ,cf4 ,rom4 i4 #ba4 ,footnote #cic3 ,rom4 i4 #ai4 ,footnote #cid3 ,cf4 ,rom4 i4 #bj-bb4 ,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,and perhaps also from the words1 8,for ye see your calling1 brethren1 how that not many wise men after the flesh1 not many mighty1 not many noble1 are called3 but ,god hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise2 and the base things1 and the things which are despised1 hath ,god chosen1 and things which are not1 to bring to nought things that are1 that no flesh may glory in ,his presence20#cie some have been led to suppose that no one who is instructed1 or wise1 or prudent1 embraces the gospel4 ,now1 in answer to such an one1 we would say that it has not been stated that 8no wise man according to the flesh10 but that 8not many wise men according to the flesh10 are called4 ,it is manifest1 further1 that amongst the characteristic qualifications of those who are termed 8bishops10 ,paul1 in describing what kind of man the bishop ought to be1 lays down as a qualification that he should also be a teacher1 saying that he ought to be able to convince the gainsayers1 that by the wisdom which is in him he may stop the mouths of foolish talkers and deceivers4#cif ,and as he selects for the episcopate a man who has been once married#cig rather than he who has twice entered the married state1 and a man of blameless life rather than one who is liable to censure1 and a sober man rather than one who is not such1 and a prudent man rather than one who is not prudent1 and a man whose behaviour is decorous rather than he who is open to the charge even of the slightest indecorum1 so he desires that he who is to be chosen by preference for the office of a bishop should be apt to teach1 and able to convince the gainsayers4 ,how then can ,celsus justly charge us with saying1 8,let no one come to us who is #8instructed1' or #8wise1' or #8prudent8'0 ,nay1 let him who wills come to us 8instructed10 and 8wise10 and 8prudent20 and none the less1 if any one be ignorant and unintelligent1 and uninstructed and foolish1 let him also come3 for it is these whom the gospel promises to cure1 when they come1 by rendering them all worthy of ,god4 ,footnote #cie3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 i4 #bf-bh4 ,footnote #cif3 ,cf4 ,tit4 i4 #i1 #aj4 ,footnote #cig3 4 ,cf4 ,can4 ,apost4 c4 xvii43 8 1 1 1 1 1 40 ,cf4 note in ,benedictine ed4 ,chapter ,,xlix4 ,this statement also is untrue1 that it is 8only foolish and low individuals1 and persons devoid of perception1 and slaves1 and women1 and children1 of whom the teachers of the divine word wish to make converts40 ,such indeed does the gospel invite1 in order to make them better2 but it invites also others who are very different from these1 since ,christ is the ,saviour of all men1 and especially of them that believe1 whether they be intelligent or simple2 and 8,he is the propitiation with the ,father for our sins2 and not for ours only1 but also for the sins of the whole world40#cih ,after this it is superfluous for us to wish to offer a reply to such statements of ,celsus as the following3 8,for why is it an evil to have been educated1 and to have studied the best opinions1 and to have both the reality and appearance of wisdom8 ,what hindrance does this offer to the knowledge of ,god8 ,why should it not rather be an assistance1 and a means by which one might be better able to arrive at the truth80 ,truly it is no evil to have been educated1 for education is the way to virtue2 but to rank those amongst the number of the educated who hold erroneous opinions is what even the wise men among the ,greeks would not do4 ,on the other hand1 who would not admit that to have studied the best opinions is a blessing8 ,but what shall we call the best1 save those which are true1 and which incite men to virtue8 ,moreover1 it is an excellent thing for a man to be wise1 but not to seem so1 as ,celsus says4 ,and it is no hindrance to the knowledge of ,god1 but an assistance1 to have been educated1 and to have studied the best opinions1 and to be wise4 ,and it becomes us rather than ,celsus to say this1 especially if it be shown that he is an ,epicurean4 ,footnote #cih3 ,cf4 #a ,john ii4 #b4 ,chapter ,l4 ,but let us see what those statements of his are which follow next in these words3 8,nay1 we see1 indeed1 that even those individuals1 who in the market-places perform the most disgraceful tricks1 and who gather crowds around them1 would never approach an assembly of wise men1 nor dare to exhibit their arts among them2 but wherever they see young men1 and a mob of slaves1 and a gathering of unintelligent persons1 thither they thrust themselves in1 and show themselves off40 ,observe1 now1 how he slanders us in these words1 comparing us to those who in the market-places perform the most disreputable tricks1 and gather crowds around them6 ,what disreputable tricks1 pray1 do we perform8 ,or what is there in our conduct that resembles theirs1 seeing that by means of readings1 and explanations of the things read1 we lead men to the worship of the ,god of the universe1 and to the cognate virtues1 and turn them away from contemning ,deity1 and from all things contrary to right reason8 ,philosophers verily would wish to collect together such hearers of their discourses as exhort men to virtue1--a practice which certain of the ,cynics especially have followed1 who converse publicly with those whom they happen to meet4 ,will they maintain1 then1 that these who do not gather together persons who are considered to have been educated1 but who invite and assemble hearers from the public street1 resemble those who in the market-places perform the most disreputable tricks1 and gather crowds around them8 ,neither ,celsus1 however1 nor any one who holds the same opinions1 will blame those who1 agreeably to what they regard as a feeling of philanthropy1 address their arguments to the ignorant populace4 ,chapter ,,li4 ,and if they are not to be blamed for so doing1 let us see whether ,christians do not exhort multitudes to the practice of virtue in a greater and better degree than they4 ,for the philosophers who converse in public do not pick and choose their hearers1 but he who likes stands and listens4 ,the ,christians1 however1 having previously1 so far as possible1 tested the souls of those who wish to become their hearers1 and having previously instructed#cii them in private1 when they appear 7before entering the community7 to have sufficiently evinced their desire towards a virtuous life1 introduce them then1 and not before1 privately forming one class of those who are beginners1 and are receiving admission1 but who have not yet obtained the mark of complete purification2 and another of those who have manifested to the best of their ability their intention to desire no other things than are approved by ,christians2 and among these there are certain persons appointed to make inquiries regarding the lives and behaviour of those who join them1 in order that they may prevent those who commit acts of infamy from coming into their public assembly1 while those of a different character they receive with their whole heart1 in order that they may daily make them better4 ,and this is their method of procedure1 both with those who are sinners1 and especially with those who lead dissolute lives1 whom they exclude from their community1 although1 according to ,celsus1 they resemble those who in the market-places perform the most shameful tricks4 ,now the venerable school of the ,pythagoreans used to erect a cenotaph to those who had apostatized from their system of philosophy1 treating them as dead2 but the ,christians lament as dead those who have been vanquished by licentiousness or any other sin1 because they are lost and dead to ,god1 and as being risen from the dead 7if they manifest a becoming change7 they receive them afterwards1 at some future time1 after a greater interval than in the case of those who were admitted at first1 but not placing in any office or post of rank in the church of ,god those who1 after professing the gospel1 lapsed and fell4 ,footnote #cii3 4 ,chapter ,,lii4 ,observe now with regard to the following statement of ,celsus1 8,we see also those persons who in the market-places perform most disreputable tricks1 and collect crowds around them10 whether a manifest falsehood has not been uttered1 and things compared which have no resemblance4 ,he says that these individuals1 to whom he compares us1 who 8perform the most disreputable tricks in the market-places and collect crowds1 would never approach an assembly of wise men1 nor dare to show off their tricks before them2 but wherever they see young men1 and a mob of slaves1 and a gathering of foolish people1 thither do they thrust themselves in and make a display40 ,now1 in speaking thus he does nothing else than simply load us with abuse1 like the women upon the public streets1 whose object is to slander one another2 for we do everything in our power to secure that our meetings should be composed of wise men1 and those things among us which are especially excellent and divine we then venture to bring forward publicly in our discussions when we have an abundance of intelligent hearers1 while we conceal and pass by in silence the truths of deeper import when we see that our audience is composed of simpler minds1 which need such instruction as is figuratively termed 8milk40 ,chapter ,,liii4 ,for the word is used by our ,paul in writing to the ,corinthians1 who were ,greeks1 and not yet purified in their morals3 8,i have fed you with milk1 not with meat2 for hitherto ye were not able to bear it1 neither yet now are ye able1 for ye are yet carnal3 for whereas there is among you envying and strife1 are ye not carnal1 and walk as men80 ,now the same writer1 knowing that there was a certain kind of nourishment better adapted for the soul1 and that the food of those young#djj persons who were admitted was compared to milk1 continues3 8,and ye are become such as have need of milk1 and not of strong meat4 ,for every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness2 for he is a babe4 ,but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age1 even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil40#dja ,would then those who believe these words to be well spoken1 suppose that the noble doctrines of our faith would never be mentioned in an assembly of wise men1 but that wherever our instructors see young men1 and a mob of slaves1 and a collection of foolish individuals1 they bring publicly forward divine and venerable truths1 and before such persons make a display of themselves in treating of them8 ,but it is clear to him who examines the whole spirit of our writings1 that ,celsus is animated with a hatred against the human race resembling that of the ignorant populace1 and gives utterance to these falsehoods without examination4 ,footnote #djj3 4 ,footnote #dja3 ,heb4 v4 #ab-ad4 ,chapter ,,liv4 ,we acknowledge1 however1 although ,celsus will not have it so1 that we do desire to instruct all men in the word of ,god1 so as to give to young men the exhortations which are appropriate to them1 and to show to slaves how they may recover freedom of thought1#djb and be ennobled by the word4 ,and those amongst us who are the ambassadors of ,christianity sufficiently declare that they are debtors#djc to ,greeks and barbarians1 to wise men and fools1 7for they do not deny their obligation to cure the souls even of foolish persons17 in order that as far as possible they may lay aside their ignorance1 and endeavour to obtain greater prudence1 by listening also to the words of ,solomon3 8,oh1 ye fools1 be of an understanding heart10#djd and 8,who is the most simple among you1 let him turn unto me20#dje and wisdom exhorts those who are devoid of understanding in the words1 8,come1 eat of my bread1 and drink of the wine which ,i have mixed for you4 ,forsake folly that ye may live1 and correct understanding in knowledge40#djf ,this too would ,i say 7seeing it bears on the point71#djg in answer to the statement of ,celsus3 ,do not philosophers invite young men to their lectures8 and do they not encourage young men to exchange a wicked life for a better8 and do they not desire slaves to learn philosophy8 ,must we find fault1 then1 with philosophers who have exhorted slaves to the practice of virtue8 with ,pythagoras for having so done with ,zamolxis1 ,zeno with ,perseus1 and with those who recently encouraged ,epictetus to the study of philosophy8 ,is it indeed permissible for you1 ,o ,greeks1 to call youths and slaves and foolish persons to the study of philosophy1 but if we do so1 we do not act from philanthropic motives in wishing to heal every rational nature with the medicine of reason1 and to bring them into fellowship with ,god1 the ,creator of all things8 ,these remarks1 then1 may suffice in answer to what are slanders rather than accusations#djh on the part of ,celsus4 ,footnote #djb3 4 ,footnote #djc3 ,cf4 ,rom4 i4 #ad4 ,footnote #djd3 ,cf4 ,prov4 viii4 #e4 ,footnote #dje3 ,cf4 ,prov4 ix4 #d4 ,footnote #djf3 ,cf4 ,prov4 ix4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #djg3 4 ,footnote #djh3 4 ,chapter ,,lv4 ,but as ,celsus delights to heap up calumnies against us1 and1 in addition to those which he has already uttered1 has added others1 let us examine these also1 and see whether it be the ,christians or ,celsus who have reason to be ashamed of what is said4 ,he asserts1 8,we see1 indeed1 in private houses workers in wool and leather1 and fullers1 and persons of the most uninstructed and rustic character1 not venturing to utter a word in the presence of their elders and wiser masters2#dji but when they get hold of the children privately1 and certain women as ignorant as themselves1 they pour forth wonderful statements1 to the effect that they ought not to give heed to their father and to their teachers1 but should obey them2 that the former are foolish and stupid1 and neither know nor can perform anything that is really good1 being preoccupied with empty trifles2 that they alone know how men ought to live1 and that1 if the children obey them1 they will both be happy themselves1 and will make their home happy also4 ,and while thus speaking1 if they see one of the instructors of youth approaching1 or one of the more intelligent class1 or even the father himself1 the more timid among them become afraid1 while the more forward incite the children to throw off the yoke1 whispering that in the presence of father and teachers they neither will nor can explain to them any good thing1 seeing they turn away with aversion from the silliness and stupidity of such persons as being altogether corrupt1 and far advanced in wickedness1 and such as would inflict punishment upon them2 but that if they wish to avail themselves of their aid1 they must leave their father and their instructors1 and go with the women and their playfellows to the women's apartments1 or to the leather shop1 or to the fuller's shop1 that they may attain to perfection2--and by words like these they gain them over40 ,footnote #dji3 ,the allusion is to the practice of wealthy ,greeks and ,romans having among their slaves artificers of various kinds1 for whose service there was constant demand in the houses and villas of the rich1 and who therefore had their residence in or near the dwelling of their master4 ,many of these artificers seem1 from the language of ,celsus1 to have been converts to ,christianity4 ,chapter ,,lvi4 ,observe now how by such statements he depreciates those amongst us who are teachers of the word1 and who strive in every way to raise the soul to the ,creator of all things1 and who show that we ought to despise things 8sensible10 and 8temporal10 and 8visible10 and to do our utmost to reach communion with ,god1 and the contemplation of things that are 8intelligent10 and 8invisible10 and a blessed life with ,god1 and the friends of ,god2 comparing them to 8workers in wool in private houses1 and to leather-cutters1 and to fullers1 and to the most rustic of mankind1 who carefully incite young boys to wickedness1 and women to forsake their fathers and teachers1 and follow them40 ,now let ,celsus point out from what wise parent1 or from what teachers1 we keep away children and women1 and let him ascertain by comparison among those children and women who are adherents of our doctrine1 whether any of the opinions which they formerly heard are better than ours1 and in what manner we draw away children and women from noble and venerable studies1 and incite them to worse things4 ,but he will not be able to make good any such charge against us1 seeing that1 on the contrary1 we turn away women from a dissolute life1 and from being at variance with those with whom they live1 from all mad desires after theatres and dancing1 and from superstition2 while we train to habits of self-restraint boys just reaching the age of puberty1 and feeling a desire for sexual pleasures1 pointing out to them not only the disgrace which attends those sins1 but also the state to which the soul of the wicked is reduced through practices of that kind1 and the judgments which it will suffer1 and the punishments which will be inflicted4 ,chapter ,,lvii4 ,but who are the teachers whom we call triflers and fools1 whose defence is undertaken by ,celsus1 as of those who teach better things8 ,i know not1 unless he deem those to be good instructors of women1 and no triflers1 who invite them to superstition and to unchaste spectacles1 and those1 moreover1 to be teachers not devoid of sense who lead young men to the communion of all those disorderly acts which we know are often committed by them4 ,we indeed call away these also1 as far as we can1 from the dogmas of philosophy to our worship of ,god1 by showing forth its excellence and purity4 ,but as ,celsus1 by his statements1 has declared that we do not do so1 but that we call only the foolish1 ,i would say to him1 8,if you had charged us with withdrawing from the study of philosophy those who were already preoccupied with it1 you would not have spoken the truth1 and yet your charge would have had an appearance of probability2 but when you now say that we draw away our adherents from good teachers1 show who are those other teachers save the teachers of philosophy1 or those who have been appointed to give instruction in some useful branch of study40#daj ,he will be unable1 however1 to show any such2 while we promise1 openly and not in secret1 that they will be happy who live according to the word of ,god1 and who look to ,him in all things1 and who do everything1 whatever it is1 as if in the presence of ,god4 ,are these the instructions of workers in wool1 and of leather-cutters1 and fullers1 and uneducated rustics8 ,but such an assertion he cannot make good4 ,footnote #daj3 1 4 ,chapter ,,lviii4 ,but those who1 in the opinion of ,celsus1 resemble the workers in wool in private houses1 and the leather-cutters1 and fullers1 and uneducated rustics1 will1 he alleges1 in the presence of father or teachers be unwilling to speak1 or unable to explain to the boys anything that is good4 ,in answer to which1 we would say1 ,what kind of father1 my good sir1 and what kind of teacher1 do you mean8 ,if you mean one who approves of virtue1 and turns away from vice1 and welcomes what is better1 then know1 that with the greatest boldness will we declare our opinions to the children1 because we will be in good repute with such a judge4 ,but if1 in the presence of a father who has a hatred of virtue and goodness1 we keep silence1 and also before those who teach what is contrary to sound doctrine1 do not blame us for so doing1 since you will blame us without good reason4 ,you1 at all events1 in a case where fathers deemed the mysteries of philosophy an idle and unprofitable occupation for their sons1 and for young men in general1 would not1 in teaching philosophy1 make known its secrets before worthless parents2 but1 desiring to keep apart those sons of wicked parents who had been turned towards the study of philosophy1 you would observe the proper seasons1 in order that the doctrines of philosophy might reach the minds of the young men4 ,and we say the same regarding our teachers4 ,for if we turn our hearers away from those instructors who teach obscene comedies and licentious iambics1 and many other things which neither improve the speaker nor benefit the hearers 7because the latter do not know how to listen to poetry in a philosophic frame of mind1 nor the former how to say to each of the young men what tends to his profit71 we are not1 in following such a course1 ashamed to confess what we do4 ,but if you will show me teachers who train young men for philosophy1 and who exercise them in it1 ,i will not from such turn away young men1 but will try to raise them1 as those who have been previously exercised in the whole circle of learning and in philosophical subjects1 to the venerable and lofty height of eloquence which lies hid from the multitude of ,christians1 where are discussed topics of the greatest importance1 and where it is demonstrated and shown that they have been treated philosophically both by the prophets of ,god and the apostles of ,jesus4 ,chapter ,,lix4 ,immediately after this1 ,celsus1 perceiving that he has slandered us with too great bitterness1 as if by way of defence expresses himself as follows3 8,that ,i bring no heavier charge than what the truth compels me1 any one may see from the following remarks4 ,those who invite to participation in other mysteries1 make proclamation as follows3 #8,every one who has clean hands1 and a prudent tongue2'#daa others again thus3 #8,he who is pure from all pollution1 and whose soul is conscious of no evil1 and who has lived well and justly4' ,such is the proclamation made by those who promise purification from sins4 ,but let us hear what kind of persons these ,christians invite4 ,every one1 they say1 who is a sinner1 who is devoid of understanding1 who is a child1 and1 to speak generally1 whoever is unfortunate1 him will the kingdom of ,god receive4 ,do you not call him a sinner1 then1 who is unjust1 and a thief1 and a housebreaker1 and a poisoner1 and a committer of sacrilege1 and a robber of the dead8 ,what others would a man invite if he were issuing a proclamation for an assembly of robbers80 ,now1 in answer to such statements1 we say that it is not the same thing to invite those who are sick in soul to be cured1 and those who are in health to the knowledge and study of divine things4 ,we1 however1 keeping both these things in view1 at first invite all men to be healed1 and exhort those who are sinners to come to the consideration of the doctrines which teach men not to sin1 and those who are devoid of understanding to those which beget wisdom1 and those who are children to rise in their thoughts to manhood1 and those who are simply#dab unfortunate to good fortune1#dac or--which is the more appropriate term to use--to blessedness4#dad ,and when those who have been turned towards virtue have made progress1 and have shown that they have been purified by the word1 and have led as far as they can a better life1 then and not before do we invite them to participation in our mysteries4 8,for we speak wisdom among them that are perfect40#dae ,footnote #daa3 4 ,footnote #dab3 4 ,footnote #dac3 4 ,footnote #dad3 4 ,footnote #dae3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 ii4 #f4 ,chapter ,,lx4 ,and as we teach1 moreover1 that 8wisdom will not enter into the soul of a base man1 nor dwell in a body that is involved in sin10#daf we say1 ,whoever has clean hands1 and therefore lifts up holy hands to ,god1 and by reason of being occupied with elevated and heavenly things1 can say1 8,the lifting up of my hands is as the evening sacrifice10#dag let him come to us2 and whoever has a wise tongue through meditating on the law of the ,lord day and night1 and by 8reason of habit has his senses exercised to discern between good and evil10 let him have no reluctance in coming to the strong and rational sustenance which is adapted to those who are athletes in piety and every virtue4 ,and since the grace of ,god is with all those who love with a pure affection the teacher of the doctrines of immortality1 whoever is pure not only from all defilement1 but from what are regarded as lesser transgressions1 let him be boldly initiated in the mysteries of ,jesus1 which properly are made known only to the holy and the pure4 ,the initiated of ,celsus accordingly says1 8,let him whose soul is conscious of no evil come40 ,but he who acts as initiator1 according to the precepts of ,jesus1 will say to those who have been purified in heart1 8,he whose soul has1 for a long time1 been conscious of no evil1 and especially since he yielded himself to the healing of the word1 let such an one hear the doctrines which were spoken in private by ,jesus to ,his genuine disciples40 ,therefore in the comparison which he institutes between the procedure of the initiators into the ,grecian mysteries1 and the teachers of the doctrine of ,jesus1 he does not know the difference between inviting the wicked to be healed1 and initiating those already purified into the sacred mysteries6 ,footnote #daf3 ,wisd4 ,solom4 i4 #d4 ,footnote #dag3 ,cf4 ,ps4 cxli4 #b4 ,chapter ,,lxi4 ,not to participation in mysteries1 then1 and to fellowship in the wisdom hidden in a mystery1 which ,god ordained before the world to the glory of ,his saints1#dah do we invite the wicked man1 and the thief1 and the housebreaker1 and the poisoner1 and the committer of sacrilege1 and the plunderer of the dead1 and all those others whom ,celsus may enumerate in his exaggerating style1 but such as these we invite to be healed4 ,for there are in the divinity of the word some helps towards the cure of those who are sick1 respecting which the word says1 8,they that be whole need not a physician1 but they that are sick20#dai others1 again1 which to the pure in soul and body exhibit 8the revelation of the mystery1 which was kept secret since the world began1 but now is made manifest by the ,scriptures of the prophets10#dbj and 8by the appearing of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ10#dba which 8appearing0 is manifested to each one of those who are perfect1 and which enlightens the reason#dbb in the true#dbc knowledge of things4 ,but as he exaggerates the charges against us1 adding1 after his list of those vile individuals whom he has mentioned1 this remark1 8,what other persons would a robber summon to himself by proclamation80 we answer such a question by saying that a robber summons around him individuals of such a character1 in order to make use of their villany against the men whom they desire to slay and plunder4 ,a ,christian1 on the other hand1 even though he invite those whom the robber invites1 invites them to a very different vocation1 viz4 to bind up these wounds by ,his word1 and to apply to the soul1 festering amid evils1 the drugs obtained from the word1 and which are analogous to the wine and oil1 and plasters1 and other healing appliances which belong to the art of medicine4 ,footnote #dah3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 ii4 #g4 ,footnote #dai3 ,matt4 ix4 #ab4 ,footnote #dbj3 ,rom4 xvi4 #be1 #bf4 ,footnote #dba3 ,cf4 #b ,tim4 ii4 #aj4 ,footnote #dbb3 4 ,footnote #dbc3 4 ,chapter ,,lxii4 ,in the next place1 throwing a slur#dbd upon the exhortations spoken and written to those who have led wicked lives1 and which invite them to repentance and reformation of heart1 he asserts that we say 8that it was to sinners that ,god has been sent40 ,now this statement of his is much the same as if he were to find fault with certain persons for saying that on account of the sick who were living in a city1 a physician had been sent them by a very benevolent monarch4 ,god the ,word was sent1 indeed1 as a physician to sinners1 but as a teacher of divine mysteries to those who are already pure and who sin no more4 ,but ,celsus1 unable to see this distinction1--for he had no desire to be animated with a love of truth1--remarks1 8,why was he not sent to those who were without sin8 ,what evil is it not to have committed sin80 ,to which we reply1 that if by those 8who were without sin0 he means those who sin no more1 then our ,saviour ,jesus was sent even to such1 but not as a physician4 ,while if by those 8who were without sin0 he means such as have never at any time sinned1--for he made no distinction in his statement1--we reply that it is impossible for a man thus to be without sin4 ,and this we say1 excepting1 of course1 the man understood to be in ,christ ,jesus1#dbe who 8did no sin40 ,it is with a malicious intent1 indeed1 that ,celsus says of us that we assert that 8,god will receive the unrighteous man if he humble himself on account of his wickedness1 but that ,he will not receive the righteous man1 although he look up to ,him1 adorned with virtue from the beginning40 ,now we assert that it is impossible for a man to look up to ,god adorned with virtue from the beginning4 ,for wickedness must necessarily first exist in men4 ,as ,paul also says1 8,when the commandment came1 sin revived1 and ,i died40#dbf ,moreover1 we do not teach regarding the unrighteous man1 that it is sufficient for him to humble himself on account of his wickedness in order to his being accepted by ,god1 but that ,god will accept him if1 after passing condemnation upon himself for his past conduct1 he walk humbly on account of it1 and in a becoming manner for the time to come4 ,footnote #dbd3 4 ,footnote #dbe3 4 ,footnote #dbf3 ,rom4 vii4 #i4 ,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,after this1 not understanding how it has been said that 8every one who exalteth himself shall be abased20#dbg nor 7although taught even by ,plato7 that 8the good and virtuous man walketh humbly and orderly20 and ignorant1 moreover1 that we give the injunction1 8,humble yourselves1 therefore1 under the mighty hand of ,god1 that ,he may exalt you in due time20#dbh he says that 8those persons who preside properly over a trial make those individuals who bewail before them their evil deeds to cease from their piteous wailings1 lest their decisions should be determined rather by compassion than by a regard to truth2 whereas ,god does not decide in accordance with truth1 but in accordance with flattery40#dbi ,now1 what words of flattery and piteous wailing are contained in the ,holy ,scriptures when the sinner says in his prayers to ,god1 8,i have acknowledged my sin1 and mine iniquity have ,i not hid4 ,i said1 ,i will confess my transgression to the ,lord10 etc4 etc48 ,for is he able to show that a procedure of this kind is not adapted to the conversion of sinners1 who humble themselves in their prayers under the hand of ,god8 ,and1 becoming confused by his effort to accuse us1 he contradicts himself2 appearing at one time to know a man 8without sin10 and 8a righteous man1 who can look up to ,god adorned with virtue from the beginning20 and at another time accepting our statement that there is no man altogether righteous1 or without sin2#dcj for1 as if he admitted its truth1 he remarks1 8,this is indeed apparently true1 that somehow the human race is naturally inclined to sin40 ,in the next place1 as if all men were not invited by the word1 he says1 8,all men1 then1 without distinction1 ought to be invited1 since all indeed are sinners40 ,and yet1 in the preceding pages1 we have pointed out the words of ,jesus3 8,come unto me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest40#dca ,all men1 therefore1 labouring and being heavy laden on account of the nature of sin1 are invited to the rest spoken of in the word of ,god1 8for ,god sent ,his word1 and healed them1 and delivered them from their destructions40#dcb ,footnote #dbg3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxiii4 #ab4 ,footnote #dbh3 #a ,pet4 v4 #f4 ,footnote #dbi3 4 ,footnote #dcj3 ,in the text it is put interrogatively3 2 2 ,the allusion seems to be to ,job xv4 #ad3 1 2 4 ,footnote #dca3 ,matt4 xi4 #bh4 ,footnote #dcb3 ,ps4 cvii4 #bj4 ,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,but since he says1 in addition to this1 8,what is this preference of sinners over others80 and makes other remarks of a similar nature1 we have to reply that absolutely a sinner is not preferred before one who is not a sinner2 but that sometimes a sinner1 who has become conscious of his own sin1 and for that reason comes to repentance1 being humbled on account of his sins1 is preferred before one who is accounted a lesser sinner1 but who does not consider himself one1 but exalts himself on the ground of certain good qualities which he thinks he possesses1 and is greatly elated on their account4 ,and this is manifest to those who are willing to peruse the ,gospels in a spirit of fairness1 by the parable of the publican1 who said1 8,be merciful to me a sinner10#dcc and of the ,pharisee who boasted with a certain wicked self-conceit in the words1 8,i thank ,thee that ,i am not as other men are1 extortioners1 unjust1 adulterers1 or even as this publican40#dcd ,for ,jesus subjoins to ,his narrative of them both the words3 8,this man went down to his house justified rather than the other3 for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased2 and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted40#dce ,we utter no blasphemy1 then1 against ,god1 neither are we guilty of falsehood1 when we teach that every man1 whoever he may be1 is conscious of human infirmity in comparison with the greatness of ,god1 and that we must ever ask from ,him1 who alone is able to supply our deficiencies1 what is wanting to our mortal nature4 ,footnote #dcc3 ,luke xviii4 #ac4 ,footnote #dcd3 ,luke xviii4 #aa4 ,footnote #dce3 ,luke xviii4 #ad4 ,chapter ,,lxv4 ,he imagines1 however1 that we utter these exhortations for the conversion of sinners1 because we are able to gain over no one who is really good and righteous1 and therefore open our gates to the most unholy and abandoned of men4 ,but if any one will fairly observe our assemblies1 we can present a greater number of those who have been converted from not a very wicked life1 than of those who have committed the most abominable sins4 ,for naturally those who are conscious to themselves of better things1 desire that those promises may be true which are declared by ,god regarding the reward of the righteous1 and thus assent more readily to the statements of ,scripture than those do who have led very wicked lives1 and who are prevented by their very consciousness of evil from admitting that they will be punished by the ,judge of all with such punishment as befits those who have sinned so greatly1 and as would not be inflicted by the ,judge of all contrary to right reason4#dcf ,sometimes1 also1 when very abandoned men are willing to accept the doctrine of future punishment1 on account of the hope which is based upon repentance1 they are prevented from so doing by their habit of sinning1 being constantly dipped1 and1 as it were1 dyed in wickedness1 and possessing no longer the power to turn from it easily to a proper life1 and one regulated according to right reason4 ,and although ,celsus observes this1 he nevertheless1 ,i know not why1 expresses himself in the following terms3 8,and yet1 indeed1 it is manifest to every one that no one by chastisement1 much less by merciful treatment1 could effect a complete change in those who are sinners both by nature and custom1 for to change nature is an exceedingly difficult thing4 ,but they who are without sin are partakers of a better life40 ,footnote #dcf3 4 ,chapter ,,lxvi4 ,now here ,celsus appears to me to have committed a great error1 in refusing to those who are sinners by nature1 and also by habit1 the possibility of a complete transformation1 alleging that they cannot be cured even by punishment4 ,for it clearly appears that all men are inclined to sin by nature1 and some not only by nature but by practice1 while not all men are incapable of an entire transformation4 ,for there are found in every philosophical sect1 and in the word of ,god1 persons who are related to have undergone so great a change that they may be proposed as a model of excellence of life4 ,among the names of the heroic age some mention ,hercules and ,ulysses1 among those of later times1 ,socrates1 and of those who have lived very recently1 ,musonius4#dcg ,not only against us1 then1 did ,celsus utter the calumny1 when he said that 8it was manifest to every one that those who were given to sin by nature and habit could not by any means--even by punishments--be completely changed for the better10 but also against the noblest names in philosophy1 who have not denied that the recovery of virtue was a possible thing for men4 ,but although he did not express his meaning with exactness1 we shall nevertheless1 though giving his words a more favourable construction1 convict him of unsound reasoning4 ,for his words were3 8,those who are inclined to sin by nature and habit1 no one could completely reform even by chastisement20 and his words1 as we understood them1 we refuted to the best of our ability4#dch ,footnote #dcg3 ,he is said to have been either a ,babylonian or ,tyrrhenian1 and to have lived in the reign of ,nero4 ,cf4 ,philostratus1 iv4 #ab4--,,ru,,us4 ,footnote #dch3 1 1 4 ,chapter ,,lxvii4 ,it is probable1 however1 that he meant to convey some such meaning as this1 that those who were both by nature and habit given to the commission of those sins which are committed by the most abandoned of men1 could not be completely transformed even by punishment4 ,and yet this is shown to be false from the history of certain philosophers4 ,for who is there that would not rank among the most abandoned of men the individual who somehow submitted to yield himself to his master1 when he placed him in a brothel1#dci that he might allow himself to be polluted by any one who liked8 ,and yet such a circumstance is related of ,phdo6 ,and who will not agree that he who burst1 accompanied with a flute-player and a party of revellers1 his profligate associates1 into the school of the venerable ,xenocrates1 to insult a man who was the admiration of his friends1 was not one of the greatest miscreants#ddj among mankind8 ,yet1 notwithstanding this1 reason was powerful enough to effect their conversion1 and to enable them to make such progress in philosophy1 that the one was deemed worthy by ,plato to recount the discourse of ,socrates on immortality1 and to record his firmness in prison1 when he evinced his contempt of the hemlock1 and with all fearlessness and tranquillity of mind treated of subjects so numerous and important1 that it is difficult even for those to follow them who are giving their utmost attention1 and who are disturbed by no distraction2 while ,polemon1 on the other hand1 who from a profligate became a man of most temperate life1 was successor in the school of ,xenocrates1 so celebrated for his venerable character4 ,celsus then does not speak the truth when he says 8that sinners by nature and habit cannot be completely reformed even by chastisement40 ,footnote #dci3 4 ,footnote #ddj3 4 ,chapter ,,lxviii4 ,that philosophical discourses1 however1 distinguished by orderly arrangement and elegant expression1#dda should produce such results in the case of those individuals just enumerated1 and upon others#ddb who have led wicked lives1 is not at all to be wondered at4 ,but when we consider that those discourses1 which ,celsus terms 8vulgar10#ddc are filled with power1 as if they were spells1 and see that they at once convert multitudes from a life of licentiousness to one of extreme regularity1#ddd and from a life of wickedness to a better1 and from a state of cowardice or unmanliness to one of such high-toned courage as to lead men to despise even death through the piety which shows itself within them1 why should we not justly admire the power which they contain8 ,for the words of those who at the first assumed the office of ,christian ambassadors1 and who gave their labours to rear up the churches of ,god1--nay1 their preaching also1--were accompanied with a persuasive power1 though not like that found among those who profess the philosophy of ,plato1 or of any other merely human philosopher1 which possesses no other qualities than those of human nature4 ,but the demonstration which followed the words of the apostles of ,jesus was given from ,god1 and was accredited#dde by the ,spirit and by power4 ,and therefore their word ran swiftly and speedily1 or rather the word of ,god through their instrumentality1 transformed numbers of persons who had been sinners both by nature and habit1 whom no one could have reformed by punishment1 but who were changed by the word1 which moulded and transformed them according to its pleasure4 ,footnote #dda3 4 ,footnote #ddb3 ,the reading in the text is 1 for which has been conjectured by ,ruus and ,boherellus1 and which has been adopted in the translation4 ,footnote #ddc3 4 ,footnote #ddd3 4 ,footnote #dde3 4 ,chapter ,,lxix4 ,celsus continues in his usual manner1 asserting that 8to change a nature entirely is exceedingly difficult40 ,we1 however1 who know of only one nature in every rational soul1 and who maintain that none has been created evil by the ,author of all things1 but that many have become wicked through education1 and perverse example1 and surrounding influences1#ddf so that wickedness has been naturalized#ddg in some individuals1 are persuaded that for the word of ,god to change a nature in which evil has been naturalized is not only not impossible1 but is even a work of no very great difficulty1 if a man only believe that he must entrust himself to the ,god of all things1 and do everything with a view to please ,him with whom 8,both good and bad are not in the same honour1 ,nor do the idle man and he who has laboured much ,perish alike40#ddh ,but even if it be exceedingly difficult to effect a change in some persons1 the cause must be held to lie in their own will1 which is reluctant to accept the belief that the ,god over all things is a just ,judge of all the deeds done during life4 ,for deliberate choice and practice#ddi avail much towards the accomplishment of things which appear to be very difficult1 and1 to speak hyperbolically1 almost impossible4 ,has the nature of man1 when desiring to walk along a rope extended in the air through the middle of the theatre1 and to carry at the same time numerous and heavy weights1 been able by practice and attention to accomplish such a feat2 but when desiring to live in conformity with the practice of virtue1 does it find it impossible to do so1 although formerly it may have been exceedingly wicked8 ,see whether he who holds such views does not bring a charge against the nature of the ,creator of the rational animal#dej rather than against the creature1 if ,he has formed the nature of man with powers for the attainment of things of such difficulty1 and of no utility whatever1 but has rendered it incapable of securing its own blessedness4 ,but these remarks may suffice as an answer to the assertion that 8entirely to change a nature is exceedingly difficult40 ,he alleges1 in the next place1 that 8they who are without sin are partakers of a better life20 not making it clear what he means by 8those who are without sin10 whether those who are so from the beginning of their lives1 or those who become so by a transformation4 ,of those who were so from the beginning of their lives1 there cannot possibly be any2 while those who are so after a transformation of heart are found to be few in number1 being those who have become so after giving in their allegiance to the saving word4 ,and they were not such when they gave in their allegiance4 ,for1 apart from the aid of the word1 and that too the word of perfection1 it is impossible for a man to become free from sin4 ,footnote #ddf3 1 1 4 ,footnote #ddg3 4 ,footnote #ddh3 ,cf4 ,iliad1 ix4 #cai1 #cbj4 ,footnote #ddi3 4 ,footnote #dej3 4 ,chapter ,,lxx4 ,in the next place1 he objects to the statement1 as if it were maintained by us1 that 8,god will be able to do all things10 not seeing even here how these words are meant1 and what the 8all things0 are which are included in it1 and how it is said that ,god 8will be able40 ,but on these matters it is not necessary now to speak2 for although he might with a show of reason have opposed this proposition1 he has not done so4 ,perhaps he did not understand the arguments which might be plausibly used against it1 or if he did1 he saw the answers that might be returned4 ,now in our judgment ,god can do everything which it is possible for ,him to do without ceasing to be ,god1 and good1 and wise4 ,but ,celsus asserts--not comprehending the meaning of the expression 8,god can do all things0--8that ,he will not desire to do anything wicked10 admitting that ,he has the power1 but not the will1 to commit evil4 ,we1 on the contrary1 maintain that as that which by nature possesses the property of sweetening other things through its own inherent sweetness cannot produce bitterness contrary to its own peculiar nature1#dea nor that whose nature it is to produce light through its being light can cause darkness2 so neither is ,god able to commit wickedness1 for the power of doing evil is contrary to ,his deity and its omnipotence4 ,whereas if any one among existing things is able to commit wickedness from being inclined to wickedness by nature1 it does so from not having in its nature the ability not to do evil4 ,footnote #dea3 1 4 ,chapter ,,lxxi4 ,he next assumes what is not granted by the more rational class of believers1 but what perhaps is considered to be true by some who are devoid of intelligence1--viz4 that 8,god1 like those who are overcome with pity1 being ,himself overcome1 alleviates the sufferings of the wicked through pity for their wailings1 and casts off the good1 who do nothing of that kind1 which is the height of injustice40 ,now1 in our judgment1 ,god lightens the suffering of no wicked man who has not betaken himself to a virtuous life1 and casts off no one who is already good1 nor yet alleviates the suffering of any one who mourns1 simply because he utters lamentation1 or takes pity upon him1 to use the word pity in its more common acceptation4#deb ,but those who have passed severe condemnation upon themselves because of their sins1 and who1 as on that account1 lament and bewail themselves as lost1 so far as their previous conduct is concerned1 and who have manifested a satisfactory change1 are received by ,god on account of their repentance1 as those who have undergone a transformation from a life of great wickedness4 ,for virtue1 taking up her abode in the souls of these persons1 and expelling the wickedness which had previous possession of them1 produces an oblivion of the past4 ,and even although virtue do not effect an entrance1 yet if a considerable progress take place in the soul1 even that is sufficient1 in the proportion that it is progressive1 to drive out and destroy the flood of wickedness1 so that it almost ceases to remain in the soul4 ,footnote #deb3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxii4 ,in the next place1 speaking as in the person of a teacher of our doctrine1 he expresses himself as follows3 8,wise men reject what we say1 being led into error1 and ensnared by their wisdom40 ,in reply to which we say that1 since wisdom is the knowledge of divine and human things and of their causes1 or1 as it is defined by the word of ,god1 8the breath of the power of ,god1 and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the ,almighty1 and the brightness of the everlasting light1 and the unspotted mirror of the power of ,god1 and the image of ,his goodness10#dec no one who was really wise would reject what is said by a ,christian acquainted with the principles of ,christianity1 or would be led into error1 or ensnared by it4 ,for true wisdom does not mislead1 but ignorance does1 while of existing things knowledge alone is permanent1 and the truth which is derived from wisdom4 ,but if1 contrary to the definition of wisdom1 you call any one whatever who dogmatizes with sophistical opinions wise1 we answer that in conformity with what you call wisdom1 such an one rejects the words of ,god1 being misled and ensnared by plausible sophisms4 ,and since1 according to our doctrine1 wisdom is not the knowledge of evil1 but the knowledge of evil1 so to speak1 is in those who hold false opinions and who are deceived by them1 ,i would therefore in such persons term it ignorance rather than wisdom4 ,footnote #dec3 ,cf4 ,wisd4 of ,solom4 vii4 #be1 #bf4 ,chapter ,,lxxiii4 ,after this he again slanders the ambassador of ,christianity1 and gives out regarding him that he relates 8ridiculous things10 although he does not show or clearly point out what are the things which he calls 8ridiculous40 ,and in his slanders he says that 8no wise man believes the gospel1 being driven away by the multitudes who adhere to it40 ,and in this he acts like one who should say that owing to the multitude of those ignorant persons who are brought into subjection to the laws1 no wise man would yield obedience to ,solon1 for example1 or to ,lycurgus1 or ,zaleucus1 or any other legislator1 and especially if by wise man he means one who is wise by living in conformity with virtue4 ,for1 as with regard to these ignorant persons1 the legislators1 according to their ideas of utility1 caused them to be surrounded with appropriate guidance and laws1 so ,god1 legislating through ,jesus ,christ for men in all parts of the world1 brings to ,himself even those who are not wise in the way in which it is possible for such persons to be brought to a better life4 ,and ,god1 well knowing this1 as we have already shown in the preceding pages1 says in the books of ,moses3 8,they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not ,god2 they have provoked me to anger with their idols3 and ,i will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people2 ,i will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation40#ded ,and ,paul also1 knowing this1 said1 8,but ,god hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise10#dee calling1 in a general way1 wise all who appear to have made advances in knowledge1 but have fallen into an atheistic polytheism1 since 8professing themselves to be wise they became fools1 and changed the glory of the incorruptible ,god into an image made like to corruptible man1 and to birds1 and four-footed beasts1 and creeping things40#def ,footnote #ded3 ,cf4 ,deut4 xxxii4 #ba4 ,footnote #dee3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 i4 #bg4 ,footnote #def3 ,rom4 i4 #bb1 #bc4 ,chapter ,,lxxiv4 ,he accuses the ,christian teacher1 moreover1 of 8seeking after the unintelligent40 ,in answer1 we ask1 ,whom do you mean by the 8unintelligent80 ,for1 to speak accurately1 every wicked man is 8unintelligent40 ,if then by 8unintelligent0 you mean the wicked1 do you1 in drawing men to philosophy1 seek to gain the wicked or the virtuous8#deg ,but it is impossible to gain the virtuous1 because they have already given themselves to philosophy4 ,the wicked1 then1 you try to gain2 but if they are wicked1 are they 8unintelligent80 ,and many such you seek to win over to philosophy1 and you therefore seek the 8unintelligent40 ,but if ,i seek after those who are thus termed 8unintelligent10 ,i act like a benevolent physician1 who should seek after the sick in order to help and cure them4 ,if1 however1 by 8unintelligent0 you mean persons who are not clever1#deh but the inferior class of men intellectually1#dei ,i shall answer that ,i endeavour to improve such also to the best of my ability1 although ,i would not desire to build up the ,christian community out of such materials4 ,for ,i seek in preference those who are more clever and acute1 because they are able to comprehend the meaning of the hard sayings1 and of those passages in the law1 and prophecies1 and ,gospels1 which are expressed with obscurity1 and which you have despised as not containing anything worthy of notice1 because you have not ascertained the meaning which they contain1 nor tried to enter into the aim of the writers4 ,footnote #deg3 4 ,footnote #deh3 4 ,footnote #dei3 ,the reading in the text is 1 of which ,ruus remarks1 8,hic nullum habet locum40 has been conjectured instead1 and has been adopted in the translation4 ,chapter ,,lxxv4 ,but as he afterwards says that 8the teacher of ,christianity acts like a person who promises to restore patients to bodily health1 but who prevents them from consulting skilled physicians1 by whom his ignorance would be exposed10 we shall inquire in reply1 8,what are the physicians to whom you refer1 from whom we turn away ignorant individuals8 ,for you do not suppose that we exhort those to embrace the gospel who are devoted to philosophy1 so that you would regard the latter as the physicians from whom we keep away such as we invite to come to the word of ,god40 ,he indeed will make no answer1 because he cannot name the physicians2 or else he will be obliged to betake himself to those of them who are ignorant1 and who of their own accord servilely yield themselves to the worship of many gods1 and to whatever other opinions are entertained by ignorant individuals4 ,in either case1 then1 he will be shown to have employed to no purpose in his argument the illustration of 8one who keeps others away from skilled physicians40 ,but if1 in order to preserve from the philosophy of ,epicurus1 and from such as are considered physicians after his system1 those who are deceived by them1 why should we not be acting most reasonably in keeping such away from a dangerous disease caused by the physicians of ,celsus1--that1 viz41 which leads to the annihilation of providence1 and the introduction of pleasure as a good8 ,but let it be conceded that we do keep away those whom we encourage to become our disciples from other philosopher-physicians1--from the ,peripatetics1 for example1 who deny the existence of providence and the relation of ,deity to man1--why shall we not piously#dfj train and heal those who have been thus encouraged1 persuading them to devote themselves to the ,god of all things1 and free those who yield obedience to us from the great wounds inflicted by the words of such as are deemed to be philosophers8 ,nay1 let it also be admitted that we turn away from physicians of the sect of the ,stoics1 who introduce a corruptible god1 and assert that his essence consists of a body1 which is capable of being changed and altered in all its parts1#dfa and who also maintain that all things will one day perish1 and that ,god alone will be left2 why shall we not even thus emancipate our subjects from evils1 and bring them by pious arguments to devote themselves to the ,creator1 and to admire the ,father of the ,christian system1 who has so arranged that instruction of the most benevolent kind1 and fitted for the conversion of souls1#dfb should be distributed throughout the whole human race8 ,nay1 if we should cure those who have fallen into the folly of believing in the transmigration of souls through the teaching of physicians1 who will have it that the rational nature descends sometimes into all kinds of irrational animals1 and sometimes into that state of being which is incapable of using the imagination1#dfc why should we not improve the souls of our subjects by means of a doctrine which does not teach that a state of insensibility or irrationalism is produced in the wicked instead of punishment1 but which shows that the labours and chastisements inflicted upon the wicked by ,god are a kind of medicines leading to conversion8 ,for those who are intelligent ,christians1#dfd keeping this in view1 deal with the simple-minded1 as parents do with very young#dfe children4 ,we do not betake ourselves then to young persons and silly rustics1 saying to them1 8,flee from physicians40 ,nor do we say1 8,see that none of you lay hold of knowledge20 nor do we assert that 8knowledge is an evil20 nor are we mad enough to say that 8knowledge causes men to lose their soundness of mind40 ,we would not even say that any one ever perished through wisdom2 and although we give instruction1 we never say1 8,give heed to me10 but 8,give heed to the ,god of all things1 and to ,jesus1 the giver of instruction concerning ,him40 ,and none of us is so great a braggart#dff as to say what ,celsus put in the mouth of one of our teachers to his acquaintances1 8,i alone will save you40 ,observe here the lies which he utters against us6 ,moreover1 we do not assert that 8true physicians destroy those whom they promise to cure40 ,footnote #dfj3 ,for in the text1 ,boherellus conjectures 4 ,footnote #dfa3 1 1 4 ,footnote #dfb3 ,the words in the text are1 1 1 for which we have adopted in the translation the emendation of ,boherellus1 4 ,footnote #dfc3 1 1 4 ,footnote #dfd3 ,instead of 1 as in the text1 ,ruus and ,boherellus conjecture 1 etc4 ,footnote #dfe3 4 ,footnote #dff3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxvi4 ,and he produces a second illustration to our disadvantage1 saying that 8our teacher acts like a drunken man1 who1 entering a company of drunkards1 should accuse those who are sober of being drunk40 ,but let him show1 say from the writings of ,paul1 that the apostle of ,jesus gave way to drunkenness1 and that his words were not those of soberness2 or from the writings of ,john1 that his thoughts do not breathe a spirit of temperance and of freedom from the intoxication of evil4 ,no one1 then1 who is of sound mind1 and teaches the doctrines of ,christianity1 gets drunk with wine2 but ,celsus utters these calumnies against us in a spirit very unlike that of a philosopher4 ,moreover1 let ,celsus say who those 8sober0 persons are whom the ambassadors of ,christianity accuse4 ,for in our judgment all are intoxicated who address themselves to inanimate objects as to ,god4 ,and why do ,i say 8intoxicated80 8,insane0 would be the more appropriate word for those who hasten to temples and worship images or animals as divinities4 ,and they too are not less insane who think that images1 fashioned by men of worthless and sometimes most wicked character1 confer any honour upon genuine divinities4 ,chapter ,,lxxvii4 ,he next likens our teacher to one suffering from ophthalmia1 and his disciples to those suffering from the same disease1 and says that 8such an one amongst a company of those who are afflicted with ophthalmia1 accuses those who are sharp-sighted of being blind40 ,who1 then1 would we ask1 ,o ,greeks1 are they who in our judgment do not see1 save those who are unable to look up from the exceeding greatness of the world and its contents1 and from the beauty of created things1 and to see that they ought to worship1 and admire1 and reverence ,him alone who made these things1 and that it is not befitting to treat with reverence anything contrived by man1 and applied to the honour of ,god1 whether it be without a reference to the ,creator1 or with one8#dfg ,for1 to compare with that illimitable excellence1 which surpasses all created being1 things which ought not to be brought into comparison with it1 is the act of those whose understanding is darkened4 ,we do not then say that those who are sharp-sighted are suffering from ophthalmia or blindness2 but we assert that those who1 in ignorance of ,god1 give themselves to temples and images1 and so-called sacred seasons1#dfh are blinded in their minds1 and especially when1 in addition to their impiety1 they live also in licentiousness1 not even inquiring after any honourable work whatever1 but doing everything that is of a disgraceful character4 ,footnote #dfg3 ' 4 ,footnote #dfh3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxviii4 ,after having brought against us charges of so serious a kind1 he wishes to make it appear that1 although he has others to adduce1 he passes them by in silence4 ,his words are as follow3 8,these charges ,i have to bring against them1 and others of a similar nature1 not to enumerate them one by one1 and ,i affirm that they are in error1 and that they act insolently towards ,god1 in order to lead on wicked men by empty hopes1 and to persuade them to despise better things1 saying that if they refrain from them it will be better for them40 ,in answer to which1 it might be said that from the power which shows itself in those who are converted to ,christianity1 it is not at all the 8wicked0 who are won over to the gospel1 as the more simple class of persons1 and1 as many would term them1 the 8unpolished40#dfi ,for such individuals1 through fear of the punishments that are threatened1 which arouses and exhorts them to refrain from those actions which are followed by punishments1 strive to yield themselves up to the ,christian religion1 being influenced by the power of the word to such a degree1 that through fear of what are called in the word 8everlasting punishments10 they despise all the tortures which are devised against them among men1--even death itself1 with countless other evils1--which no wise man would say is the act of persons of wicked mind4 ,how can temperance and sober-mindedness1 or benevolence and liberality1 be practised by a man of wicked mind8 ,nay1 even the fear of ,god cannot be felt by such an one1 with respect to which1 because it is useful to the many1 the gospel encourages those who are not yet able to choose that which ought to be chosen for its own sake1 to select it as the greatest blessing1 and one above all promise2 for this principle cannot be implanted in him who prefers to live in wickedness4 ,footnote #dfi3 ,the reading in the text is 1 which is so opposed to the sense of the passage1 that the conjecture of ,guietus1 1 has been adopted in the translation4 ,chapter ,,lxxix4 ,but if in these matters any one were to imagine that it is superstition rather than wickedness which appears in the multitude of those who believe the word1 and should charge our doctrine with making men superstitious1 we shall answer him by saying that1 as a certain legislator replied to the question of one who asked him whether he had enacted for his citizens the best laws1 that he had not given them absolutely the best1 but the best which they were capable of receiving2 so it might be said by the ,father of the ,christian doctrine1 ,i have given the best laws and instruction for the improvement of morals of which the many were capable1 not threatening sinners with imaginary labours and chastisements1 but with such as are real1 and necessary to be applied for the correction of those who offer resistance1 although they do not at all understand the object of him who inflicts the punishment1 nor the effect of the labours4 ,for the doctrine of punishment is both attended with utility1 and is agreeable to truth1 and is stated in obscure terms with advantage4 ,moreover1 as for the most part it is not the wicked whom the ambassadors of ,christianity gain over1 neither do we insult ,god4 ,for we speak regarding ,him both what is true1 and what appears to be clear to the multitude1 but not so clear to them as it is to those few who investigate the truths of the gospel in a philosophical manner4 ,chapter ,,lxxx4 ,seeing1 however1 that ,celsus alleges that 8,christians are won over by us through vain hopes10 we thus reply to him when he finds fault with our doctrine of the blessed life1 and of communion with ,god3 8,as for you1 good sir1 they also are won over by vain hopes who have accepted the doctrine of ,pythagoras and ,plato regarding the soul1 that it is its nature to ascend to the vault#dgj of heaven1 and in the super-celestial space to behold the sights which are seen by the blessed spectators above40 ,according to you1 ,o ,celsus1 they also who have accepted the doctrine of the duration of the soul after death1 and who lead a life through which they become heroes1 and make their abodes with the gods1 are won over by vain hopes4 ,probably also they who are persuaded that the soul comes into the body from without1 and that it will be withdrawn from the power of death1#dga would be said by ,celsus to be won over by empty hopes4 ,let him then come forth to the contest1 no longer concealing the sect to which he belongs1 but confessing himself to be an ,epicurean1 and let him meet the arguments1 which are not lightly advanced among ,greeks and barbarians1 regarding the immortality of the soul1 or its duration after death1 or the immortality of the thinking principle2#dgb and let him prove that these are words which deceive with empty hopes those who give their assent to them2 but that the adherents of his philosophical system are pure from empty hopes1 and that they indeed lead to hopes of good1 or--what is more in keeping with his opinions--give birth to no hope at all1 on account of the immediate and complete destruction of the soul after death4 ,unless1 perhaps1 ,celsus and the ,epicureans will deny that it is a vain hope which they entertain regarding their end1--pleasure1--which1 according to them1 is the supreme good1 and which consists in the permanent health of the body1 and the hope regarding it which is entertained by ,epicurus4#dgc ,footnote #dgj3 4 ,footnote #dga3 1 1 etc4 ,locus certe obscurus1 cui lucem afferre conatur ,boherellus1 legendo divisim 1 ut sensus sit 8morti etiam mentem subductum iri40 ,nam si 1 consequens est ut 4 ,cf4 ,aristot4 lib4 ii4 c4 #c1 de generatione animalium4--,,spencer4 ,footnote #dgb3 4 ,footnote #dgc3 1 ' 1 1 4 ,chapter ,,lxxxi4 ,and do not suppose that it is not in keeping with the ,christian religion for me to have accepted1 against ,celsus1 the opinions of those philosophers who have treated of the immortality or after-duration of the soul2 for1 holding certain views in common with them1 we shall more conveniently establish our position1 that the future life of blessedness shall be for those only who have accepted the religion which is according to ,jesus1 and that devotion towards the ,creator of all things which is pure and sincere1 and unmingled with any created thing whatever4 ,and let him who likes show what 8better things0 we persuade men to despise1 and let him compare the blessed end with ,god in ,christ1--that is1 the word1 and the wisdom1 and all virtue1--which1 according to our view1 shall be bestowed1 by the gift of ,god1 on those who have lived a pure and blameless life1 and who have felt a single and undivided love for the ,god of all things1 with that end which is to follow according to the teaching of each philosophic sect1 whether it be ,greek or barbarian1 or according to the professions of religious mysteries2#dgd and let him prove that the end which is predicted by any of the others is superior to that which we promise1 and consequently that that is true1 and ours not befitting the gift of ,god1 nor those who have lived a good life2 or let him prove that these words were not spoken by the divine ,spirit1 who filled the souls of the holy prophets4 ,and let him who likes show that those words which are acknowledged among all men to be human1 are superior to those which are proved to be divine1 and uttered by inspiration4 ,and what are the 8better0 things from which we teach those who receive them that it would be better to abstain8 ,for if it be not arrogant so to speak1 it is self-evident that nothing can be denied which is better than to entrust oneself to the ,god of all1 and yield oneself up to the doctrine which raises us above all created things1 and brings us1 through the animate and living word--which is also living wisdom and the ,son of ,god--to ,god who is over all4 ,however1 as the third book of our answers to the treatise of ,celsus has extended to a sufficient length1 we shall here bring our present remarks to a close1 and in what is to follow shall meet what ,celsus has subsequently written4 ,footnote #dgd3 ' 1 1 4 ,,book ,,iv4 ,chapter ,i4 ,having1 in the three preceding books1 fully stated what occurred to us by way of answer to the treatise of ,celsus1 we now1 reverend ,ambrosius1 with prayer to ,god through ,christ1 offer this fourth book as a reply to what follows4 ,and we pray that words may be given us1 as it is written in the book of ,jeremiah that the ,lord said to the prophet3 8,behold1 ,i have put my words in thy mouth as fire4 ,see1 ,i have set thee this day over the nations1 and over the kingdoms1 to root out and to pull down1 and to destroy1 and to throw down1 and to build and to plant40#dge ,for we need words now which will root out of every wounded soul the reproaches uttered against the truth by this treatise of ,celsus1 or which proceed from opinions like his4 ,and we need also thoughts which will pull down all edifices based on false opinions1 and especially the edifice raised by ,celsus in his work1 which resembles the building of those who said1 8,come1 let us build us a city1 and a tower whose top shall reach to heaven40#dgf ,yea1 we even require a wisdom which will throw down all high things that rise against the knowledge of ,god1#dgg and especially that height of arrogance which ,celsus displays against us4 ,and in the next place1 as we must not stop with rooting out and pulling down the hindrances which have just been mentioned1 but must1 in room of what has been rooted out1 plant the plants of 8,god's husbandry20#dgh and in place of what has been pulled down1 rear up the building of ,god1 and the temple of ,his glory1--we must for that reason pray also to the ,lord1 who bestowed the gifts named in the book of ,jeremiah1 that ,he may grant even to us words adapted both for building up the temple of ,christ1 and for planting the spiritual law1 and the prophetic words referring to the same4#dgi ,and above all is it necessary to show1 as against the assertions of ,celsus which follow those he has already made1 that the prophecies regarding ,christ are true predictions4 ,for1 arraying himself at the same time against both parties--against the ,jews on the one hand1 who deny that the advent of ,christ has taken place1 but who expect it as future1 and against ,christians on the other1 who acknowledge that ,jesus is the ,christ spoken of in prophecy--he makes the following statement3-- ,footnote #dge3 ,cf4 ,jer4 i4 #i1 #aj4 ,footnote #dgf3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xi4 #d4 ,footnote #dgg3 ,cf4 #b ,cor4 x4 #e4 ,footnote #dgh3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 iii4 #i4 ,footnote #dgi3 4 ,chapter ,,ii4 8,but that certain ,christians and all ,jews should maintain1 the former that there has already descended1 the latter that there will descend1 upon the earth a certain ,god1 or ,son of a ,god1 who will make the inhabitants of the earth righteous1#dhj is a most shameless assertion1 and one the refutation of which does not need many words40 ,now here he appears to pronounce correctly regarding not 8certain0 of the ,jews1 but all of them1 that they imagine that there is a certain ,god who will descend upon the earth2 and with regard to ,christians1 that certain of them say that he has already come down4 ,for he means those who prove from the ,jewish ,scriptures that the advent of ,christ has already taken place1 and he seems to know that there are certain heretical sects which deny that ,christ ,jesus was predicted by the prophets4 ,in the preceding pages1 however1 we have already discussed1 to the best of our ability1 the question of ,christ having been the subject of prophecy1 and therefore1 to avoid tautology1 we do not repeat much that might be advanced upon this head4 ,observe1 now1 that if he had wished with a kind of apparent force#dha to subvert faith in the prophetic writings1 either with regard to the future or past advent of ,christ1 he ought to have set forth the prophecies themselves which we ,christians and ,jews quote in our discussions with each other4 ,for in this way he would have appeared to turn aside those who are carried away by the plausible character#dhb of the prophetic statements1 as he regards it1 from assenting to their truth1 and from believing1 on account of these prophecies1 that ,jesus is the ,christ2 whereas now1 being unable to answer the prophecies relating to ,christ1 or else not knowing at all what are the prophecies relating to ,him1 he brings forward no prophetic declaration1 although there are countless numbers which refer to ,christ2 but he thinks that he prefers an accusation against the prophetic ,scriptures1 while he does not even state what he himself would call their 8plausible character60 ,he is not1 however1 aware that it is not at all the ,jews who say that ,christ will descend as a ,god1 or the ,son of a ,god1 as we have shown in the foregoing pages4 ,and when he asserts that 8he is said by us to have already come1 but by the ,jews that his advent as ,messiah#dhc is still future10 he appears by the very charge to censure our statement as one that is most shameless1 and which needs no lengthened refutation4 ,footnote #dhj3 4 ,footnote #dha3 4 ,footnote #dhb3 4 ,footnote #dhc3 1 not 4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,and he continues3 8,what is the meaning of such a descent upon the part of ,god80 not observing that1 according to our teaching1 the meaning of the descent is pre-eminently to convert what are called in the ,gospel the lost 8sheep of the house of ,israel20 and secondly1 to take away from them1 on account of their disobedience1 what is called the 8kingdom of ,god10 and to give to other husbandmen than the ancient ,jews1 viz4 to the ,christians1 who will render to ,god the fruits of ,his kingdom in due season 7each action being a 8fruit of the kingdom074#dhd ,we shall therefore1 out of a greater number1 select a few remarks by way of answer to the question of ,celsus1 when he says1 8,what is the meaning of such a descent upon the part of ,god80 ,and ,celsus here returns to himself an answer which would have been given neither by ,jews nor by us1 when he asks1 8,was it in order to learn what goes on amongst men80 ,for not one of us asserts that it was in order to learn what goes on amongst men that ,christ entered into this life4 ,immediately after1 however1 as if some would reply that it was 8in order to learn what goes on among men10 he makes this objection to his own statement3 8,does he not know all things80 ,then1 as if we were to answer that ,he does know all things1 he raises a new question1 saying1 8,then he does know1 but does not make men better1 nor is it possible for him by means of his divine power to make men better40 ,now all this on his part is silly talk2#dhe for ,god1 by means of ,his word1 which is continually passing from generation to generation into holy souls1 and constituting them friends of ,god and prophets1 does improve those who listen to ,his words2 and by the coming of ,christ ,he improves1 through the doctrine of ,christianity1 not those who are unwilling1 but those who have chosen the better life1 and that which is pleasing to ,god4 ,i do not know1 moreover1 what kind of improvement ,celsus wished to take place when he raised the objection1 asking1 8,is it then not possible for him1 by means of his divine power1 to make men better1 unless he send some one for that special purpose80#dhf ,would he then have the improvement to take place by ,god's filling the minds of men with new ideas1 removing at once the inherent wickedness1 and implanting virtue in its stead8#dhg ,another person now would inquire whether this was not inconsistent or impossible in the very nature of things2 we1 however1 would say1 8,grant it to be so1 and let it be possible40 ,where1 then1 is our free will8#dhh and what credit is there in assenting to the truth8 or how is the rejection of what is false praiseworthy8 ,but even if it were once granted that such a course was not only possible1 but could be accomplished with propriety by ,god1 why would not one rather inquire 7asking a question like that of ,celsus7 why it was not possible for ,god1 by means of ,his divine power1 to create men who needed no improvement1 but who were of themselves virtuous and perfect1 evil being altogether non-existent8 ,these questions may perplex ignorant and foolish individuals1 but not him who sees into the nature of things2 for if you take away the spontaneity of virtue1 you destroy its essence4 ,but it would need an entire treatise to discuss these matters2 and on this subject the ,greeks have expressed themselves at great length in their works on providence4 ,they truly would not say what ,celsus has expressed in words1 that 8,god knows all things indeed1 but does not make men better1 nor is able to do so by ,his divine power40 ,we ourselves have spoken in many parts of our writings on these points to the best of our ability1 and the ,holy ,scriptures have established the same to those who are able to understand them4 ,footnote #dhd3 1 4 ,footnote #dhe3 4 ,footnote #dhf3 ,the word which is found in the text seems out of place1 and has been omitted in the translation1 agreeably to the emendation of ,boherellus4 ,footnote #dhg3 1 1 1 2 ,footnote #dhh3 ' 2 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,the argument which ,celsus employs against us and the ,jews will be turned against himself thus3 ,my good sir1 does the ,god who is over all things know what takes place among men1 or does ,he not know8 ,now if you admit the existence of a ,god and of providence1 as your treatise indicates1 ,he must of necessity know4 ,and if ,he does know1 why does ,he not make men better8 ,is it obligatory1 then1 on us to defend ,god's procedure in not making men better1 although ,he knows their state1 but not equally binding on you1 who do not distinctly show by your treatise that you are an ,epicurean1 but pretend to recognise a providence1 to explain why ,god1 although knowing all that takes place among men1 does not make them better1 nor by divine power liberate all men from evil8 ,we are not ashamed1 however1 to say that ,god is constantly sending instructors in order to make men better2 for there are to be found amongst men reasons#dhi given by ,god which exhort them to enter on a better life4 ,but there are many diversities amongst those who serve ,god1 and they are few in number who are perfect and pure ambassadors of the truth1 and who produce a complete reformation1 as did ,moses and the prophets4 ,but above all these1 great was the reformation effected by ,jesus1 who desired to heal not only those who lived in one corner of the world1 but as far as in ,him lay1 men in every country1 for ,he came as the ,saviour of all men4 ,footnote #dhi3 1 1 4 ,chapter ,v4 ,the illustrious#dij ,celsus1 taking occasion ,i know not from what1 next raises an additional objection against us1 as if we asserted that 8,god ,himself will come down to men40 ,he imagines also that it follows from this1 that 8,he has left ,his own abode20 for he does not know the power of ,god1 and that 8the ,spirit of the ,lord filleth the world1 and that which upholdeth all things hath knowledge of the voice40#dia ,nor is he able to understand the words1 8,do ,i not fill heaven and earth8 saith the ,lord40#dib ,nor does he see that1 according to the doctrine of ,christianity1 we all 8in ,him live1 and move1 and have our being10#dic as ,paul also taught in his address to the ,athenians2 and therefore1 although the ,god of the universe should through ,his own power descend with ,jesus into the life of men1 and although the ,word which was in the beginning with ,god1 which is also ,god ,himself1 should come to us1 ,he does not give ,his place or vacate ,his own seat1 so that one place should be empty of ,him1 and another which did not formerly contain ,him be filled4 ,but the power and divinity of ,god comes through him whom ,god chooses1 and resides in him in whom it finds a place1 not changing its situation1 nor leaving its own place empty and filling another3 for1 in speaking of ,his quitting one place and occupying another1 we do not mean such expressions to be taken topically2 but we say that the soul of the bad man1 and of him who is overwhelmed in wickedness1 is abandoned by ,god1 while we mean that the soul of him who wishes to live virtuously1 or of him who is making progress in a virtuous life1 or who is already living conformably thereto1 is filled with or becomes a partaker of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,it is not necessary1 then1 for the descent of ,christ1 or for the coming of ,god to men1 that ,he should abandon a greater seat1 and that things on earth should be changed1 as ,celsus imagines when he says1 8,if you were to change a single one1 even the least1 of things on earth1 all things would be overturned and disappear40 ,and if we must speak of a change in any one by the appearing of the power of ,god1 and by the entrance of the word among men1 we shall not be reluctant to speak of changing from a wicked to a virtuous1 from a dissolute to a temperate1 and from a superstitious to a religious life1 the person who has allowed the word of ,god to find entrance into his soul4 ,footnote #dij3 4 ,footnote #dia3 ,wisd4 ,solom4 i4 #g1 4 ,footnote #dib3 ,cf4 ,jer4 xxiii4 #bd4 ,footnote #dic3 ,cf4 ,acts xvii4 #bh4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,but if you will have us to meet the most ridiculous among the charges of ,celsus1 listen to him when he says3 8,now ,god1 being unknown amongst men1 and deeming himself on that account to have less than his due1#did would desire to make himself known1 and to make trial both of those who believe upon him and of those who do not1 like those of mankind who have recently come into the possession of riches1 and who make a display of their wealth2 and thus they testify to an excessive but very mortal ambition on the part of ,god40#die ,we answer1 then1 that ,god1 not being known by wicked men1 would desire to make ,himself known1 not because ,he thinks that ,he meets with less than ,his due1 but because the knowledge of ,him will free the possessor from unhappiness4 ,nay1 not even with the desire to try those who do or who do not believe upon ,him1 does ,he1 by ,his unspeakable and divine power1 ,himself take up ,his abode in certain individuals1 or send ,his ,christ2 but ,he does this in order to liberate from all their wretchedness those who do believe upon ,him1 and who accept ,his divinity1 and that those who do not believe may no longer have this as a ground of excuse1 viz4 that their unbelief is the consequence of their not having heard the word of instruction4 ,what argument1 then1 proves that it follows from our views that ,god1 according to our representations1 is 8like those of mankind who have recently come into the possession of riches1 and who make a display of their wealth80 ,for ,god makes no display towards us1 from a desire that we should understand and consider ,his pre-eminence2 but desiring that the blessedness which results from ,his being known by us should be implanted in our souls1 ,he brings it to pass through ,christ1 and ,his ever-indwelling word1 that we come to an intimate fellowship#dif with ,him4 ,no mortal ambition1 then1 does the ,christian doctrine testify as existing on the part of ,god4 ,footnote #did3 ' 4 ,footnote #die3 1 4 ,footnote #dif3 4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,i do not know how it is1 that after the foolish remarks which he has made upon the subject which we have just been discussing1 he should add the following1 that 8,god does not desire to make himself known for his own sake1 but because he wishes to bestow upon us the knowledge of himself for the sake of our salvation1 in order that those who accept it may become virtuous and be saved1 while those who do not accept may be shown to be wicked and be punished40 ,and yet1 after making such a statement1 he raises a new objection1 saying3 8,after so long a period of time1#dig then1 did ,god now bethink himself of making men live righteous lives1#dih but neglect to do so before80 ,to which we answer1 that there never was a time when ,god did not wish to make men live righteous lives2 but ,he continually evinced ,his care for the improvement of the rational animal1#dii by affording him occasions for the exercise of virtue4 ,for in every generation the wisdom of ,god1 passing into those souls which it ascertains to be holy1 converts them into friends and prophets of ,god4 ,and there may be found in the sacred books the names of those who in each generation were holy1 and were recipients of the ,divine ,spirit1 and who strove to convert their contemporaries so far as in their power4 ,footnote #dig3 4 ,footnote #dih3 4 ,footnote #dii3 4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,and it is not matter of surprise that in certain generations there have existed prophets who1 in the reception of divine influence1#ejj surpassed1 by means of their stronger and more powerful religious life1 other prophets who were their contemporaries1 and others also who lived before and after them4 ,and so it is not at all wonderful that there should also have been a time when something of surpassing excellence#eja took up its abode among the human race1 and which was distinguished above all that preceded or even that followed it4 ,but there is an element of profound mystery in the account of these things1 and one which is incapable of being received by the popular understanding4 ,and in order that these difficulties should be made to disappear1 and that the objections raised against the advent of ,christ should be answered--viz4 that1 8after so long a period of time1 then1 did ,god now bethink himself of making men live righteous lives1 but neglect to do so before80--it is necessary to touch upon the narrative of the divisions of the nations1 and to make it evident why it was1 that 8when the ,most ,high divided the nations1 when ,he separated the sons of ,adam1 ,he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of ,god1 and the portion of the ,lord was ,his people ,jacob1 ,israel the cord of ,his inheritance20#ejb and it will be necessary to state the reason why the birth of each man took place within each particular boundary1 under him who obtained the boundary by lot1 and how it rightly happened that 8the portion of the ,lord was ,his people ,jacob1 and ,israel the cord of ,his inheritance10 and why formerly the portion of the ,lord was ,his people ,jacob1 and ,israel the cord of ,his inheritance4 ,but with respect to those who come after1 it is said to the ,saviour by the ,father1 8,ask of me1 and ,i will give ,thee the heathen for ,thine inheritance1 and the uttermost parts of the earth for ,thy possession40#ejc ,for there are certain connected and related reasons1 bearing upon the different treatment of human souls1 which are difficult to state and to investigate4#ejd ,footnote #ejj3 4 ,footnote #eja3 4 ,footnote #ejb3 ,deut4 xxxii4 #h1 #i 7according to the ,,lxx474 ,footnote #ejc3 ,cf4 ,ps4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #ejd3 4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,there came1 then1 although ,celsus may not wish to admit it1 after the numerous prophets who were the reformers of that well-known ,israel1 the ,christ1 the ,reformer of the whole world1 who did not need to employ against men whips1 and chains1 and tortures1 as was the case under the former economy4 ,for when the sower went forth to sow1 the doctrine sufficed to sow the word everywhere4 ,but if there is a time coming which will necessarily circumscribe the duration of the world1 by reason of its having had a beginning1 and if there is to be an end to the world1 and after the end a just judgment of all things1 it will be incumbent on him who treats the declarations of the ,gospels philosophically1 to establish these doctrines by arguments of all kinds1 not only derived directly from the sacred ,scriptures1 but also by inferences deducible from them2 while the more numerous and simpler class of believers1 and those who are unable to comprehend the many varied aspects of the divine wisdom1 must entrust themselves to ,god1 and to the ,saviour of our race1 and be contented with ,his 8ipse dixit10#eje instead of this or any other demonstration whatever4 ,footnote #eje3 4 ,chapter ,x4 ,in the next place1 ,celsus1 as is his custom1 having neither proved nor established anything1 proceeds to say1 as if we talked of ,god in a manner that was neither holy nor pious1 that 8it is perfectly manifest that they babble about ,god in a way that is neither holy nor reverential20 and he imagines that we do these things to excite the astonishment of the ignorant1 and that we do not speak the truth regarding the necessity of punishments for those who have sinned4 ,and accordingly he likens us to those who 8in the ,bacchic mysteries introduce phantoms and objects of terror40 ,with respect to the mysteries of ,bacchus1 whether there is any reliable account of them1 or none that is such1 let the ,greeks tell1 and let ,celsus and his boon-companions#ejf listen4 ,but we defend our own procedure1 when we say that our object is to reform the human race1 either by the threats of punishments which we are persuaded are necessary for the whole world1#ejg and which perhaps are not without use#ejh to those who are to endure them2 or by the promises made to those who have lived virtuous lives1 and in which are contained the statements regarding the blessed termination which is to be found in the kingdom of ,god1 reserved for those who are worthy of becoming ,his subjects4 ,footnote #ejf3 4 ,footnote #ejg3 4 ,footnote #ejh3 4 ,on ,origen's views respecting rewards and punishments1 cf4 ,huet's ,origeniana1 ,book ii4 question xi4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,after this1 being desirous to show that it is nothing either wonderful or new which we state regarding floods or conflagrations1 but that1 from misunderstanding the accounts of these things which are current among ,greeks or barbarous nations1 we have accorded our belief to our own ,scriptures when treating of them1 he writes as follows3 8,the belief has spread among them1 from a misunderstanding of the accounts of these occurrences1 that after lengthened cycles of time1 and the returns and conjunctions of planets1 conflagrations and floods are wont to happen1 and because after the last flood1 which took place in the time of ,deucalion1 the lapse of time1 agreeably to the vicissitude of all things1 requires a conflagration2 and this made them give utterance to the erroneous opinion that ,god will descend1 bringing fire like a torturer40 ,now in answer to this we say1 that ,i do not understand how ,celsus1 who has read a great deal1 and who shows that he has perused many histories1 had not his attention arrested#eji by the antiquity of ,moses1 who is related by certain ,greek historians to have lived about the time of ,inachus the son of ,phoroneus1 and is acknowledged by the ,egyptians to be a man of great antiquity1 as well as by those who have studied the history of the ,phnicians4 ,and any one who likes may peruse the two books of ,flavius ,josephus on the antiquities of the ,jews1 in order that he may see in what way ,moses was more ancient than those who asserted that floods and conflagrations take place in the world after long intervals of time2 which statement ,celsus alleges the ,jews and ,christians to have misunderstood1 and1 not comprehending what was said about a conflagration1 to have declared that 8,god will descend1 bringing fire like a torturer40#eaj ,footnote #eji3 4 ,footnote #eaj3 4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,whether1 then1 there are cycles of time1 and floods1 or conflagrations which occur periodically or not1 and whether the ,scripture is aware of this1 not only in many passages1 but especially where ,solomon says1 8,what is the thing which hath been8 ,even that which shall be4 ,and what is the thing which hath been done8 ,even that which shall be done10#eaa etc4 etc41 belongs not to the present occasion to discuss4 ,for it is sufficient only to observe1 that ,moses and certain of the prophets1 being men of very great antiquity1 did not receive from others the statements relating to the future conflagration of the world2 but1 on the contrary 7if we must attend to the matter of time#eab71 others rather misunderstanding them1 and not inquiring accurately into their statements1 invented the fiction of the same events recurring at certain intervals1 and differing neither in their essential nor accidental qualities4#eac ,but we do not refer either the deluge or the conflagration to cycles and planetary periods2 but the cause of them we declare to be the extensive prevalence of wickedness1#ead and its consequent removal by a deluge or a conflagration4 ,and if the voices of the prophets say that ,god 8comes down10 who has said1 8,do ,i not fill heaven and earth8 saith the ,lord10#eae the term is used in a figurative sense4 ,for ,god 8comes down0 from ,his own height and greatness when ,he arranges the affairs of men1 and especially those of the wicked4 ,and as custom leads men to say that teachers 8condescend0#eaf to children1 and wise men to those youths who have just betaken themselves to philosophy1 not by 8descending0 in a bodily manner2 so1 if ,god is said anywhere in the ,holy ,scriptures to 8come down10 it is understood as spoken in conformity with the usage which so employs the word1 and in like manner also with the expression 8go up40 ,footnote #eaa3 ,cf4 ,eccles4 i4 #i4 ,footnote #eab3 4 ,footnote #eac3 1 4 ,footnote #ead3 4 ,footnote #eae3 ,cf4 ,jer4 xiii4 #bd4 ,footnote #eaf3 4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,but as it is in mockery that ,celsus says we speak of 8,god coming down like a torturer bearing fire10 and thus compels us unseasonably to investigate words of deeper meaning1 we shall make a few remarks1 sufficient to enable our hearers to form an idea#eag of the defence which disposes of the ridicule of ,celsus against us1 and then we shall turn to what follows4 ,the divine word says that our ,god is 8a consuming fire10#eah and that 8,he draws rivers of fire before ,him20#eai nay1 that ,he even entereth in as 8a refiner's fire1 and as a fuller's herb10#ebj to purify ,his own people4 ,but when ,he is said to be a 8consuming fire10 we inquire what are the things which are appropriate to be consumed by ,god4 ,and we assert that they are wickedness1 and the works which result from it1 and which1 being figuratively called 8wood1 hay1 stubble10#eba ,god consumes as a fire4 ,the wicked man1 accordingly1 is said to build up on the previously-laid foundation of reason1 8wood1 and hay1 and stubble40 ,if1 then1 any one can show that these words were differently understood by the writer1 and can prove that the wicked man literally#ebb builds up 8wood1 or hay1 or stubble10 it is evident that the fire must be understood to be material1 and an object of sense4 ,but if1 on the contrary1 the works of the wicked man are spoken of figuratively under the names of 8wood1 or hay1 or stubble10 why does it not at once occur to inquire in what sense the word 8fire0 is to be taken1 so that 8wood0 of such a kind should be consumed8 for the ,scripture says3 8,the fire will try each man's work of what sort it is4 ,if any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon1 he shall receive a reward4 ,if any man's work be burned1 he shall suffer loss40#ebc ,but what work can be spoken of in these words as being 8burned10 save all that results from wickedness8 ,therefore our ,god is a 8consuming fire0 in the sense in which we have taken the word2 and thus ,he enters in as a 8refiner's fire10 to refine the rational nature1 which has been filled with the lead of wickedness1 and to free it from the other impure materials1 which adulterate the natural gold or silver1 so to speak1 of the soul4#ebd ,and1 in like manner1 8rivers of fire0 are said to be before ,god1 who will thoroughly cleanse away the evil which is intermingled throughout the whole soul4 ,but these remarks are sufficient in answer to the assertion1 8that thus they were made to give expression to the erroneous opinion that ,god will come down bearing fire like a torturer40 ,footnote #eag3 4 ,footnote #eah3 ,cf4 ,deut4 iv4 #bd1 ix4 #c4 ,footnote #eai3 ,cf4 ,dan4 vii4 #aj4 ,footnote #ebj3 ,cf4 ,mal4 iii4 #b4 ,footnote #eba3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 iii4 #ab4 ,footnote #ebb3 4 ,footnote #ebc3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 iii4 #ac-ae4 ,footnote #ebd3 7' 71 1 1 4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,but let us look at what ,celsus next with great ostentation announces in the following fashion3 8,and again10 he says1 8let us resume the subject from the beginning1 with a larger array of proofs4 ,and ,i make no new statement1 but say what has been long settled4 ,god is good1 and beautiful1 and blessed1 and that in the best and most beautiful degree4#ebe ,but if he come down among men1 he must undergo a change1 and a change from good to evil1 from virtue to vice1 from happiness to misery1 and from best to worst4 ,who1 then1 would make choice of such a change8 ,it is the nature of a mortal1 indeed1 to undergo change and remoulding1 but of an immortal to remain the same and unaltered4 ,god1 then1 could not admit of such a change40 ,now it appears to me that the fitting answer has been returned to these objections1 when ,i have related what is called in ,scripture the 8condescension0#ebf of ,god to human affairs2 for which purpose ,he did not need to undergo a transformation1 as ,celsus thinks we assert1 nor a change from good to evil1 nor from virtue to vice1 nor from happiness to misery1 nor from best to worst4 ,for1 continuing unchangeable in ,his essence1 ,he condescends to human affairs by the economy of ,his providence4#ebg ,we show1 accordingly1 that the ,holy ,scriptures represent ,god as unchangeable1 both by such words as 8,thou art the same10#ebh and 8,i change not20#ebi whereas the gods of ,epicurus1 being composed of atoms1 and1 so far as their structure is concerned1 capable of dissolution1 endeavour to throw off the atoms which contain the elements of destruction4 ,nay1 even the god of the ,stoics1 as being corporeal1 at one time has his whole essence composed of the guiding principle#ecj when the conflagration of the world takes place2 and at another1 when a rearrangement of things occurs1 he again becomes partly material4#eca ,for even the ,stoics were unable distinctly to comprehend the natural idea of ,god1 as of a being altogether incorruptible and simple1 and uncompounded and indivisible4 ,footnote #ebe3 1 1 1 4 ,footnote #ebf3 4 ,footnote #ebg3 4 ,footnote #ebh3 ,ps4 cii4 #bg4 ,footnote #ebi3 ,mal4 iii4 #f4 ,footnote #ecj3 4 ,footnote #eca3 ,the reading in the text is1 1 which is thus corrected by ,guietus3 4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,and with respect to ,his having descended among men1 ,he was 8previously in the form of ,god20#ecb and through benevolence1 divested ,himself of ,his glory1 that ,he might be capable of being received by men4 ,but ,he did not1 ,i imagine1 undergo any change from 8good to evil10 for 8,he did no sin20#ecc nor from 8virtue to vice10 for 8,he knew no sin40#ecd ,nor did ,he pass from 8happiness to misery10 but ,he humbled ,himself1 and nevertheless was blessed1 even when ,his humiliation was undergone in order to benefit our race4 ,nor was there any change in ,him from 8best to worst10 for how can goodness and benevolence be of 8the worst80 ,is it befitting to say of the physician1 who looks on dreadful sights and handles unsightly objects in order to cure the sufferers1 that he passes from 8good to evil10 or from 8virtue to vice10 or from 8happiness to misery80 ,and yet the physician1 in looking on dreadful sights and handling unsightly objects1 does not wholly escape the possibility of being involved in the same fate4 ,but ,he who heals the wounds of our souls1 through the word of ,god that is in ,him1 is ,himself incapable of admitting any wickedness4 ,but if the immortal ,god--the ,word--by assuming a mortal body and a human soul1 appears to ,celsus to undergo a change and transformation1 let him learn that the ,word1 still remaining essentially the ,word1 suffers none of those things which are suffered by the body or the soul2 but1 condescending occasionally to the weakness of him who is unable to look upon the splendours and brilliancy of ,deity1 ,he becomes as it were flesh1 speaking with a literal voice1 until he who has received ,him in such a form is able1 through being elevated in some slight degree by the teaching of the ,word1 to gaze upon what is1 so to speak1 ,his real and pre-eminent appearance4#ece ,footnote #ecb3 ,cf4 ,phil4 ii4 #f1 #g4 ,footnote #ecc3 ,cf4 #a ,pet4 ii4 #bb4 ,footnote #ecd3 ,cf4 #b ,cor4 v4 #ba4 ,footnote #ece3 4 ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,for there are different appearances1 as it were1 of the ,word1 according as ,he shows ,himself to each one of those who come to ,his doctrine2 and this in a manner corresponding to the condition of him who is just becoming a disciple1 or of him who has made a little progress1 or of him who has advanced further1 or of him who has already nearly attained to virtue1 or who has even already attained it4 ,and hence it is not the case1 as ,celsus and those like him would have it1 that our ,god was transformed1 and ascending the lofty mountain1 showed that ,his real appearance was something different1 and far more excellent than what those who remained below1 and were unable to follow ,him on high1 beheld4 ,for those below did not possess eyes capable of seeing the transformation of the ,word into ,his glorious and more divine condition4 ,but with difficulty were they able to receive ,him as ,he was2 so that it might be said of ,him by those who were unable to behold ,his more excellent nature3 8,we saw ,him1 and ,he had no form nor comeliness2 but ,his form was mean1#ecf and inferior to that of the sons of men40#ecg ,and let these remarks be an answer to the suppositions of ,celsus1 who does not understand the changes or transformations of ,jesus1 as related in the histories1 nor ,his mortal and immortal nature4 ,footnote #ecf3 4 ,footnote #ecg3 4 ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,but will not those narratives1 especially when they are understood in their proper sense1 appear far more worthy of respect than the story that ,dionysus was deceived by the ,titans1 and expelled from the throne of ,jupiter1 and torn in pieces by them1 and his remains being afterwards put together again1 he returned as it were once more to life1 and ascended to heaven8 ,or are the ,greeks at liberty to refer such stories to the doctrine of the soul1 and to interpret them figuratively1 while the door of a consistent explanation1 and one everywhere in accord and harmony with the writings of the ,divine ,spirit1 who had ,his abode in pure souls1 is closed against us8 ,celsus1 then1 is altogether ignorant of the purpose of our writings1 and it is therefore upon his own acceptation of them that he casts discredit1 and not upon their real meaning2 whereas1 if he had reflected on what is appropriate#ech to a soul which is to enjoy an everlasting life1 and on the opinion which we are to form of its essence and principles1 he would not so have ridiculed the entrance of the immortal into a mortal body1 which took place not according to the metempsychosis of ,plato1 but agreeably to another and higher view of things4 ,and he would have observed one 8descent10 distinguished by its great benevolence1 undertaken to convert 7as the ,scripture mystically terms them7 the 8lost sheep of the house of ,israel10 which had strayed down from the mountains1 and to which the ,shepherd is said in certain parables to have gone down1 leaving on the mountains those 8which had not strayed40 ,footnote #ech3 4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,but ,celsus1 lingering over matters which he does not understand1 leads us to be guilty of tautology1 as we do not wish even in appearance to leave any one of his objections unexamined4 ,he proceeds1 accordingly1 as follows3 8,god either really changes himself1 as these assert1 into a mortal body1 and the impossibility of that has been already declared2 or else he does not undergo a change1 but only causes the beholders to imagine so1 and thus deceives them1 and is guilty of falsehood4 ,now deceit and falsehood are nothing but evils1 and would only be employed as a medicine1 either in the case of sick and lunatic friends1 with a view to their cure1 or in that of enemies when one is taking measures to escape danger4 ,but no sick man or lunatic is a friend of ,god1 nor does ,god fear any one to such a degree as to shun danger by leading him into error40 ,now the answer to these statements might have respect partly to the nature of the ,divine ,word1 who is ,god1 and partly to the soul of ,jesus4 ,as respects the nature of the ,word1 in the same way as the quality of the food changes in the nurse into milk with reference to the nature of the child1 or is arranged by the physician with a view to the good of his health in the case of a sick man1 or is specially prepared for a stronger man1 because he possesses greater vigour1 so does ,god appropriately change1 in the case of each individual1 the power of the ,word to which belongs the natural property of nourishing the human soul4 ,and to one is given1 as the ,scripture terms it1 8the sincere milk of the word20 and to another1 who is weaker1 as it were1 8herbs20 and to another who is full-grown1 8strong meat40 ,and the ,word does not1 ,i imagine1 prove false to ,his own nature1 in contributing nourishment to each one1 according as he is capable of receiving ,him4 ,nor does ,he mislead or prove false4 ,but if one were to take the change as referring to the soul of ,jesus after it had entered a body1 we would inquire in what sense the term 8change0 is used4 ,for if it be meant to apply to its essence1 such a supposition is inadmissible1 not only in relation to the soul of ,jesus1 but also to the rational soul of any other being4 ,and if it be alleged that it suffers anything from the body when united with it1 or from the place to which it has come1 then what inconvenience#eci can happen to the ,word who1 in great benevolence1 brought down a ,saviour to the human race8--seeing none of those who formerly professed to effect a cure could accomplish so much as that soul showed it could do1 by what it performed1 even by voluntarily descending to the level of human destinies for the benefit of our race4 ,and the ,divine ,word1 well knowing this1 speaks to that effect in many passages of ,scripture1 although it is sufficient at present to quote one testimony of ,paul to the following effect3 8,let this mind be in you which was also in ,christ ,jesus2 who1 being in the form of ,god1 thought it not robbery to be equal with ,god1 but made ,himself of no reputation1 and took upon ,him the form of a servant1 and was made in the likeness of men2 and being found in fashion as a man1 ,he humbled ,himself1 and became obedient unto death1 even the death of the cross4 ,wherefore ,god also hath highly exalted ,him1 and given ,him a name which is above every name40#edj ,footnote #eci3 4 ,footnote #edj3 ,phil4 ii4 #e-i4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,others1 then1 may concede to ,celsus that ,god does not undergo a change1 but leads the spectators to imagine that ,he does2 whereas we who are persuaded that the advent of ,jesus among men was no mere appearance1 but a real manifestation1 are not affected by this charge of ,celsus4 ,we nevertheless will attempt a reply1 because you assert1 ,celsus1 do you not1 that it is sometimes allowable to employ deceit and falsehood by way1 as it were1 of medicine8#eda ,where1 then1 is the absurdity1 if such a saving result were to be accomplished1 that some such events should have taken place8 ,for certain words1 when savouring of falsehood1 produce upon such characters a corrective effect 7like the similar declarations of physicians to their patients71 rather than when spoken in the spirit of truth4 ,this1 however1 must be our defence against other opponents4 ,for there is no absurdity in ,him who healed sick friends1 healing the dear human race by means of such remedies as ,he would not employ preferentially1 but only according to circumstances4#edb ,the human race1 moreover1 when in a state of mental alienation1 had to be cured by methods which the ,word saw would aid in bringing back those so afflicted to a sound state of mind4 ,but ,celsus says also1 that 8one acts thus towards enemies when taking measures to escape danger4 ,but ,god does not fear any one1 so as to escape danger by leading into error those who conspire against him40 ,now it is altogether unnecessary and absurd to answer a charge which is advanced by no one against our ,saviour4 ,and we have already replied1 when answering other charges1 to the statement that 8no one who is either in a state of sickness or mental alienation is a friend of ,god40 ,for the answer is1 that such arrangements have been made1 not for the sake of those who1 being already friends1 afterwards fell sick or became afflicted with mental disease1 but in order that those who were still enemies through sickness of the soul1 and alienation of the natural reason1 might become the friends of ,god4 ,for it is distinctly stated that ,jesus endured all things on behalf of sinners1 that ,he might free them from sin1 and convert them to righteousness4 ,footnote #eda3 ' 1 1 1 4 ,footnote #edb3 1 ' 4 ,chapter ,,xx4 ,in the next place1 as he represents the ,jews accounting in a way peculiar to themselves for their belief that the advent of ,christ among them is still in the future1 and the ,christians as maintaining in their way that the coming of the ,son of ,god into the life of men has already taken place1 let us1 as far as we can1 briefly consider these points4 ,according to ,celsus1 the ,jews say that 8human life1 being filled with all wickedness1 needed one sent from ,god1 that the wicked might be punished1 and all things purified in a manner analogous to the first deluge which happened40 ,and as the ,christians are said to make statements additional to this1 it is evident that he alleges that they admit these4 ,now1 where is the absurdity in the coming of one who is1 on account of the prevailing flood of wickedness1 to purify the world1 and to treat every one according to his deserts8 ,for it is not in keeping with the character of ,god that the diffusion of wickedness should not cease1 and all things be renewed4 ,the ,greeks1 moreover1 know of the earth's being purified at certain times by a deluge or a fire1 as ,plato1 too1 says somewhere to this effect3 8,and when the gods overwhelm the earth1 purifying it with water1 some of them on the mountains10#edc etc4 etc4 ,must it be said1 then1 that if the ,greeks make such assertions1 they are to be deemed worthy of respect and consideration1 but that if we too maintain certain of these views1 which are quoted with approval by the ,greeks1 they cease to be honourable8 ,and yet they who care to attend to the connection and truth of all our records1 will endeavour to establish not only the antiquity of the writers1 but the venerable nature of their writings1 and the consistency of their several parts4 ,footnote #edc3 ,cf4 ,plato in the ,timus1 and ,book iii4 de legibus4 ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,but ,i do not understand how he can imagine the overturning of the tower of ,babel to have happened with a similar object to that of the deluge1 which effected a purification of the earth1 according to the accounts both of ,jews and ,christians4 ,for1 in order that the narrative contained in ,genesis respecting the tower may be held to convey no secret meaning1 but1 as ,celsus supposes1 may be taken as true to the letter1#edd the event does not on such a view appear to have taken place for the purpose of purifying the earth2 unless1 indeed1 he imagines that the so-called confusion of tongues is such a purificatory process4 ,but on this point1 he who has the opportunity will treat more seasonably when his object is to show not only what is the meaning of the narrative in its historical connection1 but what metaphorical meaning may be deduced from it4#ede ,seeing that he imagines1 however1 that ,moses1 who wrote the account of the tower1 and the confusion of tongues1 has perverted the story of the sons of ,aloeus1#edf and referred it to the tower1 we must remark that ,i do not think any one prior to the time of ,homer#edg has mentioned the sons of ,aloeus1 while ,i am persuaded that what is related about the tower has been recorded by ,moses as being much older not only than ,homer1 but even than the invention of letters among the ,greeks4 ,who1 then1 are the perverters of each other's narratives8 ,whether do they who relate the story of the ,aload pervert the history of the time1 or he who wrote the account of the tower and the confusion of tongues the story of the ,aload8 ,now to impartial hearers ,moses appears to be more ancient than ,homer4 ,the destruction by fire1 moreover1 of ,sodom and ,gomorrha on account of their sins1 related by ,moses in ,genesis1 is compared by ,celsus to the story of ,phaethon1--all these statements of his resulting from one blunder1 viz4 his not attending to the greater antiquity of ,moses4 ,for they who relate the story of ,phaethon seem to be younger even than ,homer1 who1 again1 is much younger than ,moses4 ,we do not deny1 then1 that the purificatory fire and the destruction of the world took place in order that evil might be swept away1 and all things be renewed2 for we assert that we have learned these things from the sacred books of the prophets4 ,but since1 as we have said in the preceding pages1 the prophets1 in uttering many predictions regarding future events1 show that they have spoken the truth concerning many things that are past1 and thus give evidence of the indwelling of the ,divine ,spirit1 it is manifest that1 with respect to things still future1 we should repose faith in them1 or rather in the ,divine ,spirit that is in them4 ,footnote #edd3 4 ,footnote #ede3 1 4 ,footnote #edf3 ,otus and ,ephialtes4 ,cf4 ,smith's ,dict4 of ,myth4 and ,biog4 s4v4 ,footnote #edg3 ,cf4 ,hom4 ,odyss4 xi4 #cje4 ,chapter ,,xxii4 ,but1 according to ,celsus1 8the ,christians1 making certain additional statements to those of the ,jews1 assert that the ,son of ,god has been already sent on account of the sins of the ,jews2 and that the ,jews having chastised ,jesus1 and given him gall to drink1 have brought upon themselves the divine wrath40 ,and any one who likes may convict this statement of falsehood1 if it be not the case that the whole ,jewish nation was overthrown within one single generation after ,jesus had undergone these sufferings at their hands4 ,for forty and two years1 ,i think1 after the date of the crucifixion of ,jesus1 did the destruction of ,jerusalem take place4 ,now it has never been recorded1 since the ,jewish nation began to exist1 that they have been expelled for so long a period from their venerable temple-worship#edh and service1 and enslaved by more powerful nations2 for if at any time they appeared to be abandoned because of their sins1 they were notwithstanding visited by ,god1#edi and returned to their own country1 and recovered their possessions1 and performed unhindered the observances of their law4 ,one fact1 then1 which proves that ,jesus was something divine and sacred1#eej is this1 that ,jews should have suffered on ,his account now for a lengthened time calamities of such severity4 ,and we say with confidence that they will never be restored to their former condition4#eea ,for they committed a crime of the most unhallowed kind1 in conspiring against the ,saviour of the human race in that city where they offered up to ,god a worship containing the symbols of mighty mysteries4 ,it accordingly behoved that city where ,jesus underwent these sufferings to perish utterly1 and the ,jewish nation to be overthrown1 and the invitation to happiness offered them by ,god to pass to others1--the ,christians1 ,i mean1 to whom has come the doctrine of a pure and holy worship1 and who have obtained new laws1 in harmony with the established constitution in all countries2#eeb seeing those which were formerly imposed1 as on a single nation which was ruled by princes of its own race and of similar manners1#eec could not now be observed in all their entireness4 ,footnote #edh3 4 ,footnote #edi3 4 ,footnote #eej3 4 ,footnote #eea3 ' 4 ,footnote #eeb3 4 ,footnote #eec3 4 ,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,in the next place1 ridiculing after his usual style the race of ,jews and ,christians1 he compares them all 8to a flight of bats or to a swarm of ants issuing out of their nest1 or to frogs holding council in a marsh1 or to worms crawling together in the corner of a dunghill1 and quarrelling with one another as to which of them were the greater sinners1 and asserting that ,god shows and announces to us all things beforehand2 and that1 abandoning the whole world1 and the regions of heaven1#eed and this great earth1 he becomes a citizen#eee among us alone1 and to us alone makes his intimations1 and does not cease sending and inquiring1 in what way we may be associated with him for ever40 ,and in his fictitious representation1 he compares us to 8worms which assert that there is a ,god1 and that immediately after him1 we who are made by him are altogether like unto ,god1 and that all things have been made subject to us1--earth1 and water1 and air1 and stars1--and that all things exist for our sake1 and are ordained to be subject to us40 ,and1 according to his representation1 the worms--that is1 we ourselves--say that 8now1 since certain amongst us commit sin1 ,god will come or will send his ,son to consume the wicked with fire1 that the rest of us may have eternal life with him40 ,and to all this he subjoins the remark1 that 8such wranglings would be more endurable amongst worms and frogs than betwixt ,jews and ,christians40 ,footnote #eed3 4 ,footnote #eee3 4 ,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,in reply to these1 we ask of those who accept such aspersions as are scattered against us1 ,do you regard all men as a collection of bats1 or as frogs1 or as worms1 in consequence of the pre-eminence of ,god8 or do you not include the rest of mankind in this proposed comparison1 but on account of their possession of reason1 and of the established laws1 treat them as men1 while you hold cheap#eef ,christians and ,jews1 because their opinions are distasteful to you1 and compare them to the animals above mentioned8 ,and whatever answer you may return to our question1 we shall reply by endeavouring to show that such assertions are most unbecoming1 whether spoken of all men in general1 or of us in particular4 ,for1 let it be supposed that you say justly that all men1 as compared with ,god1 are rightly likened to these worthless#eeg animals1 since their littleness is not at all to be compared with the superiority of ,god1 what then do you mean by littleness8 ,answer me1 good sirs4 ,if you refer to littleness of body1 know that superiority and inferiority1 if truth is to be judge1 are not determined by a bodily standard4#eeh ,for1 on such a view1 vultures#eei and elephants would be superior to us men2 for they are larger1 and stronger1 and longer-lived than we4 ,but no sensible person would maintain that these irrational creatures are superior to rational beings1 merely on account of their bodies3 for the possession of reason raises a rational being to a vast superiority over all irrational creatures4 ,even the race of virtuous and blessed beings would admit this1 whether they are1 as ye say1 good demons1 or1 as we are accustomed to call them1 the angels of ,god1 or any other natures whatever superior to that of man1 since the rational faculty within them has been made perfect1 and endowed with all virtuous qualities4#efj ,footnote #eef3 4 ,footnote #eeg3 4 ,footnote #eeh3 4 ,footnote #eei3 2 8 ,footnote #efj3 4 ,chapter ,,xxv4 ,but if you depreciate the littleness of man1 not on account of his body1 but of his soul1 regarding it as inferior to that of other rational beings1 and especially of those who are virtuous2 and inferior1 because evil dwells in it1--why should those among ,christians who are wicked1 and those among the ,jews who lead sinful lives1 be termed a collection of bats1 or ants1 or worms1 or frogs1 rather than those individuals among other nations who are guilty of wickedness8--seeing1 in this respect1 any individual whatever1 especially if carried away by the tide of evil1 is1 in comparison with the rest of mankind1 a bat1 and worm1 and frog1 and ant4 ,and although a man may be an orator like ,demosthenes1 yet1 if stained with wickedness like his1#efa and guilty of deeds proceeding1 like his1 from a wicked nature2 or an ,antiphon1 who was also considered to be indeed an orator1 yet who annihilated the doctrine of providence in his writings1 which were entitled ,concerning ,truth1 like that discourse of ,celsus1--such individuals are notwithstanding worms1 rolling in a corner of the dung-heap of stupidity and ignorance4 ,indeed1 whatever be the nature of the rational faculty1 it could not reasonably be compared to a worm1 because it possesses capabilities of virtue4#efb ,for these adumbrations#efc towards virtue do not allow of those who possess the power of acquiring it1 and who are incapable of wholly losing its seeds1 to be likened to a worm4 ,it appears1 therefore1 that neither can men in general be deemed worms in comparison with ,god4 ,for reason1 having its beginning in the reason of ,god1 cannot allow of the rational animal being considered wholly alien from ,deity4 ,nor can those among ,christians and ,jews who are wicked1 and who1 in truth1 are neither ,christians nor ,jews1 be compared1 more than other wicked men1 to worms rolling in a corner of a dunghill4 ,and if the nature of reason will not permit of such comparisons1 it is manifest that we must not calumniate human nature1 which has been formed for virtue1 even if it should sin through ignorance1 nor liken it to animals of the kind described4 ,footnote #efa3 ,the allusion may possibly be to his flight from the field of ,chronea1 or to his avarice1 or to the alleged impurity of his life1 which is referred to by ,plutarch in his ,lives of the ,ten ,orators4--,,spencer4 ,footnote #efb3 4 ,footnote #efc3 4 ,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,but if it is on account of those opinions of the ,christians and ,jews which displease ,celsus 7and which he does not at all appear to understand7 that they are to be regarded as worms and ants1 and the rest of mankind as different1 let us examine the acknowledged opinions of ,christians and ,jews1#efd and compare them with those of the rest of mankind1 and see whether it will not appear to those who have once admitted that certain men are worms and ants1 that they are the worms and ants and frogs who have fallen away from sound views of ,god1 and1 under a vain appearance of piety1#efe worship either irrational animals1 or images1 or other objects1 the works of men's hands2#eff whereas1 from the beauty of such1 they ought to admire the ,maker of them1 and worship ,him3 while those are indeed men1 and more honourable than men 7if there be anything that is so71 who1 in obedience to their reason1 are able to ascend from stocks and stones1#efg nay1 even from what is reckoned the most precious of all matter--silver and gold2 and who ascend up also from the beautiful things in the world to the ,maker of all1 and entrust themselves to ,him who alone is able to satisfy#efh all existing things1 and to overlook the thoughts of all1 and to hear the prayers of all2 who send up their prayers to ,him1 and do all things as in the presence of ,him who beholds everything1 and who are careful1 as in the presence of the ,hearer of all things1 to say nothing which might not with propriety be reported to ,god4 ,will not such piety as this--which can be overcome neither by labours1 nor by the dangers of death1 nor by logical plausibilities#efi--;be of no avail in preventing those who have obtained it from being any longer compared to worms1 even if they had been so represented before their assumption of a piety so remarkable8 ,will they who subdue that fierce longing for sexual pleasures which has reduced the souls of many to a weak and feeble condition1 and who subdue it because they are persuaded that they cannot otherwise have communion with ,god1 unless they ascend to ,him through the exercise of temperance1 appear to you to be the brothers of worms1 and relatives of ants1 and to bear a likeness to frogs8 ,what6 is the brilliant quality of justice1 which keeps inviolate the rights common to our neighbour1 and our kindred1 and which observes fairness1 and benevolence1 and goodness1 of no avail in saving him who practises it from being termed a bird of the night8 ,and are not they who wallow in dissoluteness1 as do the majority of mankind1 and they who associate promiscuously with common harlots1 and who teach that such practices are not wholly contrary to propriety1 worms who roll in mire8--especially when they are compared with those who have been taught not to take the 8members of ,christ10 and the body inhabited by the ,word1 and make them the 8members of a harlot20 and who have already learned that the body of the rational being1 as consecrated to the ,god of all things1 is the temple of the ,god whom they worship1 becoming such from the pure conceptions which they entertain of the ,creator1 and who also1 being careful not to corrupt the temple of ,god by unlawful pleasure1 practise temperance as constituting piety towards ,god6 ,footnote #efd3 4 ,footnote #efe3 ' 4 ,footnote #eff3 4 ,footnote #efg3 4 ,footnote #efh3 4 ,footnote #efi3 4 ,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,and ,i have not yet spoken of the other evils which prevail amongst men1 from which even those who have the appearance of philosophers are not speedily freed1 for in philosophy there are many pretenders4 ,nor do ,i say anything on the point that many such evils are found to exist among those who are neither ,jews nor ,christians4 ,of a truth1 such evil practices do not at all prevail among ,christians1 if you properly examine what constitutes a ,christian4 ,or1 if any persons of that kind should be discovered1 they are at least not to be found among those who frequent the assemblies1 and come to the public prayers1 without their being excluded from them1 unless it should happen1 and that rarely1 that some one individual of such a character escapes notice in the crowd4 ,we1 then1 are not worms who assemble together2 who take our stand against the ,jews on those ,scriptures which they believe to be divine1 and who show that ,he who was spoken of in prophecy has come1 and that they have been abandoned on account of the greatness of their sins1 and that we who have accepted the ,word have the highest hopes in ,god1 both because of our faith in ,him1 and of ,his ability to receive us into ,his communion pure from all evil and wickedness of life4 ,if a man1 then1 should call himself a ,jew or a ,christian1 he would not say without qualification that ,god had made the whole world1 and the vault of heaven#egj for us in particular4 ,but if a man is1 as ,jesus taught1 pure in heart1 and meek1 and peaceful1 and cheerfully submits to dangers for the sake of his religion1 such an one might reasonably have confidence in ,god1 and with a full apprehension of the word contained in the prophecies1 might say this also3 8,all these things has ,god shown beforehand1 and announced to us who believe40 ,footnote #egj3 4 ,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,but since he has represented those whom he regards as worms1 viz4 the ,christians1 as saying that 8,god1 having abandoned the heavenly regions1 and despising this great earth1 takes up ,his abode amongst us alone1 and to us alone makes ,his announcements1 and ceases not ,his messages and inquiries as to how we may become ,his associates for ever10 we have to answer that he attributes to us words which we never uttered1 seeing we both read and know that ,god loves all existing things1 and loathes#ega nothing which ,he has made1 for ,he would not have created anything in hatred4 ,we have1 moreover1 read the declaration3 8,and ,thou sparest all things1 because they are ,thine1 ,o lover of souls4 ,for ,thine incorruptible ,spirit is in all4 ,and therefore those also who have fallen away for a little time ,thou rebukest1 and admonishest1 reminding them of their sins40#egb ,how can we assert that 8,god1 leaving the regions of heaven1 and the whole world1 and despising this great earth1 takes up ,his abode amongst us only10 when we have found that all thoughtful persons must say in their prayers1 that 8the earth is full of the mercy of the ,lord10#egc and that 8the mercy of the ,lord is upon all flesh20#egd and that ,god1 being good1 8maketh ,his sun to arise upon the evil and the good1 and sendeth ,his rain upon the just and the unjust20#ege and that ,he encourages us to a similar course of action1 in order that we may become ,his sons1 and teaches us to extend the benefits which we enjoy1 so far as in our power1 to all men8 ,for ,he ,himself is said to be the ,saviour of all men1 especially of them that believe2#egf and ,his ,christ to be the 8propitiation for our sins1 and not for ours only1 but also for the sins of the whole world40#egg ,and this1 then1 is our answer to the allegations of ,celsus4 ,certain other statements1 in keeping with the character of the ,jews1 might be made by some of that nation1 but certainly not by the ,christians1 who have been taught that 8,god commendeth ,his love towards us1 in that1 while we were yet sinners1 ,christ died for us20#egh and although 8scarcely for a righteous man will one die1 yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die40#egi ,but now is ,jesus declared to have come for the sake of sinners in all parts of the world 7that they may forsake their sin1 and entrust themselves to ,god71 being called also1 agreeably to an ancient custom of these ,scriptures1 the 8,christ of ,god40 ,footnote #ega3 4 ,footnote #egb3 ,cf4 ,wisd4 of ,solom4 xi4 #bf1 xii4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #egc3 ,ps4 xxxiii4 #e4 ,footnote #egd3 ,ecclus4 xviii4 #ac4 ,footnote #ege3 ,cf4 ,matt4 v4 #de4 ,footnote #egf3 ,cf4 #a ,tim4 iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #egg3 ,cf4 #a ,john ii4 #b4 ,footnote #egh3 ,cf4 ,rom4 v4 #h4 ,footnote #egi3 ,cf4 ,rom4 v4 #g4 ,chapter ,,xxix4 ,but ,celsus perhaps has misunderstood certain of those whom he has termed 8worms10 when they affirm that 8,god exists1 and that we are next to ,him40 ,and he acts like those who would find fault with an entire sect of philosophers1 on account of certain words uttered by some rash youth who1 after a three days' attendance upon the lectures of a philosopher1 should exalt himself above other people as inferior to himself1 and devoid of philosophy4 ,for we know that there are many creatures more honourable#ehj than man2 and we have read that 8,god standeth in the congregation of gods10#eha but of gods who are not worshipped by the nations1 8for all the gods of the nations are idols40#ehb ,we have read also1 that 8,god1 standing in the congregation of the gods1 judgeth among the gods40#ehc ,we know1 moreover1 that 8though there be that are called gods1 whether in heaven or in earth 7as there be gods many and lords many71 but to us there is one ,god1 the ,father1 of whom are all things1 and we in ,him2 and one ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 by whom are all things1 and we by ,him40#ehd ,and we know that in this way the angels are superior to men2 so that men1 when made perfect1 become like the angels4 8,for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage1 but the righteous are as the angels in heaven10#ehe and also become 8equal to the angels40#ehf ,we know1 too1 that in the arrangement of the universe there are certain beings termed 8thrones10 and others 8dominions10 and others 8powers10 and others 8principalities20 and we see that we men1 who are far inferior to these1 may entertain the hope that by a virtuous life1 and by acting in all things agreeably to reason1 we may rise to a likeness with all these4 ,and1 lastly1 because 8it doth not yet appear what we shall be2 but we know that when ,he shall appear1 we shall be like ,god1 and shall see ,him as ,he is40#ehg ,and if any one were to maintain what is asserted by some 7either by those who possess intelligence or who do not1 but have misconceived sound reason71 that 8,god exists1 and we are next to ,him10 ,i would interpret the word 8we10 by using in its stead1 8,we who act according to reason10 or rather1 8,we virtuous1 who act according to reason40#ehh ,for1 in our opinion1 the same virtue belongs to all the blessed1 so that the virtue of man and of ,god is identical4#ehi ,and therefore we are taught to become 8perfect10 as our ,father in heaven is perfect4#eij ,no good and virtuous man1 then1 is a 8worm rolling in filth10 nor is a pious man an 8ant10 nor a righteous man a 8frog20 nor could one whose soul is enlightened with the bright light of truth be reasonably likened to a 8bird of the night40 ,footnote #ehj3 4 ,footnote #eha3 ,cf4 ,ps4 lxxxii4 #a4 ,footnote #ehb3 4 ,cf4 ,ps4 xcvi4 #e4 ,footnote #ehc3 ,cf4 ,ps4 lxxxii4 #a4 ,footnote #ehd3 #a ,cor4 viii4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #ehe3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxii4 #cj4 ,footnote #ehf3 ,cf4 ,luke xx4 #cf4 ,footnote #ehg3 ,cf4 #a ,john iii4 #b4 ,footnote #ehh3 ' 1 80 1 1 4 ,footnote #ehi3 4 ,cf4 ,cicero1 de leg4 i43 8,jam vero virtus eadem in homine ac deo est1 neque ullo alio in genio prterea4 ,est autem virtus nihil aliud1 quam in se perfecta1 et ad summum perducta natura4 ,est igitur homini cum ,deo similitudo40 ,cf4 also ,clemens ,alex4 ,strom4 vii43 1 1 1 4 ,cf4 ,theodoret1 ,serm4 xi4--,,spencer4 ,footnote #eij3 ,cf4 ,matt4 v4 #dh4 ,chapter ,,xxx4 ,it appears to me that ,celsus has also misunderstood this statement1 8,let us make man in our image and likeness20#eia and has therefore represented the 8worms0 as saying that1 being created by ,god1 we altogether resemble ,him4 ,if1 however1 he had known the difference between man being created 8in the image of ,god0 and 8after ,his likeness10 and that ,god is recorded to have said1 8,let us make man after our image and likeness10 but that ,he made man 8after the image0 of ,god1 but not then also 8after ,his likeness10#eib he would not have represented us as saying that 8we are altogether like ,him40 ,moreover1 we do not assert that the stars are subject to us2 since the resurrection which is called the 8resurrection of the just10 and which is understood by wise men1 is compared to the sun1 and moon1 and stars1 by him who said1 8,there is one glory of the sun1 and another glory of the moon1 and another glory of the stars2 for one star differeth from another star in glory4 ,so also is the resurrection of the dead40#eic ,daniel also prophesied long ago regarding these things4#eid ,celsus says further1 that we assert that 8all things have been arranged so as to be subject to us10 having perhaps heard some of the intelligent among us speaking to that effect1 and perhaps also not understanding the saying1 that 8he who is the greatest amongst us is the servant of all40#eie ,and if the ,greeks say1 8,then sun and moon are the slaves of mortal men10#eif they express approval of the statement1 and give an explanation of its meaning2 but since such a statement is either not made at all by us1 or is expressed in a different way1 ,celsus here too falsely accuses us4 ,moreover1 we who1 according to ,celsus1 are 8worms10 are represented by him as saying that1 8seeing some among us are guilty of sin1 ,god will come to us1 or will send ,his own ,son1 that ,he may consume the wicked1 and that we other frogs may enjoy eternal life with ,him40 ,observe how this venerable philosopher1 like a low buffoon1#eig turns into ridicule and mockery1 and a subject of laughter1 the announcement of a divine judgment1 and of the punishment of the wicked1 and of the reward of the righteous2 and subjoins to all this the remark1 that 8such statements would be more endurable if made by worms and frogs than by ,christians and ,jews who quarrel with one another60 ,we shall not1 however1 imitate his example1 nor say similar things regarding those philosophers who profess to know the nature of all things1 and who discuss with each other the manner in which all things were created1 and how the heaven and earth originated1 and all things in them2 and how the souls of men1 being either unbegotten1 and not created by ,god1 are yet governed by ,him1 and pass from one body to another2#eih or being formed at the same time with the body1 exist for ever or pass away4 ,for instead of treating with respect and accepting the intention of those who have devoted themselves to the investigation of the truth1 one might mockingly and revilingly say that such men were 8worms10 who did not measure themselves by their corner of their dung-heap in human life1 and who accordingly gave forth their opinions on matters of such importance as if they understood them1 and who strenuously assert that they have obtained a view of those things which cannot be seen without a higher inspiration and a diviner power4 8,for no man knoweth the things of a man1 save the spirit of man which is in him3 even so the things of ,god knoweth no man1 but the ,spirit of ,god40#eii ,we are not1 however1 mad1 nor do we compare such human wisdom 7,i use the word 8wisdom0 in the common acceptation71 which busies itself not about the affairs of the multitude1 but in the investigation of truth1 to the wrigglings of worms or any other such creatures2 but in the spirit of truth1 we testify of certain ,greek philosophers that they knew ,god1 seeing 8,he manifested ,himself to them10#fjj although 8they glorified ,him not as ,god1 neither were thankful1 but became vain in their imaginations2 and professing themselves to be wise1 they became foolish1 and changed the glory of the incorruptible ,god into an image made like to corruptible man1 and to birds1 and four-footed beasts1 and creeping things40#fja ,footnote #eia3 ,cf4 ,gen4 i4 #bf4 ,footnote #eib3 ,cf4 ,gen4 i4 #bg4 ,footnote #eic3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #da1 #db4 ,footnote #eid3 ,cf4 ,dan4 xii4 #c4 ,footnote #eie3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xx4 #bh4 ,footnote #eif3 ,cf4 ,eurip4 ,phniss4 #eab4 ,footnote #eig3 4 ,footnote #eih3 4 ,footnote #eii3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 ii4 #aa4 ,footnote #fjj3 ,cf4 ,rom4 i4 #ai4 ,footnote #fja3 ,rom4 i4 #ba-bc4 ,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,after this1 wishing to prove that there is no difference between ,jews and ,christians1 and those animals previously enumerated by him1 he asserts that the ,jews were 8fugitives from ,egypt1 who never performed anything worthy of note1 and never were held in any reputation or account40#fjb ,now1 on the point of their not being fugitives1 nor ,egyptians1 but ,hebrews who settled in ,egypt1 we have spoken in the preceding pages4 ,but if he thinks his statement1 that 8they were never held in any reputation or account10 to be proved1 because no remarkable event in their history is found recorded by the ,greeks1 we would answer1 that if one will examine their polity from its first beginning1 and the arrangement of their laws1 he will find that they were men who represented upon earth the shadow of a heavenly life1 and that amongst them ,god is recognised as nothing else1 save ,he who is over all things1 and that amongst them no maker of images was permitted to enjoy the rights of citizenship4#fjc ,for neither painter nor image-maker existed in their state1 the law expelling all such from it2 that there might be no pretext for the construction of images1--an art which attracts the attention of foolish men1 and which drags down the eyes of the soul from ,god to earth4 ,there was1 accordingly1 amongst them a law to the following effect3 8,do not transgress the law1 and make to yourselves a graven image1 any likeness of male or female2 either a likeness of any one of the creatures that are upon the earth1 or a likeness of any winged fowl that flieth under the heaven1 or a likeness of any creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth1 or a likeness of any of the fishes which are in the waters under the earth40#fjd ,the law1 indeed1 wished them to have regard to the truth of each individual thing1 and not to form representations of things contrary to reality1 feigning the appearance merely of what was really male or really female1 or the nature of animals1 or of birds1 or of creeping things1 or of fishes4 ,venerable1 too1 and grand was this prohibition of theirs3 8,lift not up thine eyes unto heaven1 lest1 when thou seest the sun1 and the moon1 and the stars1 and all the host of heaven1 thou shouldst be led astray to worship them1 and serve them40#fje ,and what a rgime#fjf was that under which the whole nation was placed1 and which rendered it impossible for any effeminate person to appear in public2#fjg and worthy of admiration1 too1 was the arrangement by which harlots were removed out of the state1 those incentives to the passions of the youth6 ,their courts of justice also were composed of men of the strictest integrity1 who1 after having for a lengthened period set the example of an unstained life1 were entrusted with the duty of presiding over the tribunals1 and who1 on account of the superhuman purity of their character1#fjh were said to be gods1 in conformity with an ancient ,jewish usage of speech4 ,here was the spectacle of a whole nation devoted to philosophy2 and in order that there might be leisure to listen to their sacred laws1 the days termed 8,sabbath10 and the other festivals which existed among them1 were instituted4 ,and why need ,i speak of the orders of their priests and sacrifices1 which contain innumerable indications of deeper truths to those who wish to ascertain the signification of things8 ,footnote #fjb3 ' 1 ' 4 ,footnote #fjc3 4 ,footnote #fjd3 ,cf4 ,deut4 iv4 #af-ah4 ,footnote #fje3 ,cf4 ,deut4 iv4 #ai4 ,footnote #fjf3 4 ,footnote #fjg3 ' 4 ,footnote #fjh3 1 4 ,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,but since nothing belonging to human nature is permanent1 this polity also must gradually be corrupted and changed4 ,and ,providence1 having remodelled their venerable system where it needed to be changed1 so as to adapt it to men of all countries1 gave to believers of all nations1 in place of the ,jews1 the venerable religion of ,jesus1 who1 being adorned not only with understanding1 but also with a share of divinity1#fji and having overthrown the doctrine regarding earthly demons1 who delight in frankincense1 and blood1 and in the exhalations of sacrificial odours1 and who1 like the fabled ,titans or ,giants1 drag down men from thoughts of ,god2 and having ,himself disregarded their plots1 directed chiefly against the better class of men1 enacted laws which ensure happiness to those who live according to them1 and who do not flatter the demons by means of sacrifices1 but altogether despise them1 through help of the word of ,god1 which aids those who look upwards to ,him4 ,and as it was the will of ,god that the doctrine of ,jesus should prevail amongst men1 the demons could effect nothing1 although straining every nerve#faj to accomplish the destruction of ,christians2 for they stirred up both princes1 and senates1 and rulers in every place1--nay1 even nations themselves1 who did not perceive the irrational and wicked procedure of the demons1--against the word1 and those who believed in it2 yet1 notwithstanding1 the word of ,god1 which is more powerful than all other things1 even when meeting with opposition1 deriving from the opposition1 as it were1 a means of increase1 advanced onwards1 and won many souls1 such being the will of ,god4 ,and we have offered these remarks by way of a necessary digression4 ,for we wished to answer the assertion of ,celsus concerning the ,jews1 that they were 8fugitives from ,egypt1 and that these men1 beloved by ,god1 never accomplished anything worthy of note40 ,and further1 in answer to the statement that 8they were never held in any reputation or account10 we say1 that living apart as a 8chosen nation and a royal priesthood10 and shunning intercourse with the many nations around them1 in order that their morals might escape corruption1 they enjoyed the protection of the divine power1 neither coveting like the most of mankind the acquisition of other kingdoms1 nor yet being abandoned so as to become1 on account of their smallness1 an easy object of attack to others1 and thus be altogether destroyed2 and this lasted so long as they were worthy of the divine protection4 ,but when it became necessary for them1 as a nation wholly given to sin1 to be brought back by their sufferings to their ,god1 they were abandoned by ,him1 sometimes for a longer1 sometimes for a shorter period1 until in the time of the ,romans1 having committed the greatest of sins in putting ,jesus to death1 they were completely deserted4 ,footnote #fji3 4 ,footnote #faj3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,immediately after this1 ,celsus1 assailing the contents of the first book of ,moses1 which is entitled 8,genesis10 asserts that 8the ,jews accordingly endeavoured to derive their origin from the first race of jugglers and deceivers1#faa appealing to the testimony of dark and ambiguous words1 whose meaning was veiled in obscurity1 and which they misinterpreted#fab to the unlearned and ignorant1 and that1 too1 when such a point had never been called in question during the long preceding period40 ,now ,celsus appears to me in these words to have expressed very obscurely the meaning which he intended to convey4 ,it is probable1 indeed1 that his obscurity on this subject is intentional1 inasmuch as he saw the strength of the argument which establishes the descent of the ,jews from their ancestors2 while again1 on the other hand1 he wished not to appear ignorant that the question regarding the ,jews and their descent was one that could not be lightly disposed of4 ,it is certain1 however1 that the ,jews trace their genealogy back to the three fathers1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,and the names of these individuals possess such efficacy1 when united with the name of ,god1 that not only do those belonging to the nation employ in their prayers to ,god1 and in the exorcising of demons1 the words1 8,god of ,abraham1 and ,god of ,isaac1 and ,god of ,jacob10 but so also do almost all those who occupy themselves with incantations and magical rites4 ,for there is found in treatises on magic in many countries such an invocation of ,god1 and assumption of the divine name1 as implies a familiar use of it by these men in their dealings with demons4 ,these facts1 then--adduced by ,jews and ,christians to prove the sacred character of ,abraham1 and ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 the fathers of the ,jewish race--appear to me not to have been altogether unknown to ,celsus1 but not to have been distinctly set forth by him1 because he was unable to answer the argument which might be founded on them4 ,footnote #faa3 4 ,footnote #fab3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,for we inquire of all those who employ such invocations of ,god1 saying3 ,tell us1 friends1 who was ,abraham1 and what sort of person was ,isaac1 and what power did ,jacob possess1 that the appellation 8,god10 when joined with their name1 could effect such wonders8 ,and from whom have you learned1 or can you learn1 the facts relating to these individuals8 ,and who has occupied himself with writing a history about them1 either directly magnifying these men by ascribing to them mysterious powers1 or hinting obscurely at their possession of certain great and marvellous qualities1 patent to those who are qualified to see them8#fac ,and when1 in answer to our inquiry1 no one can show from what history--whether ,greek or barbarian--or1 if not a history1 yet at least from what mystical narrative1#fad the accounts of these men are derived1 we shall bring forward the book entitled 8,genesis10 which contains the acts of these men1 and the divine oracles addressed to them1 and will say1 ,does not the use by you of the names of these three ancestors of the race1 establishing in the clearest manner that effects not to be lightly regarded are produced by the invocation of them1 evidence the divinity of the men8#fae ,and yet we know them from no other source than the sacred books of the ,jews6 ,moreover1 the phrases1 8the ,god of ,israel10 and 8the ,god of the ,hebrews10 and 8the ,god who drowned in the ,red ,sea the king of ,egypt and the ,egyptians10 are formul frequently employed against demons and certain wicked powers4 ,and we learn the history of the names and their interpretation from those ,hebrews1 who in their national literature and national tongue dwell with pride upon these things1 and explain their meaning4 ,how1 then1 should the ,jews attempt to derive their origin from the first race of those whom ,celsus supposed to be jugglers and deceivers1 and shamelessly endeavour to trace themselves and their beginning back to these8--whose names1 being ,hebrew1 are an evidence to the ,hebrews1 who have their sacred books written in the ,hebrew language and letters1 that their nation is akin to these men4 ,for up to the present time1 the ,jewish names belonging to the ,hebrew language were either taken from their writings1 or generally from words the meaning of which was made known by the ,hebrew language4 ,footnote #fac3 1 ' 4 ,footnote #fad3 4 ,footnote #fae3 ' 1 1 1 2 ,guietus would expunge the words 4 ,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,and let any one who peruses the treatise of ,celsus observe whether it does not convey some such insinuation as the above1 when he says3 8,and they attempted to derive their origin from the first race of jugglers and deceivers1 appealing to the testimony of dark and ambiguous words1 whose meaning was veiled in obscurity40 ,for these names are indeed obscure1 and not within the comprehension and knowledge of many1 though not in our opinion of doubtful meaning1 even although assumed by those who are aliens to our religion2 but as1 according to ,celsus1 they do not#faf convey any ambiguity1 ,i am at a loss to know why he has rejected them4 ,and yet1 if he had wished honestly to overturn the genealogy which he deemed the ,jews to have so shamelessly arrogated1 in boasting of ,abraham and his descendants as their progenitors1 he ought to have quoted all the passages bearing on the subject2 and1 in the first place1 to have advocated his cause with such arguments as he thought likely to be convincing1 and in the next to have bravely#fag refuted1 by means of what appeared to him to be the true meaning1 and by arguments in its favour1 the errors existing on the subject4 ,but neither ,celsus nor any one else will be able1 by their discussions regarding the nature of names employed for miraculous purposes1 to lay down the correct doctrine regarding them1 and to demonstrate that those men were to be lightly esteemed whose names merely1 not among their countrymen alone1 but also amongst foreigners1 could accomplish such results4 ,he ought to have shown1 moreover1 how we1 in misinterpreting#fah the passages in which these names are found1 deceive our hearers1 as he imagines1 while he himself1 who boasts that he is not ignorant or unintelligent1 gives the true interpretation of them4 ,and he hazarded the assertion1#fai in speaking of those names1 from which the ,jews deduce their genealogies1 that 8never1 during the long antecedent period1 has there been any dispute about these names1 but that at the present time the ,jews dispute about them with certain others10 whom he does not mention4 ,now1 let him who chooses show who these are that dispute with the ,jews1 and who adduce even probable arguments to show that ,jews and ,christians do not decide correctly on the points relating to these names1 but that there are others who have discussed these questions with the greatest learning and accuracy4 ,but we are well assured that none can establish anything of the sort1 it being manifest that these names are derived from the ,hebrew language1 which is found only among the ,jews4 ,footnote #faf3 1 4 ,libri editi ad oram 4 ,footnote #fag3 4 ,footnote #fah3 4 ,footnote #fai3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,celsus in the next place1 producing from history other than that of the divine record1 those passages which bear upon the claims to great antiquity put forth by many nations1 as the ,athenians1 and ,egyptians1 and ,arcadians1 and ,phrygians1 who assert that certain individuals have existed among them who sprang from the earth1 and who each adduce proofs of these assertions1 says3 8,the ,jews1 then1 leading a grovelling life#fbj in some corner of ,palestine1 and being a wholly uneducated people1 who had not heard that these matters had been committed to verse long ago by ,hesiod and innumerable other inspired men1 wove together some most incredible and insipid stories1#fba viz4 that a certain man was formed by the hands of ,god1 and had breathed into him the breath of life1 and that a woman was taken from his side1 and that ,god issued certain commands1 and that a serpent opposed these1 and gained a victory over the commandments of ,god2 thus relating certain old wives' fables1 and most impiously representing ,god as weak at the very beginning of things1 and unable to convince even a single human being whom ,he ,himself had formed40 ,by these instances1 indeed1 this deeply read and learned ,celsus1 who accuses ,jews and ,christians of ignorance and want of instruction1 clearly evinces the accuracy of his knowledge of the chronology of the respective historians1 whether ,greek or ,barbarian1 since he imagines that ,hesiod and the 8innumerable0 others1 whom he styles 8inspired0 men1 are older than ,moses and his writings--that very ,moses who is shown to be much older than the time of the ,trojan war6 ,it is not the ,jews1 then1 who have composed incredible and insipid stories regarding the birth of man from the earth1 but these 8inspired0 men of ,celsus1 ,hesiod and his other 8innumerable0 companions1 who1 having neither learned nor heard of the far older and most venerable accounts existing in ,palestine1 have written such histories as their ,theogonies1 attributing1 so far as in their power1 8generation0 to their deities1 and innumerable other absurdities4 ,and these are the writers whom ,plato expels from his 8,state0 as being corrupters of the youth1#fbb--;,homer1 viz41 and those who have composed poems of a similar description6 ,now it is evident that ,plato did not regard as 8inspired0 those men who had left behind them such works4 ,but perhaps it was from a desire to cast reproach upon us1 that this ,epicurean ,celsus1 who is better able to judge than ,plato 7if it be the same ,celsus who composed two other books against the ,christians71 called those individuals 8inspired0 whom he did not in reality regard as such4 ,footnote #fbj3 4 ,footnote #fba3 4 ,footnote #fbb3 ,cf4 ,plato1 de ,repub4 ,book ii4 etc4 ,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,he charges us1 moreover1 with introducing 8a man formed by the hands of ,god10 although the book of ,genesis has made no mention of the 8hands0 of ,god1 either when relating the creation or the 8fashioning0#fbc of the man2 while it is ,job and ,david who have used the expression1 8,thy hands have made me and fashioned me20#fbd with reference to which it would need a lengthened discourse to point out the sense in which these words were understood by those who used them1 both as regards the difference between 8making0 and 8fashioning10 and also the 8hands0 of ,god4 ,for those who do not understand these and similar expressions in the sacred ,scriptures1 imagine that we attribute to the ,god who is over all things a form#fbe such as that of man2 and according to their conceptions1 it follows that we consider the body of ,god to be furnished with wings1 since the ,scriptures1 literally understood1 attribute such appendages to ,god4 ,the subject before us1 however1 does not require us to interpret these expressions2 for1 in our explanatory remarks upon the book of ,genesis1 these matters have been made1 to the best of our ability1 a special subject of investigation4 ,observe next the malignity#fbf of ,celsus in what follows4 ,for the ,scripture1 speaking of the 8fashioning0#fbg of the man1 says1 8,and breathed into his face the breath of life1 and the man became a living soul40#fbh ,whereon ,celsus1 wishing maliciously to ridicule the 8inbreathing into his face of the breath of life10 and not understanding the sense in which the expression was employed1 states that 8they composed a story that a man was fashioned by the hands of ,god1 and was inflated by breath blown into him10#fbi in order that1 taking the word 8inflated0 to be used in a similar way to the inflation of skins1 he might ridicule the statement1 8,he breathed into his face the breath of life10--terms which are used figuratively1 and require to be explained in order to show that ,god communicated to man of ,his incorruptible ,spirit2 as it is said1 8,for ,thine incorruptible ,spirit is in all things40#fcj ,footnote #fbc3 4 ,footnote #fbd3 ,cf4 ,job x4 #h and ,ps4 cxix4 #gc4 ,footnote #fbe3 4 ,footnote #fbf3 4 ,footnote #fbg3 4 ,footnote #fbh3 ,gen4 ii4 #g2 ,heb4 1 ,,lxx4 4 ,footnote #fbi3 4 ,footnote #fcj3 ,wisd4 of ,solom4 xii4 #a4 ,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,in the next place1 as it is his object to slander our ,scriptures1 he ridicules the following statement3 8,and ,god caused a deep sleep to fall upon ,adam1 and he slept3 and ,he took one of his ribs1 and closed up the flesh instead thereof4 ,and the rib1 which ,he had taken from the man1 made ,he a woman10#fca and so on2 without quoting the words1 which would give the hearer the impression that they are spoken with a figurative meaning4 ,he would not even have it appear that the words were used allegorically1 although he says afterwards1 that 8the more modest among ,jews and ,christians are ashamed of these things1 and endeavour to give them somehow an allegorical signification40 ,now we might say to him1 ,are the statements of your 8inspired0 ,hesiod1 which he makes regarding the woman in the form of a myth1 to be explained allegorically1 in the sense that she was given by ,jove to men as an evil thing1 and as a retribution for the theft of 8the fire20#fcb while that regarding the woman who was taken from the side of the man 7after he had been buried in deep slumber71 and was formed by ,god1 appears to you to be related without any rational meaning and secret signification8#fcc ,but is it not uncandid1 not to ridicule the former as myths1 but to admire them as philosophical ideas in a mythical dress1 and to treat with contempt#fcd the latter1 as offending the understanding1 and to declare that they are of no account8 ,for if1 because of the mere phraseology1 we are to find fault with what is intended to have a secret meaning1 see whether the following lines of ,hesiod1 a man1 as you say1 8inspired10 are not better fitted to excite laughter3 8#8,son of ,iapetus6' with wrathful heart1 ,spake the cloud-gatherer3 #8,oh1 unmatched in art6 ,exultest thou in this the flame retrieved1 ,and dost thou triumph in the ,god deceived8 ,but thou1 with the posterity of man1 ,shalt rue the fraud whence mightier ills began2 ,i will send evil for thy stealthy fire1 ,while all embrace it1 and their bane desire4' ,the sire1 who rules the earth1 and sways the pole1 ,had said1 and laughter fill'd his secret soul4 ,he bade the artist-god his hest obey1 ,and mould with tempering waters ductile clay3 ,infuse1 as breathing life and form began1 ,the supple vigour1 and the voice of man3 ,her aspect fair as goddesses above1 ,a virgin's likeness1 with the brows of love4 ,he bade ,minerva teach the skill that dyes ,the web with colours1 as the shuttle flies2 ,he called the magic of ,love's ,queen to shed ,a nameless grace around her courteous head2 ,instil the wish that longs with restless aim1 ,and cares of dress that feed upon the frame3 ,bade ,hermes last implant the craft refined ,of artful manners1 and a shameless mind4 ,he said2 their king th' inferior powers obeyed3 ,the fictile likeness of a bashful maid ,rose from the temper'd earth1 by ,jove's behest1 ,under the forming ,god2 the zone and vest ,were clasp'd and folded by ,minerva's hand3 ,the heaven-born graces1 and persuasion bland ,deck'd her round limbs with chains of gold3 the hours ,of loose locks twined her temples with spring flowers4 ,the whole attire ,minerva's curious care ,form'd to her shape1 and fitted to her air4 ,but in her breast the herald from above1 ,full of the counsels of deep thundering ,jove1 ,wrought artful manners1 wrought perfidious lies1 ,and speech that thrills the blood1 and lulls the wise4 ,her did th' interpreter of ,gods proclaim1 ,and named the woman with ,pandora's name2 ,since all the gods conferr'd their gifts1 to charm1 ,for man's inventive race1 this beauteous harm40#fce ,moreover1 what is said also about the casket is fitted of itself to excite laughter2 for example3 8,whilome on earth the sons of men abode ,from ills apart1 and labour's irksome load1 ,and sore diseases1 bringing age to man2 ,now the sad life of mortals is a span4 ,the woman's hands a mighty casket bear2 ,she lifts the lid2 she scatters griefs in air3 ,alone1 beneath the vessels' rims detained1 ,hope still within th' unbroken cell remained1 ,nor fled abroad2 so will'd cloud-gatherer ,jove3 ,the woman's hand had dropp'd the lid above40#fcf ,now1 to him who would give to these lines a grave allegorical meaning 7whether any such meaning be contained in them or not71 we would say3 ,are the ,greeks alone at liberty to convey a philosophic meaning in a secret covering8 or perhaps also the ,egyptians1 and those of the barbarians who pride themselves upon their mysteries and the truth which is concealed within them2 while the ,jews alone1 with their lawgiver and historians1 appear to you the most unintelligent of men8 ,and is this the only nation which has not received a share of divine power1 and which yet was so grandly instructed how to rise upwards to the uncreated nature of ,god1 and to gaze on ,him alone1 and to expect from ,him alone the fulfilment of their hopes8 ,footnote #fca3 ,cf4 ,gen4 ii4 #ba1 #bb4 ,footnote #fcb3 4 ,footnote #fcc3 4 ,footnote #fcd3 4 ,footnote #fce3 ,hesiod1 ,works and ,days1 i4 v4 #gc-aad 7,elton's translation74 ,footnote #fcf3 ,hesiod1 ,works and ,days1 i4 v4 #abe-acd 7,elton's translation74 ,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,but as ,celsus makes a jest also of the serpent1 as counteracting the injunctions given by ,god to the man1 taking the narrative to be an old wife's fable1#fcg and has purposely neither mentioned the paradise#fch of ,god1 nor stated that ,god is said to have planted it in ,eden towards the east1 and that there afterwards sprang up from the earth every tree that was beautiful to the sight1 and good for food1 and the tree of life in the midst of the paradise1 and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 and the other statements which follow1 which might of themselves lead a candid reader to see that all these things had not inappropriately an allegorical meaning1 let us contrast with this the words of ,socrates regarding ,eros in the ,symposium of ,plato1 and which are put in the mouth of ,socrates as being more appropriate than what was said regarding him by all the others at the ,symposium4 ,the words of ,plato are as follow3 8,when ,aphrodite was born1 the gods held a banquet1 and there was present1 along with the others1 ,porus the son of ,metis4 ,and after they had dined1 ,penia#fci came to beg for something 7seeing there was an entertainment71 and she stood at the gate4 ,porus meantime1 having become intoxicated with the nectar 7for there was then no wine71 went into the garden of ,zeus1 and being heavy with liquor1 lay down to sleep4 ,penia accordingly formed a secret plot1 with a view of freeing herself from her condition of poverty1#fdj to get a child by ,porus1 and accordingly lay down beside him1 and became pregnant with ,eros4 ,and on this account ,eros has become the follower and attendant of ,aphrodite1 having been begotten on her birth-day feast1#fda and being at the same time by nature a lover of the beautiful1 because ,aphrodite too is beautiful4 ,seeing1 then1 that ,eros is the son of ,porus and ,penia1 the following is his condition4#fdb ,in the first place1 he is always poor1 and far from being delicate and beautiful1 as most persons imagine2 but is withered1 and sunburnt1#fdc and unshod1 and without a home1 sleeping always upon the ground1 and without a covering2 lying in the open air beside gates1 and on public roads2 possessing the nature of his mother1 and dwelling continually with indigence4#fdd ,but1 on the other hand1 in conformity with the character of his father1 he is given to plotting against the beautiful and the good1 being courageous1 and hasty1 and vehement2#fde a keen#fdf hunter1 perpetually devising contrivances2 both much given to forethought1 and also fertile in resources2#fdg acting like a philosopher throughout the whole of his life2 a terrible#fdh sorcerer1 and dealer in drugs1 and a sophist as well2 neither immortal by nature nor yet mortal1 but on the same day1 at one time he flourishes and lives when he has plenty1 and again at another time dies1 and once more is recalled to life through possessing the nature of his father4 ,but the supplies furnished to him are always gradually disappearing1 so that he is never at any time in want1 nor yet rich2 and1 on the other hand1 he occupies an intermediate position between wisdom and ignorance40 ,now1 if those who read these words were to imitate the malignity of ,celsus--which be it far from ,christians to do6--they would ridicule the myth1 and would turn this great ,plato into a subject of jest2 but if1 on investigating in a philosophic spirit what is conveyed in the dress of a myth1 they should be able to discover the meaning of ,plato1 they will admire#fdi the manner in which he was able to conceal1 on account of the multitude1 in the form of this myth1 the great ideas which presented themselves to him1 and to speak in a befitting manner to those who know how to ascertain from the myths the true meaning of him who wove them together4 ,now ,i have brought forward this myth occurring in the writings of ,plato1 because of the mention in it of the garden of ,zeus1 which appears to bear some resemblance to the paradise of ,god1 and of the comparison between ,penia and the serpent1 and the plot against ,porus by ,penia1 which may be compared with the plot of the serpent against the man4 ,it is not very clear1 indeed1 whether ,plato fell in with these stories by chance1 or whether1 as some think1 meeting during his visit to ,egypt with certain individuals who philosophized on the ,jewish mysteries1 and learning some things from them1 he may have preserved a few of their ideas1 and thrown others aside1 being careful not to offend the ,greeks by a complete adoption of all the points of the philosophy of the ,jews1 who were in bad repute with the multitude1 on account of the foreign character of their laws and their peculiar polity4 ,the present1 however1 is not the proper time for explaining either the myth of ,plato1 or the story of the serpent and the paradise of ,god1 and all that is related to have taken place in it1 as in our exposition of the book of ,genesis we have especially occupied ourselves as we best could with these matters4 ,footnote #fcg3 8 0 4 ,footnote #fch3 4 ,footnote #fci3 ,penia1 poverty2 ,porus1 abundance4 ,footnote #fdj3 4 ,footnote #fda3 4 ,footnote #fdb3 4 ,footnote #fdc3 4 ,footnote #fdd3 4 ,footnote #fde3 4 ,footnote #fdf3 4 ,footnote #fdg3 4 ,footnote #fdh3 4 ,footnote #fdi3 ,boherellus1 quem ,rueus sequitur1 in notis2 8,ante voces3 1 videtur deesse3 1 aut quid simile40--,,lommatzsch4 ,chapter ,,xl4 ,but as he asserts that 8the ,mosaic narrative most impiously represents ,god as in a state of weakness from the very commencement of things1 and as unable to gain over to obedience even one single man whom ,he ,himself had formed10 we say in answer that the objection#fej is much the same as if one were to find fault with the existence of evil1 which ,god has not been able to prevent even in the case of a single individual1 so that one man might be found from the very beginning of things who was born into the world untainted by sin4 ,for as those whose business it is to defend the doctrine of providence do so by means of arguments which are not to be despised1#fea so also the subjects of ,adam and his son will be philosophically dealt with by those who are aware that in the ,hebrew language ,adam signifies man2 and that in those parts of the narrative which appear to refer to ,adam as an individual1 ,moses is discoursing upon the nature of man in general4#feb ,for 8in ,adam0 7as the ,scripture#fec says7 8all die10 and were condemned in the likeness of ,adam's transgression1 the word of ,god asserting this not so much of one particular individual as of the whole human race4 ,for in the connected series of statements which appears to apply as to one particular individual1 the curse pronounced upon ,adam is regarded as common to all the members of the race1 and what was spoken with reference to the woman is spoken of every woman without exception4#fed ,and the expulsion of the man and woman from paradise1 and their being clothed with tunics of skins 7which ,god1 because of the transgression of men1 made for those who had sinned71 contain a certain secret and mystical doctrine 7far transcending that of ,plato7 of the soul's losing its wings1#fee and being borne downwards to earth1 until it can lay hold of some stable resting-place4 ,footnote #fej3 4 ,footnote #fea3 4 ,footnote #feb3 4 ,footnote #fec3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #bb with ,rom4 v4 #ad4 ,footnote #fed3 ' 4 ,footnote #fee3 4 ,this is a correction for 1 the textual reading in the ,benedictine and ,spencer's edd4 ,chapter ,,xli4 ,after this he continues as follows3 8,they speak1 in the next place1 of a deluge1 and of a monstrous#fef ark1 having within it all things1 and of a dove and a crow#feg as messengers1 falsifying and recklessly altering#feh the story of ,deucalion2 not expecting1 ,i suppose1 that these things would come to light1 but imagining that they were inventing stories merely for young children40 ,now in these remarks observe the hostility--so unbecoming a philosopher--displayed by this man towards this very ancient ,jewish narrative4 ,for1 not being able to say anything against the history of the deluge1 and not perceiving what he might have urged against the ark and its dimensions1--viz4 that1 according to the general opinion1 which accepted the statements that it was three hundred cubits in length1 and fifty in breadth1 and thirty in height1 it was impossible to maintain that it contained all the animals that were upon the earth1 fourteen specimens of every clean and four of every unclean beast1--he merely termed it 8monstrous1 containing all things within it40 ,now wherein was its 8monstrous0 character1 seeing it is related to have been a hundred years in building1 and to have had the three hundred cubits of its length and the fifty of its breadth contracted1 until the thirty cubits of its height terminated in a top one cubit long and one cubit broad8 ,why should we not rather admire a structure which resembled an extensive city1 if its measurements be taken to mean what they are capable of meaning1#fei so that it was nine myriads of cubits long in the base1 and two thousand five hundred in breadth8 ,and why should we not admire the design evinced in having it so compactly built1 and rendered capable of sustaining a tempest which caused a deluge8 ,for it was not daubed with pitch1 or any material of that kind1 but was securely coated with bitumen4 ,and is it not a subject of admiration1 that by the providential arrangement of ,god1 the elements of all the races were brought into it1 that the earth might receive again the seeds of all living things1 while ,god made use of a most righteous man to be the progenitor of those who were to be born after the deluge8 ,footnote #fef3 4 ,footnote #feg3 4 ,footnote #feh3 4 ,footnote #fei3 4 ,chapter ,,xlii4 ,in order to show that he had read the book of ,genesis1 ,celsus rejects the story of the dove1 although unable to adduce any reason which might prove it to be a fiction4 ,in the next place1 as his habit is1 in order to put the narrative in a more ridiculous light1 he converts the 8raven0 into a 8crow10 and imagines that ,moses so wrote1 having recklessly altered the accounts related of the ,grecian ,deucalion2 unless perhaps he regards the narrative as not having proceeded from ,moses1 but from several individuals1 as appears from his employing the plural number in the expressions1 8falsifying and recklessly altering the story of ,deucalion10#ffj as well as from the words1 8,for they did not expect1 ,i suppose1 that these things would come to light40 ,but how should they1 who gave their ,scriptures to the whole nation1 not expect that they would come to light1 and who predicted1 moreover1 that this religion should be proclaimed to all nations8 ,jesus declared1 8,the kingdom of ,god shall be taken from you1 and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof20#ffa and in uttering these words to the ,jews1 what other meaning did ,he intend to convey than this1 viz4 that ,he ,himself should1 through ,his divine power1 bring forth into light the whole of the ,jewish ,scriptures1 which contain the mysteries of the kingdom of ,god8 ,if1 then1 they peruse the ,theogonies of the ,greeks1 and the stories about the twelve gods1 they impart to them an air of dignity1 by investing them with an allegorical signification2 but when they wish to throw contempt upon our biblical narratives1 they assert that they are fables1 clumsily invented for infant children6 ,footnote #ffj3 4 ,footnote #ffa3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxi4 #dc4 ,chapter ,,xliii4 8,altogether absurd1 and out of season10#ffb he continues1 8is the account of the begetting of children10 where1 although he has mentioned no names1 it is evident that he is referring to the history of ,abraham and ,sarah4 ,cavilling also at the 8conspiracies of the brothers10 he alludes either to the story of ,cain plotting against ,abel1#ffc or1 in addition1 to that of ,esau against ,jacob2#ffd and speaking of 8a father's sorrow10 he probably refers to that of ,isaac on account of the absence of ,jacob1 and perhaps also to that of ,jacob because of ,joseph having been sold into ,egypt4 ,and when relating the 8crafty procedure of mothers10 ,i suppose he means the conduct of ,rebecca1 who contrived that the blessing of ,isaac should descend1 not upon ,esau1 but upon ,jacob4 ,now if we assert that in all these cases ,god interposed in a very marked degree1#ffe what absurdity do we commit1 seeing we are persuaded that ,he never withdraws ,his providence#fff from those who devote themselves to ,him in an honourable and vigorous#ffg life8 ,he ridicules1 moreover1 the acquisition of property made by ,jacob while living with ,laban1 not understanding to what these words refer3 8,and those which had no spots were ,laban's1 and those which were spotted were ,jacob's20#ffh and he says that 8,god presented his sons with asses1 and sheep1 and camels10#ffi and did not see that 8all these things happened unto them for ensamples1 and were written for our sake1 upon whom the ends of the world are come40#fgj ,the varying customs prevailing among the different nations becoming famous1#fga are regulated by the word of ,god1 being given as a possession to him who is figuratively termed ,jacob4 ,for those who become converts to ,christ from among the heathen1 are indicated by the history of ,laban and ,jacob4 ,footnote #ffb3 4 ,footnote #ffc3 ,cf4 ,gen4 iv4 #h4 ,footnote #ffd3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xxi4 #b4 ,footnote #ffe3 4 ,footnote #fff3 4 ,footnote #ffg3 4 ,footnote #ffh3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xxx4 #db 7,,lxx474 8,the feebler were ,laban's1 and the stronger ,jacob's0 7,auth4 ,vers474 ,footnote #ffi3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xxx4 #dc4 ,footnote #fgj3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 x4 #aa4 ,footnote #fga3 ' 1 1 3 is the term employed to denote the 8spotted0 cattle of ,laban1 and is here used by ,origen in its figurative sense of 8distinguished10 thus playing on the double meaning of the word4 ,chapter ,,xliv4 ,and erring widely from the meaning of ,scripture1 he says that 8,god gave wells#fgb also to the righteous40 ,now he did not observe that the righteous do not construct cisterns1#fgc but dig wells1 seeking to discover the inherent ground and source of potable blessings1#fgd inasmuch as they receive in a figurative sense the commandment which enjoins1 8,drink waters from your own vessels1 and from your own wells of fresh water4 ,let not your water be poured out beyond your own fountain1 but let it pass into your own streets4 ,let it belong to you alone1 and let no alien partake with thee40#fge ,scripture frequently makes use of the histories of real events1 in order to present to view more important truths1 which are but obscurely intimated2 and of this kind are the narratives relating to the 8wells10 and to the 8marriages10 and to the various acts of 8sexual intercourse0 recorded of righteous persons1 respecting which1 however1 it will be more seasonable to offer an explanation in the exegetical writings referring to those very passages4 ,but that wells were constructed by righteous men in the land of the ,philistines1 as related in the book of ,genesis1#fgf is manifest from the wonderful wells which are shown at ,ascalon1 and which are deserving of mention on account of their structure1 so foreign and peculiar compared with that of other wells4 ,moreover1 that both young women#fgg and female servants are to be understood metaphorically1 is not our doctrine merely1 but one which we have received from the beginning from wise men1 among whom a certain one said1 when exhorting his hearers to investigate the figurative meaning3 8,tell me1 ye that read the law1 do ye not hear the law8 ,for it is written that ,abraham had two sons2 the one by a bond maid1 the other by a free woman4 ,but he who was of the bond woman was born after the flesh2 but he of the free woman was by promise4 ,which things are an allegory3 for these are the two covenants2 the one from the ,mount ,sinai1 which gendereth to bondage1 which is ,agar40#fgh ,and a little after1 8,but ,jerusalem which is above is free1 which is the mother of us all40 ,and any one who will take up the ,epistle to the ,galatians may learn how the passages relating to the 8marriages10 and the intercourse with 8the maid-servants10 have been allegorized2 the ,scripture desiring us to imitate not the literal acts of those who did these things1 but 7as the apostles of ,jesus are accustomed to call them7 the spiritual4 ,footnote #fgb3 4 ,footnote #fgc3 4 ,footnote #fgd3 4 ,boherellus proposes3 4 ,footnote #fge3 ,cf4 ,prov4 v4 #ae-ag4 ,footnote #fgf3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xxvi4 #ae4 ,footnote #fgg3 4 ,footnote #fgh3 ,cf4 ,gal4 iv4 #ba-bd4 ,chapter ,,xlv4 ,and whereas ,celsus ought to have recognised the love of truth displayed by the writers of sacred ,scripture1 who have not concealed even what is to their discredit1#fgi and thus been led to accept the other and more marvellous accounts as true1 he has done the reverse1 and has characterized the story of ,lot and his daughters 7without examining either its literal or its figurative meaning7 as 8worse than the crimes of ,thyestes40 ,the figurative signification of that passage of history it is not necessary at present to explain1 nor what is meant by ,sodom1 and by the words of the angels to him who was escaping thence1 when they said3 8,look not behind thee1 neither stay thou in all the surrounding district2 escape to the mountain1 lest thou be consumed20#fhj nor what is intended by ,lot and his wife1 who became a pillar of salt because she turned back2 nor by his daughters intoxicating their father1 that they might become mothers by him4 ,but let us in a few words soften down the repulsive features of the history4 ,the nature of actions--good1 bad1 and indifferent--has been investigated by the ,greeks2 and the more successful of such investigators#fha lay down the principle that intention alone gives to actions the character of good or bad1 and that all things which are done without a purpose are1 strictly speaking1 indifferent2 that when the intention is directed to a becoming end1 it is praiseworthy2 when the reverse1 it is censurable4 ,they have said1 accordingly1 in the section relating to 8things indifferent10 that1 strictly speaking1 for a man to have sexual intercourse with his daughters is a thing indifferent1 although such a thing ought not to take place in established communities4 ,and for the sake of hypothesis1 in order to show that such an act belongs to the class of things indifferent1 they have assumed the case of a wise man being left with an only daughter1 the entire human race besides having perished2 and they put the question whether the father can fitly have intercourse with his daughter1 in order1 agreeably to the supposition1 to prevent the extermination of mankind4 ,is this to be accounted sound reasoning among the ,greeks1 and to be commended by the influential#fhb sect of the ,stoics2 but when young maidens1 who had heard of the burning of the world1 though without comprehending its full meaning1 saw fire devastating their city and country1 and supposing that the only means left of rekindling the flame#fhc of human life lay in their father and themselves1 should1 on such a supposition1 conceive the desire that the world should continue1 shall their conduct be deemed worse than that of the wise man who1 according to the hypothesis of the ,stoics1 acts becomingly in having intercourse with his daughters in the case already supposed1 of all men having been destroyed8 ,i am not unaware1 however1 that some have taken offence at the desire#fhd of ,lot's daughters1 and have regarded their conduct as very wicked2 and have said that two accursed nations--,moab and ,ammon--have sprung from that unhallowed intercourse4 ,and yet truly sacred ,scripture is nowhere found distinctly approving of their conduct as good1 nor yet passing sentence upon it as blameworthy4 ,nevertheless1 whatever be the real state of the case1 it admits not only of a figurative meaning1 but also of being defended on its own merits4#fhe ,footnote #fgi3 4 ,footnote #fhj3 ,gen4 xix4 #ag4 ,footnote #fha3 4 ,footnote #fhb3 4 ,footnote #fhc3 4 ,footnote #fhd3 4 ,footnote #fhe3 ' 4 ,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,celsus1 moreover1 sneers at the 8hatred0 of ,esau 7to which1 ,i suppose1 he refers7 against ,jacob1 although he was a man who1 according to the ,scriptures1 is acknowledged to have been wicked2 and not clearly stating the story of ,simeon and ,levi1 who sallied out on the ,shechemites on account of the insult offered to their sister1 who had been violated by the son of the ,shechemite king1 he inveighs against their conduct4 ,and passing on1 he speaks of 8brothers selling one another10 alluding to the sons of ,jacob2 and of 8a brother sold10 ,joseph to wit2 and of 8a father deceived10 viz4 ,jacob1 because he entertained no suspicion of his sons when they showed him ,joseph's coat of many colours1 but believed their statement1 and mourned for his son1 who was a slave in ,egypt1 as if he were dead4 ,and observe in what a spirit of hatred and falsehood ,celsus collects together the statements of the sacred history2 so that wherever it appeared to him to contain a ground of accusation he produces the passage1 but wherever there is any exhibition of virtue worthy of mention--as when ,joseph would not gratify the lust of his mistress1 refusing alike her allurements and her threats--he does not even mention the circumstance6 ,he should see1 indeed1 that the conduct of ,joseph was far superior to what is related of ,bellerophon1#fhf since the former chose rather to be shut up in prison than do violence to his virtue4 ,for although he might have offered a just defence against his accuser1 he magnanimously remained silent1 entrusting his cause to ,god4 ,footnote #fhf3 ,cf4 ,homer1 ,iliad1 vi4 #afj4 ,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,celsus next1 for form's sake1#fhg and with great want of precision1 speaks of 8the dreams of the chief butler and chief baker1 and of ,pharaoh1 and of the explanation of them1 in consequence of which ,joseph was taken out of prison in order to be entrusted by ,pharaoh with the second place in ,egypt40 ,what absurdity1 then1 did the history contain1 looked at even in itself1 that it should be adduced as matter of accusation by this ,celsus1 who gave the title of ,true ,discourse to a treatise not containing doctrines1 but full of charges against ,jews and ,christians8 ,he adds3 8,he who had been sold behaved kindly to his brethren 7who had sold him71 when they were suffering from hunger1 and had been sent with their asses to purchase provisions20 although he has not related these occurrences in his treatise4 ,but he does mention the circumstance of ,joseph making himself known to his brethren1 although ,i know not with what view1 or what absurdity he can point out in such an occurrence2 since it is impossible for ,momus himself1 we might say1 to find any reasonable fault with events which1 apart from their figurative meaning1 present so much that is attractive4 ,he relates1 further1 that 8,joseph1 who had been sold as a slave1 was restored to liberty1 and went up with a solemn procession to his father's funeral10 and thinks that the narrative furnishes matter of accusation against us1 as he makes the following remark3 8,by whom 7,joseph1 namely7 the illustrious and divine nation of the ,jews1 after growing up in ,egypt to be a multitude of people1 was commanded to sojourn somewhere beyond the limits of the kingdom1 and to pasture their flocks in districts of no repute40 ,now the words1 8that they were commanded to pasture their flocks in districts of no repute10 are an addition1 proceeding from his own feelings of hatred2 for he has not shown that ,goshen1 the district of ,egypt1 is a place of no repute4 ,the exodus of the people from ,egypt he calls a flight1 not at all remembering what is written in the book of ,exodus regarding the departure of the ,hebrews from the land of ,egypt4 ,we have enumerated these instances to show that what1 literally considered1 might appear to furnish ground of accusation1 ,celsus has not succeeded in proving to be either objectionable or foolish1 having utterly failed to establish the evil character1 as he regards it1 of our ,scriptures4 ,footnote #fhg3 4 ,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,in the next place1 as if he had devoted himself solely to the manifestation of his hatred and dislike of the ,jewish and ,christian doctrine1 he says3 8,the more modest of ,jewish and ,christian writers give all these things an allegorical meaning20 and1 8,because they are ashamed of these things1 they take refuge in allegory40 ,now one might say to him1 that if we must admit fables and fictions1 whether written with a concealed meaning or with any other object1 to be shameful narratives when taken in their literal acceptation1#fhh of what histories can this be said more truly than of the ,grecian8 ,in these histories1 gods who are sons castrate the gods who are their fathers1 and gods who are parents devour their own children1 and a goddess-mother gives to the 8father of gods and men0 a stone to swallow instead of his own son1 and a father has intercourse with his daughter1 and a wife binds her own husband1 having as her allies in the work the brother of the fettered god and his own daughter6 ,but why should ,i enumerate these absurd stories of the ,greeks regarding their gods1 which are most shameful in themselves1 even though invested with an allegorical meaning8 ,take the instance where ,chrysippus of ,soli1 who is considered to be an ornament of the ,stoic sect1 on account of his numerous and learned treatises1 explains a picture at ,samos1 in which ,juno was represented as committing unspeakable abominations with ,jupiter4 ,this reverend philosopher says in his treatises1 that matter receives the spermatic words#fhi of the god1 and retains them within herself1 in order to ornament the universe4 ,for in the picture at ,samos ,juno represents matter1 and ,jupiter ,god4 ,now it is on account of these1 and of countless other similar fables1 that we would not even in word call the ,god of all things ,jupiter1 or the sun ,apollo1 or the moon ,diana4 ,but we offer to the ,creator a worship which is pure1 and speak with religious respect of ,his noble works of creation1 not contaminating even in word the things of ,god2 approving of the language of ,plato in the ,philebus1 who would not admit that pleasure was a goddess1 8so great is my reverence1 ,protarchus10 he says1 8for the very names of the gods40 ,we verily entertain such reverence for the name of ,god1 and for ,his noble works of creation1 that we would not1 even under pretext of an allegorical meaning1 admit any fable which might do injury to the young4 ,footnote #fhh3 4 ,footnote #fhi3 4 ,chapter ,,xlix4 ,if ,celsus had read the ,scriptures in an impartial spirit1 he would not have said that 8our writings are incapable of admitting an allegorical meaning40 ,for from the prophetic ,scriptures1 in which historical events are recorded 7not from the historical71 it is possible to be convinced that the historical portions also were written with an allegorical purpose1 and were most skilfully adapted not only to the multitude of the simpler believers1 but also to the few who are able or willing to investigate matters in an intelligent spirit4 ,if1 indeed1 those writers at the present day who are deemed by ,celsus the 8more modest of the ,jews and ,christians0 were the first allegorical interpreters of our ,scriptures1 he would have the appearance1 perhaps1 of making a plausible allegation4 ,but since the very fathers and authors of the doctrines themselves give them an allegorical signification1 what other inference can be drawn than that they were composed so as to be allegorically understood in their chief signification8#fij ,and we shall adduce a few instances out of very many to show that ,celsus brings an empty charge against the ,scriptures1 when he says 8that they are incapable of admitting an allegorical meaning40 ,paul1 the apostle of ,jesus1 says3 8,it is written in the law1 ,thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn4 ,doth ,god take care for oxen8 or saith ,he it altogether for our sakes8 ,for our sakes1 no doubt1 this is written1 that he that plougheth should plough in hope1 and he that thresheth in hope of partaking40#fia ,and in another passage the same ,paul says3 8,for it is written1 ,for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother1 and shall be joined to his wife1 and they two shall be one flesh4 ,this is a great mystery2 but ,i speak concerning ,christ and the church40#fib ,and again1 in another place3 8,we know that all our fathers were under the cloud1 and all passed through the sea2 and were all baptized unto ,moses in the cloud1 and in the sea40#fic ,then1 explaining the history relating to the manna1 and that referring to the miraculous issue of the water from the rock1 he continues as follows3 8,and they did all eat the same spiritual meat1 and did all drink the same spiritual drink4 ,for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them1 and that rock was ,christ40#fid ,asaph1 moreover1 who1 in showing the histories in ,exodus and ,numbers to be full of difficulties and parables1#fie begins in the following manner1 as recorded in the book of ,psalms1 where he is about to make mention of these things3 8,give ear1 ,o my people1 to my law3 incline your ears to the words of my mouth4 ,i will open my mouth in parables2 ,i will utter dark sayings of old1 which we have heard and known1 and our fathers have told us40#fif ,footnote #fij3 4 ,footnote #fia3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 ix4 #i1 #aj1 and ,deut4 xxv4 #d4 ,footnote #fib3 ,cf4 ,eph4 v4 #ca1 #cb4 ,cf4 ,gen4 ii4 #bd4 ,footnote #fic3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 x4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #fid3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 x4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #fie3 4 ,footnote #fif3 ,cf4 ,ps4 lxxxvii4 #a1 #b4 ,chapter ,l4 ,moreover1 if the law of ,moses had contained nothing which was to be understood as having a secret meaning1 the prophet would not have said in his prayer to ,god1 8,open ,thou mine eyes1 and ,i will behold wondrous things out of ,thy law20#fig whereas he knew that there was a veil of ignorance lying upon the heart of those who read but do not understand the figurative meaning1 which veil is taken away by the gift of ,god1 when ,he hears him who has done all that he can1#fih and who by reason of habit has his senses exercised to distinguish between good and evil1 and who continually utters the prayer1 8,open ,thou mine eyes1 and ,i will behold wondrous things out of ,thy law40 ,and who is there that1 on reading of the dragon that lives in the ,egyptian river1#fii and of the fishes which lurk in his scales1 or of the excrement of ,pharaoh which fills the mountains of ,egypt1#gjj is not led at once to inquire who he is that fills the ,egyptian mountains with his stinking excrement1 and what the ,egyptian mountains are2 and what the rivers in ,egypt are1 of which the aforesaid ,pharaoh boastfully says1 8,the rivers are mine1 and ,i have made them20#gja and who the dragon is1 and the fishes in its scales1--and this so as to harmonize with the interpretation to be given of the rivers8 ,but why establish at greater length what needs no demonstration8 ,for to these things applies the saying3 8,who is wise1 and he shall understand these things8 or who is prudent1 and he shall know them80#gjb ,now ,i have gone at some length into the subject1 because ,i wished to show the unsoundness of the assertion of ,celsus1 that 8the more modest among the ,jews and ,christians endeavour somehow to give these stories an allegorical signification1 although some of them do not admit of this1 but on the contrary are exceedingly silly inventions40 ,much rather are the stories of the ,greeks not only very silly1 but very impious inventions4 ,for our narratives keep expressly in view the multitude of simpler believers1 which was not done by those who invented the ,grecian fables4 ,and therefore not without propriety does ,plato expel from his state all fables and poems of such a nature as those of which we have been speaking4 ,footnote #fig3 ,cf4 ,ps4 cxix4 #ah4 ,footnote #fih3 ' 4 ,footnote #fii3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 xxix4 #c4 ,footnote #gjj3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 xxxii4 #f4 ,footnote #gja3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 xxix4 #c4 ,footnote #gjb3 ,cf4 ,hos4 xiv4 #i4 ,chapter ,,li4 ,celsus appears to me to have heard that there are treatises in existence which contain allegorical explanations of the law of ,moses4 ,these1 however1 he could not have read2 for if he had1 he would not have said3 8,the allegorical explanations1 however1 which have been devised1 are much more shameful and absurd than the fables themselves1 inasmuch as they endeavour to unite with marvellous and altogether insensate folly things which cannot at all be made to harmonize40 ,he seems to refer in these words to the works of ,philo1 or to those of still older writers1 such as ,aristobulus4 ,but ,i conjecture that ,celsus has not read their books1 since it appears to me that in many passages they have so successfully hit the meaning of the sacred writers1 that even ,grecian philosophers would have been captivated by their explanations2 for in their writings we find not only a polished style1 but exquisite thoughts and doctrines1 and a rational use of what ,celsus imagines to be fables in the sacred writings4 ,i know1 moreover1 that ,numenius the ,pythagorean--a surpassingly excellent expounder of ,plato1 and who held a foremost place as a teacher of the doctrines of ,pythagoras--in many of his works quotes from the writings of ,moses and the prophets1 and applies to the passages in question a not improbable allegorical meaning1 as in his work called ,epops1 and in those which treat of 8,numbers0 and of 8,place40 ,and in the third book of his dissertation on ,the ,good1 he quotes also a narrative regarding ,jesus--without1 however1 mentioning ,his name--and gives it an allegorical signification1 whether successfully or the reverse ,i may state on another occasion4 ,he relates also the account respecting ,moses1 and ,jannes1 and ,jambres4#gjc ,but we are not elated on account of this instance1 though we express our approval of ,numenius1 rather than of ,celsus and other ,greeks1 because he was willing to investigate our histories from a desire to acquire knowledge1 and was duly affected by them as narratives which were to be allegorically understood1 and which did not belong to the category of foolish compositions4 ,footnote #gjc3 ,cf4 #b ,tim4 iii4 #h4 ,chapter ,,lii4 ,after this1 selecting from all the treatises which contain allegorical explanations and interpretations1 expressed in a language and style not to be despised1 the least important1#gjd such as might contribute1 indeed1 to strengthen the faith of the multitude of simple believers1 but were not adapted to impress those of more intelligent mind1 he continues3 8,of such a nature do ,i know the work to be1 entitled ,controversy between one ,papiscus and ,jason1 which is fitted to excite pity and hatred instead of laughter4 ,it is not my purpose1 however1 to confute the statements contained in such works2 for their fallacy is manifest to all1 especially if any one will have the patience to read the books themselves4 ,rather do ,i wish to show that ,nature teaches this1 that ,god made nothing that is mortal1 but that ,his works1 whatever they are1 are immortal1 and theirs mortal4 ,and the soul#gje is the work of ,god1 while the nature of the body is different4 ,and in this respect there is no difference between the body of a bat1 or of a worm1 or of a frog1 and that of a man2 for the matter#gjf is the same1 and their corruptible part is alike40 ,nevertheless ,i could wish that every one who heard ,celsus declaiming and asserting that the treatise entitled ,controversy between ,jason and ,papiscus regarding ,christ was fitted to excite not laughter1 but hatred1 could take the work into his hands1 and patiently listen to its contents2 that1 finding in it nothing to excite hatred1 he might condemn ,celsus out of the book itself4 ,for if it be impartially perused1 it will be found that there is nothing to excite even laughter in a work in which a ,christian is described as conversing with a ,jew on the subject of the ,jewish ,scriptures1 and proving that the predictions regarding ,christ fitly apply to ,jesus2 although the other disputant maintains the discussion in no ignoble style1 and in a manner not unbecoming the character of a ,jew4 ,footnote #gjd3 4 ,footnote #gje3 4 ,footnote #gjf3 4 ,chapter ,,liii4 ,i do not know1 indeed1 how he could conjoin things that do not admit of union1 and which cannot exist together at the same time in human nature1 in saying1 as he did1 that 8the above treatise deserved to be treated both with pity and hatred40 ,for every one will admit that he who is the object of pity is not at the same moment an object of hatred1 and that he who is the object of hatred is not at the same time a subject of pity4 ,celsus1 moreover1 says that it was not his purpose to refute such statements1 because he thinks that their absurdity is evident to all1 and that1 even before offering any logical refutation1 they will appear to be bad1 and to merit both pity and hatred4 ,but we invite him who peruses this reply of ours to the charges of ,celsus to have patience1 and to listen to our sacred writings themselves1 and1 as far as possible1 to form an opinion from their contents of the purpose of the writers1 and of their consciences and disposition of mind2 for he will discover that they are men who strenuously contend for what they uphold1 and that some of them show that the history which they narrate is one which they have both seen and experienced1#gjg which was miraculous1 and worthy of being recorded for the advantage of their future hearers4 ,will any one indeed venture to say that it is not the source and fountain of all blessing#gjh to men to believe in the ,god of all things1 and to perform all our actions with the view of pleasing ,him in everything whatever1 and not to entertain even a thought unpleasing to ,him1 seeing that not only our words and deeds1 but our very thoughts1 will be the subject of future judgment8 ,and what other arguments would more effectually lead human nature to adopt a virtuous life1 than the belief or opinion that the supreme ,god beholds all things1 not only what is said and done1 but even what is thought by us8 ,and let any one who likes compare any other system which at the same time converts and ameliorates1 not merely one or two individuals1 but1 as far as in it lies1 countless numbers1 that by the comparison of both methods he may form a correct idea of the arguments which dispose to a virtuous life4 ,footnote #gjg3 ,the reading in the text of ,spencer and of the ,benedictine ed4 is 1 for which ,lommatzsch has adopted the conjecture of ,boherellus1 4 ,footnote #gjh3 4 ,chapter ,,liv4 ,but as in the words which ,i quoted from ,celsus1 which are a paraphrase from the ,timus1 certain expressions occur1 such as1 8,god made nothing mortal1 but immortal things alone1 while mortal things are the works of others1 and the soul is a work of ,god1 but the nature of the body is different1 and there is no difference between the body of a man and that of a bat1 or of a worm1 or of a frog2 for the matter is the same1 and their corruptible part alike10--let us discuss these points for a little2 and let us show that ,celsus either does not disclose his ,epicurean opinions1 or1 as might be said by one person1 has exchanged them for better1 or1 as another might say1 has nothing in common save the name1 with ,celsus1 the ,epicurean4 ,for he ought1 in giving expression to such opinions1 and in proposing to contradict not only us1 but the by no means obscure sect of philosophers who are the adherents of ,zeno of ,citium1 to have proved that the bodies of animals are not the work of ,god1 and that the great skill displayed in their construction did not proceed from the highest intelligence4 ,and he ought also1 with regard to the countless diversities of plants1 which are regulated by an inherent1 incomprehensible nature1#gji and which have been created for the by no means despicable#gaj use of man in general1 and of the animals which minister to man1 whatever other reasons may be adduced for their existence1#gaa not only to have stated his opinion1 but also to have shown us that it was no perfect intelligence which impressed these qualities upon the matter of plants4 ,and when he had once represented various divinities as the creators of all the bodies1 the soul alone being the work of ,god1 why did not he1 who separated these great acts of creation1 and apportioned them among a plurality of creators1 next demonstrate by some convincing reason the existence of these diversities among divinities1 some of which construct the bodies of men1 and others--those1 say1 of beasts of burden1 and others--those of wild animals8 ,and he who saw that some divinities were the creators of dragons1 and of asps1 and of basilisks1 and others of each plant and herb according to its species1 ought to have explained the causes of these diversities4 ,for probably1 had he given himself carefully to the investigation of each particular point1 he would either have observed that it was one ,god who was the creator of all1 and who made each thing with a certain object and for a certain reason2 or if he had failed to observe this1 he would have discovered the answer which he ought to return to those who assert that corruptibility is a thing indifferent in its nature2 and that there was no absurdity in a world which consists of diverse materials1 being formed by one architect1 who constructed the different kinds of things so as to secure the good of the whole4 ,or1 finally1 he ought to have expressed no opinion at all on so important a doctrine1 since he did not intend to prove what he professed to demonstrate2 unless1 indeed1 he who censures others for professing a simple faith1 would have us to believe his mere assertions1 although he gave out that he would not merely assert1 but would prove his assertions4 ,footnote #gji3 ' 4 ,footnote #gaj3 4 ,footnote #gaa3 4 ,chapter ,,lv4 ,but ,i maintain that1 if he had had the patience 7to use his own expression7 to listen to the writings of ,moses and the prophets1 he would have had his attention arrested by the circumstance that the expression 8,god made0 is applied to heaven and earth1 and to what is called the firmament1 and also to the lights and stars2 and after these1 to the great fishes1 and to every living thing among creeping animals which the waters brought forth after their kinds1 and to every fowl of heaven after its kind2 and after these1 to the wild beasts of the earth after their kind1 and the beasts after their kind1 and to every creeping thing upon the earth after its kind2 and last of all to man4 ,the expression 8made10 however1 is not applied to other things2 but it is deemed sufficient to say regarding light1 8,and it was light20 and regarding the one gathering together of all the waters that are under the whole heaven1 8,it was so40 ,and in like manner also1 with regard to what grew upon the earth1 where it is said1 8,the earth brought forth grass1 and herb yielding seed after its kind and after its likeness1 and the fruit-tree yielding fruit1 whose seed is in itself1 after its kind1 upon the earth40 ,he would have inquired1 moreover1 whether the recorded commands of ,god respecting the coming into existence of each part of the world were addressed to one thing or to several2#gab and he would not lightly have charged with being unintelligible1 and as having no secret meaning1 the accounts related in these books1 either by ,moses1 or1 as we would say1 by the ,divine ,spirit speaking in ,moses1 from whom also he derived the power of prophesying2 since he 8knew both the present1 and the future1 and the past10 in a higher degree than those priests who are alleged by the poets to have possessed a knowledge of these things4 ,footnote #gab3 4 ,chapter ,,lvi4 ,moreover1 since ,celsus asserts that 8the soul is the work of ,god1 but that the nature of body is different2 and that in this respect there is no difference between the body of a bat1 or of a worm1 or of a frog1 and that of a man1 for the matter is the same1 and their corruptible part alike10--we have to say in answer to this argument of his1 that if1 since the same matter underlies the body of a bat1 or of a worm1 or of a frog1 or of a man1 these bodies will differ in no respect from one another1 it is evident then that these bodies also will differ in no respect from the sun1 or the moon1 or the stars1 or the sky1 or any other thing which is called by the ,greeks a god1 cognisable by the senses4#gac ,for the same matter1 underlying all bodies1 is1 properly speaking1 without qualities and without form1 and derives its qualities from some other source1 ,i know not whence1 since ,celsus will have it that nothing corruptible can be the work of ,god4 ,now the corruptible part of everything whatever1 being produced from the same underlying matter1 must necessarily be the same1 by ,celsus' own showing2 unless1 indeed1 finding himself here hard pressed1 he should desert ,plato1 who makes the soul arise from a certain bowl1#gad and take refuge with ,aristotle and the ,peripatetics1 who maintain that the ether is immaterial1#gae and consists of a fifth nature1 separate from the other four elements1#gaf against which view both the ,platonists and the ,stoics have nobly protested4 ,and we too1 who are despised by ,celsus1 will contravene it1 seeing we are required to explain and maintain the following statement of the prophet3 8,the heavens shall perish1 but ,thou remainest3 and they all shall wax old as a garment2 and as a vesture shalt ,thou fold them up1 and they shall be changed3 but ,thou art the same40#gag ,these remarks1 however1 are sufficient in reply to ,celsus1 when he asserts that 8the soul is the work of ,god1 but that the nature of body is different20 for from his argument it follows that there is no difference between the body of a bat1 or of a worm1 or of a frog1 and that of a heavenly#gah being4 ,footnote #gac3 4 ,footnote #gad3 ,cf4 ,plato in ,timo4 ,footnote #gae3 4 ,footnote #gaf3 4 ,footnote #gag3 ,cf4 ,ps4 cii4 #bf1 #bg4 ,footnote #gah3 4 ,chapter ,,lvii4 ,see1 then1 whether we ought to yield to one who1 holding such opinions1 calumniates the ,christians1 and thus abandon a doctrine which explains the difference existing among bodies as due to the different qualities1 internal and external1 which are implanted in them4 ,for we1 too1 know that there are 8bodies celestial1 and bodies terrestrial20 and that 8the glory of the celestial is one1 and the glory of the terrestrial another20 and that even the glory of the celestial bodies is not alike3 for 8one is the glory of the sun1 and another the glory of the stars20 and among the stars themselves1 8one star differeth from another star in glory40#gai ,and therefore1 as those who expect the resurrection of the dead1 we assert that the qualities which are in bodies undergo change3 since some bodies1 which are sown in corruption1 are raised in incorruption2 and others1 sown in dishonour1 are raised in glory2 and others1 again1 sown in weakness1 are raised in power2 and those which are sown natural bodies1 are raised as spiritual4#gbj ,that the matter which underlies bodies is capable of receiving those qualities which the ,creator pleases to bestow1 is a point which all of us who accept the doctrine of providence firmly hold2 so that1 if ,god so willed1 one quality is at the present time implanted in this portion of matter1 and afterwards another of a different and better kind4 ,but since there are1 from the beginning of the world1 laws#gba established for the purpose of regulating the changes of bodies1 and which will continue while the world lasts1 ,i do not know whether1 when a new and different order of things has succeeded#gbb after the destruction of the world1 and what our ,scriptures call the end#gbc of the ages1 it is not wonderful that at the present time a snake should be formed out of a dead man1 growing1 as the multitude affirm1 out of the marrow of the back1#gbd and that a bee should spring from an ox1 and a wasp from a horse1 and a beetle from an ass1 and1 generally1 worms from the most of bodies4 ,celsus1 indeed1 thinks that this can be shown to be the consequence of none of these bodies being the work of ,god1 and that qualities 7,i know not whence it was so arranged that one should spring out of another7 are not the work of a divine intelligence1 producing the changes which occur in the qualities of matter4 ,footnote #gai3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #da1 etc4 ,footnote #gbj3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #dd4 ,footnote #gba3 4 ,footnote #gbb3 1 etc4 ,for 1 ,boherellus would read 4 ,cf4 ,origen1 de ,princip4 iii4 c4 v4 ,footnote #gbc3 4 ,footnote #gbd3 ,cf4 ,pliny1 x4 c4 #ff3 8,anguem ex medull hominis spin gigni accepimus a multis40 ,cf4 also ,ovid1 ,metamorphos4 xv4 fab4 iv4 ,chapter ,,lviii4 ,but we have something more to say to ,celsus1 when he declares that 8the soul is the work of ,god1 and that the nature of body is different10 and puts forward such an opinion not only without proof1 but even without clearly defining his meaning2 for he did not make it evident1 whether he meant that every soul is the work of ,god1 or only the rational soul4 ,this1 then1 is what we have to say3 ,if every soul is the work of ,god1 it is manifest that those of the meanest irrational animals are ,god's work1 so that the nature of all bodies is different from that of the soul4 ,he appears1 however1 in what follows1 where he says that 8irrational animals are more beloved by ,god than we1 and have a purer knowledge of divinity10 to maintain that not only is the soul of man1 but in a much greater degree that of irrational animals1 the work of ,god2 for this follows from their being said to be more beloved by ,god than we4 ,now if the rational soul alone be the work of ,god1 then1 in the first place1 he did not clearly indicate that such was his opinion2 and in the second place1 this deduction follows from his indefinite language regarding the soul--viz4 whether not every one1 but only the rational1 is the work of ,god--that neither is the nature of all bodies different from the soul4 ,but if the nature of all bodies be not different1 although the body of each animal correspond to its soul1 it is evident that the body of that animal whose soul was the work of ,god1 would differ from the body of that animal in which dwells a soul which was not the work of ,god4 ,and so the assertion will be false1 that there is no difference between the body of a bat1 or of a worm1 or of a frog1 and that of a man4 ,chapter ,,lix4 ,for it would1 indeed1 be absurd that certain stones and buildings should be regarded as more sacred or more profane than others1 according as they were constructed for the honour of ,god1 or for the reception of dishonourable and accursed persons2#gbe while bodies should not differ from bodies1 according as they are inhabited by rational or irrational beings1 and according as these rational beings are the most virtuous or most worthless of mankind4 ,such a principle of distinction1 indeed1 has led some to deify the bodies of distinguished men1#gbf as having received a virtuous soul1 and to reject and treat with dishonour those of very wicked individuals4 ,i do not maintain that such a principle has been always soundly exercised1 but that it had its origin in a correct idea4 ,would a wise man1 indeed1 after the death of ,anytus and ,socrates1 think of burying the bodies of both with like honours8 ,and would he raise the same mound or tomb to the memory of both8 ,these instances we have adduced because of the language of ,celsus1 that 8none of these is the work of ,god0 7where the words 8of these0 refer to the body of a man1 or to the snakes which come out of the body2 and to that of an ox1 or of the bees which come from the body of an ox2 and to that of a horse1 or of an ass1 and to the wasps which come from a horse1 and the beetles which proceed from an ass72 for which reason we have been obliged to return to the consideration of his statement1 that 8the soul is the work of ,god1 but that the nature of body is different40 ,footnote #gbe3 4 ,footnote #gbf3 4 ,chapter ,,lx4 ,he next proceeds to say1 that 8a common nature pervades all the previously mentioned bodies1 and one which goes and returns the same amid recurring changes40#gbg ,in answer to this1 it is evident from what has been already said1 that not only does a common nature pervade those bodies which have been previously enumerated1 but the heavenly bodies as well4 ,and if this is the case1 it is clear also that1 according to ,celsus 7although ,i do not know whether it is according to truth71 it is one nature which goes and returns the same through all bodies amid recurring changes4 ,it is evident also that this is the case in the opinion of those who hold that the world is to perish2 while those also who hold the opposite view will endeavour to show1 without the assumption of a fifth substance1#gbh that in their judgment too it is one nature 8which goes and returns the same through all bodies amid recurring changes40 ,and thus1 even that which is perishable remains in order to undergo a change2#gbi for the matter which underlies all things1 while its properties perish1 still abides1 according to the opinion of those who hold it to be uncreated4 ,if1 however1 it can be shown by any arguments not to be uncreated1 but to have been created for certain purposes1 it is clear that it will not have the same nature of permanency which it would possess on the hypothesis of being uncreated4 ,but it is not our object at present1 in answering the charges of ,celsus1 to discuss these questions of natural philosophy4 ,footnote #gbg3 4 ,footnote #gbh3 4 ,footnote #gbi3 4 ,chapter ,,lxi4 ,he maintains1 moreover1 that 8no product of matter is immortal40 ,now1 in answer to this it may be said1 that if no product of matter is immortal1 then either the whole world is immortal1 and thus not a product of matter1 or it is not immortal4 ,if1 accordingly1 the world is immortal 7which is agreeable to the view of those who say that the soul alone is the work of ,god1 and was produced from a certain bowl71 let ,celsus show that the world was not produced from a matter devoid of qualities1 remembering his own assertion that 8no product of matter is immortal40 ,if1 however1 the world is not immortal 7seeing it is a product of matter71 but mortal1 does it also perish1 or does it not8 ,for if it perish1 it will perish as being a work of ,god2 and then1 in the event of the world perishing1 what will become of the soul1 which is also a work of ,god8 ,let ,celsus answer this6 ,but if1 perverting the notion of immortality1 he will assert that1 although perishable1 it is immortal1 because it does not really perish2 that it is capable of dying1 but does not actually die1--it is evident that1 according to him1 there will exist something which is at the same time mortal and immortal1 by being capable of both conditions2 and that which does not die will be mortal1 and that which is not immortal by nature will be termed in a peculiar sense immortal1 because it does not die6 ,according to what distinction1 then1 in the meaning of words1 will he maintain that no product of matter is immortal8 ,and thus you see that the ideas contained in his writings1 when closely examined and tested1 are proved not to be sound and incontrovertible4#gcj ,and after making these assertions he adds3 8,on this point these remarks are sufficient2 and if any one is capable of hearing and examining further1 he will come to know the truth40 ,let us1 then1 who in his opinion are unintelligent individuals1 see what will result from our being able to listen to him for a little1 and so continue our investigation4 ,footnote #gcj3 4 ,chapter ,,lxii4 ,after these matters1 then1 he thinks that he can make us acquainted in a few words with the questions regarding the nature of evil1 which have been variously discussed in many important treatises1 and which have received very opposite explanations4 ,his words are3 8,there neither were formerly1 nor are there now1 nor will there be again1 more or fewer evils in the world than have always been4 ,for the nature of all things is one and the same1 and the generation of evils is always the same40 ,he seems to have paraphrased these words from the discussions in the ,thetetus1 where ,plato makes ,socrates say3 8,it is neither possible for evils to disappear from among men1 nor for them to become established among the gods10 and so on4 ,but he appears to me not to have understood ,plato correctly1 although professing to include all truth#gca in this one treatise1 and giving to his own book against us the title of ,a ,true ,discourse4 ,for the language in the ,timus1 where it is said1 8,when the gods purify the earth with water10 shows that the earth1 when purified with water1 contains less evil than it did before its purification4 ,and this assertion1 that there at one time were fewer evils in the world1 is one which we make1 in harmony with the opinion of ,plato1 because of the language in the ,thetetus1 where he says that 8evils cannot disappear from among men40 ,footnote #gca3 4 ,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,i do not understand how ,celsus1 while admitting the existence of ,providence1 at least so far as appears from the language of this book1 can say that there never existed at any time either more or fewer evils1 but1 as it were1 a fixed number2 thus annihilating the beautiful doctrine regarding the indefinite#gcb nature of evil1 and asserting that evil1 even in its own nature1#gcc is infinite4 ,now it appears to follow from the position1 that there never have been1 nor are now1 nor ever will be1 more or fewer evils in the world2 that as1 according to the view of those who hold the indestructibility of the world1 the equipoise of the elements is maintained by a ,providence 7which does not permit one to gain the preponderance over the others1 in order to prevent the destruction of the world71 so a kind of ,providence presides1 as it were1 over evils 7the number of which is fixed71#gcd to prevent their being either increased or diminished6 ,in other ways1 too1 are the arguments of ,celsus concerning evil confuted1 by those philosophers who have investigated the subjects of good and evil1 and who have proved also from history that in former times it was without the city1 and with their faces concealed by masks1 that loose women hired themselves to those who wanted them2 that subsequently1 becoming more impudent1 they laid aside their masks1 though not being permitted by the laws to enter the cities1 they still remained without them1 until1 as the dissoluteness of manners daily increased1 they dared finally even to enter the cities4 ,such accounts are given by ,chrysippus in the introduction to his work on ,good and ,evil4 ,from this also it may be seen that evils both increase and decrease1 viz4 that those individuals who were called 8,ambiguous0#gce used formerly to present themselves openly to view1 suffering and committing all shameful things1 while subserving the passions of those who frequented their society2 but recently they have been expelled from the city by the authorities4#gcf ,and of countless evils which1 owing to the spread of wickedness1 have made their appearance in human life1 we may say that formerly they did not exist4 ,for the most ancient histories1 which bring innumerable other accusations against sinful men1 know nothing of the perpetrators of abominable#gcg crimes4 ,footnote #gcb3 4 ,footnote #gcc3 4 ,footnote #gcd3 4 ,footnote #gce3 4 ,footnote #gcf3 4 ,footnote #gcg3 4 ,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,and now1 after these arguments1 and others of a similar kind1 how can ,celsus escape appearing in a ridiculous light1 when he imagines that there never has been in the past1 nor will be in the future1 a greater or less number of evils8 ,for although the nature of all things is one and the same1 it does not at all follow that the production of evils is a constant quantity4#gch ,for although the nature of a certain individual is one and the same1 yet his mind1 and his reason1 and his actions1 are not always alike3#gci there being a time when he had not yet attained to reason2 and another1 when1 with the possession of reason1 he had become stained with wickedness1 and when this increased to a greater or less degree2 and again1 a time when he devoted himself to virtue1 and made greater or less progress therein1 attaining sometimes the very summit of perfection1 through longer or shorter periods of contemplation4#gdj ,in like manner1 we may make the same assertion in a higher degree of the nature of the universe1#gda that although it is one and the same in kind1 yet neither do exactly the same things1 nor yet things that are similar1 occur in it2 for we neither have invariably productive nor unproductive seasons1 nor yet periods of continuous rain or of drought4 ,and so in the same way1 with regard to virtuous souls1 there are neither appointed periods of fertility nor of barrenness2 and the same is the case with the greater or less spread of evil4 ,and those who desire to investigate all things to the best of their ability1 must keep in view this estimate of evils1 that their amount is not always the same1 owing to the working of a ,providence which either preserves earthly things1 or purges them by means of floods and conflagrations2 and effects this1 perhaps1 not merely with reference to things on earth1 but also to the whole universe of things#gdb which stands in need of purification1 when the wickedness that is in it has become great4 ,footnote #gch3 4 ,footnote #gci3 1 1 4 ,footnote #gdj3 4 ,footnote #gda3 4 ,footnote #gdb3 4 ,chapter ,,lxv4 ,after this ,celsus continues3 8,it is not easy1 indeed1 for one who is not a philosopher to ascertain the origin of evils1 though it is sufficient for the multitude to say that they do not proceed from ,god1 but cleave to matter1 and have their abode among mortal things2 while the course#gdc of mortal things being the same from beginning to end1 the same things must always1 agreeably to the appointed cycles1#gdd recur in the past1 present1 and future40 ,celsus here observes that it is not easy for one who is not a philosopher to ascertain the origin of evils1 as if it were an easy matter for a philosopher to gain this knowledge1 while for one who is not a philosopher it was difficult1 though still possible1 for such an one1 although with great labour1 to attain it4 ,now1 to this we say1 that the origin of evils is a subject which is not easy even for a philosopher to master1 and that perhaps it is impossible even for such to attain a clear understanding of it1 unless it be revealed to them by divine inspiration1 both what evils are1 and how they originated1 and how they shall be made to disappear4 ,but although ignorance of ,god is an evil1 and one of the greatest of these is not to know how ,god is to be served and worshipped1 yet1 as even ,celsus would admit1 there are undoubtedly some philosophers who have been ignorant of this1 as is evident from the views of the different philosophical sects2 whereas1 according to our judgment1 no one is capable of ascertaining the origin of evils who does not know that it is wicked to suppose that piety is preserved uninjured amid the laws that are established in different states1 in conformity with the generally prevailing ideas of government4#gde ,no one1 moreover1 who has not heard what is related of him who is called 8devil10 and of his 8angels10 and what he was before he became a devil1 and how he became such1 and what was the cause of the simultaneous apostasy of those who are termed his angels1 will be able to ascertain the origin of evils4 ,but he who would attain to this knowledge must learn more accurately the nature of demons1 and know that they are not the work of ,god so far as respects their demoniacal nature1 but only in so far as they are possessed of reason2 and also what their origin was1 so that they became beings of such a nature1 that while converted into demons1 the powers of their mind#gdf remain4 ,and if there be any topic of human investigation which is difficult for our nature to grasp1 certainly the origin of evils may be considered to be such4 ,footnote #gdc3 4 ,footnote #gdd3 4 ,footnote #gde3 4 ,footnote #gdf3 4 ,chapter ,,lxvi4 ,celsus in the next place1 as if he were able to tell certain secrets regarding the origin of evils1 but chose rather to keep silence1 and say only what was suitable to the multitude1 continues as follows3 8,it is sufficient to say to the multitude regarding the origin of evils1 that they do not proceed from ,god1 but cleave to matter1 and dwell among mortal things40 ,it is true1 certainly1 that evils do not proceed from ,god2 for according to ,jeremiah1 one of our prophets1 it is certain that 8out of the mouth of the ,most ,high proceedeth not evil and good40#gdg ,but to maintain that matter1 dwelling among mortal things1 is the cause of evils1 is in our opinion not true4 ,for it is the mind of each individual which is the cause of the evil which arises in him1 and this is evil in the abstract2#gdh while the actions which proceed from it are wicked1 and there is1 to speak with accuracy1 nothing else in our view that is evil4 ,i am aware1 however1 that this topic requires very elaborate treatment1 which 7by the grace of ,god enlightening the mind7 may be successfully attempted by him who is deemed by ,god worthy to attain the necessary knowledge on this subject4 ,footnote #gdg3 ,cf4 ,lam4 iii4 #ch4 ,footnote #gdh3 4 ,chapter ,,lxvii4 ,i do not understand how ,celsus should deem it of advantage1 in writing a treatise against us1 to adopt an opinion which requires at least much plausible reasoning to make it appear1 as far as he can do so1 that 8the course of mortal things is the same from beginning to end1 and that the same things must always1 according to the appointed cycles1 recur in the past1 present1 and future40 ,now1 if this be true1 our free-will is annihilated4#gdi ,for if1 in the revolution of mortal things1 the same events must perpetually occur in the past1 present1 and future1 according to the appointed cycles1 it is clear that1 of necessity1 ,socrates will always be a philosopher1 and be condemned for introducing strange gods and for corrupting the youth4 ,and ,anytus and ,melitus must always be his accusers1 and the council of the ,areopagus must ever condemn him to death by hemlock4 ,and in the same way1 according to the appointed cycles1 ,phalaris must always play the tyrant1 and ,alexander of ,pher commit the same acts of cruelty1 and those condemned to the torture of the brazen bull of ,phalaris continually pour forth their wailings from it4 ,but if these things be granted1 ,i do not see how our free-will can be preserved1 or how praise or blame can be administered with propriety4 ,we may say further to ,celsus1 in answer to such a view1 that 8if the course of mortal things be always the same from beginning to end1 and if1 according to the appointed cycles1 the same events must always occur in the past1 present1 and future10 then1 according to the appointed cycles1 ,moses must again come forth from ,egypt with the ,jewish people1 and ,jesus again come to dwell in human life1 and perform the same actions which1 according to this view1 he has done not once1 but countless times1 as the periods have revolved4 ,nay1 ,christians too will be the same in the appointed cycles2 and ,celsus will again write this treatise of his1 which he has done innumerable times before6 ,footnote #gdi3 ' 4 ,chapter ,,lxviii4 ,celsus1 however1 says that it is only 8the course of mortal things which1 according to the appointed cycles1 must always be the same in the past1 present1 and future20 whereas the majority of the ,stoics maintain that this is the case not only with the course of mortal1 but also with that of immortal things1 and of those whom they regard as gods4 ,for after the conflagration of the world1#gej which has taken place countless times in the past1 and will happen countless times in the future1 there has been1 and will be1 the same arrangement of all things from the beginning to the end4 ,the ,stoics1 indeed1 in endeavouring to parry1 ,i don't know how1 the objections raised to their views1 allege that as cycle after cycle returns1 all men will be altogether unchanged#gea from those who lived in former cycles2 so that ,socrates will not live again1 but one altogether like to ,socrates1 who will marry a wife exactly like ,xanthippe1 and will be accused by men exactly like ,anytus and ,melitus4 ,i do not understand1 however1 how the world is to be always the same1 and one individual not different from another1 and yet the things in it not the same1 though exactly alike4 ,but the main argument in answer to the statements of ,celsus and of the ,stoics will be more appropriately investigated elsewhere1 since on the present occasion it is not consistent with the purpose we have in view to expatiate on these points4 ,footnote #gej3 4 ,footnote #gea3 4 ,chapter ,,lxix4 ,he continues to say1 that 8neither have visible things#geb been given to man by ,god1 but each individual thing comes into existence and perishes for the sake of the safety of the whole1 passing agreeably to the change1 which ,i have already mentioned1 from one thing to another40 ,it is unnecessary1 however1 to linger over the refutation of these statements1 which have been already refuted to the best of my ability4 ,and the following1 too1 has been answered1 viz4 that 8there will neither be more nor less good and evil among mortals40 ,this point also has been referred to1 viz4 that 8,god does not need to amend ,his work afresh40#gec ,but it is not as a man who has imperfectly designed some piece of workmanship1 and executed it unskilfully1 that ,god administers correction to the world1 in purifying it by a flood or by a conflagration1 but in order to prevent the tide of evil from rising to a greater height2 and1 moreover1 ,i am of opinion that it is at periods which are precisely determined beforehand that ,he sweeps wickedness away1 so as to contribute to the good of the whole world4#ged ,if1 however1 he should assert that1 after the disappearance of evil1 it again comes into existence1 such questions will have to be examined in a special treatise4 ,it is1 then1 always in order to repair what has become faulty#gee that ,god desires to amend ,his work afresh4 ,for although1 in the creation of the world1 all things had been arranged by ,him in the most beautiful and stable manner1 ,he nevertheless needed to exercise some healing power upon those who were labouring under the disease of wickedness1 and upon a whole world1 which was polluted as it were thereby4 ,but nothing has been neglected by ,god1 or will be neglected by ,him2 for ,he does at each particular juncture what it becomes ,him to do in a perverted and changed world4 ,and as a husbandman performs different acts of husbandry upon the soil and its productions1 according to the varying seasons of the year1 so ,god administers entire ages of time1 as if they were1 so to speak1 so many individual years1 performing during each one of them what is requisite with a reasonable regard to the care of the world2 and this1 as it is truly understood by ,god alone1 so also is it accomplished by ,him4 ,footnote #geb3 4 ,footnote #gec3 4 ,footnote #ged3 4 ,footnote #gee3 4 ,chapter ,,lxx4 ,celsus has made a statement regarding evils of the following nature1 viz41 that 8although a thing may seem to you to be evil1 it is by no means certain that it is so2 for you do not know what is of advantage to yourself1 or to another1 or to the whole world40 ,now this assertion is made with a certain degree of caution2#gef and it hints that the nature of evil is not wholly wicked1 because that which may be considered so in individual cases1 may contain something which is of advantage to the whole community4 ,however1 lest any one should mistake my words1 and find a pretence of wrongdoing1 as if his wickedness were profitable to the world1 or at least might be so1 we have to say1 that although ,god1 who preserves the free-will of each individual1 may make use of the evil of the wicked for the administration of the world1 so disposing them as to conduce to the benefit of the whole2 yet1 notwithstanding1 such an individual is deserving of censure1 and as such has been appointed for a use1 which is a subject of loathing to each separate individual1 although of advantage to the whole community4#geg ,it is as if one were to say that in the case of a city1 a man who had committed certain crimes1 and on account of these had been condemned to serve in public works that were useful to the community1 did something that was of advantage to the entire city1 while he himself was engaged in an abominable task1#geh in which no one possessed of moderate understanding would wish to be engaged4 ,paul also1 the apostle of ,jesus1 teaches us that even the very wicked will contribute to the good of the whole1 while in themselves they will be amongst the vile1 but that the most virtuous men1 too1 will be of the greatest advantage to the world1 and will therefore on that account occupy the noblest position4 ,his words are3 8,but in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver1 but also of wood and of earth2 and some to honour1 and some to dishonour4 ,if a man therefore purge himself1 he shall be a vessel unto honour1 sanctified and meet for the ,master's use1 prepared unto every good work40#gei ,these remarks ,i have thought it necessary to make in reply to the assertion1 that 8although a thing may seem to you to be evil1 it is by no means certain that it is so1 for you do not know what is of advantage either to yourself or to another10 in order that no one may take occasion from what has been said on the subject to commit sin1 on the pretext that he will thus be useful to the world4 ,footnote #gef3 4 ,footnote #geg3 1 4 ,footnote #geh3 4 ,footnote #gei3 ,cf4 #a ,tim4 ii4 #bj1 #ba4 ,chapter ,,lxxi4 ,but as1 in what follows1 ,celsus1 not understanding that the language of ,scripture regarding ,god is adapted to an anthropopathic point of view1 ridicules those passages which speak of words of anger addressed to the ungodly1 and of threatenings directed against sinners1 we have to say that1 as we ourselves1 when talking with very young children1 do not aim at exerting our own power of eloquence1#gfj but1 adapting ourselves to the weakness of our charge1 both say and do those things which may appear to us useful for the correction and improvement of the children as children1 so the word of ,god appears to have dealt with the history1 making the capacity of the hearers1 and the benefit which they were to receive1 the standard of the appropriateness of its announcements regarding ,him4 ,and1 generally1 with regard to such a style of speaking about ,god1 we find in the book of ,deuteronomy the following3 8,the ,lord thy ,god bare with your manners1 as a man would bear with the manners of his son40#gfa ,it is1 as it were1 assuming the manners of a man in order to secure the advantage of men that the ,scripture makes use of such expressions2 for it would not have been suitable to the condition of the multitude1 that what ,god had to say to them should be spoken by ,him in a manner more befitting the majesty of ,his own person4 ,and yet he who is anxious to attain a true understanding of ,holy ,scripture1 will discover the spiritual truths which are spoken by it to those who are called 8spiritual10 by comparing the meaning of what is addressed to those of weaker mind with what is announced to such as are of acuter understanding1 both meanings being frequently found in the same passage by him who is capable of comprehending it4 ,footnote #gfj3 4 ,footnote #gfa3 ,cf4 ,deut4 i4 #ca4 ,origen appears to have read1 not 1 the common reading 7,heb4 71 but 1 the reading of the ,codex ,alex4 ,chapter ,,lxxii4 ,we speak1 indeed1 of the 8wrath0 of ,god4 ,we do not1 however1 assert that it indicates any 8passion0 on ,his part1 but that it is something which is assumed in order to discipline by stern means those sinners who have committed many and grievous sins4 ,for that which is called ,god's 8wrath10 and 8anger10 is a means of discipline2 and that such a view is agreeable to ,scripture1 is evident from what is said in the sixth ,psalm1 8,o ,lord1 rebuke me not in ,thine anger1 neither chasten me in ,thy hot displeasure20#gfb and also in ,jeremiah1 8,o ,lord1 correct me1 but with judgment3 not in ,thine anger1 lest ,thou bring me to nothing40#gfc ,any one1 moreover1 who reads in the second book of ,kings of the 8wrath0 of ,god1 inducing ,david to number the people1 and finds from the first book of ,chronicles that it was the devil who suggested this measure1 will1 on comparing together the two statements1 easily see for what purpose the 8wrath0 is mentioned1 of which 8wrath10 as the ,apostle ,paul declares1 all men are children3 8,we were by nature children of wrath1 even as others40#gfd ,moreover1 that 8wrath0 is no passion on the part of ,god1 but that each one brings it upon himself by his sins1 will be clear from the further statement of ,paul3 8,or despisest thou the riches of ,his goodness1 and forbearance1 and long-suffering1 not knowing that the goodness of ,god leadeth thee to repentance8 ,but after thy hardness and impenitent heart1 treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath1 and revelation of the righteous judgment of ,god40 ,how1 then1 can any one treasure up for himself 8wrath0 against a 8day of wrath10 if 8wrath0 be understood in the sense of 8passion80 or how can the 8passion of wrath0 be a help to discipline8 ,besides1 the ,scripture1 which tells us not to be angry at all1 and which says in the thirty-seventh ,psalm1 8,cease from anger1 and forsake wrath10#gfe and which commands us by the mouth of ,paul to 8put off all these1 anger1 wrath1 malice1 blasphemy1 filthy communication10#gff would not involve ,god in the same passion from which it would have us to be altogether free4 ,it is manifest1 further1 that the language used regarding the wrath of ,god is to be understood figuratively from what is related of ,his 8sleep10 from which1 as if awaking ,him1 the prophet says3 8,awake1 why sleepest ,thou1 ,lord80#gfg and again3 8,then the ,lord awaked as one out of sleep1 and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine40#gfh ,if1 then1 8sleep0 must mean something else1 and not what the first acceptation of the word conveys1 why should not 8wrath0 also be understood in a similar way8 ,the 8threatenings10 again1 are intimations of the punishments which are to befall the wicked3 for it is as if one were to call the words of a physician 8threats10 when he tells his patients1 8,i will have to use the knife1 and apply cauteries1 if you do not obey my prescriptions1 and regulate your diet and mode of life in such a way as ,i direct you40 ,it is no human passions1 then1 which we ascribe to ,god1 nor impious opinions which we entertain of ,him2 nor do we err when we present the various narratives concerning ,him1 drawn from the ,scriptures themselves1 after careful comparison one with another4 ,for those who are wise ambassadors of the 8word0 have no other object in view than to free as far as they can their hearers from weak opinions1 and to endue them with intelligence4 ,footnote #gfb3 ,cf4 ,ps4 vi4 #a4 ,footnote #gfc3 ,cf4 ,jer4 x4 #bd4 ,footnote #gfd3 ,cf4 ,eph4 ii4 #c4 ,footnote #gfe3 ,cf4 ,ps4 xxxvii4 #h4 ,footnote #gff3 ,cf4 ,col4 iii4 #h4 ,footnote #gfg3 ,ps4 xliv4 #bc4 ,footnote #gfh3 ,cf4 ,ps4 lxxviii4 #fe4 ,chapter ,,lxxiii4 ,and as a sequel to his non-understanding of the statements regarding the 8wrath0 of ,god1 he continues3 8,is it not ridiculous to suppose that1 whereas a man1 who became angry with the ,jews1 slew them all from the youth upwards1 and burned their city 7so powerless were they to resist him71 the mighty ,god1 as they say1 being angry1 and indignant1 and uttering threats1 should1 instead of punishing them1 send ,his own ,son1 who endured the sufferings which ,he did80 ,if the ,jews1 then1 after the treatment which they dared to inflict upon ,jesus1 perished with all their youth1 and had their city consumed by fire1 they suffered this punishment in consequence of no other wrath than that which they treasured up for themselves2 for the judgment of ,god against them1 which was determined by the divine appointment1 is termed 8wrath0 agreeably to a traditional usage of the ,hebrews4 ,and what the ,son of the mighty ,god suffered1 ,he suffered voluntarily for the salvation of men1 as has been stated to the best of my ability in the preceding pages4 ,he then continues3 8,but that ,i may speak not of the ,jews alone 7for that is not my object71 but of the whole of nature1 as ,i promised1 ,i will bring out more clearly what has been already stated40 ,now what modest man1 on reading these words1 and knowing the weakness of humanity1 would not be indignant at the offensive nature of the promise to give an account of the 8whole of nature10 and at an arrogance like that which prompted him to inscribe upon his book the title which he ventured to give it of a ,true ,discourse8 ,but let us see what he has to say regarding the 8whole of nature10 and what he is to place 8in a clearer light40 ,chapter ,,lxxiv4 ,he next1 in many words1 blames us for asserting that ,god made all things for the sake of man4 ,because from the history of animals1 and from the sagacity manifested by them1 he would show that all things came into existence not more for the sake of man than of the irrational animals4 ,and here he seems to me to speak in a similar manner to those who1 through dislike of their enemies1 accuse them of the same things for which their own friends are commended4 ,for as1 in the instance referred to1 hatred blinds these persons from seeing that they are accusing their very dearest friends by the means through which they think they are slandering their enemies2 so in the same way1 ,celsus also1 becoming confused in his argument1 does not see that he is bringing a charge against the philosophers of the ,porch1 who1 not amiss1 place man in the foremost rank1 and rational nature in general before irrational animals1 and who maintain that ,providence created all things mainly on account of rational nature4 ,rational beings1 then1 as being the principal ones1 occupy the place1 as it were1 of children in the womb1 while irrational and soulless beings hold that of the envelope which is created along with the child4#gfi ,i think1 too1 that as in cities the superintendents of the goods and market discharge their duties for the sake of no other than human beings1 while dogs and other irrational animals have the benefit of the superabundance2 so ,providence provides in a special manner for rational creatures2 while this also follows1 that irrational creatures likewise enjoy the benefit of what is done for the sake of man4 ,and as he is in error who alleges that the superintendents of the markets#ggj make provision in no greater degree for men than for dogs1 because dogs also get their share of the goods2 so in a far greater degree are ,celsus and they who think with him guilty of impiety towards the ,god who makes provision for rational beings1 in asserting that ,his arrangements are made in no greater degree for the sustenance of human beings than for that of plants1 and trees1 and herbs1 and thorns4 ,footnote #gfi3 1 1 ' 4 ,footnote #ggj3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxv4 ,for1 in the first place1 he is of opinion that 8thunders1 and lightnings1 and rains are not the works of ,god10--thus showing more clearly at last his ,epicurean leanings2 and in the second place1 that 8even if one were to grant that these were the works of ,god1 they are brought into existence not more for the support of us who are human beings1 than for that of plants1 and trees1 and herbs1 and thorns10--maintaining1 like a true ,epicurean1 that these things are the product of chance1 and not the work of ,providence4 ,for if these things are of no more use to us than to plants1 and trees1 and herbs1 and thorns1 it is evident either that they do not proceed from ,providence at all1 or from a providence which does not provide for us in a greater degree than for trees1 and herbs1 and thorns4 ,now1 either of these suppositions is impious in itself1 and it would be foolish to refute such statements by answering any one who brought against us the charge of impiety2 for it is manifest to every one1 from what has been said1 who is the person guilty of impiety4 ,in the next place1 he adds3 8,although you may say that these things1 viz4 plants1 and trees1 and herbs1 and thorns1 grow for the use of men1 why will you maintain that they grow for the use of men rather than for that of the most savage of irrational animals80 ,let ,celsus then say distinctly that the great diversity among the products of the earth is not the work of ,providence1 but that a certain fortuitous concurrence of atoms#gga gave birth to qualities so diverse1 and that it was owing to chance that so many kinds of plants1 and trees1 and herbs resemble one another1 and that no disposing reason gave existence to them1#ggb and that they do not derive their origin from an understanding that is beyond all admiration4 ,we ,christians1 however1 who are devoted to the worship of the only ,god1 who created these things1 feel grateful for them to ,him who made them1 because not only for us1 but also 7on our account7 for the animals which are subject to us1 ,he has prepared such a home1#ggc seeing 8,he causeth the grass to grow for the cattle1 and herb for the service of man1 that ,he may bring forth food out of the earth1 and wine that maketh glad the heart of man1 and oil to make his face to shine1 and bread which strengtheneth man's heart40#ggd ,but that ,he should have provided food even for the most savage animals is not matter of surprise1 for these very animals are said by some who have philosophized upon the subject to have been created for the purpose of affording exercise to the rational creature4 ,and one of our own wise men says somewhere3 8,do not say1 ,what is this8 or ,wherefore is that8 for all things have been made for their uses4 ,and do not say1 ,what is this8 or ,wherefore is that8 for everything shall be sought out in its season40#gge ,footnote #gga3 4 ,footnote #ggb3 4 ,footnote #ggc3 4 ,footnote #ggd3 ,cf4 ,ps4 civ4 #ad1 #ae4 ,footnote #gge3 ,cf4 ,ecclus4 xxxix4 #ba1 and #af1 #ag4 ,chapter ,,lxxvi4 ,after this1 ,celsus1 desirous of maintaining that ,providence created the products of the earth1 not more on our account than on that of the most savage animals1 thus proceeds3 8,we indeed by labour and suffering earn a scanty and toilsome subsistence1#ggf while all things are produced for them without their sowing and ploughing40 ,he does not observe that ,god1 wishing to exercise the human understanding in all countries 7that it might not remain idle and unacquainted with the arts71 created man a being full of wants1#ggg in order that by virtue of his very needy condition he might be compelled to be the inventor of arts1 some of which minister to his subsistence1 and others to his protection4 ,for it was better that those who would not have sought out divine things1 nor engaged in the study of philosophy1 should be placed in a condition of want1 in order that they might employ their understanding in the invention of the arts1 than that they should altogether neglect the cultivation of their minds1 because their condition was one of abundance4 ,the want of the necessaries of human life led to the invention on the one hand of the art of husbandry1 on the other to that of the cultivation of the vine2 again1 to the art of gardening1 and the arts of carpentry and smithwork1 by means of which were formed the tools required for the arts which minister to the support of life4 ,the want of covering1 again1 introduced the art of weaving1 which followed that of wool-carding and spinning2 and again1 that of house-building3 and thus the intelligence of men ascended even to the art of architecture4 ,the want of necessaries caused the products also of other places to be conveyed1 by means of the arts of sailing and pilotage1#ggh to those who were without them2 so that even on that account one might admire the ,providence which made the rational being subject to want in a far higher degree than the irrational animals1 and yet all with a view to his advantage4 ,for the irrational animals have their food provided for them1 because there is not in them even an impulse#ggi towards the invention of the arts4 ,they have1 besides1 a natural covering2 for they are provided either with hair1 or wings1 or scales1 or shells4 ,let the above1 then1 be our answer to the assertions of ,celsus1 when he says that 8we indeed by labour and suffering earn a scanty and toilsome subsistence1 while all things are produced for them without their sowing and ploughing40 ,footnote #ggf3 4 ,footnote #ggg3 4 ,footnote #ggh3 4 ,footnote #ggi3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxvii4 ,in the next place1 forgetting that his object is to accuse both ,jews and ,christians1 he quotes against himself an iambic verse of ,euripides1 which is opposed to his view1 and joining issue with the words1 charges them with being an erroneous statement4 ,his words are as follow3 8,but if you will quote the saying of ,euripides1 that #8,the ,sun and ,night are to mortals slaves1'#ghj why should they be so in a greater degree to us than to ants and flies8 ,for the night is created for them in order that they may rest1 and the day that they may see and resume their work40 ,now it is undoubted1 that not only have certain of the ,jews and ,christians declared that the sun and the heavenly bodies#gha are our servants2 but he also has said this1 who1 according to some1 is the philosopher of the stage1#ghb and who was a hearer of the lectures on the philosophy of nature delivered by ,anaxagoras4 ,but this man asserts that all things in the world are subject to all rational beings1--one rational nature being taken to represent all1 on the principle of a part standing for the whole2#ghc which1 again1 clearly appears from the verse3 8,the ,sun and ,night are to mortals slaves40 ,perhaps the tragic poet meant the day when he said the sun1 inasmuch as it is the cause of the day1--teaching that those things which most need the day and night are the things which are under the moon1 and other things in a less degree than those which are upon the earth4 ,day and night1 then1 are subject to mortals1 being created for the sake of rational beings4 ,and if ants and flies1 which labour by day and rest by night1 have1 besides1 the benefit of those things which were created for the sake of men1 we must not say that day and night were brought into being for the sake of ants and flies1 nor must we suppose that they were created for the sake of nothing1 but1 agreeably to the design of ,providence1 were formed for the sake of man4 ,footnote #ghj3 ,cf4 ,eurip4 ,phniss4 v4 #eab4 ,footnote #gha3 4 ,footnote #ghb3 4 ,euripides himself is the person alluded to4 ,he is called by ,athenus and ,clemens ,alexandrinus 7,strom4 v471 4--,,de ,,la ,,rue4 ,footnote #ghc3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxviii4 ,he next proceeds further to object against himself#ghd what is said on behalf of man1 viz4 that the irrational animals were created on his account1 saying3 8,if one were to call us the lords of the animal creation because we hunt the other animals and live upon their flesh1 we would say1 ,why were not we rather created on their account1 since they hunt and devour us8 ,nay1 we require nets and weapons1 and the assistance of many persons1 along with dogs1 when engaged in the chase2 while they are immediately and spontaneously provided by nature with weapons which easily bring us under their power40 ,and here we may observe1 that the gift of understanding has been bestowed upon us as a mighty aid1 far superior to any weapon which wild beasts may seem to possess4 ,we1 indeed1 who are far weaker in bodily strength than the beasts1 and shorter in stature than some of them1 yet by means of our understanding obtain the mastery1 and capture the huge elephants4 ,we subdue by our gentle treatment those animals whose nature it is to be tamed1 while with those whose nature is different1 or which do not appear likely to be of use to us when tamed1 we take such precautionary measures1 that when we desire it1 we keep such wild beasts shut up2 and when we need the flesh of their bodies for food1 we slaughter them1 as we do those beasts which are not of a savage nature4 ,the ,creator1 then1 has constituted all things the servants of the rational being and of his natural understanding4 ,for some purposes we require dogs1 say as guardians of our sheep-folds1 or of our cattle-yards1 or goat-pastures1 or of our dwellings2 and for other purposes we need oxen1 as for agriculture2 and for others1 again1 we make use of those which bear the yoke1 or beasts of burden4 ,and so it may be said that the race of lions1 and bears1 and leopards1 and wild boars1 and such like1 has been given to us in order to call into exercise the elements of the manly character that exists within us4 ,footnote #ghd3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxix4 ,in the next place1 in answer to the human race1 who perceive their own superiority1 which far exceeds that of the irrational animals1 he says3 8,with respect to your assertion1 that ,god gave you the power to capture wild beasts1 and to make your own use of them1 we would say that1 in all probability1 before cities were built1 and arts invented1 and societies such as now exist were formed1 and weapons and nets employed1 men were generally caught and devoured by wild beasts1 while wild beasts were very seldom captured by men40 ,now1 in reference to this1 observe that although men catch wild beasts1 and wild beasts make prey of men1 there is a great difference between the case of such as by means of their understanding obtain the mastery over those whose superiority consists in their savage and cruel nature1 and that of those who do not make use of their understanding to secure their safety from injury by wild beasts4 ,but when ,celsus says1 8before cities were built1 and arts invented1 and societies such as now exist were formed10 he appears to have forgotten what he had before said1 that 8the world was uncreated and incorruptible1 and that it was only the things on earth which underwent deluges and conflagrations1 and that all these things did not happen at the same time40 ,now let it be granted that these admissions on his part are entirely in harmony with our views1 though not at all with him and his statements made above2 yet what does it all avail to prove that in the beginning men were mostly captured and devoured by wild beasts1 while wild beasts were never caught by men8 ,for1 since the world was created in conformity with the will of ,providence1 and ,god presided over the universe of things1 it was necessary that the elements#ghe of the human race should at the commencement of its existence be placed under some protection of the higher powers1 so that there might be formed from the beginning a union of the divine nature with that of men4 ,and the poet of ,ascra1 perceiving this1 sings3 8,for common then were banquets1 and common were seats1 ,alike to immortal gods and mortal men40#ghf ,footnote #ghe3 4 ,footnote #ghf3 ,cf4 ,hesiod1 ,fragmenta ,incerta1 ed4 ,goettling1 p4 #bca4 ,chapter ,,lxxx4 ,those ,holy ,scriptures1 moreover1 which bear the name of ,moses1 introduce the first men as hearing divine voices and oracles1 and beholding sometimes the angels of ,god coming to visit them4 ,for it was probable that in the beginning of the world's existence human nature would be assisted to a greater degree than afterwards1 until progress had been made towards the attainment of understanding and the other virtues1 and the invention of the arts1 and they should thus be able to maintain life of themselves1 and no longer stand in need of superintendents1 and of those to guide them who do so with a miraculous manifestation of the means which subserve the will of ,god4 ,now it follows from this1 that it is false that 8in the beginning men were captured and devoured by wild beasts1 while wild beasts were very seldom caught by men40 ,and from this1 too1 it is evident that the following statement of ,celsus is untrue1 that 8in this way ,god rather subjected men to wild beasts40 ,for ,god did not subject men to wild beasts1 but gave wild beasts to be a prey to the understanding of man1 and to the arts1 which are directed against them1 and which are the product of the understanding4 ,for it was not without the help of ,god#ghg that men desired for themselves the means of protection against wild beasts1 and of securing the mastery over them4 ,footnote #ghg3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxxi4 ,our noble opponent1 however1 not observing how many philosophers there are who admit the existence of ,providence1 and who hold that ,providence created all things for the sake of rational beings1 overturns as far as he can those doctrines which are of use in showing the harmony that prevails in these matters between ,christianity and philosophy2 nor does he see how great is the injury done to religion from accepting the statement that before ,god there is no difference between a man and an ant or a bee1 but proceeds to add1 that 8if men appear to be superior to irrational animals on this account1 that they have built cities1 and make use of a political constitution1 and forms of government1 and sovereignties1#ghh this is to say nothing to the purpose1 for ants and bees do the same4 ,bees1 indeed1 have a sovereign1 who has followers and attendants2 and there occur among them wars and victories1 and slaughterings of the vanquished1#ghi and cities and suburbs1 and a succession of labours1 and judgments passed upon the idle and the wicked2 for the drones are driven away and punished40 ,now here he did not observe the difference that exists between what is done after reason and consideration1 and what is the result of an irrational nature1 and is purely mechanical4 ,for the origin of these things is not explained by the existence of any rational principle in those who make them1 because they do not possess any such principle2 but the most ancient ,being1 who is also the ,son of ,god1 and the ,king of all things that exist1 has created an irrational nature1 which1 as being irrational1 acts as a help to those who are deemed worthy of reason4 ,cities1 accordingly1 were established among men1 with many arts and well-arranged laws2 while constitutions1 and governments1 and sovereignties among men are either such as are properly so termed1 and which exemplify certain virtuous tendencies and workings1 or they are those which are improperly so called1 and which were devised1 so far as could be done1 in imitation of the former3 for it was by contemplating these that the most successful legislators established the best constitutions1 and governments1 and sovereignties4 ,none of these things1 however1 can be found among irrational animals1 although ,celsus may transfer rational names1 and arrangements which belong to rational beings1 as cities and constitutions1 and rulers and sovereignties1 even to ants and bees2 in respect to which matters1 however1 ants and bees merit no approval1 because they do not act from reflection4 ,but we ought to admire the divine nature1 which extended even to irrational animals the capacity1 as it were1 of imitating rational beings1 perhaps with a view of putting rational beings to shame2 so that by looking upon ants1 for instance1 they might become more industrious and more thrifty in the management of their goods2 while1 by considering the bees1 they might place themselves in subjection to their ,ruler1 and take their respective parts in those constitutional duties which are of use in ensuring the safety of cities4 ,footnote #ghh3 4 ,footnote #ghi3 4 8,nota hoc loco sumi pro internecionibus1 cdibus4 ,haud scio an alibi reperiatur pari significatu4 ,forte etiam scribendum 40--,,ru,,us4 ,chapter ,,lxxxii4 ,perhaps also the so-called wars among the bees convey instruction as to the manner in which wars1 if ever there arise a necessity for them1 should be waged in a just and orderly way among men4 ,but the bees have no cities or suburbs2 while their hives and hexagonal cells1 and succession of labours1 are for the sake of men1 who require honey for many purposes1 both for cure of disordered bodies1 and as a pure article of food4 ,nor ought we to compare the proceedings taken by the bees against the drones with the judgments and punishments inflicted on the idle and wicked in cities4 ,but1 as ,i formerly said1 we ought on the one hand in these things to admire the divine nature1 and on the other to express our admiration of man1 who is capable of considering and admiring all things 7as co-operating with ,providence71 and who executes not merely the works which are determined by the providence of ,god1 but also those which are the consequences of his own foresight4 ,chapter ,,lxxxiii4 ,after ,celsus has finished speaking of the bees1 in order to depreciate 7as far as he can7 the cities1 and constitutions1 and governments1 and sovereignties not only of us ,christians1 but of all mankind1 as well as the wars which men undertake on behalf of their native countries1 he proceeds1 by way of digression1 to pass a eulogy upon the ants1 in order that1 while praising them1 he may compare the measures which men take to secure their subsistence with those adopted by these insects1#gij and so evince his contempt for the forethought which makes provision for winter1 as being nothing higher than the irrational providence of the ants1 as he regards it4 ,now might not some of the more simple-minded1 and such as know not how to look into the nature of all things1 be turned away 7so far1 at least1 as ,celsus could accomplish it7 from helping those who are weighed down with the burdens of life1 and from sharing their toils1 when he says of the ants1 that 8they help one another with their loads1 when they see one of their number toiling under them80 ,for he who needs to be disciplined by the word1 but who does not at all understand#gia its voice1 will say3 8,since1 then1 there is no difference between us and the ants1 even when we help those who are weary with bearing their heavy burdens1 why should we continue to do so to no purpose80 ,and would not the ants1 as being irrational creatures1 be greatly puffed up1 and think highly of themselves1 because their works were compared to those of men8 while men1 on the other hand1 who by means of their reason are enabled to hear how their philanthropy#gib towards others is contemned1 would be injured1 so far as could be effected by ,celsus and his arguments3 for he does not perceive that1 while he wishes to turn away from ,christianity those who read his treatise1 he turns away also the sympathy of those who are not ,christians from those who bear the heaviest burdens of life4 ,whereas1 had he been a philosopher1 who was capable of perceiving the good which men may do each other1 he ought1 in addition to not removing along with ,christianity the blessings which are found amongst men1 to have lent his aid to co-operate 7if he had it in his power7 with those principles of excellence which are common to ,christianity and the rest of mankind4 ,moreover1 even if the ants set apart in a place by themselves those grains which sprout forth1 that they may not swell into bud1 but may continue throughout the year as their food1 this is not to be deemed as evidence of the existence of reason among ants1 but as the work of the universal mother1 ,nature1 which adorned even irrational animals1 so that even the most insignificant is not omitted1 but bears traces of the reason implanted in it by nature4 ,unless1 indeed1 by these assertions ,celsus means obscurely to intimate 7for in many instances he would like to adopt ,platonic ideas7 that all souls are of the same species1 and that there is no difference between that of a man and those of ants and bees1 which is the act of one who would bring down the soul from the vault of heaven1 and cause it to enter not only a human body1 but that of an animal4 ,christians1 however1 will not yield their assent to such opinions3 for they have been instructed before now that the human soul was created in the image of ,god2 and they see that it is impossible for a nature fashioned in the divine image to have its original features altogether obliterated1 and to assume others1 formed after ,i know not what likeness of irrational animals4 ,footnote #gij3 4 8,verba3 addititia videntur et recidenda40--,,ru,,us4 ,footnote #gia3 4 ,footnote #gib3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxxiv4 ,and since he asserts that1 8when ants die1 the survivors set apart a special place for their interment1 and that their ancestral sepulchres such a place is10 we have to answer1 that the greater the laudations which he heaps upon irrational animals1 so much the more does he magnify 7although against his will7 the work of that reason which arranged all things in order1 and points out the skill#gic which exists among men1 and which is capable of adorning by its reason even the gifts which are bestowed by nature on the irrational creation4 ,but why do ,i say 8irrational10 since ,celsus is of opinion that these animals1 which1 agreeably to the common ideas of all men1 are termed irrational1 are not really so8 ,nor does he regard the ants as devoid of reason1 who professed to speak of 8universal nature10 and who boasted of his truthfulness in the inscription of his book4 ,for1 speaking of the ants conversing with one another1 he uses the following language3 8,and when they meet one another they enter into conversation1 for which reason they never mistake their way2 consequently they possess a full endowment of reason1 and some common ideas on certain general subjects1 and a voice by which they express themselves regarding accidental things40#gid ,now conversation between one man and another is carried on by means of a voice1 which gives expression to the meaning intended1 and which also gives utterances concerning what are called 8accidental things20 but to say that this was the case with ants would be a most ridiculous assertion4 ,footnote #gic3 4 ,footnote #gid3 ' 1 1 1 4 ,chapter ,,lxxxv4 ,he is not ashamed1 moreover1 to say1 in addition to these statements 7that the unseemly character#gie of his opinions may be manifest to those who will live after him73 8,come now1 if one were to look down from heaven upon earth1 in what respect would our actions appear to differ from those of ants and bees80 ,now does he who1 according to his own supposition1 looks from heaven upon the proceedings of men and ants1 look upon their bodies alone1 and not rather have regard to the controlling reason which is called into action by reflection2#gif while1 on the other hand1 the guiding principle of the latter is irrational1 and set in motion irrationally by impulse and fancy1 in conjunction with a certain natural apparatus8#gig ,but it is absurd to suppose that he who looks from heaven upon earthly things would desire to look from such a distance upon the bodies of men and ants1 and would not rather consider the nature of the guiding principles1 and the source of impulses1 whether that be rational or irrational4 ,and if he once look upon the source of all impulses1 it is manifest that he would behold also the difference which exists1 and the superiority of man1 not only over ants1 but even over elephants4 ,for he who looks from heaven will see among irrational creatures1 however large their bodies1 no other principle#gih than1 so to speak1 irrationality2#gii while amongst rational beings he will discover reason1 the common possession of men1 and of divine and heavenly beings1 and perhaps of the supreme ,god ,himself1 on account of which man is said to have been created in the image of ,god1 for the image of the ,supreme ,god is his reason4#hjj ,footnote #gie3 4 ,footnote #gif3 2 ,footnote #gig3 4 ,footnote #gih3 4 ,footnote #gii3 4 ,footnote #hjj3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxxvi4 ,immediately after this1 as if doing his utmost to reduce the human race to a still lower position1 and to bring them to the level of the irrational animals1 and desiring to omit not a single circumstance related of the latter which manifests their greatness1 he declares that 8in certain individuals among the irrational creation there exists the power of sorcery20 so that even in this particular men cannot specially pride themselves1 nor wish to arrogate a superiority over irrational creatures4 ,and the following are his words3 8,if1 however1 men entertain lofty notions because of their possessing the power of sorcery1 yet even in that respect are serpents and eagles their superiors in wisdom2 for they are acquainted with many prophylactics against persons and diseases1 and also with the virtues of certain stones which help to preserve their young4 ,if men1 however1 fall in with these1 they think that they have gained a wonderful possession40 ,now1 in the first place1 ,i know not why he should designate as sorcery the knowledge of natural prophylactics displayed by animals1--whether that knowledge be the result of experience1 or of some natural power of apprehension2#hja for the term 8sorcery0 has by usage been assigned to something else4 ,perhaps1 indeed1 he wishes quietly1 as an ,epicurean1 to censure the entire use of such arts1 as resting only on the professions of sorcerers4 ,however1 let it be granted him that men do pride themselves greatly upon the knowledge of such arts1 whether they are sorcerers or not3 how can serpents be in this respect wiser than men1 when they make use of the well-known fennel#hjb to sharpen their power of vision and to produce rapidity of movement1 having obtained this natural power not from the exercise of reflection1 but from the constitution of their body1#hjc while men do not1 like serpents1 arrive at such knowledge merely by nature1 but partly by experiment1 partly by reason1 and sometimes by reflection and knowledge8 ,so1 if eagles1 too1 in order to preserve their young in the nest1 carry thither the eagle-stone when they have discovered it1 how does it appear that they are wise1 and more intelligent than men1 who find out by the exercise of their reflective powers and of their understanding what has been bestowed by nature upon eagles as a gift8 ,footnote #hja3 4 ,footnote #hjb3 4 ,footnote #hjc3 ' 4 ,chapter ,,lxxxvii4 ,let it be granted1 however1 that there are other prophylactics against poisons known to animals3 what does that avail to prove that it is not nature1 but reason1 which leads to the discovery of such things among them8 ,for if reason were the discoverer1 this one thing 7or1 if you will1 one or two more things7 would not be 7exclusive#hjd of all others7 the sole discovery made by serpents1 and some other thing the sole discovery of the eagle1 and so on with the rest of the animals2 but as many discoveries would have been made amongst them as among men4 ,but now it is manifest from the determinate inclination of the nature of each animal towards certain kinds of help1 that they possess neither wisdom nor reason1 but a natural constitutional tendency implanted by the ,logos#hje towards such things in order to ensure the preservation of the animal4 ,and1 indeed1 if ,i wished to join issue with ,celsus in these matters1 ,i might quote the words of ,solomon from the book of ,proverbs1 which run thus3 8,there be four things which are little upon the earth1 but these are wiser than the wise3 ,the ants are a people not strong1 yet they prepare their meat in the summer2 the conies#hjf are but a feeble folk1 yet make they their houses in the rocks2 the locusts have no king1 yet go they forth in order at one command2 and the spotted lizard1#hjg though leaning upon its hands1 and being easily captured1 dwelleth in kings' fortresses40#hjh ,i do not quote these words1 however1 as taking them in their literal signification1 but1 agreeably to the title of the book 7for it is inscribed 8,proverbs071 ,i investigate them as containing a secret meaning4 ,for it is the custom of these writers of ,scripture to distribute into many classes those writings which express one sense when taken literally1#hji but which convey a different signification as their hidden meaning2 and one of these kinds of writing is 8,proverbs40 ,and for this reason1 in our ,gospels too1 is our ,saviour described as saying3 8,these things have ,i spoken to you in proverbs1 but the time cometh when ,i shall no more speak unto you in proverbs40#haj ,it is not1 then1 the visible ants which are 8wiser even than the wise10 but they who are indicated as such under the 8proverbial0 style of expression4 ,and such must be our conclusion regarding the rest of the animal creation1 although ,celsus regards the books of the ,jews and ,christians as exceedingly simple and commonplace1#haa and imagines that those who give them an allegorical interpretation do violence to the meaning of the writers4 ,by what we have said1 then1 let it appear that ,celsus calumniates us in vain1 and let his assertions that serpents and eagles are wiser than men also receive their refutation4 ,footnote #hjd3 4 ,footnote #hje3 4 ,footnote #hjf3 4 ,heb4 4 ,footnote #hjg3 4 ,footnote #hjh3 ,cf4 ,prov4 xxx4 #bd-bh4 ,footnote #hji3 4 ,footnote #haj3 ,john xvi4 #be4 ,footnote #haa3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxxviii4 ,and wishing to show at greater length that even the thoughts of ,god entertained by the human race are not superior to those of all other mortal creatures1 but that certain of the irrational animals are capable of thinking about ,him regarding whom opinions so discordant have existed among the most acute of mankind--,greeks and ,barbarians--he continues3 8,if1 because man has been able to grasp the idea of ,god1 he is deemed superior to the other animals1 let those who hold this opinion know that this capacity will be claimed by many of the other animals2 and with good reason3 for what would any one maintain to be more divine than the power of foreknowing and predicting future events8 ,men accordingly acquire the art from the other animals1 and especially from birds4 ,and those who listen to the indications furnished by them1 become possessed of the gift of prophecy4 ,if1 then1 birds1 and the other prophetic animals1 which are enabled by the gift of ,god to foreknow events1 instruct us by means of signs1 so much the nearer do they seem to be to the society of ,god1 and to be endowed with greater wisdom1 and to be more beloved by ,him4 ,the more intelligent of men1 moreover1 say that the animals hold meetings which are more sacred than our assemblies1 and that they know what is said at these meetings1 and show that in reality they possess this knowledge1 when1 having previously stated that the birds have declared their intention of departing to some particular place1 and of doing this thing or the other1 the truth of their assertions is established by the departure of the birds to the place in question1 and by their doing what was foretold4 ,and no race of animals appears to be more observant of oaths than the elephants are1 or to show greater devotion to divine things2 and this1 ,i presume1 solely because they have some knowledge of ,god40 ,see here now how he at once lays hold of1 and brings forward as acknowledged facts1 questions which are the subject of dispute among those philosophers1 not only among the ,greeks1 but also among the ,barbarians1 who have either discovered or learned from certain demons some things about birds of augury and other animals1 by which certain prophetic intimations are said to be made to men4 ,for1 in the first place1 it has been disputed whether there is an art of augury1 and1 in general1 a method of divination by animals1 or not4 ,and1 in the second place1 they who admit that there is an art of divination by birds1 are not agreed about the manner of the divination2 since some maintain that it is from certain demons or gods of divination#hab that the animals receive their impulses to action--the birds to flights and sounds of different kinds1 and the other animals to movements of one sort or another4 ,others1 again1 believe that their souls are more divine in their nature1 and fitted to operations of that kind1 which is a most incredible supposition4 ,footnote #hab3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxxix4 ,celsus1 however1 seeing he wished to prove by the foregoing statements that the irrational animals are more divine and intelligent than human beings1 ought to have established at greater length the actual existence of such an art of divination1 and in the next place have energetically undertaken its defence1 and effectually refuted the arguments of those who would annihilate such arts of divination1 and have overturned in a convincing manner also the arguments of those who say that it is from demons or from gods that animals receive the movements which lead them to divination1 and to have proved in the next place that the soul of irrational animals is more divine than that of man4 ,for1 had he done so1 and manifested a philosophical spirit in dealing with such things1 we should to the best of our power have met his confident assertions1 refuting in the first place the allegation that irrational animals are wiser than men1 and showing the falsity of the statement that they have ideas of ,god more sacred than ours1 and that they hold among themselves certain sacred assemblies4 ,but now1 on the contrary1 he who accuses us because we believe in the ,supreme ,god1 requires us to believe that the souls of birds entertain ideas of ,god more divine and distinct than those of men4 ,yet if this is true1 the birds have clearer ideas of ,god than ,celsus himself2 and it is not matter of surprise that it should be so with him1 who so greatly depreciates human beings4 ,nay1 so far as ,celsus can make it appear1 the birds possess grander and more divine ideas than1 ,i do not say we ,christians do1 or than the ,jews1 who use the same ,scriptures with ourselves1 but even than are possessed by the theologians among the ,greeks1 for they were only human beings4 ,according to ,celsus1 indeed1 the tribe of birds that practise divination1 forsooth1 understand the nature of the ,divine ,being better than ,pherecydes1 and ,pythagoras1 and ,socrates1 and ,plato6 ,we ought then to go to the birds as our teachers1 in order that as1 according to the view of ,celsus1 they instruct us by their power of divination in the knowledge of future events1 so also they may free men from doubts regarding the ,divine ,being1 by imparting to them the clear ideas which they have obtained respecting ,him6 ,it follows1 accordingly1 that ,celsus1 who regards birds as superior to men1 ought to employ them as his instructors1 and not one of the ,greek philosophers6 ,chapter ,,xc4 ,but we have a few remarks to make1 out of a larger number1 in answer to these statements of ,celsus1 that we may show the ingratitude towards his ,maker which is involved in his holding these false opinions4#hac ,for ,celsus1 although a man1 and 8being in honour10#had does not possess understanding1 and therefore he did not compare himself with the birds and the other irrational animals1 which he regards as capable of divining2 but yielding to them the foremost place1 he lowered himself1 and as far as he could the whole human race with him 7as entertaining lower and inferior views of ,god than the irrational animals71 beneath the ,egyptians1 who worship irrational animals as divinities4 ,let the principal point of investigation1 however1 be this3 whether there actually is or not an art of divination1 by means of birds and other living things believed to have such power4 ,for the arguments which tend to establish either view are not to be despised4 ,on the one hand1 it is pressed upon us not to admit such an art1 lest the rational being should abandon the divine oracles1 and betake himself to birds2 and on the other1 there is the energetic testimony of many1 that numerous individuals have been saved from the greatest dangers by putting their trust in divination by birds4 ,for the present1 however1 let it be granted that an art of divination does exist1 in order that ,i may in this way show to those who are prejudiced on the subject1 that if this be admitted1 the superiority of man over irrational animals1 even over those that are endowed with power of divination1 is great1 and beyond all reach of comparison with the latter4 ,we have then to say1 that if there was in them any divine nature capable of foretelling future events1 and so rich in that knowledge as out of its superabundance to make them known to any man who wished to know them1 it is manifest that they would know what concerned themselves far sooner than what concerned others2 and had they possessed this knowledge1 they would have been upon their guard against flying to any particular place where men had planted snares and nets to catch them1 or where archers took aim and shot at them in their flight4 ,and especially1 were eagles aware beforehand of the designs formed against their young1 either by serpents crawling up to their nests and destroying them1 or by men who take them for their amusement1 or for any other useful purpose or service1 they would not have placed their young in a spot where they were to be attacked2 and1 in general1 not one of these animals would have been captured by men1 because they were more divine and intelligent than they4 ,footnote #hac3 4 ,footnote #had3 ,ps4 xlix4 #ab4 ,chapter ,,xci4 ,but besides1 if birds of augury converse with one another1#hae as ,celsus maintains they do1 the prophetic birds having a divine nature1 and the other rational animals also ideas of the divinity and foreknowledge of future events2 and if they had communicated this knowledge to others1 the sparrow mentioned in ,homer would not have built her nest in the spot where a serpent was to devour her and her young ones1 nor would the serpent in the writings of the same poet have failed to take precautions against being captured by the eagle4 ,for this wonderful poet says1 in his poem regarding the former3 8,a mighty dragon shot1 of dire portent2 ,from ,jove himself the dreadful sign was sent4 ,straight to the three his sanguine spires he rolled1 ,and curled around in many a winding fold4 ,the topmost branch a mother bird possessed2 ,eight callow infants filled the mossy nest2 ,herself the ninth3 the serpent1 as he hung1 ,stretched his black jaws1 and crushed the dying young2 ,while hovering near1 with miserable moan1 ,the drooping mother wailed her children gone4 ,the mother last1 as round the nest she flew1 ,seized by the beating wing1 the monster slew3 ,nor long survived3 to marble turned1 he stands ,a lasting prodigy on ,aulis sands4 ,such was the will of ,jove2 and hence we dare ,trust in his omen1 and support the war40#haf ,and regarding the second--the bird--the poet says3 8,jove's bird on rounding pinions beat the skies1 ,a bleeding serpent of enormous size1 ,his talons twined2 alive1 and curling round1 ,he stung the bird1 whose throat received the wound4 ,mad with the smart1 he drops the fatal prey1 ,in airy circles wings his painful way1 ,floats on the winds1 and rends the heaven with cries2 ,amidst the host1 the fallen serpent lies4 ,they1 pale with terror1 mark its spires unrolled1 ,and ,jove's portent with beating hearts behold40#hag ,did the eagle1 then1 possess the power of divination1 and the serpent 7since this animal also is made use of by the augurs7 not8 ,but as this distinction can be easily refuted1 cannot the assertion that both were capable of divination be refuted also8 ,for if the serpent had possessed this knowledge1 would not he have been on his guard against suffering what he did from the eagle8 ,and innumerable other instances of a similar character may be found1 to show that animals do not possess a prophetic soul1 but that1 according to the poet and the majority of mankind1 it is the 8,olympian himself who sent him to the light40 ,and it is with a symbolical meaning#hah that ,apollo employs the hawk#hai as his messenger1 for the hawk#hbj is called the 8swift messenger of ,apollo40#hba ,footnote #hae3 4 ,for ,ruus conjectures 1 which is adopted by ,lommatzsch4 ,footnote #haf3 ,homer1 ,ilias1 ii4 #cjh sq4 7,pope's translation47 ,footnote #hag3 ,homer1 ,ilias1 xii4 #bij sq4 7,pope's translation47 ,footnote #hah3 4 ,footnote #hai3 4 ,footnote #hbj3 1 8the hen-harrier10 8,falco10 or 8,circus pygargus40 ,cf4 ,liddell and ,scott1 s4v4 ,footnote #hba3 ,cf4 ,homer1 ,odyss4 xv4 v4 #ebf4 ,chapter ,,xcii4 ,in my opinion1 however1 it is certain wicked demons1 and1 so to speak1 of the race of ,titans or ,giants1 who have been guilty of impiety towards the true ,god1 and towards the angels in heaven1 and who have fallen from it1 and who haunt the denser parts of bodies1 and frequent unclean places upon earth1 and who1 possessing some power of distinguishing future events1 because they are without bodies of earthly material1 engage in an employment of this kind1 and desiring to lead the human race away from the true ,god1 secretly enter the bodies of the more rapacious and savage and wicked of animals1 and stir them up to do whatever they choose1 and at whatever time they choose3 either turning the fancies of these animals to make flights and movements of various kinds1 in order that men may be caught by the divining power that is in the irrational animals1 and neglect to seek after the ,god who contains all things2 or to search after the pure worship of ,god1 but allow their reasoning powers to grovel on the earth1 and amongst birds and serpents1 and even foxes and wolves4 ,for it has been observed by those who are skilled in such matters1 that the clearest prognostications are obtained from animals of this kind2 because the demons cannot act so effectively in the milder sort of animals as they can in these1 in consequence of the similarity between them in point of wickedness2 and yet it is not wickedness1 but something like wickedness1#hbb which exists in these animals4 ,footnote #hbb3 1 4 ,chapter ,,xciii4 ,for which reason1 whatever else there may be in the writings of ,moses which excites my wonder1 ,i would say that the following is worthy of admiration1 viz4 that ,moses1 having observed the varying natures of animals1 and having either learned from ,god what was peculiar to them1 and to the demons which are kindred to each of the animals1 or having himself ascertained these things by his own wisdom1 has1 in arranging the different kinds of animals1 pronounced all those which are supposed by the ,egyptians and the rest of mankind to possess the power of divination to be unclean1 and1 as a general rule1 all that are not of that class to be clean4 ,and amongst the unclean animals mentioned by ,moses are the wolf1 and fox1 and serpent1 and eagle1 and hawk1 and such like4 ,and1 generally speaking1 you will find that not only in the law1 but also in the prophets1 these animals are employed as examples of all that is most wicked2 and that a wolf or a fox is never mentioned for a good purpose4 ,each species of demon1 consequently1 would seem to possess a certain affinity with a certain species of animal4 ,and as among men there are some who are stronger than others1 and this not at all owing to their moral character1 so1 in the same way1 some demons will be more powerful in things indifferent than others2#hbc and one class of them employs one kind of animal for the purpose of deluding men1 in accordance with the will of him who is called in our ,scriptures the 8prince of this world10 while others predict future events by means of another kind of animal4 ,observe1 moreover1 to what a pitch of wickedness the demons proceed1 so that they even assume the bodies of weasels in order to reveal the future6 ,and now1 consider with yourself whether it is better to accept the belief that it is the ,supreme ,god and ,his ,son who stir up the birds and the other living creatures to divination1 or that those who stir up these creatures1 and not human beings 7although they are present before them71 are wicked1 and1 as they are called by our ,scriptures1 unclean demons4 ,footnote #hbc3 4 ,chapter ,,xciv4 ,but if the soul of birds is to be esteemed divine because future events are predicted by them1 why should we not rather maintain1 that when omens#hbd are accepted by men1 the souls of those are divine through which the omens are heard8 ,accordingly1 among such would be ranked the female slave mentioned in ,homer1 who ground the corn1 when she said regarding the suitors3 8,for the very last time1 now1 will they sup here40#hbe ,this slave1 then1 was divine1 while the great ,ulysses1 the friend of ,homer's ,pallas ,athene1 was not divine1 but understanding the words spoken by this 8divine0 grinder of corn as an omen1 rejoiced1 as the poet says3 8,the divine ,ulysses rejoiced at the omen40#hbf ,observe1 now1 as the birds are possessed of a divine soul1 and are capable of perceiving ,god1 or1 as ,celsus says1 the gods1 it is clear that when we men also sneeze1 we do so in consequence of a kind of divinity that is within us1 and which imparts a prophetic power to our soul4 ,for this belief is testified by many witnesses1 and therefore the poet also says3 8,and while he prayed1 he sneezed40#hbg ,and ,penelope1 too1 said3 8,perceiv'st thou not that at every word my son did sneeze80#hbh ,footnote #hbd3 4 ,footnote #hbe3 ,cf4 ,homer1 ,odyss4 iv4 v4 #fhe2 cf4 also xx4 vv4 #aaf1 #aai4 ,footnote #hbf3 ,cf4 ,homer1 ,odyss4 xx4 #abj4 ,footnote #hbg3 ,cf4 ,homer1 ,odyss4 xvii4 #eda4 ,footnote #hbh3 ,cf4 ,homer1 ,odyss4 xvii4 #ede4 ,chapter ,,xcv4 ,the true ,god1 however1 neither employs irrational animals1 nor any individuals whom chance may offer1#hbi to convey a knowledge of the future2 but1 on the contrary1 the most pure and holy of human souls1 whom ,he inspires and endows with prophetic power4 ,and therefore1 whatever else in the ,mosaic writings may excite our wonder1 the following must be considered as fitted to do so3 8,ye shall not practise augury1 nor observe the flight of birds20#hcj and in another place3 8,for the nations whom the ,lord thy ,god will destroy from before thy face1 shall listen to omens and divinations2 but as for thee1 the ,lord thy ,god has not suffered thee to do so40#hca ,and he adds3 8,a prophet shall the ,lord your ,god raise up unto you from among your brethren40#hcb ,on one occasion1 moreover1 ,god1 wishing by means of an augur to turn away ,his people from the practice of divination1 caused the spirit that was in the augur to speak as follows3 8,for there is no enchantment in ,jacob1 nor is there divination in ,israel4 ,in due time will it be declared to ,jacob and ,israel what the ,lord will do40#hcc ,and now1 we who knew these and similar sayings wish to observe this precept with the mystical meaning1 viz4 8,keep thy heart with all diligence10#hcd that nothing of a demoniacal nature may enter into our minds1 or any spirit of our adversaries turn our imagination whither it chooses4 ,but we pray that the light of the knowledge of the glory of ,god may shine in our hearts1 and that the ,spirit of ,god may dwell in our imaginations1 and lead them to contemplate the things of ,god2 for 8as many as are led by the ,spirit of ,god1 they are the sons of ,god40#hce ,footnote #hbi3 4 ,footnote #hcj3 ,cf4 ,lev4 xix4 #bf4 ,the ,septuagint here differs from the ,masoretic text4 ,footnote #hca3 ,cf4 ,deut4 xviii4 #ad1 cf4 #ab4 ,footnote #hcb3 ,cf4 ,deut4 xviii4 #ae4 ,footnote #hcc3 ,cf4 ,num4 xxiii4 #bc4 ,footnote #hcd3 ,prov4 iv4 #bc4 ,footnote #hce3 ,cf4 ,rom4 viii4 #ad4 ,chapter ,,xcvi4 ,we ought to take note1 however1 that the power of foreknowing the future is by no means a proof of divinity2 for in itself it is a thing indifferent1 and is found occurring amongst both good and bad4 ,physicians1 at any rate1 by means of their professional skill foreknow certain things1 although their character may happen to be bad4 ,and in the same way also pilots1 although perhaps wicked men1 are able to foretell the signs#hcf of good or bad weather1 and the approach of violent tempests of wind1 and atmospheric changes1#hcg because they gather this knowledge from experience and observation1 although ,i do not suppose that on that account any one would term them 8gods0 if their characters happened to be bad4 ,the assertion1 then1 of ,celsus is false1 when he says3 8,what could be called more divine than the power of foreknowing and foretelling the future80 ,and so also is this1 that 8many of the animals claim to have ideas of ,god20 for none of the irrational animals possess any idea of ,god4 ,and wholly false1 too1 is his assertion1 that 8the irrational animals are nearer the society of ,god than men10 when even men who are still in a state of wickedness1 however great their progress in knowledge1 are far removed from that society4 ,it is1 then1 those alone who are truly wise and sincerely religious who are nearer to ,god's society2 such persons as were our prophets1 and ,moses1 to the latter of whom1 on account of his exceeding purity1 the ,scripture said3 8,moses alone shall come near the ,lord1 but the rest shall not come nigh40#hch ,footnote #hcf3 4 ,footnote #hcg3 4 ,footnote #hch3 ,cf4 ,ex4 xxiv4 #b4 ,chapter ,,xcvii4 ,how impious1 indeed1 is the assertion of this man1 who charges us with impiety1 that 8not only are the irrational animals wiser than the human race1 but that they are more beloved by ,god than they60 ,and who would not be repelled by horror from paying any attention to a man who declared that a serpent1 and a fox1 and a wolf1 and an eagle1 and a hawk1 were more beloved by ,god than the human race8 ,for it follows from his maintaining such a position1 that if these animals be more beloved by ,god than human beings1 it is manifest that they are dearer to ,god than ,socrates1 and ,plato1 and ,pythagoras1 and ,pherecydes1 and those theologians whose praises he had sung a little before4 ,and one might address him with the prayer3 8,if these animals be dearer to ,god than men1 may you be beloved of ,god along with them1 and be made like to those whom you consider as dearer to ,him than human beings60 ,and let no one suppose that such a prayer is meant as an imprecation2 for who would not pray to resemble in all respects those whom he believes to be dearer to ,god than others1 in order that he1 like them1 may enjoy the divine love8 ,and as ,celsus is desirous to show that the assemblies of the irrational animals are more sacred than ours1 he ascribes the statement to that effect not to any ordinary individuals1 but to persons of intelligence4 ,yet it is the virtuous alone who are truly wise1 for no wicked man is so4 ,he speaks1 accordingly1 in the following style3 8,intelligent men say that these animals hold assemblies which are more sacred than ours1 and that they know what is spoken at them1 and actually prove that they are not without such knowledge1 when they mention beforehand that the birds have announced their intention of departing to a particular place1 or of doing this thing or that1 and then show that they have departed to the place in question1 and have done the particular thing which was foretold40 ,now1 truly1 no person of intelligence ever related such things2 nor did any wise man ever say that the assemblies of the irrational animals were more sacred than those of men4 ,but if1 for the purpose of examining the soundness of his statements1 we look to their consequences1 it is evident that1 in his opinion1 the assemblies of the irrational animals are more sacred than those of the venerable ,pherecydes1 and ,pythagoras1 and ,socrates1 and ,plato1 and of philosophers in general2 which assertion is not only incongruous#hci in itself1 but full of absurdity4 ,in order that we may believe1 however1 that certain individuals do learn from the indistinct sound of birds that they are about to take their departure1 and do this thing or that1 and announce these things beforehand1 we would say that this information is imparted to men by demons by means of signs1 with the view of having men deceived by demons1 and having their understanding dragged down from ,god and heaven to earth1 and to places lower still4 ,footnote #hci3 4 ,chapter ,,xcviii4 ,i do not know1 moreover1 how ,celsus could hear of the elephants' fidelity to oaths1 and of their great devotedness to our ,god1 and of the knowledge which they possess of ,him4 ,for ,i know many wonderful things which are related of the nature of this animal1 and of its gentle disposition4 ,but ,i am not aware that any one has spoken of its observance of oaths2 unless indeed to its gentle disposition1 and its observance of compacts1 so to speak1 when once concluded between it and man1 he give the name of keeping its oath1 which statement also in itself is false4 ,for although rarely1 yet sometimes it has been recorded that1 after their apparent tameness1 they have broken out against men in the most savage manner1 and have committed murder1 and have been on that account condemned to death1 because no longer of any use4 ,and seeing that after this1 in order to establish 7as he thinks he does7 that the stork is more pious than any human being1 he adduces the accounts which are narrated regarding that creature's display of filial affection#hdj in bringing food to its parents for their support1 we have to say in reply1 that this is done by the storks1 not from a regard to what is proper1 nor from reflection1 but from a natural instinct2 the nature which formed them being desirous to show an instance among the irrational animals which might put men to shame1 in the matter of exhibiting their gratitude to their parents4 ,and if ,celsus had known how great the difference is between acting in this way from reason1 and from an irrational natural impulse1 he would not have said that storks are more pious than human beings4 ,but further1 ,celsus1 as still contending for the piety of the irrational creation1 quotes the instance of the ,arabian bird the phnix1 which after many years repairs to ,egypt1 and bears thither its parent1 when dead and buried in a ball of myrrh1 and deposits its body in the ,temple of the ,sun4 ,now this story is indeed recorded1 and1 if it be true1 it is possible that it may occur in consequence of some provision of nature2 divine providence freely displaying to human beings1 by the differences which exist among living things1 the variety of constitution which prevails in the world1 and which extends even to birds1 and in harmony with which ,he has brought into existence one creature1 the only one of its kind1 in order that by it men may be led to admire1 not the creature1 but ,him who created it4 ,footnote #hdj3 4 ,chapter ,,xcix4 ,in addition to all that he has already said1 ,celsus subjoins the following3 8,all things1 accordingly1 were not made for man1 any more than they were made for lions1 or eagles1 or dolphins1 but that this world1 as being ,god's work1 might be perfect and entire in all respects4 ,for this reason all things have been adjusted1 not with reference to each other1 but with regard to their bearing upon the whole4#hda ,and ,god takes care of the whole1 and ,his providence will never forsake it2 and it does not become worse2 nor does ,god after a time bring it back to himself2 nor is ,he angry on account of men any more than on account of apes or flies2 nor does ,he threaten these beings1 each one of which has received its appointed lot in its proper place40 ,let us then briefly reply to these statements4 ,i think1 indeed1 that ,i have shown in the preceding pages that all things were created for man1 and every rational being1 and that it was chiefly for the sake of the rational creature that the creation took place4 ,celsus1 indeed1 may say that this was done not more for man than for lions1 or the other creatures which he mentions2 but we maintain that the ,creator did not form these things for lions1 or eagles1 or dolphins1 but all for the sake of the rational creature1 and 8in order that this world1 as being ,god's work1 might be perfect and complete in all things40 ,for to this sentiment we must yield our assent as being well said4 ,and ,god takes care1 not1 as ,celsus supposes1 merely of the whole1 but beyond the whole1 in a special degree of every rational being4 ,nor will ,providence ever abandon the whole2 for although it should become more wicked1 owing to the sin of the rational being1 which is a portion of the whole1 ,he makes arrangements to purify it1 and after a time to bring back the whole to ,himself4 ,moreover1 ,he is not angry with apes or flies2 but on human beings1 as those who have transgressed the laws of nature1 ,he sends judgments and chastisements1 and threatens them by the mouth of the prophets1 and by the ,saviour who came to visit the whole human race1 that those who hear the threatenings may be converted by them1 while those who neglect these calls to conversion may deservedly suffer those punishments which it becomes ,god1 in conformity with that will of ,his which acts for the advantage of the whole1 to inflict upon those who need such painful discipline and correction4 ,but as our fourth book has now attained sufficient dimensions1 we shall here terminate our discourse4 ,and may ,god grant1 through ,his ,son1 who is ,god the ,word1 and ,wisdom1 and ,truth1 and ,righteousness1 and everything else which the sacred ,scriptures when speaking of ,god call ,him1 that we may make a good beginning of the fifth book1 to the benefit of our readers1 and may bring it to a successful conclusion1 with the aid of ,his word abiding in our soul4 ,footnote #hda3 ' 4 8,gelenius does not recognise these words1 and ,guietus regards them as superfluous40 ,they are omitted in the translation4 ,,book ,v4 ,chapter ,i4 ,it is not1 my reverend ,ambrosius1 because we seek after many words--a thing which is forbidden1 and in the indulgence of which it is impossible to avoid sin#hdb--that we now begin the fifth book of our reply to the treatise of ,celsus1 but with the endeavour1 so far as may be within our power1 to leave none of his statements without examination1 and especially those in which it might appear to some that he had skilfully assailed us and the ,jews4 ,if it were possible1 indeed1 for me to enter along with my words into the conscience of every one without exception who peruses this work1 and to extract each dart which wounds him who is not completely protected with the 8whole armour0 of ,god1 and apply a rational medicine to cure the wound inflicted by ,celsus1 which prevents those who listen to his words from remaining 8sound in the faith10 ,i would do so4 ,but since it is the work of ,god alone1 in conformity with ,his own ,spirit1 and along with that of ,christ1 to take up ,his abode invisibly in those persons whom ,he judges worthy of being visited2 so1 on the other hand1 is our object to try1 by means of arguments and treatises1 to confirm men in their faith1 and to earn the name of 8workmen needing not to be ashamed1 rightly dividing the word of truth40#hdc ,and there is one thing above all which it appears to us we ought to do1 if we would discharge faithfully the task enjoined upon us by you1 and that is to overturn to the best of our ability the confident assertions of ,celsus4 ,let us then quote such assertions of his as follow those which we have already refuted 7the reader must decide whether we have done so successfully or not71 and let us reply to them4 ,and may ,god grant that we approach not our subject with our understanding and reason empty and devoid of divine inspiration1 that the faith of those whom we wish to aid may not depend upon human wisdom1 but that1 receiving the 8mind0 of ,christ from ,his ,father1 who alone can bestow it1 and being strengthened by participating in the word of ,god1 we may pull down 8every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of ,god10#hdd and the imagination of ,celsus1 who exalts himself against us1 and against ,jesus1 and also against ,moses and the prophets1 in order that ,he who 8gave the word to those who published it with great power0#hde may supply us also1 and bestow upon us 8great power10 so that faith in the word and power of ,god may be implanted in the minds of all who will peruse our work4 ,footnote #hdb3 ,cf4 ,prov4 x4 #ai4 ,footnote #hdc3 ,cf4 #b ,tim4 ii4 #ae4 ,footnote #hdd3 ,cf4 #b ,cor4 x4 #e4 ,footnote #hde3 ,cf4 ,ps4 lxviii4 #aa4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,we have now1 then1 to refute that statement of his which runs as follows3 8,o ,jews and ,christians1 no ,god or son of a ,god either came or will come down to earth4 ,but if you mean that certain angels did so1 then what do you call them8 ,are they gods1 or some other race of beings8 ,some other race of beings doubtless1 and in all probability demons40 ,now as ,celsus here is guilty of repeating himself 7for in the preceding pages such assertions have been frequently advanced by him71 it is unnecessary to discuss the matter at greater length1 seeing what we have already said upon this point may suffice4 ,we shall mention1 however1 a few considerations out of a greater number1 such as we deem in harmony with our former arguments1 but which have not altogether the same bearing as they1 and by which we shall show that in asserting generally that no ,god1 or son of ,god1 ever descended among men1 he overturns not only the opinions entertained by the majority of mankind regarding the manifestation of ,deity1 but also what was formerly admitted by himself4 ,for if the general statement1 that 8no ,god or son of ,god has come down or will come down10 be truly maintained by ,celsus1 it is manifest that we have here overthrown the belief in the existence of gods upon the earth who had descended from heaven either to predict the future to mankind or to heal them by means of divine responses2 and neither the ,pythian ,apollo1 nor ,esculapius1 nor any other among those supposed to have done so1 would be a god descended from heaven4 ,he might1 indeed1 either be a god who had obtained as his lot the obligation to dwell on earth for ever1 and be thus a fugitive1 as it were1 from the abode of the gods1 or he might be one who had no power to share in the society of the gods in heaven2#hdf or else ,apollo1 and ,esculapius1 and those others who are believed to perform acts on earth1 would not be gods1 but only certain demons1 much inferior to those wise men among mankind1 who on account of their virtue ascend to the vault#hdg of heaven4 ,footnote #hdf3 4 ,footnote #hdg3 4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,but observe how1 in his desire to subvert our opinions1 he who never acknowledged himself throughout his whole treatise to be an ,epicurean1 is convicted of being a deserter to that sect4 ,and now is the time for you1 reader1 who peruse the works of ,celsus1 and give your assent to what has been advanced1 either to overturn the belief in a ,god who visits the human race1 and exercises a providence over each individual man1 or to grant this1 and prove the falsity of the assertions of ,celsus4 ,if you1 then1 wholly annihilate providence1 you will falsify those assertions of his in which he grants the existence of 8,god and a providence10 in order that you may maintain the truth of your own position2 but if1 on the other hand1 you still admit the existence of providence1 because you do not assent to the dictum of ,celsus1 that 8neither has a ,god nor the son of a ,god come down nor is to come down#hdh to mankind10 why not rather carefully ascertain from the statements made regarding ,jesus1 and the prophecies uttered concerning ,him1 who it is that we are to consider as having come down to the human race as ,god1 and the ,son of ,god8--whether that ,jesus who said and ministered so much1 or those who1 under pretence of oracles and divinations1 do not reform the morals of their worshippers1 but who have besides apostatized from the pure and holy worship and honour due to the ,maker of all things1 and who tear away the souls of those who give heed to them from the one only visible and true ,god1 under a pretence of paying honour to a multitude of deities8 ,footnote #hdh3 4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,but since he says1 in the next place1 as if the ,jews or ,christians had answered regarding those who come down to visit the human race1 that they were angels3 8,but if ye say that they are angels1 what do you call them80 he continues1 8,are they gods1 or some other race of beings80 and then again introduces us as if answering1 8,some other race of beings1 and probably demons10--let us proceed to notice these remarks4 ,for we indeed acknowledge that angels are 8ministering spirits10 and we say that 8they are sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation20#hdi and that they ascend1 bearing the supplications of men1 to the purest of the heavenly places in the universe1 or even to supercelestial regions purer still2#hej and that they come down from these1 conveying to each one1 according to his deserts1 something enjoined by ,god to be conferred by them upon those who are to be the recipients of ,his benefits4 ,having thus learned to call these beings 8angels0 from their employments1 we find that because they are divine they are sometimes termed 8,god0 in the sacred ,scriptures1#hea but not so that we are commanded to honour and worship in place of ,god those who minister to us1 and bear to us ,his blessings4 ,for every prayer1 and supplication1 and intercession1 and thanksgiving1 is to be sent up to the ,supreme ,god through the ,high ,priest1 who is above all the angels1 the living ,word and ,god4 ,and to the ,word ,himself shall we also pray and make intercessions1 and offer thanksgivings and supplications to ,him1 if we have the capacity of distinguishing between the proper use and abuse of prayer4#heb ,footnote #hdi3 ,cf4 ,heb4 i4 #ad4 ,footnote #hej3 1 4 ,footnote #hea3 ,cf4 ,ps4 lxxxvi4 #h1 xcvi4 #d1 cxxxvi4 #b4 ,footnote #heb3 4 ,chapter ,v4 ,for to invoke angels without having obtained a knowledge of their nature greater than is possessed by men1 would be contrary to reason4 ,but1 conformably to our hypothesis1 let this knowledge of them1 which is something wonderful and mysterious1 be obtained4 ,then this knowledge1 making known to us their nature1 and the offices to which they are severally appointed1 will not permit us to pray with confidence to any other than to the ,supreme ,god1 who is sufficient for all things1 and that through our ,saviour the ,son of ,god1 who is the ,word1 and ,wisdom1 and ,truth1 and everything else which the writings of ,god's prophets and the apostles of ,jesus entitle ,him4 ,and it is enough to secure that the holy angels of ,god be propitious to us1 and that they do all things on our behalf1 that our disposition of mind towards ,god should imitate as far as it is within the power of human nature the example of these holy angels1 who again follow the example of their ,god2 and that the conceptions which we entertain of ,his ,son1 the ,word1 so far as attainable by us1 should not be opposed to the clearer conceptions of ,him which the holy angels possess1 but should daily approach these in clearness and distinctness4 ,but because ,celsus has not read our ,holy ,scriptures1 he gives himself an answer as if it came from us1 saying that we 8assert that the angels who come down from heaven to confer benefits on mankind are a different race from the gods10 and adds that 8in all probability they would be called demons by us30 not observing that the name 8demons0 is not a term of indifferent meaning like that of 8men10 among whom some are good and some bad1 nor yet a term of excellence like that of 8the gods10 which is applied not to wicked demons1 or to statues1 or to animals1 but 7by those who know divine things7 to what is truly divine and blessed2 whereas the term 8demons0 is always applied to those wicked powers1 freed from the encumbrance of a grosser body1 who lead men astray1 and fill them with distractions1 and drag them down from ,god and supercelestial thoughts to things here below4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,he next proceeds to make the following statement about the ,jews3--8,the first point relating to the ,jews which is fitted to excite wonder1 is that they should worship the heaven and the angels who dwell therein1 and yet pass by and neglect its most venerable and powerful parts1 as the sun1 and moon1 and the other heavenly bodies1 both fixed stars and planets1 as if it were possible that #8the whole' could be ,god1 and yet its parts not divine2 or as if it were reasonable to treat with the greatest respect those who are said to appear to such as are in darkness somewhere1 blinded by some crooked sorcery1 or dreaming dreams through the influence of shadowy spectres1#hec while those who prophesy so clearly and strikingly to all men1 by means of whom rain1 and heat1 and clouds1 and thunder 7to which they offer worship71 and lightnings1 and fruits1 and all kinds of productiveness1 are brought about1--by means of whom ,god is revealed to them1--the most prominent heralds among those beings that are above1--those that are truly heavenly angels1--are to be regarded as of no account60 ,in making these statements1 ,celsus appears to have fallen into confusion1 and to have penned them from false ideas of things which he did not understand2 for it is patent to all who investigate the practices of the ,jews1 and compare them with those of the ,christians1 that the ,jews who follow the law1 which1 speaking in the person of ,god1 says1 8,thou shalt have no other gods before me3 thou shalt not make unto thee an image1 nor a likeness of anything that is in heaven above1 or that is in the earth beneath1 or that is in the waters under the earth2 thou shalt not bow down to them1 nor serve them10#hed worship nothing else than the ,supreme ,god1 who made the heavens1 and all things besides4 ,now it is evident that those who live according to the law1 and worship the ,maker of heaven1 will not worship the heaven at the same time with ,god4 ,moreover1 no one who obeys the law of ,moses will bow down to the angels who are in heaven2 and1 in like manner1 as they do not bow down to sun1 moon1 and stars1 the host of heaven1 they refrain also from doing obeisance to heaven and its angels1 obeying the law which declares3 8,lest thou lift up thine eyes to heaven1 and when thou seest the sun1 and the moon1 and the stars1 even all the host of heaven1 shouldst be driven to worship them1 and serve them1 which the ,lord thy ,god hath divided unto all nations40#hee ,footnote #hec3 1 ' 1 4 ,footnote #hed3 ,cf4 ,ex4 xx4 #c1 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #hee3 ,cf4 ,deut4 iv4 #ai4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,having1 moreover1 assumed that the ,jews consider the heaven to be ,god1 he adds that this is absurd2 finding fault with those who bow down to the heaven1 but not also to the sun1 and moon1 and stars1 saying that the ,jews do this1 as if it were possible that 8the whole0 should be ,god1 and its several parts not divine4 ,and he seems to call the heaven 8a whole10 and sun1 moon1 and stars its several parts4 ,now1 certainly neither ,jews nor ,christians call the 8heaven0 ,god4 ,let it be granted1 however1 that1 as he alleges1 the heaven is called ,god by the ,jews1 and suppose that sun1 moon1 and stars are parts of 8heaven10--which is by no means true1 for neither are the animals and plants upon the earth any portion of it1--how is it true1 even according to the opinions of the ,greeks1 that if ,god be a whole1 ,his parts also are divine8 ,certainly they say that the ,cosmos taken as the whole#hef is ,god1 the ,stoics calling it the ,first ,god1 the followers of ,plato the ,second1 and some of them the ,third4 ,according to these philosophers1 then1 seeing the whole ,cosmos is ,god1 its parts also are divine2 so that not only are human beings divine1 but the whole of the irrational creation1 as being 8portions0 of the ,cosmos2 and besides these1 the plants also are divine4 ,and if the rivers1 and mountains1 and seas are portions of the ,cosmos1 then1 since the whole ,cosmos is ,god1 are the rivers and seas also gods8 ,but this even the ,greeks will not assert4 ,those1 however1 who preside over rivers and seas 7either demons or gods1 as they call them71 they would term gods4 ,now from this it follows that the general statement of ,celsus1 even according to the ,greeks1 who hold the doctrine of ,providence1 is false1 that if any 8whole0 be a god1 its parts necessarily are divine4 ,but it follows from the doctrine of ,celsus1 that if the ,cosmos be ,god1 all that is in it is divine1 being parts of the ,cosmos4 ,now1 according to this view1 animals1 as flies1 and gnats1 and worms1 and every species of serpent1 as well as of birds and fishes1 will be divine1--an assertion which would not be made even by those who maintain that the ,cosmos is ,god4 ,but the ,jews1 who live according to the law of ,moses1 although they may not know how to receive the secret meaning of the law1 which is conveyed in obscure language1 will not maintain that either the heaven or the angels are ,god4 ,footnote #hef3 4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,as we allege1 however1 that he has fallen into confusion in consequence of false notions which he has imbibed1 come and let us point them out to the best of our ability1 and show that although ,celsus considers it to be a ,jewish custom to bow down to the heaven and the angels in it1 such a practice is not at all ,jewish1 but is in violation of ,judaism1 as it also is to do obeisance to sun1 moon1 and stars1 as well as images4 ,you will find at least in the book of ,jeremiah the words of ,god censuring by the mouth of the prophet the ,jewish people for doing obeisance to such objects1 and for sacrificing to the queen of heaven1 and to all the host of heaven4#heg ,the writings of the ,christians1 moreover1 show1 in censuring the sins committed among the ,jews1 that when ,god abandoned that people on account of certain sins1 these sins of idol-worship also were committed by them4 ,for it is related in the ,acts of the ,apostles regarding the ,jews1 that 8,god turned1 and gave them up to worship the host of heaven2 as it is written in the book of the prophets1 ,o ye house of ,israel1 have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness8 ,yea1 ye took up the tabernacle of ,moloch1 and the star of your god ,remphan1 figures which you made to worship them40#heh ,and in the writings of ,paul1 who was carefully trained in ,jewish customs1 and converted afterwards to ,christianity by a miraculous appearance of ,jesus1 the following words may be read in the ,epistle to the ,colossians3 8,let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels1 intruding into those things which he hath not seen1 vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind2 and not holding the head1 from which all the body by joint and bands having nourishment ministered1 and knit together1 increaseth with the increase of ,god40#hei ,but ,celsus1 having neither read these verses1 nor having learned their contents from any other source1 has represented1 ,i know not how1 the ,jews as not transgressing their law in bowing down to the heavens1 and to the angels therein4 ,footnote #heg3 ,cf4 ,jer4 vii4 #ag1 #ah4 ,footnote #heh3 ,cf4 ,acts vii4 #db1 #dc4 ,footnote #hei3 ,cf4 ,col4 ii4 #ah1 #ai4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,and still continuing a little confused1 and not taking care to see what was relevant to the matter1 he expressed his opinion that the ,jews were induced by the incantations employed in jugglery and sorcery 7in consequence of which certain phantoms appear1 in obedience to the spells employed by the magicians7 to bow down to the angels in heaven1 not observing that this was contrary to their law1 which said to them who practised such observances3 8,regard not them which have familiar spirits1#hfj neither seek after wizards1#hfa to be defiled by them3 ,i am the ,lord your ,god40#hfb ,he ought1 therefore1 either not to have at all attributed this practice to the ,jews1 seeing he has observed that they keep their law1 and has called them 8those who live according to their law20 or if he did attribute it1 he ought to have shown that the ,jews did this in violation of their code4 ,but again1 as they transgress their law who offer worship to those who are said to appear to them who are involved in darkness and blinded by sorcery1 and who dream dreams1 owing to obscure phantoms presenting themselves2 so also do they transgress the law who offer sacrifice to sun1 moon1 and stars4#hfc ,and there is thus great inconsistency in the same individual saying that the ,jews are careful to keep their law by not bowing down to sun1 and moon1 and stars1 while they are not so careful to keep it in the matter of heaven and the angels4 ,footnote #hfj3 4 ,footnote #hfa3 4 ,footnote #hfb3 ,cf4 ,lev4 xix4 #ca4 ,footnote #hfc3 ,the emendations of ,ruus have been adopted in the translation1 the text being probably corrupt4 ,cf4 ,ruus1 in loc4 ,chapter ,x4 ,and if it be necessary for us to offer a defence of our refusal to recognise as gods1 equally with angels1 and sun1 and moon1 and stars1 those who are called by the ,greeks 8manifest and visible0 divinities1 we shall answer that the law of ,moses knows that these latter have been apportioned by ,god among all the nations under the heaven1 but not amongst those who were selected by ,god as ,his chosen people above all the nations of the earth4 ,for it is written in the book of ,deuteronomy3 8,and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven1 and when thou seest the sun1 and the moon1 and the stars1 even all the host of heaven1 shouldst be driven to worship them1 and serve them1 which the ,lord thy ,god hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven4 ,but the ,lord hath taken us1 and brought us forth out of the iron furnace1 even out of ,egypt1 to be unto ,him a people of inheritance1 as ye are this day40#hfd ,the ,hebrew people1 then1 being called by ,god a 8chosen generation1 and a royal priesthood1 and a holy nation1 and a purchased people10#hfe regarding whom it was foretold to ,abraham by the voice of the ,lord addressed to him1 8,look now towards heaven1 and tell the stars1 if thou be able to number them3 and ,he said unto him1 ,so shall thy seed be20#hff and having thus a hope that they would become as the stars of heaven1 were not likely to bow down to those objects which they were to resemble as a result of their understanding and observing the law of ,god4 ,for it was said to them3 8,the ,lord our ,god hath multiplied us2 and1 behold1 ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude40#hfg ,in the book of ,daniel1 also1 the following prophecies are found relating to those who are to share in the resurrection3 8,and at that time thy people shall be delivered1 every one that has been written in the book4 ,and many of them that sleep in the dust#hfh of the earth shall awake2 some to everlasting life1 and some to shame and everlasting contempt4 ,and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament1 and those of the many righteous#hfi as the stars for ever and ever10#hgj etc4 ,and hence ,paul1 too1 when speaking of the resurrection1 says3 8,and there are also celestial bodies1 and bodies terrestrial3 but the glory of the celestial is one1 and the glory of the terrestrial is another4 ,there is one glory of the sun1 and another glory of the moon1 and another glory of the stars2 for one star differeth from another star in glory4 ,so also is the resurrection of the dead40#hga ,it was not therefore consonant to reason that those who had been taught sublimely#hgb to ascend above all created things1 and to hope for the enjoyment of the most glorious rewards with ,god on account of their virtuous lives1 and who had heard the words1 8,ye are the light of the world10#hgc and1 8,let your light so shine before men1 that they1 seeing your good works1 may glorify your ,father who is in heaven10#hgd and who possessed through practice this brilliant and unfading wisdom1 or who had secured even the 8very reflection of everlasting light10#hge should be so impressed with the mere visible light of sun1 and moon1 and stars1 that1 on account of that sensible light of theirs1 they should deem themselves 7although possessed of so great a rational light of knowledge1 and of the true light1 and the light of the world1 and the light of men7 to be somehow inferior to them1 and to bow down to them2 seeing they ought to be worshipped1 if they are to receive worship at all1 not for the sake of the sensible light which is admired by the multitude1 but because of the rational and true light1 if indeed the stars in heaven are rational and virtuous beings1 and have been illuminated with the light of knowledge by that wisdom which is the 8reflection of everlasting light40 ,for that sensible light of theirs is the work of the ,creator of all things1 while that rational light is derived perhaps from the principle of free-will within them4#hgf ,footnote #hfd3 ,cf4 ,deut4 iv4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #hfe3 ,cf4 #a ,pet4 ii4 #i4 ,footnote #hff3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xv4 #e4 ,footnote #hfg3 ,cf4 ,deut4 i4 #aj4 ,footnote #hfh3 4 ,footnote #hfi3 4 ,footnote #hgj3 ,cf4 ,dan4 xii4 #a1 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #hga3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #dj-db4 ,footnote #hgb3 4 ,footnote #hgc3 ,matt4 v4 #ad4 ,footnote #hgd3 ,cf4 ,matt4 v4 #af4 ,footnote #hge3 ,cf4 ,origen1 de ,principiis1 i4 c4 vii4 ,footnote #hgf3 4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,but even this rational light itself ought not to be worshipped by him who beholds and understands the true light1 by sharing in which these also are enlightened2 nor by him who beholds ,god1 the ,father of the true light1--of whom it has been said1 8,god is light1 and in ,him there is no darkness at all40#hgg ,those1 indeed1 who worship sun1 moon1 and stars because their light is visible and celestial1 would not bow down to a spark of fire or a lamp upon earth1 because they see the incomparable superiority of those objects which are deemed worthy of homage to the light of sparks and lamps4 ,so those who understand that ,god is light1 and who have apprehended that the ,son of ,god is 8the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world10 and who comprehend also how ,he says1 8,i am the light of the world10 would not rationally offer worship to that which is1 as it were1 a spark in sun1 moon1 and stars1 in comparison with ,god1 who is light of the true light4 ,nor is it with a view to depreciate these great works of ,god's creative power1 or to call them1 after the fashion of ,anaxagoras1 8fiery masses10#hgh that we thus speak of sun1 and moon1 and stars2 but because we perceive the inexpressible superiority of the divinity of ,god1 and that of ,his only-begotten ,son1 which surpasses all other things4 ,and being persuaded that the sun himself1 and moon1 and stars pray to the ,supreme ,god through ,his only-begotten ,son1 we judge it improper to pray to those beings who themselves offer up prayers to ,god1 seeing even they themselves would prefer that we should send up our requests to the ,god to whom they pray1 rather than send them downwards to themselves1 or apportion our power of prayer#hgi between ,god and them4 ,and here ,i may employ this illustration1 as bearing upon this point3 ,our ,lord and ,saviour1 hearing ,himself on one occasion addressed as 8,good ,master10#hhj referring him who used it to ,his own ,father1 said1 8,why callest thou me good8 ,there is none good but one1 that is1 ,god the ,father40#hha ,and since it was in accordance with sound reason that this should be said by the ,son of ,his ,father's love1 as being the image of the goodness of ,god1 why should not the sun say with greater reason to those that bow down to him1 ,why do you worship me8 8for thou wilt worship the ,lord thy ,god1 and ,him only shalt thou serve20#hhb for it is ,he whom ,i and all who are with me serve and worship4 ,and although one may not be so exalted as the sun1 nevertheless let such an one pray to the ,word of ,god 7who is able to heal him71 and still more to ,his ,father1 who also to the righteous of former times 8sent ,his word1 and healed them1 and delivered them from their destructions40#hhc ,footnote #hgg3 ,cf4 #a ,john i4 #e4 ,footnote #hgh3 4 ,footnote #hgi3 4 ,footnote #hhj3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xix4 #ag2 cf4 ,mark x4 #ah4 ,footnote #hha3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #hhb3 ,cf4 ,deut4 vi4 #ac4 ,footnote #hhc3 ,cf4 ,ps4 cvii4 #bj4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,god accordingly1 in ,his kindness1 condescends to mankind1 not in any local sense1 but through ,his providence2#hhd while the ,son of ,god1 not only when on earth1 but at all times1 is with ,his own disciples1 fulfilling the promise1 8,lo1 ,i am with you always1 even to the end of the world40#hhe ,and if a branch cannot bear fruit except it abide in the vine1 it is evident that the disciples also of the ,word1 who are the rational branches of the ,word's true vine1 cannot produce the fruits of virtue unless they abide in the true vine1 the ,christ of ,god1 who is with us locally here below upon the earth1 and who is with those who cleave to ,him in all parts of the world1 and is also in all places with those who do not know ,him4 ,another is made manifest by that ,john who wrote the ,gospel1 when1 speaking in the person of ,john the ,baptist1 he said1 8,there standeth one among you whom ye know not2 ,he it is who cometh after me40#hhf ,and it is absurd1 when ,he who fills heaven and earth1 and who said1 8,do ,i not fill heaven and earth8 saith the ,lord10#hhg is with us1 and near us 7for ,i believe ,him when ,he says1 8,i am a ,god nigh at hand1 and not afar off1 saith the ,lord0#hhh71 to seek to pray to sun or moon1 or one of the stars1 whose influence does not reach the whole of the world4#hhi ,but1 to use the very words of ,celsus1 let it be granted that 8the sun1 moon1 and stars do foretell rain1 and heat1 and clouds1 and thunders10 why1 then1 if they really do foretell such great things1 ought we not rather to do homage to ,god1 whose servant they are in uttering these predictions1 and show reverence to ,him rather than ,his prophets8 ,let them predict1 then1 the approach of lightnings1 and fruits1 and all manner of productions1 and let all such things be under their administration2 yet we shall not on that account worship those who themselves offer worship1 as we do not worship even ,moses1 and those prophets who came from ,god after him1 and who predicted better things than rain1 and heat1 and clouds1 and thunders1 and lightnings1 and fruits1 and all sorts of productions visible to the senses4 ,nay1 even if sun1 and moon1 and stars were able to prophesy better things than rain1 not even then shall we worship them1 but the ,father of the prophecies which are in them1 and the ,word of ,god1 their minister4 ,but grant that they are ,his heralds1 and truly messengers of heaven1 why1 even then ought we not to worship the ,god whom they only proclaim and announce1 rather than those who are the heralds and messengers8 ,footnote #hhd3 4 ,footnote #hhe3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #hhf3 ,cf4 ,john i4 #bf1 #bg4 ,footnote #hhg3 ,cf4 ,jer4 xxiii4 #bd4 ,footnote #hhh3 ,cf4 ,jer4 xxiii4 #bc4 ,footnote #hhi3 4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,celsus1 moreover1 assumes that sun1 and moon1 and stars are regarded by us as of no account4 ,now1 with regard to these1 we acknowledge that they too are 8waiting for the manifestation of the sons of ,god10 being for the present subjected to the 8vanity0 of their material bodies1 8by reason of ,him who has subjected the same in hope40#hij ,but if ,celsus had read the innumerable other passages where we speak of sun1 moon1 and stars1 and especially these1--8,praise ,him1 all ye stars1 and thou1 ,o light10#hia and1 8,praise ,him1 ye heaven of heavens10--he would not have said of us that we regard such mighty beings1 which 8greatly praise0 the ,lord ,god1 as of no account4 ,nor did ,celsus know the passage3 8,for the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of ,god4 ,for the creature was made subject to vanity1 not willingly1 but by reason of ,him who hath subjected the same in hope2 because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of ,god40#hib ,and with these words let us terminate our defence against the charge of not worshipping sun1 moon1 and stars4 ,and let us now bring forward those statements of his which follow1 that we may1 ,god willing1 address to him in reply such arguments as shall be suggested by the light of truth4 ,footnote #hij3 ,cf4 ,rom4 viii4 #ai-ba4 ,footnote #hia3 ,cf4 ,ps4 cxlviii4 #c4 ,footnote #hib3 ,cf4 ,rom4 viii4 #ai-ba4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,the following1 then1 are his words3 8,it is folly on their part to suppose that when ,god1 as if ,he were a cook1#hic introduces the fire which is to consume the world1 all the rest of the human race will be burnt up1 while they alone will remain1 not only such of them as are then alive1 but also those who are long since dead1 which latter will arise from the earth clothed with the self-same flesh as during life2 for such a hope is simply one which might be cherished by worms4 ,for what sort of human soul is that which would still long for a body that had been subject to corruption8 ,whence1 also1 this opinion of yours is not shared by some of the ,christians1 and they pronounce it to be exceedingly vile1 and loathsome1 and impossible2 for what kind of body is that which1 after being completely corrupted1 can return to its original nature1 and to that self-same first condition out of which it fell into dissolution8 ,being unable to return any answer1 they betake themselves to a most absurd refuge1 viz4 that all things are possible to ,god4 ,and yet ,god cannot do things that are disgraceful1 nor does ,he wish to do things that are contrary to ,his nature2 nor1 if 7in accordance with the wickedness of your own heart7 you desired anything that was evil1 would ,god accomplish it2 nor must you believe at once that it will be done4 ,for ,god does not rule the world in order to satisfy inordinate desires1 or to allow disorder and confusion1 but to govern a nature that is upright and just4#hid ,for the soul1 indeed1 ,he might be able to provide an everlasting life2 while dead bodies1 on the contrary1 are1 as ,heraclitus observes1 more worthless than dung4 ,god1 however1 neither can nor will declare1 contrary to all reason1 that the flesh1 which is full of those things which it is not even honourable to mention1 is to exist for ever4 ,for ,he is the reason of all things that exist1 and therefore can do nothing either contrary to reason or contrary to ,himself40 ,footnote #hic3 4 ,footnote #hid3 1 1 4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,observe1 now1 here at the very beginning1 how1 in ridiculing the doctrine of a conflagration of the world1 held by certain of the ,greeks who have treated the subject in a philosophic spirit not to be depreciated1 he would make us1 8representing ,god1 as it were1 as a cook1 hold the belief in a general conflagration20 not perceiving that1 as certain ,greeks were of opinion 7perhaps having received their information from the ancient nation of the ,hebrews71 it is a purificatory fire which is brought upon the world1 and probably also on each one of those who stand in need of chastisement by the fire and healing at the same time1 seeing it burns indeed1 but does not consume1 those who are without a material body1#hie which needs to be consumed by that fire1 and which burns and consumes those who by their actions1 words1 and thoughts have built up wood1 or hay1 or stubble1 in that which is figuratively termed a 8building40#hif ,and the ,holy ,scriptures say that the ,lord will1 like a refiner's fire and fuller's soap1#hig visit each one of those who require purification1 because of the intermingling in them of a flood of wicked matter proceeding from their evil nature2 who need fire1 ,i mean1 to refine1 as it were1 the dross of those who are intermingled with copper1 and tin1 and lead4 ,and he who likes may learn this from the prophet ,ezekiel4#hih ,but that we say that ,god brings fire upon the world1 not like a cook1 but like a ,god1 who is the benefactor of them who stand in need of the discipline of fire1#hii will be testified by the prophet ,isaiah1 in whose writings it is related that a sinful nation was thus addressed3 8,because thou hast coals of fire1 sit upon them3 they shall be to thee a help40#ijj ,now the ,scripture is appropriately adapted to the multitudes of those who are to peruse it1 because it speaks obscurely of things that are sad and gloomy1#ija in order to terrify those who cannot by any other means be saved from the flood of their sins1 although even then the attentive reader will clearly discover the end that is to be accomplished by these sad and painful punishments upon those who endure them4 ,it is sufficient1 however1 for the present to quote the words of ,isaiah3 8,for my name's sake will ,i show mine anger1 and my glory ,i will bring upon thee1 that ,i may not destroy thee40#ijb ,we have thus been under the necessity of referring in obscure terms to questions not fitted to the capacity of simple believers1 who require a simpler instruction in words1 that we might not appear to leave unrefuted the accusation of ,celsus1 that 8,god introduces the fire1 which is to destroy the world1 as if ,he were a cook40 ,footnote #hie3 4 ,footnote #hif3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 iii4 #ab4 ,footnote #hig3 ,cf4 ,mal4 iii4 #b4 ,footnote #hih3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 xxii4 #ah1 #bj4 ,footnote #hii3 4 ,footnote #ijj3 ,cf4 ,isa4 xlvii4 #ad1 #ae4 ,footnote #ija3 4 ,footnote #ijb3 ,cf4 ,isa4 xlviii4 #i 7,septuagint74 ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,from what has been said1 it will be manifest to intelligent hearers how we have to answer the following3 8,all the rest of the race will be completely burnt up1 and they alone will remain40 ,it is not to be wondered at1 indeed1 if such thoughts have been entertained by those amongst us who are called in ,scripture the 8foolish things0 of the world1 and 8base things10 and 8things which are despised10 and 8things which are not10 because 8by the foolishness of preaching it pleased ,god to save them that believe on ,him1 after that1 in the wisdom of ,god1 the world by wisdom knew not ,god10#ijc--;because such individuals are unable to see distinctly the sense of each particular passage1#ijd or unwilling to devote the necessary leisure to the investigation of ,scripture1 notwithstanding the injunction of ,jesus1 8,search the ,scriptures40#ije ,the following1 moreover1 are his ideas regarding the fire which is to be brought upon the world by ,god1 and the punishments which are to befall sinners4 ,and perhaps1 as it is appropriate to children that some things should be addressed to them in a manner befitting their infantile condition1 to convert them1 as being of very tender age1 to a better course of life2 so1 to those whom the word terms 8the foolish things of the world10 and 8the base10 and 8the despised10 the just and obvious meaning of the passages relating to punishments is suitable1 inasmuch as they cannot receive any other mode of conversion than that which is by fear and the presentation of punishment1 and thus be saved from the many evils which would befall them4#ijf ,the ,scripture accordingly declares that only those who are unscathed by the fire and the punishments are to remain1--those1 viz41 whose opinions1 and morals1 and mind have been purified to the highest degree2 while1 on the other hand1 those of a different nature--those1 viz41 who1 according to their deserts1 require the administration of punishment by fire--will be involved in these sufferings with a view to an end which it is suitable for ,god to bring upon those who have been created in ,his image1 but who have lived in opposition to the will of that nature which is according to ,his image4 ,and this is our answer to the statement1 8,all the rest of the race will be completely burnt up1 but they alone are to remain40 ,footnote #ijc3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 i4 #ba4 ,footnote #ijd3 4 ,footnote #ije3 ,cf4 ,john v4 #ci4 ,footnote #ijf3 4 ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,then1 in the next place1 having either himself misunderstood the sacred ,scriptures1 or those interpreters by whom they were not understood1 he proceeds to assert that 8it is said by us that there will remain at the time of the visitation which is to come upon the world by the fire of purification1 not only those who are then alive1 but also those who are long ago dead20 not observing that it is with a secret kind of wisdom that it was said by the apostle of ,jesus3 8,we shall not all sleep1 but we shall all be changed1 in a moment1 in the twinkling of an eye1 at the last trump2 for the trumpet shall sound1 and the dead shall be raised incorruptible1 and we shall be changed40#ijg ,now he ought to have noticed what was the meaning of him who uttered these words1 as being one who was by no means dead1 who made a distinction between himself and those like him and the dead1 and who said afterwards1 8,the dead shall be raised incorruptible10 and 8we shall be changed40 ,and as a proof that such was the apostle's meaning in writing those words which ,i have quoted from the ,first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 ,i will quote also from the ,first to the ,thessalonians1 in which ,paul1 as one who is alive and awake1 and different from those who are asleep1 speaks as follows3 8,for this we say unto you by the word of the ,lord1 that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the ,lord1 shall not prevent them who are asleep2 for the ,lord ,himself shall descend from heaven with a shout1 with the voice of the archangel1 and with the trump of ,god40#ijh ,then1 again1 after this1 knowing that there were others dead in ,christ besides himself and such as he1 he subjoins the words1 8,the dead in ,christ shall rise first2 then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the air40#iji ,footnote #ijg3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ea1 #eb4 ,footnote #ijh3 ,cf4 #a ,thess4 iv4 #ae1 #af4 ,footnote #iji3 ,cf4 #a ,thess4 iv4 #af1 #ag4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,but since he has ridiculed at great length the doctrine of the resurrection of the flesh1 which has been preached in the churches1 and which is more clearly understood by the more intelligent believer2 and as it is unnecessary again to quote his words1 which have been already adduced1 let us1 with regard to the problem#iaj 7as in an apologetic work directed against an alien from the faith1 and for the sake of those who are still 8children1 tossed to and fro1 and carried about with every wind of doctrine1 by the sleight of men1 and cunning craftiness1 whereby they lie in wait to deceive0#iaa71 state and establish to the best of our ability a few points expressly intended for our readers4 ,neither we1 then1 nor the ,holy ,scriptures1 assert that with the same bodies1 without a change to a higher condition1 8shall those who were long dead arise from the earth and live again20 for in so speaking1 ,celsus makes a false charge against us4 ,for we may listen to many passages of ,scripture treating of the resurrection in a manner worthy of ,god1 although it may suffice for the present to quote the language of ,paul from the ,first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 where he says3 8,but some man will say1 ,how are the dead raised up8 and with what body do they come8 ,thou fool1 that which thou sowest is not quickened1 except it die4 ,and that which thou sowest1 thou sowest not that body that shall be1 but bare grain1 it may chance of wheat1 or of some other grain2 but ,god giveth it a body as it hath pleased ,him1 and to every seed his own body40#iab ,now1 observe how in these words he says that there is sown1 8not that body that shall be20 but that of the body which is sown and cast naked into the earth 7,god giving to each seed its own body71 there takes place as it were a resurrection3 from the seed that was cast into the ground there arising a stalk1 e4g4 among such plants as the following1 viz4 the mustard plant1 or of a larger tree1 as in the olive1#iac or one of the fruit-trees4 ,footnote #iaj3 4 ,footnote #iaa3 ,cf4 ,eph4 iv4 #ad4 ,footnote #iab3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ce-ch4 ,footnote #iac3 4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,god1 then1 gives to each thing its own body as ,he pleases3 as in the case of plants that are sown1 so also in the case of those beings who are1 as it were1 sown in dying1 and who in due time receive1 out of what has been 8sown10 the body assigned by ,god to each one according to his deserts4 ,and we may hear1 moreover1 the ,scripture teaching us at great length the difference between that which is1 as it were1 8sown10 and that which is1 as it were1 8raised0 from it1 in these words3 8,it is sown in corruption1 it is raised in incorruption2 it is sown in dishonour1 it is raised in glory2 it is sown in weakness1 it is raised in power2 it is sown a natural body1 it is raised a spiritual body40#iad ,and let him who has the capacity understand the meaning of the words3 8,as is the earthy1 such are they also that are earthy2 and as is the heavenly1 such are they also that are heavenly4 ,and as we have borne the image of the earthy1 we shall also bear the image of the heavenly40#iae ,and although the apostle wished to conceal the secret meaning of the passage1 which was not adapted to the simpler class of believers1 and to the understanding of the common people1 who are led by their faith to enter on a better course of life1 he was nevertheless obliged afterwards to say 7in order that we might not misapprehend his meaning71 after 8,let us bear the image of the heavenly10 these words also3 8,now this ,i say1 brethren1 that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of ,god2 neither doth corruption inherit incorruption40#iaf ,then1 knowing that there was a secret and mystical meaning in the passage1 as was becoming in one who was leaving1 in his epistles1 to those who were to come after him words full of significance1 he subjoins the following1 8,behold1 ,i show you a mystery20#iag which is his usual style in introducing matters of a profounder and more mystical nature1 and such as are fittingly concealed from the multitude1 as is written in the book of ,tobit3 8,it is good to keep close the secret of a king1 but honourable to reveal the works of ,god10#iah--;in a way consistent with truth and ,god's glory1 and so as to be to the advantage of the multitude4 ,our hope1 then1 is not 8the hope of worms1 nor does our soul long for a body that has seen corruption20 for although it may require a body1 for the sake of moving from place to place1#iai yet it understands 7as having meditated on the wisdom that is from above1 agreeably to the declaration1 8,the mouth of the righteous will speak wisdom0#ibj7 the difference between the 8earthly house10 in which is the tabernacle of the building that is to be dissolved1 and that in which the righteous do groan1 being burdened1--not wishing to 8put off0 the tabernacle1 but to be 8clothed therewith10 that by being clothed upon1 mortality might be swallowed up of life4 ,for1 in virtue of the whole nature of the body being corruptible1 the corruptible tabernacle must put on incorruption2 and its other part1 being mortal1 and becoming liable to the death which follows sin1 must put on immortality1 in order that1 when the corruptible shall have put on incorruption1 and the mortal immortality1 then shall come to pass what was predicted of old by the prophets1--the annihilation of the 8victory0 of death 7because it had conquered and subjected us to his sway71 and of its 8sting10 with which it stings the imperfectly defended soul1 and inflicts upon it the wounds which result from sin4 ,footnote #iad3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #db1 #dc4 ,footnote #iae3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #dh1 #di4 ,footnote #iaf3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #di4 ,footnote #iag3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ej4 ,footnote #iah3 ,cf4 ,tobit xii4 #g4 ,footnote #iai3 4 ,footnote #ibj3 ,cf4 ,ps4 xxxvii4 #cj4 ,chapter ,,xx4 ,but since our views regarding the resurrection have1 as far as time would permit1 been stated in part on the present occasion 7for we have systematically examined the subject in greater detail in other parts of our writings72 and as now we must by means of sound reasoning refute the fallacies of ,celsus1 who neither understands the meaning of our ,scripture1 nor has the capacity of judging that the meaning of our wise men is not to be determined by those individuals who make no profession of anything more than of a simple faith in the ,christian system1 let us show that men1 not to be lightly esteemed on account of their reasoning powers and dialectic subtleties1 have given expression to very absurd#iba opinions4 ,and if we must sneer#ibb at them as contemptible old wives' fables1 it is at them rather than at our narrative that we must sneer4 ,the disciples of the ,porch assert1 that after a period of years there will be a conflagration of the world1 and after that an arrangement of things in which everything will be unchanged1 as compared with the former arrangement of the world4 ,those of them1 however1 who evinced their respect for this doctrine have said that there will be a change1 although exceedingly slight1 at the end of the cycle1 from what prevailed during the preceding4 ,and these men maintain1 that in the succeeding cycle the same things will occur1 and ,socrates will be again the son of ,sophroniscus1 and a native of ,athens2 and ,phnarete1 being married to ,sophroniscus1 will again become his mother4 ,and although they do not mention the word 8resurrection10 they show in reality that ,socrates1 who derived his origin from seed1 will spring from that of ,sophroniscus1 and will be fashioned in the womb of ,phnarete2 and being brought up at ,athens1 will practise the study of philosophy1 as if his former philosophy had arisen again1 and were to be in no respect different from what it was before4 ,anytus and ,melitus1 too1 will arise again as accusers of ,socrates1 and the ,council of ,areopagus will condemn him to death6 ,but what is more ridiculous still1 is that ,socrates will clothe himself with garments not at all different from those which he wore during the former cycle1 and will live in the same unchanged state of poverty1 and in the same unchanged city of ,athens6 ,and ,phalaris will again play the tyrant1 and his brazen bull will pour forth its bellowings from the voices of victims within1 unchanged from those who were condemned in the former cycle6 ,and ,alexander of ,pher1 too1 will again act the tyrant with a cruelty unaltered from the former time1 and will condemn to death the same 8unchanged0 individuals as before4 ,but what need is there to go into detail upon the doctrine held by the ,stoic philosophers on such things1 and which escapes the ridicule of ,celsus1 and is perhaps even venerated by him1 since he regards ,zeno as a wiser man than ,jesus8 ,footnote #iba3 ' 4 ,footnote #ibb3 4 ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,the disciples of ,pythagoras1 too1 and of ,plato1 although they appear to hold the incorruptibility of the world1 yet fall into similar errors4 ,for as the planets1 after certain definite cycles1 assume the same positions1 and hold the same relations to one another1 all things on earth will1 they assert1 be like what they were at the time when the same state of planetary relations existed in the world4 ,from this view it necessarily follows1 that when1 after the lapse of a lengthened cycle1 the planets come to occupy towards each other the same relations which they occupied in the time of ,socrates1 ,socrates will again be born of the same parents1 and suffer the same treatment1 being accused by ,anytus and ,melitus1 and condemned by the ,council of ,areopagus6 ,the learned among the ,egyptians1 moreover1 hold similar views1 and yet they are treated with respect1 and do not incur the ridicule of ,celsus and such as he2 while we1 who maintain that all things are administered by ,god in proportion to the relation of the free-will of each individual1 and are ever being brought into a better condition1 so far as they admit of being so1#ibc and who know that the nature of our free-will admits of the occurrence of contingent events#ibd 7for it is incapable of receiving the wholly unchangeable character of ,god71 yet do not appear to say anything worthy of a testing examination4 ,footnote #ibc3 4 ,footnote #ibd3 ' 4 ,chapter ,,xxii4 ,let no one1 however1 suspect that1 in speaking as we do1 we belong to those who are indeed called ,christians1 but who set aside the doctrine of the resurrection as it is taught in ,scripture4 ,for these persons cannot1 so far as their principles apply1 at all establish that the stalk or tree which springs up comes from the grain of wheat1 or anything else which was cast into the ground2 whereas we1 who believe that that which is 8sown0 is not 8quickened0 unless it die1 and that there is sown not that body that shall be 7for ,god gives it a body as it pleases ,him1 raising it in incorruption after it is sown in corruption2 and after it is sown in dishonour1 raising it in glory2 and after it is sown in weakness1 raising it in power2 and after it is sown a natural body1 raising it a spiritual71--we preserve both the doctrine#ibe of the church of ,christ and the grandeur of the divine promise1 proving also the possibility of its accomplishment not by mere assertion1 but by arguments2 knowing that although heaven and earth1 and the things that are in them1 may pass away1 yet ,his words regarding each individual thing1 being1 as parts of a whole1 or species of a genus1 the utterances of ,him who was ,god the ,word1 who was in the beginning with ,god1 shall by no means pass away4 ,for we desire to listen to ,him who said3 8,heaven and earth shall pass away1 but my words shall not pass away40#ibf ,footnote #ibe3 4 ,footnote #ibf3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxiv4 #ce2 cf4 ,mark xiii4 #ca4 ,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,we1 therefore1 do not maintain that the body which has undergone corruption resumes its original nature1 any more than the grain of wheat which has decayed returns to its former condition4 ,but we do maintain1 that as above the grain of wheat there arises a stalk1 so a certain power#ibg is implanted in the body1 which is not destroyed1 and from which the body is raised up in incorruption4 ,the philosophers of the ,porch1 however1 in consequence of the opinions which they hold regarding the unchangeableness of things after a certain cycle1 assert that the body1 after undergoing complete corruption1 will return to its original condition1 and will again assume that first nature from which it passed into a state of dissolution1 establishing these points1 as they think1 by irresistible arguments4#ibh ,we1 however1 do not betake ourselves to a most absurd refuge1 saying that with ,god all things are possible2 for we know how to understand this word 8all0 as not referring either to things that are 8non-existent0 or that are inconceivable4 ,but we maintain1 at the same time1 that ,god cannot do what is disgraceful1 since then ,he would be capable of ceasing to be ,god2 for if ,he do anything that is disgraceful1 ,he is not ,god4 ,since1 however1 he lays it down as a principle1 that 8,god does not desire what is contrary to nature10 we have to make a distinction1 and say that if any one asserts that wickedness is contrary to nature1 while we maintain that 8,god does not desire what is contrary to nature10--either what springs from wickedness or from an irrational principle1--yet1 if such things happen according to the word and will of ,god1 we must at once necessarily hold that they are not contrary to nature4 ,therefore things which are done by ,god1 although they may be1 or may appear to some to be incredible1 are not contrary to nature4 ,and if we must press the force of words1#ibi we would say that1 in comparison with what is generally understood as 8nature10 there are certain things which are beyond its power1 which ,god could at any time do2 as1 e4g41 in raising man above the level of human nature1 and causing him to pass into a better and more divine condition1 and preserving him in the same1 so long as he who is the object of ,his care shows by his actions that he desires the continuance of ,his help4 ,footnote #ibg3 4 ,footnote #ibh3 4 ,footnote #ibi3 4 ,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,moreover1 as we have already said that for ,god to desire anything unbecoming ,himself would be destructive of ,his existence as ,deity1 we will add that if man1 agreeably to the wickedness of his nature1 should desire anything that is abominable1#icj ,god cannot grant it4 ,and now it is from no spirit of contention that we answer the assertions of ,celsus2 but it is in the spirit of truth that we investigate them1 as assenting to his view that 8,he is the ,god1 not of inordinate desires1 nor of error and disorder1 but of a nature just and upright10 because ,he is the source of all that is good4 ,and that ,he is able to provide an eternal life for the soul we acknowledge2 and that ,he possesses not only the 8power10 but the 8will40 ,in view1 therefore1 of these considerations1 we are not at all distressed by the assertion of ,heraclitus1 adopted by ,celsus1 that 8dead bodies are to be cast out as more worthless than dung20 and yet1 with reference even to this1 one might say that dung1 indeed1 ought to be cast out1 while the dead bodies of men1 on account of the soul by which they were inhabited1 especially if it had been virtuous1 ought not to be cast out4 ,for1 in harmony with those laws which are based upon the principles of equity1 bodies are deemed worthy of sepulture1 with the honours accorded on such occasions1 that no insult1 so far as can be helped1 may be offered to the soul which dwelt within1 by casting forth the body 7after the soul has departed7 like that of the animals4 ,let it not then be held1 contrary to reason1 that it is the will of ,god to declare that the grain of wheat is not immortal1 but the stalk which springs from it1 while the body which is sown in corruption is not1 but that which is raised by ,him in incorruption4 ,but according to ,celsus1 ,god ,himself is the reason of all things1 while according to our view it is ,his ,son1 of whom we say in philosophic language1 8,in the beginning was the ,word1 and the ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was ,god20#ica while in our judgment also1 ,god cannot do anything which is contrary to reason1 or contrary to ,himself4 ,footnote #icj3 4 ,footnote #ica3 ,cf4 ,john i4 #a4 ,chapter ,,xxv4 ,let us next notice the statements of ,celsus1 which follow the preceding1 and which are as follow3 8,as the ,jews1 then1 became a peculiar people1 and enacted laws in keeping with the customs of their country1#icb and maintain them up to the present time1 and observe a mode of worship which1 whatever be its nature1 is yet derived from their fathers1 they act in these respects like other men1 because each nation retains its ancestral customs1 whatever they are1 if they happen to be established among them4 ,and such an arrangement appears to be advantageous1 not only because it has occurred to the mind of other nations to decide some things differently1 but also because it is a duty to protect what has been established for the public advantage2 and also because1 in all probability1 the various quarters of the earth were from the beginning allotted to different superintending spirits1#icc and were thus distributed among certain governing powers1#icd and in this manner the administration of the world is carried on4 ,and whatever is done among each nation in this way would be rightly done1 wherever it was agreeable to the wishes of the superintending powers1 while it would be an act of impiety to get rid of#ice the institutions established from the beginning in the various places40 ,by these words ,celsus shows that the ,jews1 who were formerly ,egyptians1 subsequently became a 8peculiar people10 and enacted laws which they carefully preserve4 ,and not to repeat his statements1 which have been already before us1 he says that it is advantageous to the ,jews to observe their ancestral worship1 as other nations carefully attend to theirs4 ,and he further states a deeper reason why it is of advantage to the ,jews to cultivate their ancestral customs1 in hinting dimly that those to whom was allotted the office of superintending the country which was being legislated for1 enacted the laws of each land in co-operation with its legislators4 ,he appears1 then1 to indicate that both the country of the ,jews1 and the nation which inhabits it1 are superintended by one or more beings1 who1 whether they were one or more1 co-operated with ,moses1 and enacted the laws of the ,jews4 ,footnote #icb3 4 ,footnote #icc3 4 ,footnote #icd3 4 ,footnote #ice3 4 ,chapter ,,xxvi4 8,we must10 he says1 8observe the laws1 not only because it has occurred to the mind of others to decide some things differently1 but because it is a duty to protect what has been enacted for the public advantage1 and also because1 in all probability1 the various quarters of the earth were from the beginning allotted to different superintending spirits1 and were distributed among certain governing powers1 and in this manner the administration of the world is carried on40 ,thus ,celsus1 as if he had forgotten what he had said against the ,jews1 now includes them in the general eulogy which he passes upon all who observe their ancestral customs1 remarking3 8,and whatever is done among each nation in this way1 would be rightly done whenever agreeable to the wishes of the superintendents40 ,and observe here1 whether he does not openly1 so far as he can1 express a wish that the ,jew should live in the observance of his own laws1 and not depart from them1 because he would commit an act of impiety if he apostatized2 for his words are3 8,it would be an act of impiety to get rid of the institutions established from the beginning in the various places40 ,now ,i should like to ask him1 and those who entertain his views1 who it was that distributed the various quarters of the earth from the beginning among the different superintending spirits2 and especially1 who gave the country of the ,jews1 and the ,jewish people themselves1 to the one or more superintendents to whom it was allotted8 ,was it1 as ,celsus would say1 ,jupiter who assigned the ,jewish people and their country to a certain spirit or spirits8 ,and was it his wish1 to whom they were thus assigned1 to enact among them the laws which prevail1 or was it against his will that it was done8 ,you will observe that1 whatever be his answer1 he is in a strait4 ,but if the various quarters of the earth were not allotted by some one being to the various superintending spirits1 then each one at random1 and without the superintendence of a higher power1 divided the earth according to chance2 and yet such a view is absurd1 and destructive in no small degree of the providence of the ,god who presides over all things4 ,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,any one1 indeed1 who chooses1 may relate how the various quarters of the earth1 being distributed among certain governing powers1 are administered by those who superintend them2 but let him tell us also how what is done among each nation is done rightly when agreeable to the wishes of the superintendents4 ,let him1 for example1 tell us whether the laws of the ,scythians1 which permit the murder of parents1 are right laws2 or those of the ,persians1 which do not forbid the marriages of sons with their mothers1 or of daughters with their own fathers4 ,but what need is there for me to make selections from those who have been engaged in the business of enacting laws among the different nations1 and to inquire how the laws are rightly enacted among each1 according as they please the superintending powers8 ,let ,celsus1 however1 tell us how it would be an act of impiety to get rid of those ancestral laws which permit the marriages of mothers and daughters2 or which pronounce a man happy who puts an end to his life by hanging1 or declare that they undergo entire purification who deliver themselves over to the fire1 and who terminate their existence by fire2 and how it is an act of impiety to do away with those laws which1 for example1 prevail in the ,tauric ,chersonese1 regarding the offering up of strangers in sacrifice to ,diana1 or among certain of the ,libyan tribes regarding the sacrifice of children to ,saturn4 ,moreover1 this inference follows from the dictum of ,celsus1 that it is an act of impiety on the part of the ,jews to do away with those ancestral laws which forbid the worship of any other deity than the ,creator of all things4 ,and it will follow1 according to his view1 that piety is not divine by its own nature1 but by a certain external arrangement and appointment4 ,for it is an act of piety among certain tribes to worship a crocodile1 and to eat what is an object of adoration among other tribes2 while1 again1 with others it is a pious act to worship a calf1 and among others1 again1 to regard the goat as a god4 ,and1 in this way1 the same individual will be regarded as acting piously according to one set of laws1 and impiously according to another2 and this is the most absurd result that can be conceived6 ,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,it is probable1 however1 that to such remarks as the above1 the answer returned would be1 that he was pious who kept the laws of his own country1 and not at all chargeable with impiety for the non-observance of those of other lands2 and that1 again1 he who was deemed guilty of impiety among certain nations was not really so1 when he worshipped his own gods1 agreeably to his country's laws1 although he made war against1 and even feasted on1#icf those who were regarded as divinities among those nations which possessed laws of an opposite kind4 ,now1 observe here whether these statements do not exhibit the greatest confusion of mind regarding the nature of what is just1 and holy1 and religious2 since there is no accurate definition laid down of these things1 nor are they described as having a peculiar character of their own1 and stamping as religious those who act according to their injunctions4 ,if1 then1 religion1 and piety1 and righteousness belong to those things which are so only by comparison1 so that the same act may be both pious and impious1 according to different relations and different laws1 see whether it will not follow that temperance#icg also is a thing of comparison1 and courage as well1 and prudence1 and the other virtues1 than which nothing could be more absurd6 ,what we have said1 however1 is sufficient for the more general and simple class of answers to the allegations of ,celsus4 ,but as we think it likely that some of those who are accustomed to deeper investigation will fall in with this treatise1 let us venture to lay down some considerations of a profounder kind1 conveying a mystical and secret view respecting the original distribution of the various quarters of the earth among different superintending spirits2 and let us prove to the best of our ability1 that our doctrine is free from the absurd consequences enumerated above4 ,footnote #icf3 4 ,footnote #icg3 4 ,chapter ,,xxix4 ,it appears to me1 indeed1 that ,celsus has misunderstood some of the deeper reasons relating to the arrangement of terrestrial affairs1 some of which are touched upon#ich even in ,grecian history1 when certain of those who are considered to be gods are introduced as having contended with each other about the possession of ,attica2 while in the writings of the ,greek poets also1 some who are called gods are represented as acknowledging that certain places here are preferred by them#ici before others4 ,the history of barbarian nations1 moreover1 and especially that of ,egypt1 contains some such allusions to the division of the so-called ,egyptian nomes1 when it states that ,athena1 who obtained ,sas by lot1 is the same who also has possession of ,attica4 ,and the learned among the ,egyptians can enumerate innumerable instances of this kind1 although ,i do not know whether they include the ,jews and their country in this division4 ,and now1 so far as testimonies outside the word of ,god bearing on this point are concerned1 enough have been adduced for the present4 ,we say1 moreover1 that our prophet of ,god and ,his genuine servant ,moses1 in his song in the book of ,deuteronomy1 makes a statement regarding the portioning out of the earth in the following terms3 8,when the ,most ,high divided the nations1 when ,he dispersed the sons of ,adam1 ,he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the angels of ,god2 and the ,lord's portion was ,his people ,jacob1 and ,israel the cord of ,his inheritance40#idj ,and regarding the distribution of the nations1 the same ,moses1 in his work entitled ,genesis1 thus expresses himself in the style of a historical narrative3 8,and the whole earth was of one language and of one speech2 and it came to pass1 as they journeyed from the east1 that they found a plain in the land of ,shinar1 and they dwelt there40#ida ,a little further on he continues3 8,and the ,lord came down to see the city and the tower1 which the children of men had built4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,behold1 the people is one1 and they have all one language2 and this they have begun to do3 and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do4 ,go to1 let us go down1 and there confound their language1 that they may not understand one another's speech4 ,and the ,lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth3 and they left off to build the city and the tower4 ,therefore is the name of it called ,confusion2#idb because the ,lord did there confound the language of all the earth3 and from thence did the ,lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth40#idc ,in the treatise of ,solomon1 moreover1 on 8,wisdom10 and on the events at the time of the confusion of languages1 when the division of the earth took place1 we find the following regarding ,wisdom3 8,moreover1 the nations4 in their wicked conspiracy being confounded1 she found out the righteous1 and preserved him blameless unto ,god1 and kept him strong in his tender compassion towards his son40#idd ,but on these subjects much1 and that of a mystical kind1 might be said2 in keeping with which is the following3 8,it is good to keep close the secret of a king10#ide--;in order that the doctrine of the entrance of souls into bodies 7not1 however1 that of the transmigration from one body into another7 may not be thrown before the common understanding1 nor what is holy given to the dogs1 nor pearls be cast before swine4 ,for such a procedure would be impious1 being equivalent to a betrayal of the mysterious declarations of ,god's wisdom1 of which it has been well said3 8,into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter1 nor dwell in a body subject to sin40#idf ,it is sufficient1 however1 to represent in the style of a historic narrative what is intended to convey a secret meaning in the garb of history1 that those who have the capacity may work out for themselves all that relates to the subject4 ,footnote #ich3 4 ,footnote #ici3 4 ,footnote #idj3 ,cf4 ,deut4 xxxii4 #h1 #i 7,,lxx474 ,footnote #ida3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xi4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #idb3 4 ,footnote #idc3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xi4 #e-i4 ,footnote #idd3 ,cf4 ,wisd4 of ,sol4 x4 #e4 ,footnote #ide3 ,cf4 ,tobit xii4 #g4 ,footnote #idf3 ,cf4 ,wisd4 of ,sol4 i4 #d4 ,chapter ,,xxx4 ,the narrative1 then1 may be understood as follows4 ,all the people upon the earth are to be regarded as having used one divine language1 and so long as they lived harmoniously together were preserved in the use of this divine language1 and they remained without moving from the east so long as they were imbued with the sentiments of the 8light10 and of the 8reflection0 of the eternal light4#idg ,but when they departed from the east1 and began to entertain sentiments alien to those of the east1#idh they found a place in the land of ,shinar 7which1 when interpreted1 means 8gnashing of teeth10 by way of indicating symbolically that they had lost the means of their support71 and in it they took up their abode4 ,then1 desiring to gather together material things1#idi and to join to heaven what had no natural affinity for it1 that by means of material things they might conspire against such as were immaterial1 they said1 8,come1 let us make bricks1 and burn them with fire40 ,accordingly1 when they had hardened and compacted these materials of clay and matter1 and had shown their desire to make brick into stone1 and clay into bitumen1 and by these means to build a city and a tower1 the head of which was1 at least in their conception1 to reach up to the heavens1 after the manner of the 8high things which exalt themselves against the knowledge of ,god10 each one was handed over 7in proportion to the greater or less departure from the east which had taken place among them1 and in proportion to the extent in which bricks had been converted into stones1 and clay into bitumen1 and building carried on out of these materials7 to angels of character more or less severe1 and of a nature more or less stern1 until they had paid the penalty of their daring deeds2 and they were conducted by those angels1 who imprinted on each his native language1 to the different parts of the earth according to their deserts3 some1 for example1 to a region of burning heat1 others to a country which chastises its inhabitants by its cold2 others1 again1 to a land exceedingly difficult of cultivation1 others to one less so in degree2 while a fifth were brought into a land filled with wild beasts1 and a sixth to a country comparatively free of these4 ,footnote #idg3 4 ,footnote #idh3 4 ,footnote #idi3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,now1 in the next place1 if any one has the capacity1 let him understand that in what assumes the form of history1 and which contains some things that are literally true1 while yet it conveys a deeper meaning1 those who preserved their original language continued1 by reason of their not having migrated from the east1 in possession of the east1 and of their eastern language4 ,and let him notice1 that these alone became the portion of the ,lord1 and ,his people who were called ,jacob1 and ,israel the cord of ,his inheritance2 and these alone were governed by a ruler who did not receive those who were placed under him for the purpose of punishment1 as was the case with the others4 ,let him also1 who has the capacity to perceive as far as mortals may1 observe that in the body politic#iej of those who were assigned to the ,lord as ,his pre-eminent portion1 sins were committed1 first of all1 such as might be forgiven1 and of such a nature as not to make the sinner worthy of entire desertion1 while subsequently they became more numerous1 though still of a nature to be pardoned4 ,and while remarking that this state of matters continued for a considerable time1 and that a remedy was always applied1 and that after certain intervals these persons returned to their duty1 let him notice that they were given over1 in proportion to their transgressions1 to those to whom had been assigned the other quarters of the earth2 and that1 after being at first slightly punished1 and having made atonement1#iea they returned1 as if they had undergone discipline1#ieb to their proper habitations4 ,let him notice also that afterwards they were delivered over to rulers of a severer character--to ,assyrians and ,babylonians1 as the ,scriptures would call them4 ,in the next place1 notwithstanding that means of healing were being applied1 let him observe that they were still multiplying their transgressions1 and that they were on that account dispersed into other regions by the rulers of the nations that oppressed them4 ,and their own ruler intentionally overlooked their oppression at the hands of the rulers of the other nations1 in order that he also with good reason1 as avenging himself1 having obtained power to tear away from the other nations as many as he can1 may do so1 and enact for them laws1 and point out a manner of life agreeably to which they ought to live1 that so he may conduct them to the end to which those of the former people were conducted who did not commit sin4 ,footnote #iej3 4 ,footnote #iea3 4 ,footnote #ieb3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,and by this means let those who have the capacity of comprehending truths so profound1 learn that he to whom were allotted those who had not formerly sinned is far more powerful than the others1 since he has been able to make a selection of individuals from the portion of the whole1#iec and to separate them from those who received them for the purpose of punishment1 and to bring them under the influence of laws1 and of a mode of life which helps to produce an oblivion of their former transgressions4 ,but1 as we have previously observed1 these remarks are to be understood as being made by us with a concealed meaning1 by way of pointing out the mistakes of those who asserted that 8the various quarters of the earth were from the beginning distributed among different superintending spirits1 and being allotted among certain governing powers1 were administered in this way20 from which statement ,celsus took occasion to make the remarks referred to4 ,but since those who wandered away from the east were delivered over1 on account of their sins1 to 8a reprobate mind10 and to 8vile affections10 and to 8uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts10#ied in order that1 being sated with sin1 they might hate it1 we shall refuse our assent to the assertion of ,celsus1 that 8because of the superintending spirits distributed among the different parts of the earth1 what is done among each nation is rightly done20 for our desire is to do what is not agreeable to these spirits4#iee ,for we see that it is a religious act to do away with the customs originally established in the various places by means of laws of a better and more divine character1 which were enacted by ,jesus1 as one possessed of the greatest power1 who has rescued us 8from the present evil world10 and 8from the princes of the world that come to nought20 and that it is a mark of irreligion not to throw ourselves at the feet of ,him who has manifested ,himself to be holier and more powerful than all other rulers1 and to whom ,god said1 as the prophets many generations before predicted3 8,ask of me1 and ,i shall give ,thee the heathen for ,thine inheritance1 and the uttermost parts of the earth for ,thy possession40#ief ,for ,he1 too1 has become the 8expectation0 of us who from among the heathen have believed upon ,him1 and upon ,his ,father1 who is ,god over all things4 ,footnote #iec3 4 ,footnote #ied3 ,cf4 ,rom4 i4 #bd1 #bf1 #bh4 ,footnote #iee3 1 1 4 ,footnote #ief3 ,ps4 ii4 #h4 ,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,the remarks which we have made not only answer the statements of ,celsus regarding the superintending spirits1 but anticipate in some measure what he afterwards brings forward1 when he says3 8,let the second party come forward2 and ,i shall ask them whence they come1 and whom they regard as the originator of their ancestral customs4 ,they will reply1 ,no one1 because they spring from the same source as the ,jews themselves1 and derive their instruction and superintendence#ieg from no other quarter1 and notwithstanding they have revolted from the ,jews40 ,each one of us1 then1 is come 8in the last days10 when one ,jesus has visited us1 to the 8visible mountain of the ,lord10 the ,word that is above every word1 and to the 8house of ,god10 which is 8the church of the living ,god1 the pillar and ground of the truth40#ieh ,and we notice how it is built upon 8the tops of the mountains10 i4e4 the predictions of all the prophets1 which are its foundations4 ,and this house is exalted above the hills1 i4e4 those individuals among men who make a profession of superior attainments in wisdom and truth2 and all the nations come to it1 and the 8many nations0 go forth1 and say to one another1 turning to the religion which in the last days has shone forth through ,jesus ,christ3 8,come ye1 and let us go up to the mountain of the ,lord1 to the house of the ,god of ,jacob2 and ,he will teach us of ,his ways1 and we will walk in them40#iei ,for the law came forth from the dwellers in ,sion1 and settled among us as a spiritual law4 ,moreover1 the word of the ,lord came forth from that very ,jerusalem1 that it might be disseminated through all places1 and might judge in the midst of the heathen1 selecting those whom it sees to be submissive1 and rejecting#ifj the disobedient1 who are many in number4 ,and to those who inquire of us whence we come1 or who is our founder1#ifa we reply that we are come1 agreeably to the counsels of ,jesus1 to 8cut down our hostile and insolent #8wordy'#ifb swords into ploughshares1 and to convert into pruning-hooks the spears formerly employed in war40#ifc ,for we no longer take up 8sword against nation10 nor do we 8learn war any more10 having become children of peace1 for the sake of ,jesus1 who is our leader1 instead of those whom our fathers followed1 among whom we were 8strangers to the covenant10 and having received a law1 for which we give thanks to ,him that rescued us from the error of our ways1 saying1 8,our fathers honoured lying idols1 and there is not among them one that causeth it to rain40#ifd ,our ,superintendent1 then1 and ,teacher1 having come forth from the ,jews1 regulates the whole world by the word of ,his teaching4 ,and having made these remarks by way of anticipation1 we have refuted as well as we could the untrue statements of ,celsus1 by subjoining the appropriate answer4 ,footnote #ieg3 4 ,footnote #ieh3 ,cf4 #a ,tim4 iii4 #ae4 ,footnote #iei3 ,cf4 ,isa4 ii4 #c4 ,footnote #ifj3 4 ,footnote #ifa3 4 ,footnote #ifb3 1 4 ,footnote #ifc3 ,cf4 ,isa4 ii4 #d4 ,footnote #ifd3 ,cf4 ,jer4 xvi4 #ai and xiv4 #bb3 1 4 ,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,but1 that we may not pass without notice what ,celsus has said between these and the preceding paragraphs1 let us quote his words3 8,we might adduce ,herodotus as a witness on this point1 for he expresses himself as follows3 #8,for the people of the cities ,marea and ,apis1 who inhabit those parts of ,egypt that are adjacent to ,libya1 and who look upon themselves as ,libyans1 and not as ,egyptians1 finding their sacrificial worship oppressive1 and wishing not to be excluded from the use of cows' flesh1 sent to the oracle of ,jupiter ,ammon1 saying that there was no relationship between them and the ,egyptians1 that they dwelt outside the ,delta1 that there was no community of sentiment between them and the ,egyptians1 and that they wished to be allowed to partake of all kinds of food4 ,but the god would not allow them to do as they desired1 saying that that country was a part of ,egypt1 which was watered by the inundation of the ,nile1 and that those were ,egyptians who dwell to the south of the city of ,elephantine1 and drink of the river ,nile4'#ife ,such is the narrative of ,herodotus4 ,but10 continues ,celsus1 8,ammon in divine things would not make a worse ambassador than the angels of the ,jews1#iff so that there is nothing wrong in each nation observing its established method of worship4 ,of a truth1 we shall find very great differences prevailing among the nations1 and yet each seems to deem its own by far the best4 ,those inhabitants of ,ethiopia who dwell in ,meroe worship ,jupiter and ,bacchus alone2 the ,arabians1 ,urania and ,bacchus only2 all the ,egyptians1 ,osiris and ,isis2 the ,sates1 ,minerva2 while the ,naucratites have recently classed ,serapis among their deities1 and the rest according to their respective laws4 ,and some abstain from the flesh of sheep1 and others from that of crocodiles2 others1 again1 from that of cows1 while they regard swine's flesh with loathing4 ,the ,scythians1 indeed1 regard it as a noble act to banquet upon human beings4 ,among the ,indians1 too1 there are some who deem themselves discharging a holy duty in eating their fathers1 and this is mentioned in a certain passage by ,herodotus4 ,for the sake of credibility1 ,i shall again quote his very words1 for he writes as follows3 #8,for if any one were to make this proposal to all men1 viz4 to bid him select out of all existing laws the best1 each would choose1 after examination1 those of his own country4 ,men each consider their own laws much the best1 and therefore it is not likely that any other than a madman would make these things a subject of ridicule4 ,but that such are the conclusions of all men regarding the laws1 may be determined by many other evidences1 and especially by the following illustration4 ,darius1 during his reign1 having summoned before him those ,greeks who happened to be present at the time1 inquired of them for how much they would be willing to eat their deceased fathers2 their answer was1 that for no consideration would they do such a thing4 ,after this1 ,darius summoned those ,indians who are called ,callatians1 who are in the habit of eating their parents1 and asked of them in the presence of these ,greeks1 who learned what passed through an interpreter1 for what amount of money they would undertake to burn their deceased fathers with fire2 on which they raised a loud shout1 and bade the king say no more4'#ifg ,such is the way1 then1 in which these matters are regarded4 ,and ,pindar appears to me to be right in saying that #8law' is the king of all things40#ifh ,footnote #ife3 ,cf4 ,herodot4 ii4 #ah4 ,footnote #iff3 1 4 ,footnote #ifg3 4 ,footnote #ifh3 ,cf4 ,herodot4 iii4 #ch4 ,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,the argument of ,celsus appears to point by these illustrations to this conclusion3 that it is 8an obligation incumbent on all men to live according to their country's customs1 in which case they will escape censure2 whereas the ,christians1 who have abandoned their native usages1 and who are not one nation like the ,jews1 are to be blamed for giving their adherence to the teaching of ,jesus40 ,let him then tell us whether it is a becoming thing for philosophers1 and those who have been taught not to yield to superstition1 to abandon their country's customs1 so as to eat of those articles of food which are prohibited in their respective cities8 or whether this proceeding of theirs is opposed to what is becoming8 ,for if1 on account of their philosophy1 and the instructions which they have received against superstition1 they should eat1 in disregard of their native laws1 what was interdicted by their fathers1 why should the ,christians 7since the gospel requires them not to busy themselves about statues and images1 or even about any of the created works of ,god1 but to ascend on high1 and present the soul to the ,creator71 when acting in a similar manner to the philosophers1 be censured for so doing8 ,but if1 for the sake of defending the theses which he has proposed to himself1 ,celsus1 or those who think with him1 should say1 that even one who had studied philosophy would keep his country's laws1 then philosophers in ,egypt1 for example1 would act most ridiculously in avoiding the eating of onions1 in order to observe their country's laws1 or certain parts of the body1 as the head and shoulders1 in order not to transgress the traditions of their fathers4 ,and ,i do not speak of those ,egyptians who shudder with fear at the discharge of wind from the body1 because if any one of these were to become a philosopher1 and still observe the laws of his country1 he would be a ridiculous philosopher1 acting very unphilosophically4#ifi ,in the same way1 then1 he who has been led by the gospel to worship the ,god of all things1 and1 from regard to his country's laws1 lingers here below among images and statues of men1 and does not desire to ascend to the ,creator1 will resemble those who have indeed learned philosophy1 but who are afraid of things which ought to inspire no terrors1 and who regard it as an act of impiety to eat of those things which have been enumerated4 ,footnote #ifi3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,but what sort of being is this ,ammon of ,herodotus1 whose words ,celsus has quoted1 as if by way of demonstrating how each one ought to keep his country's laws8 ,for this ,ammon would not allow the people of the cities of ,marea and ,apis1 who inhabit the districts adjacent to ,libya1 to treat as a matter of indifference the use of cows' flesh1 which is a thing not only indifferent in its own nature1 but which does not prevent a man from being noble and virtuous4 ,if ,ammon1 then1 forbade the use of cows' flesh1 because of the advantage which results from the use of the animal in the cultivation of the ground1 and in addition to this1 because it is by the female that the breed is increased1 the account would possess more plausibility4 ,but now he simply requires that those who drink of the ,nile should observe the laws of the ,egyptians regarding kine4 ,and hereupon ,celsus1 taking occasion to pass a jest upon the employment of the angels among the ,jews as the ambassadors of ,god1 says that 8,ammon did not make a worse ambassador of divine things than did the angels of the ,jews10 into the meaning of whose words and manifestations he instituted no investigation2 otherwise he would have seen1 that it is not for oxen that ,god is concerned1 even where ,he may appear to legislate for them1 or for irrational animals1 but that what is written for the sake of men1 under the appearance of relating to irrational animals1 contains certain truths of nature4#igj ,celsus1 moreover1 says that no wrong is committed by any one who wishes to observe the religious worship sanctioned by the laws of his country2 and it follows1 according to his view1 that the ,scythians commit no wrong1 when1 in conformity with their country's laws1 they eat human beings4 ,and those ,indians who eat their own fathers are considered1 according to ,celsus1 to do a religious1 or at least not a wicked act4 ,he adduces1 indeed1 a statement of ,herodotus which favours the principle that each one ought1 from a sense of what is becoming1 to obey his country's laws2 and he appears to approve of the custom of those ,indians called ,callatians1 who in the time of ,darius devoured their parents1 since1 on ,darius inquiring for how great a sum of money they would be willing to lay aside this usage1 they raised a loud shout1 and bade the king say no more4 ,footnote #igj3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,as there are1 then1 generally two laws presented to us1 the one being the law of nature1 of which ,god would be the legislator1 and the other being the written law of cities1 it is a proper thing1 when the written law is not opposed to that of ,god1 for the citizens not to abandon it under pretext of foreign customs2 but when the law of nature1 that is1 the law of ,god1 commands what is opposed to the written law1 observe whether reason will not tell us to bid a long farewell to the written code1 and to the desire of its legislators1 and to give ourselves up to the legislator ,god1 and to choose a life agreeable to ,his word1 although in doing so it may be necessary to encounter dangers1 and countless labours1 and even death and dishonour4 ,for when there are some laws in harmony with the will of ,god1 which are opposed to others which are in force in cities1 and when it is impracticable to please ,god 7and those who administer laws of the kind referred to71 it would be absurd to contemn those acts by means of which we may please the ,creator of all things1 and to select those by which we shall become displeasing to ,god1 though we may satisfy unholy laws1 and those who love them4 ,but since it is reasonable in other matters to prefer the law of nature1 which is the law of ,god1 before the written law1 which has been enacted by men in a spirit of opposition to the law of ,god1 why should we not do this still more in the case of those laws which relate to ,god8 ,neither shall we1 like the ,ethiopians who inhabit the parts about ,meroe1 worship1 as is their pleasure1 ,jupiter and ,bacchus only2 nor shall we at all reverence ,ethiopian gods in the ,ethiopian manner2 nor1 like the ,arabians1 shall we regard ,urania and ,bacchus alone as divinities2 nor in any degree at all deities in which the difference of sex has been a ground of distinction 7as among the ,arabians1 who worship ,urania as a female1 and ,bacchus as a male deity72 nor shall we1 like all the ,egyptians1 regard ,osiris and ,isis as gods2 nor shall we enumerate ,athena among these1 as the ,sates are pleased to do4 ,and if to the ancient inhabitants of ,naucratis it seemed good to worship other divinities1 while their modern descendants have begun quite recently to pay reverence to ,serapis1 who never was a god at all1 we shall not on that account assert that a new being who was not formerly a god1 nor at all known to men1 is a deity4 ,for the ,son of ,god1 8the ,first-born of all creation10 although ,he seemed recently to have become incarnate1 is not by any means on that account recent4 ,for the ,holy ,scriptures know ,him to be the most ancient of all the works of creation2#iga for it was to ,him that ,god said regarding the creation of man1 8,let us make man in our image1 after our likeness40#igb ,footnote #iga3 4 ,footnote #igb3 ,cf4 ,gen4 i4 #bf4 ,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,i wish1 however1 to show how ,celsus asserts without any good reason1 that each one reveres his domestic and native institutions4 ,for he declares that 8those ,ethiopians who inhabit ,meroe know only of two gods1 ,jupiter and ,bacchus1 and worship these alone2 and that the ,arabians also know only of two1 viz4 ,bacchus1 who is also an ,ethiopian deity1 and ,urania1 whose worship is confined to them40 ,according to his account1 neither do the ,ethiopians worship ,urania1 nor the ,arabians ,jupiter4 ,if1 then1 an ,ethiopian were from any accident to fall into the hands of the ,arabians1 and were to be judged guilty of impiety because he did not worship ,urania1 and for this reason should incur the danger of death1 would it be proper for the ,ethiopian to die1 or to act contrary to his country's laws1 and do obeisance to ,urania8 ,now1 if it would be proper for him to act contrary to the laws of his country1 he will do what is not right1 so far as the language of ,celsus is any standard2 while1 if he should be led away to death1 let him show the reasonableness of selecting such a fate4 ,i know not whether1 if the ,ethiopian doctrine taught men to philosophize on the immortality of the soul1 and the honour which is paid to religion1 they would reverence those as deities who are deemed to be such by the laws of the country4#igc ,a similar illustration may be employed in the case of the ,arabians1 if from any accident they happened to visit the ,ethiopians about ,meroe4 ,for1 having been taught to worship ,urania and ,bacchus alone1 they will not worship ,jupiter along with the ,ethiopians2 and if1 adjudged guilty of impiety1 they should be led away to death1 let ,celsus tell us what it would be reasonable on their part to do4 ,and with regard to the fables which relate to ,osiris and ,isis1 it is superfluous and out of place at present to enumerate them4 ,for although an allegorical meaning may be given to the fables1 they will nevertheless teach us to offer divine worship to cold water1 and to the earth1 which is subject to men1 and all the animal creation4 ,for in this way1 ,i presume1 they refer ,osiris to water1 and ,isis to earth2 while with regard to ,serapis the accounts are numerous and conflicting1 to the effect that very recently he appeared in public1 agreeably to certain juggling tricks performed at the desire of ,ptolemy1 who wished to show to the people of ,alexandria as it were a visible god4 ,and we have read in the writings of ,numenius the ,pythagorean regarding his formation1 that he partakes of the essence of all the animals and plants that are under the control of nature1 that he may appear to have been fashioned into a god1 not by the makers of images alone1 with the aid of profane mysteries1 and juggling tricks employed to invoke demons1 but also by magicians and sorcerers1 and those demons who are bewitched by their incantations4#igd ,footnote #igc3 ,this sentence is regarded by ,guietus as an interpolation1 which should be struck out of the text4 ,footnote #igd3 1 1 1 1 1 4 ,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,we must therefore inquire what may be fittingly eaten or not by the rational and gentle#ige animal1 which acts always in conformity with reason2 and not worship at random1 sheep1 or goats1 or kine2 to abstain from which is an act of moderation1#igf for much advantage is derived by men from these animals4 ,whereas1 is it not the most foolish of all things to spare crocodiles1 and to treat them as sacred to some fabulous divinity or other8 ,for it is a mark of exceeding stupidity to spare those animals which do not spare us1 and to bestow care on those which make a prey of human beings4 ,but ,celsus approves of those who1 in keeping with the laws of their country1 worship and tend crocodiles1 and not a word does he say against them1 while the ,christians appear deserving of censure1 who have been taught to loath evil1 and to turn away from wicked works1 and to reverence and honour virtue as being generated by ,god1 and as being ,his ,son4 ,for we must not1 on account of their feminine name and nature1 regard wisdom and righteousness as females2#igg for these things are in our view the ,son of ,god1 as ,his genuine disciple has shown1 when he said of ,him1 8,who of ,god is made to us wisdom1 and righteousness1 and sanctification1 and redemption40#igh ,and although we may call ,him a 8second0 ,god1 let men know that by the term 8second ,god0 we mean nothing else than a virtue capable of including all other virtues1 and a reason capable of containing all reason whatsoever which exists in all things1 which have arisen naturally1 directly1 and for the general advantage1 and which 8reason10 we say1 dwelt in the soul of ,jesus1 and was united to ,him in a degree far above all other souls1 seeing ,he alone was enabled completely to receive the highest share in the absolute reason1 and the absolute wisdom1 and the absolute righteousness4 ,footnote #ige3 4 ,footnote #igf3 4 ,footnote #igg3 1 1 4 ,footnote #igh3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 i4 #cj4 ,chapter ,,xl4 ,but since1 after ,celsus had spoken to the above effect of the different kinds of laws1 he adds the following remark1 8,pindar appears to me to be correct in saying that law is king of all things10 let us proceed to discuss this assertion4 ,what law do you mean to say1 good sir1 is 8king of all things80 ,if you mean those which exist in the various cities1 then such an assertion is not true4 ,for all men are not governed by the same law4 ,you ought to have said that 8laws are kings of all men10 for in every nation some law is king of all4 ,but if you mean that which is law in the proper sense1 then it is this which is by nature 8king of all things20 although there are some individuals who1 having like robbers abandoned the law1 deny its validity1 and live lives of violence and injustice4 ,we ,christians1 then1 who have come to the knowledge of the law which is by nature 8king of all things10 and which is the same with the law of ,god1 endeavour to regulate our lives by its prescriptions1 having bidden a long farewell to those of an unholy kind4 ,chapter ,,xli4 ,let us notice the charges which are next advanced by ,celsus1 in which there is exceedingly little that has reference to the ,christians1 as most of them refer to the ,jews4 ,his words are3 8,if1 then1 in these respects the ,jews were carefully to preserve their own law1 they are not to be blamed for so doing1 but those persons rather who have forsaken their own usages1 and adopted those of the ,jews4 ,and if they pride themselves on it1 as being possessed of superior wisdom1 and keep aloof from intercourse with others1 as not being equally pure with themselves1 they have already heard that their doctrine concerning heaven is not peculiar to them1 but1 to pass by all others1 is one which has long ago been received by the ,persians1 as ,herodotus somewhere mentions4 #8,for they have a custom1' he says1 #8of going up to the tops of the mountains1 and of offering sacrifices to ,jupiter1 giving the name of ,jupiter to the whole circle of the heavens4'#igi ,and ,i think10 continues ,celsus1 8that it makes no difference whether you call the highest being ,zeus1 or ,zen1 or ,adonai1 or ,sabaoth1 or ,ammoun like the ,egyptians1 or ,pappus like the ,scythians4 ,nor would they be deemed at all holier than others in this respect1 that they observe the rite of circumcision1 for this was done by the ,egyptians and ,colchians before them2 nor because they abstain from swine's flesh1 for the ,egyptians practised abstinence not only from it1 but from the flesh of goats1 and sheep1 and oxen1 and fishes as well2 while ,pythagoras and his disciples do not eat beans1 nor anything that contains life4 ,it is not probable1 however1 that they enjoy ,god's favour1 or are loved by ,him differently from others1 or that angels were sent from heaven to them alone1 as if they had had allotted to them #8some region of the blessed1'#ihj for we see both themselves and the country of which they were deemed worthy4 ,let this band1#iha then1 take its departure1 after paying the penalty of its vaunting1 not having a knowledge of the great ,god1 but being led away and deceived by the artifices of ,moses1 having become his pupil to no good end40 ,footnote #igi3 ,cf4 ,herodot4 i4 #ace4 ,footnote #ihj3 4 ,footnote #iha3 4 ,chapter ,,xlii4 ,it is evident that1 by the preceding remarks1 ,celsus charges the ,jews with falsely giving themselves out as the chosen portion of the ,supreme ,god above all other nations4 ,and he accuses them of boasting1 because they gave out that they knew the great ,god1 although they did not really know ,him1 but were led away by the artifices of ,moses1 and were deceived by him1 and became his disciples to no good end4 ,now we have in the preceding pages already spoken in part of the venerable and distinguished polity of the ,jews1 when it existed amongst them as a symbol of the city of ,god1 and of ,his temple1 and of the sacrificial worship offered in it and at the altar of sacrifice4 ,but if any one were to turn his attention to the meaning of the legislator1 and to the constitution which he established1 and were to examine the various points relating to him1 and compare them with the present method of worship among other nations1 there are none which he would admire to a greater degree2 because1 so far as can be accomplished among mortals1 everything that was not of advantage to the human race was withheld from them1 and only those things which are useful bestowed4 ,and for this reason they had neither gymnastic contests1 nor scenic representations1 nor horse-races2 nor were there among them women who sold their beauty to any one who wished to have sexual intercourse without offspring1 and to cast contempt upon the nature of human generation4 ,and what an advantage was it to be taught from their tender years to ascend above all visible nature1 and to hold the belief that ,god was not fixed anywhere within its limits1 but to look for ,him on high1 and beyond the sphere of all bodily substance6#ihb ,and how great was the advantage which they enjoyed in being instructed almost from their birth1 and as soon as they could speak1#ihc in the immortality of the soul1 and in the existence of courts of justice under the earth1 and in the rewards provided for those who have lived righteous lives6 ,these truths1 indeed1 were proclaimed in the veil of fable to children1 and to those whose views of things were childish2 while to those who were already occupied in investigating the truth1 and desirous of making progress therein1 these fables1 so to speak1 were transfigured into the truths which were concealed within them4 ,and ,i consider that it was in a manner worthy of their name as the 8portion of ,god0 that they despised all kinds of divination1 as that which bewitches men to no purpose1 and which proceeds rather from wicked demons than from anything of a better nature2 and sought the knowledge of future events in the souls of those who1 owing to their high degree of purity1 received the spirit of the ,supreme ,god4 ,footnote #ihb3 4 ,footnote #ihc3 4 ,chapter ,,xliii4 ,but what need is there to point out how agreeable to sound reason1 and unattended with injury either to master or slave1 was the law that one of the same faith#ihd should not be allowed to continue in slavery more than six years8#ihe ,the ,jews1 then1 cannot be said to preserve their own law in the same points with the other nations4 ,for it would be censurable in them1 and would involve a charge of insensibility to the superiority of their law1 if they were to believe that they had been legislated for in the same way as the other nations among the heathen4 ,and although ,celsus will not admit it1 the ,jews nevertheless are possessed of a wisdom superior not only to that of the multitude1 but also of those who have the appearance of philosophers2 because those who engage in philosophical pursuits1 after the utterance of the most venerable philosophical sentiments1 fall away into the worship of idols and demons1 whereas the very lowest ,jew directs his look to the ,supreme ,god alone2 and they do well1 indeed1 so far as this point is concerned1 to pride themselves thereon1 and to keep aloof from the society of others as accursed and impious4 ,and would that they had not sinned1 and transgressed the law1 and slain the prophets in former times1 and in these latter days conspired against ,jesus1 that we might be in possession of a pattern of a heavenly city which even ,plato would have sought to describe2 although ,i doubt whether he could have accomplished as much as was done by ,moses and those who followed him1 who nourished a 8chosen generation10 and 8a holy nation10 dedicated to ,god1 with words free from all superstition4 ,footnote #ihd3 4 ,footnote #ihe3 ,cf4 ,ex4 xxi4 #b and ,jer4 xxxiv4 #ad4 ,chapter ,,xliv4 ,but as ,celsus would compare the venerable customs of the ,jews with the laws of certain nations1 let us proceed to look at them4 ,he is of opinion1 accordingly1 that there is no difference between the doctrine regarding 8heaven0 and that regarding 8,god20 and he says that 8the ,persians1 like the ,jews1 offer sacrifices to ,jupiter upon the tops of the mountains10--not observing that1 as the ,jews were acquainted with one ,god1 so they had only one holy house of prayer1 and one altar of whole burnt-offerings1 and one censer for incense1 and one high priest of ,god4 ,the ,jews1 then1 had nothing in common with the ,persians1 who ascend the summits of their mountains1 which are many in number1 and offer up sacrifices which have nothing in common with those which are regulated by the ,mosaic code1--in conformity to which the ,jewish priests 8served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things10 explaining enigmatically the object of the law regarding the sacrifices1 and the things of which these sacrifices were the symbols4 ,the ,persians therefore may call the 8whole circle of heaven0 ,jupiter2 but we maintain that 8the heaven0 is neither ,jupiter nor ,god1 as we indeed know that certain beings of a class inferior to ,god have ascended above the heavens and all visible nature3 and in this sense we understand the words1 8,praise ,god1 ye heaven of heavens1 and ye waters that be above the heavens2 let them praise the name of the ,lord40#ihf ,footnote #ihf3 ,cf4 ,ps4 cxlviii4 #d1 #e4 ,chapter ,,xlv4 ,as ,celsus1 however1 is of opinion that it matters nothing whether the highest being be called ,jupiter1 or ,zen1 or ,adonai1 or ,sabaoth1 or ,ammoun 7as the ,egyptians term him71 or ,pappus 7as the ,scythians entitle him71 let us discuss the point for a little1 reminding the reader at the same time of what has been said above upon this question1 when the language of ,celsus led us to consider the subject4 ,and now we maintain that the nature of names is not1 as ,aristotle supposes1 an enactment of those who impose them4#ihg ,for the languages which are prevalent among men do not derive their origin from men1 as is evident to those who are able to ascertain the nature of the charms which are appropriated by the inventors of the languages differently1 according to the various tongues1 and to the varying pronunciations of the names1 on which we have spoken briefly in the preceding pages1 remarking that when those names which in a certain language were possessed of a natural power were translated into another1 they were no longer able to accomplish what they did before when uttered in their native tongues4 ,and the same peculiarity is found to apply to men2 for if we were to translate the name of one who was called from his birth by a certain appellation in the ,greek language into the ,egyptian or ,roman1 or any other tongue1 we could not make him do or suffer the same things which he would have done or suffered under the appellation first bestowed upon him4 ,nay1 even if we translated into the ,greek language the name of an individual who had been originally invoked in the ,roman tongue1 we could not produce the result which the incantation professed itself capable of accomplishing had it preserved the name first conferred upon him4 ,and if these statements are true when spoken of the names of men1 what are we to think of those which are transferred1 for any cause whatever1 to the ,deity8 ,for example1 something is transferred#ihh from the name ,abraham when translated into ,greek1 and something is signified by that of ,isaac1 and also by that of ,jacob2 and accordingly1 if any one1 either in an invocation or in swearing an oath1 were to use the expression1 8the ,god of ,abraham10 and 8the ,god of ,isaac10 and 8the ,god of ,jacob10 he would produce certain effects1 either owing to the nature of these names or to their powers1 since even demons are vanquished and become submissive to him who pronounces these names2 whereas if we say1 8the god of the chosen father of the echo1 and the god of laughter1 and the god of him who strikes with the heel10#ihi the mention of the name is attended with no result1 as is the case with other names possessed of no power4 ,and in the same way1 if we translate the word 8,israel0 into ,greek or any other language1 we shall produce no result2 but if we retain it as it is1 and join it to those expressions to which such as are skilled in these matters think it ought to be united1 there would then follow some result from the pronunciation of the word which would accord with the professions of those who employ such invocations4 ,and we may say the same also of the pronunciation of 8,sabaoth10 a word which is frequently employed in incantations2 for if we translate the term into 8,lord of hosts10 or 8,lord of armies10 or 8,almighty0 7different acceptations of it having been proposed by the interpreters71 we shall accomplish nothing2 whereas if we retain the original pronunciation1 we shall1 as those who are skilled in such matters maintain1 produce some effect4 ,and the same observation holds good of ,adonai4 ,if1 then1 neither 8,sabaoth0 nor 8,adonai10 when rendered into what appears to be their meaning in the ,greek tongue1 can accomplish anything1 how much less would be the result among those who regard it as a matter of indifference whether the highest being be called ,jupiter1 or ,zen1 or ,adonai1 or ,sabaoth6 ,footnote #ihg3 4 ,footnote #ihh3 1 ' 4 ,in the editions of ,hschel and ,spencer1 is wanting4 ,footnote #ihi3 1 1 4 ,cf4 note in ,benedictine ed4 ,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,it was for these and similar mysterious reasons1 with which ,moses and the prophets were acquainted1 that they forbade the name of other gods to be pronounced by him who bethought himself of praying to the one ,supreme ,god alone1 or to be remembered by a heart which had been taught to be pure from all foolish thoughts and words4 ,and for these reasons we should prefer to endure all manner of suffering rather than acknowledge ,jupiter to be ,god4 ,for we do not consider ,jupiter and ,sabaoth to be the same1 nor ,jupiter to be at all divine1 but that some demon1 unfriendly to men and to the true ,god1 rejoices under this title4#iij ,and although the ,egyptians were to hold ,ammon before us under threat of death1 we would rather die than address him as ,god1 it being a name used in all probability in certain ,egyptian incantations in which this demon is invoked4 ,and although the ,scythians may call ,pappus the supreme ,god1 yet we will not yield our assent to this2 granting1 indeed1 that there is a ,supreme ,deity1 although we do not give the name ,pappus to ,him as ,his proper title1 but regard it as one which is agreeable to the demon to whom was allotted the desert of ,scythia1 with its people and its language4 ,he1 however1 who gives ,god ,his title in the ,scythian tongue1 or in the ,egyptian or in any language in which he has been brought up1 will not be guilty of sin4 ,footnote #iij3 4 ,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,now the reason why circumcision is practised among the ,jews is not the same as that which explains its existence among the ,egyptians and ,colchians1 and therefore it is not to be considered the same circumcision4 ,and as he who sacrifices does not sacrifice to the same god1 although he appears to perform the rite of sacrifice in a similar manner1 and he who offers up prayer does not pray to the same divinity1 although he asks the same things in his supplication2 so1 in the same way1 if one performs the rite of circumcision1 it by no means follows that it is not a different act from the circumcision performed upon another4 ,for the purpose1 and the law1 and the wish of him who performs the rite1 place the act in a different category4 ,but that the whole subject may be still better understood1 we have to remark that the term for 8righteousness0#iia is the same among all the ,greeks2 but righteousness is shown to be one thing according to the view of ,epicurus2 and another according to the ,stoics1 who deny the threefold division of the soul2 and a different thing again according to the followers of ,plato1 who hold that righteousness is the proper business of the parts of the soul4#iib ,and so also the 8courage0#iic of ,epicurus is one thing1 who would undergo some labours in order to escape from a greater number2 and a different thing that of the philosopher of the ,porch1 who would choose all virtue for its own sake2 and a different thing still that of ,plato1 who maintains that virtue itself is the act of the irascible part of the soul1 and who assigns to it a place about the breast4#iid ,and so circumcision will be a different thing according to the varying opinions of those who undergo it4 ,but on such a subject it is unnecessary to speak on this occasion in a treatise like the present2 for whoever desires to see what led us to the subject1 can read what we have said upon it in the ,epistle of ,paul to the ,romans4 ,footnote #iia3 4 ,footnote #iib3 4 ,footnote #iic3 4 ,footnote #iid3 1 4 ,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,although the ,jews1 then1 pride themselves on circumcision1 they will separate it not only from that of the ,colchians and ,egyptians1 but also from that of the ,arabian ,ishmaelites2 and yet the latter was derived from their ancestor ,abraham1 the father of ,ishmael1 who underwent the rite of circumcision along with his father4 ,the ,jews say that the circumcision performed on the eighth day is the principal circumcision1 and that which is performed according to circumstances is different2 and probably it was performed on account of the hostility of some angel towards the ,jewish nation1 who had the power to injure such of them as were not circumcised1 but was powerless against those who had undergone the rite4 ,this may be said to appear from what is written in the book of ,exodus1 where the angel before the circumcision of ,eliezer#iie was able to work against#iif ,moses1 but could do nothing after his son was circumcised4 ,and when ,zipporah had learned this1 she took a pebble and circumcised her child1 and is recorded1 according to the reading of the common copies1 to have said1 8,the blood of my child's circumcision is stayed10 but according to the ,hebrew text1 8,a bloody husband art thou to me40#iig ,for she had known the story about a certain angel having power before the shedding of the blood1 but who became powerless through the blood of circumcision4 ,for which reason the words were addressed to ,moses1 8,a bloody husband art thou to me40 ,but these things1 which appear rather of a curious nature1 and not level to the comprehension of the multitude1 ,i have ventured to treat at such length2 and now ,i shall only add1 as becomes a ,christian1 one thing more1 and shall then pass on to what follows4 ,for this angel might have had power1 ,i think1 over those of the people who were not circumcised1 and generally over all who worshipped only the ,creator2 and this power lasted so long as ,jesus had not assumed a human body4 ,but when ,he had done this1 and had undergone the rite of circumcision in ,his own person1 all the power of the angel over those who practise the same worship1 but are not circumcised1#iih was abolished2 for ,jesus reduced it to nought by the power of ,his unspeakable divinity4 ,and therefore ,his disciples are forbidden to circumcise themselves1 and are reminded by the apostle3 8,if ye be circumcised1 ,christ shall profit you nothing40#iii ,footnote #iie3 ,cf4 ,ex4 iv4 #bd1 #be4 ,eliezer was one of the two sons of ,moses4 ,cf4 ,ex4 xviii4 #d4 ,footnote #iif3 4 ,footnote #iig3 ,cf4 ,ex4 iv4 #be1 #bf4 ,footnote #iih3 4 ,boherellus inserts before 1 which has been adopted in the text4 ,footnote #iii3 ,gal4 v4 #b4 ,chapter ,,xlix4 ,but neither do the ,jews pride themselves upon abstaining from swine's flesh1 as if it were some great thing2 but upon their having ascertained the nature of clean and unclean animals1 and the cause of the distinction1 and of swine being classed among the unclean4 ,and these distinctions were signs of certain things until the advent of ,jesus2 after whose coming it was said to ,his disciple1 who did not yet comprehend the doctrine concerning these matters1 but who said1 8,nothing that is common or unclean hath entered into my mouth10#ajjj 8,what ,god hath cleansed1 call not thou common40 ,it therefore in no way affects either the ,jews or us that the ,egyptian priests abstain not only from the flesh of swine1 but also from that of goats1 and sheep1 and oxen1 and fish4 ,but since it is not that 8which entereth into the mouth that defiles a man10 and since 8meat does not commend us to ,god10 we do not set great store on refraining from eating1 nor yet are we induced to eat from a gluttonous appetite4 ,and therefore1 so far as we are concerned1 the followers of ,pythagoras1 who abstain from all things that contain life1 may do as they please2 only observe the different reason for abstaining from things that have life on the part of the ,pythagoreans and our ascetics4 ,for the former abstain on account of the fable about the transmigration of souls1 as the poet says3 8,and some one1 lifting up his beloved son1 ,will slay him after prayer2 ,o how foolish he60#ajja ,we1 however1 when we do abstain1 do so because 8we keep under our body1 and bring it into subjection10#ajjb and desire 8to mortify our members that are upon the earth1 fornication1 uncleanness1 inordinate affection1 evil concupiscence20#ajjc and we use every effort to 8mortify the deeds of the flesh40#ajjd ,footnote #ajjj3 ,cf4 ,acts x4 #ad4 ,footnote #ajja3 ,a quotation3 1 4 --,a verse of ,empedocles1 quoted by ,plutarch1 de ,superstitione1 c4 xii4 ,spencer4 ,cf4 note in loc4 in ,benedictine edition4 ,footnote #ajjb3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 ix4 #bg4 ,footnote #ajjc3 ,cf4 ,col4 iii4 #e4 ,footnote #ajjd3 ,cf4 ,rom4 viii4 #ac4 ,chapter ,l4 ,celsus1 still expressing his opinion regarding the ,jews1 says3 8,it is not probable that they are in great favour with ,god1 or are regarded by ,him with more affection than others1 or that angels are sent by ,him to them alone1 as if to them had been allotted some region of the blessed4 ,for we may see both the people themselves1 and the country of which they were deemed worthy40 ,we shall refute this1 by remarking that it is evident that this nation was in great favour with ,god1 from the fact that the ,god who presides over all things was called the ,god of the ,hebrews1 even by those who were aliens to our faith4 ,and because they were in favour with ,god1 they were not abandoned by ,him2#ajje but although few in number1 they continued to enjoy the protection of the divine power1 so that in the reign of ,alexander of ,macedon they sustained no injury from him1 although they refused1 on account of certain covenants and oaths1 to take up arms against ,darius4 ,they say that on that occasion the ,jewish high priest1 clothed in his sacred robe1 received obeisance from ,alexander1 who declared that he had beheld an individual arrayed in this fashion1 who announced to him in his sleep that he was to be the subjugator of the whole of ,asia4 ,accordingly1 we ,christians maintain that 8it was the fortune of that people in a remarkable degree to enjoy ,god's favour1 and to be loved by ,him in a way different from others20 but that this economy of things and this divine favour were transferred to us1 after ,jesus had conveyed the power which had been manifested among the ,jews to those who had become converts to ,him from among the heathen4 ,and for this reason1 although the ,romans desired to perpetrate many atrocities against the ,christians1 in order to ensure their extermination1 they were unsuccessful2 for there was a divine hand which fought on their behalf1 and whose desire it was that the word of ,god should spread from one corner of the land of ,judea throughout the whole human race4 ,footnote #ajje3 4 ,the negative particle 77 is wanting in the editions of ,hschel and ,spencer1 but is found in the ,royal1 ,basil1 and ,vatican ,,mss4 ,guietus would delete 7which emendation has been adopted in the translation71 while ,boherellus would read instead4--,,ru,,us4 ,chapter ,,li4 ,but seeing that we have answered to the best of our ability the charges brought by ,celsus against the ,jews and their doctrine1 let us proceed to consider what follows1 and to prove that it is no empty boast on our part when we make a profession of knowing the great ,god1 and that we have not been led away by any juggling tricks#ajjf of ,moses 7as ,celsus imagines71 or even of our own ,saviour ,jesus2 but that for a good end we listen to the ,god who speaks in ,moses1 and have accepted ,jesus1 whom he testifies to be ,god1 as the ,son of ,god1 in hope of receiving the best rewards if we regulate our lives according to ,his word4 ,and we shall willingly pass over what we have already stated by way of anticipation on the points1 8whence we came1 and who is our leader1 and what law proceeded from ,him40 ,and if ,celsus would maintain that there is no difference between us and the ,egyptians1 who worship the goat1 or the ram1 or the crocodile1 or the ox1 or the river-horse1 or the dog-faced baboon1#ajjg or the cat1 he can ascertain if it be so1 and so may any other who thinks alike on the subject4 ,we1 however1 have to the best of our ability defended ourselves at great length in the preceding pages on the subject of the honour which we render to our ,jesus1 pointing out that we have found the better part2#ajjh and that in showing that the truth which is contained in the teaching of ,jesus ,christ is pure and unmixed with error1 we are not commending ourselves1 but our ,teacher1 to whom testimony was borne through many witnesses by the ,supreme ,god and the prophetic writings among the ,jews1 and by the very clearness of the case itself1 for it is demonstrated that ,he could not have accomplished such mighty works without the divine help4 ,footnote #ajjf3 4 ,footnote #ajjg3 4 ,footnote #ajjh3 4 ,chapter ,,lii4 ,but the statement of ,celsus which we wish to examine at present is the following3 8,let us then pass over the refutations which might be adduced against the claims of their teacher1 and let him be regarded as really an angel4 ,but is he the first and only one who came to men1 or were there others before him8 ,if they should say that he is the only one1 they would be convicted of telling lies against themselves4 ,for they assert that on many occasions others came1 and sixty or seventy of them together1 and that these became wicked1 and were cast under the earth and punished with chains1 and that from this source originate the warm springs1 which are their tears2 and1 moreover1 that there came an angel to the tomb of this said being--according to some1 indeed1 one1 but according to others1 two--who answered the women that he had arisen4 ,for the ,son of ,god could not himself1 as it seems1 open the tomb1 but needed the help of another to roll away the stone4 ,and again1 on account of the pregnancy of ,mary1 there came an angel to the carpenter1 and once more another angel1 in order that they might take up the young child and flee away into ,egypt4 ,but what need is there to particularize everything1 or to count up the number of angels said to have been sent to ,moses1 and others amongst them8 ,if1 then1 others were sent1 it is manifest that he also came from the same ,god4 ,but he may be supposed to have the appearance of announcing something of greater importance than those who preceded him1 as if the ,jews had been committing sin1 or corrupting their religion1 or doing deeds of impiety2 for these things are obscurely hinted at40 ,chapter ,,liii4 ,the preceding remarks might suffice as an answer to the charges of ,celsus1 so far as regards those points in which our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ is made the subject of special investigation4 ,but that we may avoid the appearance of intentionally passing over any portion of his work1 as if we were unable to meet him1 let us1 even at the risk of being tautological 7since we are challenged to this by ,celsus71 endeavour as far as we can with all due brevity to continue our discourse1 since perhaps something either more precise or more novel may occur to us upon the several topics4 ,he says1 indeed1 that 8he has omitted the refutations which have been adduced against the claims which ,christians advance on behalf of their teacher10 although he has not omitted anything which he was able to bring forward1 as is manifest from his previous language1 but makes this statement only as an empty rhetorical device4 ,that we are not refuted1 however1 on the subject of our great ,saviour1 although the accuser may appear to refute us1 will be manifest to those who peruse in a spirit of truth-loving investigation all that is predicted and recorded of ,him4 ,and1 in the next place1 since he considers that he makes a concession in saying of the ,saviour1 8,let him appear to be really an angel10 we reply that we do not accept of such a concession from ,celsus2 but we look to the work of ,him who came to visit the whole human race in ,his word and teaching1 as each one of ,his adherents was capable of receiving ,him4 ,and this was the work of one who1 as the prophecy regarding ,him said1 was not simply an angel1 but the 8,angel of the great council30#ajji for ,he announced to men the great counsel of the ,god and ,father of all things regarding them1 saying of those who yield themselves up to a life of pure religion1 that they ascend by means of their great deeds to ,god2 but of those who do not adhere to ,him1 that they place themselves at a distance from ,god1 and journey on to destruction through their unbelief of ,him4 ,he then continues3 8,if even the angel came to men1 is he the first and only one who came1 or did others come on former occasions80 ,and he thinks he can meet either of these dilemmas at great length1 although there is not a single real ,christian who asserts that ,christ was the only being that visited the human race4 ,for1 as ,celsus says1 8,if they should say the only one10 there are others who appeared to different individuals4 ,footnote #ajji3 ,cf4 ,isa4 ix4 #f4 ,chapter ,,liv4 ,in the next place1 he proceeds to answer himself as he thinks fit in the following terms3 8,and so he is not the only one who is recorded to have visited the human race1 as even those who1 under pretext of teaching in the name of ,jesus1 have apostatized from the ,creator as an inferior being1 and have given in their adherence to one who is a superior ,god and father of him who visited the world1 assert that before him certain beings came from the ,creator to visit the human race40 ,now1 as it is in the spirit of truth that we investigate all that relates to the subject1 we shall remark that it is asserted by ,apelles1 the celebrated disciple of ,marcion1 who became the founder of a certain sect1 and who treated the writings of the ,jews as fabulous1 that ,jesus is the only one that came to visit the human race4 ,even against him1 then1 who maintained that ,jesus was the only one that came from ,god to men1 it would be in vain for ,celsus to quote the statements regarding the descent of other angels1 seeing ,apelles discredits1 as we have already mentioned1 the miraculous narratives of the ,jewish ,scriptures2 and much more will he decline to admit what ,celsus has adduced1 from not understanding the contents of the book of ,enoch4 ,no one1 then1 convicts us of falsehood1 or of making contradictory assertions1 as if we maintained both that our ,saviour was the only being that ever came to men1 and yet that many others came on different occasions4 ,and in a most confused manner1 moreover1 does he adduce1 when examining the subject of the visits of angels to men1 what he has derived1 without seeing its meaning1 from the contents of the book of ,enoch2 for he does not appear to have read the passages in question1 nor to have been aware that the books which bear the name of ,enoch do not at all circulate in the churches as divine1 although it is from this source that he might be supposed to have obtained the statement1 that 8sixty or seventy angels descended at the same time1 who fell into a state of wickedness40 ,chapter ,,lv4 ,but1 that we may grant to him in a spirit of candour what he has not discovered in the contents of the book of ,genesis1 that 8the sons of ,god1 seeing the daughters of men1 that they were fair1 took to them wives of all whom they chose10 we shall nevertheless even on this point persuade those who are capable of understanding the meaning of the prophet1 that even before us there was one who referred this narrative to the doctrine regarding souls1 which became possessed with a desire for the corporeal life of men1 and this in metaphorical language1 he said1 was termed 8daughters of men40 ,but whatever may be the meaning of the 8sons of ,god desiring to possess the daughters of men10 it will not at all contribute to prove that ,jesus was not the only one who visited mankind as an angel1 and who manifestly became the ,saviour and benefactor of all those who depart from the flood of wickedness4 ,then1 mixing up and confusing whatever he had at any time heard1 or had anywhere found written--whether held to be of divine origin among ,christians or not--he adds3 8,the sixty or seventy who descended together were cast under the earth1 and were punished with chains40 ,and he quotes 7as from the book of ,enoch1 but without naming it7 the following3 8,and hence it is that the tears of these angels are warm springs10--a thing neither mentioned nor heard of in the churches of ,god6 ,for no one was ever so foolish as to materialize into human tears those which were shed by the angels who had come down from heaven4 ,and if it were right to pass a jest upon what is advanced against us in a serious spirit by ,celsus1 we might observe that no one would ever have said that hot springs1 the greater part of which are fresh water1 were the tears of the angels1 since tears are saltish in their nature1 unless indeed the angels1 in the opinion of ,celsus1 shed tears which are fresh4 ,chapter ,,lvi4 ,proceeding immediately after to mix up and compare with one another things that are dissimilar1 and incapable of being united1 he subjoins to his statement regarding the sixty or seventy angels who came down from heaven1 and who1 according to him1 shed fountains of warm water for tears1 the following3 8,it is related also that there came to the tomb of ,jesus himself1 according to some1 two angels1 according to others1 one20 having failed to notice1 ,i think1 that ,matthew and ,mark speak of one1 and ,luke and ,john of two1 which statements are not contradictory4 ,for they who mention 8one10 say that it was he who rolled away the stone from the sepulchre2 while they who mention 8two10 refer to those who appeared in shining raiment to the women that repaired to the sepulchre1 or who were seen within sitting in white garments4 ,each of these occurrences might now be demonstrated to have actually taken place1 and to be indicative of a figurative meaning existing in these 8phenomena10 and intelligible to those who were prepared to behold the resurrection of the ,word4 ,such a task1 however1 does not belong to our present purpose1 but rather to an exposition of the gospel4 ,chapter ,,lvii4 ,now1 that miraculous appearances have sometimes been witnessed by human beings1 is related by the ,greeks2 and not only by those of them who might be suspected of composing fabulous narratives1 but also by those who have given every evidence of being genuine philosophers1 and of having related with perfect truth what had happened to them4 ,accounts of this kind we have read in the writings of ,chrysippus of ,soli1 and also some things of the same kind relating to ,pythagoras2 as well as in some of the more recent writers who lived a very short time ago1 as in the treatise of ,plutarch of ,chronea 8on the ,soul10 and in the second book of the work of ,numenius the ,pythagorean on the 8,incorruptibility of the ,soul40 ,now1 when such accounts are related by the ,greeks1 and especially by the philosophers among them1 they are not to be received with mockery and ridicule1 nor to be regarded as fictions and fables2 but when those who are devoted to the ,god of all things1 and who endure all kinds of injury1 even to death itself1 rather than allow a falsehood to escape their lips regarding ,god1 announce the appearances of angels which they have themselves witnessed1 they are to be deemed unworthy of belief1 and their words are not to be regarded as true6 ,now it is opposed to sound reason to judge in this way whether individuals are speaking truth or falsehood4 ,for those who act honestly1 only after a long and careful examination into the details of a subject1 slowly and cautiously express their opinion of the veracity or falsehood of this or that person with regard to the marvels which they may relate2 since it is the case that neither do all men show themselves worthy of belief1 nor do all make it distinctly evident that they are relating to men only fictions and fables4 ,moreover1 regarding the resurrection of ,jesus from the dead1 we have this remark to make1 that it is not at all wonderful if1 on such an occasion1 either one or two angels should have appeared to announce that ,jesus had risen from the dead1 and to provide for the safety of those who believed in such an event to the advantage of their souls4 ,nor does it appear to me at all unreasonable1 that those who believe in the resurrection of ,jesus1 and who manifest1 as a fruit of their faith not to be lightly esteemed1 their possession of a virtuous#ajaj life1 and their withdrawal from the flood of evils1 should not be unattended by angels who lend their help in accomplishing their conversion to ,god4 ,footnote #ajaj3 4 ,chapter ,,lviii4 ,but ,celsus challenges the account also that an angel rolled away the stone from the sepulchre where the body of ,jesus lay1 acting like a lad at school1 who should bring a charge against any one by help of a string of commonplaces4 ,and1 as if he had discovered some clever objection to the narrative1 he remarks3 8,the ,son of ,god1 then1 it appears1 could not open his tomb1 but required the aid of another to roll away the stone40 ,now1 not to overdo the discussion of this matter1 or to have the appearance of unreasonably introducing philosophical remarks1 by explaining the figurative meaning at present1 ,i shall simply say of the narrative alone1 that it does appear in itself a more respectful proceeding1 that the servant and inferior should have rolled away the stone1 than that such an act should have been performed by ,him whose resurrection was to be for the advantage of mankind4 ,i do not speak of the desire of those who conspired against the ,word1 and who wished to put ,him to death1 and to show to all men that ,he was dead and non-existent1#ajaa that ,his tomb should not be opened1 in order that no one might behold the ,word alive after their conspiracy2 but the 8,angel of ,god0 who came into the world for the salvation of men1 with the help of another angel1 proved more powerful than the conspirators1 and rolled away the weighty stone1 that those who deemed the ,word to be dead might be convinced that ,he is not with the 8departed10 but is alive1 and precedes those who are willing to follow ,him1 that ,he may manifest to them those truths which come after those which ,he formerly showed them at the time of their first entrance into the school of ,christianity1 when they were as yet incapable of receiving deeper instruction4 ,in the next place1 ,i do not understand what advantage he thinks will accrue to his purpose when he ridicules the account of 8the angel's visit to ,joseph regarding the pregnancy of ,mary20 and again1 that of the angel to warn the parents 8to take up the new-born child1 whose life was in danger1 and to flee with it into ,egypt40 ,concerning these matters1 however1 we have in the preceding pages answered his statements4 ,but what does ,celsus mean by saying1 that 8according to the ,scriptures1 angels are recorded to have been sent to ,moses1 and others as well80 ,for it appears to me to contribute nothing to his purpose1 and especially because none of them made any effort to accomplish1 as far as in his power1 the conversion of the human race from their sins4 ,let it be granted1 however1 that other angels were sent from ,god1 but that he came to announce something of greater importance than any others who preceded him2 and when the ,jews had fallen into sin1 and corrupted their religion1 and had done unholy deeds1 transferred the kingdom of ,god to other husbandmen1 who in all the churches take special care of themselves1#ajab and use every endeavour by means of a holy life1 and by a doctrine conformable thereto1 to win over to the ,god of all things those who would rush away from the teaching of ,jesus4#ajac ,footnote #ajaa3 4 ,footnote #ajab3 4 ,guietus would read 1 to agree with 4 ,footnote #ajac3 ,instead of 1 ,boherellus conjectures 444 1 which has been adopted in the translation4 ,chapter ,,lix4 ,celsus then continues3 8,the ,jews accordingly1 and these 7clearly meaning the ,christians71 have the same ,god20 and as if advancing a proposition which would not be conceded1 he proceeds to make the following assertion3 8,it is certain1 indeed1 that the members of the great church#ajad admit this1 and adopt as true the accounts regarding the creation of the world which are current among the ,jews1 viz4 concerning the six days and the seventh20 on which day1 as the ,scripture says1 ,god 8ceased0#ajae from ,his works1 retiring into the contemplation of ,himself1 but on which1 as ,celsus says 7who does not abide by the letter of the history1 and who does not understand its meaning71 ,god 8rested10#ajaf--;a term which is not found in the record4 ,with respect1 however1 to the creation of the world1 and the 8rest#ajag which is reserved after it for the people of ,god10 the subject is extensive1 and mystical1 and profound1 and difficult of explanation4 ,in the next place1 as it appears to me1 from a desire to fill up his book1 and to give it an appearance of importance1 he recklessly adds certain statements1 such as the following1 relating to the first man1 of whom he says3 8,we give the same account as do the ,jews1 and deduce the same genealogy from him as they do40 ,however1 as regards 8the conspiracies of brothers against one another10 we know of none such1 save that ,cain conspired against ,abel1 and ,esau against ,jacob2 but not ,abel against ,cain1 nor ,jacob against ,esau3 for if this had been the case1 ,celsus would have been correct in saying that we give the same accounts as do the ,jews of 8the conspiracies of brothers against one another40 ,let it be granted1 however1 that we speak of the same descent into ,egypt as they1 and of their return#ajah thence1 which was not a 8flight10#ajai as ,celsus considers it to have been1 what does that avail towards founding an accusation against us or against the ,jews8 ,here1 indeed1 he thought to cast ridicule upon us1 when1 in speaking of the ,hebrew people1 he termed their exodus a 8flight20 but when it was his business to investigate the account of the punishments inflicted by ,god upon ,egypt1 that topic he purposely passed by in silence4 ,footnote #ajad3 4 ,footnote #ajae3 4 ,footnote #ajaf3 4 ,footnote #ajag3 4 ,footnote #ajah3 4 ,footnote #ajai3 4 ,chapter ,,lx4 ,if1 however1 it be necessary to express ourselves with precision in our answer to ,celsus1 who thinks that we hold the same opinions on the matters in question as do the ,jews1 we would say that we both agree that the books of ,scripture were written by the ,spirit of ,god1 but that we do not agree about the meaning of their contents2 for we do not regulate our lives like the ,jews1 because we are of opinion that the literal acceptation of the laws is not that which conveys the meaning of the legislation4 ,and we maintain1 that 8when ,moses is read1 the veil is upon their heart10#ajbj because the meaning of the law of ,moses has been concealed from those who have not welcomed#ajba the way which is by ,jesus ,christ4 ,but we know that if one turn to the ,lord 7for 8the ,lord is that ,spirit071 the veil being taken away1 8he beholds1 as in a mirror with unveiled face1 the glory of the ,lord0 in those thoughts which are concealed in their literal expression1 and to his own glory becomes a participator of the divine glory2 the term 8face0 being used figuratively for the 8understanding10 as one would call it without a figure1 in which is the face of the 8inner man10 filled with light and glory1 flowing from the true comprehension of the contents of the law4 ,footnote #ajbj3 #b ,cor4 iii4 #ae4 ,footnote #ajba3 4 ,chapter ,,lxi4 ,after the above remarks he proceeds as follows3 8,let no one suppose that ,i am ignorant that some of them will concede that their ,god is the same as that of the ,jews1 while others will maintain that he is a different one1 to whom the latter is in opposition1 and that it was from the former that the ,son came40 ,now1 if he imagine that the existence of numerous heresies among the ,christians is a ground of accusation against ,christianity1 why1 in a similar way1 should it not be a ground of accusation against philosophy1 that the various sects of philosophers differ from each other1 not on small and indifferent points1 but upon those of the highest importance8 ,nay1 medicine also ought to be a subject of attack1 on account of its many conflicting schools4 ,let it be admitted1 then1 that there are amongst us some who deny that our ,god is the same as that of the ,jews3 nevertheless1 on that account those are not to be blamed who prove from the same ,scriptures that one and the same ,deity is the ,god of the ,jews and of the ,gentiles alike1 as ,paul1 too1 distinctly says1 who was a convert from ,judaism to ,christianity1 8,i thank my ,god1 whom ,i serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience40#ajbb ,and let it be admitted also1 that there is a third class who call certain persons 8carnal10 and others 8spiritual0 7,i think he here means the followers of ,valentinus73 yet what does this avail against us1 who belong to the church1 and who make it an accusation against such as hold that certain natures are saved1 and that others perish in consequence of their natural constitution8#ajbc ,and let it be admitted further1 that there are some who give themselves out as ,gnostics1 in the same way as those ,epicureans who call themselves philosophers3 yet neither will they who annihilate the doctrine of providence be deemed true philosophers1 nor those true ,christians who introduce monstrous inventions1 which are disapproved of by those who are the disciples of ,jesus4 ,let it be admitted1 moreover1 that there are some who accept ,jesus1 and who boast on that account of being ,christians1 and yet would regulate their lives1 like the ,jewish multitude1 in accordance with the ,jewish law1--and these are the twofold sect of ,ebionites1 who either acknowledge with us that ,jesus was born of a virgin1 or deny this1 and maintain that ,he was begotten like other human beings1--what does that avail by way of charge against such as belong to the church1 and whom ,celsus has styled 8those of the multitude80#ajbd ,he adds1 also1 that certain of the ,christians are believers in the ,sibyl1#ajbe having probably misunderstood some who blamed such as believed in the existence of a prophetic ,sibyl1 and termed those who held this belief ,sibyllists4 ,footnote #ajbb3 #b ,tim4 i4 #c4 ,footnote #ajbc3 4 ,footnote #ajbd3 4 ,footnote #ajbe3 4 ,chapter ,,lxii4 ,he next pours down upon us a heap of names1 saying that he knows of the existence of certain ,simonians who worship ,helene1 or ,helenus1 as their teacher1 and are called ,helenians4 ,but it has escaped the notice of ,celsus that the ,simonians do not at all acknowledge ,jesus to be the ,son of ,god1 but term ,simon the 8power0 of ,god1 regarding whom they relate certain marvellous stories1 saying that he imagined that if he could become possessed of similar powers to those with which he believed ,jesus to be endowed1 he too would become as powerful among men as ,jesus was amongst the multitude4 ,but neither ,celsus nor ,simon could comprehend how ,jesus1 like a good husbandman of the word of ,god1 was able to sow the greater part of ,greece1 and of barbarian lands1 with ,his doctrine1 and to fill these countries with words which transform the soul from all that is evil1 and bring it back to the ,creator of all things4 ,celsus knows1 moreover1 certain ,marcellians1 so called from ,marcellina1 and ,harpocratians from ,salome1 and others who derive their name from ,mariamne1 and others again from ,martha4 ,we1 however1 who from a love of learning examine to the utmost of our ability not only the contents of ,scripture1 and the differences to which they give rise1 but have also1 from love to the truth1 investigated as far as we could the opinions of philosophers1 have never at any time met in with these sects4 ,he makes mention also of the ,marcionites1 whose leader was ,marcion4 ,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,in the next place1 that he may have the appearance of knowing still more than he has yet mentioned1 he says1 agreeably to his usual custom1 that 8there are others who have wickedly invented some being as their teacher and demon1 and who wallow about in a great darkness1 more unholy and accursed than that of the companions of the ,egyptian ,antinous40 ,and he seems to me1 indeed1 in touching on these matters1 to say with a certain degree of truth1 that there are certain others who have wickedly invented another demon1 and who have found him to be their lord1 as they wallow about in the great darkness of their ignorance4 ,with respect1 however1 to ,antinous1 who is compared with our ,jesus1 we shall not repeat what we have already said in the preceding pages4 8,moreover10 he continues1 8these persons utter against one another dreadful blasphemies1 saying all manner of things shameful to be spoken2 nor will they yield in the slightest point for the sake of harmony1 hating each other with a perfect hatred40 ,now1 in answer to this1 we have already said that in philosophy and medicine sects are to be found warring against sects4 ,we1 however1 who are followers of the word of ,jesus1 and have exercised ourselves in thinking1 and saying1 and doing what is in harmony with ,his words1 8when reviled1 bless2 being persecuted1 we suffer it2 being defamed1 we entreat20#ajbf and we would not utter 8all manner of things shameful to be spoken0 against those who have adopted different opinions from ours1 but1 if possible1 use every exertion to raise them to a better condition through adherence to the ,creator alone1 and lead them to perform every act as those who will one day be judged4 ,and if those who hold different opinions will not be convinced1 we observe the injunction laid down for the treatment of such3 8,a man that is a heretic1 after the first and second admonition1 reject1 knowing that he that is such is subverted1 and sinneth1 being condemned of himself40#ajbg ,moreover1 we who know the maxim1 8,blessed are the peacemakers10 and this also1 8,blessed are the meek10 would not regard with hatred the corrupters of ,christianity1 nor term those who had fallen into error ,circes and flattering deceivers4#ajbh ,footnote #ajbf3 #a ,cor4 iv4 #ab1 #ac4 ,footnote #ajbg3 ,tit4 iii4 #aj4 ,footnote #ajbh3 4 ,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,celsus appears to me to have misunderstood the statement of the apostle1 which declares that 8in the latter times some shall depart from the faith1 giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils1 speaking lies in hypocrisy1 having their conscience seared with a hot iron1 forbidding to marry1 and commanding to abstain from meats1 which ,god hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them who believe20#ajbi and to have misunderstood also those who employed these declarations of the apostle against such as had corrupted the doctrines of ,christianity4 ,and it is owing to this cause that ,celsus has said that 8certain among the ,christians are called #8cauterized in the ears2'0#ajcj and also that some are termed 8enigmas10#ajca--;a term which we have never met4 ,the expression 8stumbling-block0#ajcb is1 indeed1 of frequent occurrence in these writings1--an appellation which we are accustomed to apply to those who turn away simple persons1 and those who are easily deceived1 from sound doctrine4 ,but neither we1 nor1 ,i imagine1 any other1 whether ,christian or heretic1 know of any who are styled ,sirens1 who betray and deceive1#ajcc and stop their ears1 and change into swine those whom they delude4 ,and yet this man1 who affects to know everything1 uses such language as the following3 8,you may hear10 he says1 8all those who differ so widely1 and who assail each other in their disputes with the most shameless language1 uttering the words1 #8,the world is crucified to me1 and ,i unto the world4'0 ,and this is the only phrase which1 it appears1 ,celsus could remember out of ,paul's writings2 and yet why should we not also employ innumerable other quotations from the ,scriptures1 such as1 8,for though we do walk in the flesh1 we do not war after the flesh2 7for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal1 but mighty through ,god to the pulling down of strongholds17 casting down imaginations1 and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of ,god80#ajcd ,footnote #ajbi3 ,cf4 #a ,tim4 iv4 #a-c4 ,footnote #ajcj3 4 ,cf4 note in ,benedictine ed4 ,footnote #ajca3 4 ,cf4 note in ,benedictine ed4 ,footnote #ajcb3 4 ,footnote #ajcc3 4 ,footnote #ajcd3 ,cf4 #b ,cor4 x4 #c4 ,chapter ,,lxv4 ,but since he asserts that 8you may hear all those who differ so widely saying1 #8,the world is crucified to me1 and ,i unto the world1'0 we shall show the falsity of such a statement4 ,for there are certain heretical sects which do not receive the epistles of the ,apostle ,paul1 as the two sects of ,ebionites1 and those who are termed ,encratites4 ,those1 then1 who do not regard the apostle as a holy and wise man1 will not adopt his language1 and say1 8,the world is crucified to me1 and ,i unto the world40 ,and consequently in this point1 too1 ,celsus is guilty of falsehood4 ,he continues1 moreover1 to linger over the accusations which he brings against the diversity of sects which exist1 but does not appear to me to be accurate in the language which he employs1 nor to have carefully observed or understood how it is that those ,christians who have made progress in their studies say that they are possessed of greater knowledge than the ,jews2 and also1 whether they acknowledge the same ,scriptures1 but interpret them differently1 or whether they do not recognise these books as divine4 ,for we find both of these views prevailing among the sects4 ,he then continues3 8,although they have no foundation for their doctrine1 let us examine the system itself2 and1 in the first place1 let us mention the corruptions which they have made through ignorance and misunderstanding1 when in the discussion of elementary principles they express their opinions in the most absurd manner on things which they do not understand1 such as the following40 ,and then1 to certain expressions which are continually in the mouths of the believers in ,christianity1 he opposes certain others from the writings of the philosophers1 with the object of making it appear that the noble sentiments which ,celsus supposes to be used by ,christians have been expressed in better and clearer language by the philosophers1 in order that he might drag away to the study of philosophy those who are caught by opinions which at once evidence their noble and religious character4 ,we shall1 however1 here terminate the fifth book1 and begin the sixth with what follows4 ,,book ,,vi4 ,chapter ,i4 ,in beginning this our sixth book1 we desire1 my reverend ,ambrosius1 to answer in it those accusations which ,celsus brings against the ,christians1 not1 as might be supposed1 those objections which he has adduced from writers on philosophy4 ,for he has quoted a considerable number of passages1 chiefly from ,plato1 and has placed alongside of these such declarations of ,holy ,scripture as are fitted to impress even the intelligent mind2 subjoining the assertion1 that 8these things are stated much better among the ,greeks than in the ,scriptures1 and in a manner which is free from all exaggerations#ajce and promises on the part of ,god1 or the ,son of ,god40 ,now we maintain1 that if it is the object of the ambassadors of the truth to confer benefits upon the greatest possible number1 and1 so far as they can1 to win over to its side1 through their love to men1 every one without exception--intelligent as well as simple--not ,greeks only1 but also barbarians 7and great1 indeed1 is the humanity which should succeed in converting the rustic and the ignorant#ajcf71 it is manifest that they must adopt a style of address fitted to do good to all1 and to gain over to them men of every sort4 ,those1 on the other hand1 who turn away#ajcg from the ignorant as being mere slaves1#ajch and unable to understand the flowing periods of a polished and logical discourse1 and so devote their attention solely to such as have been brought up amongst literary pursuits1#ajci confine their views of the public good within very strait and narrow limits4 ,footnote #ajce3 4 ,footnote #ajcf3 444 4 ,footnote #ajcg3 4 ,footnote #ajch3 4 ,footnote #ajci3 1 4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,i have made these remarks in reply to the charges which ,celsus and others bring against the simplicity of the language of ,scripture1 which appears to be thrown into the shade by the splendour of polished discourse4 ,for our prophets1 and ,jesus ,himself1 and ,his apostles1 were careful to adopt#ajdj a style of address which should not merely convey the truth1 but which should be fitted to gain over the multitude1 until each one1 attracted and led onwards1 should ascend as far as he could towards the comprehension of those mysteries which are contained in these apparently simple words4 ,for1 if ,i may venture to say so1 few have been benefited 7if they have indeed been benefited at all7 by the beautiful and polished style of ,plato1 and those who have written like him2 while1 on the contrary1 many have received advantage from those who wrote and taught in a simple and practical manner1 and with a view to the wants of the multitude4 ,it is easy1 indeed1 to observe that ,plato is found only in the hands of those who profess to be literary men2#ajda while ,epictetus is admired by persons of ordinary capacity1 who have a desire to be benefited1 and who perceive the improvement which may be derived from his writings4 ,now we make these remarks1 not to disparage ,plato 7for the great world of men has found even him useful71 but to point out the aim of those who said3 8,and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom1 but in demonstration of the ,spirit and of power1 that our faith should not stand in the wisdom of men1 but in the power of ,god40#ajdb ,for the word of ,god declares that the preaching 7although in itself true and most worthy of belief7 is not sufficient to reach the human heart1 unless a certain power be imparted to the speaker from ,god1 and a grace appear upon his words2 and it is only by the divine agency that this takes place in those who speak effectually4 ,the prophet says in the sixty-seventh ,psalm1 that 8the ,lord will give a word with great power to them who preach40#ajdc ,if1 then1 it should be granted with respect to certain points1 that the same doctrines are found among the ,greeks as in our own ,scriptures1 yet they do not possess the same power of attracting and disposing the souls of men to follow them4 ,and therefore the disciples of ,jesus1 men ignorant so far as regards ,grecian philosophy1 yet traversed many countries of the world1 impressing1 agreeably to the desire of the ,logos1 each one of their hearers according to his deserts1 so that they received a moral amelioration in proportion to the inclination of their will to accept of that which is good4 ,footnote #ajdj3 4 ,footnote #ajda3 4 ,footnote #ajdb3 #a ,cor4 ii4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #ajdc3 ,such is the reading of the ,septuagint version4 ,the ,masoretic text has3 8,the ,lord gave a word2 of them who published it there was a great host40 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,let the ancient sages1 then1 make known their sayings to those who are capable of understanding them4 ,suppose that ,plato1 for example1 the son of ,ariston1 in one of his ,epistles1 is discoursing about the 8chief good10 and that he says1 8,the chief good can by no means be described in words1 but is produced by long habit1 and bursts forth suddenly as a light in the soul1 as from a fire which had leapt forth40 ,we1 then1 on hearing these words1 admit that they are well said1 for it is ,god who revealed to men these as well as all other noble expressions4 ,and for this reason it is that we maintain that those who have entertained correct ideas regarding ,god1 but who have not offered to ,him a worship in harmony with the truth1 are liable to the punishments which fall on sinners4 ,for respecting such ,paul says in express words3 8,the wrath of ,god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men1 who hold the truth in unrighteousness2 because that which may be known of ,god is manifest in them2 for ,god hath showed it unto them4 ,for the invisible things of ,him from the creation of the world are clearly seen1 being understood by the things that are made1 even ,his eternal power and ,godhead2 so that they are without excuse3 because that1 when they knew ,god1 they glorified ,him not as ,god1 neither were thankful2 but became vain in their imaginations1 and their foolish heart was darkened4 ,professing themselves to be wise1 they became fools1 and changed the glory of the incorruptible ,god into an image made like to corruptible man1 and to birds1 and four-footed beasts1 and creeping things40#ajdd ,the truth1 then1 is verily held in unrighteousness1 as our ,scriptures testify1 by those who are of opinion that 8the chief good cannot be described in words10 but who assert that1 8after long custom and familiar usage1#ajde a light becomes suddenly kindled in the soul1 as if by a fire springing forth1 and that it now supports itself alone40 ,footnote #ajdd3 ,cf4 ,rom4 i4 #ah-bc4 ,footnote #ajde3 1 4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,notwithstanding1 those who have written in this manner regarding the 8chief good0 will go down to the ,pirus and offer prayer to ,artemis1 as if she were ,god1 and will look with approval upon the solemn assembly held by ignorant men2 and after giving utterance to philosophical remarks of such profundity regarding the soul1 and describing its passage to a happier world after a virtuous life1 they pass from those great topics which ,god has revealed to them1 and adopt mean and trifling thoughts1 and offer a cock to ,esculapius6#ajdf ,and although they had been enabled to form representations both of the 8invisible things0 of ,god and of the 8archetypal forms0 of things from the creation of the world1 and from the contemplation of sensible things1 from which they ascend to those objects which are comprehended by the understanding alone1--and although they had no mean glimpses of ,his 8eternal power and ,godhead10#ajdg they nevertheless became 8foolish in their imaginations10 and their 8foolish heart0 was involved in darkness and ignorance as to the true worship of ,god4 ,moreover1 we may see those who greatly pride themselves upon their wisdom and theology worshipping the image of a corruptible man1 in honour1 they say1 of ,him1 and sometimes even descending1 with the ,egyptians1 to the worship of birds1 and four-footed beasts1 and creeping things6 ,and although some may appear to have risen above such practices1 nevertheless they will be found to have changed the truth of ,god into a lie1 and to worship and serve the 8creature more than the ,creator40#ajdh ,as the wise and learned among the ,greeks1 then1 commit errors in the service which they render to ,god1 ,god 8chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise2 and base things of the world1 and things that are weak1 and things which are despised1 and things which are not1 to bring to nought things that are20#ajdi and this1 truly1 8that no flesh should glory in the presence of ,god40 ,our wise men1 however1--,moses1 the most ancient of them all1 and the prophets who followed him1--knowing that the chief good could by no means be described in words1 were the first who wrote that1 as ,god manifests ,himself to the deserving1 and to those who are qualified to behold ,him1#ajej ,he appeared to ,abraham1 or to ,isaac1 or to ,jacob4 ,but who ,he was that appeared1 and of what form1 and in what manner1 and like to which of mortal beings1#ajea they have left to be investigated by those who are able to show that they resemble those persons to whom ,god showed ,himself3 for ,he was seen not by their bodily eyes1 but by the pure heart4 ,for1 according to the declaration of our ,jesus1 8,blessed are the pure in heart1 for they shall see ,god40#ajeb ,footnote #ajdf3 ,cf4 ,plato1 ,phdo4 ,footnote #ajdg3 1 1 1 ' 1 etc4 ,footnote #ajdh3 ,rom4 i4 #be4 ,footnote #ajdi3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 i4 #bg1 #bh1 #bi4 ,footnote #ajej3 4 ,footnote #ajea3 4 ,boherellus understands 1 which has been adopted in the translation4 ,footnote #ajeb3 ,cf4 ,matt4 v4 #h4 ,chapter ,v4 ,but that a light is suddenly kindled in the soul1 as by a fire leaping forth1 is a fact known long ago to our ,scriptures2 as when the prophet said1 8,light ye for yourselves the light of knowledge40#ajec ,john also1 who lived after him1 said1 8,that which was in the ,logos was life1 and the life was the light of men20#ajed which 8true light lighteneth every man that cometh into the world0 7i4e4 the true world1 which is perceived by the understanding#ajee71 and maketh him a light of the world3 8,for this light shone in our hearts1 to give the light of the glorious gospel of ,god in the face of ,christ ,jesus40#ajef ,and therefore that very ancient prophet1 who prophesied many generations before the reign of ,cyrus 7for he was older than he by more than fourteen generations71 expressed himself in these words3 8,the ,lord is my light and my salvation3 whom shall ,i fear80#ajeg and1 8,thy law is a lamp unto my feet1 and a light unto my path20#ajeh and again1 8,the light of ,thy countenance1 ,o ,lord1 was manifested towards us20#ajei and1 8,in ,thy light we shall see light40#ajfj ,and the ,logos1 exhorting us to come to this light1 says1 in the prophecies of ,isaiah3 8,enlighten thyself1 enlighten thyself1 ,o ,jerusalem2 for thy light is come1 and the glory of the ,lord is risen upon thee40#ajfa ,the same prophet also1 when predicting the advent of ,jesus1 who was to turn away men from the worship of idols1 and of images1 and of demons1 says1 8,to those that sat in the land and shadow of death1 upon them hath the light arisen20#ajfb and again1 8,the people that sat in darkness saw a great light40#ajfc ,observe now the difference between the fine phrases of ,plato respecting the 8chief good10 and the declarations of our prophets regarding the 8light0 of the blessed2 and notice that the truth as it is contained in ,plato concerning this subject did not at all help his readers to attain to a pure worship of ,god1 nor even himself1 who could philosophize so grandly about the 8chief good10 whereas the simple language of the ,holy ,scriptures has led to their honest readers being filled with a divine spirit2#ajfd and this light is nourished within them by the oil1 which in a certain parable is said to have preserved the light of the torches of the five wise virgins4#ajfe ,footnote #ajec3 ,hos4 x4 #ab4 7,,lxx474 ,the ,masoretic text is1 1 where for 7and time7 the ,septuagint translator apparently read 7knowledge71 and being interchanged from their similarity4 ,footnote #ajed3 ,cf4 ,john i4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #ajee3 4 ,footnote #ajef3 ,cf4 #b ,cor4 iv4 #f4 ,footnote #ajeg3 ,ps4 xxvii4 #a 7attributed to ,david74 ,footnote #ajeh3 ,ps4 cxix4 #aje4 ,footnote #ajei3 ,ps4 iv4 #f 7,heb4 8,lift upon us10 etc474 ,footnote #ajfj3 ,ps4 xxxvi4 #i4 ,footnote #ajfa3 ,cf4 ,isa4 lx4 #a4 ,footnote #ajfb3 ,cf4 ,isa4 ix4 #b4 ,footnote #ajfc3 ,cf4 ,isa4 ix4 #b4 ,footnote #ajfd3 4 ,footnote #ajfe3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxv4 #d4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,seeing1 however1 that ,celsus quotes from an epistle of ,plato another statement to the following effect1 viz43 8,if it appeared to me that these matters could be adequately explained to the multitude in writing and in oral address1 what nobler pursuit in life could have been followed by me1 than to commit to writing what was to prove of such advantage to human beings1 and to lead the nature of all men onwards to the light80--let us then consider this point briefly1 viz4 whether or not ,plato were acquainted with any doctrines more profound than are contained in his writings1 or more divine than those which he has left behind him1 leaving it to each one to investigate the subject according to his ability1 while we demonstrate that our prophets did know of greater things than any in the ,scriptures1 but which they did not commit to writing4 ,ezekiel1 e4g41 received a roll1#ajff written within and without1 in which were contained 8lamentations10 and 8songs10 and 8denunciations20#ajfg but at the command of the ,logos he swallowed the book1 in order that its contents might not be written1 and so made known to unworthy persons4 ,john also is recorded to have seen and done a similar thing4#ajfh ,nay1 ,paul even heard 8unspeakable words1 which it is not lawful for a man to utter40#ajfi ,and it is related of ,jesus1 who was greater than all these1 that ,he conversed with ,his disciples in private1 and especially in their secret retreats1 concerning the gospel of ,god2 but the words which ,he uttered have not been preserved1 because it appeared to the evangelists that they could not be adequately conveyed to the multitude in writing or in speech4 ,and if it were not tiresome to repeat the truth regarding these illustrious individuals1 ,i would say that they saw better than ,plato 7by means of the intelligence which they received by the grace of ,god71 what things were to be committed to writing1 and how this was to be done1 and what was by no means to be written to the multitude1 and what was to be expressed in words1 and what was not to be so conveyed4 ,and once more1 ,john1 in teaching us the difference between what ought to be committed to writing and what not1 declares that he heard seven thunders instructing him on certain matters1 and forbidding him to commit their words to writing4#ajgj ,footnote #ajff3 4 ,footnote #ajfg3 2 cf4 ,ezek4 ii4 #i1 #aj4 ,footnote #ajfh3 ,cf4 ,apoc4 x4 #i4 ,footnote #ajfi3 #b ,cor4 xii4 #d4 ,footnote #ajgj3 ,cf4 ,apoc4 x4 #d4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,there might also be found in the writings of ,moses and of the prophets1 who are older not only than ,plato1 but even than ,homer and the invention of letters among the ,greeks1 passages worthy of the grace of ,god bestowed upon them1 and filled with great thoughts1 to which they gave utterance1 but not because they understood ,plato imperfectly1 as ,celsus imagines4 ,for how was it possible that they should have heard one who was not yet born8 ,and if any one should apply the words of ,celsus to the apostles of ,jesus1 who were younger than ,plato1 say whether it is not on the very face of it an incredible assertion1 that ,paul the tentmaker1 and ,peter the fisherman1 and ,john who left his father's nets1 should1 through misunderstanding the language of ,plato in his ,epistles1 have expressed themselves as they have done regarding ,god8 ,but as ,celsus now1 after having often required of us immediate assent to his views1 as if he were babbling forth something new in addition to what he has already advanced1 only repeats himself1#ajga what we have said in reply may suffice4 ,seeing1 however1 he produces another quotation from ,plato1 in which he asserts that the employment of the method of question and answer sheds light on the thoughts of those who philosophize like him1 let us show from the ,holy ,scriptures that the word of ,god also encourages us to the practice of dialectics3 ,solomon1 e4g4 declaring in one passage1 that 8instruction unquestioned goes astray20#ajgb and ,jesus the son of ,sirach1 who has left us the treatise called 8,wisdom10 declaring in another1 that 8the knowledge of the unwise is as words that will not stand investigation40#ajgc ,our methods of discussion1 however1 are rather of a gentle kind2 for we have learned that he who presides over the preaching of the word ought to be able to confute gainsayers4 ,but if some continue indolent1 and do not train themselves so as to attend to the reading of the word1 and 8to search the ,scriptures10 and1 agreeably to the command of ,jesus1 to investigate the meaning of the sacred writings1 and to ask of ,god concerning them1 and to keep 8knocking0 at what may be closed within them1 the ,scripture is not on that account to be regarded as devoid of wisdom4 ,footnote #ajga3 1 4 ,guietus thus amends the passage3 1 1 etc4 ,boherellus would change into 4 ,footnote #ajgb3 2 cf4 ,prov4 x4 #ag4 ,footnote #ajgc3 1 2 cf4 ,ecclus4 xxi4 #ah4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,in the next place1 after other ,platonic declarations1 which demonstrate that 8the good0 can be known by few1 he adds3 8,since the multitude1 being puffed up with a contempt for others1 which is far from right1 and being filled with vain and lofty hopes1 assert that1 because they have come to the knowledge of some venerable doctrines1 certain things are true40 8,yet although ,plato predicted these things1 he nevertheless does not talk marvels1#ajgd nor shut the mouth of those who wish to ask him for information on the subject of his promises2 nor does he command them to come at once and believe that a ,god of a particular kind exists1 and that he has a son of a particular nature1 who descended to earth and conversed with me40 ,now1 in answer to this we have to say1 that with regard to ,plato1 it is ,aristander1 ,i think1 who has related that he was not the son of ,ariston1 but of a phantom1 which approached ,amphictione in the guise of ,apollo4 ,and there are several other of the followers of ,plato who1 in their lives of their master1 have made the same statement4 ,what are we to say1 moreover1 about ,pythagoras1 who relates the greatest possible amount of wonders1 and who1 in a general assembly of the ,greeks1 showed his ivory thigh1 and asserted that he recognised the shield which he wore when he was ,euphorbus1 and who is said to have appeared on one day in two different cities6 ,he1 moreover1 who will declare that what is related of ,plato and ,socrates belongs to the marvellous1 will quote the story of the swan which was recommended to ,socrates while he was asleep1 and of the master saying when he met the young man1 8,this1 then1 was the swan60#ajge ,nay1 the third eye which ,plato saw that he himself possessed1 he will refer to the category of prodigies4#ajgf ,but occasion for slanderous accusations will never be wanting to those who are ill-disposed1 and who wish to speak evil of what has happened to such as are raised above the multitude4 ,such persons will deride as a fiction even the demon of ,socrates4 ,we do not1 then1 relate marvels when we narrate the history of ,jesus1 nor have ,his genuine disciples recorded any such stories of ,him2 whereas this ,celsus1 who professes universal knowledge1 and who quotes many of the sayings of ,plato1 is1 ,i think1 intentionally silent on the discourse concerning the ,son of ,god which is related in ,plato's epistle to ,hermeas and ,coriscus4 ,plato's words are as follows3 8,and calling to witness the ,god of all things--the ruler both of things present and things to come1 father and lord both of the ruler and cause--whom1 if we are philosophers indeed1 we shall all clearly know1 so far as it is possible for happy human beings to attain such knowledge40#ajgg ,footnote #ajgd3 4 ,footnote #ajge3 ,the night before ,ariston brought ,plato to ,socrates as his pupil1 the latter dreamed that a swan from the altar of ,cupid alighted on his bosom4 ,cf4 ,pausanias in ,atticis1 p4 #eh4 ,footnote #ajgf3 8,alicubi forsan occurrit3 me vero uspiam legisse non memini4 ,credo ,platonem per tertium oculum suam et scientiam1 qu ceteris anteibat1 denotare voluisse40--,,spencer4 ,footnote #ajgg3 ,plato1 ,epist4 vi4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,celsus quotes another saying of ,plato to the following effect3 8,it has occurred to me to speak once more upon these subjects at greater length1 as perhaps ,i might express myself about them more clearly than ,i have already done3 for there is a certain #8real' cause1 which proves a hindrance in the way of him who has ventured1 even to a slight extent1 to write on such topics2 and as this has been frequently mentioned by me on former occasions1 it appears to me that it ought to be stated now4 ,in each of existing things1 which are necessarily employed in the acquisition of knowledge1 there are three elements2 knowledge itself is the fourth2 and that ought to be laid down as the fifth which is both capable of being known and is true4 ,of these1 one is #8name2' the second is #8word2' the third1 #8image2' the fourth1 #8knowledge4'0#ajgh ,now1 according to this division1 ,john is introduced before ,jesus as the voice of one crying in the wilderness1 so as to correspond with the 8name0 of ,plato2 and the second after ,john1 who is pointed out by him1 is ,jesus1 with whom agrees the statement1 8,the ,word became flesh10 and that corresponds to the 8word0 of ,plato4 ,plato terms the third 8image20 but we1 who apply the expression 8image0 to something different1 would say with greater precision1 that the mark of the wounds which is made in the soul by the word is the ,christ which is in each one of us1 and this mark is impressed by ,christ the ,word4#ajgi ,and whether ,christ1 the wisdom which is in those of us who are perfect1 correspond to the 8fourth0 element--knowledge--will become known to him who has the capacity to ascertain it4 ,footnote #ajgh3 1 1 1 1 4 ,footnote #ajgi3 1 1 4 ,chapter ,x4 ,he next continues3 8,you see how ,plato1 although maintaining that the chief good cannot be described in words1 yet1 to avoid the appearance of retreating to an irrefutable position1 subjoins a reason in explanation of this difficulty1 as even #8nothing'#ajhj might perhaps be explained in words40 ,but as ,celsus adduces this to prove that we ought not to yield a simple assent1 but to furnish a reason for our belief1 we shall quote also the words of ,paul1 where he says1 in censuring the hasty#ajha believer1 8unless ye have believed inconsiderately40#ajhb ,now1 through his practice of repeating himself1 ,celsus1 so far as he can1 forces us to be guilty of tautology1 reiterating1 after the boastful language which has been quoted1 that 8,plato is not guilty of boasting and falsehood1 giving out that he has made some new discovery1 or that he has come down from heaven to announce it1 but acknowledges whence these statements are derived40 ,now1 if one wished to reply to ,celsus1 one might say in answer to such assertions1 that even ,plato is guilty of boasting1 when in the ,timus he puts the following language in the mouth of ,zeus3 8,gods of gods1 whose creator and father ,i am10 and so on4 ,and if any one will defend such language on account of the meaning which is conveyed under the name of ,zeus1 thus speaking in the dialogue of ,plato1 why should not he who investigates the meaning of the words of the ,son of ,god1 or those of the ,creator#ajhc in the prophets1 express a profounder meaning than any conveyed by the words of ,zeus in the ,timus8 ,for the characteristic of divinity is the announcement of future events1 predicted not by human power1 but shown by the result to be due to a divine spirit in him who made the announcement4 ,accordingly1 we do not say to each of our hearers1 8,believe1 first of all1 that ,he whom ,i introduce to thee is the ,son of ,god20 but we put the gospel before each one1 as his character and disposition may fit him to receive it1 inasmuch as we have learned to know 8how we ought to answer every man40#ajhd ,and there are some who are capable of receiving nothing more than an exhortation to believe1 and to these we address that alone2 while we approach others1 again1 as far as possible1 in the way of demonstration1 by means of question and answer4 ,nor do we at all say1 as ,celsus scoffingly alleges1 8,believe that ,he whom ,i introduce to thee is the ,son of ,god1 although ,he was shamefully bound1 and disgracefully punished1 and very recently#ajhe was most contumeliously treated before the eyes of all men20 neither do we add1 8,believe it even the more on that account40 ,for it is our endeavour to state1 on each individual point1 arguments more numerous even than we have brought forward in the preceding pages4 ,footnote #ajhj3 4 ,footnote #ajha3 4 ,footnote #ajhb3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #b4 ,footnote #ajhc3 4 ,footnote #ajhd3 ,cf4 ,col4 iv4 #f4 ,footnote #ajhe3 4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,after this ,celsus continues3 8,if these 7meaning the ,christians7 bring forward this person1 and others1 again1 a different individual as the ,christ1 while the common and ready cry#ajhf of all parties is1 #8,believe1 if thou wilt be saved1 or else begone1' what shall those do who are in earnest about their salvation8 ,shall they cast the dice1 in order to divine whither they may betake themselves1 and whom they shall join80 ,now we shall answer this objection in the following manner1 as the clearness of the case impels us to do4 ,if it had been recorded that several individuals had appeared in human life as sons of ,god in the manner in which ,jesus did1 and if each of them had drawn a party of adherents to his side1 so that1 on account of the similarity of the profession in the case of each individual that he was the ,son of ,god1 he to whom his followers bore testimony to that effect was an object of dispute1 there would have been ground for his saying1 8,if these bring forward this person1 and others a different individual1 while the common and ready cry of all parties is1 #8,believe1 if thou wilt be saved1 or else begone1'0 and so on2 whereas it has been proclaimed to the entire world that ,jesus ,christ is the only ,son of ,god who visited the human race3 for those who1 like ,celsus1 have supposed that the acts of ,jesus were a series of prodigies1#ajhg and who for that reason wished to perform acts of the same kind1#ajhh that they1 too1 might gain a similar mastery over the minds of men1 were convicted of being utter nonentities4#ajhi ,such were ,simon1 the ,magus of ,samaria1 and ,dositheus1 who was a native of the same place2 since the former gave out that he was the power of ,god that is called great1#ajij and the latter that he was the ,son of ,god4 ,now ,simonians are found nowhere throughout the world2 and yet1 in order to gain over to himself many followers1 ,simon freed his disciples from the danger of death1 which the ,christians were taught to prefer1 by teaching them to regard idolatry as a matter of indifference4 ,but even at the beginning of their existence the followers of ,simon were not exposed to persecution4 ,for that wicked demon who was conspiring against the doctrine of ,jesus1 was well aware that none of his own maxims would be weakened by the teaching of ,simon4 ,the ,dositheans1 again1 even in former times1 did not rise to any eminence1 and now they are completely extinguished1 so that it is said their whole number does not amount to thirty4 ,judas of ,galilee also1 as ,luke relates in the ,acts of the ,apostles1#ajia wished to call himself some great personage1 as did ,theudas before him2 but as their doctrine was not of ,god1 they were destroyed1 and all who obeyed them were immediately dispersed4 ,we do not1 then1 8cast the dice in order to divine whither we shall betake ourselves1 and whom we shall join10 as if there were many claimants able to draw us after them by the profession of their having come down from ,god to visit the human race4 ,on these points1 however1 we have said enough4 ,footnote #ajhf3 4 ,for 1 ,boherellus reads 4 ,footnote #ajhg3 4 ,the word formerly stood1 in the text of ,spencer and ,rueus1 before 1 but is properly expunged1 as arising from the preceding 4 ,boherellus remarks3 8,forte aliud quid exciderit1 verbi grati1 40 ,footnote #ajhh3 4 ,footnote #ajhi3 4 ,footnote #ajij3 ,cf4 ,acts viii4 #aj4 ,footnote #ajia3 ,cf4 ,acts v4 #cf1 #cg4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,accordingly1 let us pass on to another charge made by ,celsus1 who is not even acquainted with the words of our sacred books1 but who1 from misunderstanding them1 has said that 8we declare the wisdom that is among men to be foolishness with ,god20 ,paul having said that 8the wisdom of the world is foolishness with ,god40#ajib ,celsus says that 8the reason of this has been stated long ago40 ,and the reason he imagines to be1 8our desire to win over by means of this saying the ignorant and foolish alone40 ,but1 as he himself has intimated1 he has said the same thing before2 and we1 to the best of our ability1 replied to it4 ,notwithstanding this1 however1 he wished to show that this statement was an invention#ajic of ours1 and borrowed from the ,grecian sages1 who declare that human wisdom is of one kind1 and divine of another4 ,and he quotes the words of ,heraclitus1 where he says in one passage1 that 8man's method of action is not regulated by fixed principles1 but that of ,god is20#ajid and in another1 that 8a foolish man listens to a demon1 as a boy does to a man40 ,he quotes1 moreover1 the following from the ,apology of ,socrates1 of which ,plato was the author3 8,for ,i1 ,o men of ,athens1 have obtained this name by no other means than by my wisdom4 ,and of what sort is this wisdom8 ,such1 probably1 as is human2 for in that respect ,i venture to think that ,i am in reality wise40#ajie ,such are the passages adduced by ,celsus4 ,but ,i shall subjoin also the following from ,plato's letter to ,hermeas1 and ,erastus1 and ,coriscus3 8,to ,erastus and ,coriscus ,i say1 although ,i am an old man1 that1 in addition to this noble knowledge of #8forms' which they possess1 they need a wisdom1 with regard to the class of wicked and unjust persons1 which may serve as a protective and repelling force against them4 ,for they are inexperienced1 in consequence of having passed a large portion of their lives with us1 who are moderate#ajif individuals1 and not wicked4 ,i have accordingly said that they need these things1 in order that they may not be compelled to neglect the true wisdom1 and to apply themselves in a greater degree than is proper to that which is necessary and human40 ,footnote #ajib3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 iii4 #ai4 ,footnote #ajic3 4 ,footnote #ajid3 1 4 ,footnote #ajie3 ,cf4 ,plato's ,apolog4 ,footnote #ajif3 4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,according to the foregoing1 then1 the one kind of wisdom is human1 and the other divine4 ,now the 8human0 wisdom is that which is termed by us the wisdom of the 8world10 which is 8foolishness with ,god20 whereas the 8divine0--being different from the 8human10 because it is 8divine0--comes1 through the grace of ,god who bestows it1 to those who have evinced their capacity for receiving it1 and especially to those who1 from knowing the difference between either kind of wisdom1 say1 in their prayers to ,god1 8,even if one among the sons of men be perfect1 while the wisdom is wanting that comes from ,thee1 he shall be accounted as nothing40#ajig ,we maintain1 indeed1 that 8human0 wisdom is an exercise for the soul1 but that 8divine0 wisdom is the 8end10 being also termed the 8strong0 meat of the soul by him who has said that 8strong meat belongeth to them that are perfect1#ajih even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil40#ajii ,this opinion1 moreover1 is truly an ancient one1 its antiquity not being referred back1 as ,celsus thinks1 merely to ,heraclitus and ,plato4 ,for before these individuals lived1 the prophets distinguished between the two kinds of wisdom4 ,it is sufficient for the present to quote from the words of ,david what he says regarding the man who is wise1 according to divine wisdom1 that 8he will not see corruption when he beholds wise men dying40#aajj ,divine wisdom1 accordingly1 being different from faith1 is the 8first0 of the so-called 8charismata0 of ,god2 and the 8second0 after it--in the estimation of those who know how to distinguish such things accurately--is what is called 8knowledge20#aaja and the 8third0--seeing that even the more simple class of men who adhere to the service of ,god1 so far as they can1 must be saved--is faith4 ,and therefore ,paul says3 8,to one is given by the ,spirit the word of wisdom1 to another the word of knowledge by the same ,spirit1 to another faith by the same ,spirit40#aajb ,and therefore it is no ordinary individuals whom you will find to have participated in the 8divine0 wisdom1 but the more excellent and distinguished among those who have given in their adherence to ,christianity2 for it is not 8to the most ignorant1 or servile1 or most uninstructed of mankind10 that one would discourse upon the topics relating to the divine wisdom4 ,footnote #ajig3 ,cf4 ,wisd4 of ,sol4 ix4 #f4 ,footnote #ajih3 4 ,footnote #ajii3 ,heb4 v4 #ad4 ,footnote #aajj3 ,ps4 xlix4 #i1 #aj 7,,lxx474 ,footnote #aaja3 4 ,footnote #aajb3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #h1 #i4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,in designating others by the epithets of 8uninstructed1 and servile1 and ignorant10 ,celsus1 ,i suppose1 means those who are not acquainted with his laws1 nor trained in the branches of ,greek learning2 while we1 on the other hand1 deem those to be 8uninstructed0 who are not ashamed to address supplications to inanimate objects1 and to call upon those for health that have no strength1 and to ask the dead for life1 and to entreat the helpless for assistance4#aajc ,and although some may say that these objects are not gods1 but only imitations and symbols of real divinities1 nevertheless these very individuals1 in imagining that the hands of low mechanics#aajd can frame imitations of divinity1 are 8uninstructed1 and servile1 and ignorant20 for we assert that the lowest#aaje among us have been set free from this ignorance and want of knowledge1 while the most intelligent can understand and grasp the divine hope4 ,we do not maintain1 however1 that it is impossible for one who has not been trained in earthly wisdom to receive the 8divine10 but we do acknowledge that all human wisdom is 8folly0 in comparison with the 8divine40 ,in the next place1 instead of endeavouring to adduce reasons1 as he ought1 for his assertions1 he terms us 8sorcerers10#aajf and asserts that 8we flee away with headlong speed#aajg from the more polished#aajh class of persons1 because they are not suitable subjects for our impositions1 while we seek to decoy#aaji those who are more rustic40 ,now he did not observe that from the very beginning our wise men were trained in the external branches of learning3 ,moses1 e4g41 in all the wisdom of the ,egyptians2 ,daniel1 and ,ananias1 and ,azariah1 and ,mishael1 in all ,assyrian learning1 so that they were found to surpass in tenfold degree all the wise men of that country4 ,at the present time1 moreover1 the churches have1 in proportion to the multitudes of ordinary believers1 a few 8wise0 men1 who have come over to them from that wisdom which is said by us to be 8according to the flesh20#aaaj and they have also some who have advanced from it to that wisdom which is 8divine40 ,footnote #aajc3 1 1 1 4 ,footnote #aajd3 4 ,footnote #aaje3 4 ,footnote #aajf3 4 ,footnote #aajg3 4 ,footnote #aajh3 4 ,footnote #aaji3 4 ,footnote #aaaj3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 i4 #bf4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,celsus1 in the next place1 as one who has heard the subject of humility greatly talked about1#aaaa but who has not been at the pains to understand it1#aaab would wish to speak evil of that humility which is practised among us1 and imagines that it is borrowed from some words of ,plato imperfectly understood1 where he expresses himself in the ,laws as follows3 8,now ,god1 according to the ancient account1 having in ,himself both the beginning and end and middle of all existing things1 proceeds according to nature1 and marches straight on4#aaac ,he is constantly followed by justice1 which is the avenger of all breaches of the divine law3 he who is about to become happy follows her closely in humility1 and becomingly adorned40#aaad ,he did not observe1 however1 that in writers much older than ,plato the following words occur in a prayer3 8,lord1 my heart is not haughty1 nor mine eyes lofty1 neither do ,i walk in great matters1 nor in things too wonderful for me2 if ,i had not been humble10#aaae etc4 ,now these words show that he who is of humble mind does not by any means humble himself in an unseemly or inauspicious manner1 falling down upon his knees1 or casting himself headlong on the ground1 putting on the dress of the miserable1 or sprinkling himself with dust4 ,but he who is of humble mind in the sense of the prophet1 while 8walking in great and wonderful things10 which are above his capacity--viz4 those doctrines that are truly great1 and those thoughts that are wonderful--8humbles himself under the mighty hand of ,god40 ,if there are some1 however1 who through their stupidity#aaaf have not clearly understood the doctrine of humiliation1 and act as they do1 it is not our doctrine which is to be blamed2 but we must extend our forgiveness to the stupidity#aaag of those who aim at higher things1 and owing to their fatuity of mind#aaah fail to attain them4 ,he who is 8humble and becomingly adorned10 is so in a greater degree than ,plato's 8humble and becomingly adorned0 individual3 for he is becomingly adorned1 on the one hand1 because 8he walks in things great and wonderful10 which are beyond his capacity2 and humble1 on the other hand1 because1 while being in the midst of such1 he yet voluntarily humbles himself1 not under any one at random1 but under 8the mighty hand of ,god10 through ,jesus ,christ1 the teacher of such instruction1 8who did not deem equality with ,god a thing to be eagerly clung to1 but made ,himself of no reputation1 and took on ,him the form of a servant1 and being found in fashion as a man1 humbled ,himself1 and became obedient unto death1 even the death of the cross40#aaai ,and so great is this doctrine of humiliation1 that it has no ordinary individual as its teacher2 but our great ,saviour ,himself says3 8,learn of me1 for ,i am meek and lowly of heart1 and ye shall find rest for your souls40#aabj ,footnote #aaaa3 4 ,footnote #aaab3 4 ,footnote #aaac3 4 ,footnote #aaad3 ,plato1 de ,legibus1 iv4 ,footnote #aaae3 ,ps4 cxxxi4 #a1 #b 7,,lxx474 ,the clause1 8,if ,i had not been humble10 seems to belong to the following verse4 ,footnote #aaaf3 4 ,footnote #aaag3 4 ,footnote #aaah3 4 ,footnote #aaai3 ,cf4 ,phil4 ii4 #f1 #h4 ,footnote #aabj3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xi4 #bj4 ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,in the next place1 with regard to the declaration of ,jesus against rich men1 when ,he said1 8,it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle1 than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of ,god10#aaba ,celsus alleges that this saying manifestly proceeded from ,plato1 and that ,jesus perverted the words of the philosopher1 which were1 that 8it was impossible to be distinguished for goodness1 and at the same time for riches40#aabb ,now who is there that is capable of giving even moderate attention to affairs--not merely among the believers on ,jesus1 but among the rest of mankind--that would not laugh at ,celsus1 on hearing that ,jesus1 who was born and brought up among the ,jews1 and was supposed to be the son of ,joseph the carpenter1 and who had not studied literature--not merely that of the ,greeks1 but not even that of the ,hebrews--as the truth-loving ,scriptures testify regarding ,him1#aabc had read ,plato1 and being pleased with the opinion he expressed regarding rich men1 to the effect that 8it was impossible to be distinguished for goodness and riches at the same time10 had perverted this1 and changed it into1 8,it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle1 than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of ,god60 ,now1 if ,celsus had not perused the ,gospels in a spirit of hatred and dislike1 but had been imbued with a love of truth1 he would have turned his attention to the point why a camel--that one of animals which1 as regards its physical structure1 is crooked--was chosen as an object of comparison with a rich man1 and what signification the 8narrow eye of a needle0 had for him who saw that 8strait and narrow was the way that leadeth unto life20#aabd and to this point also1 that this animal1 according to the law1 is described as 8unclean10 having one element of acceptability1 viz4 that it ruminates1 but one of condemnation1 viz4 that it does not divide the hoof4 ,he would have inquired1 moreover1 how often the camel was adduced as an object of comparison in the sacred ,scriptures1 and in reference to what objects1 that he might thus ascertain the meaning of the ,logos concerning the rich men4 ,nor would he have left without examination the fact that 8the poor0 are termed 8blessed0 by ,jesus1 while 8the rich0 are designated as 8miserable20 and whether these words refer to the rich and poor who are visible to the senses1 or whether there is any kind of poverty known to the ,logos which is to be deemed 8altogether blessed10 and any rich man who is to be wholly condemned4 ,for even a common individual would not thus indiscriminately have praised the poor1 many of whom lead most wicked lives4 ,but on this point we have said enough4 ,footnote #aaba3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xix4 #bd4 ,footnote #aabb3 ,cf4 ,plato1 v4 de ,legibus4 ,footnote #aabc3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xiii4 #ed1 ,mark vi4 #b1 and ,john vii4 #ae4 ,footnote #aabd3 ,cf4 ,matt4 vii4 #ad4 ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,since ,celsus1 moreover1 from a desire to depreciate the accounts which our ,scriptures give of the kingdom of ,god1 has quoted none of them1 as if they were unworthy of being recorded by him 7or perhaps because he was unacquainted with them71 while1 on the other hand1 he quotes the sayings of ,plato1 both from his ,epistles and the ,phdrus1 as if these were divinely inspired1 but our ,scriptures were not1 let us set forth a few points1 for the sake of comparison with these plausible declarations of ,plato1 which did not1 however1 dispose the philosopher to worship in a manner worthy of him the ,maker of all things4 ,for he ought not to have adulterated or polluted this worship with what we call 8idolatry10 but what the many would describe by the term 8superstition40 ,now1 according to a ,hebrew figure of speech1 it is said of ,god in the eighteenth ,psalm1 that 8,he made darkness ,his secret place10#aabe to signify that those notions which should be worthily entertained of ,god are invisible and unknowable1 because ,god conceals ,himself in darkness1 as it were1 from those who cannot endure the splendours of ,his knowledge1 or are incapable of looking at them1 partly owing to the pollution of their understanding1 which is clothed with the body of mortal lowliness1 and partly owing to its feebler power of comprehending ,god4 ,and in order that it may appear that the knowledge of ,god has rarely been vouchsafed to men1 and has been found in very few individuals1 ,moses is related to have entered into the darkness where ,god was4#aabf ,and again1 with regard to ,moses it is said3 8,moses alone shall come near the ,lord1 but the rest shall not come nigh40#aabg ,and again1 that the prophet may show the depth of the doctrines which relate to ,god1 and which is unattainable by those who do not possess the 8,spirit which searcheth all things1 even the deep things of ,god10 he added3 8,the abyss like a garment is ,his covering40#aabh ,nay1 our ,lord and ,saviour1 the ,logos of ,god1 manifesting that the greatness of the knowledge of the ,father is appropriately comprehended and known pre-eminently by ,him alone1 and in the second place by those whose minds are enlightened by the ,logos ,himself and ,god1 declares3 8,no man knoweth the ,son1 but the ,father2 neither knoweth any man the ,father but the ,son1 and he to whomsoever the ,son will reveal ,him40#aabi ,for no one can worthily know the 8uncreated0#aacj and first-born of all created nature like the ,father who begat ,him1 nor any one the ,father like the living ,logos1 and ,his ,wisdom and ,truth4 ,by sharing in ,him who takes away from the ,father what is called 8darkness10 which ,he 8made ,his secret place10 and 8the abyss10 which is called ,his 8covering10 and in this way unveiling the ,father1 every one knows the ,father who#aaca is capable of knowing ,him4 ,footnote #aabe3 ,cf4 ,ps4 xviii4 #aa4 ,footnote #aabf3 ,cf4 ,ex4 xx4 #ba4 ,footnote #aabg3 ,cf4 ,ex4 xxiv4 #b4 ,footnote #aabh3 ,cf4 ,ps4 civ4 #f4 ,footnote #aabi3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xi4 #bg4 ,footnote #aacj3 4 ,locus diligenter notandus1 ubi filius e creaturarum numero diserte eximitur1 dum dicitur4 ,at non dissimulandum in unico ,cod4 ,anglicano secundo legi3 3 cf4 ,origenianorum1 lib4 ii4 qustio #b1 num4 #bc4--,,ru,,us4 ,footnote #aaca3 ' 4 ,boherellus proposes ' 1 etc4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,i thought it right to quote these few instances from a much larger number of passages1 in which our sacred writers express their ideas regarding ,god1 in order to show that1 to those who have eyes to behold the venerable character of ,scripture1 the sacred writings of the prophets contain things more worthy of reverence than those sayings of ,plato which ,celsus admires4 ,now the declaration of ,plato1 quoted by ,celsus1 runs as follows3 8,all things are around the ,king of all1 and all things exist for his sake1 and he is the cause of all good things4 ,with things of the second rank he is second1 and with those of the third rank he is third4 ,the human soul1 accordingly1 is eager to learn what these things are1 looking to such things as are kindred to itself1 none of which is perfect4 ,but as regards the ,king and those things which ,i mentioned1 there is nothing which resembles them40#aacb ,i might have mentioned1 moreover1 what is said of those beings which are called seraphim by the ,hebrews1 and described in ,isaiah1#aacc who cover the face and feet of ,god1 and of those called cherubim1 whom ,ezekiel#aacd has described1 and the postures of these1 and of the manner in which ,god is said to be borne upon the cherubim4 ,but since they are mentioned in a very mysterious manner1 on account of the unworthy and the indecent1 who are unable to enter into the great thoughts and venerable nature of theology1 ,i have not deemed it becoming to discourse of them in this treatise4 ,footnote #aacb3 ,cf4 ,plato1 ,epist4 ii4 ad ,dionys4 ,footnote #aacc3 ,cf4 ,isa4 vi4 #b4 ,footnote #aacd3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 i4 and x4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,celsus in the next place alleges1 that 8certain ,christians1 having misunderstood the words of ,plato1 loudly boast of a #8super-celestial' ,god1 thus ascending beyond the heaven of the ,jews40 ,by these words1 indeed1 he does not make it clear whether they also ascend beyond the ,god of the ,jews1 or only beyond the heaven by which they swear4 ,it is not our purpose at present1 however1 to speak of those who acknowledge another god than the one worshipped by the ,jews1 but to defend ourselves1 and to show that it was impossible for the prophets of the ,jews1 whose writings are reckoned among ours1 to have borrowed anything from ,plato1 because they were older than he4 ,they did not then borrow from him the declaration1 that 8all things are around the ,king of all1 and that all exist on account of him20 for we have learned that nobler thoughts than these have been uttered by the prophets1 by ,jesus ,himself and ,his disciples1 who have clearly indicated the meaning of the spirit that was in them1 which was none other than the spirit of ,christ4 ,nor was the philosopher the first to present to view the 8super-celestial0 place2 for ,david long ago brought to view the profundity and multitude of the thoughts concerning ,god entertained by those who have ascended above visible things1 when he said in the book of ,psalms3 8,praise ,god1 ye heaven of heavens2 and ye waters that be above the heavens1 let them praise the name of the ,lord40#aace ,i do not1 indeed1 deny that ,plato learned from certain ,hebrews the words quoted from the ,phdrus1 or even1 as some have recorded1 that he quoted them from a perusal of our prophetic writings1 when he said3 8,no poet here below has ever sung of the super-celestial place1 or ever will sing in a becoming manner10 and so on4 ,and in the same passage is the following3 8,for the essence1 which is both colourless and formless1 and which cannot be touched1 which really exists1 is the pilot of the soul1 and is beheld by the understanding alone2 and around it the genus of true knowledge holds this place40#aacf ,our ,paul1 moreover1 educated by these words1 and longing after things 8supra-mundane0 and 8super-celestial10 and doing his utmost for their sake to attain them1 says in the second ,epistle to the ,corinthians3 8,for our light affliction1 which is but for a moment1 worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory2 while we look not at the things which are seen1 but at the things which are not seen3 for the things which are seen are temporal2 but the things which are unseen are eternal40#aacg ,footnote #aace3 ,ps4 cxlviii4 #d4 ,footnote #aacf3 ,cf4 ,plato in ,phdro4 ,footnote #aacg3 ,cf4 #b ,cor4 iv4 #ag1 #ah4 ,chapter ,,xx4 ,now1 to those who are capable of understanding him1 the apostle manifestly presents to view 8things which are the objects of perception10 calling them 8things seen20 while he terms 8unseen10 things which are the object of the understanding1 and cognisable by it alone4 ,he knows1 also1 that things 8seen0 and visible are 8temporal10 but that things cognisable by the mind1 and 8not seen10 are 8eternal20 and desiring to remain in the contemplation of these1 and being assisted by his earnest longing for them1 he deemed all affliction as 8light0 and as 8nothing10 and during the season of afflictions and troubles was not at all bowed down by them1 but by his contemplation of divine things deemed every calamity a light thing1 seeing we also have 8a great ,high ,priest10 who by the greatness of ,his power and understanding 8has passed through the heavens1 even ,jesus the ,son of ,god10 who has promised to all that have truly learned divine things1 and have lived lives in harmony with them1 to go before them to the things that are supra-mundane2 for ,his words are3 8,that where ,i go1 ye may be also40#aach ,and therefore we hope1 after the troubles and struggles which we suffer here1 to reach the highest heavens1#aaci and receiving1 agreeably to the teaching of ,jesus1 the fountains of water that spring up unto eternal life1 and being filled with the rivers of knowledge1#aadj shall be united with those waters that are said to be above the heavens1 and which praise ,his name4 ,and as many of us#aada as praise ,him shall not be carried about by the revolution of the heaven1 but shall be ever engaged in the contemplation of the invisible things of ,god1 which are no longer understood by us through the things which ,he hath made from the creation of the world1 but seeing1 as it was expressed by the true disciple of ,jesus in these words1 8then face to face20#aadb and in these1 8,when that which is perfect is come1 then that which is in part will be done away40#aadc ,footnote #aach3 ,cf4 ,john xiv4 #c4 ,footnote #aaci3 4 ,footnote #aadj3 4 ,footnote #aada3 ,for ,boherellus proposes 1 which is adopted in the translation4 ,footnote #aadb3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #ab4 ,footnote #aadc3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #aj4 ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,the ,scriptures which are current in the churches of ,god do not speak of 8seven0 heavens1 or of any definite number at all1 but they do appear to teach the existence of 8heavens10 whether that means the 8spheres0 of those bodies which the ,greeks call 8planets10 or something more mysterious4 ,celsus1 too1 agreeably to the opinion of ,plato1#aadd asserts that souls can make their way to and from the earth through the planets2 while ,moses1 our most ancient prophet1 says that a divine vision was presented to the view of our prophet ,jacob1#aade--;a ladder stretching to heaven1 and the angels of ,god ascending and descending upon it1 and the ,lord supported#aadf upon its top1--obscurely pointing1 by this matter of the ladder1 either to the same truths which ,plato had in view1 or to something greater than these4 ,on this subject ,philo has composed a treatise which deserves the thoughtful and intelligent investigation of all lovers of truth4 ,footnote #aadd3 ,cf4 ,plato in ,timo4 ,footnote #aade3 ,cf4 ,gen4 xxviii4 #ab1 #ac4 ,footnote #aadf3 4 ,chapter ,,xxii4 ,after this1 ,celsus1 desiring to exhibit his learning in his treatise against us1 quotes also certain ,persian mysteries1 where he says3 8,these things are obscurely hinted at in the accounts of the ,persians1 and especially in the mysteries of ,mithras1 which are celebrated amongst them4 ,for in the latter there is a representation of the two heavenly revolutions1--of the movement1 viz41 of the fixed#aadg stars1 and of that which takes place among the planets1 and of the passage of the soul through these4 ,the representation is of the following nature3 ,there is a ladder with lofty gates1#aadh and on the top of it an eighth gate4 ,the first gate consists of lead1 the second of tin1 the third of copper1 the fourth of iron1 the fifth of a mixture of metals1#aadi the sixth of silver1 and the seventh of gold4 ,the first gate they assign to ,saturn1 indicating by the #8lead' the slowness of this star2 the second to ,venus1 comparing her to the splendour and softness of tin2 the third to ,jupiter1 being firm#aaej and solid2 the fourth to ,mercury1 for both ,mercury and iron are fit to endure all things1 and are money-making and laborious2#aaea the fifth to ,mars1 because1 being composed of a mixture of metals1 it is varied and unequal2 the sixth1 of silver1 to the ,moon2 the seventh1 of gold1 to the ,sun1--thus imitating the different colours of the two latter40 ,he next proceeds to examine the reason of the stars being arranged in this order1 which is symbolized by the names of the rest of matter4#aaeb ,musical reasons1 moreover1 are added or quoted by the ,persian theology2 and to these1 again1 he strives to add a second explanation1 connected also with musical considerations4 ,but it seems to me1 that to quote the language of ,celsus upon these matters would be absurd1 and similar to what he himself has done1 when1 in his accusations against ,christians and ,jews1 he quoted1 most inappropriately1 not only the words of ,plato2 but1 dissatisfied even with these1#aaec he adduced in addition the mysteries of the ,persian ,mithras1 and the explanation of them4 ,now1 whatever be the case with regard to these1--whether the ,persians and those who conduct the mysteries of ,mithras give false or true accounts regarding them1--why did he select these for quotation1 rather than some of the other mysteries1 with the explanation of them8 ,for the mysteries of ,mithras do not appear to be more famous among the ,greeks than those of ,eleusis1 or than those in ,egina1 where individuals are initiated in the rites of ,hecate4 ,but if he must introduce barbarian mysteries with their explanation1 why not rather those of the ,egyptians1 which are highly regarded by many1#aaed or those of the ,cappadocians regarding the ,comanian ,diana1 or those of the ,thracians1 or even those of the ,romans themselves1 who initiate the noblest members of their senate8#aaee ,but if he deemed it inappropriate to institute a comparison with any of these1 because they furnished no aid in the way of accusing ,jews or ,christians1 why did it not also appear to him inappropriate to adduce the instance of the mysteries of ,mithras8 ,footnote #aadg3 4 ,footnote #aadh3 4 ,boherellus conjectures 4 ,footnote #aadi3 4 ,footnote #aaej3 4 ,footnote #aaea3 1 1 1 4 ,footnote #aaeb3 4 ,for 1 another reading is 4 ,footnote #aaec3 ,for 1 ,spencer introduced into his text1 ' 1 which has been adopted in the translation4 ,footnote #aaed3 4 ,footnote #aaee3 4 ,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,if one wished to obtain means for a profounder contemplation of the entrance of souls into divine things1 not from the statements of that very insignificant sect from which he quoted1 but from books--partly those of the ,jews1 which are read in their synagogues1 and adopted by ,christians1 and partly from those of ,christians alone--let him peruse1 at the end of ,ezekiel's prophecies1 the visions beheld by the prophet1 in which gates of different kinds are enumerated1#aaef which obscurely refer to the different modes in which divine souls enter into a better world2#aaeg and let him peruse also1 from the ,apocalypse of ,john1 what is related of the city of ,god1 the heavenly ,jerusalem1 and of its foundations and gates4#aaeh ,and if he is capable of finding out also the road1 which is indicated by symbols1 of those who will march on to divine things1 let him read the book of ,moses entitled ,numbers1 and let him seek the help of one who is capable of initiating him into the meaning of the narratives concerning the encampments of the children of ,israel2 viz4 of what sort those were which were arranged towards the east1 as was the case with the first2 and what those towards the south-west and south2 and what towards the sea2 and what the last were1 which were stationed towards the north4 ,for he will see that there is in the respective places a meaning#aaei not to be lightly treated1 nor1 as ,celsus imagines1 such as calls only for silly and servile listeners3 but he will distinguish in the encampments certain things relating to the numbers that are enumerated1 and which are specially adapted to each tribe1 of which the present does not appear to us to be the proper time to speak4 ,let ,celsus know1 moreover1 as well as those who read his book1 that in no part of the genuine and divinely accredited ,scriptures are 8seven0 heavens mentioned2 neither do our prophets1 nor the apostles of ,jesus1 nor the ,son of ,god ,himself1 repeat anything which they borrowed from the ,persians or the ,cabiri4 ,footnote #aaef3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 xlviii4 ,footnote #aaeg3 4 ,footnote #aaeh3 ,cf4 ,apoc4 xxi4 ,footnote #aaei3 4 ,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,after the instance borrowed from the ,mithraic mysteries1 ,celsus declares that he who would investigate the ,christian mysteries1 along with the aforesaid ,persian1 will1 on comparing the two together1 and on unveiling the rites of the ,christians1 see in this way the difference between them4 ,now1 wherever he was able to give the names of the various sects1 he was nothing loth to quote those with which he thought himself acquainted2 but when he ought most of all to have done this1 if they were really known to him1 and to have informed us which was the sect that makes use of the diagram he has drawn1 he has not done so4 ,it seems to me1 however1 that it is from some statements of a very insignificant sect called ,ophites1 which he has misunderstood1 that1 in my opinion1 he has partly borrowed what he says about the diagram4#aafj ,now1 as we have always been animated by a love of learning1#aafa we have fallen in with this diagram1 and we have found in it the representations of men who1 as ,paul says1 8creep into houses1 and lead captive silly women laden with sins1 led away with divers lusts2 ever learning1 and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth40#aafb ,the diagram was1 however1 so destitute of all credibility1 that neither these easily deceived women1 nor the most rustic class of men1 nor those who were ready to be led away by any plausible pretender whatever1 ever gave their assent to the diagram4 ,nor1 indeed1 have we ever met any individual1 although we have visited many parts of the earth1 and have sought out all those who anywhere made profession of knowledge1 that placed any faith in this diagram4 ,footnote #aafj3 8,utinam exstaret6 ,multum enim lucis procul dubio antiquissimorum ,patrum libris1 prisc ecclesi temporibus1 et quibusdam sacr ,scriptur locis1 accederet40--,,spencer4 ,footnote #aafa3 4 ,footnote #aafb3 ,cf4 #b ,tim4 iii4 #f1 #g4 ,chapter ,,xxv4 ,in this diagram were described ten circles1 distinct from each other1 but united by one circle1 which was said to be the soul of all things1 and was called 8,leviathan40#aafc ,this ,leviathan1 the ,jewish ,scriptures say1 whatever they mean by the expression1 was created by ,god for a plaything2#aafd for we find in the ,psalms3 8,in wisdom hast ,thou made all things3 the earth is full of ,thy creatures2 so is this great and wide sea4 ,there go the ships2 small animals with great2 there is this dragon1 which ,thou hast formed to play therein40#aafe ,instead of the word 8dragon10 the term 8leviathan0 is in the ,hebrew4 ,this impious diagram1 then1 said of this leviathan1 which is so clearly depreciated by the psalmist1 that it was the soul which had travelled through all things6 ,we observed1 also1 in the diagram1 the being named 8,behemoth10 placed as it were under the lowest circle4 ,the inventor of this accursed diagram had inscribed this leviathan at its circumference and centre1 thus placing its name in two separate places4 ,moreover1 ,celsus says that the diagram was 8divided by a thick black line1 and this line he asserted was called ,gehenna1 which is ,tartarus40 ,now as we found that ,gehenna was mentioned in the ,gospel as a place of punishment1 we searched to see whether it is mentioned anywhere in the ancient ,scriptures1 and especially because the ,jews too use the word4 ,and we ascertained that where the valley of the son of ,ennom was named in ,scripture in the ,hebrew1 instead of 8valley10 with fundamentally the same meaning1 it was termed both the valley of ,ennom and also ,geenna4 ,and continuing our researches1 we find that what was termed 8,geenna10 or 8the valley of ,ennom10 was included in the lot of the tribe of ,benjamin1 in which ,jerusalem also was situated4 ,and seeking to ascertain what might be the inference from the heavenly ,jerusalem belonging to the lot of ,benjamin and the valley of ,ennom1 we find a certain confirmation of what is said regarding the place of punishment1 intended for the purification of such souls as are to be purified by torments1 agreeably to the saying3 8,the ,lord cometh like a refiner's fire1 and like fuller's soap3 and ,he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and of gold40#aaff ,footnote #aafc3 ,cf4 note in ,spencer's ed4 ,footnote #aafd3 4 ,footnote #aafe3 ,cf4 ,ps4 civ4 #bd-bf4 ,footnote #aaff3 ,cf4 ,mal4 iii4 #b1 #c4 ,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,it is in the precincts of ,jerusalem1 then1 that punishments will be inflicted upon those who undergo the process of purification1#aafg who have received into the substance of their soul the elements of wickedness1 which in a certain place#aafh is figuratively termed 8lead10 and on that account iniquity is represented in ,zechariah as sitting upon a 8talent of lead40#aafi ,but the remarks which might be made on this topic are neither to be made to all1 nor to be uttered on the present occasion2 for it is not unattended with danger to commit to writing the explanation of such subjects1 seeing the multitude need no further instruction than that which relates to the punishment of sinners2 while to ascend beyond this is not expedient1 for the sake of those who are with difficulty restrained1 even by fear of eternal punishment1 from plunging into any degree of wickedness1 and into the flood of evils which result from sin4 ,the doctrine of ,geenna1 then1 is unknown both to the ,diagram and to ,celsus3 for had it been otherwise1 the framers of the former would not have boasted of their pictures of animals and diagrams1 as if the truth were represented by these2 nor would ,celsus1 in his treatise against the ,christians1 have introduced among the charges directed against them statements which they never uttered1 instead of what was spoken by some who perhaps are no longer in existence1 but have altogether disappeared1 or been reduced to a very few individuals1 and these easily counted4 ,and as it does not beseem those who profess the doctrines of ,plato to offer a defence of ,epicurus and his impious opinions1 so neither is it for us to defend the diagram1 or to refute the accusations brought against it by ,celsus4 ,we may therefore allow his charges on these points to pass as superfluous and useless1#aagj for we would censure more severely than ,celsus any who should be carried away by such opinions4 ,footnote #aafg3 4 ,footnote #aafh3 4 ,footnote #aafi3 ,cf4 ,zech4 v4 #g4 ,footnote #aagj3 4 ,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,after the matter of the ,diagram1 he brings forward certain monstrous statements1 in the form of question and answer1#aaga regarding what is called by ecclesiastical writers the 8seal10 statements which did not arise from imperfect information2 such as that 8he who impresses the seal is called father1 and he who is sealed is called young man and son20 and who answers1 8,i have been anointed with white ointment from the tree of life10--things which we never heard to have occurred even among the heretics4 ,in the next place1 he determines even the number mentioned by those who deliver over the seal1 as that 8of seven angels1 who attach themselves to both sides of the soul of the dying body2 the one party being named angels of light1 the others #8archontics2'0#aagb and he asserts that the 8ruler of those named #8archontics' is termed the #8accursed' ,god40 ,then1 laying hold of the expression1 he assails1 not without reason1 those who venture to use such language2 and on that account we entertain a similar feeling of indignation with those who censure such individuals1 if indeed there exist any who call the ,god of the ,jews--who sends rain and thunder1 and who is the ,creator of this world1 and the ,god of ,moses1 and of the cosmogony which he records--an 8accursed0 divinity4 ,celsus1 however1 appears to have had in view1 in employing these expressions1 not a rational#aagc object1 but one of a most irrational kind1 arising out of his hatred towards us1 which is so unlike a philosopher4 ,for his aim was1 that those who are unacquainted with our customs should1 on perusing his treatise1 at once assail us as if we called the noble ,creator of this world an 8accursed divinity40 ,he appears to me1 indeed1 to have acted like those ,jews who1 when ,christianity began to be first preached1 scattered abroad false reports of the gospel1 such as that 8,christians offered up an infant in sacrifice1 and partook of its flesh20 and again1 8that the professors of ,christianity1 wishing to do the #8works of darkness1' used to extinguish the lights in their meetings1 and each one to have sexual intercourse with any woman whom he chanced to meet40 ,these calumnies have long exercised1 although unreasonably1 an influence over the minds of very many1 leading those who are aliens to the gospel to believe that ,christians are men of such a character2 and even at the present day they mislead some1 and prevent them from entering even into the simple intercourse of conversation with those who are ,christians4 ,footnote #aaga3 4 ,footnote #aagb3 4 ,footnote #aagc3 444 4 ,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,with some such object as this in view does ,celsus seem to have been actuated1 when he alleged that ,christians term the ,creator an 8accursed divinity20 in order that he who believes these charges of his against us1 should1 if possible1 arise and exterminate the ,christians as the most impious of mankind4 ,confusing1 moreover1 things that are distinct1#aagd he states also the reason why the ,god of the ,mosaic cosmogony is termed 8accursed10 asserting that 8such is his character1 and worthy of execration in the opinion of those who so regard him1 inasmuch as he pronounced a curse upon the serpent1 who introduced the first human beings to the knowledge of good and evil40 ,now he ought to have known that those who have espoused the cause of the serpent1 because he gave good advice to the first human beings1 and who go far beyond the ,titans and ,giants of fable1 and are on this account called ,ophites1 are so far from being ,christians1 that they bring accusations against ,jesus to as great a degree as ,celsus himself2 and they do not admit any one into their assembly#aage until he has uttered maledictions against ,jesus4 ,see1 then1 how irrational is the procedure of ,celsus1 who1 in his discourse against the ,christians1 represents as such those who will not even listen to the name of ,jesus1 or admit even that ,he was a wise man1 or a person of virtuous#aagf character6 ,what1 then1 could evince greater folly or madness1 not only on the part of those who wish to derive their name from the serpent as the author of good1#aagg but also on the part of ,celsus1 who thinks that the accusations with which the ,ophites#aagh are charged1 are chargeable also against the ,christians6 ,long ago1 indeed1 that ,greek philosopher who preferred a state of poverty1#aagi and who exhibited the pattern of a happy life1 showing that he was not excluded from happiness although he was possessed of nothing1#aahj termed himself a ,cynic2 while these impious wretches1 as not being human beings1 whose enemy the serpent is1 but as being serpents1 pride themselves upon being called ,ophites from the serpent1 which is an animal most hostile to and greatly dreaded by man1 and boast of one ,euphrates#aaha as the introducer of these unhallowed opinions4 ,footnote #aagd3 4 ,footnote #aage3 4 ,footnote #aagf3 4 ,footnote #aagg3 4 ,footnote #aagh3 2 cf4 ,irenus1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ajd-aab 7,ante-,nicene ,library74 ,footnote #aagi3 4 ,footnote #aahj3 4 ,footnote #aaha3 8,euphraten hujus hresis auctorem solus ,origenes tradit40--,,spencer2 cf4 note in ,spencer's ed4 ,chapter ,,xxix4 ,in the next place1 as if it were the ,christians whom he was calumniating1 he continues his accusations against those who termed the ,god of ,moses and of his law an 8accursed0 divinity2 and imagining that it is the ,christians who so speak1 he expresses himself thus3 8,what could be more foolish or insane than such senseless#aahb wisdom8 ,for what blunder has the ,jewish lawgiver committed8 and why do you accept1 by means1 as you say1#aahc of a certain allegorical and typical method of interpretation1 the cosmogony which he gives1 and the law of the ,jews1 while it is with unwillingness1 ,o most impious man1 that you give praise to the ,creator of the world1 who promised to give them all things2 who promised to multiply their race to the ends of the earth1 and to raise them up from the dead with the same flesh and blood1 and who gave inspiration#aahd to their prophets2 and1 again1 you slander ,him6 ,when you feel the force of such considerations1 indeed1 you acknowledge that you worship the same ,god2 but when your teacher ,jesus and the ,jewish ,moses give contradictory decisions1#aahe you seek another ,god1 instead of ,him1 and the ,father60 ,now1 by such statements1 this illustrious philosopher ,celsus distinctly slanders the ,christians1 asserting that1 when the ,jews press them hard1 they acknowledge the same ,god as they do2 but that when ,jesus legislates differently from ,moses1 they seek another god instead of ,him4 ,now1 whether we are conversing with the ,jews1 or are alone with ourselves1 we know of only one and the same ,god1 whom the ,jews also worshipped of old time1 and still profess to worship as ,god1 and we are guilty of no impiety towards ,him4 ,we do not assert1 however1 that ,god will raise men from the dead with the same flesh and blood1 as has been shown in the preceding pages2 for we do not maintain that the natural#aahf body1 which is sown in corruption1 and in dishonour1 and in weakness1 will rise again such as it was sown4 ,on such subjects1 however1 we have spoken at adequate length in the foregoing pages4 ,footnote #aahb3 4 ,footnote #aahc3 ,boherellus proposes for the textual reading 4 ,footnote #aahd3 4 ,footnote #aahe3 1 1 4 ,footnote #aahf3 4 ,chapter ,,xxx4 ,he next returns to the subject of the ,seven ruling ,demons1#aahg whose names are not found among ,christians1 but who1 ,i think1 are accepted by the ,ophites4 ,we found1 indeed1 that in the ,diagram1 which on their account we procured a sight of1 the same order was laid down as that which ,celsus has given4 ,celsus says that 8the goat was shaped like a lion10 not mentioning the name given him by those who are truly the most impious of individuals2 whereas we discovered that ,he who is honoured in ,holy ,scripture as the angel of the ,creator is called by this accursed ,diagram ,michael the ,lion-like4 ,again1 ,celsus says that the 8second in order is a bull20 whereas the ,diagram which we possessed made him to be ,suriel1 the bull-like4 ,further1 ,celsus termed the third 8an amphibious sort of animal1 and one that hissed frightfully20 while the ,diagram described the third as ,raphael1 the serpent-like4 ,moreover1 ,celsus asserted that the 8fourth had the form of an eagle20 the ,diagram representing him as ,gabriel1 the eagle-like4 ,again1 the 8fifth10 according to ,celsus1 8had the countenance of a bear20 and this1 according to the ,diagram1 was ,thauthabaoth1#aahh the bear-like4 ,celsus continues his account1 that the 8sixth was described as having the face of a dog20 and him the ,diagram called ,erataoth4 ,the 8seventh10 he adds1 8had the countenance of an ass1 and was named ,thaphabaoth or ,onoel20 whereas we discovered that in the ,diagram he is called ,onoel1 or ,thartharaoth1 being somewhat asinine in appearance4 ,we have thought it proper to be exact in stating these matters1 that we might not appear to be ignorant of those things which ,celsus professed to know1 but that we ,christians1 knowing them better than he1 may demonstrate that these are not the words of ,christians1 but of those who are altogether alienated from salvation1 and who neither acknowledge ,jesus as ,saviour1 nor ,god1 nor teacher1 nor ,son of ,god4 ,footnote #aahg3 ,cf4 ,spencer's note1 as quoted in ,benedictine ed4 ,footnote #aahh3 8,nescio1 an hresium ,scriptores hujus ,thauthabaoth1 ,erataoth1 ,thaphabaoth1 ,onoeles1 et ,thartharaoth1 usquam meminerint4 ,hujus generis vocabula innumera invenies apud ,epiphan4 ,hr4 #ca1 qu est ,valentinianorum1 pp4 #afe-aga40--,,spencer4 ,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,moreover1 if any one would wish to become acquainted with the artifices of those sorcerers1 through which they desire to lead men away by their teaching 7as if they possessed the knowledge of certain secret rites71 but are not at all successful in so doing1 let him listen to the instruction which they receive after passing through what is termed the 8fence of wickedness10#aahi--;gates which are subjected to the world of ruling spirits4#aaij ,the following1 then1 is the manner in which they proceed3 8,i salute the one-formed#aaia king1 the bond of blindness1 complete#aaib oblivion1 the first power1 preserved by the spirit of providence and by wisdom1 from whom ,i am sent forth pure1 being already part of the light of the son and of the father3 grace be with me2 yea1 ,o father1 let it be with me40 ,they say also that the beginnings of the ,ogdoad#aaic are derived from this4 ,in the next place1 they are taught to say as follows1 while passing through what they call ,ialdabaoth3 8,thou1 ,o first and seventh1 who art born to command with confidence1 thou1 ,o ,ialdabaoth1 who art the rational ruler of a pure mind1 and a perfect work to son and father1 bearing the symbol of life in the character of a type1 and opening to the world the gate which thou didst close against thy kingdom1 ,i pass again in freedom through thy realm4 ,let grace be with me2 yea1 ,o father1 let it be with me40 ,they say1 moreover1 that the star ,phnon#aaid is in sympathy#aaie with the lion-like ruler4 ,they next imagine that he who has passed through ,ialdabaoth and arrived at ,iao ought thus to speak3 8,thou1 ,o second ,iao1 who shinest by night1#aaif who art the ruler of the secret mysteries of son and father1 first prince of death1 and portion of the innocent1 bearing now mine own beard as symbol1 ,i am ready to pass through thy realm1 having strengthened him who is born of thee by the living word4 ,grace be with me2 father1 let it be with me40 ,they next come to ,sabaoth1 to whom they think the following should be addressed3 8,o governor of the fifth realm1 powerful ,sabaoth1 defender of the law of thy creatures1 who are liberated by thy grace through the help of a more powerful ,pentad1#aaig admit me1 seeing the faultless symbol of their art1 preserved by the stamp of an image1 a body liberated by a ,pentad4 ,let grace be with me1 ,o father1 let grace be with me40 ,and after ,sabaoth they come to ,astaphus1 to whom they believe the following prayer should be offered3 8,o ,astaphus1 ruler of the third gate1 overseer of the first principle of water1 look upon me as one of thine initiated1#aaih admit me who am purified with the spirit of a virgin1 thou who seest the essence of the world4 ,let grace be with me1 ,o father1 let grace be with me40 ,after him comes ,alous1 who is to be thus addressed3 8,o ,alous1 governor of the second gate1 let me pass1 seeing ,i bring to thee the symbol of thy mother1 a grace which is hidden by the powers of the realms4#aaii ,let grace be with me1 ,o father1 let it be with me40 ,and last of all they name ,horus1 and think that the following prayer ought to be offered to him3 8,thou who didst fearlessly overleap the rampart of fire1 ,o ,horus1 who didst obtain the government of the first gate1 let me pass1 seeing thou beholdest the symbol of thine own power1 sculptured#abjj on the figure of the tree of life1 and formed after this image1 in the likeness of innocence4 ,let grace be with me1 ,o father1 let grace be with me40 ,footnote #aahi3 4 ,footnote #aaij3 4 ,footnote #aaia3 4 ,footnote #aaib3 4 ,footnote #aaic3 4 ,cf4 ,tertullian1 de prscript4 adv4 ,hreticos1 c4 #cc 7,ante-,nicene ,library2 ,writings of ,tertullian1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ci71 and other references in ,benedictine ed4 ,footnote #aaid3 4 8,ea1 qu ,saturni stella dicitur1 a ,grcis dicitur40--,,cicero1 de ,nat4 ,deorum1 book ii4 ,footnote #aaie3 4 ,footnote #aaif3 4 ,footnote #aaig3 4 ,footnote #aaih3 4 ,footnote #aaii3 4 ,footnote #abjj3 ,for ,boherellus conjectures 1 which has been adopted in the translation4 ,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,the supposed great learning of ,celsus1 which is composed1 however1 rather of curious trifles and silly talk than anything else1 has made us touch upon these topics1 from a wish to show to every one who peruses his treatise and our reply1 that we have no lack of information on those subjects1 from which he takes occasion to calumniate the ,christians1 who neither are acquainted with1 nor concern themselves about1 such matters4 ,for we1 too1 desired both to learn and set forth these things1 in order that sorcerers might not1 under pretext of knowing more than we1 delude those who are easily carried away by the glitter#abja of names4 ,and ,i could have given many more illustrations to show that we are acquainted with the opinions of these deluders1#abjb and that we disown them1 as being alien to ours1 and impious1 and not in harmony with the doctrines of true ,christians1 of which we are ready to make confession even to the death4 ,it must be noticed1 too1 that those who have drawn up this array of fictions1 have1 from neither understanding magic1 nor discriminating the meaning of ,holy ,scripture1 thrown everything into confusion2 seeing that they have borrowed from magic the names of ,ialdabaoth1 and ,astaphus1 and ,horus1 and from the ,hebrew ,scriptures him who is termed in ,hebrew ,iao or ,jah1 and ,sabaoth1 and ,adonus1 and ,elous4 ,now the names taken from the ,scriptures are names of one and the same ,god2 which1 not being understood by the enemies of ,god1 as even themselves acknowledge1 led to their imagining that ,iao was a different ,god1 and ,sabaoth another1 and ,adonus1 whom the ,scriptures term ,adonai1 a third besides1 and that ,elous1 whom the prophets name in ,hebrew ,eloi1 was also different4 ,footnote #abja3 4 ,footnote #abjb3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,celsus next relates other fables1 to the effect that 8certain persons return to the shapes of the archontics1#abjc so that some are called lions1 others bulls1 others dragons1 or eagles1 or bears1 or dogs40 ,we found also in the ,diagram which we possessed1 and which ,celsus called the 8square pattern10 the statements#abjd made by these unhappy beings concerning the gates of ,paradise4 ,the flaming sword was depicted as the diameter of a flaming circle1 and as if mounting guard over the tree of knowledge and of life4 ,celsus1 however1 either would not or could not repeat the harangues which1 according to the fables of these impious individuals1 are represented as spoken at each of the gates by those who pass through them2 but this we have done in order to show to ,celsus and those who read his treatise1 that we know the depth of these unhallowed mysteries1#abje and that they are far removed from the worship which ,christians offer up to ,god4 ,footnote #abjc3 4 ,footnote #abjd3 ,guietus thinks that some word has been omitted here1 as 1 which seems very probable4 ,footnote #abje3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,after finishing the foregoing1 and those analogous matters which we ourselves have added1 ,celsus continues as follows3 8,they continue to heap together one thing after another1--discourses of prophets1 and circles upon circles1 and effluents#abjf from an earthly church1 and from circumcision2 and a power flowing from one ,prunicos1 a virgin and a living soul2 and a heaven slain in order to live1 and an earth slaughtered by the sword1 and many put to death that they may live1 and death ceasing in the world1 when the sin of the world is dead2 and1 again1 a narrow way1 and gates that open spontaneously4 ,and in all their writings is mention made of the tree of life1 and a resurrection of the flesh by means#abjg of the #8tree1' because1 ,i imagine1 their teacher was nailed to a cross1 and was a carpenter by trade2 so that if he had chanced to have been cast from a precipice1 or thrust into a pit1 or suffocated by hanging1 or had been a leather-cutter1 or stone-cutter1 or worker in iron1 there would have been invented a precipice of life beyond the heavens1 or a pit of resurrection1 or a cord of immortality1 or a blessed stone1 or an iron of love1 or a sacred leather6 ,now what old woman would not be ashamed to utter such things in a whisper1 even when making stories to lull an infant to sleep80 ,in using such language as this1 ,celsus appears to me to confuse together matters which he has imperfectly heard4 ,for it seems likely that1 even supposing that he had heard a few words traceable to some existing heresy1 he did not clearly understand the meaning intended to be conveyed2 but heaping the words together1 he wished to show before those who knew nothing either of our opinions or of those of the heretics1 that he was acquainted with all the doctrines of the ,christians4 ,and this is evident also from the foregoing words4 ,footnote #abjf3 4 ,footnote #abjg3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,it is our practice1 indeed1 to make use of the words of the prophets1 who demonstrate that ,jesus is the ,christ predicted by them1 and who show from the prophetic writings that the events in the ,gospels regarding ,jesus have been fulfilled4 ,but when ,celsus speaks of 8circles upon circles10 he perhaps borrowed the expression from the aforementioned heresy1 which includes in one circle 7which they call the soul of all things1 and ,leviathan7 the seven circles of archontic demons1 or perhaps it arises from misunderstanding the preacher1 when he says3 8,the wind goeth in a circle of circles1 and returneth again upon its circles40#abjh ,the expression1 too1 8effluents of an earthly church and of circumcision10 was probably taken from the fact that the church on earth was called by some an effluent from a heavenly church and a better world2 and that the circumcision described in the law was a symbol of the circumcision performed there1 in a certain place set apart for purification4 ,the adherents of ,valentinus1 moreover1 in keeping with their system of error1#abji give the name of ,prunicos to a certain kind of wisdom1 of which they would have the woman afflicted with the twelve years' issue of blood to be the symbol2 so that ,celsus1 who confuses together all sorts of opinions--,greek1 ,barbarian1 and ,heretical--having heard of her1 asserted that it was a power flowing forth from one ,prunicos1 a virgin4 ,the 8living soul10 again1 is perhaps mysteriously referred by some of the followers of ,valentinus to the being whom they term the psychic#abaj creator of the world2 or perhaps1 in contradistinction to a 8dead0 soul1 the 8living0 soul is termed by some1 not inelegantly1#abaa the soul of 8him who is saved40 ,i know nothing1 however1 of a 8heaven which is said to be slain10 or of an 8earth slaughtered by the sword10 or of many persons slain in order that they might live2 for it is not unlikely that these were coined by ,celsus out of his own brain4 ,footnote #abjh3 ,eccles4 i4 #f 7literally rendered74 ,footnote #abji3 4 ,footnote #abaj3 4 ,footnote #abaa3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,we would say1 moreover1 that death ceases in the world when the sin of the world dies1 referring the saying to the mystical words of the apostle1 which run as follows3 8,when ,he shall have put all enemies under ,his feet1 then the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death40#abab ,and also3 8,when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption1 then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written1 ,death is swallowed up in victory40#abac ,the 8strait descent10#abad again1 may perhaps be referred by those who hold the doctrine of transmigration of souls to that view of things4 ,and it is not incredible that the gates which are said to open spontaneously are referred obscurely by some to the words1 8,open to me the gates of righteousness1 that ,i may go into them1 and praise the ,lord2 this gate of the ,lord1 into it the righteous shall enter20#abae and again1 to what is said in the ninth psalm1 8,thou that liftest me up from the gates of death1 that ,i may show forth all ,thy praise in the gates of the daughter of ,zion40#abaf ,the ,scripture further gives the name of 8gates of death0 to those sins which lead to destruction1 as it terms1 on the contrary1 good actions the 8gates of ,zion40 ,so also 8the gates of righteousness10 which is an equivalent expression to 8the gates of virtue10 and these are ready to be opened to him who follows after virtuous pursuits4 ,the subject of the 8tree of life0 will be more appropriately explained when we interpret the statements in the book of ,genesis regarding the paradise planted by ,god4 ,celsus1 moreover1 has often mocked at the subject of a resurrection1--a doctrine which he did not comprehend2 and on the present occasion1 not satisfied with what he has formerly said1 he adds1 8,and there is said to be a resurrection of the flesh by means of the tree20 not understanding1 ,i think1 the symbolical expression1 that 8through the tree came death1 and through the tree comes life10#abag because death was in ,adam1 and life in ,christ4 ,he next scoffs at the 8tree10 assailing it on two grounds1 and saying1 8,for this reason is the tree introduced1 either because our teacher was nailed to a cross1 or because he was a carpenter by trade20 not observing that the tree of life is mentioned in the ,mosaic writings1 and being blind also to this1 that in none of the ,gospels current in the churches is ,jesus ,himself ever described as being a carpenter4#abah ,footnote #abab3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #be1 #bf4 ,footnote #abac3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ed2 cf4 ,hos4 xiii4 #ad4 ,footnote #abad3 4 ,footnote #abae3 ,cf4 ,ps4 cxviii4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #abaf3 ,cf4 ,ps4 ix4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #abag3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #bb4 ,footnote #abah3 ,cf41 however1 ,mark vi4 #c4 ,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,celsus1 moreover1 thinks that we have invented this 8tree of life0 to give an allegorical meaning to the cross2 and in consequence of his error upon this point1 he adds3 8,if he had happened to be cast down a precipice1 or shoved into a pit1 or suffocated by hanging1 there would have been invented a precipice of life far beyond the heavens1 or a pit of resurrection1 or a cord of immortality40 ,and again3 8,if the #8tree of life' were an invention1 because he 7,jesus7 is reported to have been a carpenter1 it would follow that if he had been a leather-cutter1 something would have been said about holy leather2 or had he been a stone-cutter1 about a blessed stone2 or if a worker in iron1 about an iron of love40 ,now1 who does not see at once#abai the paltry nature of his charge1 in thus calumniating men whom he professed to convert on the ground of their being deceived8 ,and after these remarks1 he goes on to speak in a way quite in harmony with the tone of those who have invented the fictions of lion-like1 and ass-headed1 and serpent-like ruling angels1#abbj and other similar absurdities1 but which does not affect those who belong to the church4 ,of a truth1 even a drunken old woman would be ashamed to chaunt or whisper to an infant1 in order to lull him to sleep1 any such fables as those have done who invented the beings with asses' heads1 and the harangues1 so to speak1 which are delivered at each of the gates4 ,but ,celsus is not acquainted with the doctrines of the members of the church1 which very few have been able to comprehend1 even of those who have devoted all their lives1 in conformity with the command of ,jesus1 to the searching of the ,scriptures1 and have laboured to investigate the meaning of the sacred books1 to a greater degree than ,greek philosophers in their efforts to attain a so-called wisdom4 ,footnote #abai3 4 ,footnote #abbj3 4 ,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,our noble friend1 moreover1 not satisfied with the objections which he has drawn from the ,diagram1 desires1 in order to strengthen his accusations against us1 who have nothing in common with it1 to introduce certain other charges1 which he adduces from the same heretics1 but yet as if they were from a different source4 ,his words are3 8,and that is not the least of their marvels1 for there are between the upper circles--those that are above the heavens--certain inscriptions of which they give the interpretation1 and among others two words especially1 #8a greater and a less1' which they refer to ,father and ,son40#abba ,now1 in the ,diagram referred to1 we found the greater and the lesser circle1 upon the diameter of which was inscribed 8,father and ,son20 and between the greater circle 7in which the lesser was contained7 and another#abbb composed of two circles1--the outer one of which was yellow1 and the inner blue1--a barrier inscribed in the shape of a hatchet4 ,and above it1 a short circle1 close to the greater of the two former1 having the inscription 8,love20 and lower down1 one touching the same circle1 with the word 8,life40 ,and on the second circle1 which was intertwined with and included two other circles1 another figure1 like a rhomboid1 entitled 8,the foresight of wisdom40 ,and within their point of common section was 8,the nature of wisdom40 ,and above their point of common section was a circle1 on which was inscribed 8,knowledge20 and lower down another1 on which was the inscription1 8,understanding40 ,we have introduced these matters into our reply to ,celsus1 to show to our readers that we know better than he1 and not by mere report1 those things1 even although we also disapprove of them4 ,moreover1 if those who pride themselves upon such matters profess also a kind of magic and sorcery1--which1 in their opinion1 is the summit of wisdom1--we1 on the other hand1 make no affirmation about it1 seeing we never have discovered anything of the kind4 ,let ,celsus1 however1 who has been already often convicted of false witness and irrational accusations1 see whether he is not guilty of falsehood in these also1 or whether he has not extracted and introduced into his treatise1 statements taken from the writings of those who are foreigners and strangers to our ,christian faith4 ,footnote #abba3 1 1 4 ,footnote #abbb3 ,for 1 the textual reading1 ,gelenius1 with the approval of ,boherellus1 proposes 1 which has been followed in the translation4 ,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,in the next place1 speaking of those who employ the arts of magic and sorcery1 and who invoke the barbarous names of demons1 he remarks that such persons act like those who1 in reference to the same things1#abbc perform marvels before those who are ignorant that the names of demons among the ,greeks are different from what they are among the ,scythians4 ,he then quotes a passage from ,herodotus1 stating that 8,apollo is called ,gongosyrus by the ,scythians2 ,poseidon1 ,thagimasada2 ,aphrodite1 ,argimpasan2 ,hestia1 ,tabiti40#abbd ,now1 he who has the capacity can inquire whether in these matters ,celsus and ,herodotus are not both wrong2 for the ,scythians do not understand the same thing as the ,greeks1 in what relates to those beings which are deemed to be gods4 ,for how is it credible#abbe that ,apollo should be called ,gongosyrus by the ,scythians8 ,i do not suppose that ,gongosyrus1 when transferred into the ,greek language1 yields the same etymology as ,apollo2 or that ,apollo1 in the dialect of the ,scythians1 has the signification of ,gongosyrus4 ,nor has any such assertion hitherto been made regarding the other names1#abbf for the ,greeks took occasion from different circumstances and etymologies to give to those who are by them deemed gods the names which they bear2 and the ,scythians1 again1 from another set of circumstances2 and the same also was the case with the ,persians1 or ,indians1 or ,ethiopians1 or ,libyans1 or with those who delight to bestow names from fancy1 and who do not abide by the just and pure idea of the ,creator of all things4 ,enough1 however1 has been said by us in the preceding pages1 where we wished to demonstrate that ,sabaoth and ,zeus were not the same deity1 and where also we made some remarks1 derived from the ,holy ,scriptures1 regarding the different dialects4 ,we willingly1 then1 pass by these points1 on which ,celsus would make us repeat ourselves4 ,in the next place1 again1 mixing up together matters which belong to magic and sorcery1 and referring them perhaps to no one1--because of the non-existence of any who practise magic under pretence of a worship of this character1--and yet1 perhaps1 having in view some who do employ such practices in the presence of the simple 7that they may have the appearance of acting by divine power71 he adds3 8,what need to number up all those who have taught methods of purification1 or expiatory hymns1 or spells for averting evil1 or the making of images1 or resemblances of demons1 or the various sorts of antidotes against poison to be found#abbg in clothes1 or in numbers1 or stones1 or plants1 or roots1 or generally in all kinds of things80 ,in respect to these matters1 reason does not require us to offer any defence1 since we are not liable in the slightest degree to suspicions of such a nature4 ,footnote #abbc3 4 ,footnote #abbd3 ,cf4 ,herodot4 iv4 #i4 ,footnote #abbe3 4 ,footnote #abbf3 ,for the textual reading1 1 ,boherellus conjectures 1 which has been adopted in the translation4 ,footnote #abbg3 ,for 1 ,lommatzsch adopts the conjecture of ,boherellus1 approved by ,ruus1 4 ,chapter ,,xl4 ,after these things1 ,celsus appears to me to act like those who1 in their intense hatred of the ,christians1 maintain1 in the presence of those who are utterly ignorant of the ,christian faith1 that they have actually ascertained that ,christians devour the flesh of infants1 and give themselves without restraint to sexual intercourse with their women4 ,now1 as these statements have been condemned as falsehoods invented against the ,christians1 and this admission made by the multitude and those altogether aliens to our faith2 so would the following statements of ,celsus be found to be calumnies invented against the ,christians1 where he says that 8he has seen in the hands of certain presbyters belonging to our faith#abbh barbarous books1 containing the names and marvellous doings of demons20 asserting further1 that 8these presbyters of our faith professed to do no good1 but all that was calculated to injure human beings40 ,would1 indeed1 that all that is said by ,celsus against the ,christians was of such a nature as to be refuted by the multitude1 who have ascertained by experience that such things are untrue1 seeing that most of them have lived as neighbours with the ,christians1 and have not even heard of the existence of any such alleged practices6 ,footnote #abbh3 4 ,chapter ,,xli4 ,in the next place1 as if he had forgotten that it was his object to write against the ,christians1 he says that1 8having become acquainted with one ,dionysius1 an ,egyptian musician1 the latter told him1 with respect to magic arts1 that it was only over the uneducated and men of corrupt morals that they had any power1 while on philosophers they were unable to produce any effect1 because they were careful to observe a healthy manner of life40 ,if1 now1 it had been our purpose to treat of magic1 we could have added a few remarks in addition to what we have already said on this topic2 but since it is only the more important matters which we have to notice in answer to ,celsus1 we shall say of magic1 that any one who chooses to inquire whether philosophers were ever led captive by it or not1 can read what has been written by ,moiragenes regarding the memoirs of the magician and philosopher ,apollonius of ,tyana1 in which this individual1 who is not a ,christian1 but a philosopher1 asserts that some philosophers of no mean note were won over by the magic power possessed by ,apollonius1 and resorted to him as a sorcerer2 and among these1 ,i think1 he especially mentioned ,euphrates and a certain ,epicurean4 ,now we1 on the other hand1 affirm1 and have learned by experience1 that they who worship the ,god of all things in conformity with the ,christianity which comes by ,jesus1 and who live according to ,his gospel1 using night and day1 continuously and becomingly1 the prescribed prayers1 are not carried away either by magic or demons4 ,for verily 8the angel of the ,lord encamps round about them that fear ,him1 and delivereth them0#abbi from all evil2 and the angels of the little ones in the church1 who are appointed to watch over them1 are said always to behold the face of their ,father who is in heaven1#abcj whatever be the meaning of 8face0 or of 8behold40 ,footnote #abbi3 ,cf4 ,ps4 xxxiv4 #g4 ,footnote #abcj3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xviii4 #aj4 ,chapter ,,xlii4 ,after these matters1 ,celsus brings the following charges against us from another quarter3 8,certain most impious errors10 he says1 8are committed by them1 due to their extreme ignorance1 in which they have wandered away from the meaning of the divine enigmas1 creating an adversary to ,god1 the devil1 and naming him in the ,hebrew tongue1 ,satan4 ,now1 of a truth1 such statements are altogether of mortal invention1#abca and not even proper to be repeated1 viz4 that the mighty ,god1 in ,his desire to confer good upon men1 has yet one counterworking ,him1 and is helpless4 ,the ,son of ,god1 it follows1 is vanquished by the devil2 and being punished by him1 teaches us also to despise the punishments which he inflicts1 telling us beforehand that ,satan1 after appearing to men as ,he ,himself had done1 will exhibit great and marvellous works1 claiming for himself the glory of ,god1 but that those who wish to keep him at a distance ought to pay no attention to these works of ,satan1 but to place their faith in ,him alone4 ,such statements are manifestly the words of a deluder1 planning and manuvring against those who are opposed to his views1 and who rank themselves against them40 ,in the next place1 desiring to point out the 8enigmas10 our mistakes regarding which lead to the introduction of our views concerning ,satan1 he continues3 8,the ancients allude obscurely to a certain war among the gods1 ,heraclitus speaking thus of it3 #8,if one must say that there is a general war and discord1 and that all things are done and administered in strife4' ,pherecydes1 again1 who is much older than ,heraclitus1 relates a myth of one army drawn up in hostile array against another1 and names ,kronos as the leader of the one1 and ,ophioneus of the other1 and recounts their challenges and struggles1 and mentions that agreements were entered into between them1 to the end that whichever party should fall into the ,ocean#abcb should be held as vanquished1 while those who had expelled and conquered them should have possession of heaven4 ,the mysteries relating to the ,titans and ,giants also had some such symbolical meaning1 as well as the ,egyptian mysteries of ,typhon1 and ,horus1 and ,osiris40 ,after having made such statements1 and not having got over the difficulty#abcc as to the way in which these accounts contain a higher view of things1 while our accounts are erroneous copies of them1 he continues his abuse of us1 remarking that 8these are not like the stories which are related of a devil1 or demon1 or1 as he remarks with more truth1 of a man who is an impostor1 who wishes to establish an opposite doctrine40 ,and in the same way he understands ,homer1 as if he referred obscurely to matters similar to those mentioned by ,heraclitus1 and ,pherecydes1 and the originators of the mysteries about the ,titans and ,giants1 in those words which ,hephstus addresses to ,hera1 as follows3 8,once in your cause ,i felt his matchless might1 ,hurled headlong downward from the ethereal height40#abcd ,and in those of ,zeus to ,hera3 8,hast thou forgot1 when bound and fix'd on high ,from the vast concave of the spangled sky1 ,i hung thee trembling on a golden chain1 ,and all the raging gods opposed in vain8 ,headlong ,i hurled them from the ,olympian hall1 ,stunn'd in the whirl1 and breathless with the fall40#abce ,interpreting1 moreover1 the words of ,homer1 he adds3 8,the words of ,zeus addressed to ,hera are the words of ,god addressed to matter2 and the words addressed to matter obscurely signify that the matter which at the beginning was in a state of discord with ,god1 was taken by ,him1 and bound together and arranged under laws1 which may be analogically compared to chains2#abcf and that by way of chastising the demons who create disorder in it1 he hurls them down headlong to this lower world40 ,these words of ,homer1 he alleges1 were so understood by ,pherecydes1 when he said that beneath that region is the region of ,tartarus1 which is guarded by the ,harpies and ,tempest1 daughters of ,boreas1 and to which ,zeus banishes any one of the gods who becomes disorderly4 ,with the same ideas also are closely connected the peplos of ,athena1 which is beheld by all in the procession of the ,panathena4 ,for it is manifest from this1 he continues1 that a motherless and unsullied demon#abcg has the mastery over the daring of the ,giants4 ,while accepting1 moreover1 the fictions of the ,greeks1 he continues to heap against us such accusations as the following1 viz41 that 8the ,son of ,god is punished by the devil1 and teaches us that we also1 when punished by him1 ought to endure it4 ,now these statements are altogether ridiculous4 ,for it is the devil1 ,i think1 who ought rather to be punished1 and those human beings who are calumniated by him ought not to be threatened with chastisement40 ,footnote #abca3 4 ,instead of this reading1 ,guietus conjectures 1 which is approved of by ,ruus4 ,footnote #abcb3 1 i4e4 in ,oceanum1 ,hesych42 1 1 ,suid4 ,footnote #abcc3 4 ,footnote #abcd3 ,cf4 ,iliad1 book i4 v4 #eij1 ,pope's translation4 ,footnote #abce3 ,cf4 ,iliad1 book xv4 vv4 #ah-bd1 ,pope's translation4 ,footnote #abcf3 4 ,footnote #abcg3 4 ,chapter ,,xliii4 ,mark now1 whether he who charges us with having committed errors of the most impious kind1 and with having wandered away from the true meaning of the divine enigmas1 is not himself clearly in error1 from not observing that in the writings of ,moses1 which are much older not merely than ,heraclitus and ,pherecydes1 but even than ,homer1 mention is made of this wicked one1 and of his having fallen from heaven4 ,for the serpent#abch--;from whom the ,ophioneus spoken of by ,pherecydes is derived--having become the cause of man's expulsion from the divine ,paradise1 obscurely shadows forth something similar1 having deceived the woman#abci by a promise of divinity and of greater blessings2 and her example is said to have been followed also by the man4 ,and1 further1 who else could the destroying angel mentioned in the ,exodus of ,moses#abdj be1 than he who was the author of destruction to them that obeyed him1 and did not withstand his wicked deeds1 nor struggle against them8 ,moreover1 the goat1 which in the book of ,leviticus#abda is sent away into the wilderness1 and which in the ,hebrew language is named ,azazel1 was none other than this2 and it was necessary to send it away into the desert1 and to treat it as an expiatory sacrifice1 because on it the lot fell4 ,for all who belong to the 8worse0 part1 on account of their wickedness1 being opposed to those who are ,god's heritage1 are deserted by ,god4 ,nay1 with respect to the sons of ,belial in the book of ,judges1#abdb whose sons are they said to be1 save his1 on account of their wickedness8 ,and besides all these instances1 in the book of ,job1 which is older even than ,moses himself1 the devil is distinctly described as presenting himself before ,god1#abdc and asking for power against ,job1 that he might involve him in trials#abdd of the most painful kind2 the first of which consisted in the loss of all his goods and of his children1 and the second in afflicting the whole body of ,job with the so-called disease of elephantiasis4#abde ,i pass by what might be quoted from the ,gospels regarding the devil who tempted the ,saviour1 that ,i may not appear to quote in reply to ,celsus from more recent writings on this question4 ,in the last chapter#abdf also of ,job1 in which the ,lord utters to ,job amid tempest and clouds what is recorded in the book which bears his name1 there are not a few things referring to the serpent4 ,i have not yet mentioned the passages in ,ezekiel1#abdg where he speaks1 as it were1 of ,pharaoh1 or ,nebuchadnezzar1 or the prince of ,tyre2 or those in ,isaiah1#abdh where lament is made for the king of ,babylon1 from which not a little might be learned concerning evil1 as to the nature of its origin and generation1 and as to how it derived its existence from some who had lost their wings1#abdi and who had followed him who was the first to lose his own4 ,footnote #abch3 ,cf4 ,gen4 iii4 ,footnote #abci3 4 ,footnote #abdj3 ,cf4 ,ex4 xii4 #bc4 ,footnote #abda3 ,cf4 ,lev4 xvi4 #h4 ,footnote #abdb3 1 4 ,footnote #abdc3 ,cf4 ,job i41 ii4 ,footnote #abdd3 4 ,footnote #abde3 4 ,footnote #abdf3 ,cf4 ,job xl4 #bj4 ,footnote #abdg3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 xxxii4 #a-bh4 ,footnote #abdh3 ,isa4 xiv4 #d sqq4 ,footnote #abdi3 4 ,cf4 ,book iv4 c4 #dj4 ,chapter ,,xliv4 ,for it is impossible that the good which is the result of accident1 or of communication1 should be like that good which comes by nature2 and yet the former will never be lost by him who1 so to speak1 partakes of the 8living0 bread with a view to his own preservation4 ,but if it should fail any one1 it must be through his own fault1 in being slothful to partake of this 8living bread0 and 8genuine drink10 by means of which the wings1 nourished and watered1 are fitted for their purpose1 even according to the saying of ,solomon1 the wisest of men1 concerning the truly rich man1 that 8he made to himself wings like an eagle1 and returns to the house of his patron40#abej ,for it became ,god1 who knows how to turn to proper account even those who in their wickedness have apostatized from ,him1 to place wickedness of this sort in some part of the universe1 and to appoint a training-school of virtue1 wherein those must exercise themselves who would desire to recover in a 8lawful manner0#abea the possession which they had lost2 in order that being tested1 like gold in the fire1 by the wickedness of these1 and having exerted themselves to the utmost to prevent anything base injuring their rational nature1 they may appear deserving of an ascent to divine things1 and may be elevated by the ,word to the blessedness which is above all things1 and so to speak1 to the very summit of goodness4 ,now he who in the ,hebrew language is named ,satan1 and by some ,satanas--as being more in conformity with the genius of the ,greek language--signifies1 when translated into ,greek1 8adversary40 ,but every one who prefers vice and a vicious life1 is 7because acting in a manner contrary to virtue7 ,satanas1 that is1 an 8adversary0 to the ,son of ,god1 who is righteousness1 and truth1 and wisdom4#abeb ,with more propriety1 however1 is he called 8adversary10 who was the first among those that were living a peaceful and happy life to lose his wings1 and to fall from blessedness2 he who1 according to ,ezekiel1 walked faultlessly in all his ways1 8until iniquity was found in him10#abec and who being the 8seal of resemblance0 and the 8crown of beauty0 in the paradise of ,god1 being filled as it were with good things1 fell into destruction1 in accordance with the word which said to him in a mystic sense3 8,thou hast fallen into destruction1 and shalt not abide for ever40#abed ,we have ventured somewhat rashly to make these few remarks1 although in so doing we have added nothing of importance to this treatise4 ,if any one1 however1 who has leisure for the examination of the sacred writings1 should collect together from all sources and form into one body of doctrine what is recorded concerning the origin of evil1 and the manner of its dissolution1 he would see that the views of ,moses and the prophets regarding ,satan had not been even dreamed of either by ,celsus or any one of those whose soul had been dragged down1 and torn away from ,god1 and from right views of ,him1 and from ,his word1 by this wicked demon4 ,footnote #abej3 ,cf4 ,prov4 xxiii4 #e4 ,footnote #abea3 ,cf4 #a ,tim4 ii4 #e4 ,footnote #abeb3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 i4 #cj4 ,footnote #abec3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 xxviii4 #ae4 ,footnote #abed3 ,cf4 ,ezek4 xxviii4 #ai4 ,chapter ,,xlv4 ,but since ,celsus rejects the statements concerning ,antichrist1 as it is termed1 having neither read what is said of him in the book of ,daniel#abee nor in the writings of ,paul1#abef nor what the ,saviour in the ,gospels#abeg has predicted about his coming1 we must make a few remarks upon this subject also2 because1 8as faces do not resemble faces10#abeh so also neither do men's 8hearts0 resemble one another4 ,it is certain1 then1 that there will be diversities amongst the hearts of men1--those which are inclined to virtue not being all modelled and shaped towards it in the same or like degree2 while others1 through neglect of virtue1 rush to the opposite extreme4 ,and amongst the latter are some in whom evil is deeply engrained1 and others in whom it is less deeply rooted4 ,where is the absurdity1 then1 in holding that there exist among men1 so to speak1 two extremes1#abei--the one of virtue1 and the other of its opposite2 so that the perfection of virtue dwells in the man who realizes the ideal given in ,jesus1 from whom there flowed to the human race so great a conversion1 and healing1 and amelioration1 while the opposite extreme is in the man who embodies the notion of him that is named ,antichrist8 ,for ,god1 comprehending all things by means of ,his foreknowledge1 and foreseeing what consequences would result from both of these1 wished to make these known to mankind by ,his prophets1 that those who understand their words might be familiarized with the good1 and be on their guard against its opposite4 ,it was proper1 moreover1 that the one of these extremes1 and the best of the two1 should be styled the ,son of ,god1 on account of ,his pre-eminence2 and the other1 who is diametrically opposite1 be termed the son of the wicked demon1 and of ,satan1 and of the devil4 ,and1 in the next place1 since evil is specially characterized by its diffusion1 and attains its greatest height when it simulates the appearance of the good1 for that reason are signs1 and marvels1 and lying miracles found to accompany evil1 through the co-operation of its father the devil4 ,for1 far surpassing the help which these demons give to jugglers 7who deceive men for the basest of purposes71 is the aid which the devil himself affords in order to deceive the human race4 ,paul1 indeed1 speaks of him who is called ,antichrist1 describing1 though with a certain reserve1#abfj both the manner1 and time1 and cause of his coming to the human race4 ,and notice whether his language on this subject is not most becoming1 and undeserving of being treated with even the slightest degree of ridicule4 ,footnote #abee3 ,cf4 ,dan4 viii4 #bc4 ,footnote #abef3 ,cf4 #b ,thess4 ii4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #abeg3 ,cf4 ,matt4 xxiv4 #d4 ,footnote #abeh3 ,cf4 ,prov4 xxvii4 #ai4 ,footnote #abei3 4 ,footnote #abfj3 4 ,cf4 #b ,thess4 ii4 #i4 ,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,it is thus that the apostle expresses himself3 8,we beseech you1 brethren1 by the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and by our gathering together unto ,him1 that ye be not soon shaken in mind1 or be troubled1 neither by word1 nor by spirit1 nor by letter as from us1 as that the day of the ,lord is at hand4 ,let no man deceive you by any means3 for that day shall not come1 except there come a falling away first1 and that man of sin be revealed1 the son of perdition2 who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called ,god1 or that is worshipped2 so that he sitteth in the temple of ,god1 showing himself that he is ,god4 ,remember ye not1 that1 when ,i was yet with you1 ,i told you these things8 ,and now ye know what withholdeth1 that he might be revealed in his time4 ,for the mystery of iniquity doth already work3 only ,he who now letteth will let1 until he be taken out of the way4 ,and then shall that ,wicked be revealed1 whom the ,lord shall consume with the spirit of ,his mouth1 and shall destroy with the brightness of ,his coming3 even him1 whose coming is after the working of ,satan1 with all power1 and signs1 and lying wonders1 and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish2 because they received not the love of the truth1 that they might be saved4 ,and for this cause ,god shall send them strong delusion1 that they should believe a lie2 that they all might be damned who believed not the truth1 but had pleasure in unrighteousness40#abfa ,to explain each particular here referred to does not belong to our present purpose4 ,the prophecy also regarding ,antichrist is stated in the book of ,daniel1 and is fitted to make an intelligent and candid reader admire the words as truly divine and prophetic2 for in them are mentioned the things relating to the coming kingdom1 beginning with the times of ,daniel1 and continuing to the destruction of the world4 ,and any one who chooses may read it4 ,observe1 however1 whether the prophecy regarding ,antichrist be not as follows3 8,and at the latter time of their kingdom1 when their sins are coming to the full1 there shall arise a king1 bold in countenance1 and understanding riddles4 ,and his power shall be great1 and he shall destroy wonderfully1 and prosper1 and practise2 and shall destroy mighty men1 and the holy people4 ,and the yoke of his chain shall prosper3 there is craft in his hand1 and he shall magnify himself in his heart1 and by craft shall destroy many2 and he shall stand up for the destruction of many1 and shall crush them as eggs in his hand40#abfb ,what is stated by ,paul in the words quoted from him1 where he says1 8so that he sitteth in the temple of ,god1 showing himself that he is ,god10#abfc is in ,daniel referred to in the following fashion3 8,and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations1 and at the end of the time an end shall be put to the desolation40#abfd ,so many1 out of a greater number of passages1 have ,i thought it right to adduce1 that the hearer may understand in some slight degree the meaning of ,holy ,scripture1 when it gives us information concerning the devil and ,antichrist2 and being satisfied with what we have quoted for this purpose1 let us look at another of the charges of ,celsus1 and reply to it as we best may4 ,footnote #abfa3 #b ,thess4 ii4 #a-ab4 ,footnote #abfb3 ,cf4 ,dan4 viii4 #bc-be 7,,lxx474 ,footnote #abfc3 ,cf4 #b ,thess4 ii4 #d4 ,footnote #abfd3 ,cf4 ,dan4 ix4 #bg4 ,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,celsus1 after what has been said1 goes on as follows3 8,i can tell how the very thing occurred1 viz4 that they should call him #8,son of ,god4' ,men of ancient times termed this world1 as being born of ,god1 both his child and his son4#abfe ,both the one and other #8,son of ,god1' then1 greatly resembled each other40 ,he is therefore of opinion that we employed the expression 8,son of ,god10 having perverted#abff what is said of the world1 as being born of ,god1 and being ,his 8,son10 and 8a ,god40 ,for he was unable so to consider the times of ,moses and the prophets1 as to see that the ,jewish prophets predicted generally that there was a 8,son of ,god0 long before the ,greeks and those men of ancient time of whom ,celsus speaks4 ,nay1 he would not even quote the passage in the letters of ,plato1 to which we referred in the preceding pages1 concerning ,him who so beautifully arranged this world1 as being the ,son of ,god2 lest he too should be compelled by ,plato1 whom he often mentions with respect1 to admit that the architect of this world is the ,son of ,god1 and that ,his ,father is the first ,god and ,sovereign ,ruler over all things4 ,nor is it at all wonderful if we maintain that the soul of ,jesus is made one with so great a ,son of ,god through the highest union with ,him1 being no longer in a state of separation from ,him4 ,for the sacred language of ,holy ,scripture knows of other things also1 which1 although 8dual0 in their own nature1 are considered to be1 and really are1 8one0 in respect to one another4 ,it is said of husband and wife1 8,they are no longer twain1 but one flesh20#abfg and of the perfect man1 and of him who is joined to the true ,lord1 ,word1 and ,wisdom1 and ,truth1 that 8he who is joined to the ,lord is one spirit40#abfh ,and if he who 8is joined to the ,lord is one spirit10 who has been joined to the ,lord1 the ,very ,word1 and ,wisdom1 and ,truth1 and ,righteousness1 in a more intimate union1 or even in a manner at all approaching to it than the soul of ,jesus8 ,and if this be so1 then the soul of ,jesus and ,god the ,word--the first-born of every creature--are no longer two1 but one4 ,footnote #abfe3 4 ,footnote #abff3 4 ,footnote #abfg3 ,cf4 ,gen4 ii4 #bd4 ,footnote #abfh3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ag4 ,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,in the next place1 when the philosophers of the ,porch1 who assert that the virtue of ,god and man is the same1 maintain that the ,god who is over all things is not happier than their wise man1 but that the happiness of both is equal1 ,celsus neither ridicules nor scoffs at their opinion4 ,if1 however1 ,holy ,scripture says that the perfect man is joined to and made one with the ,very ,word by means of virtue1 so that we infer that the soul of ,jesus is not separated from the first-born of all creation1 he laughs at ,jesus being called 8,son of ,god10 not observing what is said of ,him with a secret and mystical signification in the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,but that we may win over to the reception of our views those who are willing to accept the inferences which flow from our doctrines1 and to be benefited thereby1 we say that the ,holy ,scriptures declare the body of ,christ1 animated by the ,son of ,god1 to be the whole church of ,god1 and the members of this body--considered as a whole--to consist of those who are believers2 since1 as a soul vivifies and moves the body1 which of itself has not the natural power of motion like a living being1 so the ,word1 arousing and moving the whole body1 the church1 to befitting action1 awakens1 moreover1 each individual member belonging to the church1 so that they do nothing apart from the ,word4 ,since all this1 then1 follows by a train of reasoning not to be depreciated1 where is the difficulty in maintaining that1 as the soul of ,jesus is joined in a perfect and inconceivable manner with the very ,word1 so the person of ,jesus1 generally speaking1#abfi is not separated from the only-begotten and first-born of all creation1 and is not a different being from ,him8 ,but enough here on this subject4 ,footnote #abfi3 4 ,chapter ,,xlix4 ,let us notice now what follows1 where1 expressing in a single word his opinion regarding the ,mosaic cosmogony1 without offering1 however1 a single argument in its support1 he finds fault with it1 saying3 8,moreover1 their cosmogony is extremely silly40#abgj ,now1 if he had produced some credible proofs of its silly character1 we should have endeavoured to answer them2 but it does not appear to me reasonable that ,i should be called upon to demonstrate1 in answer to his mere assertion1 that it is not 8silly40 ,if any one1 however1 wishes to see the reasons which led us to accept the ,mosaic account1 and the arguments by which it may be defended1 he may read what we have written upon ,genesis1 from the beginning of the book up to the passage1 8,and this is the book of the generation of men10#abga where we have tried to show from the ,holy ,scriptures themselves what the 8heaven0 was which was created in the beginning2 and what the 8earth10 and the 8invisible part of the earth10 and that which was 8without form20#abgb and what the 8deep0 was1 and the 8darkness0 that was upon it2 and what the 8water0 was1 and the 8,spirit of ,god0 which was 8borne over it20 and what the 8light0 which was created1 and what the 8firmament10 as distinct from the 8heaven0 which was created in the beginning2 and so on with the other subjects that follow4 ,celsus has also expressed his opinion that the narrative of the creation of man is 8exceedingly silly10 without stating any proofs1 or endeavouring to answer our arguments2 for he had no evidence1 in my judgment1 which was fitted to overthrow the statement that 8man has been made in the image of ,god40#abgc ,he does not even understand the meaning of the 8,paradise0 that was planted by ,god1 and of the life which man first led in it2 and of that which resulted from accident1#abgd when man was cast forth on account of his sin1 and was settled opposite the ,paradise of delight4 ,now1 as he asserts that these are silly statements1 let him turn his attention not merely to each one of them in general1 but to this in particular1 8,he placed the cherubim1 and the flaming sword1 which turned every way1 to keep the way of the tree of life10#abge and say whether ,moses wrote these words with no serious object in view1 but in the spirit of the writers of the old ,comedy1 who have sportively related that 8,prtus slew ,bellerophon10 and that 8,pegasus came from ,arcadia40 ,now their object was to create laughter in composing such stories2 whereas it is incredible that he who left behind him laws#abgf for a whole nation1 regarding which he wished to persuade his subjects that they were given by ,god1 should have written words so little to the purpose1#abgg and have said without any meaning1 8,he placed the cherubim1 and the flaming sword1 which turned every way1 to keep the way of the tree of life10 or made any other statement regarding the creation of man1 which is the subject of philosophic investigation by the ,hebrew sages4 ,footnote #abgj3 4 ,footnote #abga3 ,cf4 ,gen4 v4 #a4 ,footnote #abgb3 4 ,footnote #abgc3 ,cf4 ,gen4 i4 #bf4 ,footnote #abgd3 4 ,footnote #abge3 ,gen4 iii4 #bd4 ,footnote #abgf3 4 ,footnote #abgg3 4 ,chapter ,l4 ,in the next place1 ,celsus1 after heaping together1 simply as mere assertions1 the varying opinions of some of the ancients regarding the world1 and the origin of man1 alleges that 8,moses and the prophets1 who have left to us our books1 not knowing at all what the nature of the world is1 and of man1 have woven together a web of sheer nonsense40#abgh ,if he had shown1 now1 how it appeared to him that the ,holy ,scriptures contained 8sheer nonsense10 we should have tried to demolish the arguments which appeared to him to establish their nonsensical character2 but on the present occasion1 following his own example1 we also sportively give it as our opinion that ,celsus1 knowing nothing at all about the nature of the meaning and language of the prophets1#abgi composed a work which contained 8sheer nonsense10 and boastfully gave it the title of a 8true discourse40 ,and since he makes the statements about the 8days of creation0 ground of accusation1--as if he understood them clearly and correctly1 some of which elapsed before the creation of light and heaven1 and sun1 and moon1 and stars1 and some of them after the creation of these1--we shall only make this observation1 that ,moses must then have forgotten that he had said a little before1 8that in six days the creation of the world had been finished10 and that in consequence of this act of forgetfulness he subjoins to these words the following3 8,this is the book of the creation of man1 in the day when ,god made the heaven and the earth60 ,but it is not in the least credible1 that after what he had said respecting the six days1 ,moses should immediately add1 without a special meaning1 the words1 8in the day that ,god made the heavens and the earth20 and if any one thinks that these words may be referred to the statement1 8,in the beginning1 ,god made the heaven and the earth10 let him observe that before the words1 8,let there be light1 and there was light10 and these1 8,god called the light day10 it has been stated that 8in the beginning ,god made the heaven and the earth40 ,footnote #abgh3 4 ,footnote #abgi3 1 4 ,chapter ,,li4 ,on the present occasion1 however1 it is not our object to enter into an explanation of the subject of intelligent and sensible beings1#abhj nor of the manner in which the different kinds#abha of days were allotted to both sorts1 nor to investigate the details which belong to the subject1 for we should need whole treatises for the exposition of the ,mosaic cosmogony2 and that work we had already performed1 to the best of our ability1 a considerable time before the commencement of this answer to ,celsus1 when we discussed with such measure of capacity as we then possessed the question of the ,mosaic cosmogony of the six days4 ,we must keep in mind1 however1 that the ,word promises to the righteous through the mouth of ,isaiah1 that days will come#abhb when not the sun1 but the ,lord ,himself1 will be to them an everlasting light1 and ,god will be their glory4#abhc ,and it is from misunderstanding1 ,i think1 some pestilent heresy which gave an erroneous interpretation to the words1 8,let there be light10 as if they were the expression of a wish#abhd merely on the part of the ,creator1 that ,celsus made the remark3 8,the ,creator did not borrow light from above1 like those persons who kindle their lamps at those of their neighbours40 ,misunderstanding1 moreover1 another impious heresy1 he has said3 8,if1 indeed1 there did exist an accursed god opposed to the great ,god1 who did this contrary to his approval1 why did he lend him the light80 ,so far are we from offering a defence of such puerilities1 that we desire1 on the contrary1 distinctly to arraign the statements of these heretics as erroneous1 and to undertake to refute1 not those of their opinions with which we are unacquainted1 as ,celsus does1 but those of which we have attained an accurate knowledge1 derived in part from the statements of their own adherents1 and partly from a careful perusal of their writings4 ,footnote #abhj3 4 ,footnote #abha3 4 ,footnote #abhb3 4 ,footnote #abhc3 ,cf4 ,isa4 lx4 #ai4 ,footnote #abhd3 4 ,chapter ,,lii4 ,celsus proceeds as follows3 8,with regard to the origin of the world and its destruction1 whether it is to be regarded as uncreated and indestructible1 or as created indeed1 but not destructible1 or the reverse1 ,i at present say nothing40 ,for this reason we too say nothing on these points1 as the work in hand does not require it4 ,nor do we allege that the ,spirit of the universal ,god mingled itself in things here below as in things alien to itself1#abhe as might appear from the expression1 8,the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the water20 nor do we assert that certain wicked devices directed against ,his ,spirit1 as if by a different creator from the great ,god1 and which were tolerated by the ,supreme ,divinity1 needed to be completely frustrated4 ,and1 accordingly1 ,i have nothing further to say to those#abhf who utter such absurdities2 nor to ,celsus1 who does not refute them with ability4 ,for he ought either not to have mentioned such matters at all1 or else1 in keeping with that character for philanthropy which he assumes1 have carefully set them forth1 and then endeavoured to rebut these impious assertions4 ,nor have we ever heard that the great ,god1 after giving his spirit to the creator1 demands it back again4 ,proceeding next foolishly to assail these impious assertions1 he asks3 8,what god gives anything with the intention of demanding it back8 ,for it is the mark of a needy person to demand back what he has given1 whereas ,god stands in need of nothing40 ,to this he adds1 as if saying something clever against certain parties3 8,why1 when he lent his spirit1 was he ignorant that he was lending it to an evil being80 ,he asks1 further3 8,why does he pass without notice#abhg a wicked creator who was counter-working his purposes80 ,footnote #abhe3 4 ,footnote #abhf3 4 ,footnote #abhg3 4 ,chapter ,,liii4 ,in the next place1 mixing up together various heresies1 and not observing that some statements are the utterances of one heretical sect1 and others of a different one1 he brings forward the objections which we raised against ,marcion4#abhh ,and1 probably1 having heard them from some paltry and ignorant individuals1#abhi he assails the very arguments which combat them1 but not in a way that shows much intelligence4 ,quoting then our arguments against ,marcion1 and not observing that it is against ,marcion that he is speaking1 he asks3 8,why does he send secretly1 and destroy the works which he has created8 ,why does he secretly employ force1 and persuasion1 and deceit8 ,why does he allure those who1 as ye assert1 have been condemned or accused by him1 and carry them away like a slave-dealer8 ,why does he teach them to steal away from their ,lord8 ,why to flee from their father8 ,why does he claim them for himself against the father's will8 ,why does he profess to be the father of strange children80 ,to these questions he subjoins the following remark1 as if by way of expressing his surprise3#abij 8,venerable1 indeed1 is the god who desires to be the father of those sinners who are condemned by another god1 and of the needy1#abia and1 as themselves say1 of the very offscourings#abib of men1 and who is unable to capture and punish his messenger1 who escaped from him60 ,after this1 as if addressing us who acknowledge that this world is not the work of a different and strange god1 he continues in the following strain3 8,if these are his works1 how is it that ,god created evil8 ,and how is it that he cannot persuade and admonish men8 ,and how is it that he repents on account of the ingratitude and wickedness of men8 ,he finds fault1 moreover1 with his own handwork1#abic and hates1 and threatens1 and destroys his own offspring8 ,whither can he transport them out of this world1 which he himself has made80 ,now it does not appear to me that by these remarks he makes clear what 8evil0 is2 and although there have been among the ,greeks many sects who differ as to the nature of good and evil1 he hastily concludes1 as if it were a consequence of our maintaining that this world also is a work of the universal ,god1 that in our judgment ,god is the author of evil4 ,let it be1 however1 regarding evil as it may--whether created by ,god or not--it nevertheless follows only as a result when you compare the principal design4#abid ,and ,i am greatly surprised if the inference regarding ,god's authorship of evil1 which he thinks follows from our maintaining that this world also is the work of the universal ,god1 does not follow too from his own statements4 ,for one might say to ,celsus3 8,if these are ,his works1 how is it that ,god created evil8 and how is it that ,he cannot persuade and admonish men80 ,it is indeed the greatest error in reasoning to accuse those who are of different opinions of holding unsound doctrines1 when the accuser himself is much more liable to the same charge with regard to his own4 ,footnote #abhh3 ,cf4 ,book v4 c4 #ed4 ,footnote #abhi3 ,the textual reading is1 1 for which ,ruus reads1 1 which emendation has been adopted in the translation4 ,footnote #abij3 4 ,footnote #abia3 4 ,footnote #abib3 4 ,footnote #abic3 4 ,footnote #abid3 4 ,chapter ,,liv4 ,let us see1 then1 briefly what ,holy ,scripture has to say regarding good and evil1 and what answer we are to return to the questions1 8,how is it that ,god created evil80 and1 8,how is ,he incapable of persuading and admonishing men80 ,now1 according to ,holy ,scripture1 properly speaking1 virtues and virtuous actions are good1 as1 properly speaking1 the reverse of these are evil4 ,we shall be satisfied with quoting on the present occasion some verses from the #cdth ,psalm1 to the following effect3 8,they that seek the ,lord shall not want any good thing4 ,come1 ye children1 hearken unto me2 ,i will teach you the fear of the ,lord4 ,what man is he that desireth life1 and loveth many days1 that he may see good8 ,keep thy tongue from evil1 and thy lips from speaking guile4 ,depart from evil1 and do good40#abie ,now1 the injunctions to 8depart from evil1 and to do good10 do not refer either to corporeal evils or corporeal blessings1 as they are termed by some1 nor to external things at all1 but to blessings and evils of a spiritual kind2 since he who departs from such evils1 and performs such virtuous actions1 will1 as one who desires the true life1 come to the enjoyment of it2 and as one loving to see 8good days10 in which the word of righteousness will be the ,sun1 he will see them1 ,god taking him away from this 8present evil world10#abif and from those evil days concerning which ,paul said3 8,redeeming the time1 because the days are evil40#abig ,footnote #abie3 ,cf4 ,ps4 xxxiv4 #aj-ad4 ,footnote #abif3 ,cf4 ,gal4 i4 #d4 ,footnote #abig3 ,cf4 ,eph4 v4 #af4 ,chapter ,,lv4 ,passages1 indeed1 might be found where corporeal and external benefits are improperly#abih called 8good10--those things1 viz41 which contribute to the natural life1 while those which do the reverse are termed 8evil40 ,it is in this sense that ,job says to his wife3 8,if we have received good at the hand of the ,lord1 shall we not also receive evil80#abii ,since1 then1 there is found in the sacred ,scriptures1 in a certain passage1 this statement put into the mouth of ,god1 8,i make peace1 and create evil20#acjj and again another1 where it is said of ,him that 8evil came down from the ,lord to the gate of ,jerusalem1 the noise of chariots and horsemen10#acja--passages which have disturbed many readers of ,scripture1 who are unable to see what ,scripture means by 8good0 and 8evil10--it is probable that ,celsus1 being perplexed thereby1 gave utterance to the question1 8,how is it that ,god created evil80 or1 perhaps1 having heard some one discussing the matters relating to it in an ignorant manner1 he made this statement which we have noticed4 ,we1 on the other hand1 maintain that 8evil10 or 8wickedness10 and the actions which proceed from it1 were not created by ,god4 ,for if ,god created that which is really evil1 how was it possible that the proclamation regarding the last judgment should be confidently announced1#acjb which informs us that the wicked are to be punished for their evil deeds in proportion to the amount of their wickedness1 while those who have lived a virtuous life1 or performed virtuous actions1 will be in the enjoyment of blessedness1 and will receive rewards from ,god8 ,i am well aware that those who would daringly assert that these evils were created by ,god will quote certain expressions of ,scripture in their support1 because we are not able to show one consistent series#acjc of passages2 for although ,scripture generally blames the wicked and approves of the righteous1 it nevertheless contains some statements which1 although comparatively#acjd few in number1 seem to disturb the minds of ignorant readers of ,holy ,scripture4 ,i have not1 however1 deemed it appropriate to my present treatise to quote on the present occasion those discordant statements1 which are many in number1#acje and their explanations1 which would require a long array of proofs4 ,evils1 then1 if those be meant which are properly so called1 were not created by ,god2 but some1 although few in comparison with the order of the whole world1 have resulted from ,his principal works1 as there follow from the chief works of the carpenter such things as spiral shavings and sawdust1#acjf or as architects might appear to be the cause of the rubbish#acjg which lies around their buildings in the form of the filth which drops from the stones and the plaster4 ,footnote #abih3 4 ,footnote #abii3 ,cf4 ,job ii4 #aj4 ,footnote #acjj3 ,cf4 ,isa4 xlv4 #g4 ,footnote #acja3 ,cf4 ,mic4 i4 #ab1 #ac4 ,the rendering of the ,heb4 in the first clause of the thirteenth verse is different from that of the ,,lxx4 ,footnote #acjb3 4 ,footnote #acjc3 4 ,footnote #acjd3 must be taken comparatively1 on account of the that follows afterwards4 ,footnote #acje3 4 ,see note #c4 ,footnote #acjf3 4 ,footnote #acjg3 4 ,chapter ,,lvi4 ,if we speak1 however1 of what are called 8corporeal0 and 8external0 evils1--which are improperly so termed1--then it may be granted that there are occasions when some of these have been called into existence by ,god1 in order that by their means the conversion of certain individuals might be effected4 ,and what absurdity would follow from such a course8 ,for as1 if we should hear those sufferings#acjh improperly termed 8evils0 which are inflicted by fathers1 and instructors1 and pedagogues upon those who are under their care1 or upon patients who are operated upon or cauterized by the surgeons in order to effect a cure1 we were to say that a father was ill-treating his son1 or pedagogues and instructors their pupils1 or physicians their patients1 no blame would be laid upon the operators or chastisers2 so1 in the same way1 if ,god is said to bring upon men such evils for the conversion and cure of those who need this discipline1 there would be no absurdity in the view1 nor would 8evils come down from the ,lord upon the gates of ,jerusalem10#acji--which evils consist of the punishments inflicted upon the ,israelites by their enemies with a view to their conversion2 nor would one visit 8with a rod the transgressions of those who forsake the law of the ,lord1 and their iniquities with stripes20#acaj nor could it be said1 8,thou hast coals of fire to set upon them2 they shall be to thee a help40#acaa ,in the same way also we explain the expressions1 8,i1 who make peace1 and create evil20#acab for ,he calls into existence 8corporeal0 or 8external0 evils1 while purifying and training those who would not be disciplined by the word and sound doctrine4 ,this1 then1 is our answer to the question1 8,how is it that ,god created evil80 ,footnote #acjh3 4 ,footnote #acji3 ,cf4 ,mic4 i4 #ab4 ,footnote #acaj3 ,cf4 ,ps4 lxxxix4 #cb4 ,footnote #acaa3 ,cf4 ,isa4 xlvii4 #ad1 #ae4 ,footnote #acab3 ,cf4 ,isa4 xlv4 #g4 ,chapter ,,lvii4 ,with respect to the question1 8,how is he incapable of persuading and admonishing men80 it has been already stated that1 if such an objection were really a ground of charge1 then the objection of ,celsus might be brought against those who accept the doctrine of providence4 ,any one might answer the charge that ,god is incapable of admonishing men2 for ,he conveys ,his admonitions throughout the whole of ,scripture1 and by means of those persons who1 through ,god's gracious appointment1 are the instructors of ,his hearers4 ,unless1 indeed1 some peculiar meaning be understood to attach to the word 8admonish10 as if it signified both to penetrate into the mind of the person admonished1 and to make him hear the words of his#acac instructor1 which is contrary to the usual meaning of the word4 ,to the objection1 8,how is he incapable of persuading80--which also might be brought against all who believe in providence1--we have to make the following remarks4 ,since the expression 8to be persuaded0 belongs to those words which are termed1 so to speak1 8reciprocal0#acad 7compare the phrase 8to shave a man10 when he makes an effort to submit himself to the barber#acae71 there is for this reason needed not merely the effort of him who persuades1 but also the submission1 so to speak1 which is to be yielded to the persuader1 or the acceptance of what is said by him4 ,and therefore it must not be said that it is because ,god is incapable of persuading men that they are not persuaded1 but because they will not accept the faithful words of ,god4 ,and if one were to apply this expression to men who are the 8artificers of persuasion10#acaf he would not be wrong2 for it is possible for a man who has thoroughly learned the principles of rhetoric1 and who employs them properly1 to do his utmost to persuade1 and yet appear to fail1 because he cannot overcome the will of him who ought to yield to his persuasive arts4 ,moreover1 that persuasion does not come from ,god1 although persuasive words may be uttered by him1 is distinctly taught by ,paul1 when he says3 8,this persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you40#acag ,such also is the view indicated by these words3 8,if ye be willing and obedient1 ye shall eat the good of the land2 but if ye refuse and rebel1 a sword shall devour you40#acah ,for that one may really desire what is addressed to him by one who admonishes1 and may become deserving of those promises of ,god which he hears1 it is necessary to secure the will of the hearer1 and his inclination to what is addressed to him4 ,and therefore it appears to me1 that in the book of ,deuteronomy the following words are uttered with peculiar emphasis3 8,and now1 ,o ,israel1 what doth the ,lord thy ,god require of thee1 but to fear the ,lord thy ,god1 and to walk in all ,his ways1 and to love ,him1 and to keep ,his commandments80#acai ,footnote #acac3 4 ,footnote #acad3 4 ,footnote #acae3 1 4 ,footnote #acaf3 4 ,footnote #acag3 ,cf4 ,gal4 v4 #h4 ,footnote #acah3 ,cf4 ,isa4 i4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #acai3 ,cf4 ,deut4 x4 #ab1 #ac4 ,chapter ,,lviii4 ,there is next to be answered the following query3 8,and how is it that he repents when men become ungrateful and wicked2 and finds fault with his own handwork1 and hates1 and threatens1 and destroys his own offspring80 ,now ,celsus here calumniates and falsifies what is written in the book of ,genesis to the following effect3 8,and the ,lord ,god1 seeing that the wickedness of men upon the earth was increasing1 and that every one in his heart carefully meditated to do evil continually1 was grieved#acbj ,he had made man upon the earth4 ,and ,god meditated in ,his heart1 and said1 ,i will destroy man1 whom ,i have made1 from the face of the earth1 both man and beast1 and creeping thing1 and fowl of the air1 because ,i am grieved#acba that ,i made them20#acbb quoting words which are not written in ,scripture1 as if they conveyed the meaning of what was actually written4 ,for there is no mention in these words of the repentance of ,god1 nor of ,his blaming and hating ,his own handwork4 ,and if there is the appearance of ,god threatening the catastrophe of the deluge1 and thus destroying ,his own children in it1 we have to answer that1 as the soul of man is immortal1 the supposed threatening has for its object the conversion of the hearers1 while the destruction of men by the flood is a purification of the earth1 as certain among the ,greek philosophers of no mean repute have indicated by the expression3 8,when the gods purify the earth40#acbc ,and with respect to the transference to ,god of those anthropopathic phrases1 some remarks have been already made by us in the preceding pages4 ,footnote #acbj3 1 in all probability a corruption for 1 which ,hoeschel places in the text1 and ,spencer in the margin of his ed43 ,heb4 4 ,footnote #acba3 4 ,cf4 remark in note #b4 ,footnote #acbb3 ,cf4 ,gen4 vi4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #acbc3 ,cf4 ,plato in ,timo4 ,chapter ,,lix4 ,celsus1 in the next place1 suspecting1 or perhaps seeing clearly enough1 the answer which might be returned by those who defend the destruction of men by the deluge1 continues3 8,but if he does not destroy his own offspring1 whither does he convey them out of this world#acbd which he himself created80 ,to this we reply1 that ,god by no means removes out of the whole world1 consisting of heaven and earth1 those who suffered death by the deluge1 but removes them from a life in the flesh1 and1 having set them free from their bodies1 liberates them at the same time from an existence upon earth1 which in many parts of ,scripture it is usual to call the 8world40 ,in the ,gospel according to ,john especially1 we may frequently find the regions of earth#acbe termed 8world10 as in the passage1 8,he was the true light1 which lighteneth every man that cometh into the #8world2'0#acbf as also in this1 8,in the world ye shall have tribulation2 but be of good cheer1 ,i have overcome the world40#acbg ,if1 then1 we understand by 8removing out of the world0 a transference from 8regions on earth10 there is nothing absurd in the expression4 ,if1 on the contrary1 the system of things which consists of heaven and earth be termed 8world10 then those who perished in the deluge are by no means removed out of the so-called 8world40 ,and yet1 indeed1 if we have regard to the words1 8,looking not at the things which are seen1 but at the things which are not seen20#acbh and also to these1 8,for the invisible things of ,him from the creation of the world are clearly seen1 being understood by the things that are made10#acbi--we might say that he who dwells amid the 8invisible0 things1 and what are called generally 8things not seen10 is gone out of the world1 the ,word having removed him hence1 and transported him to the heavenly regions1 in order to behold all beautiful things4 ,footnote #acbd3 4 ,footnote #acbe3 4 ,footnote #acbf3 ,cf4 ,john i4 #i4 ,footnote #acbg3 ,cf4 ,john xvi4 #cc4 ,footnote #acbh3 ,cf4 #b ,cor4 iv4 #ah4 ,footnote #acbi3 ,cf4 ,rom4 i4 #bj4 ,chapter ,,lx4 ,but after this investigation of his assertions1 as if his object were to swell his book by many words1 he repeats1 in different language1 the same charges which we have examined a little ago1 saying3 8,by far the most silly thing is the distribution of the creation of the world over certain days1 before days existed3 for1 as the heaven was not yet created1 nor the foundation of the earth yet laid1#accj nor the sun yet revolving1#acca how could there be days80 ,now1 what difference is there between these words and the following3 8,moreover1 taking and looking at these things from the beginning1 would it not be absurd in the first and greatest ,god to issue the command1 ,let this first thing come into existence1 and this second thing1 and this third2 and after accomplishing so much on the first day1 to do so much more again on the second1 and third1 and fourth1 and fifth1 and sixth80 ,we answered to the best of our ability this objection to ,god's 8commanding this first1 second1 and third thing to be created10 when we quoted the words1 8,he said1 and it was done2 ,he commanded1 and all things stood fast20#accb remarking that the immediate#accc ,creator1 and1 as it were1 very ,maker#accd of the world was the ,word1 the ,son of ,god2 while the ,father of the ,word1 by commanding ,his own ,son--the ,word--to create the world1 is primarily ,creator4 ,and with regard to the creation of the light upon the first day1 and of the firmament upon the second1 and of the gathering together of the waters that are under the heaven into their several reservoirs#acce on the third 7the earth thus causing to sprout forth those fruits which are under the control of nature alone#accf71 and of the great lights and stars upon the fourth1 and of aquatic#accg animals upon the fifth1 and of land animals and man upon the sixth1 we have treated to the best of our ability in our notes upon ,genesis1 as well as in the foregoing pages1 when we found fault with those who1 taking the words in their apparent signification1 said that the time of six days was occupied in the creation of the world1 and quoted the words3 8,these are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created1 in the day that the ,lord ,god made the earth and the heavens40#acch ,footnote #accj3 4 ,footnote #acca3 4 ,footnote #accb3 ,cf4 ,ps4 xxxiii4 #i4 ,footnote #accc3 4 ,footnote #accd3 4 ,footnote #acce3 4 ,footnote #accf3 4 ,footnote #accg3 4 ,footnote #acch3 ,cf4 ,gen4 ii4 #d4 ,chapter ,,lxi4 ,again1 not understanding the meaning of the words1 8,and ,god ended on the sixth day ,his works which ,he had made1 and ceased#acci on the seventh day from all ,his works which ,he had made3 and ,god blessed the seventh day1 and hallowed it1 because on it ,he had ceased#acdj from all ,his works which ,he had begun to make20#acda and imagining the expression1 8,he ceased on the seventh day10 to be the same as this1 8,he rested#acdb on the seventh day10 he makes the remark3 8,after this1 indeed1 he is weary1 like a very bad workman1 who stands in need of rest to refresh himself60 ,for he knows nothing of the day of the ,sabbath and rest of ,god1 which follows the completion of the world's creation1 and which lasts during the duration of the world1 and in which all those will keep festival with ,god who have done all their works in their six days1 and who1 because they have omitted none of their duties1#acdc will ascend to the contemplation of celestial things1 and to the assembly of righteous and blessed beings4 ,in the next place1 as if either the ,scriptures made such a statement1 or as if we ourselves so spoke of ,god as having rested from fatigue1 he continues3 8,it is not in keeping with the fitness of things#acdd that the first ,god should feel fatigue1 or work with ,his hands1#acde or give forth commands40 ,celsus says1 that 8it is not in keeping with the fitness of things that the first ,god should feel fatigue40 ,now we would say that neither does ,god the ,word feel fatigue1 nor any of those beings who belong to a better and diviner order of things1 because the sensation of fatigue is peculiar to those who are in the body4 ,you can examine whether this is true of those who possess a body of any kind1 or of those who have an earthly body1 or one a little better than this4 ,but 8neither is it consistent with the fitness of things that the first ,god should work with ,his own hands40 ,if you understand the words 8work with ,his own hands0 literally1 then neither are they applicable to the second ,god1 nor to any other being partaking of divinity4 ,but suppose that they are spoken in an improper and figurative sense1 so that we may translate the following expressions1 8,and the firmament showeth forth ,his handywork10#acdf and 8the heavens are the work of ,thy hands10#acdg and any other similar phrases1 in a figurative manner1 so far as respects the 8hands0 and 8limbs0 of ,deity1 where is the absurdity in the words1 8,god thus working with ,his own hands80 ,and as there is no absurdity in ,god thus working1 so neither is there in ,his issuing 8commands20 so that what is done at ,his bidding should be beautiful and praiseworthy1 because it was ,god who commanded it to be performed4 ,footnote #acci3 4 ,footnote #acdj3 4 ,footnote #acda3 ,cf4 ,gen4 ii4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #acdb3 4 ,footnote #acdc3 4 ,footnote #acdd3 4 ,footnote #acde3 4 ,footnote #acdf3 ,cf4 ,ps4 xix4 #a4 ,footnote #acdg3 ,cf4 ,ps4 cii4 #be4 ,chapter ,,lxii4 ,celsus1 again1 having perhaps misunderstood the words1 8,for the mouth of the ,lord hath spoken it10#acdh or perhaps because some ignorant individuals had rashly ventured upon the explanation of such things1 and not understanding1 moreover1 on what principles parts called after the names of the bodily members are assigned to the attributes#acdi of ,god1 asserts3 8,he has neither mouth nor voice40 ,truly1 indeed1 ,god can have no voice1 if the voice is a concussion of the air1 or a stroke on the air1 or a species of air1 or any other definition which may be given to the voice by those who are skilled in such matters2 but what is called the 8voice of ,god0 is said to be seen as 8,god's voice0 by the people in the passage1 8,and all the people saw the voice of ,god20#acej the word 8saw0 being taken1 agreeably to the custom of ,scripture1 in a spiritual sense4 ,moreover1 he alleges that 8,god possesses nothing else of which we have any knowledge20 but of what things we have knowledge he gives no indication4 ,if he means 8limbs10 we agree with him1 understanding the things 8of which we have knowledge0 to be those called corporeal1 and pretty generally so termed4 ,but if we are to understand the words 8of which we have knowledge0 in a universal sense1 then there are many things of which we have knowledge1 and which may be attributed to ,god2 for ,he possesses virtue1 and blessedness1 and divinity4 ,if we1 however1 put a higher meaning upon the words1 8of which we have knowledge10 since all that we know is less than ,god1 there is no absurdity in our also admitting that ,god possesses none of those things 8of which we have knowledge40 ,for the attributes which belong to ,god are far superior to all things with which not merely the nature of man is acquainted1 but even that of those who have risen far above it4 ,and if he had read the writings of the prophets1 ,david on the one hand saying1 8,but ,thou art the same10#acea and ,malachi on the other1 8,i am the ,lord1 and change not10#aceb he would have observed that none of us assert that there is any change in ,god1 either in act or thought4 ,for abiding the same1 ,he administers mutable things according to their nature1 and ,his word elects to undertake their administration4 ,footnote #acdh3 ,cf4 ,isa4 i4 #bj4 ,footnote #acdi3 4 ,footnote #acej3 ,cf4 ,ex4 xx4 #ah 7,,lxx474 ,the ,masoretic text is different4 ,footnote #acea3 ,cf4 ,ps4 cii4 #bg4 ,footnote #aceb3 ,cf4 ,mal4 iii4 #f4 ,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,celsus1 not observing the difference between 8after the image of ,god0 and 8,god's image10 next asserts that the 8first-born of every creature0 is the image of ,god1--the very word and truth1 and also the very wisdom1 being the image of ,his goodness1 while man has been created after the image of ,god2 moreover1 that every man whose head is ,christ is the image and glory of ,god2--and further1 not observing to which of the characteristics of humanity the expression 8after the image of ,god0 belongs1 and that it consists in a nature which never had or no longer has 8the old man with his deeds10 being called 8after the image of ,him who created it10 from its not possessing these qualities1--he maintains3 8,neither did ,he make man ,his image2 for ,god is not such an one1 nor like any other species of visible being40 ,is it possible to suppose that the element which is 8after the image of ,god0 should exist in the inferior part--,i mean the body--of a compound being like man1 because ,celsus has explained that to be made after the image of ,god8 ,for if that which is 8after the image of ,god0 be in the body only1 the better part1 the soul1 has been deprived of that which is 8after ,his image10 and this distinction exists in the corruptible body1--an assertion which is made by none of us4 ,but if that which is 8after the image of ,god0 be in both together1 then ,god must necessarily be a compound being1 and consist1 as it were1 of soul and body1 in order that the element which is 8after ,god's image10 the better part1 may be in the soul2 while the inferior part1 and that which 8is according to the body10 may be in the body1--an assertion1 again1 which is made by none of us4 ,it remains1 therefore1 that that which is 8after the image of ,god0 must be understood to be in our 8inner man10 which is also renewed1 and whose nature it is to be 8after the image of ,him who created it10 when a man becomes 8perfect10 as 8our ,father in heaven is perfect10 and hears the command1 8,be ye holy1 for ,i the ,lord your ,god am holy10#acec and learning the precept1 8,be ye followers of ,god10#aced receives into his virtuous soul the traits of ,god's image4 ,the body1 moreover1 of him who possesses such a soul is a temple of ,god2 and in the soul ,god dwells1 because it has been made after ,his image4#acee ,footnote #acec3 ,lev4 xi4 #dd4 ,footnote #aced3 ,cf4 ,eph4 v4 #a 774 ,footnote #acee3 ,the words as they stand in the text are probably corrupt3 we have adopted in the translation the emendation of ,guietus3 1 ' 1 4 ,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,celsus1 again1 brings together a number of statements1 which he gives as admissions on our part1 but which no intelligent ,christian would allow4 ,for not one of us asserts that 8,god partakes of form or colour40 ,nor does ,he even partake of 8motion10 because ,he stands firm1 and ,his nature is permanent1 and ,he invites the righteous man also to do the same1 saying3 8,but as for thee1 stand thou here by me40#acef ,and if certain expressions indicate a kind of motion1 as it were1 on his part1 such as this1 8,they heard the voice of the ,lord ,god walking in the garden in the cool of the day10#aceg we must understand them in this way1 that it is by sinners that ,god is understood as moving1 or as we understand the 8sleep0 of ,god1 which is taken in a figurative sense1 or ,his 8anger10 or any other similar attribute4 ,but 8,god does not partake even of substance40#aceh ,for ,he is partaken of by others rather than that ,himself partakes of them1 and ,he is partaken of by those who have the ,spirit of ,god4 ,our ,saviour1 also1 does not partake of righteousness2 but being ,himself 8righteousness10 ,he is partaken of by the righteous4 ,a discussion about 8substance0 would be protracted and difficult1 and especially if it were a question whether that which is permanent and immaterial be 8substance0 properly so called1 so that it would be found that ,god is beyond 8substance10 communicating of ,his 8substance10 by means of office and power1#acei to those to whom ,he communicates ,himself by ,his ,word1 as ,he does to the ,word ,himself2 or even if ,he is 8substance10 yet ,he is said to be in ,his nature 8invisible10 in these words respecting our ,saviour1 who is said to be 8the image of the invisible ,god10#acfj while from the term 8invisible0 it is indicated that ,he is 8immaterial40 ,it is also a question for investigation1 whether the 8only-begotten0 and 8first-born of every creature0 is to be called 8substance of substances10 and 8idea of ideas10 and the 8principle of all things10 while above all there is ,his ,father and ,god4 ,footnote #acef3 ,deut4 v4 #ca4 ,footnote #aceg3 ,cf4 ,gen4 iii4 #h4 ,footnote #aceh3 4 ,footnote #acei3 4 ,footnote #acfj3 ,cf4 ,col4 i4 #ae4 ,chapter ,,lxv4 ,celsus proceeds to say of ,god that 8of ,him are all things10 abandoning in so speaking1 ,i know not how1 all his principles2#acfa while our ,paul declares1 that 8of ,him1 and through ,him1 and to ,him are all things10#acfb showing that ,he is the beginning of the substance of all things by the words 8of ,him10 and the bond of their subsistence by the expression 8through ,him10 and their final end by the terms 8to ,him40 ,of a truth1 ,god is of nothing4 ,but when ,celsus adds1 that 8,he is not to be reached by word10#acfc ,i make a distinction1 and say that if he means the word that is in us--whether the word conceived in the mind1 or the word that is uttered#acfd--;,i1 too1 admit that ,god is not to be reached by word4 ,if1 however1 we attend to the passage1 8,in the beginning was the ,word1 and the ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was ,god10#acfe we are of opinion that ,god is to be reached by this ,word1 and is comprehended not by ,him only1 but by any one whatever to whom ,he may reveal the ,father2 and thus we shall prove the falsity of the assertion of ,celsus1 when he says1 8,neither is ,god to be reached by word40 ,the statement1 moreover1 that 8,he cannot be expressed by name10 requires to be taken with a distinction4 ,if he means1 indeed1 that there is no word or sign#acff that can represent the attributes of ,god1 the statement is true1 since there are many qualities which cannot be indicated by words4 ,who1 for example1 could describe in words the difference betwixt the quality of sweetness in a palm and that in a fig8 ,and who could distinguish and set forth in words the peculiar qualities of each individual thing8 ,it is no wonder1 then1 if in this way ,god cannot be described by name4 ,but if you take the phrase to mean that it is possible to represent by words something of ,god's attributes1 in order to lead the hearer by the hand1#acfg as it were1 and so enable him to comprehend something of ,god1 so far as attainable by human nature1 then there is no absurdity in saying that 8,he can be described by name40 ,and we make a similar distinction with regard to the expression1 8for ,he has undergone no suffering that can be conveyed by words40 ,it is true that the ,deity is beyond all suffering4 ,and so much on this point4 ,footnote #acfa3 ,for ,boherellus conjectures 1 and translates1 8,propria ipse principia1 qu sunt ,epicuri1 subruens40 ,footnote #acfb3 ,rom4 xi4 #cf4 ,footnote #acfc3 4 ,footnote #acfd3 4 ,footnote #acfe3 ,john i4 #a4 ,footnote #acff3 4 ,footnote #acfg3 4 ,chapter ,,lxvi4 ,let us look also at his next statement1 in which he introduces1 as it were1 a certain person1 who1 after hearing what has been said1 expresses himself in the following manner1 8,how1 then1 shall ,i know ,god8 and how shall ,i learn the way that leads to ,him8 ,and how will you show ,him to me8 ,because now1 indeed1 you throw darkness before my eyes1 and ,i see nothing distinctly40 ,he then answers1 as it were1 the individual who is thus perplexed1 and thinks that he assigns the reason why darkness has been poured upon the eyes of him who uttered the foregoing words1 when he asserts that 8those whom one would lead forth out of darkness into the brightness of light1 being unable to withstand its splendours1 have their power of vision affected#acfh and injured1 and so imagine that they are smitten with blindness40 ,in answer to this1 we would say that all those indeed sit in darkness1 and are rooted in it1 who fix their gaze upon the evil handiwork of painters1 and moulders and sculptors1 and who will not look upwards1 and ascend in thought from all visible and sensible things1 to the ,creator of all things1 who is light2 while1 on the other hand1 every one is in light who has followed the radiance of the ,word1 who has shown in consequence of what ignorance1 and impiety1 and want of knowledge of divine things these objects were worshipped instead of ,god1 and who has conducted the soul of him who desires to be saved towards the uncreated ,god1 who is over all4 ,for 8the people that sat in darkness--the ,gentiles--saw a great light1 and to them who sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up10#acfi--the ,god ,jesus4 ,no ,christian1 then1 would give ,celsus1 or any accuser of the divine ,word1 the answer1 8,how shall ,i know ,god80 for each one of them knows ,god according to his capacity4 ,and no one asks1 8,how shall ,i learn the way which leads to ,him80 because he has heard ,him who says1 8,i am the way1 and the truth1 and the life10#acgj and has tasted1 in the course of the journey1 the happiness which results from it4 ,and not a single ,christian would say to ,celsus1 8,how will you show me ,god80 ,footnote #acfh3 4 ,footnote #acfi3 ,cf4 ,matt4 iv4 #af and ,isa4 ix4 #b4 ,footnote #acgj3 ,john xiv4 #f4 ,chapter ,,lxvii4 ,the remark1 indeed1 was true which ,celsus made1 that any one1 on hearing his words1 would answer1 seeing that his words are words of darkness1 8,you pour darkness before my eyes40 ,celsus verily1 and those like him1 do desire to pour darkness before our eyes3 we1 however1 by means of the light of the ,word1 disperse the darkness of their impious opinions4 ,the ,christian1 indeed1 could retort on ,celsus1 who says nothing that is distinct or true1 8,i see nothing that is distinct among all your statements40 ,it is not1 therefore1 8out of darkness0 into 8the brightness of light0 that ,celsus leads us forth3 he wishes1 on the contrary1 to transport us from light into darkness1 making the darkness light and the light darkness1 and exposing himself to the woe well described by the prophet ,isaiah in the following manner3 8,woe unto them that put darkness for light1 and light for darkness40#acga ,but we1 the eyes of whose soul have been opened by the ,word1 and who see the difference between light and darkness1 prefer by all means to take our stand 8in the light10 and will have nothing to do with darkness at all4 ,the true light1 moreover1 being endued with life1 knows to whom his full splendours are to be manifested1 and to whom his light2 for he does not display his brilliancy on account of the still existing weakness in the eyes of the recipient4 ,and if we must speak at all of 8sight being affected and injured10 what other eyes shall we say are in this condition1 than his who is involved in ignorance of ,god1 and who is prevented by his passions from seeing the truth8 ,christians1 however1 by no means consider that they are blinded by the words of ,celsus1 or any other who is opposed to the worship of ,god4 ,but let those who perceive that they are blinded by following multitudes who are in error1 and tribes of those who keep festivals to demons1 draw near to the ,word1 who can bestow the gift of sight1#acgb in order that1 like those poor and blind who had thrown themselves down by the wayside1 and who were healed by ,jesus because they said to ,him1 8,son of ,david1 have mercy upon me10 they too may receive mercy and recover their eyesight1#acgc fresh and beautiful1 as the ,word of ,god can create it4 ,footnote #acga3 ,cf4 ,isa4 v4 #bj4 ,footnote #acgb3 4 ,footnote #acgc3 4 ,chapter ,,lxviii4 ,accordingly1 if ,celsus were to ask us how we think we know ,god1 and how we shall be saved by ,him1 we would answer that the ,word of ,god1 which entered into those who seek ,him1 or who accept ,him when ,he appears1 is able to make known and to reveal the ,father1 who was not seen by any one before the appearance of the ,word4 ,and who else is able to save and conduct the soul of man to the ,god of all things1 save ,god the ,word1 who1 8being in the beginning with ,god10 became flesh for the sake of those who had cleaved to the flesh1 and had become as flesh1 that ,he might be received by those who could not behold ,him1 inasmuch as ,he was the ,word1 and was with ,god1 and was ,god8 ,and discoursing in human form1#acgd and announcing ,himself as flesh1 ,he calls to ,himself those who are flesh1 that ,he may in the first place cause them to be transformed according to the ,word that was made flesh1 and afterwards may lead them upwards to behold ,him as ,he was before ,he became flesh2 so that they1 receiving the benefit1 and ascending from their great introduction to ,him1 which was according to the flesh1 say1 8,even if we have known ,christ after the flesh1 yet henceforth know we ,him no more40 ,therefore ,he became flesh1 and having become flesh1 8,he tabernacled among us10 not dwelling without us2 and after tabernacling and dwelling within us1 ,he did not continue in the form in which ,he first presented ,himself1 but caused us to ascend to the lofty mountain of ,his word1 and showed us ,his own glorious form1 and the splendour of ,his garments2 and not ,his own form alone1 but that also of the spiritual law1 which is ,moses1 seen in glory along with ,jesus4 ,he showed to us1 moreover1 all prophecy1 which did not perish even after ,his incarnation1 but was received up into heaven1 and whose symbol was ,elijah4 ,and he who beheld these things could say1 8,we beheld ,his glory1 the glory as of the only-begotten of the ,father1 full of grace and truth40#acge ,celsus1 then1 has exhibited considerable ignorance in the imaginary answer to his question which he puts into our mouth1 8,how we think we can know ,god8 and how we know we shall be saved by ,him80 for our answer is what we have just stated4 ,footnote #acgd3 4 ,footnote #acge3 ,cf4 ,john i4 #ad4 ,chapter ,,lxix4 ,celsus1 however1 asserts that the answer which we give is based upon a probable conjecture1#acgf admitting that he describes our answer in the following terms3 8,since ,god is great and difficult to see1#acgg ,he put ,his own ,spirit into a body that resembled ours1 and sent it down to us1 that we might be enabled to hear ,him and become acquainted with ,him40 ,but the ,god and ,father of all things is not the only being that is great in our judgment2 for ,he has imparted a share of ,himself and ,his greatness to ,his only-begotten and first-born of every creature1 in order that ,he1 being the image of the invisible ,god1 might preserve1 even in ,his greatness1 the image of the ,father4 ,for it was not possible that there could exist a well-proportioned1#acgh so to speak1 and beautiful image of the invisible ,god1 which did not at the same time preserve the image of ,his greatness4 ,god1 moreover1 is in our judgment invisible1 because ,he is not a body1 while ,he can be seen by those who see with the heart1 that is1 the understanding2 not indeed with any kind of heart1 but with one which is pure4 ,for it is inconsistent with the fitness of things that a polluted heart should look upon ,god2 for that must be itself pure which would worthily behold that which is pure4 ,let it be granted1 indeed1 that ,god is 8difficult to see10 yet ,he is not the only being who is so2 for ,his ,only-begotten also is 8difficult to see40 ,for ,god the ,word is 8difficult to see10 and so also is ,his#acgi wisdom1 by which ,god created all things4 ,for who is capable of seeing the wisdom which is displayed in each individual part of the whole system of things1 and by which ,god created every individual thing8 ,it was not1 then1 because ,god was 8difficult to see0 that ,he sent ,god ,his ,son to be an object 8easy to be seen40#achj ,and because ,celsus does not understand this1 he has represented us as saying1 8,because ,god was #8difficult to see1' ,he put ,his own ,spirit in a body resembling ours1 and sent it down to us1 that we might be enabled to hear ,him and become acquainted with ,him40 ,now1 as we have stated1 the ,son also is 8difficult to see10 because ,he is ,god the ,word1 through whom all things were made1 and who 8tabernacled amongst us40 ,footnote #acgf3 4 ,footnote #acgg3 4 ,footnote #acgh3 4 ,footnote #acgi3 ,for we have adopted the conjecture of ,guietus1 4 ,footnote #achj3 4 ,chapter ,,lxx4 ,if ,celsus1 indeed1 had understood our teaching regarding the ,spirit of ,god1 and had known that 8as many as are led by the ,spirit of ,god1 these are the sons of ,god10#acha he would not have returned to himself the answer which he represents as coming from us1 that 8,god put ,his own ,spirit into a body1 and sent it down to us20 for ,god is perpetually bestowing of ,his own ,spirit to those who are capable of receiving it1 although it is not by way of division and separation that ,he dwells in the hearts of the deserving4 ,nor is the ,spirit1 in our opinion1 a 8body10 any more than fire is a 8body10 which ,god is said to be in the passage1 8,our ,god is a consuming fire40#achb ,for all these are figurative expressions1 employed to denote the nature of 8intelligent beings0 by means of familiar and corporeal terms4 ,in the same way1 too1 if sins are called 8wood1 and straw1 and stubble10 we shall not maintain that sins are corporeal2 and if blessings are termed 8gold1 and silver1 and precious stones10#achc we shall not maintain that blessings are 8corporeal20 so also1 if ,god be said to be a fire that consumes wood1 and straw1 and stubble1 and all substance#achd of sin1 we shall not understand ,him to be a 8body10 so neither do we understand ,him to be a body if ,he should be called 8fire40 ,in this way1 if ,god be called 8spirit10#ache we do not mean that ,he is a 8body40 ,for it is the custom of ,scripture to give to 8intelligent beings0 the names of 8spirits0 and 8spiritual things10 by way of distinction from those which are the objects of 8sense20 as when ,paul says1 8,but our sufficiency is of ,god1 who hath also made us able ministers of the ,new ,testament2 not of the letter1 but of the spirit2 for the letter killeth1 but the spirit giveth life10#achf where by the 8letter0 he means that 8exposition of ,scripture which is apparent to the senses10#achg while by the 8spirit0 that which is the object of the 8understanding40 ,it is the same1 too1 with the expression1 8,god is a ,spirit40 ,and because the prescriptions of the law were obeyed both by ,samaritans and ,jews in a corporeal and literal#achh manner1 our ,saviour said to the ,samaritan woman1 8,the hour is coming1 when neither in ,jerusalem1 nor in this mountain1 shall ye worship the ,father4 ,god is a ,spirit1 and they that worship ,him must worship ,him in spirit and in truth40#achi ,and by these words ,he taught men that ,god must be worshipped not in the flesh1 and with fleshly sacrifices1 but in the spirit4 ,and ,he will be understood to be a ,spirit in proportion as the worship rendered to ,him is rendered in spirit1 and with understanding4 ,it is not1 however1 with images#acij that we are to worship the ,father1 but 8in truth10 which 8came by ,jesus ,christ10 after the giving of the law by ,moses4 ,for when we turn to the ,lord 7and the ,lord is a ,spirit#acia71 ,he takes away the veil which lies upon the heart when ,moses is read4 ,footnote #acha3 ,rom4 viii4 #ad4 ,footnote #achb3 ,cf4 ,heb4 xii4 #bi4 ,footnote #achc3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 iii4 #ab4 ,footnote #achd3 4 ,footnote #ache3 4 ,there is an allusion to the two meanings of 1 8wind0 and 8spirit40 ,footnote #achf3 #b ,cor4 iii4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #achg3 4 ,footnote #achh3 here evidently must have the above meaning4 ,footnote #achi3 ,cf4 ,john iv4 #ba1 #bd4 ,footnote #acij3 4 ,footnote #acia3 ,cf4 #b ,cor4 iii4 #ag4 ,chapter ,,lxxi4 ,celsus accordingly1 as not understanding the doctrine relating to the ,spirit of ,god 78for the natural man receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god1 for they are foolishness unto him2 neither can he know them1 because they are spiritually discerned0#acib71 weaves together such a web as pleases himself1#acic imagining that we1 in calling ,god a ,spirit1 differ in no respect in this particular from the ,stoics among the ,greeks1 who maintain that 8,god is a ,spirit1 diffused through all things1 and containing all things within ,himself40 ,now the superintendence and providence of ,god does extend through all things1 but not in the way that spirit does1 according to the ,stoics4 ,providence indeed contains all things that are its objects1 and comprehends them all1 but not as a containing body includes its contents1 because they also are 8body10#acid but as a divine power does it comprehend what it contains4 ,according to the philosophers of the ,porch1 indeed1 who assert that principles are 8corporeal10 and who on that account make all things perishable1 and who venture even to make the ,god of all things capable of perishing1 the very ,word of ,god1 who descends even to the lowest of mankind1 would be--did it not appear to them to be too gross an incongruity#acie--nothing else than a 8corporeal0 spirit2 whereas1 in our opinion1--who endeavour to demonstrate that the rational soul is superior to all 8corporeal0 nature1 and that it is an invisible substance1 and incorporeal1--,god the ,word1 by whom all things were made1 who came1 in order that all things might be made by the ,word1 not to men only1 but to what are deemed the very lowest of things1 under the dominion of nature alone1 would be no body4 ,the ,stoics1 then1 may consign all things to destruction by fire2 we1 however1 know of no incorporeal substance that is destructible by fire1 nor do we believe that the soul of man1 or the substance of 8angels10 or of 8thrones10 or 8dominions10 or 8principalities10 or 8powers10 can be dissolved by fire4 ,footnote #acib3 ,cf4 #a ,cor4 ii4 #ad4 ,footnote #acic3 4 ,footnote #acid3 1 4 ,footnote #acie3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxii4 ,it is therefore in vain that ,celsus asserts1 as one who knows not the nature of the ,spirit of ,god1 that 8as the ,son of ,god1 who existed in a human body1 is a ,spirit1 this very ,son of ,god would not be immortal40 ,he next becomes confused in his statements1 as if there were some of us who did not admit that ,god is a ,spirit1 but maintain that only with regard to ,his ,son1 and he thinks that he can answer us by saying that there 8is no kind of spirit which lasts for ever40 ,this is much the same as if1 when we term ,god a 8consuming fire10 he were to say that there 8is no kind of fire which lasts for ever20 not observing the sense in which we say that our ,god is a fire1 and what the things are which ,he consumes1 viz4 sins1 and wickedness4 ,for it becomes a ,god of goodness1 after each individual has shown1 by his efforts1 what kind of combatant he has been1 to consume vice by the fire of ,his chastisements4 ,he proceeds1 in the next place1 to assume what we do not maintain1 that 8,god must necessarily have given up the ghost20 from which also it follows that ,jesus could not have risen again with ,his body4 ,for ,god would not have received back the spirit which ,he had surrendered after it had been stained by contact with the body4 ,it is foolish1 however1 for us to answer statements as ours which were never made by us4 ,chapter ,,lxxiii4 ,he proceeds to repeat himself1 and after saying a great deal which he had said before1 and ridiculing the birth of ,god from a virgin1--to which we have already replied as we best could1--he adds the following3 8,if ,god had wished to send down ,his ,spirit from ,himself1 what need was there to breathe it into the womb of a woman8 ,for as one who knew already how to form men1 ,he could also have fashioned a body for this person1 without casting ,his own ,spirit into so much pollution2#acif and in this way ,he would not have been received with incredulity1 if ,he had derived ,his existence immediately from above40 ,he has made these remarks1 because he knows not the pure and virgin birth1 unaccompanied by any corruption1 of that body which was to minister to the salvation of men4 ,for1 quoting the sayings of the ,stoics1#acig and affecting not to know the doctrine about 8things indifferent10 he thinks that the divine nature was cast amid pollution1 and was stained either by being in the body of a woman1 until a body was formed around it1 or by assuming a body4 ,and in this he acts like those who imagine that the sun's rays are polluted by dung and by foul-smelling bodies1 and do not remain pure amid such things4 ,if1 however1 according to the view of ,celsus1 the body of ,jesus had been fashioned without generation1 those who beheld the body would at once have believed that it had not been formed by generation2 and yet an object1 when seen1 does not at the same time indicate the nature of that from which it has derived its origin4 ,for example1 suppose that there were some honey placed before one which had not been manufactured by bees1 no one could tell from the taste or sight that it was not their workmanship1 because the honey which comes from bees does not make known its origin by the senses1#acih but experience alone can tell that it does not proceed from them4 ,in the same way1 too1 experience teaches that wine comes from the vine1 for taste does not enable us to distinguish the wine which comes from the vine4 ,in the same manner1 therefore1 the visible#acii body does not make known the manner of its existence4 ,and you will be induced to accept this view1#adjj by regarding the heavenly bodies1 whose existence and splendour we perceive as we gaze at them2 and yet1 ,i presume1 their appearance does not suggest to us whether they are created or uncreated2 and accordingly different opinions have existed on these points4 ,and yet those who say that they are created are not agreed as to the manner of their creation1 for their appearance does not suggest it1 although the force of reason#adja may have discovered that they are created1 and how their creation was effected4 ,footnote #acif3 4 ,footnote #acig3 ,cf4 ,book iv4 cc4 #ad and #fh4 ,footnote #acih3 4 ,footnote #acii3 4 ,footnote #adjj3 4 ,footnote #adja3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxiv4 ,after this he returns to the subject of ,marcion's opinions 7having already spoken frequently of them71 and states some of them correctly1 while others he has misunderstood2 these1 however1 it is not necessary for us to answer or refute4 ,again1 after this he brings forward the various arguments that may be urged on ,marcion's behalf1 and also against him1 enumerating what the opinions are which exonerate him from the charges1 and what expose him to them2 and when he desires to support the statement which declares that ,jesus has been the subject of prophecy1--in order to found a charge against ,marcion and his followers1--he distinctly asks1 8,how could he1 who was punished in such a manner1 be shown to be ,god's ,son1 unless these things had been predicted of him80 ,he next proceeds to jest1 and1 as his custom is1 to pour ridicule upon the subject1 introducing 8two sons of ,god1 one the son of the ,creator1#adjb and the other the son of ,marcion's ,god2 and he portrays their single combats1 saying that the ,theomachies of the ,fathers are like the battles between quails2#adjc or that the ,fathers1 becoming useless through age1 and falling into their dotage1#adjd do not meddle at all with one another1 but leave their sons to fight it out40 ,the remark which he made formerly we will turn against himself3 8,what old woman would not be ashamed to lull a child to sleep with such stories as he has inserted in the work which he entitles ,a ,true ,discourse8 ,for when he ought seriously#adje to apply himself to argument1 he leaves serious argument aside1 and betakes himself to jesting and buffoonery1 imagining that he is writing mimes or scoffing verses2 not observing that such a method of procedure defeats his purpose1 which is to make us abandon ,christianity and give in our adherence to his opinions1 which1 perhaps1 had they been stated with some degree of gravity1#adjf would have appeared more likely to convince1 whereas1 since he continues to ridicule1 and scoff1 and play the buffoon1 we answer that it is because he has no argument of weight#adjg 7for such he neither had1 nor could understand7 that he has betaken himself to such drivelling40#adjh ,footnote #adjb3 4 ,footnote #adjc3 4 ,footnote #adjd3 4 ,footnote #adje3 4 ,footnote #adjf3 4 ,footnote #adjg3 4 ,footnote #adjh3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxv4 ,to the preceding remarks he adds the following3 8,since a divine ,spirit inhabited the body of ,jesus1 it must certainly have been different from that of other beings1 in respect of grandeur1 or beauty1 or strength1 or voice1 or impressiveness1#adji or persuasiveness4 ,for it is impossible that ,he1 to whom was imparted some divine quality beyond other beings1 should not differ from others2 whereas this person did not differ in any respect from another1 but was1 as they report1 little1 and ill-favoured1 and ignoble40#adaj ,now it is evident by these words1 that when ,celsus wishes to bring a charge against ,jesus1 he adduces the sacred writings1 as one who believed them to be writings apparently fitted to afford a handle for a charge against ,him2 but wherever1 in the same writings1 statements would appear to be made opposed to those charges which are adduced1 he pretends not even to know them6 ,there are1 indeed1 admitted to be recorded some statements respecting the body of ,jesus having been 8ill-favoured20 not1 however1 8ignoble10 as has been stated1 nor is there any certain evidence that he was 8little40 ,the language of ,isaiah runs as follows1 who prophesied regarding ,him that ,he would come and visit the multitude1 not in comeliness of form1 nor in any surpassing beauty3 8,lord1 who hath believed our report1 and to whom was the arm of the ,lord revealed8 ,he made announcement before ,him1 as a child1 as a root in a thirsty ground4 ,he has no form nor glory1 and we beheld ,him1 and ,he had no form nor beauty2 but ,his form was without honour1 and inferior to that of the sons of men40#adaa ,these passages1 then1 ,celsus listened to1 because he thought they were of use to him in bringing a charge against ,jesus2 but he paid no attention to the words of the #deth ,psalm1 and why it is then said1 8,gird ,thy sword upon ,thy thigh1 ,o most mighty1 with ,thy comeliness and beauty1 and continue1 and prosper1 and reign40#adab ,footnote #adji3 4 ,footnote #adaj3 4 ,footnote #adaa3 ,cf4 ,isa4 liii4 #a-c 7,,lxx474 ,footnote #adab3 ,cf4 ,ps4 xlv4 #c1 #d 7,,lxx474 ,chapter ,,lxxvi4 ,let it be supposed1 however1 that he had not read the prophecy1 or that he had read it1 but had been drawn away by those who misinterpreted it as not being spoken of ,jesus ,christ4 ,what has he to say of the ,gospel1 in the narratives of which ,jesus ascended up into a high mountain1 and was transfigured before the disciples1 and was seen in glory1 when both ,moses and ,elias1 8being seen in glory1 spake of the decease which ,he was about to accomplish at ,jerusalem80 or when the prophet says1 8,we beheld ,him1 and ,he had no form nor beauty10 etc48 and ,celsus accepts this prophecy as referring to ,jesus1 being blinded in so accepting it1 and not seeing that it is a great proof that the ,jesus who appeared to be 8without form0 was the ,son of ,god1 that ,his very appearance should have been made the subject of prophecy many years before ,his birth4 ,but if another prophet speak of ,his comeliness and beauty1 he will no longer accept the prophecy as referring to ,christ6 ,and if it were to be clearly ascertained from the ,gospels that 8,he had no form nor beauty1 but that ,his appearance was without honour1 and inferior to that of the sons of men10 it might be said that it was not with reference to the prophetic writings1 but to the ,gospels1 that ,celsus made his remarks4 ,but now1 as neither the ,gospels nor the apostolic writings indicate that 8,he had no form nor beauty10 it is evident that we must accept the declaration of the prophets as true of ,christ1 and this will prevent the charge against ,jesus from being advanced4#adac ,footnote #adac3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxvii4 ,but again1 how did he who said1 8,since a divine ,spirit inhabited the body of ,jesus1 it must certainly have been different from that of other beings in respect of grandeur1 or voice1 or strength1 or impressiveness1 or persuasiveness10 not observe the changing relation of ,his body according to the capacity of the spectators 7and therefore its corresponding utility71 inasmuch as it appeared to each one of such a nature as it was requisite for him to behold it8 ,moreover1 it is not a subject of wonder that the matter1 which is by nature susceptible of being altered and changed1 and of being transformed into anything which the ,creator chooses1 and is capable of receiving all the qualities which the ,artificer desires1 should at one time possess a quality1 agreeably to which it is said1 8,he had no form nor beauty10 and at another1 one so glorious1 and majestic1 and marvellous1 that the spectators of such surpassing loveliness--three disciples who had ascended the mount with ,jesus--should fall upon their faces4 ,he will say1 however1 that these are inventions1 and in no respect different from myths1 as are also the other marvels related of ,jesus2 which objection we have answered at greater length in what has gone before4 ,but there is also something mystical in this doctrine1 which announces that the varying appearances of ,jesus are to be referred to the nature of the divine ,word1 who does not show ,himself in the same manner to the multitude as ,he does to those who are capable of following ,him to the high mountain which we have mentioned2 for to those who still remain below1 and are not yet prepared to ascend1 the ,word 8has neither form nor beauty10 because to such persons ,his form is 8without honour10 and inferior to the words given forth by men1 which are figuratively termed 8sons of men40 ,for we might say that the words of philosophers--who are 8sons of men0--appear far more beautiful than the ,word of ,god1 who is proclaimed to the multitude1 and who also exhibits what is called the 8foolishness of preaching10 and on account of this apparent 8foolishness of preaching0 those who look at this alone say1 8,we saw ,him1 but ,he had no form nor beauty40 ,to those1 indeed1 who have received power to follow ,him1 in order that they may attend ,him even when ,he ascends to the 8lofty mount10 ,he has a diviner appearance1 which they behold1 if there happens to be among them a ,peter1 who has received within himself the edifice of the church based upon the ,word1 and who has gained such a habit of goodness that none of the gates of ,hades will prevail against him1 having been exalted by the ,word from the gates of death1 that he may 8publish the praises of ,god in the gates of the daughter of ,sion10 and any others who have derived their birth from impressive preaching1#adad and who are not at all inferior to 8sons of thunder40 ,but how can ,celsus and the enemies of the divine ,word1 and those who have not examined the doctrines of ,christianity in the spirit of truth1 know the meaning of the different appearances of ,jesus8 ,and ,i refer also to the different stages of ,his life1 and to any actions performed by ,him before ,his sufferings1 and after ,his resurrection from the dead4 ,footnote #adad3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxviii4 ,celsus next makes certain observations of the following nature3 8,again1 if ,god1 like ,jupiter in the comedy1 should1 on awaking from a lengthened slumber1 desire to rescue the human race from evil1 why did ,he send this ,spirit of which you speak into one corner of the earth8 ,he ought to have breathed it alike into many bodies1 and have sent them out into all the world4 ,now the comic poet1 to cause laughter in the theatre1 wrote that ,jupiter1 after awakening1 despatched ,mercury to the ,athenians and ,lacedmonians2 but do not you think that you have made the ,son of ,god more ridiculous in sending ,him to the ,jews80 ,observe in such language as this the irreverent character of ,celsus1 who1 unlike a philosopher1 takes the writer of a comedy1 whose business is to cause laughter1 and compares our ,god1 the ,creator of all things1 to the being who1 as represented in the play1 on awaking1 despatches ,mercury on an errand6 ,we stated1 indeed1 in what precedes1 that it was not as if awakening from a lengthened slumber that ,god sent ,jesus to the human race1 who has now1 for good reasons1 fulfilled the economy of ,his incarnation1 but who has always conferred benefits upon the human race4 ,for no noble deed has ever been performed amongst men1 where the divine ,word did not visit the souls of those who were capable1 although for a little time1 of admitting such operations of the divine ,word4 ,moreover1 the advent of ,jesus apparently to one corner of the earth was founded on good reasons1 since it was necessary that ,he who was the subject of prophecy should make ,his appearance among those who had become acquainted with the doctrine of one ,god1 and who perused the writings of ,his prophets1 and who had come to know the announcement of ,christ1 and that ,he should come to them at a time when the ,word was about to be diffused from one corner over the whole world4 ,chapter ,,lxxix4 ,and therefore there was no need that there should everywhere exist many bodies1 and many spirits like ,jesus1 in order that the whole world of men might be enlightened by the ,word of ,god4 ,for the one ,word was enough1 having arisen as the 8,sun of righteousness10 to send forth from ,judea ,his coming rays into the soul of all who were willing to receive ,him4 ,but if any one desires to see many bodies filled with a divine ,spirit1 similar to the one ,christ1 ministering to the salvation of men everywhere1 let him take note of those who teach the gospel of ,jesus in all lands in soundness of doctrine and uprightness of life1 and who are themselves termed 8christs0 by the ,holy ,scriptures1 in the passage1 8,touch not mine anointed1#adae and do not my prophets any harm40#adaf ,for as we have heard that ,antichrist cometh1 and yet have learned that there are many antichrists in the world1 in the same way1 knowing that ,christ has come1 we see that1 owing to ,him1 there are many christs in the world1 who1 like ,him1 have loved righteousness and hated iniquity1 and therefore ,god1 the ,god of ,christ1 anointed them also with the 8oil of gladness40 ,but inasmuch as ,he loved righteousness and hated iniquity above those who were ,his partners1#adag ,he also obtained the first-fruits of ,his anointing1 and1 if we must so term it1 the entire unction of the oil of gladness2 while they who were ,his partners shared also in ,his unction1 in proportion to their individual capacity4 ,therefore1 since ,christ is the head of the church1 so that ,christ and the church form one body1 the ointment descended from the head to the beard of ,aaron1--the symbols of the perfect man1--and this ointment in its descent reached to the very skirt of his garment4 ,this is my answer to the irreverent language of ,celsus when he says1 8,he ought to have breathed ,his ,spirit alike into many bodies1 and have sent it forth into all the world40 ,the comic poet1 indeed1 to cause laughter1 has represented ,jupiter asleep and awaking from slumber1 and despatching ,mercury to the ,greeks2 but the ,word1 knowing that the nature of ,god is unaffected by sleep1 may teach us that ,god administers in due season1 and as right reason demands1 the affairs of the world4 ,it is not1 however1 a matter of surprise that1 owing to the greatness and incomprehensibility#adah of the divine judgments1 ignorant persons should make mistakes1 and ,celsus among them4 ,there is therefore nothing ridiculous in the ,son of ,god having been sent to the ,jews1 amongst whom the prophets had appeared1 in order that1 making a commencement among them in a bodily shape1 ,he might arise with might and power upon a world of souls1 which no longer desired to remain deserted by ,god4 ,footnote #adae3 4 ,footnote #adaf3 ,cf4 #a ,chron4 xvi4 #bb and ,ps4 cv4 #ae4 ,footnote #adag3 4 ,footnote #adah3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxx4 ,after this1 it seemed proper to ,celsus to term the ,chaldeans a most divinely-inspired nation from the very earliest times1#adai from whom the delusive system of astrology#adbj has spread abroad among men4 ,nay1 he ranks the ,magi also in the same category1 from whom the art of magic derived its name and has been transmitted to other nations1 to the corruption and destruction of those who employ it4 ,in the preceding part of this work1 we mentioned that1 in the opinion even of ,celsus1 the ,egyptians also were guilty of error1 because they had indeed solemn enclosures around what they considered their temples1 while within them there was nothing save apes1 or crocodiles1 or goats1 or asps1 or some other animal2 but on the present occasion it pleases him to speak of the ,egyptian people too as most divinely inspired1 and that1 too1 from the earliest times1--perhaps because they made war upon the ,jews from an early date4 ,the ,persians1 moreover1 who marry their own mothers1 and have intercourse with their own daughters1 are1 in the opinion of ,celsus1 an inspired race2 nay1 even the ,indians are so1 some of whom1 in the preceding1 he mentioned as eaters of human flesh4 ,to the ,jews1 however1 especially those of ancient times1 who employ none of these practices1 he did not merely refuse the name of inspired1 but declared that they would immediately perish4 ,and this prediction he uttered respecting them1 as being doubtless endued with prophetic power1 not observing that the whole history of the ,jews1 and their ancient and venerable polity1 were administered by ,god2 and that it is by their fall that salvation has come to the ,gentiles1 and that 8their fall is the riches of the world1 and the diminishing of them the riches of the ,gentiles10#adba until the fulness of the ,gentiles come1 that after that the whole of ,israel1 whom ,celsus does not know1 may be saved4 ,footnote #adai3 4 ,footnote #adbj3 4 ,footnote #adba3 ,cf4 ,rom4 xi4 #aa1 #ab4 ,chapter ,,lxxxi4 ,i do not understand1 however1 how he should say of ,god1 that although 8knowing all things1 ,he was not aware of this1 that ,he was sending ,his ,son amongst wicked men1 who were both to be guilty of sin1 and to inflict punishment upon ,him40 ,certainly he appears1 in the present instance1 to have forgotten that all the sufferings which ,jesus was to undergo were foreseen by the ,spirit of ,god1 and foretold by ,his prophets2 from which it does not follow that 8,god did not know that ,he was sending ,his ,son amongst wicked and sinful men1 who were also to inflict punishment upon ,him40 ,he immediately adds1 however1 that 8our defence on this point is that all these things were predicted40 ,but as our sixth book has now attained sufficient dimensions1 we shall stop here1 and begin1 ,god willing1 the argument of the seventh1 in which we shall consider the reasons which he thinks furnish an answer to our statement1 that everything regarding ,jesus was foretold by the prophets2 and as these are numerous1 and require to be answered at length1 we wished neither to cut the subject short1 in consequence of the size of the present book1 nor1 in order to avoid doing so1 to swell this sixth book beyond its proper proportions4 ,,book ,,vii4 ,chapter ,i4 ,in the six former books we have endeavoured1 reverend brother ,ambrosius1 according to our ability to meet the charges brought by ,celsus against the ,christians1 and have as far as possible passed over nothing without first subjecting it to a full and close examination4 ,and now1 while we enter upon the seventh book1 we call upon ,god through ,jesus ,christ1 whom ,celsus accuses1 that ,he who is the truth of ,god would shed light into our hearts and scatter the darkness of error1 in accordance with that saying of the prophet which we now offer as our prayer1 8,destroy them by ,thy truth40#adbb ,for it is evidently the words and reasonings opposed to the truth that ,god destroys by ,his truth2 so that when these are destroyed1 all who are delivered from deception may go on with the prophet to say1 8,i will freely sacrifice unto ,thee10#adbc and may offer to the ,most ,high a reasonable and smokeless sacrifice4 ,footnote #adbb3 ,ps4 liv4 #e4 ,footnote #adbc3 ,ps4 liv4 #f4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,celsus now sets himself to combat the views of those who say that the ,jewish prophets foretold events which happened in the life of ,christ ,jesus4 ,at the outset let us refer to a notion he has1 that those who assume the existence of another ,god besides the ,god of the ,jews have no ground on which to answer his objections2 while we who recognise the same ,god rely for our defence on the prophecies which were delivered concerning ,jesus ,christ4 ,his words are3 8,let us see how they can raise a defence4 ,to those who admit another ,god1 no defence is possible2 and they who recognise the same ,god will always fall back upon the same reason1 #8,this and that must have happened4' ,and why8 #8,because it had been predicted long before4'0 ,to this we answer1 that the arguments recently raised by ,celsus against ,jesus and ,christians were so utterly feeble1 that they might easily be overthrown even by those who are impious enough to bring in another ,god4 ,indeed1 were it not dangerous to give to the weak any excuse for embracing false notions1 we could furnish the answer ourselves1 and show ,celsus how unfounded is his opinion1 that those who admit another ,god are not in a position to meet his arguments4 ,however1 let us for the present confine ourselves to a defence of the prophets1 in continuation of what we have said on the subject before4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,celsus goes on to say of us3 8,they set no value on the oracles of the ,pythian priestess1 of the priests of ,dodona1 of ,clarus1 of ,branchid1 of ,jupiter ,ammon1 and of a multitude of others2 although under their guidance we may say that colonies were sent forth1 and the whole world peopled4 ,but those sayings which were uttered or not uttered in ,judea1 after the manner of that country1 as indeed they are still delivered among the people of ,phnicia and ,palestine--these they look upon as marvellous sayings1 and unchangeably true40 ,in regard to the oracles here enumerated1 we reply that it would be possible for us to gather from the writings of ,aristotle and the ,peripatetic school not a few things to overthrow the authority of the ,pythian and the other oracles4 ,from ,epicurus also1 and his followers1 we could quote passages to show that even among the ,greeks themselves there were some who utterly discredited the oracles which were recognised and admired throughout the whole of ,greece4 ,but let it be granted that the responses delivered by the ,pythian and other oracles were not the utterances of false men who pretended to a divine inspiration2 and let us see if1 after all1 we cannot convince any sincere inquirers that there is no necessity to attribute these oracular responses to any divinities1 but that1 on the other hand1 they may be traced to wicked demons--to spirits which are at enmity with the human race1 and which in this way wish to hinder the soul from rising upwards1 from following the path of virtue1 and from returning to ,god in sincere piety4 ,it is said of the ,pythian priestess1 whose oracle seems to have been the most celebrated1 that when she sat down at the mouth of the ,castalian cave1 the prophetic spirit of ,apollo entered her private parts2 and when she was filled with it1 she gave utterance to responses which are regarded with awe as divine truths4 ,judge by this whether that spirit does not show its profane and impure nature1 by choosing to enter the soul of the prophetess not through the more becoming medium of the bodily pores which are both open and invisible1 but by means of what no modest man would ever see or speak of4 ,and this occurs not once or twice1 which would be more permissible1 but as often as she was believed to receive inspiration from ,apollo4 ,moreover1 it is not the part of a divine spirit to drive the prophetess into such a state of ecstasy and madness that she loses control of herself4 ,for he who is under the influence of the ,divine ,spirit ought to be the first to receive the beneficial effects2 and these ought not to be first enjoyed by the persons who consult the oracle about the concerns of natural or civil life1 or for purposes of temporal gain or interest2 and1 moreover1 that should be the time of clearest perception1 when a person is in close intercourse with the ,deity4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,accordingly1 we can show from an examination of the sacred ,scriptures1 that the ,jewish prophets1 who were enlightened as far as was necessary for their prophetic work by the ,spirit of ,god1 were the first to enjoy the benefit of the inspiration2 and by the contact--if ,i may so say--of the ,holy ,spirit they became clearer in mind1 and their souls were filled with a brighter light4 ,and the body no longer served as a hindrance to a virtuous life2 for to that which we call 8the lust of the flesh0 it was deadened4 ,for we are persuaded that the ,divine ,spirit 8mortifies the deeds of the body10 and destroys that enmity against ,god which the carnal passions serve to excite4 ,if1 then1 the ,pythian priestess is beside herself when she prophesies1 what spirit must that be which fills her mind and clouds her judgment with darkness1 unless it be of the same order with those demons which many ,christians cast out of persons possessed with them8 ,and this1 we may observe1 they do without the use of any curious arts of magic1 or incantations1 but merely by prayer and simple adjurations which the plainest person can use4 ,because for the most part it is unlettered persons who perform this work2 thus making manifest the grace which is in the word of ,christ1 and the despicable weakness of demons1 which1 in order to be overcome and driven out of the bodies and souls of men1 do not require the power and wisdom of those who are mighty in argument1 and most learned in matters of faith4 ,chapter ,v4 ,moreover1 if it is believed not only among ,christians and ,jews1 but also by many others among the ,greeks and barbarians1 that the human soul lives and subsists after its separation from the body2 and if reason supports the idea that pure souls which are not weighed down with sin as with a weight of lead ascend on high to the region of purer and more etherial bodies1 leaving here below their grosser bodies along with their impurities2 whereas souls that are polluted and dragged down to the earth by their sins1 so that they are unable even to breathe upwards1 wander hither and thither1 at some times about sepulchres1 where they appear as the apparitions of shadowy spirits1 at others among other objects on the ground2--if this is so1 what are we to think of those spirits that are attached for entire ages1 as ,i may say1 to particular dwellings and places1 whether by a sort of magical force or by their own natural wickedness8 ,are we not compelled by reason to set down as evil such spirits as employ the power of prophesying--a power in itself neither good nor bad--for the purpose of deceiving men1 and thus turn them away from ,god1 and from the purity of ,his service8 ,it is moreover evident that this is their character1 when we add that they delight in the blood of victims1 and in the smoke and odour of sacrifices1 and that they feed their bodies on these1 and that they take pleasure in such haunts as these1 as though they sought in them the sustenance of their lives2 in this resembling those depraved men who despise the purity of a life apart from the senses1 and who have no inclination except for the pleasures of the body1 and for that earthly and bodily life in which these pleasures are found4 ,if the ,delphian ,apollo were a god1 as the ,greeks suppose1 would he not rather have chosen as his prophet some wise man8 or if such an one was not to be found1 then one who was endeavouring to become wise8 ,how came he not to prefer a man to a woman for the utterance of his prophecies8 ,and if he preferred the latter sex1 as though he could only find pleasure in the breast of a woman1 why did he not choose among women a virgin to interpret his will8 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,but no2 the ,pythian1 so much admired among the ,greeks1 judged no wise man1 nay1 no man at all1 worthy of the divine possession1 as they call it4 ,and among women he did not choose a virgin1 or one recommended by her wisdom1 or by her attainments in philosophy2 but he selects a common woman4 ,perhaps the better class of men were too good to become the subjects of the inspiration4 ,besides1 if he were a god1 he should have employed his prophetic power as a bait1 so to speak1 with which he might draw men to a change of life1 and to the practice of virtue4 ,but history nowhere makes mention of anything of the kind4 ,for if the oracle did call ,socrates the wisest of all men1 it takes from the value of that eulogy by what is said in regard to ,euripides and ,sophocles4 ,the words are3 8,sophocles is wise1 and ,euripides is wiser1 ,but wiser than all men is ,socrates40#adbd ,as1 then1 he gives the designation 8wise0 to the tragic poets1 it is not on account of his philosophy that he holds up ,socrates to veneration1 or because of his love of truth and virtue4 ,it is poor praise of ,socrates to say that he prefers him to men who for a paltry reward compete upon the stage1 and who by their representations excite the spectators at one time to tears and grief1 and at another to unseemly laughter 7for such is the intention of the satiric drama74 ,and perhaps it was not so much in regard to his philosophy that he called ,socrates the wisest of all men1 as on account of the victims which he sacrificed to him and the other demons4 ,for it seems that the demons pay more regard in distributing their favours to the sacrifices which are offered them than to deeds of virtue4 ,accordingly1 ,homer1 the best of the poets1 who describes what usually took place1 when1 wishing to show us what most influenced the demons to grant an answer to the wishes of their votaries1 introduces ,chryses1 who1 for a few garlands and the thighs of bulls and goats1 obtained an answer to his prayers for his daughter ,chryseis1 so that the ,greeks were driven by a pestilence to restore her back to him4 ,and ,i remember reading in the book of a certain ,pythagorean1 when writing on the hidden meanings in that poet1 that the prayer of ,chryses to ,apollo1 and the plague which ,apollo afterwards sent upon the ,greeks1 are proofs that ,homer knew of certain evil demons who delight in the smoke of sacrifices1 and who1 to reward those who offer them1 grant in answer to their prayers the destruction of others4 8,he10 that is1 ,jupiter1 8who rules over wintry ,dodona1 where his prophets have ever unwashed feet1 and sleep upon the ground10#adbe has rejected the male sex1 and1 as ,celsus observes1 employs the women of ,dodona for the prophetic office4 ,granting that there are oracles similar to these1 as that at ,clarus1 another in ,branchid1 another in the temple of ,jupiter ,ammon1 or anywhere else2 yet how shall it be proved that these are gods1 and not demons8 ,footnote #adbd3 ,suidas in 4 ,footnote #adbe3 ,homer1 ,iliad1 xvi4 #bcd1 etc4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,in regard to the prophets among the ,jews1 some of them were wise men before they became divinely inspired prophets1 while others became wise by the illumination which their minds received when divinely inspired4 ,they were selected by ,divine ,providence to receive the ,divine ,spirit1 and to be the depositaries of ,his holy oracles1 on the ground of their leading a life of almost unapproachable excellence1 intrepid1 noble1 unmoved by danger or death4 ,for reason teaches that such ought to be the character of the prophets of the ,most ,high1 in comparison with which the firmness of ,antisthenes1 ,crates1 and ,diogenes will seem but as child's play4 ,it was therefore for their firm adherence to truth1 and their faithfulness in the reproof of the wicked1 that they were 8stoned2 they were sawn asunder1 were tempted1 were slain with the sword2 they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins1 being destitute1 afflicted1 tormented2 they wandered in deserts and in mountains1 and in dens and caves of the earth1 of whom the world was not worthy30#adbf for they looked always to ,god and to ,his blessings1 which1 being invisible1 and not to be perceived by the senses1 are eternal4 ,we have the history of the life of each of the prophets2 but it will be enough at present to direct attention to the life of ,moses1 whose prophecies are contained in the law2 to that of ,jeremiah1 as it is given in the book which bears his name2 to that of ,isaiah1 who with unexampled austerity walked naked and barefooted for the space of three years4 ,read and consider the severe life of those children1 ,daniel and his companions1 how they abstained from flesh1 and lived on water and pulse4 ,or if you will go back to more remote times1 think of the life of ,noah1 who prophesied2 and of ,isaac1 who gave his son a prophetic blessing2 or of ,jacob1 who addressed each of his twelve sons1 beginning with 8,come1 that ,i may tell you what shall befall you in the last days40 ,these1 and a multitude of others1 prophesying on behalf of ,god1 foretold events relating to ,jesus ,christ4 ,we therefore for this reason set at nought the oracles of the ,pythian priestess1 or those delivered at ,dodona1 at ,clarus1 at ,branchid1 at the temple of ,jupiter ,ammon1 or by a multitude of other so-called prophets2 whilst we regard with reverent awe the ,jewish prophets3 for we see that the noble1 earnest1 and devout lives of these men were worthy of the inspiration of the ,divine ,spirit1 whose wonderful effects were widely different from the divination of demons4 ,footnote #adbf3 ,heb4 xi4 #cg1 #ch4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,i do not know what led ,celsus1 when saying1 8,but what things were spoken or not spoken in the land of ,judea1 according to the custom of the country10 to use the words 8or not spoken10 as though implying that he was incredulous1 and that he suspected that those things which were written were never spoken4 ,in fact1 he is unacquainted with these times2 and he does not know that those prophets who foretold the coming of ,christ1 predicted a multitude of other events many years beforehand4 ,he adds1 with the view of casting a slight upon the ancient prophets1 that 8they prophesied in the same way as we find them still doing among the inhabitants of ,phnicia and ,palestine40 ,but he does not tell us whether he refers to persons who are of different principles from those of the ,jews and ,christians1 or to persons whose prophecies are of the same character as those of the ,jewish prophets4 ,however it be1 his statement is false1 taken in either way4 ,for never have any of those who have not embraced our faith done anything approaching to what was done by the ancient prophets2 and in more recent times1 since the coming of ,christ1 no prophets have arisen among the ,jews1 who have confessedly been abandoned by the ,holy ,spirit on account of their impiety towards ,god1 and towards ,him of whom their prophets spoke4 ,moreover1 the ,holy ,spirit gave signs of ,his presence at the beginning of ,christ's ministry1 and after ,his ascension ,he gave still more2 but since that time these signs have diminished1 although there are still traces of ,his presence in a few who have had their souls purified by the gospel1 and their actions regulated by its influence4 8,for the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit1 and remove from thoughts that are without understanding40#adbg ,footnote #adbg3 ,wisd4 of ,sol4 i4 #e4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,but as ,celsus promises to give an account of the manner in which prophecies are delivered in ,phnicia and ,palestine1 speaking as though it were a matter with which he had a full and personal acquaintance1 let us see what he has to say on the subject4 ,first he lays it down that there are several kinds of prophecies1 but he does not specify what they are2 indeed1 he could not do so1 and the statement is a piece of pure ostentation4 ,however1 let us see what he considers the most perfect kind of prophecy among these nations4 8,there are many10 he says1 8who1 although of no name1 with the greatest facility and on the slightest occasion1 whether within or without temples1 assume the motions and gestures of inspired persons2 while others do it in cities or among armies1 for the purpose of attracting attention and exciting surprise4 ,these are accustomed to say1 each for himself1 #8,i am ,god2 ,i am the ,son of ,god2 or1 ,i am the ,divine ,spirit2 ,i have come because the world is perishing1 and you1 ,o men1 are perishing for your iniquities4 ,but ,i wish to save you1 and you shall see me returning again with heavenly power4 ,blessed is he who now does me homage4 ,on all the rest ,i will send down eternal fire1 both on cities and on countries4 ,and those who know not the punishments which await them shall repent and grieve in vain2 while those who are faithful to me ,i will preserve eternally4'0 ,then he goes on to say3 8,to these promises are added strange1 fanatical1 and quite unintelligible words1 of which no rational person can find the meaning3 for so dark are they1 as to have no meaning at all2 but they give occasion to every fool or impostor to apply them to suit his own purposes40 ,chapter ,x4 ,but if he were dealing honestly in his accusations1 he ought to have given the exact terms of the prophecies1 whether those in which the speaker is introduced as claiming to be ,god ,almighty1 or those in which the ,son of ,god speaks1 or finally those under the name of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,for thus he might have endeavoured to overthrow these assertions1 and have shown that there was no divine inspiration in those words which urged men to forsake their sins1 which condemned the past and foretold the future4 ,for the prophecies were recorded and preserved by men living at the time1 that those who came after might read and admire them as the oracles of ,god1 and that they might profit not only by the warnings and admonitions1 but also by the predictions1 which being shown by events to have proceeded from the ,spirit of ,god1 bind men to the practice of piety as set forth in the law and the prophets4 ,the prophets have therefore1 as ,god commanded them1 declared with all plainness those things which it was desirable that the hearers should understand at once for the regulation of their conduct2 while in regard to deeper and more mysterious subjects1 which lay beyond the reach of the common understanding1 they set them forth in the form of enigmas and allegories1 or of what are called dark sayings1 parables1 or similitudes4 ,and this plan they have followed1 that those who are ready to shun no labour and spare no pains in their endeavours after truth and virtue might search into their meaning1 and having found it1 might apply it as reason requires4 ,but ,celsus1 ever vigorous in his denunciations1 as though he were angry at his inability to understand the language of the prophets1 scoffs at them thus3 8,to these grand promises are added strange1 fanatical1 and quite unintelligible words1 of which no rational person can find the meaning2 for so dark are they as to have no meaning at all2 but they give occasion to every fool or impostor to apply them so as to suit his own purposes40 ,this statement of ,celsus seems ingeniously designed to dissuade readers from attempting any inquiry or careful search into their meaning4 ,and in this he is not unlike certain persons1 who said to a man whom a prophet had visited to announce future events1 8,wherefore came this mad fellow to thee80#adbh ,footnote #adbh3 #b ,kings ix4 #aa4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,i am convinced1 indeed1 that much better arguments could be adduced than any ,i have been able to bring forward1 to show the falsehood of these allegations of ,celsus1 and to set forth the divine inspiration of the prophecies2 but we have according to our ability1 in our commentaries on ,isaiah1 ,ezekiel1 and some of the twelve minor prophets1 explained literally and in detail what he calls 8those fanatical and utterly unintelligible passages40 ,and if ,god give us grace in the time that ,he appoints for us1 to advance in the knowledge of ,his word1 we shall continue our investigation into the parts which remain1 or into such at least as we are able to make plain4 ,and other persons of intelligence who wish to study ,scripture may also find out its meaning for themselves2 for although there are many places in which the meaning is not obvious1 yet there are none where1 as ,celsus affirms1 8there is no sense at all40 ,neither is it true that 8any fool or impostor can explain the passages so as to make them suit his own purposes40 ,for it belongs only to those who are wise in the truth of ,christ 7and to all them it does belong7 to unfold the connection and meaning of even the obscure parts of prophecy1 8comparing spiritual things with spiritual10 and interpreting each passage according to the usage of ,scripture writers4 ,and ,celsus is not to be believed when he says that he has heard such men prophesy2 for no prophets bearing any resemblance to the ancient prophets have appeared in the time of ,celsus4 ,if there had been any1 those who heard and admired them would have followed the example of the ancients1 and have recorded the prophecies in writing4 ,and it seems quite clear that ,celsus is speaking falsely1 when he says that 8those prophets whom he had heard1 on being pressed by him1 confessed their true motives1 and acknowledged that the ambiguous words they used really meant nothing40 ,he ought to have given the names of those whom he says he had heard1 if he had any to give1 so that those who were competent to judge might decide whether his allegations were true or false4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,he thinks1 besides1 that those who support the cause of ,christ by a reference to the writings of the prophets can give no proper answer in regard to statements in them which attribute to ,god that which is wicked1 shameful1 or impure2 and assuming that no answer can be given1 he proceeds to draw a whole train of inferences1 none of which can be allowed4 ,but he ought to know that those who wish to live according to the teaching of sacred ,scripture understand the saying1 8,the knowledge of the unwise is as talk without sense10#adbi and have learnt 8to be ready always to give an answer to every one that asketh us a reason for the hope that is in us40#adcj ,and they are not satisfied with affirming that such and such things have been predicted2 but they endeavour to remove any apparent inconsistencies1 and to show that1 so far from there being anything evil1 shameful1 or impure in these predictions1 everything is worthy of being received by those who understand the sacred ,scriptures4 ,but ,celsus ought to have adduced from the prophets examples of what he thought bad1 or shameful1 or impure1 if he saw any such passages2 for then his argument would have had much more force1 and would have furthered his purpose much better4 ,he gives no instances1 however1 but contents himself with loudly asserting the false charge that these things are to be found in ,scripture4 ,there is no reason1 then1 for us to defend ourselves against groundless charges1 which are but empty sounds1 or to take the trouble of showing that in the writings of the prophets there is nothing evil1 shameful1 impure1 or abominable4 ,footnote #adbi3 ,ecclus4 xxi4 #ah4 ,footnote #adcj3 #a ,pet4 iii4 #ae4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,and there is no truth in the statement of ,celsus1 that 8,god does the most shameless deeds1 or suffers the most shameless sufferings10 or that 8,he favours the commission of evil20 for whatever he may say1 no such things have ever been foretold4 ,he ought to have cited from the prophets the passages in which ,god is represented as favouring evil1 or as doing and enduring the most shameless deeds1 and not have sought without foundation to prejudice the minds of his readers4 ,the prophets1 indeed1 foretold what ,christ should suffer1 and set forth the reason why ,he should suffer4 ,god therefore also knew what ,christ would suffer2 but where has he learnt that those things which the ,christ of ,god should suffer were most base and dishonourable8 ,he goes on to explain what those most shameful and degrading things were which ,christ suffered1 in these words3 8,for what better was it for ,god to eat the flesh of sheep1 or to drink vinegar and gall1 than to feed on filth80 ,but ,god1 according to us1 did not eat the flesh of sheep2 and while it may seem that ,jesus ate1 ,he did so only as possessing a body4 ,but in regard to the vinegar and gall mentioned in the prophecy1 8,they gave me also gall for my meat1 and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink10#adca we have already referred#adcb to this point2 and as ,celsus compels us to recur to it again1 we would only say further1 that those who resist the word of truth do ever offer to ,christ the ,son of ,god the gall of their own wickedness1 and the vinegar of their evil inclinations2 but though ,he tastes of it1 yet ,he will not drink it4 ,footnote #adca3 ,ps4 lxix4 #ba4 ,footnote #adcb3 ,book ii4 chap4 #cg4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,in the next place1 wishing to shake the faith of those who believe in ,jesus on the ground of the prophecies which were delivered in regard to ,him1 ,celsus says3 8,but pray1 if the prophets foretold that the great ,god--not to put it more harshly--would become a slave1 or become sick1 or die2 would there be therefore any necessity that ,god should die1 or suffer sickness1 or become a slave1 simply because such things had been foretold8 ,must he die in order to prove his divinity8 ,but the prophets never would utter predictions so wicked and impious4 ,we need not therefore inquire whether a thing has been predicted or not1 but whether the thing is honourable in itself1 and worthy of ,god4 ,in that which is evil and base1 although it seemed that all men in the world had foretold it in a fit of madness1 we must not believe4 ,how then can the pious mind admit that those things which are said to have happened to him1 could have happened to one who is ,god80 ,from this it is plain that ,celsus feels the argument from prophecy to be very effective for convincing those to whom ,christ is preached2 but he seems to endeavour to overthrow it by an opposite probability1 namely1 8that the question is not whether the prophets uttered these predictions or not40 ,but if he wished to reason justly and without evasion1 he ought rather to have said1 8,we must show that these things were never predicted1 or that those things which were predicted of ,christ have never been fulfilled in him10 and in that way he would have established the position which he holds4 ,in that way it would have been made plain what those prophecies are which we apply to ,jesus1 and how ,celsus could justify himself in asserting that that application was false4 ,and we should thus have seen whether he fairly disproved all that we bring from the prophets in behalf of ,jesus1 or whether he is himself convicted of a shameless endeavour to resist the plainest truths by violent assertions4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,after assuming that some things were foretold which are impossible in themselves1 and inconsistent with the character of ,god1 he says3 8,if these things were predicted of the ,most ,high ,god1 are we bound to believe them of ,god simply because they were predicted80 ,and thus he thinks he proves1 that although the prophets may have foretold truly such things of the ,son of ,god1 yet it is impossible for us to believe in those prophecies declaring that ,he would do or suffer such things4 ,to this our answer is that the supposition is absurd1 for it combines two lines of reasoning which are opposed to each other1 and therefore mutually destructive4 ,this may be shown as follows4 ,the one argument is3 8,if any true prophets of the ,most ,high say that ,god will become a slave1 or suffer sickness1 or die1 these things will come to ,god2 for it is impossible that the prophets of the great ,god should utter lies40 ,the other is3 8,if even true prophets of the ,most ,high ,god say that these same things shall come to pass1 seeing that these things foretold are by the nature of things impossible1 the prophecies are not true1 and therefore those things which have been foretold will not happen to ,god40 ,when1 then1 we find two processes of reasoning in both of which the major premiss is the same1 leading to two contradictory conclusions1 we use the form of argument called 8the theorem of two propositions10#adcc to prove that the major premiss is false1 which in the case before us is this1 8that the prophets have foretold that the great ,god should become a slave1 suffer sickness1 or die40 ,we conclude1 then1 that the prophets never foretold such things2 and the argument is formally expressed as follows3 #ast1 ,of two things1 if the first is true1 the second is true2 #b;d1 if the first is#adcd true1 the second is not true1 therefore the first is not true4 ,the concrete example which the ,stoics give to illustrate this form of argument is the following3 #ast1 ,if you know that you are dead1 you are dead2 #b;d1 if you know that you are dead1 you are not dead4 ,and the conclusion is--8you do not know that you are dead40 ,these propositions are worked out as follows3 ,if you know that you are dead1 that which you know is certain2 therefore you are dead4 ,again1 if you know that you are dead1 your death is an object of knowledge2 but as the dead know nothing1 your knowing this proves that you are not dead4 ,accordingly1 by joining the two arguments together1 you arrive at the conclusion--8you do not know that you are dead40 ,now the hypothesis of ,celsus which we have given above is much of the same kind4 ,footnote #adcc3 4 ,footnote #adcd3 ,we follow ,bouhereau and ,valesius1 who expunge the negative particle in this clause4 ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,but besides1 the prophecies which he introduces into his argument are very different from what the prophets actually foretold of ,jesus ,christ4 ,for the prophecies do not foretell that ,god will be crucified1 when they say of ,him who should suffer1 8,we beheld ,him1 and ,he had no form or comeliness2 but ,his form was dishonoured and marred more than the sons of men2 ,he was a man of sorrows1 and acquainted with grief40#adce ,observe1 then1 how distinctly they say that it was a man who should endure these human sufferings4 ,and ,jesus ,himself1 who knew perfectly that one who was to die must be a man1 said to ,his accusers3 8,but now ye seek to kill me1 a man that hath spoken unto you the truth which ,i heard of ,god40#adcf ,and if in that man as ,he appeared among men there was something divine1 namely the only-begotten ,son of ,god1 the first-born of all creation1 one who said of ,himself1 8,i am the truth10 8,i am the life10 8,i am the door10 8,i am the way10 8,i am the living bread which came down from heaven10 of this ,being and ,his nature we must judge and reason in a way quite different from that in which we judge of the man who was seen in ,jesus ,christ4 ,accordingly1 you will find no ,christian1 however simple he may be1 and however little versed in critical studies1 who would say that ,he who died was 8the truth10 8the life10 8the way10 8the living bread which came down from heaven10 8the resurrection20 for it was ,he who appeared to us in the form of the man ,jesus1 who taught us1 saying1 8,i am the resurrection40 ,there is no one amongst us1 ,i say1 so extravagant as to affirm 8the ,life died10 8the ,resurrection died40 ,the supposition of ,celsus would have some foundation if we were to say that it had been foretold by the prophets that death would befall ,god the ,word1 the ,truth1 the ,life1 the ,resurrection1 or any other name which is assumed by the ,son of ,god4 ,footnote #adce3 ,isa4 liii4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #adcf3 ,john viii4 #dj4 ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,in one point alone is ,celsus correct in his statements on this subject4 ,it is that in which he says3 8,the prophets would not foretell this1 because it involves that which is wicked and impious10--namely1 that the great ,god should become a slave or suffer death4 ,but that which is predicted by the prophets is worthy of ,god1 that ,he who is the brightness and express image of the divine nature should come into the world with the holy human soul which was to animate the body of ,jesus1 to sow the seed of ,his word1 which might bring all who received and cherished it into union with the ,most ,high ,god1 and which would lead to perfect blessedness all those who felt within them the power of ,god the ,word1 who was to be in the body and soul of a man4 ,he was to be in it indeed1 but not in such a way as to confine therein all the rays of ,his glory2 and we are not to suppose that the light of ,him who is ,god the ,word is shed forth in no other way than in this4 ,if1 then1 we consider ,jesus in relation to the divinity that was in ,him1 the things which ,he did in this capacity present nothing to offend our ideas of ,god1 nothing but what is holy2 and if we consider ,him as man1 distinguished beyond all other men by an intimate communion with the ,eternal ,word1 with absolute ,wisdom1 ,he suffered as one who was wise and perfect1 whatever it behoved ,him to suffer who did all for the good of the human race1 yea1 even for the good of all intelligent beings4 ,and there is nothing absurd in a man having died1 and in ,his death being not only an example of death endured for the sake of piety1 but also the first blow in the conflict which is to overthrow the power of that evil spirit the devil1 who had obtained dominion over the whole world4 ,for we have signs and pledges of the destruction of his empire1 in those who through the coming of ,christ are everywhere escaping from the power of demons1 and who1 after their deliverance from this bondage in which they were held1 consecrate themselves to ,god1 and earnestly devote themselves day by day to advancement in a life of piety4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,celsus adds3 8,will they not besides make this reflection8 ,if the prophets of the ,god of the ,jews foretold that he who should come into the world would be the ,son of this same ,god1 how could he command them through ,moses to gather wealth1 to extend their dominion1 to fill the earth1 to put their enemies of every age to the sword1 and to destroy them utterly1 which indeed he himself did--as ,moses says--threatening them1 moreover1 that if they did not obey his commands1 he would treat them as his avowed enemies2 whilst1 on the other hand1 his ,son1 the man of ,nazareth1 promulgated laws quite opposed to these1 declaring that no one can come to the ,father who loves power1 or riches1 or glory2 that men ought not to be more careful in providing food than the ravens2 that they were to be less concerned about their raiment than the lilies2 that to him who has given them one blow1 they should offer to receive another8 ,whether is it ,moses or ,jesus who teaches falsely8 ,did the ,father1 when he sent ,jesus1 forget the commands which he had given to ,moses8 ,or did he change his mind1 condemn his own laws1 and send forth a messenger with counter instructions80 ,celsus1 with all his boasts of universal knowledge1 has here fallen into the most vulgar of errors1 in supposing that in the law and the prophets there is not a meaning deeper than that afforded by a literal rendering of the words4 ,he does not see how manifestly incredible it is that worldly riches should be promised to those who lead upright lives1 when it is a matter of common observation that the best of men have lived in extreme poverty4 ,indeed1 the prophets themselves1 who for the purity of their lives received the ,divine ,spirit1 8wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins2 being destitute1 afflicted1 tormented3 they wandered in deserts1 and in mountains1 and in dens and caves of the earth40#adcg ,for1 as the ,psalmist says1 8many are the afflictions of the righteous40#adch ,if ,celsus had read the writings of ,moses1 he would1 ,i daresay1 have supposed that when it is said to him who kept the law1 8,thou shalt lend unto many nations1 and thou thyself shalt not borrow10#adci the promise is made to the just man1 that his temporal riches should be so abundant1 that he would be able to lend not only to the ,jews1 not only to two or three nations1 but 8to many nations40 ,what1 then1 must have been the wealth which the just man received according to the law for his righteousness1 if he could lend to many nations8 ,and must we not suppose also1 in accordance with this interpretation1 that the just man would never borrow anything8 ,for it is written1 8and thou shalt thyself borrow nothing40 ,did then that nation remain for so long a period attached to the religion which was taught by ,moses1 whilst1 according to the supposition of ,celsus1 they saw themselves so grievously deceived by that lawgiver8 ,for nowhere is it said of any one that he was so rich as to lend to many nations4 ,it is not to be believed that they would have fought so zealously in defence of a law whose promises had proved glaringly false1 if they understood them in the sense which ,celsus gives to them4 ,and if any one should say that the sins which are recorded to have been committed by the people are a proof that they despised the law1 doubtless from the feeling that they had been deceived by it1 we may reply that we have only to read the history of the times in order to find it shown that the whole people1 after having done that which was evil in the sight of the ,lord1 returned afterwards to their duty1 and to the religion prescribed by the law4 ,footnote #adcg3 ,heb4 xi4 #cg1 #ch4 ,footnote #adch3 ,ps4 xxxiv4 #ai4 ,footnote #adci3 ,deut4 xxviii4 #ab4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,now if these words in the law1 8,thou shalt have dominion over many nations1 and no one shall rule over thee10 were simply a promise to them of dominion1 and if they contain no deeper meaning than this1 then it is certain that the people would have had still stronger grounds for despising the promises of the law4 ,celsus brings forward another passage1 although he changes the terms of it1 where it is said that the whole earth shall be filled with the ,hebrew race2 which indeed1 according to the testimony of history1 did actually happen after the coming of ,christ1 although rather as a result of ,god's anger1 if ,i may so say1 than of ,his blessing4 ,as to the promise made to the ,jews that they should slay their enemies1 it may be answered that any one who examines carefully into the meaning of this passage will find himself unable to interpret it literally4 ,it is sufficient at present to refer to the manner in which in the ,psalms the just man is represented as saying1 among other things1 8,every morning will ,i destroy the wicked of the land1 that ,i may cut off all workers of iniquity from the city of ,jehovah40#addj ,judge1 then1 from the words and spirit of the speaker1 whether it is conceivable that1 after having in the preceding part of the ,psalm1 as any one may read for himself1 uttered the noblest thoughts and purposes1 he should in the sequel1 according to the literal rendering of his words1 say that in the morning1 and at no other period of the day1 he would destroy all sinners from the earth1 and leave none of them alive1 and that he would slay every one in ,jerusalem who did iniquity4 ,and there are many similar expressions to be found in the law1 as this1 for example3 8,we left not anything alive40#adda ,footnote #addj3 ,ps4 ci4 #i4 ,footnote #adda3 ,deut4 ii4 #cd4 ,chapter ,,xx4 ,celsus adds1 that it was foretold to the ,jews1 that if they did not obey the law1 they would be treated in the same way as they treated their enemies2 and then he quotes from the teaching of ,christ some precepts which he considers contrary to those of the law1 and uses that as an argument against us4 ,but before proceeding to this point1 we must speak of that which precedes4 ,we hold1 then1 that the law has a twofold sense1--the one literal1 the other spiritual1--as has been shown by some before us4 ,of the first or literal sense it is said1 not by us1 but by ,god1 speaking in one of the prophets1 that 8the statutes are not good1 and the judgments not good20#addb whereas1 taken in a spiritual sense1 the same prophet makes ,god say that 8,his statutes are good1 and ,his judgments good40 ,yet evidently the prophet is not saying things which are contradictory of each other4 ,paul in like manner says1 that 8the letter killeth1 and the spirit giveth life10#addc meaning by 8the letter0 the literal sense1 and by 8the spirit0 the spiritual sense of ,scripture4 ,we may therefore find in ,paul1 as well as in the prophet1 apparent contradictions4 ,indeed1 if ,ezekiel says in one place1 8,i gave them commandments which were not good1 and judgments whereby they should not live10 and in another1 8,i gave them good commandments and judgments1 which if a man shall do1 he shall live by them10 ,paul in like manner1 when he wishes to disparage the law taken literally1 says1 8,if the ministration of death1 written and engraven in stones1 was glorious1 so that the children of ,israel could not stedfastly behold the face of ,moses for the glory of his countenance1 which glory was to be done away1 how shall not the ministration of the ,spirit be rather glorious80#addd ,but when in another place he wishes to praise and recommend the law1 he calls it 8spiritual10 and says1 8,we know that the law is spiritual20 and1 8,wherefore the law is holy1 and the commandment holy1 and just1 and good40#adde ,footnote #addb3 ,ezek4 xx4 #be4 ,footnote #addc3 #b ,cor4 iii4 #f4 ,footnote #addd3 #b ,cor4 iii4 #g1 #h4 ,footnote #adde3 ,rom4 vii4 #ab1 #ad4 ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,when1 then1 the letter of the law promises riches to the just1 ,celsus may follow the letter which killeth1 and understand it of worldly riches1 which blind men2 but we say that it refers to those riches which enlighten the eyes1 and which enrich a man 8in all utterance and in all knowledge40 ,and in this sense we 8charge them that are rich in this world1 that they be not high-minded1 nor trust in uncertain riches1 but in the living ,god1 who giveth us richly all things to enjoy2 that they do good1 that they be rich in good works1 ready to distribute1 willing to communicate40#addf ,for1 as ,solomon says1 8riches0 are the true good1 which 8are the ransom of the life of a man20 but the poverty which is the opposite of these riches is destructive1 for by it 8the poor cannot bear rebuke40#addg ,and what has been said of riches applies to dominion1 in regard to which it is said1 8,the just man shall chase a thousand1 and two put ten thousand to flight40#addh ,now if riches are to be taken in the sense we have just explained1 consider if it is not according to ,god's promise that he who is rich in all utterance1 in all knowledge1 in all wisdom1 in all good works1 may not out of these treasures of utterance1 of wisdom1 and of knowledge1 lend to many nations4 ,it was thus that ,paul lent to all the nations that he visited1 8carrying the gospel of ,christ from ,jerusalem1 and round about unto ,illyricum40#addi ,and as the divine knowledge was given to him by revelation1 and his mind was illumined by the ,divine ,word1 he himself therefore needed to borrow from no one1 and required not the ministry of any man to teach him the word of truth4 ,thus1 as it had been written1 8,thou shalt have dominion over many nations1 and they shall not have dominion over thee10 he ruled over the ,gentiles whom he brought under the teaching of ,jesus ,christ2 and he never 8gave place by subjection to men1 no1 not for an hour10#adej as being himself mightier than they4 ,and thus also he 8filled the earth40 ,footnote #addf3 #a ,tim4 vi4 #ag1 #ah4 ,footnote #addg3 ,prov4 xiii4 #h4 ,footnote #addh3 ,deut4 xxxii4 #cj4 ,footnote #addi3 ,rom4 xv4 #ai4 ,footnote #adej3 ,gal4 ii4 #e4 ,chapter ,,xxii4 ,if ,i must now explain how the just man 8slays his enemies10 and prevails everywhere1 it is to be observed that1 when he says1 8,every morning will ,i destroy the wicked of the land1 that ,i may cut off all workers of iniquity from the city of ,jehovah10 by 8the land0 he means the flesh whose lusts are at enmity with ,god2 and by 8the city of ,jehovah0 he designates his own soul1 in which was the temple of ,god1 containing the true idea and conception of ,god1 which makes it to be admired by all who look upon it4 ,as soon1 then1 as the rays of the ,sun of righteousness shine into his soul1 feeling strengthened and invigorated by their influence1 he sets himself to destroy all the lusts of the flesh1 which are called 8the wicked of the land10 and drives out of that city of the ,lord which is in his soul all thoughts which work iniquity1 and all suggestions which are opposed to the truth4 ,and in this way also the just give up to destruction all their enemies1 which are their vices1 so that they do not spare even the children1 that is1 the early beginnings and promptings of evil4 ,in this sense also we understand the language of the #acgth ,psalm3 8,o daughter of ,babylon1 who art to be destroyed2 happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us3 happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones40#adea ,for 8the little ones0 of ,babylon 7which signifies confusion7 are those troublesome sinful thoughts which arise in the soul2 and he who subdues them by striking1 as it were1 their heads against the firm and solid strength of reason and truth1 is the man who 8dasheth the little ones against the stones20 and he is therefore truly blessed4 ,god may therefore have commanded men to destroy all their vices utterly1 even at their birth1 without having enjoined anything contrary to the teaching of ,christ2 and ,he may ,himself have destroyed before the eyes of those who were 8,jews inwardly0#adeb all the offspring of evil as ,his enemies4 ,and1 in like manner1 those who disobey the law and word of ,god may well be compared to ,his enemies led astray by sin2 and they may well be said to suffer the same fate as they deserve who have proved traitors to the truth of ,god4 ,footnote #adea3 ,ps4 cxxxvii4 #h1 #i4 ,footnote #adeb3 ,rom4 ii4 #bi4 ,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,from what has been said1 it is clear then that ,jesus1 8the man of ,nazareth10 did not promulgate laws opposed to those just considered in regard to riches1 when ,he said1 8,it is hard for the rich man to enter into the kingdom of ,god20#adec whether we take the word 8rich0 in its simplest sense1 as referring to the man whose mind is distracted by his wealth1 and1 as it were1 entangled with thorns1 so that he brings forth no spiritual fruit2 or whether it is the man who is rich in the sense of abounding in false notions1 of whom it is written in the ,proverbs1 8,better is the poor man who is just1 than the rich man who is false40#aded ,perhaps it is the following passages which have led ,celsus to suppose that ,jesus forbids ambition to ,his disciples3 8,whoever of you will be the chiefest shall be servant of all20#adee 8,the princes of the ,gentiles exercise dominion over them10#adef and 8they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors40#adeg ,but there is nothing here inconsistent with the promise1 8,thou shalt rule over many nations1 and they shall not rule over thee10 especially after the explanation which we have given of these words4 ,celsus next throws in an expression in regard to wisdom1 as though he thought that1 according to the teaching of ,christ1 no wise man could come to the ,father4 ,but we would ask in what sense he speaks of a wise man4 ,for if he means one who is wise in 8the wisdom of this world10 as it is called1 8which is foolishness with ,god10#adeh then we would agree with him in saying that access to the ,father is denied to one who is wise in that sense4 ,but if by wisdom any one means ,christ1 who is 8the power and wisdom of ,god10 far from such a wise man being refused access to the ,father1 we hold that he who is adorned by the ,holy ,spirit with that gift which is called 8the word of wisdom10 far excels all those who have not received the same grace4 ,footnote #adec3 ,matt4 xix4 #bc4 ,footnote #aded3 ,prov4 xxviii4 #f4 ,footnote #adee3 ,mark x4 #dd4 ,footnote #adef3 ,matt4 xx4 #be4 ,footnote #adeg3 ,luke xxii4 #be4 ,footnote #adeh3 #a ,cor4 iii4 #ai4 ,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,the pursuit of human glory1 we maintain1 is forbidden not only by the teaching of ,jesus1 but also by the ,old ,testament4 ,accordingly we find one of the prophets1 when imprecating upon himself certain punishments for the commission of certain sins1 includes among the punishments this one of earthly glory4 ,he says1 8,o ,lord my ,god1 if ,i have done this2 if there be iniquity in my hands2 if ,i have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me2 7yea1 rather1 ,i have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy27 let the enemy persecute my soul1 and take it2 yea1 let him tread down my life upon the earth1 and set my glory up on high40#adei ,and these precepts of our ,lord1 8,take no thought what ye shall eat1 or what ye shall drink4 ,behold the fowls of the air1 or behold the ravens3 for they sow not1 neither do they reap2 yet your heavenly ,father feedeth them4 ,how much better are ye than they6 ,and why take ye thought for raiment8 ,consider the lilies of the field20#adfj--these precepts1 and those which follow1 are not inconsistent with the promised blessings of the law1 which teaches that the just 8shall eat their bread to the full20#adfa nor with that saying of ,solomon1 8,the righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul1 but the belly of the wicked shall want40#adfb ,for we must consider the food promised in the law as the food of the soul1 which is to satisfy not both parts of man's nature1 but the soul only4 ,and the words of the ,gospel1 although probably containing a deeper meaning1 may yet be taken in their more simple and obvious sense1 as teaching us not to be disturbed with anxieties about our food and clothing1 but1 while living in plainness1 and desiring only what is needful1 to put our trust in the providence of ,god4 ,footnote #adei3 ,ps4 vii4 #c-e4 ,origen follows the reading instead of 1 8make my glory abide in the dust40 ,footnote #adfj3 ,matt4 vi4 #be-bh4 ,footnote #adfa3 ,lev4 xxvi4 #e4 ,footnote #adfb3 ,prov4 xiii4 #be4 ,chapter ,,xxv4 ,celsus then extracts from the ,gospel the precept1 8,to him who strikes thee once1 thou shalt offer thyself to be struck again10 although without giving any passage from the ,old ,testament which he considers opposed to it4 ,on the one hand1 we know that 8it was said to them in old time1 ,an eye for an eye1 and a tooth for a tooth20#adfc and on the other1 we have read1 8,i say unto you1 ,whoever shall smite thee on the one cheek1 turn to him the other also40#adfd ,but as there is reason to believe that ,celsus produces the objections which he has heard from those who wish to make a difference between the ,god of the gospel and the ,god of the law1 we must say in reply1 that this precept1 8,whosoever shall strike thee on the one cheek1 turn to him the other10 is not unknown to the older ,scriptures4 ,for thus1 in the ,lamentations of ,jeremiah1 it is said1 8,it is good for a man that he beareth the yoke in his youth3 he sitteth alone1 and keepeth silence1 because he hath borne it upon him3 he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him2 he is filled full with reproach40#adfe ,there is no discrepancy1 then1 between the ,god of the gospel and the ,god of the law1 even when we take literally the precept regarding the blow on the face4 ,so1 then1 we infer that neither 8,jesus nor ,moses has taught falsely40 ,the ,father in sending ,jesus did not 8forget the commands which ,he had given to ,moses30 ,he did not 8change ,his mind1 condemn ,his own laws1 and send by ,his messenger counter instructions40 ,footnote #adfc3 ,ex4 xxi4 #bd4 ,footnote #adfd3 ,matt4 v4 #ci4 ,footnote #adfe3 ,lam4 iii4 #bg1 #bi1 #cj4 ,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,however1 if we must refer briefly to the difference between the constitution which was given to the ,jews of old by ,moses1 and that which the ,christians1 under the direction of ,christ's teaching1 wish now to establish1 we would observe that it must be impossible for the legislation of ,moses1 taken literally1 to harmonize with the calling of the ,gentiles1 and with their subjection to the ,roman government2 and on the other hand1 it would be impossible for the ,jews to preserve their civil economy unchanged1 supposing that they should embrace the gospel4 ,for ,christians could not slay their enemies1 or condemn to be burned or stoned1 as ,moses commands1 those who had broken the law1 and were therefore condemned as deserving of these punishments2 since the ,jews themselves1 however desirous of carrying out their law1 are not able to inflict these punishments4 ,but in the case of the ancient ,jews1 who had a land and a form of government of their own1 to take from them the right of making war upon their enemies1 of fighting for their country1 of putting to death or otherwise punishing adulterers1 murderers1 or others who were guilty of similar crimes1 would be to subject them to sudden and utter destruction whenever the enemy fell upon them2 for their very laws would in that case restrain them1 and prevent them from resisting the enemy4 ,and that same providence which of old gave the law1 and has now given the gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 not wishing the ,jewish state to continue longer1 has destroyed their city and their temple3 it has abolished the worship which was offered to ,god in that temple by the sacrifice of victims1 and other ceremonies which ,he had prescribed4 ,and as it has destroyed these things1 not wishing that they should longer continue1 in like manner it has extended day by day the ,christian religion1 so that it is now preached everywhere with boldness1 and that in spite of the numerous obstacles which oppose the spread of ,christ's teaching in the world4 ,but since it was the purpose of ,god that the nations should receive the benefits of ,christ's teaching1 all the devices of men against ,christians have been brought to nought2 for the more that kings1 and rulers1 and peoples have persecuted them everywhere1 the more have they increased in number and grown in strength4 ,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,after this ,celsus relates at length opinions which he ascribes to us1 but which we do not hold1 regarding the ,divine ,being1 to the effect that 8he is corporeal in his nature1 and possesses a body like a man40 ,as he undertakes to refute opinions which are none of ours1 it would be needless to give either the opinions themselves or their refutation4 ,indeed1 if we did hold those views of ,god which he ascribes to us1 and which he opposes1 we would be bound to quote his words1 to adduce our own arguments1 and to refute his4 ,but if he brings forward opinions which he has either heard from no one1 or if it be assumed that he has heard them1 it must have been from those who are very simple and ignorant of the meaning of ,scripture1 then we need not undertake so superfluous a task as that of refuting them4 ,for the ,scriptures plainly speak of ,god as of a being without body4 ,hence it is said1 8,no man hath seen ,god at any time20#adff and the ,first-born of all creation is called 8the image of the invisible ,god10#adfg which is the same as if it were said that ,he is incorporeal4 ,however1 we have already said something on the nature of ,god while examining into the meaning of the words1 8,god is a ,spirit1 and they who worship ,him must worship ,him in spirit and in truth40 ,footnote #adff3 ,john i4 #ah4 ,footnote #adfg3 ,col4 i4 #ae4 ,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,after thus misrepresenting our views of the nature of ,god1 ,celsus goes on to ask of us 8where we hope to go after death20 and he makes our answer to be1 8to another land better than this40 ,on this he comments as follows3 8,the divine men of a former age have spoken of a happy life reserved for the souls of the blessed4 ,some designated it #8the isles of the blest1' and others #8the ,elysian plain1' so called because they were there to be delivered from their present evils4 ,thus ,homer says3 #8,but the gods shall send thee to the ,elysian plain1 on the borders of the earth1 where they lead a most quiet life4'#adfh ,plato also1 who believed in the immortality of the soul1 distinctly gives the name #8land' to the place where it is sent4 #8,the extent of it1'#adfi says he1 #8is immense1 and we only occupy a small portion of it1 from the ,phasis to the ,pillars of ,hercules1 where we dwell along the shores of the sea1 as grasshoppers and frogs beside a marsh4 ,but there are many other places inhabited in like manner by other men4 ,for there are in different parts of the earth cavities1 varying in form and in magnitude1 into which run water1 and clouds1 and air4 ,but that land which is pure lies in the pure region of heaven4'0 ,celsus therefore supposes that what we say of a land which is much better and more excellent than this1 has been borrowed from certain ancient writers whom he styles 8divine10 and chiefly from ,plato1 who in his ,phdon discourses on the pure land lying in a pure heaven4 ,but he does not see that ,moses1 who is much older than the ,greek literature1 introduces ,god as promising to those who lived according to ,his law the holy land1 which is 8a good land and a large1 a land flowing with milk and honey20#adgj which promise is not to be understood to refer1 as some suppose1 to that part of the earth which we call ,juda2 for it1 however good it may be1 still forms part of the earth1 which was originally cursed for the transgression of ,adam4 ,for these words1 8,cursed shall the ground be for what thou hast done2 with grief1 that is1 with labour1 shalt thou eat of the fruit of it all the days of thy life10#adga were spoken of the whole earth1 the fruit of which every man who died in ,adam eats with sorrow or labour all the days of his life4 ,and as all the earth has been cursed1 it brings forth thorns and briers all the days of the life of those who in ,adam were driven out of paradise2 and in the sweat of his face every man eats bread until he returns to the ground from which he was taken4 ,for the full exposition of all that is contained in this passage much might be said2 but we have confined ourselves to these few words at present1 which are intended to remove the idea1 that what is said of the good land promised by ,god to the righteous1 refers to the land of ,juda4 ,footnote #adfh3 ,odys4 iv4 #efc4 ,footnote #adfi3 ,phdon1 p4 #aji4 ,footnote #adgj3 ,ex4 iii4 #h4 ,footnote #adga3 ,gen4 iii4 #ag4 ,chapter ,,xxix4 ,if1 then1 the whole earth has been cursed in the deeds of ,adam and of those who died in him1 it is plain that all parts of the earth share in the curse1 and among others the land of ,juda2 so that the words1 8a good land and a large1 a land flowing with milk and honey10 cannot apply to it1 although we may say of it1 that both ,juda and ,jerusalem were the shadow and figure of that pure land1 goodly and large1 in the pure region of heaven1 in which is the heavenly ,jerusalem4 ,and it is in reference to this ,jerusalem that the apostle spoke1 as one who1 8being risen with ,christ1 and seeking those things which are above10 had found a truth which formed no part of the ,jewish mythology4 8,ye are come10 says he1 8unto ,mount ,sion1 and unto the city of the living ,god1 the heavenly ,jerusalem1 and to an innumerable company of angels40#adgb ,and in order to be assured that our explanation of 8the good and large land0 of ,moses is not contrary to the intention of the ,divine ,spirit1 we have only to read in all the prophets what they say of those who1 after having left ,jerusalem1 and wandered astray from it1 should afterwards return and be settled in the place which is called the habitation and city of ,god1 as in the words1 8,his dwelling is in the holy place20#adgc and1 8,great is the ,lord1 and greatly to be praised in the city of our ,god1 in the mountain of ,his holiness1 beautiful for situation1 the joy of the whole earth40#adgd ,it is enough at present to quote the words of the thirty-seventh ,psalm1 which speaks thus of the land of the righteous1 8,those that wait upon the ,lord1 they shall inherit the earth20 and a little after1 8,but the meek shall inherit the earth1 and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace20 and again1 8,those who bless ,him shall inherit the earth20 and1 8,the righteous shall inherit the land1 and dwell therein for ever40#adge ,and consider whether it is not evident to intelligent readers that the following words from this same ,psalm refer to the pure land in the pure heaven3 8,wait on the ,lord1 and keep ,his way2 and ,he shall exalt thee to inherit the land40 ,footnote #adgb3 ,heb4 xii4 #bb4 ,footnote #adgc3 ,ps4 lxxvi4 #b2 ,english version1 8,in ,salem is ,his tabernacle40 ,footnote #adgd3 ,ps4 xlviii4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #adge3 ,ps4 xxxvii4 #i1 #aa1 #bb1 #bi1 #cd4 ,chapter ,,xxx4 ,it seems to me also that that fancy of ,plato1 that those stones which we call precious stones derive their lustre from a reflection1 as it were1 of the stones in that better land1 is taken from the words of ,isaiah in describing the city of ,god1 8,i will make thy battlements of jasper1 thy stones shall be crystal1 and thy borders of precious stones20#adgf and1 8,i will lay thy foundations with sapphires40 ,those who hold in greatest reverence the teaching of ,plato1 explain this myth of his as an allegory4 ,and the prophecies from which1 as we conjecture1 ,plato has borrowed1 will be explained by those who1 leading a godly life like that of the prophets1 devote all their time to the study of the sacred ,scriptures1 to those who are qualified to learn by purity of life1 and their desire to advance in divine knowledge4 ,for our part1 our purpose has been simply to say that what we affirm of that sacred land has not been taken from ,plato or any of the ,greeks1 but that they rather--living as they did not only after ,moses1 who was the oldest1 but even after most of the prophets--borrowed from them1 and in so doing either misunderstood their obscure intimations on such subjects1 or else endeavoured1 in their allusions to the better land1 to imitate those portions of ,scripture which had fallen into their hands4 ,haggai expressly makes a distinction between the earth and the dry land1 meaning by the latter the land in which we live4 ,he says3 8,yet once1 and ,i will shake the heavens and the earth1 and the dry land1 and the sea40#adgg ,footnote #adgf3 ,isa4 liv4 #ab1 #aa4 ,footnote #adgg3 ,hagg4 ii4 #f4 ,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,referring to the passage in the ,phdon of ,plato1 ,celsus says3 8,it is not easy for every one to understand the meaning of ,plato's words1 when he says that on account of our weakness and slowness we are unable to reach the highest region of the air2 but that if our nature were capable of so sublime a contemplation1 we would then be able to understand that that is the true heaven1 and that the true light40 ,as ,celsus has deferred to another opportunity the explanation of ,plato's idea1 we also think that it does not fall within our purpose at present to enter into any full description of that holy and good land1 and of the city of ,god which is in it2 but reserve the consideration of it for our ,commentary on the ,prophets1 having already in part1 according to our power1 treated of the city of ,god in our remarks on the forty-sixth and forty-eighth ,psalms4 ,the writings of ,moses and the prophets--the most ancient of all books--teach us that all things here on earth which are in common use among men1 have other things corresponding to them in name which are alone real4 ,thus1 for instance1 there is the true light1 and another heaven beyond the firmament1 and a ,sun of righteousness other than the sun we see4 ,in a word1 to distinguish those things from the objects of sense1 which have no true reality1 they say of ,god that 8,his works are truth20#adgh thus making a distinction between the works of ,god and the works of ,god's hands1 which latter are of an inferior sort4 ,accordingly1 ,god in ,isaiah complains of men1 that 8they regard not the works of the ,lord1 nor consider the operation of ,his hands40#adgi ,but enough on this point4 ,footnote #adgh3 ,dan4 iv4 #cg4 ,footnote #adgi3 ,isa4 v4 #ab4 ,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,celsus next assails the doctrine of the resurrection1 which is a high and difficult doctrine1 and one which more than others requires a high and advanced degree of wisdom to set forth how worthy it is of ,god2 and how sublime a truth it is which teaches us that there is a seminal principle lodged in that which ,scripture speaks of as the 8tabernacle0 of the soul1 in which the righteous 8do groan1 being burdened1 not for that they would be unclothed1 but clothed upon40#adhj ,celsus ridicules this doctrine because he does not understand it1 and because he has learnt it from ignorant persons1 who were unable to support it on any reasonable grounds4 ,it will be profitable1 therefore1 that in addition to what we have said above1 we should make this one remark4 ,our teaching on the subject of the resurrection is not1 as ,celsus imagines1 derived from anything that we have heard on the doctrine of metempsychosis2 but we know that the soul1 which is immaterial and invisible in its nature1 exists in no material place1 without having a body suited to the nature of that place4 ,accordingly1 it at one time puts off one body which was necessary before1 but which is no longer adequate in its changed state1 and it exchanges it for a second2 and at another time it assumes another in addition to the former1 which is needed as a better covering1 suited to the purer etherial regions of heaven4 ,when it comes into the world at birth1 it casts off the integuments which it needed in the womb2 and before doing this1 it puts on another body suited for its life upon earth4 ,then1 again1 as there is 8a tabernacle0 and 8an earthly house0 which is in some sort necessary for this tabernacle1 ,scripture teaches us that 8the earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved10 but that the tabernacle shall 8be clothed upon with a house not made with hands1 eternal in the heavens40#adha ,the men of ,god say also that 8the corruptible shall put on incorruption10#adhb which is a different thing from 8the incorruptible20 and 8the mortal shall put on immortality10 which is different from 8the immortal40 ,indeed1 what 8wisdom0 is to 8the wise10 and 8justice0 to 8the just10 and 8peace0 to 8the peaceable10 the same relation does 8incorruption0 hold to 8the incorruptible10 and 8immortality0 to 8the immortal40 ,behold1 then1 to what a prospect ,scripture encourages us to look1 when it speaks to us of being clothed with incorruption and immortality1 which are1 as it were1 vestments which will not suffer those who are covered with them to come to corruption or death4 ,thus far ,i have taken the liberty of referring to this subject1 in answer to one who assails the doctrine of the resurrection without understanding it1 and who1 simply because he knew nothing about it1 made it the object of contempt and ridicule4 ,footnote #adhj3 #b ,cor4 v4 #a1 #d4 ,footnote #adha3 #b ,cor4 v4 #a4 ,footnote #adhb3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ec4 ,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,as ,celsus supposes that we uphold the doctrine of the resurrection in order that we may see and know ,god1 he thus follows out his notions on the subject3 8,after they have been utterly refuted and vanquished1 they still1 as if regardless of all objections1 come back again to the same question1 #8,how then shall we see and know ,god8 how shall we go to ,him8'0 ,let any1 however1 who are disposed to hear us observe1 that if we have need of a body for other purposes1 as for occupying a material locality to which this body must be adapted1 and if on that account the 8tabernacle0 is clothed in the way we have shown1 we have no need of a body in order to know ,god4 ,for that which sees ,god is not the eye of the body2 it is the mind which is made in the image of the ,creator1#adhc and which ,god has in ,his providence rendered capable of that knowledge4 ,to see ,god belongs to the pure heart1 out of which no longer proceed 8evil thoughts1 murders1 adulteries1 fornications1 thefts1 false witness1 blasphemies1 the evil eye10#adhd or any other evil thing4 ,wherefore it is said1 8,blessed are the pure in heart1 for they shall see ,god40#adhe ,but as the strength of our will is not sufficient to procure the perfectly pure heart1 and as we need that ,god should create it1 he therefore who prays as he ought1 offers this petition to ,god1 8,create in me a clean heart1 ,o ,god40#adhf ,footnote #adhc3 ,bouhreau follows the reading1 8the mind which sees what is made in the image of the ,creator40 ,footnote #adhd3 ,matt4 xv4 #ai and vi4 #bc4 ,footnote #adhe3 ,matt4 v4 #h4 ,footnote #adhf3 ,ps4 li4 #aj4 ,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,and we do not ask the question1 8,how shall we go to ,god80 as though we thought that ,god existed in some place4 ,god is of too excellent a nature for any place3 ,he holds all things in ,his power1 and is ,himself not confined by anything whatever4 ,the precept1 therefore1 8,thou shalt walk after the ,lord thy ,god10#adhg does not command a bodily approach to ,god2 neither does the prophet refer to physical nearness to ,god1 when he says in his prayer1 8,my soul followeth hard after ,thee40#adhh ,celsus therefore misrepresents us1 when he says that we expect to see ,god with our bodily eyes1 to hear ,him with our ears1 and to touch ,him sensibly with our hands4 ,we know that the holy ,scriptures make mention of eyes1 of ears1 and of hands1 which have nothing but the name in common with the bodily organs2 and what is more wonderful1 they speak of a diviner sense1 which is very different from the senses as commonly spoken of4 ,for when the prophet says1 8,open ,thou mine eyes1 that ,i may behold wondrous things out of ,thy law10#adhi or1 8,the commandment of the ,lord is pure1 enlightening the eyes10#adij or1 8,lighten mine eyes1 lest ,i sleep the sleep of death10#adia no one is so foolish as to suppose that the eyes of the body behold the wonders of the divine law1 or that the law of the ,lord gives light to the bodily eyes1 or that the sleep of death falls on the eyes of the body4 ,when our ,saviour says1 8,he that hath ears to hear1 let him hear10#adib any one will understand that the ears spoken of are of a diviner kind4 ,when it is said that the word of the ,lord was 8in the hand0 of ,jeremiah or of some other prophet2 or when the expression is used1 8the law by the hand of ,moses10 or1 8,i sought the ,lord with my hands1 and was not deceived10#adic--no one is so foolish as not to see that the word 8hands0 is taken figuratively1 as when ,john says1 8,our hands have handled the ,word of life40#adid ,and if you wish further to learn from the sacred writings that there is a diviner sense than the senses of the body1 you have only to hear what ,solomon says1 8,thou shalt find a divine sense40#adie ,footnote #adhg3 ,deut4 xiii4 #d4 ,footnote #adhh3 ,ps4 lxiii4 #h4 ,footnote #adhi3 ,ps4 cxix4 #ah4 ,footnote #adij3 ,ps4 xix4 #h4 ,footnote #adia3 ,ps4 xiii4 #c4 ,footnote #adib3 ,matt4 xiii4 #i4 ,footnote #adic3 ,ps4 lxxvii4 #b1 according to the ,,lxx4 ,footnote #adid3 #a ,john i4 #a4 ,footnote #adie3 ,prov4 ii4 #e4 ,e4 ,v4 and ,,lxx41 8,thou shalt find the knowledge of ,god40 ,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,seeking ,god1 then1 in this way1 we have no need to visit the oracles of ,trophonius1 of ,amphiaraus1 and of ,mopsus1 to which ,celsus would send us1 assuring us that we would there 8see the gods in human form1 appearing to us with all distinctness1 and without illusion40 ,for we know that these are demons1 feeding on the blood1 and smoke1 and odour of victims1 and shut up by their base desires in prisons1 which the ,greeks call temples of the gods1 but which we know are only the dwellings of deceitful demons4 ,to this ,celsus maliciously adds1 in regard to these gods which1 according to him1 are in human form1 8they do not show themselves for once1 or at intervals1 like him who has deceived men1 but they are ever open to intercourse with those who desire it40 ,from this remark1 it would seem that ,celsus supposes that the appearance of ,christ to ,his disciples after ,his resurrection was like that of a spectre flitting before their eyes2 whereas these gods1 as he calls them1 in human shape always present themselves to those who desire it4 ,but how is it possible that a phantom which1 as he describes it1 flew past to deceive the beholders1 could produce such effects after it had passed away1 and could so turn the hearts of men as to lead them to regulate their actions according to the will of ,god1 as in view of being hereafter judged by ,him8 ,and how could a phantom drive away demons1 and show other indisputable evidences of power1 and that not in any one place1 like these so-called gods in human form1 but making its divine power felt through the whole world1 in drawing and congregating together all who are found disposed to lead a good and noble life8 ,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,after these remarks of ,celsus1 which we have endeavoured to answer as we could1 he goes on to say1 speaking of us3 8,again they will ask1 #8,how can we know ,god1 unless by the perception of the senses8 for how otherwise than through the senses are we able to gain any knowledge8'0 ,to this he replies3 8,this is not the language of a man2 it comes not from the soul1 but from the flesh4 ,let them hearken to us1 if such a spiritless and carnal race are able to do so3 if1 instead of exercising the senses1 you look upwards with the soul2 if1 turning away the eye of the body1 you open the eye of the mind1 thus and thus only will you be able to see ,god4 ,and if you seek one to be your guide along this way1 you must shun all deceivers and jugglers1 who will introduce you to phantoms4 ,otherwise you will be acting the most ridiculous part1 if1 whilst you pronounce imprecations upon those others that are recognised as gods1 treating them as idols1 you yet do homage to a more wretched idol than any of these1 which indeed is not even an idol or a phantom1 but a dead man1 and you seek a father like to him40 ,the first remark which we have to make on this passage is in regard to his use of personification1 by which he makes us defend in this way the doctrine of the resurrection4 ,this figure of speech is properly employed when the character and sentiments of the person introduced are faithfully preserved2 but it is an abuse of the figure when these do not agree with the character and opinions of the speaker4 ,thus we should justly condemn a man who put into the mouths of barbarians1 slaves1 or uneducated people the language of philosophy2 because we know that the philosophy belonged to the author1 and not to such persons1 who could not know anything of philosophy4 ,and in like manner we should condemn a man for introducing persons who are represented as wise and well versed in divine knowledge1 and should make them give expression to language which could only come out of the mouths of those who are ignorant or under the influence of vulgar passions4 ,hence ,homer is admired1 among other things1 for preserving a consistency of character in his heroes1 as in ,nestor1 ,ulysses1 ,diomede1 ,agamemnon1 ,telemachus1 ,penelope1 and the rest4 ,euripides1 on the contrary1 was assailed in the comedies of ,aristophanes as a frivolous talker1 often putting into the mouth of a barbarian woman1 a wretched slave1 the wise maxims which he had learned from ,anaxagoras or some other philosophers4 ,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,now if this is a true account of what constitutes the right and the wrong use of personification1 have we not grounds for holding ,celsus up to ridicule for thus ascribing to ,christians words which they never uttered8 ,for if those whom he represents as speaking are the unlearned1 how is it possible that such persons could distinguish between 8sense0 and 8reason10 between 8objects of sense0 and 8objects of the reason80 ,to argue in this way1 they would require to have studied under the ,stoics1 who deny all intellectual existences1 and maintain that all that we apprehend is apprehended through the senses1 and that all knowledge comes through the senses4 ,but if1 on the other hand1 he puts these words into the mouth of philosophers who search carefully into the meaning of ,christian doctrines1 the statements in question do not agree with their character and principles4 ,for no one who has learnt that ,god is invisible1 and that certain of ,his works are invisible1 that is to say1 apprehended by the reason1#adif can say1 as if to justify his faith in a resurrection1 8,how can they know ,god1 except by the perception of the senses80 or1 8,how otherwise than through the senses can they gain any knowledge80 ,for it is not in any secret writings1 perused only by a few wise men1 but in such as are most widely diffused and most commonly known among the people1 that these words are written3 8,the invisible things of ,god from the creation of the world are clearly seen1 being understood by the things that are made40#adig ,from whence it is to be inferred1 that though men who live upon the earth have to begin with the use of the senses upon sensible objects1 in order to go on from them to a knowledge of the nature of things intellectual1 yet their knowledge must not stop short with the objects of sense4 ,and thus1 while ,christians would not say that it is impossible to have a knowledge of intellectual objects without the senses1 but rather that the senses supply the first means of obtaining knowledge1 they might well ask the question1 8,who can gain any knowledge without the senses80 without deserving the abuse of ,celsus1 when he adds1 8,this is not the language of a man2 it comes not from the soul1 but from the flesh40 ,footnote #adif3 1 falling under the province of 1 the reason4 ,for convenience1 we translate it elsewhere 8intellectual40 ,footnote #adig3 ,rom4 i4 #bj4 ,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,since we hold that the great ,god is in essence simple1 invisible1 and incorporeal1 ,himself pure intelligence1 or something transcending intelligence and existence1 we can never say that ,god is apprehended by any other means than through the intelligence which is formed in ,his image1 though now1 in the words of ,paul1 8we see in a glass obscurely1 but then face to face40#adih ,and if we use the expression 8face to face10 let no one pervert its meaning2 but let it be explained by this passage1 8,beholding with open face the glory of the ,lord1 we are changed into the same image1 from glory to glory10 which shows that we do not use the word in this connection to mean the visible face1 but take it figuratively1 in the same way as we have shown that the eyes1 the ears1 and the other parts of the body are employed4 ,and it is certain that a man--,i mean a soul using a body1 otherwise called 8the inner man10 or simply 8the soul0--would answer1 not as ,celsus makes us answer1 but as the man of ,god himself teaches4 ,it is certain also that a ,christian will not make use of 8the language of the flesh10 having learnt as he has 8to mortify the deeds of the body0#adii by the spirit1 and 8to bear about in his body the dying of ,jesus20#aejj and 8mortify your members which are on the earth10#aeja and with a true knowledge of these words1 8,my ,spirit shall not always strive with man1 for that he also is flesh10#aejb and again1 8,they that are in the flesh cannot please ,god10#aejc he strives in every way to live no longer according to the flesh1 but only according to the ,spirit4 ,footnote #adih3 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #ab4 ,footnote #adii3 ,rom4 viii4 #ac4 ,footnote #aejj3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #aeja3 ,col4 iii4 #e4 ,footnote #aejb3 ,gen4 vi4 #c4 ,footnote #aejc3 ,rom4 viii4 #h4 ,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,now let us hear what it is that he invites us to learn1 that we may ascertain from him how we are to know ,god1 although he thinks that his words are beyond the capacity of all ,christians4 8,let them hear10 says he1 8if they are able to do so40 ,we have then to consider what the philosopher wishes us to hear from him4 ,but instead of instructing us as he ought1 he abuses us2 and while he should have shown his goodwill to those whom he addresses at the outset of his discourse1 he stigmatizes as 8a cowardly race0 men who would rather die than abjure ,christianity even by a word1 and who are ready to suffer every form of torture1 or any kind of death4 ,he also applies to us the epithet 8carnal0 or 8flesh-indulging10 8although10 as we are wont to say1 8we have known ,christ after the flesh1 yet now henceforth we know ,him no more10#aejd and although we are so ready to lay down our lives for the cause of religion1 that no philosopher could lay aside his robes more readily4 ,he then addresses to us these words3 8,if1 instead of exercising your senses1 you look upwards with the soul2 if1 turning away the eye of the body1 you open the eye of the mind1 thus and thus only you will be able to see ,god40 ,he is not aware that this reference to the two eyes1 the eye of the body and the eye of the mind1 which he has borrowed from the ,greeks1 was in use among our own writers2 for ,moses1 in his account of the creation of the world1 introduces man before his transgression as both seeing and not seeing3 seeing1 when it is said of the woman1 8,the woman saw that the tree was good for food1 and that it was pleasant to the eyes1 and a tree to be desired to make one wise20#aeje and again not seeing1 as when he introduces the serpent saying to the woman1 as if she and her husband had been blind1 8,god knows that on the day that ye eat thereof your eyes shall be opened20#aejf and also when it is said1 8,they did eat1 and the eyes of both of them were opened40#aejg ,the eyes of sense were then opened1 which they had done well to keep shut1 that they might not be distracted1 and hindered from seeing with the eyes of the mind2 and it was those eyes of the mind which in consequence of sin1 as ,i imagine1 were then closed1 with which they had up to that time enjoyed the delight of beholding ,god and ,his paradise4 ,this twofold kind of vision in us was familiar to our ,saviour1 who says1 8,for judgment ,i am come into this world1 that they which see not might see1 and that they which see might be made blind10#aejh--meaning by the eyes that see not the eyes of the mind1 which are enlightened by ,his teaching2 and the eyes which see are the eyes of sense1 which ,his words do render blind1 in order that the soul may look without distraction upon proper objects4 ,all true ,christians therefore have the eye of the mind sharpened1 and the eye of sense closed2 so that each one1 according to the degree in which his better eye is quickened1 and the eye of sense darkened1 sees and knows the ,supreme ,god1 and ,his ,son1 who is the ,word1 ,wisdom1 and so forth4 ,footnote #aejd3 #b ,cor4 v4 #af4 ,footnote #aeje3 ,gen4 iii4 #f4 ,footnote #aejf3 ,gen4 iii4 #e4 ,footnote #aejg3 ,gen4 iii4 #g4 ,footnote #aejh3 ,john ix4 #ci4 ,chapter ,,xl4 ,next to the remarks of ,celsus on which we have already commented1 come others which he addresses to all ,christians1 but which1 if applicable to any1 ought to be addressed to persons whose doctrines differ entirely from those taught by ,jesus4 ,for it is the ,ophians who1 as we have before shown1#aeji have utterly renounced ,jesus1 and perhaps some others of similar opinions who are 8the impostors and jugglers1 leading men away to idols and phantoms20 and it is they who with miserable pains learn off the names of the heavenly doorkeepers4 ,these words are therefore quite inappropriate as addressed to ,christians3 8,if you seek one to be your guide along this way1 you must shun all deceivers and jugglers1 who will introduce you to phantoms40 ,and1 as though quite unaware that these impostors entirely agree with him1 and are not behind him in speaking ill of ,jesus and ,his religion1 he thus continues1 confounding us with them3 8otherwise you will be acting the most ridiculous part1 if1 whilst you pronounce imprecations upon those other recognised gods1 treating them as idols1 you yet do homage to a more wretched idol than any of these1 which indeed is not even an idol or a phantom1 but a dead man1 and you seek a father like to himself40 ,that he is ignorant of the wide difference between our opinions and those of the inventors of these fables1 and that he imagines the charges which he makes against them applicable to us1 is evident from the following passage3 8,for the sake of such a monstrous delusion1 and in support of those wonderful advisers1 and those wonderful words which you address to the lion1 to the amphibious creature1 to the creature in the form of an ass1 and to others1 for the sake of those divine doorkeepers whose names you commit to memory with such pains1 in such a cause as this you suffer cruel tortures1 and perish at the stake40 ,surely1 then1 he is unaware that none of those who regard beings in the form of an ass1 a lion1 or an amphibious animal1 as the doorkeepers or guides on the way to heaven1 ever expose themselves to death in defence of that which they think the truth4 ,that excess of zeal1 if it may be so called1 which leads us for the sake of religion to submit to every kind of death1 and to perish at the stake1 is ascribed by ,celsus to those who endure no such sufferings2 and he reproaches us who suffer crucifixion for our faith1 with believing in fabulous creatures--in the lion1 the amphibious animal1 and other such monsters4 ,if we reject all these fables1 it is not out of deference to ,celsus1 for we have never at any time held any such fancies2 but it is in accordance with the teaching of ,jesus that we oppose all such notions1 and will not allow to ,michael1 or to any others that have been referred to1 a form and figure of that sort4 ,footnote #aeji3 ,see ,book vi4 chap4 xxx4 etc4 ,chapter ,,xli4 ,but let us consider who those persons are whose guidance ,celsus would have us to follow1 so that we may not be in want of guides who are recommended both by their antiquity and sanctity4 ,he refers us to divinely inspired poets1 as he calls them1 to wise men and philosophers1 without mentioning their names2 so that1 after promising to point out those who should guide us1 he simply hands us over in a general way to divinely inspired poets1 wise men1 and philosophers4 ,if he had specified their names in particular1 we should have felt ourselves bound to show him that he wished to give us as guides men who were blinded to the truth1 and who must therefore lead us into error2 or that if not wholly blinded1 yet they are in error in many matters of belief4 ,but whether ,orpheus1 ,parmenides1 ,empedocles1 or even ,homer himself1 and ,hesiod1 are the persons whom he means by 8inspired poets10 let any one show how those who follow their guidance walk in a better way1 or lead a more excellent life1 than those who1 being taught in the school of ,jesus ,christ1 have rejected all images and statues1 and even all ,jewish superstition1 that they may look upward through the ,word of ,god to the one ,god1 who is the ,father of the ,word4 ,who1 then1 are those wise men and philosophers from whom ,celsus would have us to learn so many divine truths1 and for whom we are to give up ,moses the servant of ,god1 the prophets of the ,creator of the world1 who have spoken so many things by a truly divine inspiration1 and even ,him who has given light and taught the way of piety to the whole human race1 so that no one can reproach ,him if he remains without a share in the knowledge of ,his mysteries8 ,such1 indeed1 was the abounding love which ,he had for men1 that ,he gave to the more learned a theology capable of raising the soul far above all earthly things2 while with no less consideration ,he comes down to the weaker capacities of ignorant men1 of simple women1 of slaves1 and1 in short1 of all those who from ,jesus alone could have received that help for the better regulation of their lives which is supplied by ,his instructions in regard to the ,divine ,being1 adapted to their wants and capacities4 ,chapter ,,xlii4 ,celsus next refers us to ,plato as to a more effective teacher of theological truth1 and quotes the following passage from the ,timus3 8,it is a hard matter to find out the ,maker and ,father of this universe2 and after having found ,him1 it is impossible to make ,him known to all40 ,to which he himself adds this remark3 8,you perceive1 then1 how divine men seek after the way of truth1 and how well ,plato knew that it was impossible for all men to walk in it4 ,but as wise men have found it for the express purpose of being able to convey to us some notion of ,him who is the first1 the unspeakable ,being1--a notion1 namely1 which may represent ,him to us through the medium of other objects1--they endeavour either by synthesis1 which is the combining of various qualities1 or by analysis1 which is the separation and setting aside of some qualities1 or finally by analogy2--in these ways1 ,i say1 they endeavour to set before us that which it is impossible to express in words4 ,i should therefore be surprised if you could follow in that course1 since you are so completely wedded to the flesh as to be incapable of seeing aught but what is impure40 ,these words of ,plato are noble and admirable2 but see if ,scripture does not give us an example of a regard for mankind still greater in ,god the ,word1 who was 8in the beginning with ,god10 and 8who was made flesh10 in order that ,he might reveal to all men truths which1 according to ,plato1 it would be impossible to make known to all men1 even after he had found them himself4 ,plato may say that 8it is a hard thing to find out the ,creator and ,father of this universe20 by which language he implies that it is not wholly beyond the power of human nature to attain to such a knowledge as is either worthy of ,god1 or if not1 is far beyond that which is commonly attained 7although if it were true that ,plato or any other of the ,greeks had found ,god1 they would never have given homage and worship1 or ascribed the name of ,god1 to any other than to ,him3 they would have abandoned all others1 and would not have associated with this great ,god objects which can have nothing in common with ,him74 ,for ourselves1 we maintain that human nature is in no way able to seek after ,god1 or to attain a clear knowledge of ,him without the help of ,him whom it seeks4 ,he makes ,himself known to those who1 after doing all that their powers will allow1 confess that they need help from ,him1 who discovers ,himself to those whom ,he approves1 in so far as it is possible for man and the soul still dwelling in the body to know ,god4 ,chapter ,,xliii4 ,observe that when ,plato says1 that 8after having found out the ,creator and ,father of the universe1 it is impossible to make ,him known to all men10 he does not speak of ,him as unspeakable1 and as incapable of being expressed in words4 ,on the contrary1 he implies that ,he may be spoken of1 and that there are a few to whom ,he may be made known4 ,but ,celsus1 as if forgetting the language which he had just quoted from ,plato1 immediately gives ,god the name of 8the unspeakable40 ,he says3 8since the wise men have found out this way1 in order to be able to give us some idea of the ,first of ,beings1 who is unspeakable40 ,for ourselves1 we hold that not ,god alone is unspeakable1 but other things also which are inferior to ,him4 ,such are the things which ,paul labours to express when he says1 8,i heard unspeakable words1 which it is not lawful for a man to utter10#aeaj where the word 8heard0 is used in the sense of 8understood20 as in the passage1 8,he who hath ears to hear1 let him hear40 ,we also hold that it is a hard matter to see the ,creator and ,father of the universe2 but it is possible to see ,him in the way thus referred to1 8,blessed are the pure in heart1 for they shall see ,god20#aeaa and not only so1 but also in the sense of the words of ,him 8who is the image of the invisible ,god20 8,he who hath seen me hath seen the ,father who sent me40#aeab ,no sensible person could suppose that these last words were spoken in reference to ,his bodily presence1 which was open to the view of all2 otherwise all those who said1 8,crucify him1 crucify him10 and ,pilate1 who had power over the humanity of ,jesus1 were among those who saw ,god the ,father1 which is absurd4 ,moreover1 that these words1 8,he that hath seen me1 hath seen the ,father who sent me10 are not to be taken in their grosser sense1 is plain from the answer which ,he gave to ,philip1 8,have ,i been so long time with you1 and yet dost thou not know me1 ,philip80 after ,philip had asked1 8,show us the ,father1 and it sufficeth us40 ,he1 then1 who perceives how these words1 8,the ,word was made flesh10 are to be understood of the only-begotten ,son of ,god1 the first-born of all creation1 will also understand how1 in seeing the image of the invisible ,god1 we see 8the ,creator and ,father of the universe40 ,footnote #aeaj3 #b ,cor4 xii4 #d4 ,footnote #aeaa3 ,matt4 v4 #h4 ,footnote #aeab3 ,john xiv4 #i4 ,chapter ,,xliv4 ,celsus supposes that we may arrive at a knowledge of ,god either by combining or separating certain things after the methods which mathematicians call synthesis and analysis1 or again by analogy1 which is employed by them also1 and that in this way we may as it were gain admission to the chief good4 ,but when the ,word of ,god says1 8,no man knoweth the ,father but the ,son1 and he to whomsoever the ,son will reveal ,him10#aeac ,he declares that no one can know ,god but by the help of divine grace coming from above1 with a certain divine inspiration4 ,indeed1 it is reasonable to suppose that the knowledge of ,god is beyond the reach of human nature1 and hence the many errors into which men have fallen in their views of ,god4 ,it is1 then1 through the goodness and love of ,god to mankind1 and by a marvellous exercise of divine grace to those whom ,he saw in ,his foreknowledge1 and knew that they would walk worthy of ,him who had made ,himself known to them1 and that they would never swerve from a faithful attachment to ,his service1 although they were condemned to death or held up to ridicule by those who1 in ignorance of what true religion is1 give that name to what deserves to be called anything rather than religion4 ,god doubtless saw the pride and arrogance of those who1 with contempt for all others1 boast of their knowledge of ,god1 and of their profound acquaintance with divine things obtained from philosophy1 but who still1 not less even than the most ignorant1 run after their images1 and temples1 and famous mysteries2 and seeing this1 ,he 8has chosen the foolish things of this world0#aead--the simplest of ,christians1 who lead1 however1 a life of greater moderation and purity than many philosophers--8to confound the wise10 who are not ashamed to address inanimate things as gods or images of the gods4 ,for what reasonable man can refrain from smiling when he sees that one who has learned from philosophy such profound and noble sentiments about ,god or the gods1 turns straightway to images and offers to them his prayers1 or imagines that by gazing upon these material things he can ascend from the visible symbol to that which is spiritual and immaterial4 ,but a ,christian1 even of the common people1 is assured that every place forms part of the universe1 and that the whole universe is ,god's temple4 ,in whatever part of the world he is1 he prays2 but he rises above the universe1 8shutting the eyes of sense1 and raising upwards the eyes of the soul40 ,and he stops not at the vault of heaven2 but passing in thought beyond the heavens1 under the guidance of the ,spirit of ,god1 and having thus as it were gone beyond the visible universe1 he offers prayers to ,god4 ,but he prays for no trivial blessings1 for he has learnt from ,jesus to seek for nothing small or mean1 that is1 sensible objects1 but to ask only for what is great and truly divine2 and these things ,god grants to us1 to lead us to that blessedness which is found only with ,him through ,his ,son1 the ,word1 who is ,god4 ,footnote #aeac3 ,matt4 xi4 #bg4 ,footnote #aead3 #a ,cor4 i4 #bg4 ,chapter ,,xlv4 ,but let us see further what the things are which he proposes to teach us1 if indeed we can comprehend them1 since he speaks of us as being 8utterly wedded to the flesh20 although if we live well1 and in accordance with the teaching of ,jesus1 we hear this said of us3 8,ye are not in the flesh1 but in the ,spirit1 if the ,spirit of ,god dwelleth in you40#aeae ,he says also that we look upon nothing that is pure1 although our endeavour is to keep even our thoughts free from all defilement of sin1 and although in prayer we say1 8,create in me a clean heart1 ,o ,god1 and renew a right spirit within me10#aeaf so that we may behold ,him with that 8pure heart0 to which alone is granted the privilege of seeing ,him4 ,this1 then1 is what he proposes for our instruction3 8,things are either intelligible1 which we call substance--being2 or visible1 which we call becoming3#aeag with the former is truth2 from the latter arises error4 ,truth is the object of knowledge2 truth and error form opinion4 ,intelligible objects are known by the reason1 visible objects by the eyes2 the action of the reason is called intelligent perception1 that of the eyes vision4 ,as1 then1 among visible things the sun is neither the eye nor vision1 but that which enables the eye to see1 and renders vision possible1 and in consequence of it visible things are seen1 all sensible things exist1 and itself is rendered visible2 so among things intelligible1 that which is neither reason1 nor intelligent perception1 nor knowledge1 is yet the cause which enables the reason to know1 which renders intelligent perception possible2 and in consequence of it knowledge arises1 all things intelligible1 truth itself and substance have their existence2 and itself1 which is above all these things1 becomes in some ineffable way intelligible4 ,these things are offered to the consideration of the intelligent2 and if even you can understand any of them1 it is well4 ,and if you think that a ,divine ,spirit has descended from ,god to announce divine things to men1 it is doubtless this same ,spirit that reveals these truths1 and it was under the same influence that men of old made known many important truths4 ,but if you cannot comprehend these things1 then keep silence2 do not expose your own ignorance1 and do not accuse of blindness those who see1 or of lameness those who run1 while you yourselves are utterly lamed and mutilated in mind1 and lead a merely animal life--the life of the body1 which is the dead part of our nature40 ,footnote #aeae3 ,rom4 viii4 #i4 ,footnote #aeaf3 ,ps4 li4 #aj4 ,footnote #aeag3 4 ,for the distinction between and 1 see ,plato's ,sophista1 p4 #bdf4 ,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,we are careful not to oppose fair arguments even if they proceed from those who are not of our faith2 we strive not to be captious1 or to seek to overthrow any sound reasonings4 ,but here we have to reply to those who slander the character of persons wishing to do their best in the service of ,god1 who accepts the faith which the meanest place in ,him1 as well as the more refined and intelligent piety of the learned2 seeing that both alike address to the ,creator of the world their prayers and thanksgivings through the ,high ,priest who has set before men the nature of pure religion4 ,we say1 then1 that those who are stigmatized as 8lamed and mutilated in spirit10 as 8living only for the sake of the body which is dead10 are persons whose endeavour it is to say with sincerity3 8,for though we live#aeah in the flesh1 we do not war according to the flesh2 for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly1 but mighty through ,god40 ,it is for those who throw out such vile accusations against men who desire to be ,god's servants1 to beware lest1 by the calumnies which they cast upon others who strive to live well1 they 8lame0 their own souls1 and 8mutilate0 the inner man1 by severing from it that justice and moderation of mind which the ,creator has planted in the nature of all ,his rational creatures4 ,as for those1 however1 who1 along with other lessons given by the ,divine ,word1 have learned and practised this1 8when reviled to bless1 when persecuted to endure1 when defamed to entreat10#aeai they may be said to be walking in spirit in the ways of uprightness1 to be purifying and setting in order the whole soul4 ,they distinguish--and to them the distinction is not one of words merely--between 8substance10 or that which is1 and that which is 8becoming20 between things apprehended by reason1 and things apprehended by sense2 and they connect truth with the one1 and avoid the errors arising out of the other2 looking1 as they have been taught1 not at the things 8becoming0 or phenomenal1 which are seen1 and therefore temporary1 but at better things than these1 whether we call them 8substance10 or 8spiritual0 things1 as being apprehended by reason1 or 8invisible10 because they lie out of the reach of the senses4 ,the disciples of ,jesus regard these phenomenal things only that they may use them as steps to ascend to the knowledge of the things of reason4 ,for 8the invisible things of ,god10 that is1 the objects of the reason1 8from the creation of the world are clearly seen0 by the reason1 8being understood by the things that are made40 ,and when they have risen from the created things of this world to the invisible things of ,god1 they do not stay there2 but after they have sufficiently exercised their minds upon these1 and have understood their nature1 they ascend to 8the eternal power of ,god10 in a word1 to ,his divinity4 ,for they know that ,god1 in ,his love to men1 has 8manifested0 ,his truth1 and 8that which is known of ,him10 not only to those who devote themselves to ,his service1 but also to some who are far removed from the purity of worship and service which ,he requires2 and that some of those who by the providence of ,god had attained a knowledge of these truths1 were yet doing things unworthy of that knowledge1 and 8holding the truth in unrighteousness10 and who are unable to find any excuse before ,god after the knowledge of such great truths which ,he has given them4 ,footnote #aeah3 #a ,cor4 x4 #c1 #d4 ,the received text has 8walk0 instead of 8live40 ,footnote #aeai3 #a ,cor4 iv4 #aa1 #ab4 ,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,for ,scripture testifies1 in regard to those who have a knowledge of those things of which ,celsus speaks1 and who profess a philosophy founded on these principles1 that they1 8when they knew ,god1 glorified ,him not as ,god1 neither were thankful1 but became vain in their imaginations20 and notwithstanding the bright light of knowledge with which ,god had enlightened them1 8their foolish heart0 was carried away1 and became 8darkened40#aebj ,thus we may see how those who accounted themselves wise gave proofs of great folly1 when1 after such grand arguments delivered in the schools on ,god and on things apprehended by the reason1 they 8changed the glory of the incorruptible ,god into an image made like to corruptible man1 and to birds1 and four-footed beasts1 and creeping things40#aeba ,as1 then1 they lived in a way unworthy of the knowledge which they had received from ,god1 ,his providence leaving them to themselves1 they were given 8up to uncleanness1 through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies10#aebb in shamelessness and licentiousness1 because they 8changed the truth of ,god into a lie1 and worshipped and served the creature more than the ,creator40 ,footnote #aebj3 ,rom4 i4 #ba4 ,footnote #aeba3 ,rom4 i4 #be4 ,footnote #aebb3 ,rom4 i4 #bd1 #be4 ,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,but those who are despised for their ignorance1 and set down as fools and abject slaves1 no sooner commit themselves to ,god's guidance by accepting the teaching of ,jesus1 than1 so far from defiling themselves by licentious indulgence or the gratification of shameless passion1 they in many cases1 like perfect priests1 for whom such pleasures have no charm1 keep themselves in act and in thought in a state of virgin purity4 ,the ,athenians have one hierophant1 who1 not having confidence in his power to restrain his passions within the limits he prescribed for himself1 determined to check them at their seat by the application of hemlock2 and thus he was accounted pure1 and fit for the celebration of religious worship among the ,athenians4 ,but among ,christians may be found men who have no need of hemlock to fit them for the pure service of ,god1 and for whom the ,word in place of hemlock is able to drive all evil desires from their thoughts1 so that they may present their prayers to the ,divine ,being4 ,and attached to the other so-called gods are a select number of virgins1 who are guarded by men1 or it may be not guarded 7for that is not the point in question at present71 and who are supposed to live in purity for the honour of the god they serve4 ,but among ,christians1 those who maintain a perpetual virginity do so for no human honours1 for no fee or reward1 from no motive of vainglory2 but 8as they choose to retain ,god in their knowledge10#aebc they are preserved by ,god in a spirit well-pleasing to ,him1 and in the discharge of every duty1 being filled with all righteousness and goodness4 ,footnote #aebc3 ,rom4 i4 #bh4 ,chapter ,,xlix4 ,what ,i have now said1 then1 is offered not for the purpose of cavilling with any right opinions or sound doctrines held even by ,greeks1 but with the desire of showing that the same things1 and indeed much better and diviner things than these1 have been said by those divine men1 the prophets of ,god and the apostles of ,jesus4 ,these truths are fully investigated by all who wish to attain a perfect knowledge of ,christianity1 and who know that 8the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom1 and his tongue talketh of judgment2 the law of his ,god is in his heart40#aebd ,but even in regard to those who1 either from deficiency of knowledge or want of inclination1 or from not having ,jesus to lead them to a rational view of religion1 have not gone into these deep questions1 we find that they believe in the ,most ,high ,god1 and in ,his only-begotten ,son1 the ,word and ,god1 and that they often exhibit in their character a high degree of gravity1 of purity1 and integrity2 while those who call themselves wise have despised these virtues1 and have wallowed in the filth of sodomy1 in lawless lust1 8men with men working that which is unseemly40#aebe ,footnote #aebd3 ,ps4 xxxvii4 #cj1 #ca4 ,footnote #aebe3 ,rom4 i4 #bg4 ,chapter ,l4 ,celsus has not explained how error accompanies the 8becoming10 or product of generation2 nor has he expressed himself with sufficient clearness to enable us to compare his ideas with ours1 and to pass judgment on them4 ,but the prophets1 who have given some wise suggestions on the subject of things produced by generation1 tell us that a sacrifice for sin was offered even for new-born infants1 as not being free from sin4 ,they say1 8,i was shapen in iniquity1 and in sin did my mother conceive me20#aebf also1 8,they are estranged from the womb20 which is followed by the singular expression1 8,they go astray as soon as they are born1 speaking lies40#aebg ,besides1 our wise men have such a contempt for all sensible objects1 that sometimes they speak of all material things as vanity3 thus1 8,for the creature was made subject to vanity1 not willingly1 but by reason of him that subjected the same in hope20#aebh at other times as vanity of vanities1 8,vanity of vanities1 saith the ,preacher1 all is vanity40#aebi ,who has given so severe an estimate of the life of the human soul here on earth1 as he who says3 8,verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity80#aecj ,he does not hesitate at all as to the difference between the present life of the soul and that which it is to lead hereafter4 ,he does not say1 8,who knows if to die is not to live1 and if to live is not death80#aeca ,but he boldly proclaims the truth1 and says1 8,our soul is bowed down to the dust20#aecb and1 8,thou hast brought me into the dust of death20#aecc and similarly1 8,who will deliver me from the body of this death80#aecd also1 8,who will change the body of our humiliation40#aece ,it is a prophet also who says1 8,thou hast brought us down in a place of affliction20#aecf meaning by the 8place of affliction0 this earthly region1 to which ,adam1 that is to say1 man1 came after he was driven out of paradise for sin4 ,observe also how well the different life of the soul here and hereafter has been recognised by him who says1 8,now we see in a glass1 obscurely1 but then face to face20#aecg and1 8,whilst we are in our home in the body1 we are away from our home in the ,lord20 wherefore 8we are well content to go from our home in the body1 and to come to our home with the ,lord40#aech ,footnote #aebf3 ,ps4 li4 #e4 ,footnote #aebg3 ,ps4 lviii4 #c4 ,footnote #aebh3 ,rom4 viii4 #bj4 ,footnote #aebi3 ,eccles4 i4 #b4 ,footnote #aecj3 ,ps4 xxxix4 #e4 ,footnote #aeca3 ,euripides4 ,footnote #aecb3 ,ps4 xliv4 #be4 ,footnote #aecc3 ,ps4 xxii4 #ae4 ,footnote #aecd3 ,rom4 vii4 #bd4 ,footnote #aece3 ,phil4 iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #aecf3 ,ps4 xliii4 #ai1 ,,lxx4 ,footnote #aecg3 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #ab4 ,footnote #aech3 #b ,cor4 v4 #f1 #h4 ,chapter ,,li4 ,but what need is there to quote any more passages against ,celsus1 in order to prove that his words contain nothing which was not said long before among ourselves1 since that has been sufficiently established by what we have said8 ,it seems that what follows has some reference to this3 8,if you think that a ,divine ,spirit has descended from ,god to announce divine things to men1 it is doubtless this same ,spirit that reveals these truths2 and it was under the same influence that men of old made known many important truths40 ,but he does not know how great is the difference between those things and the clear and certain teaching of those who say to us1 8,thine incorruptible spirit is in all things1 wherefore ,god chasteneth them by little and little that offend20#aeci and of those who1 among their other instructions1 teach us that the words1 8,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost10#aedj refer to a degree of spiritual influence higher than that in the passage1 8,ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,ghost not many days hence40#aeda ,but it is a difficult matter1 even after much careful consideration1 to perceive the difference between those who have received a knowledge of the truth and a notion of ,god at different intervals and for short periods of time1 and those who are more fully inspired by ,god1 who have constant communion with ,him1 and are always led by ,his ,spirit4 ,had ,celsus set himself to understand this1 he would not have reproached us with ignorance1 or forbidden us to characterize as 8blind0 those who believe that religion shows itself in such products of man's mechanical art as images4 ,for every one who sees with the eyes of his soul serves the ,divine ,being in no other way than in that which leads him ever to have regard to the ,creator of all1 to address his prayers to ,him alone1 and to do all things as in the sight of ,god1 who sees us altogether1 even to our thoughts4 ,our earnest desire then is both to see for ourselves1 and to be leaders of the blind1 to bring them to the ,word of ,god1 that ,he may take away from their minds the blindness of ignorance4 ,and if our actions are worthy of ,him who taught ,his disciples1 8,ye are the light of the world10#aedb and of the ,word1 who says1 8,the light shineth in darkness10#aedc then we shall be light to those who are in darkness2 we shall give wisdom to those who are without it1 and we shall instruct the ignorant4 ,footnote #aeci3 ,wisd4 xii4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #aedj3 ,john xx4 #bb4 ,footnote #aeda3 ,acts i4 #e4 ,footnote #aedb3 ,matt4 v4 #ad4 ,footnote #aedc3 ,john i4 #e4 ,chapter ,,lii4 ,and let not ,celsus be angry if we describe as lame and mutilated in soul those who run to the temples as to places having a real sacredness1 and who cannot see that no mere mechanical work of man can be truly sacred4 ,those whose piety is grounded on the teaching of ,jesus also run until they come to the end of their course1 when they can say in all truth and confidence3 8,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have kept the faith2 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness40#aedd ,and each of us runs 8not as uncertain10 and he so fights with evil 8not as one beating the air10#aede but as against those who are subject to 8the prince of the power of the air1 the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience40#aedf ,celsus may indeed say of us that we 8live with the body which is a dead thing20 but we have learnt1 8,if ye live after the flesh1 ye shall die2 but if ye by the ,spirit do mortify the deeds of the body1 ye shall live20#aedg and1 8,if we live in the ,spirit1 let us also walk in the ,spirit40#aedh ,would that we might convince him by our actions that he did us wrong1 when he said that we 8live with the body which is dead60 ,footnote #aedd3 #b ,tim4 iv4 #g4 ,footnote #aede3 #a ,cor4 ix4 #bf4 ,footnote #aedf3 ,eph4 ii4 #b4 ,footnote #aedg3 ,rom4 viii4 #ac4 ,footnote #aedh3 ,gal4 v4 #be4 ,chapter ,,liii4 ,after these remarks of ,celsus1 which we have done our best to refute1 he goes on to address us thus3 8,seeing you are so eager for some novelty1 how much better it would have been if you had chosen as the object of your zealous homage some one of those who died a glorious death1 and whose divinity might have received the support of some myth to perpetuate his memory6 ,why1 if you were not satisfied with ,hercules or sculapius1 and other heroes of antiquity1 you had ,orpheus1 who was confessedly a divinely inspired man1 who died a violent death4 ,but perhaps some others have taken him up before you4 ,you may then take ,anaxarchus1 who1 when cast into a mortar1 and beaten most barbarously1 showed a noble contempt for his suffering1 and said1 #8,beat1 beat the shell of ,anaxarchus1 for himself you do not beat1'--a speech surely of a spirit truly divine4 ,but others were before you in following his interpretation of the laws of nature4 ,might you not1 then1 take ,epictetus1 who1 when his master was twisting his leg1 said1 smiling and unmoved1 #8,you will break my leg2' and when it was broken1 he added1 #8,did ,i not tell you that you would break it8' ,what saying equal to these did your god utter under suffering8 ,if you had said even of the ,sibyl1 whose authority some of you acknowledge1 that she was a child of ,god1 you would have said something more reasonable4 ,but you have had the presumption to include in her writings many impious things1 and set up as a god one who ended a most infamous life by a most miserable death4 ,how much more suitable than he would have been ,jonah in the whale's belly1 or ,daniel delivered from the wild beasts1 or any of a still more portentous kind60 ,chapter ,,liv4 ,but since he sends us to ,hercules1 let him repeat to us any of his sayings1 and let him justify his shameful subjection to ,omphale4 ,let him show that divine honours should be paid to one who1 like a highway robber1 carries off a farmer's ox by force1 and afterwards devours it1 amusing himself meanwhile with the curses of the owner2 in memory of which even to this day sacrifices offered to the demon of ,hercules are accompanied with curses4 ,again he proposes sculapius to us1 as if to oblige us to repeat what we have said already2 but we forbear4 ,in regard to ,orpheus1 what does he admire in him to make him assert that1 by common consent1 he was regarded as a divinely inspired man1 and lived a noble life8 ,i am greatly deceived if it is not the desire which ,celsus has to oppose us and put down ,jesus that leads him to sound forth the praises of ,orpheus2 and whether1 when he made himself acquainted with his impious fables about the gods1 he did not cast them aside as deserving1 even more than the poems of ,homer1 to be excluded from a well-ordered state4 ,for1 indeed1 ,orpheus says much worse things than ,homer of those whom they call gods4 ,noble1 indeed1 it was in ,anaxarchus to say to ,aristocreon1 tyrant of ,cyprus1 8,beat on1 beat the shell of ,anaxarchus10 but it is the one admirable incident in the life of ,anaxarchus known to the ,greeks2 and although1 on the strength of that1 some like ,celsus might deservedly honour the man for his courage1 yet to look up to ,anaxarchus as a god is not consistent with reason4 ,he also directs us to ,epictetus1 whose firmness is justly admired1 although his saying when his leg was broken by his master is not to be compared with the marvellous acts and words of ,jesus which ,celsus refuses to believe2 and these words were accompanied by such a divine power1 that even to this day they convert not only some of the more ignorant and simple1 but many also of the most enlightened of men4 ,chapter ,,lv4 ,when1 to his enumeration of those to whom he would send us1 he adds1 8,what saying equal to these did your god utter under sufferings80 we would reply1 that the silence of ,jesus under scourgings1 and amidst all ,his sufferings1 spoke more for ,his firmness and submission than all that was said by the ,greeks when beset by calamity4 ,perhaps ,celsus may believe what was recorded with all sincerity by trustworthy men1 who1 while giving a truthful account of all the wonders performed by ,jesus1 specify among these the silence which ,he preserved when subjected to scourgings2 showing the same singular meekness under the insults which were heaped upon ,him1 when they put upon ,him the purple robe1 and set the crown of thorns upon ,his head1 and when they put in ,his hand a reed in place of a sceptre3 no unworthy or angry word escaped ,him against those who subjected ,him to such outrages4 ,since1 then1 ,he received the scourgings with silent firmness1 and bore with meekness all the insults of those who outraged ,him1 it cannot be said1 as is said by some1 that it was in cowardly weakness that ,he uttered the words3 8,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me3 nevertheless1 not as ,i will1 but as ,thou wilt40#aedi ,the prayer which seems to be contained in these words for the removal of what ,he calls 8the cup0 bears a sense which we have elsewhere examined and set forth at large4 ,but taking it in its more obvious sense1 consider if it be not a prayer offered to ,god with all piety4 ,for no man naturally regards anything which may befall him as necessary and inevitable2 though he may submit to what is not inevitable1 if occasion requires4 ,besides1 these words1 8nevertheless1 not as ,i will1 but as ,thou wilt10 are not the language of one who yielded to necessity1 but of one who was contented with what was befalling ,him1 and who submitted with reverence to the arrangements of ,providence4 ,footnote #aedi3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #ci4 ,chapter ,,lvi4 ,celsus then adds1 for what reason ,i know not1 that instead of calling ,jesus the ,son of ,god1 we had better have given that honour to the ,sibyl1 in whose books he maintains we have interpolated many impious statements1 though he does not mention what those interpolations are4 ,he might have proved his assertion by producing some older copies which are free from the interpolations which he attributes to us2 but he does not do so even to justify his statement that these passages are of an impious character4 ,moreover1 he again speaks of the life of ,jesus as 8a most infamous life10 as he has done before1 not once or twice1 but many times1 although he does not stay to specify any of the actions of ,his life which he thinks most infamous4 ,he seems to think that he may in this way make assertions without proving them1 and rail against one of whom he knows nothing4 ,had he set himself to show what sort of infamy he found in the actions of ,jesus1 we should have repelled the several charges brought against ,him4 ,jesus did indeed meet with a most sad death2 but the same might be said of ,socrates1 and of ,anaxarchus1 whom he had just mentioned1 and a multitude of others4 ,if the death of ,jesus was a miserable one1 was not that of the others so too8 ,and if their death was not miserable1 can it be said that the death of ,jesus was8 ,you see from this1 then1 that the object of ,celsus is to vilify the character of ,jesus2 and ,i can only suppose that he is driven to it by some spirit akin to those whose power has been broken and vanquished by ,jesus1 and which now finds itself deprived of the smoke and blood on which it lived1 whilst deceiving those who sought for ,god here upon earth in images1 instead of looking up to the true ,god1 the ,governor of all things4 ,chapter ,,lvii4 ,after this1 as though his object was to swell the size of his book1 he advises us 8to choose ,jonah rather than ,jesus as our ,god20 thus setting ,jonah1 who preached repentance to the single city of ,nineveh1 before ,jesus1 who has preached repentance to the whole world1 and with much greater results4 ,he would have us to regard as ,god a man who1 by a strange miracle1 passed three days and three nights in the whale's belly2 and he is unwilling that ,he who submitted to death for the sake of men1 ,he to whom ,god bore testimony through the prophets1 and who has done great things in heaven and earth1 should receive on that ground honour second only to that which is given to the ,most ,high ,god4 ,moreover1 ,jonah was swallowed by the whale for refusing to preach as ,god had commanded him2 while ,jesus suffered death for men after ,he had given the instructions which ,god wished ,him to give4 ,still further1 he adds that ,daniel rescued from the lions is more worthy of our adoration than ,jesus1 who subdued the fierceness of every opposing power1 and gave to us 8authority to tread on serpents and scorpions1 and over all the power of the enemy40#aeej ,finally1 having no other names to offer us1 he adds1 8and others of a still more monstrous kind10--thus casting a slight upon both ,jonah and ,daniel2 for the spirit which is in ,celsus cannot speak well of the righteous4 ,footnote #aeej3 ,luke x4 #ai4 ,chapter ,,lviii4 ,let us now consider what follows4 8,they have also10 says he1 8a precept to this effect1 that we ought not to avenge ourselves on one who injures us1 or1 as he expresses it1 #8,whosoever shall strike thee on the one cheek1 turn to him the other also4' ,this is an ancient saying1 which had been admirably expressed long before1 and which they have only reported in a coarser way4 ,for ,plato introduces ,socrates conversing with ,crito as follows3 #8,must we never do injustice to any8' #8,certainly not4' #8,and since we must never do injustice1 must we not return injustice for an injustice that has been done to us1 as most people think8' #8,it seems to me that we should not4' #8,but tell me1 ,crito1 may we do evil to any one or not8' #8,certainly not1 ,o ,socrates4' #8,well1 is it just1 as is commonly said1 for one who has suffered wrong to do wrong in return1 or is it unjust8' #8,it is unjust4 ,yes2 for to do harm to a man is the same as to do him injustice4' #8,you speak truly4 ,we must then not do injustice in return for injustice1 nor must we do evil to any one1 whatever evil we may have suffered from him4' ,thus ,plato speaks2 and he adds1 #8,consider1 then1 whether you are at one with me1 and whether1 starting from this principle1 we may not come to the conclusion that it is never right to do injustice1 even in return for an injustice which has been received2 or whether1 on the other hand1 you differ from me1 and do not admit the principle from which we started4 ,that has always been my opinion1 and is so still4'#aeea ,such are the sentiments of ,plato1 and indeed they were held by divine men before his time4 ,but let this suffice as one example of the way in which this and other truths have been borrowed and corrupted4 ,any one who wishes can easily by searching find more of them40 ,footnote #aeea3 ,plato's ,crito1 p4 #di4 ,chapter ,,lix4 ,when ,celsus here or elsewhere finds himself unable to dispute the truth of what we say1 but avers that the same things were said by the ,greeks1 our answer is1 that if the doctrine be sound1 and the effect of it good1 whether it was made known to the ,greeks by ,plato or any of the wise men of ,greece1 or whether it was delivered to the ,jews by ,moses or any of the prophets1 or whether it was given to the ,christians in the recorded teaching of ,jesus ,christ1 or in the instructions of ,his apostles1 that does not affect the value of the truth communicated4 ,it is no objection to the principles of ,jews or ,christians1 that the same things were also said by the ,greeks1 especially if it be proved that the writings of the ,jews are older than those of the ,greeks4 ,and further1 we are not to imagine that a truth adorned with the graces of ,grecian speech is necessarily better than the same when expressed in the more humble and unpretending language used by ,jews and ,christians1 although indeed the language of the ,jews1 in which the prophets wrote the books which have come down to us1 has a grace of expression peculiar to the genius of the ,hebrew tongue4 ,and even if we were required to show that the same doctrines have been better expressed among the ,jewish prophets or in ,christian writings1 however paradoxical it may seem1 we are prepared to prove this by an illustration taken from different kinds of food1 and from the different modes of preparing them4 ,suppose that a kind of food which is wholesome and nutritious has been prepared and seasoned in such a way as to be fit1 not for the simple tastes of peasants and poor labourers1 but for those only who are rich and dainty in their tastes4 ,suppose1 again1 that that same food is prepared not to suit the tastes of the more delicate1 but for the peasants1 the poor labourers1 and the common people generally1 in short1 so that myriads of persons might eat of it4 ,now if1 according to the supposition1 the food prepared in the one way promotes the health of those only who are styled the better classes1 while none of the others could taste it1 whereas when prepared in the other way it promoted the health of great multitudes of men1 which shall we esteem as most contributing to the public welfare1--those who prepare food for persons of mark1 or those who prepare it for the multitudes8--taking for granted that in both cases the food is equally wholesome and nourishing2 while it is evident that the welfare of mankind and the common good are promoted better by that physician who attends to the health of the many1 than by one who confines his attention to a few4 ,chapter ,,lx4 ,now1 after understanding this illustration1 we have to apply it to the qualities of spiritual food with which the rational part of man is nourished4 ,see1 then1 if ,plato and the wise men among the ,greeks1 in the beautiful things they say1 are not like those physicians who confine their attentions to what are called the better classes of society1 and despise the multitude2 whereas the prophets among the ,jews1 and the disciples of ,jesus1 who despise mere elegances of style1 and what is called in ,scripture 8the wisdom of men10 8the wisdom according to the flesh10 which delights in what is obscure1 resemble those who study to provide the most wholesome food for the largest number of persons4 ,for this purpose they adapt their language and style to the capacities of the common people1 and avoid whatever would seem foreign to them1 lest by the introduction of strange forms of expression they should produce a distaste for their teaching4 ,indeed1 if the true use of spiritual food1 to keep up the figure1 is to produce in him who partakes of it the virtues of patience and gentleness1 must that discourse not be better prepared when it produces patience and gentleness in multitudes1 or makes them grow in these virtues1 than that which confines its effects to a select few1 supposing that it does really make them gentle and patient8 ,if a ,greek wished by wholesome instruction to benefit people who understood only ,egyptian or ,syriac1 the first thing that he would do would be to learn their language2 and he would rather pass for a barbarian among the ,greeks1 by speaking as the ,egyptians or ,syrians1 in order to be useful to them1 than always remain ,greek1 and be without the means of helping them4 ,in the same way the divine nature1 having the purpose of instructing not only those who are reputed to be learned in the literature of ,greece1 but also the rest of mankind1 accommodated itself to the capacities of the simple multitudes whom it addressed4 ,it seeks to win the attention of the more ignorant by the use of language which is familiar to them1 so that they may easily be induced1 after their first introduction1 to strive after an acquaintance with the deeper truths which lie hidden in ,scripture4 ,for even the ordinary reader of ,scripture may see that it contains many things which are too deep to be apprehended at first2 but these are understood by such as devote themselves to a careful study of the divine word1 and they become plain to them in proportion to the pains and zeal which they expend upon its investigation4 ,chapter ,,lxi4 ,from these remarks it is evident1 that when ,jesus said 8coarsely10 as ,celsus terms it1 8,to him who shall strike thee on the one cheek1 turn the other also2 and if any man be minded to sue thee at the law1 and take away thy coat1 let him have thy cloak also10#aeeb ,he expressed ,himself in such a way as to make the precept have more practical effect than the words of ,plato in the ,crito2 for the latter is so far from being intelligible to ordinary persons1 that even those have a difficulty in understanding him1 who have been brought up in the schools of learning1 and have been initiated into the famous philosophy of ,greece4 ,it may also be observed1 that the precept enjoining patience under injuries is in no way corrupted or degraded by the plain and simple language which our ,lord employs1 but that in this1 as in other cases1 it is a mere calumny against our religion which he utters when he says3 8,but let this suffice as one example of the way in which this and other truths have been borrowed and corrupted4 ,any one who wishes can easily by searching find more of them40 ,footnote #aeeb3 ,matt4 v4 #ci1 #dj4 ,chapter ,,lxii4 ,let us now see what follows4 8,let us pass on10 says he1 8to another point4 ,they cannot tolerate temples1 altars1 or images4 ,in this they are like the ,scythians1 the nomadic tribes of ,libya1 the ,seres who worship no god1 and some other of the most barbarous and impious nations in the world4 ,that the ,persians hold the same notions is shown by ,herodotus in these words3 #8,i know that among the ,persians it is considered unlawful to erect images1 altars1 or temples2 but they charge those with folly who do so1 because1 as ,i conjecture1 they do not1 like the ,greeks1 suppose the gods to be of the nature of men4'#aeec ,heraclitus also says in one place3 #8,persons who address prayers to these images act like those who speak to the walls1 without knowing who the gods or the heroes are4' ,and what wiser lesson have they to teach us than ,heraclitus8 ,he certainly plainly enough implies that it is a foolish thing for a man to offer prayers to images1 whilst he knows not who the gods and heroes are4 ,this is the opinion of ,heraclitus2 but as for them1 they go further1 and despise without exception all images4 ,if they merely mean that the stone1 wood1 brass1 or gold which has been wrought by this or that workman cannot be a god1 they are ridiculous with their wisdom4 ,for who1 unless he be utterly childish in his simplicity1 can take these for gods1 and not for offerings consecrated to the service of the gods1 or images representing them8 ,but if we are not to regard these as representing the ,divine ,being1 seeing that ,god has a different form1 as the ,persians concur with them in saying1 then let them take care that they do not contradict themselves2 for they say that ,god made man ,his own image1 and that ,he gave him a form like to ,himself4 ,however1 they will admit that these images1 whether they are like or not1 are made and dedicated to the honour of certain beings4 ,but they will hold that the beings to whom they are dedicated are not gods1 but demons1 and that a worshipper of ,god ought not to worship demons40 ,footnote #aeec3 ,herod4 i4 #aca4 ,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,to this our answer is1 that if the ,scythians1 the nomadic tribes of ,libya1 the ,seres1 who according to ,celsus have no god1 if those other most barbarous and impious nations in the world1 and if the ,persians even cannot bear the sight of temples1 altars1 and images1 it does not follow because we cannot suffer them any more than they1 that the grounds on which we object to them are the same as theirs4 ,we must inquire into the principles on which the objection to temples and images is founded1 in order that we may approve of those who object on sound principles1 and condemn those whose principles are false4 ,for one and the same thing may be done for different reasons4 ,for example1 the philosophers who follow ,zeno of ,citium abstain from committing adultery1 the followers of ,epicurus do so too1 as well as others again who do so on no philosophical principles2 but observe what different reasons determine the conduct of these different classes4 ,the first consider the interests of society1 and hold it to be forbidden by nature that a man who is a reasonable being should corrupt a woman whom the laws have already given to another1 and should thus break up the household of another man4 ,the ,epicureans do not reason in this way2 but if they abstain from adultery1 it is because1 regarding pleasure as the chief end of man1 they perceive that one who gives himself up to adultery1 encounters for the sake of this one pleasure a multitude of obstacles to pleasure1 such as imprisonment1 exile1 and death itself4 ,they often1 indeed1 run considerable risk at the outset1 while watching for the departure from the house of the master and those in his interest4 ,so that1 supposing it possible for a man to commit adultery1 and escape the knowledge of the husband1 of his servants1 and of others whose esteem he would forfeit1 then the ,epicurean would yield to the commission of the crime for the sake of pleasure4 ,the man of no philosophical system1 again1 who abstains from adultery when the opportunity comes to him1 does so generally from dread of the law and its penalties1 and not for the sake of enjoying a greater number of other pleasures4 ,you see1 then1 that an act which passes for being one and the same--namely1 abstinence from adultery--is not the same1 but differs in different men according to the motives which actuate it3 one man refraining for sound reasons1 another for such bad and impious ones as those of the ,epicurean1 and the common person of whom we have spoken4 ,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,as1 then1 this act of self-restraint1 which in appearance is one and the same1 is found in fact to be different in different persons1 according to the principles and motives which lead to it2 so in the same way with those who cannot allow in the worship of the ,divine ,being altars1 or temples1 or images4 ,the ,scythians1 the nomadic ,libyans1 the godless ,seres1 and the ,persians1 agree in this with the ,christians and ,jews1 but they are actuated by very different principles4 ,for none of these former abhor altars and images on the ground that they are afraid of degrading the worship of ,god1 and reducing it to the worship of material things wrought by the hands of men4 ,neither do they object to them from a belief that the demons choose certain forms and places1 whether because they are detained there by virtue of certain charms1 or because for some other possible reason they have selected these haunts1 where they may pursue their criminal pleasures1 in partaking of the smoke of sacrificial victims4 ,but ,christians and ,jews have regard to this command1 8,thou shalt fear the ,lord thy ,god1 and serve ,him alone20#aeed and this other1 8,thou shalt have no other gods before me3 thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image1 or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above1 or that is in the earth beneath1 or that is in the water under the earth3 thou shalt not bow down thyself to them1 nor serve them20#aeee and again1 8,thou shalt worship the ,lord thy ,god1 and ,him only shalt thou serve40#aeef ,it is in consideration of these and many other such commands1 that they not only avoid temples1 altars1 and images1 but are ready to suffer death when it is necessary1 rather than debase by any such impiety the conception which they have of the ,most ,high ,god4 ,footnote #aeed3 ,deut4 vi4 #ac4 ,footnote #aeee3 ,ex4 xx4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #aeef3 ,matt4 iv4 #aj4 ,chapter ,,lxv4 ,in regard to the ,persians1 we have already said that though they do not build temples1 yet they worship the sun and the other works of ,god4 ,this is forbidden to us1 for we have been taught not to worship the creature instead of the ,creator1 but to know that 8the creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of ,god20 and 8the earnest expectation of the creation is waiting for the revelation of the sons of ,god20 and 8the creation was made subject to vanity1 not willingly1 but by reason of him who made it subject1 in hope40#aeeg ,we believe1 therefore1 that things 8under the bondage of corruption10 and 8subject to vanity10 which remain in this condition 8in hope0 of a better state1 ought not in our worship to hold the place of ,god1 the all-sufficient1 and of ,his ,son1 the first-born of all creation4 ,let this suffice1 in addition to what we have already said of the ,persians1 who abhor altars and images1 but who serve the creature instead of the ,creator4 ,as to the passage quoted by ,celsus from ,heraclitus1 the purport of which he represents as being1 8that it is childish folly for one to offer prayers to images1 whilst he knows not who the gods and heroes are10 we may reply that it is easy to know that ,god and the only-begotten ,son of ,god1 and those whom ,god has honoured with the title of ,god1 and who partake of ,his divine nature1 are very different from all the gods of the nations which are demons2 but it is not possible at the same time to know ,god and to address prayers to images4 ,footnote #aeeg3 ,rom4 viii4 #ai-ba4 ,chapter ,,lxvi4 ,and the charge of folly applies not only to those who offer prayers to images1 but also to such as pretend to do so in compliance with the example of the multitude3 and to this class belong the ,peripatetic philosophers and the followers of ,epicurus and ,democritus4 ,for there is no falsehood or pretence in the soul which is possessed with true piety towards ,god4 ,another reason also why we abstain from doing honour to images1 is that we may give no support to the notion that the images are gods4 ,it is on this ground that we condemn ,celsus1 and all others who1 while admitting that they are not gods1 yet1 with the reputation of being wise men1 render to them what passes for homage4 ,in this way they lead into sin the multitude who follow their example1 and who worship these images not simply out of deference to custom1 but from a belief into which they have fallen that they are true gods1 and that those are not to be listened to who hold that the objects of their worship are not true gods4 ,celsus1 indeed1 says that 8they do not take them for gods1 but only as offerings dedicated to the gods40 ,but he does not prove that they are not rather dedicated to men than1 as he says1 to the honour of the gods themselves2 for it is clear that they are the offerings of men who were in error in their views of the ,divine ,being4 ,moreover1 we do not imagine that these images are representations of ,god1 for they cannot represent a being who is invisible and incorporeal4 ,but as ,celsus supposes that we fall into a contradiction1 whilst on the one hand we say that ,god has not a human form1 and on the other we profess to believe that ,god made man the image of ,himself1 and created man the image of ,god2 our answer is the same as has been given already1 that we hold the resemblance to ,god to be preserved in the reasonable soul1 which is formed to virtue1 although ,celsus1 who does not see the difference between 8being the image of ,god10 and 8being created after the image of ,god10 pretends that we said1 8,god made man ,his own image1 and gave him a form like to ,his own40 ,but this also has been examined before4 ,chapter ,,lxvii4 ,his next remark upon the ,christians is3 8,they will admit that these images1 whether they are like or not1 are made and dedicated to the honour of certain beings2 but they will hold that the beings to whom they are dedicated are not gods1 but demons1 and that a worshipper of ,god ought not to worship demons40 ,if he had been acquainted with the nature of demons1 and with their several operations1 whether led on to them by the conjurations of those who are skilled in the art1 or urged on by their own inclination to act according to their power and inclination2 if1 ,i say1 he had thoroughly understood this subject1 which is both wide in extent and difficult for human comprehension1 he would not have condemned us for saying that those who worship the ,supreme ,being should not serve demons4 ,for ourselves1 so far are we from wishing to serve demons1 that by the use of prayers and other means which we learn from ,scripture1 we drive them out of the souls of men1 out of places where they have established themselves1 and even sometimes from the bodies of animals2 for even these creatures often suffer from injuries inflicted upon them by demons4 ,chapter ,,lxviii4 ,after all that we have already said concerning ,jesus1 it would be a useless repetition for us to answer these words of ,celsus3 8,it is easy to convict them of worshipping not a god1 not even demons1 but a dead person40 ,leaving1 then1 this objection for the reason assigned1 let us pass on to what follows3 8,in the first place1 ,i would ask why we are not to serve demons8 ,is it not true that all things are ordered according to ,god's will1 and that ,his providence governs all things8 ,is not everything which happens in the universe1 whether it be the work of ,god1 of angels1 of other demons1 or of heroes1 regulated by the law of the ,most ,high ,god8 ,have these not had assigned them various departments of which they were severally deemed worthy8 ,is it not just1 therefore1 that he who worships ,god should serve those also to whom ,god has assigned such power8 ,yet it is impossible1 he says1 for a man to serve many masters40 ,observe here again how he settles at once a number of questions which require considerable research1 and a profound acquaintance with what is most mysterious in the government of the universe4 ,for we must inquire into the meaning of the statement1 that 8all things are ordered according to ,god's will10 and ascertain whether sins are or are not included among the things which ,god orders4 ,for if ,god's government extends to sins not only in men1 but also in demons and in any other spiritual beings who are capable of sin1 it is for those who speak in this manner to see how inconvenient is the expression that 8all things are ordered by the will of ,god40 ,for it follows from it that all sins and all their consequences are ordered by the will of ,god1 which is a different thing from saying that they come to pass with ,god's permission4 ,for if we take the word 8ordered0 in its proper signification1 and say that 8all the results of sin were ordered10 then it is evident that all things are ordered according to ,god's will1 and that all1 therefore1 who do evil do not offend against ,his government4 ,and the same distinction holds in regard to 8providence40 ,when we say that 8the providence of ,god regulates all things10 we utter a great truth if we attribute to that providence nothing but what is just and right4 ,but if we ascribe to the providence of ,god all things whatsoever1 however unjust they may be1 then it is no longer true that the providence of ,god regulates all things1 unless we refer directly to ,god's providence things which flow as results from ,his arrangements4 ,celsus maintains also1 that 8whatever happens in the universe1 whether it be the work of ,god1 of angels1 of other demons1 or of heroes1 is regulated by the law of the ,most ,high ,god40 ,but this also is incorrect2 for we cannot say that transgressors follow the law of ,god when they transgress2 and ,scripture declares that it is not only wicked men who are transgressors1 but also wicked demons and wicked angels4 ,chapter ,,lxix4 ,and it is not we alone who speak of wicked demons1 but almost all who acknowledge the existence of demons4 ,thus1 then1 it is not true that all observe the law of the ,most ,high2 for all who fall away from the divine law1 whether through heedlessness1 or through depravity and vice1 or through ignorance of what is right1 all such do not keep the law of ,god1 but1 to use a new phrase which we find in ,scripture1 8the law of sin40 ,i say1 then1 that in the opinion of most of those who believe in the existence of demons1 some of them are wicked2 and these1 instead of keeping the law of ,god1 offend against it4 ,but1 according to our belief1 it is true of all demons1 that they were not demons originally1 but they became so in departing from the true way2 so that the name 8demons0 is given to those beings who have fallen away from ,god4 ,accordingly1 those who worship ,god must not serve demons4 ,we may also learn the true nature of demons if we consider the practice of those who call upon them by charms to prevent certain things1 or for many other purposes4 ,for this is the method they adopt1 in order by means of incantations and magical arts to invoke the demons1 and induce them to further their wishes4 ,wherefore the worship of all demons would be inconsistent in us who worship the supreme ,god2 and the service of demons is the service of so-called gods1 for 8all the gods of the heathen are demons40#aeeh ,the same thing also appears from the fact that the dedication of the most famous of the so-called sacred places1 whether temples or statues1 was accompanied by curious magical incantations1 which were performed by those who zealously served the demons with magical arts4 ,hence we are determined to avoid the worship of demons even as we would avoid death2 and we hold that the worship1 which is supposed among the ,greeks to be rendered to gods at the altars1 and images1 and temples1 is in reality offered to demons4 ,footnote #aeeh3 ,ps4 xcvi4 #e 7,,lxx474 ,chapter ,,lxx4 ,his next remark was1 8,have not these inferior powers had assigned to them by ,god different departments1 according as each was deemed worthy80 ,but this is a question which requires a very profound knowledge4 ,for we must determine whether the ,word of ,god1 who governs all things1 has appointed wicked demons for certain employments1 in the same way as in states executioners are appointed1 and other officers with cruel but needful duties to discharge2 or whether as among robbers1 who infest desert places1 it is customary for them to choose out of their number one who may be their leader1--so the demons1 who are scattered as it were in troops in different parts of the earth1 have chosen for themselves a chief under whose command they may plunder and pillage the souls of men4 ,to explain this fully1 and to justify the conduct of the ,christians in refusing homage to any object except the ,most ,high ,god1 and the ,first-born of all creation1 who is ,his ,word and ,god1 we must quote this from ,scripture1 8,all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers2 but the sheep did not hear them20 and again1 8,the thief cometh not but for to steal1 and to kill1 and to destroy20#aeei and other similar passages1 as1 8,behold1 ,i have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions1 and over all the power of the enemy2 and nothing shall by any means hurt you20#aefj and again1 8,thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder3 the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet40#aefa ,but of these things ,celsus knew nothing1 or he would not have made use of language like this3 8,is not everything which happens in the universe1 whether it be the work of ,god1 of angels1 of other demons1 or of heroes1 regulated by the law of the ,most ,high ,god8 ,have these not had assigned to them various departments of which they were severally deemed worthy8 ,is it not just1 therefore1 that he who serves ,god should serve those also to whom ,god has assigned such power80 ,to which he adds1 8,it is impossible1 they say1 for a man to serve many masters40 ,this last point we must postpone to the next book2 for this1 which is the seventh book which we have written in answer to the treatise of ,celsus1 is already of sufficient length4 ,footnote #aeei3 ,john x4 #h-aj4 ,footnote #aefj3 ,luke x4 #ai4 ,footnote #aefa3 ,ps4 xci4 #ac4 ,,book ,,viii4 ,chapter ,i4 ,having completed seven books1 ,i now propose to begin the eighth4 ,and may ,god and ,his only-begotten ,son the ,word be with us1 to enable us effectively to refute the falsehoods which ,celsus has published under the delusive title of ,a ,true ,discourse1 and at the same time to unfold the truths of ,christianity with such fulness as our purpose requires4 ,and as ,paul said1 8,we are ambassadors for ,christ1 as though ,god did beseech you by us10#aefb so would we in the same spirit and language earnestly desire to be ambassadors for ,christ to men1 even as the ,word of ,god beseeches them to the love of ,himself1 seeking to win over to righteousness1 truth1 and the other virtues1 those who1 until they receive the doctrines of ,jesus ,christ1 live in darkness about ,god and in ignorance of their ,creator4 ,again1 then1 ,i would say1 may ,god bestow upon us ,his pure and true ,word1 even 8the ,lord strong and mighty in battle0#aefc against sin4 ,we must now proceed to state the next objection of ,celsus1 and afterwards to answer it4 ,footnote #aefb3 #b ,cor4 v4 #bj4 ,footnote #aefc3 ,ps4 xxiv4 #h4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,in a passage previously quoted ,celsus asks us why we do not worship demons1 and to his remarks on demons we gave such an answer as seemed to us in accordance with the divine word4 ,after having put this question for the purpose of leading us to the worship of demons1 he represents us as answering that it is impossible to serve many masters4 8,this10 he goes on to say1 8is the language of sedition1 and is only used by those who separate themselves and stand aloof from all human society4 ,those who speak in this way ascribe10 as he supposes1 8their own feelings and passions to ,god4 ,it does hold true among men1 that he who is in the service of one master cannot well serve another1 because the service which he renders to the one interferes with that which he owes to the other2 and no one1 therefore1 who has already engaged himself to the service of one1 must accept that of another4 ,and1 in like manner1 it is impossible to serve at the same time heroes or demons of different natures4 ,but in regard to ,god1 who is subject to no suffering or loss1 it is10 he thinks1 8absurd to be on our guard against serving more gods1 as though we had to do with demi-gods1 or other spirits of that sort40 ,he says also1 8,he who serves many gods does that which is pleasing to the ,most ,high1 because he honours that which belongs to ,him40 ,and he adds1 8,it is indeed wrong to give honour to any to whom ,god has not given honour40 8,wherefore10 he says1 8in honouring and worshipping all belonging to ,god1 we will not displease ,him to whom they all belong40 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,before proceeding to the next point1 it may be well for us to see whether we do not accept with approval the saying1 8,no man can serve two masters10 with the addition1 8for either he will hate the one1 and love the other2 or else he will hold to the one1 and despise the other10 and further1 8,ye cannot serve ,god and mammon40#aefd ,the defence of this passage will lead us to a deeper and more searching inquiry into the meaning and application of the words 8gods0 and 8lords40 ,divine ,scripture teaches us that there is 8a great ,lord above all gods40#aefe ,and by this name 8gods0 we are not to understand the objects of heathen worship 7for we know that 8all the gods of the heathen are demons0#aeff71 but the gods mentioned by the prophets as forming an assembly1 whom ,god 8judges10 and to each of whom ,he assigns his proper work4 ,for 8,god standeth in the assembly of the gods3 ,he judgeth among the gods40#aefg ,for 8,god is ,lord of gods10 who by ,his ,son 8hath called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof40#aefh ,we are also commanded to 8give thanks to the ,god of gods40#aefi ,moreover1 we are taught that 8,god is not the ,god of the dead1 but of the living40#aegj ,nor are these the only passages to this effect2 but there are very many others4 ,footnote #aefd3 ,matt4 vi4 #bd4 ,footnote #aefe3 ,ps4 xcvii4 #i4 ,footnote #aeff3 ,ps4 xcvi4 #e4 ,footnote #aefg3 ,ps4 lxxxii4 #a4 ,footnote #aefh3 ,ps4 l4 #a4 ,footnote #aefi3 ,ps4 cxxxvi4 #b4 ,footnote #aegj3 ,matt4 xxii4 #cb4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,the sacred ,scriptures teach us to think1 in like manner1 of the ,lord of lords4 ,for they say in one place1 8,give thanks to the ,god of gods1 for ,his mercy endureth for ever4 ,give thanks to the ,lord of lords1 for ,his mercy endureth for ever20 and in another1 8,god is ,king of kings1 and ,lord of lords40 ,for ,scripture distinguishes between those gods which are such only in name and those which are truly gods1 whether they are called by that name or not2 and the same is true in regard to the use of the word 8lords40 ,to this effect ,paul says1 8,for though there be that are called gods1 whether in heaven or in earth1 as there are gods many1 and lords many40#aega ,but as the ,god of gods calls whom ,he pleases through ,jesus to his inheritance1 8from the east and from the west10 and the ,christ of ,god thus shows ,his superiority to all rulers by entering into their several provinces1 and summoning men out of them to be subject to ,himself1 ,paul therefore1 with this in view1 goes on to say1 8,but to us there is but one ,god1 the ,father1 of whom are all things1 and one ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 by whom are all things1 and we by ,him20 adding1 as if with a deep sense of the marvellous and mysterious nature of the doctrine1 8,howbeit1 there is not in every man that knowledge40 ,when he says1 8,to us there is but one ,god1 the ,father1 of whom are all things2 and one ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 by whom are all things10 by 8us0 he means himself and all those who have risen up to the supreme ,god of gods and to the supreme ,lord of lords4 ,now he has risen to the supreme ,god who gives ,him an entire and undivided worship through ,his ,son--the word and wisdom of ,god made manifest in ,jesus4 ,for it is the ,son alone who leads to ,god those who are striving1 by the purity of their thoughts1 words1 and deeds1 to come near to ,god the ,creator of the universe4 ,i think1 therefore1 that the prince of this world1 who 8transforms himself into an angel of light10#aegb was referring to this and such like statements in the words1 8,him follows a host of gods and demons1 arranged in eleven bands40 ,speaking of himself and the philosophers1 he says1 8,we are of the party of ,jupiter2 others belong to other demons40#aegc ,footnote #aega3 #a ,cor4 viii4 #e1 etc4 ,footnote #aegb3 #b ,cor4 xi4 #ad4 ,footnote #aegc3 ,plato1 ,phdrus1 p4 #bdf4 ,chapter ,v4 ,whilst there are thus many gods and lords1 whereof some are such in reality1 and others are such only in name1 we strive to rise not only above those whom the nations of the earth worship as gods1 but also beyond those spoken of as gods in ,scripture1 of whom they are wholly ignorant who are strangers to the covenants of ,god given by ,moses and by our ,saviour ,jesus1 and who have no part in the promises which ,he has made to us through them4 ,that man rises above all demon-worship who does nothing that is pleasing to demons2 and he rises to a blessedness beyond that of those whom ,paul calls 8gods10 if he is enabled1 like them1 or in any way he may1 8to look not at the things which are seen1 but at the things which are unseen40 ,and he who considers that 8the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of ,god1 not willingly1 but by reason of him who subjected the same in hope10 whilst he praises the creature1 and sees how 8it shall be freed altogether from the bondage of corruption1 and restored to the glorious liberty of the children of ,god10#aegd--such a one cannot be induced to combine with the service of ,god the service of any other1 or to serve two masters4 ,there is therefore nothing seditious or factious in the language of those who hold these views1 and who refuse to serve more masters than one4 ,to them ,jesus ,christ is an all-sufficient ,lord1 who ,himself instructs them1 in order that when fully instructed ,he may form them into a kingdom worthy of ,god1 and present them to ,god the ,father4 ,but indeed they do in a sense separate themselves and stand aloof from those who are aliens from the commonwealth of ,god and strangers to ,his covenants1 in order that they may live as citizens of heaven1 8coming to the living ,god1 and to the city of ,god1 the heavenly ,jerusalem1 and to an innumerable company of angels1 to the general assembly and church of the first-born1 which are written in heaven40#aege ,footnote #aegd3 ,rom4 viii4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #aege3 ,heb4 xii4 #bb1 #bc4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,but when we refuse to serve any other than ,god through ,his word and wisdom1 we do so1 not as though we would thereby be doing any harm or injury to ,god1 in the same way as injury would be done to a man by his servant entering into the service of another1 but we fear that we ourselves should suffer harm by depriving ourselves of our portion in ,god1 through which we live in the participation of the divine blessedness1 and are imbued with that excellent spirit of adoption which in the sons of the heavenly ,father cries1 not with words1 but with deep effect in the inmost heart1 8,abba1 ,father40 ,the ,lacedmonian ambassadors1 when brought before the king of ,persia1 refused to prostrate themselves before him1 when the attendants endeavoured to compel them to do so1 out of respect for that which alone had authority and lordship over them1 namely1 the law of ,lycurgus4#aegf ,but they who have a much greater and diviner embassy in 8being ambassadors for ,christ0 should not worship any ruler among ,persians1 or ,greeks1 or ,egyptians1 or of any nation whatever1 even although their officers and ministers1 demons and angels of the devil1 should seek to compel them to do so1 and should urge them to set at nought a law which is mightier than all the laws upon earth4 ,for the ,lord of those who are 8ambassadors for ,christ0 is ,christ ,himself1 whose ambassadors they are1 and who is 8the ,word1 who was in the beginning1 was with ,god1 and was ,god40#aegg ,footnote #aegf3 ,herod4 vii4 #acf4 ,footnote #aegg3 ,john i4 #a4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,but when ,celsus speaks of heroes and demons1 he starts a deeper question than he is aware of4 ,for after the statement which he made in regard to service among men1 that 8the first master is injured when any of his servants wishes at the same time to serve another10 he adds1 that 8the same holds true of heroes1 and other demons of that kind40 ,now we must inquire of him what nature he thinks those heroes and demons possess of whom he affirms that he who serves one hero may not serve another1 and he who serves one demon may not serve another1 as though the former hero or demon would be injured in the same way as men are injured when they who serve them first afterwards give themselves to the service of others4 ,let him also state what loss he supposes those heroes or demons will suffer4 ,for he will be driven either to plunge into endless absurdities1 and first repeat1 then retract his previous statements2 or else to abandon his frivolous conjectures1 and confess that he understands nothing of the nature of heroes and demons4 ,and in regard to his statement1 that men suffer injury when the servant of one man enters the service of a second master1 the question arises3 8,what is the nature of the injury which is done to the former master by a servant who1 while serving him1 wishes at the same time to serve another80 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,for if he answers1 as one who is unlearned and ignorant of philosophy1 that the injury sustained is one which regards things that are outside of us1 it will be plainly manifest that he knows nothing of that famous saying of ,socrates1 8,anytus and ,melitus may kill me1 but they cannot injure me2 for it is impossible that the better should ever be injured by the worse40 ,but if by injury he means a wicked impulse or an evil habit1 it is plain that no injury of this kind would befall the wise1 by one man serving two wise men in different places4 ,if this sense does not suit his purpose1 it is evident that his endeavours are vain to weaken the authority of the passage1 8,no man can serve two masters20 for these words can be perfectly true only when they refer to the service which we render to the ,most ,high through ,his ,son1 who leadeth us to ,god4 ,and we will not serve ,god as though ,he stood in need of our service1 or as though ,he would be made unhappy if we ceased to serve ,him2 but we do it because we are ourselves benefited by the service of ,god1 and because we are freed from griefs and troubles by serving the ,most ,high ,god through ,his only begotten ,son1 the ,word and ,wisdom4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,and observe the recklessness of that expression1 8,for if thou worship any other of the things in the universe10 as though he would have us believe that we are led by our service of ,god to the worship of any other things which belong to ,god1 without any injury to ourselves4 ,but1 as if feeling his error1 he corrects the words1 8,if thou worship any other of the things in the universe10 by adding1 8,we may honour none1 however1 except those to whom that right has been given by ,god40 ,and we would put to ,celsus this question in regard to those who are honoured as gods1 as demons1 or as heroes3 8,now1 sir1 can you prove that the right to be honoured has been given to these by ,god1 and that it has not arisen from the ignorance and folly of men who in their wanderings have fallen away from ,him to whom alone worship and service are properly due8 ,you said a little ago1 ,o ,celsus1 that ,antinous1 the favourite of ,adrian1 is honoured2 but surely you will not say that the right to be worshipped as a god was given to him by the ,god of the universe8 ,and so of the others1 we ask proof that the right to be worshipped was given to them by the ,most ,high ,god40 ,but if the same question is put to us in regard to the worship of ,jesus1 we will show that the right to be honoured was given to ,him by ,god1 8that all may honour the ,son1 even as they honour the ,father40#aegh ,for all the prophecies which preceded ,his birth were preparations for ,his worship4 ,and the wonders which ,he wrought--through no magical art1 as ,celsus supposes1 but by a divine power1 which was foretold by the prophets--have served as a testimony from ,god in behalf of the worship of ,christ4 ,he who honours the ,son1 who is the ,word and ,reason1 acts in nowise contrary to reason1 and gains for himself great good2 he who honours ,him1 who is the ,truth1 becomes better by honouring truth3 and this we may say of honouring wisdom1 righteousness1 and all the other names by which the sacred ,scriptures are wont to designate the ,son of ,god4 ,footnote #aegh3 ,john v4 #bc4 ,chapter ,x4 ,but that the honour which we pay to the ,son of ,god1 as well as that which we render to ,god the ,father1 consists of an upright course of life1 is plainly taught us by the passage1 8,thou that makest thy boast of the law1 through breaking the law dishonourest thou ,god80#aegi and also1 8,of how much sorer punishment1 suppose ye1 shall he be thought worthy1 who hath trodden under foot the ,son of ,god1 and hath counted the blood of the covenant1 wherewith he was sanctified1 an unholy thing1 and hath done despite unto the ,spirit of grace80#aehj ,for if he who transgresses the law dishonours ,god by his transgression1 and he who treads under foot the word treads under foot the ,son of ,god1 it is evident that he who keeps the law honours ,god1 and that the worshipper of ,god is he whose life is regulated by the principles and precepts of the divine word4 ,had ,celsus known who they are who are ,god's people1 and that they alone are wise1--and who they are who are strangers to ,god1 and that these are all the wicked who have no desire to give themselves to virtue1--he would have considered before he gave expression to the words1 8,how can he who honours any of those whom ,god acknowledges as ,his own be displeasing to ,god1 to whom they all belong80 ,footnote #aegi3 ,rom4 ii4 #bc4 ,footnote #aehj3 ,heb4 x4 #bi4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,he adds1 8,and indeed he who1 when speaking of ,god1 asserts that there is only one who may be called ,lord1 speaks impiously1 for he divides the kingdom of ,god1 and raises a sedition therein1 implying that there are separate factions in the divine kingdom1 and that there exists one who is ,his enemy40 ,he might speak after this fashion1 if he could prove by conclusive arguments that those who are worshipped as gods by the heathens are truly gods1 and not merely evil spirits1 which are supposed to haunt statues and temples and altars4 ,but we desire not only to understand the nature of that divine kingdom of which we are continually speaking and writing1 but also ourselves to be of those who are under the rule of ,god alone1 so that the kingdom of ,god may be ours4 ,celsus1 however1 who teaches us to worship many gods1 ought in consistency not to speak of 8the kingdom of ,god10 but of 8the kingdom of the gods40 ,there are therefore no factions in the kingdom of ,god1 nor is there any god who is an adversary to ,him1 although there are some who1 like the giants and ,titans1 in their wickedness wish to contend with ,god in company with ,celsus1 and those who declare war against ,him who has by innumerable proofs established the claims of ,jesus1 and against ,him who1 as the ,word1 did1 for the salvation of our race1 show ,himself before all the world in such a form as each was able to receive ,him4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,in what follows1 some may imagine that he says something plausible against us4 8,if10 says he1 8these people worshipped one ,god alone1 and no other1 they would perhaps have some valid argument against the worship of others4 ,but they pay excessive reverence to one who has but lately appeared among men1 and they think it no offence against ,god if they worship also ,his servant40 ,to this we reply1 that if ,celsus had known that saying1 8,i and my ,father are one10#aeha and the words used in prayer by the ,son of ,god1 8,as ,thou and ,i are one10#aehb he would not have supposed that we worship any other besides ,him who is the supreme ,god4 8,for10 says ,he1 8my ,father is in me1 and ,i in ,him40#aehc ,and if any should from these words be afraid of our going over to the side of those who deny that the ,father and the ,son are two persons1 let him weigh that passage1 8,and the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul10#aehd that he may understand the meaning of the saying1 8,i and my ,father are one40 ,we worship one ,god1 the ,father and the ,son1 therefore1 as we have explained2 and our argument against the worship of other gods still continues valid4 ,and we do not 8reverence beyond measure one who has but lately appeared10 as though ,he did not exist before2 for we believe ,himself when ,he says1 8,before ,abraham was1 ,i am40#aehe ,again ,he says1 8,i am the truth20#aehf and surely none of us is so simple as to suppose that truth did not exist before the time when ,christ appeared4 ,we worship1 therefore1 the ,father of truth1 and the ,son1 who is the truth2 and these1 while they are two1 considered as persons or subsistences1 are one in unity of thought1 in harmony and in identity of will4 ,so entirely are they one1 that he who has seen the ,son1 8who is the brightness of ,god's glory1 and the express image of ,his person10#aehg has seen in ,him who is the image of ,god1 ,god ,himself4 ,footnote #aeha3 ,john x4 #cj4 ,footnote #aehb3 ,john xvii4 #bb4 ,footnote #aehc3 ,john xiv4 #aa1 and xvii4 #ba4 ,footnote #aehd3 ,acts iv4 #cb4 ,footnote #aehe3 ,john viii4 #eh4 ,footnote #aehf3 ,john xiv4 #f4 ,footnote #aehg3 ,heb4 i4 #c4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,he further supposes1 that 8because we join along with the worship of ,god the worship of ,his ,son1 it follows that1 in our view1 not only ,god1 but also the servants of ,god1 are to be worshipped40 ,if he had meant this to apply to those who are truly the servants of ,god1 after ,his only-begotten ,son1--to ,gabriel and ,michael1 and the other angels and archangels1--and if he had said of these that they ought to be worshipped1--if also he had clearly defined the meaning of the word 8worship10 and the duties of the worshippers1--we might perhaps have brought forward such thoughts as have occurred to us on so important a subject4 ,but as he reckons among the servants of ,god the demons which are worshipped by the heathen1 he cannot induce us1 on the plea of consistency1 to worship such as are declared by the word to be servants of the evil one1 the prince of this world1 who leads astray from ,god as many as he can4 ,we decline1 therefore1 altogether to worship and serve those whom other men worship1 for the reason that they are not servants of ,god4 ,for if we had been taught to regard them as servants of the ,most ,high1 we would not have called them demons4 ,accordingly1 we worship with all our power the one ,god1 and ,his only ,son1 the ,word and the ,image of ,god1 by prayers and supplications2 and we offer our petitions to the ,god of the universe through ,his only-begotten ,son4 ,to the ,son we first present them1 and beseech ,him1 as 8the propitiation for our sins10#aehh and our ,high ,priest1 to offer our desires1 and sacrifices1 and prayers1 to the ,most ,high4 ,our faith1 therefore1 is directed to ,god through ,his ,son1 who strengthens it in us2 and ,celsus can never show that the ,son of ,god is the cause of any sedition or disloyalty in the kingdom of ,god4 ,we honour the ,father when we admire ,his ,son1 the ,word1 and ,wisdom1 and ,truth1 and ,righteousness1 and all that ,he who is the ,son of so great a ,father is said in ,scripture to be4 ,so much on this point4 ,footnote #aehh3 #a ,john ii4 #b4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,again ,celsus proceeds3 8,if you should tell them that ,jesus is not the ,son of ,god1 but that ,god is the ,father of all1 and that ,he alone ought to be truly worshipped1 they would not consent to discontinue their worship of him who is their leader in the sedition4 ,and they call him ,son of ,god1 not out of any extreme reverence for ,god1 but from an extreme desire to extol ,jesus ,christ40 ,we1 however1 have learned who the ,son of ,god is1 and know that ,he is 8the brightness of ,his glory1 and the express image of ,his person10 and 8the breath of the power of ,god1 and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the ,almighty20 moreover1 8the brightness of the everlasting light1 the unspotted mirror of the power of ,god1 and the image of ,his goodness40#aehi ,we know1 therefore1 that ,he is the ,son of ,god1 and that ,god is ,his ,father4 ,and there is nothing extravagant or unbecoming the character of ,god in the doctrine that ,he should have begotten such an only ,son2 and no one will persuade us that such a one is not a ,son of the unbegotten ,god and ,father4 ,if ,celsus has heard something of certain persons holding that the ,son of ,god is not the ,son of the ,creator of the universe1 that is a matter which lies between him and the supporters of such an opinion4 ,jesus is1 then1 not the leader of any seditious movement1 but the promoter of peace4 ,for ,he said to ,his disciples1 8,peace ,i leave with you1 my peace ,i give unto you20 and as ,he knew that it would be men of the world1 and not men of ,god1 who would wage war against us1 he added1 8,not as the world giveth peace1 do ,i give peace unto you40#aeij ,and even although we are oppressed in the world1 we have confidence in ,him who said1 8,in the world ye shall have tribulation2 but be of good cheer1 ,i have overcome the world40 ,and it is ,he whom we call ,son of ,god--,son of that ,god1 namely1 whom1 to quote the words of ,celsus1 8we most highly reverence20 and ,he is the ,son who has been most highly exalted by the ,father4 ,grant that there may be some individuals among the multitudes of believers who are not in entire agreement with us1 and who incautiously assert that the ,saviour is the ,most ,high ,god2 however1 we do not hold with them1 but rather believe ,him when ,he says1 8,the ,father who sent me is greater than ,i40#aeia ,we would not therefore make ,him whom we call ,father inferior--as ,celsus accuses us of doing--to the ,son of ,god4 ,footnote #aehi3 ,wisd4 vii4 #be1 #bf4 ,footnote #aeij3 ,john xiv4 #bg4 ,footnote #aeia3 ,john xiv4 #bh4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,celsus goes on to say3 8,that ,i may give a true representation of their faith1 ,i will use their own words1 as given in what is called ,a ,heavenly ,dialogue3 #8,if the ,son is mightier than ,god1 and the ,son of man is ,lord over ,him1 who else than the ,son can be ,lord over that ,god who is the ruler over all things8 ,how comes it1 that while so many go about the well1 no one goes down into it8 ,why art thou afraid when thou hast gone so far on the way8 ,answer3 ,thou art mistaken1 for ,i lack neither courage nor weapons4' ,is it not evident1 then1 that their views are precisely such as ,i have described them to be8 ,they suppose that another ,god1 who is above the heavens1 is the ,father of him whom with one accord they honour1 that they may honour this ,son of man alone1 whom they exalt under the form and name of the great ,god1 and whom they assert to be stronger than ,god1 who rules the world1 and that he rules over ,him4 ,and hence that maxim of theirs1 #8,it is impossible to serve two masters1' is maintained for the purpose of keeping up the party who are on the side of this ,lord40 ,here1 again1 ,celsus quotes opinions from some most obscure sect of heretics1 and ascribes them to all ,christians4 ,i call it 8a most obscure sect20 for although we have often contended with heretics1 yet we are unable to discover from what set of opinions he has taken this passage1 if indeed he has quoted it from any author1 and has not rather concocted it himself1 or added it as an inference of his own4 ,for we who say that the visible world is under the government of ,him who created all things1 do thereby declare that the ,son is not mightier than the ,father1 but inferior to ,him4 ,and this belief we ground on the saying of ,jesus ,himself1 8,the ,father who sent me is greater than ,i40 ,and none of us is so insane as to affirm that the ,son of man is ,lord over ,god4 ,but when we regard the ,saviour as ,god the ,word1 and ,wisdom1 and ,righteousness1 and ,truth1 we certainly do say that ,he has dominion over all things which have been subjected to ,him in this capacity1 but not that ,his dominion extends over the ,god and ,father who is ,ruler over all4 ,besides1 as the ,word rules over none against their will1 there are still wicked beings--not only men1 but also angels1 and all demons--over whom we say that in a sense ,he does not rule1 since they do not yield ,him a willing obedience2 but1 in another sense of the word1 ,he rules even over them1 in the same way as we say that man rules over the irrational animals1--not by persuasion1 but as one who tames and subdues lions and beasts of burden4 ,nevertheless1 ,he leaves no means untried to persuade even those who are still disobedient to submit to ,his authority4 ,so far as we are concerned1 therefore1 we deny the truth of that which ,celsus quotes as one of our sayings1 8,who else than ,he can be ,lord over ,him who is ,god over all80 ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,the remaining part of the extract given by ,celsus seems to have been taken from some other form of heresy1 and the whole jumbled together in strange confusion3 8,how is it1 that while so many go about the well1 no one goes down into it8 ,why dost thou shrink with fear when thou hast gone so far on the way8 ,answer3 ,thou art mistaken1 for ,i lack neither courage nor weapons40 ,we who belong to the church which takes its name from ,christ1 assert that none of these statements are true4 ,for he seems to have made them simply that they might harmonize with what he had said before2 but they have no reference to us4 ,for it is a principle with us1 not to worship any god whom we merely 8suppose0 to exist1 but ,him alone who is the ,creator of this universe1 and of all things besides which are unseen by the eye of sense4 ,these remarks of ,celsus may apply to those who go on another road and tread other paths from us1--men who deny the ,creator1 and make to themselves another god under a new form1 having nothing but the name of ,god1 whom they esteem higher than the ,creator2 and with these may be joined any that there may be who say that the ,son is greater than the ,god who rules all things4 ,in reference to the precept that we ought not to serve two masters1 we have already shown what appears to us the principle contained in it1 when we proved that no sedition or disloyalty could be charged against the followers of ,jesus their ,lord1 who confess that they reject every other lord1 and serve ,him alone who is the ,son and ,word of ,god4 ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,celsus then proceeds to say that 8we shrink from raising altars1 statues1 and temples2 and this10 he thinks1 8has been agreed upon among us as the badge or distinctive mark of a secret and forbidden society40 ,he does not perceive that we regard the spirit of every good man as an altar from which arises an incense which is truly and spiritually sweet-smelling1 namely1 the prayers ascending from a pure conscience4 ,therefore it is said by ,john in the ,revelation1 8,the odours are the prayers of saints20#aeib and by the ,psalmist1 8,let my prayer come up before ,thee as incense40#aeic ,and the statues and gifts which are fit offerings to ,god are the work of no common mechanics1 but are wrought and fashioned in us by the ,word of ,god1 to wit1 the virtues in which we imitate 8the ,first-born of all creation10 who has set us an example of justice1 of temperance1 of courage1 of wisdom1 of piety1 and of the other virtues4 ,in all those1 then1 who plant and cultivate within their souls1 according to the divine word1 temperance1 justice1 wisdom1 piety1 and other virtues1 these excellences are their statues they raise1 in which we are persuaded that it is becoming for us to honour the model and prototype of all statues3 8the image of the invisible ,god10 ,god the only-begotten4 ,and again1 they who 8put off the old man with his deeds1 and put on the new man1 which is renewed in knowledge after the image of ,him that hath created him10 in taking upon them the image of ,him who hath created them1 do raise within themselves a statue like to what the ,most ,high ,god ,himself desires4 ,and as among statuaries there are some who are marvellously perfect in their art1 as for example ,pheidias and ,polycleitus1 and among painters1 ,zeuxis and ,apelles1 whilst others make inferior statues1 and others1 again1 are inferior to the second-rate artists1--so that1 taking all together1 there is a wide difference in the execution of statues and pictures1--in the same way there are some who form images of the ,most ,high in a better manner and with a more perfect skill2 so that there is no comparison even between the ,olympian ,jupiter of ,pheidias and the man who has been fashioned according to the image of ,god the ,creator4 ,but by far the most excellent of all these throughout the whole of creation is that image in our ,saviour who said1 8,my ,father is in me40 ,footnote #aeib3 ,rev4 v4 #h4 ,footnote #aeic3 ,ps4 cxli4 #b4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,and every one who imitates ,him according to his ability1 does by this very endeavour raise a statue according to the image of the ,creator1 for in the contemplation of ,god with a pure heart they become imitators of ,him4 ,and1 in general1 we see that all ,christians strive to raise altars and statues as we have described them1 and these not of a lifeless and senseless kind1 and not to receive greedy spirits intent upon lifeless things1 but to be filled with the ,spirit of ,god who dwells in the images of virtue of which we have spoken1 and takes ,his abode in the soul which is conformed to the image of the ,creator4 ,thus the ,spirit of ,christ dwells in those who bear1 so to say1 a resemblance in form and feature to ,himself4 ,and the ,word of ,god1 wishing to set this clearly before us1 represents ,god as promising to the righteous1 8,i will dwell in them1 and walk among them2 and ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall be my people40#aeid ,and the ,saviour says1 8,if any man hear my words1 and do them1 ,i and my ,father will come to him1 and make our abode with him40#aeie ,let any one1 therefore1 who chooses compare the altars which ,i have described with those spoken of by ,celsus1 and the images in the souls of those who worship the ,most ,high ,god with the statues of ,pheidias1 ,polycleitus1 and such like1 and he will clearly perceive1 that while the latter are lifeless things1 and subject to the ravages of time1 the former abide in the immortal spirit as long as the reasonable soul wishes to preserve them4 ,footnote #aeid3 #b ,cor4 vi4 #af4 ,footnote #aeie3 ,john xiv4 #bc4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,and if1 further1 temples are to be compared with temples1 that we may prove to those who accept the opinions of ,celsus that we do not object to the erection of temples suited to the images and altars of which we have spoken1 but that we do refuse to build lifeless temples to the ,giver of all life1 let any one who chooses learn how we are taught1 that our bodies are the temple of ,god1 and that if any one by lust or sin defiles the temple of ,god1 he will himself be destroyed1 as acting impiously towards the true temple4 ,of all the temples spoken of in this sense1 the best and most excellent was the pure and holy body of our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,when ,he knew that wicked men might aim at the destruction of the temple of ,god in ,him1 but that their purposes of destruction would not prevail against the divine power which had built that temple1 ,he says to them1 8,destroy this temple1 and in three days ,i will raise it again4444 ,this ,he said of the temple of ,his body40#aeif ,and in other parts of holy ,scripture where it speaks of the mystery of the resurrection to those whose ears are divinely opened1 it says that the temple which has been destroyed shall be built up again of living and most precious stones1 thereby giving us to understand that each of those who are led by the word of ,god to strive together in the duties of piety1 will be a precious stone in the one great temple of ,god4 ,accordingly1 ,peter says1 8,ye also1 as lively stones1 are built up a spiritual house1 an holy priesthood1 to offer up spiritual sacrifices1 acceptable to ,god by ,jesus ,christ20#aeig and ,paul also says1 8,being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets1 ,jesus ,christ our ,lord being the chief corner-stone40#aeih ,and there is a similar hidden allusion in this passage in ,isaiah1 which is addressed to ,jerusalem3 8,behold1 ,i will lay thy stones with carbuncles1 and lay thy foundations with sapphires4 ,and ,i will make thy battlements of jasper1 and thy gates of crystal1 and all thy borders of pleasant stones4 ,and all thy children shall be taught of the ,lord2 and great shall be the peace of thy children4 ,in righteousness shalt thou be established40#aeii ,footnote #aeif3 ,john ii4 #ai1 #ba4 ,footnote #aeig3 #a ,pet4 ii4 #e4 ,footnote #aeih3 ,eph4 ii4 #bj4 ,footnote #aeii3 ,isa4 liv4 #aa-ad4 ,chapter ,,xx4 ,there are1 then1 among the righteous some who are carbuncles1 others sapphires1 others jaspers1 and others crystal1 and thus there is among the righteous every kind of choice and precious stone4 ,as to the spiritual meaning of the different stones1--what is their nature1 and to what kind of soul the name of each precious stone especially applies1--we cannot at present stay to examine4 ,we have only felt it necessary to show thus briefly what we understand by temples1 and what the one ,temple of ,god built of precious stones truly means4 ,for as if in some cities a dispute should arise as to which had the finest temples1 those who thought their own were the best would do their utmost to show the excellence of their own temples and the inferiority of the others1--in like manner1 when they reproach us for not deeming it necessary to worship the ,divine ,being by raising lifeless temples1 we set before them our temples1 and show to such at least as are not blind and senseless1 like their senseless gods1 that there is no comparison between our statues and the statues of the heathen1 nor between our altars1 with what we may call the incense ascending from them1 and the heathen altars1 with the fat and blood of the victims2 nor1 finally1 between the temples of senseless gods1 admired by senseless men1 who have no divine faculty for perceiving ,god1 and the temples1 statues1 and altars which are worthy of ,god4 ,it is not therefore true that we object to building altars1 statues1 and temples1 because we have agreed to make this the badge of a secret and forbidden society2 but we do so1 because we have learnt from ,jesus ,christ the true way of serving ,god1 and we shrink from whatever1 under a pretence of piety1 leads to utter impiety those who abandon the way marked out for us by ,jesus ,christ4 ,for it is ,he who alone is the way of piety1 as ,he truly said1 8,i am the way1 the truth1 the life40 ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,let us see what ,celsus further says of ,god1 and how he urges us to the use of those things which are properly called idol offerings1 or1 still better1 offerings to demons1 although1 in his ignorance of what true sanctity is1 and what sacrifices are well-pleasing to ,god1 he call them 8holy sacrifices40 ,his words are1 8,god is the ,god of all alike2 ,he is good1 ,he stands in need of nothing1 and ,he is without jealousy4 ,what1 then1 is there to hinder those who are most devoted to ,his service from taking part in public feasts80 ,i cannot see the connection which he fancies between ,god's being good1 and independent1 and free from jealousy1 and ,his devoted servants taking part in public feasts4 ,i confess1 indeed1 that from the fact that ,god is good1 and without want of anything1 and free from jealousy1 it would follow as a consequence that we might take part in public feasts1 if it were proved that the public feasts had nothing wrong in them1 and were grounded upon true views of the character of ,god1 so that they resulted naturally from a devout service of ,god4 ,if1 however1 the so-called public festivals can in no way be shown to accord with the service of ,god1 but may on the contrary be proved to have been devised by men when occasion offered to commemorate some human events1 or to set forth certain qualities of water or earth1 or the fruits of the earth1--in that case1 it is clear that those who wish to offer an enlightened worship to the ,divine ,being will act according to sound reason1 and not take part in the public feasts4 ,for 8to keep a feast10 as one of the wise men of ,greece has well said1 8is nothing else than to do one's duty20#afjj and that man truly celebrates a feast who does his duty and prays always1 offering up continually bloodless sacrifices in prayer to ,god4 ,that therefore seems to me a most noble saying of ,paul1 8,ye observe days1 and months1 and times1 and years4 ,i am afraid of you1 lest ,i have bestowed upon you labour in vain40#afja ,footnote #afjj3 ,thucyd4 i4 ,footnote #afja3 ,gal4 iv4 #aj1 #aa4 ,chapter ,,xxii4 ,if it be objected to us on this subject that we ourselves are accustomed to observe certain days1 as for example the ,lord's day1 the ,preparation1 the ,passover1 or ,pentecost1 ,i have to answer1 that to the perfect ,christian1 who is ever in his thoughts1 words1 and deeds serving his natural ,lord1 ,god the ,word1 all his days are the ,lord's1 and he is always keeping the ,lord's day4 ,he also who is unceasingly preparing himself for the true life1 and abstaining from the pleasures of this life which lead astray so many1--who is not indulging the lust of the flesh1 but 8keeping under his body1 and bringing it into subjection10--such a one is always keeping ,preparation-day4 ,again1 he who considers that 8,christ our ,passover was sacrificed for us10 and that it is his duty to keep the feast by eating of the flesh of the ,word1 never ceases to keep the paschal feast2 for the pascha means a 8passover10 and he is ever striving in all his thoughts1 words1 and deeds1 to pass over from the things of this life to ,god1 and is hastening towards the city of ,god4 ,and1 finally1 he who can truly say1 8,we are risen with ,christ10 and 8,he hath exalted us1 and made us to sit with ,him in heavenly places in ,christ10 is always living in the season of ,pentecost2 and most of all1 when going up to the upper chamber1 like the apostles of ,jesus1 he gives himself to supplication and prayer1 that he may become worthy of receiving 8the mighty wind rushing from heaven10 which is powerful to destroy sin and its fruits among men1 and worthy of having some share of the tongue of fire which ,god sends4 ,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,but the majority of those who are accounted believers are not of this advanced class2 but from being either unable or unwilling to keep every day in this manner1 they require some sensible memorials to prevent spiritual things from passing altogether away from their minds4 ,it is to this practice of setting apart some days distinct from others1 that ,paul seems to me to refer in the expression1 8part of the feast20#afjb and by these words he indicates that a life in accordance with the divine word consists not 8in a part of the feast10 but in one entire and never-ceasing festival4 ,again1 compare the festivals1 observed among us as these have been described above1 with the public feasts of ,celsus and the heathen1 and say if the former are not much more sacred observances than those feasts in which the lust of the flesh runs riot1 and leads to drunkenness and debauchery4 ,it would be too long for us at present to show why we are required by the law of ,god to keep its festivals by eating 8the bread of affliction10#afjc or 8leaven with bitter herbs10#afjd or why it says1 8,humble your souls10#afje and such like4 ,for it is impossible for man1 who is a compound being1 in which 8the flesh lusteth against the spirit1 and the spirit against the flesh10#afjf to keep the feast with his whole nature2 for either he keeps the feast with his spirit and afflicts the body1 which through the lust of the flesh is unfit to keep it along with the spirit1 or else he keeps it with the body1 and the spirit is unable to share in it4 ,but we have for the present said enough on the subject of feasts4 ,footnote #afjb3 ,col4 ii4 #af4 ,the whole passage in the ,english version is1 8,let no man judge you in meat1 or in drink1 or in respect of an holyday0 7 74 ,origen's interpretation is not followed by any modern expositors4 ,it is adopted by ,chrysostom and ,theodoret4 ,footnote #afjc3 ,deut4 xvi4 #c4 ,footnote #afjd3 ,ex4 xii4 #h4 ,footnote #afje3 ,lev4 xvi4 #bi4 ,footnote #afjf3 ,gal4 v4 #ag4 ,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,let us now see on what grounds ,celsus urges us to make use of the idol offerings and the public sacrifices in the public feasts4 ,his words are1 8,if these idols are nothing1 what harm will there be in taking part in the feast8 ,on the other hand1 if they are demons1 it is certain that they too are ,god's creatures1 and that we must believe in them1 sacrifice to them according to the laws1 and pray to them that they may be propitious40 ,in reference to this statement1 it would be profitable for us to take up and clearly explain the whole passage of the ,first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 in which ,paul treats of offerings to idols4#afjg ,the apostle draws from the fact that 8an idol is nothing in the world10 the consequence that it is injurious to use things offered to idols2 and he shows to those who have ears to hear on such subjects1 that he who partakes of things offered to idols is worse than a murderer1 for he destroys his own brethren1 for whom ,christ died4 ,and further1 he maintains that the sacrifices are made to demons2 and from that he proceeds to show that those who join the table of demons become associated with the demons2 and he concludes that a man cannot both be a partaker of the table of the ,lord and of the table of demons4 ,but since it would require a whole treatise to set forth fully all that is contained on this subject in the ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 we shall content ourselves with this brief statement of the argument2 for it will be evident to any one who carefully considers what has been said1 that even if idols are nothing1 nevertheless it is an awful thing to join in idol festivals4 ,and even supposing that there are such beings as demons to whom the sacrifices are offered1 it has been clearly shown that we are forbidden to take part in these festivals1 when we know the difference between the table of the ,lord and the table of demons4 ,and knowing this1 we endeavour as much as we can to be always partakers of the ,lord's table1 and beware to the utmost of joining at any time the table of demons4 ,footnote #afjg3 #a ,cor4 viii4 #d1 #aa4 ,chapter ,,xxv4 ,celsus says that 8the demons belong to ,god1 and are therefore to be believed1 to be sacrificed to according to laws1 and to be prayed to that they may be propitious40 ,those who are disposed to learn1 must know that the word of ,god nowhere says of evil things that they belong to ,god1 for it judges them unworthy of such a ,lord4 ,accordingly1 it is not all men who bear the name of 8men of ,god10 but only those who are worthy of ,god1--such as ,moses and ,elias1 and any others who are so called1 or such as resemble those who are so called in ,scripture4 ,in the same way1 all angels are not said to be angels of ,god1 but only those that are blessed3 those that have fallen away into sin are called 8angels of the devil10 just as bad men are called 8men of sin10 8sons of perdition10 or 8sons of iniquity40 ,since1 then1 among men some are good and others bad1 and the former are said to be ,god's and the latter the devil's1 so among angels some are angels of ,god1 and others angels of the devil4 ,but among demons there is no such distinction1 for all are said to be wicked4 ,we do not therefore hesitate to say that ,celsus is false when he says1 8,if they are demons1 it is evident that they must also belong to ,god40 ,he must either show that this distinction of good and bad among angels and men has no foundation1 or else that a similar distinction may be shown to hold among demons4 ,if that is impossible1 it is plain that demons do not belong to ,god2 for their prince is not ,god1 but1 as holy ,scripture says1 8,beelzebub40 ,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,and we are not to believe in demons1 although ,celsus urges us to do so2 but if we are to obey ,god1 we must die1 or endure anything sooner than obey demons4 ,in the same way1 we are not to propitiate demons2 for it is impossible to propitiate beings that are wicked and that seek the injury of men4 ,besides1 what are the laws in accordance with which ,celsus would have us propitiate the demons8 ,for if he means laws enacted in states1 he must show that they are in agreement with the divine laws4 ,but if that cannot be done1 as the laws of many states are quite inconsistent with each other1 these laws1 therefore1 must of necessity either be no laws at all in the proper sense of the word1 or else the enactments of wicked men2 and these we must not obey1 for 8we must obey ,god rather than men40 ,away1 then1 with this counsel1 which ,celsus gives us1 to offer prayer to demons3 it is not to be listened to for a moment2 for our duty is to pray to the ,most ,high ,god alone1 and to the only-begotten1 the first-born of the whole creation1 and to ask ,him as our ,high ,priest to present the prayers which ascend to ,him from us1 to ,his ,god and our ,god1 to ,his ,father and the ,father of those who direct their lives according to ,his word4 ,and as we would have no desire to enjoy the favour of those men who wish us to follow their wicked lives1 and who give us their favour only on condition that we choose nothing opposed to their wishes1 because their favour would make us enemies of ,god1 who cannot be pleased with those who have such men for their friends1--in the same way those who are acquainted with the nature1 the purposes1 and the wickedness of demons1 can never wish to obtain their favour4 ,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,and ,christians have nothing to fear1 even if demons should not be well-disposed to them2 for they are protected by the supreme ,god1 who is well pleased with their piety1 and who sets ,his divine angels to watch over those who are worthy of such guardianship1 so that they can suffer nothing from demons4 ,he who by his piety possesses the favour of the ,most ,high1 who has accepted the guidance of ,jesus1 the 8,angel of the great counsel10#afjh being well contented with the favour of ,god through ,christ ,jesus1 may say with confidence that he has nothing to suffer from the whole host of demons4 8,the ,lord is my light and my salvation2 whom shall ,i fear8 ,the ,lord is the strength of my life2 of whom shall ,i be afraid8 ,though an host should encamp against me1 my heart shall not fear40#afji ,so much1 then1 in reply to those statements of ,celsus3 8,if they are demons1 they too evidently belong to ,god1 and they are to be believed1 to be sacrificed to according to the laws1 and prayers are to be offered to them that they may be propitious40 ,footnote #afjh3 ,isa4 ix4 #f 7,,lxx474 ,footnote #afji3 ,ps4 xxvii4 #a1 #c4 ,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,we shall now proceed to the next statement of ,celsus1 and examine it with care3 8,if in obedience to the traditions of their fathers they abstain from such victims1 they must also abstain from all animal food1 in accordance with the opinions of ,pythagoras1 who thus showed his respect for the soul and its bodily organs4 ,but if1 as they say1 they abstain that they may not eat along with demons1 ,i admire their wisdom1 in having at length discovered1 that whenever they eat they eat with demons1 although they only refuse to do so when they are looking upon a slain victim2 for when they eat bread1 or drink wine1 or taste fruits1 do they not receive these things1 as well as the water they drink and the air they breathe1 from certain demons1 to whom have been assigned these different provinces of nature80 ,here ,i would observe that ,i cannot see how those whom he speaks of as abstaining from certain victims1 in accordance with the traditions of their fathers1 are consequently bound to abstain from the flesh of all animals4 ,we do not indeed deny that the divine word does seem to command something similar to this1 when to raise us to a higher and purer life it says1 8,it is good neither to eat flesh1 nor to drink wine1 nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth1 or is offended1 or is made weak20#afaj and again1 8,destroy not him with thy meat1 for whom ,christ died20#afaa and again1 8,if meat make my brother to offend1 ,i will eat no flesh while the world standeth1 lest ,i make my brother to offend40#afab ,footnote #afaj3 ,rom4 xiv4 #ba4 ,footnote #afaa3 ,rom4 xiv4 #ae4 ,footnote #afab3 #a ,cor4 viii4 #ac4 ,chapter ,,xxix4 ,but it is to be observed that the ,jews1 who claim for themselves a correct understanding of the law of ,moses1 carefully restrict their food to such things as are accounted clean1 and abstain from those that are unclean4 ,they also do not use in their food the blood of an animal nor the flesh of an animal torn by wild beasts1 and some other things which it would take too long for us at present to detail4 ,but ,jesus1 wishing to lead all men by ,his teaching to the pure worship and service of ,god1 and anxious not to throw any hindrance in the way of many who might be benefited by ,christianity1 through the imposition of a burdensome code of rules in regard to food1 has laid it down1 that 8not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man1 but that which cometh out of the mouth2 for whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly1 and is cast out into the draught4 ,but those things which proceed out of the mouth are evil thoughts when spoken1 murders1 adulteries1 fornications1 thefts1 false witness1 blasphemies40#afac ,paul also says1 8,meat commendeth us not to ,god3 for neither1 if we eat1 are we the better2 neither1 if we eat not1 are we the worse40#afad ,wherefore1 as there is some obscurity about this matter1 without some explanation is given1 it seemed good to the apostles of ,jesus and the elders assembled together at ,antioch1 and also1 as they themselves say1 to the ,holy ,spirit1 to write a letter to the ,gentile believers1 forbidding them to partake of those things from which alone they say it is necessary to abstain1 namely1 8things offered to idols1 things strangled1 and blood40#afae ,footnote #afac3 ,matt4 xv4 #aa1 #ag-ai4 ,footnote #afad3 #a ,cor4 viii4 #h4 ,footnote #afae3 ,acts xv4 #bh1 #bi4 ,it was at ,jerusalem4 ,chapter ,,xxx4 ,for that which is offered to idols is sacrificed to demons1 and a man of ,god must not join the table of demons4 ,as to things strangled1 we are forbidden by ,scripture to partake of them1 because the blood is still in them2 and blood1 especially the odour arising from blood1 is said to be the food of demons4 ,perhaps1 then1 if we were to eat of strangled animals1 we might have such spirits feeding along with us4 ,and the reason which forbids the use of strangled animals for food is also applicable to the use of blood4 ,and it may not be amiss1 as bearing on this point1 to recall a beautiful saying in the writings of ,sextus1 which is known to most ,christians3 8,the eating of animals10 says he1 8is a matter of indifference2 but to abstain from them is more agreeable to reason40 ,it is not1 therefore1 simply on account of some traditions of our fathers that we refrain from eating victims offered to those called gods or heroes or demons1 but for other reasons1 some of which ,i have here mentioned4 ,it is not to be supposed1 however1 that we are to abstain from the flesh of animals in the same way as we are bound to abstain from all vice and wickedness3 we are indeed to abstain not only from the flesh of animals1 but from all other kinds of food1 if we cannot partake of them without incurring evil1 and the consequences of evil4 ,for we are to avoid eating for gluttony1 or for the mere gratification of the appetite1 without regard to the health and sustenance of the body4 ,we do not believe that souls pass from one body to another1 and that they may descend so low as to enter the bodies of the brutes4 ,if we abstain at times from eating the flesh of animals1 it is evidently1 therefore1 not for the same reason as ,pythagoras2 for it is the reasonable soul alone that we honour1 and we commit its bodily organs with due honours to the grave4 ,for it is not right that the dwelling-place of the rational soul should be cast aside anywhere without honour1 like the carcases of brute beasts2 and so much the more when we believe that the respect paid to the body redounds to the honour of the person who received from ,god a soul which has nobly employed the organs of the body in which it resided4 ,in regard to the question1 8,how are the dead raised up1 and with what body do they come80 we have already answered it briefly1 as our purpose required4 ,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,celsus afterwards states what is adduced by ,jews and ,christians alike in defence of abstinence from idol sacrifices1 namely1 that it is wrong for those who have dedicated themselves to the ,most ,high ,god to eat with demons4 ,what he brings forward against this view1 we have already seen4 ,in our opinion1 a man can only be said to eat and drink with demons when he eats the flesh of what are called sacred victims1 and when he drinks the wine poured out to the honour of the demons4 ,but ,celsus thinks that we cannot eat bread or drink wine in any way whatever1 or taste fruits1 or even take a draught of water1 without eating and drinking with demons4 ,he adds also1 that the air which we breathe is received from demons1 and that not an animal can breathe without receiving the air from the demons who are set over the air4 ,if any one wishes to defend this statement of ,celsus1 let him show that it is not the divine angels of ,god1 but demons1 the whole race of whom are bad1 that have been appointed to communicate all those blessings which have been mentioned4 ,we indeed also maintain with regard not only to the fruits of the earth1 but to every flowing stream and every breath of air1 that the ground brings forth those things which are said to grow up naturally1--that the water springs in fountains1 and refreshes the earth with running streams1--that the air is kept pure1 and supports the life of those who breathe it only in consequence of the agency and control of certain beings whom we may call invisible husbandmen and guardians2 but we deny that those invisible agents are demons4 ,and if we might speak boldly1 we would say that if demons have any share at all in these things1 to them belong famine1 blasting of the vine and fruit trees1 pestilence among men and beasts3 all these are the proper occupations of demons1 who in the capacity of public executioners receive power at certain times to carry out the divine judgments1 for the restoration of those who have plunged headlong into wickedness1 or for the trial and discipline of the souls of the wise4 ,for those who through all their afflictions preserve their piety pure and unimpaired1 show their true character to all spectators1 whether visible or invisible1 who behold them2 while those who are otherwise minded1 yet conceal their wickedness1 when they have their true character exposed by misfortunes1 become manifest to themselves as well as to those whom we may also call spectators4 ,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,the ,psalmist bears witness that divine justice employs certain evil angels to inflict calamities upon men3 8,he cast upon them the fierceness of ,his anger1 wrath1 and indignation1 and trouble1 sent by evil angels40#afaf ,whether demons ever go beyond this when they are suffered to do what they are ever ready1 though through the restraint put upon them they are not always able to do1 is a question to be solved by that man who can conceive1 in so far as human nature will allow1 how it accords with the divine justice1 that such multitudes of human souls are separated from the body while walking in the paths which lead to certain death4 8,for the judgments of ,god are so great10 that a soul which is still clothed with a mortal body cannot comprehend them2 8and they cannot be expressed3 therefore by unnurtured souls0#afag they are not in any measure to be understood4 ,and hence1 too1 rash spirits1 by their ignorance in these matters1 and by recklessly setting themselves against the ,divine ,being1 multiply impious objections against providence4 ,it is not from demons1 then1 that men receive any of those things which meet the necessities of life1 and least of all ourselves1 who have been taught to make a proper use of these things4 ,and they who partake of corn and wine1 and the fruits of trees1 of water and of air1 do not feed with demons1 but rather do they feast with divine angels1 who are appointed for this purpose1 and who are as it were invited to the table of the pious man1 who hearkens to the precept of the word1 which says1 8,whether ye eat or drink1 or whatever ye do1 do all to the glory of ,god40#afah ,and again1 in another place it is written1 8,do all things in the name of ,god40#afai ,when1 therefore1 we eat and drink and breathe to the glory of ,god1 and act in all things according to what is right1 we feast with no demons1 but with divine angels3 8,for every creature is good1 and nothing to be refused1 if it be received with thanksgiving3 for it is sanctified by the word of ,god and prayer40#afbj ,but it could not be good1 and it could not be sanctified1 if these things were1 as ,celsus supposes1 entrusted to the charge of demons4 ,footnote #afaf3 ,ps4 lxxviii4 #di4 ,footnote #afag3 ,wisdom of ,sol4 xvii4 #a4 ,footnote #afah3 ,col4 iii4 #ag4 ,footnote #afai3 #a ,cor4 x4 #ca4 ,footnote #afbj3 #a ,tim4 iv4 #d1 #e4 ,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,from this it is evident that we have already met the next statement of ,celsus1 which is as follows3 8,we must either not live1 and indeed not come into this life at all1 or we must do so on condition that we give thanks and first-fruits and prayers to demons1 who have been set over the things of this world3 and that we must do as long as we live1 that they may prove good and kind40 ,we must surely live1 and we must live according to the word of ,god1 as far as we are enabled to do so4 ,and we are thus enabled to live1 when1 8whether we eat or drink1 we do all to the glory of ,god20 and we are not to refuse to enjoy those things which have been created for our use1 but must receive them with thanksgiving to the ,creator4 ,and it is under these conditions1 and not such as have been imagined by ,celsus1 that we have been brought into life by ,god2 and we are not placed under demons1 but we are under the government of the ,most ,high ,god1 through ,him who hath brought us to ,god--,jesus ,christ4 ,it is not according to the law of ,god that any demon has had a share in worldly affairs1 but it was by their own lawlessness that they perhaps sought out for themselves places destitute of the knowledge of ,god and of the divine life1 or places where there are many enemies of ,god4 ,perhaps also1 as being fit to rule over and punish them1 they have been set by the ,word1 who governs all things1 to rule over those who subjected themselves to evil and not to ,god4 ,for this reason1 then1 let ,celsus1 as one who knows not ,god1 give thank-offerings to demons4 ,but we give thanks to the ,creator of all1 and1 along with thanksgiving and prayer for the blessings we have received1 we also eat the bread presented to us2 and this bread becomes by prayer a sacred body1 which sanctifies those who sincerely partake of it4 ,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,celsus would also have us to offer first-fruits to demons4 ,but we would offer them to ,him who said1 8,let the earth bring forth grass1 the herb yielding seed1 and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind1 whose seed is in itself upon the earth40#afba ,and to ,him to whom we offer first-fruits we also send up our prayers1 8having a great high priest1 that is passed into the heavens1 ,jesus the ,son of ,god10 and 8we hold fast this profession0#afbb as long as we live2 for we find ,god and ,his only-begotten ,son1 manifested to us in ,jesus1 to be gracious and kind to us4 ,and if we would wish to have besides a great number of beings who shall ever prove friendly to us1 we are taught that 8thousand thousands stood before ,him1 and ten thousand times ten thousand ministered unto ,him40#afbc ,and these1 regarding all as their relations and friends who imitate their piety towards ,god1 and in prayer call upon ,him with sincerity1 work along with them for their salvation1 appear unto them1 deem it their office and duty to attend to them1 and as if by common agreement they visit with all manner of kindness and deliverance those who pray to ,god1 to whom they themselves also pray3 8,for they are all ministering spirits1 sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation40#afbd ,let the learned ,greeks say that the human soul at its birth is placed under the charge of demons3 ,jesus has taught us not to despise even the little ones in ,his church1 saying1 8,their angels do always behold the face of my ,father which is in heaven40#afbe ,and the prophet says1 8,the angel of the ,lord encampeth round about them that fear ,him1 and delivereth them40#afbf ,we do not1 then1 deny that there are many demons upon earth1 but we maintain that they exist and exercise power among the wicked1 as a punishment of their wickedness4 ,but they have no power over those who 8have put on the whole armour of ,god10 who have received strength to 8withstand the wiles of the devil10#afbg and who are ever engaged in contests with them1 knowing that 8we wrestle not against flesh and blood1 but against principalities1 against powers1 against the rulers of the darkness of this world1 against spiritual wickedness in high places40#afbh ,footnote #afba3 ,gen4 i4 #aa4 ,footnote #afbb3 ,heb4 iv4 #ad4 ,footnote #afbc3 ,dan4 vii4 #aj4 ,footnote #afbd3 ,heb4 i4 #ad4 ,footnote #afbe3 ,matt4 xviii4 #aj4 ,footnote #afbf3 ,ps4 xxxiv4 #g4 ,footnote #afbg3 ,eph4 vi4 #aa4 ,footnote #afbh3 ,eph4 vi4 #ab4 ,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,now let us consider another saying of ,celsus1 which is as follows3 8,the satrap of a ,persian or ,roman monarch1 or ruler or general or governor1 yea1 even those who fill lower offices of trust or service in the state1 would be able to do great injury to those who despised them2 and will the satraps and ministers of earth and air be insulted with impunity80 ,observe now how he introduces servants of the ,most ,high--rulers1 generals1 governors1 and those filling lower offices of trust and service--as1 after the manner of men1 inflicting injury upon those who insult them4 ,for he does not consider that a wise man would not wish to do harm to any1 but would strive to the utmost of his power to change and amend them2 unless1 indeed1 it be that those whom ,celsus makes servants and rulers appointed by the ,most ,high are behind ,lycurgus1 the law-giver of the ,lacedmonians1 or ,zeno of ,citium4 ,for when ,lycurgus had had his eye put out by a man1 he got the offender into his power2 but instead of taking revenge upon him1 he ceased not to use all his arts of persuasion until he induced him to become a philosopher4 ,and ,zeno1 on the occasion of some one saying1 8,let me perish rather than not have my revenge on thee10 answered him1 8,but rather let me perish if ,i do not make a friend of thee40 ,and ,i am not yet speaking of those whose characters have been formed by the teaching of ,jesus1 and who have heard the words1 8,love your enemies1 and pray for them which despitefully use you1 that ye may be the children of your ,father which is in heaven2 for ,he maketh ,his sun to rise on the evil and on the good1 and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust40#afbi ,and in the prophetical writings the righteous man says1 8,o ,lord my ,god1 if ,i have done this2 if there be iniquity in my hands2 if ,i have returned evil to those who have done evil to me1 let me fall helpless under mine enemies3 let my enemy persecute my soul1 and take it2 yea1 let him tread down my life upon the earth40#afcj ,footnote #afbi3 ,matt4 v4 #dd1 #de4 ,footnote #afcj3 ,ps4 vii4 #c-f4 ,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,but the angels1 who are the true rulers and generals and ministers of ,god1 do not1 as ,celsus supposes1 8injure those who offend them20 and if certain demons1 whom ,celsus had in mind1 do inflict evils1 they show that they are wicked1 and that they have received no office of the kind from ,god4 ,and they even do injury to those who are under them1 and who have acknowledged them as their masters2 and accordingly1 as it would seem that those who break through the regulations which prevail in any country in regard to matters of food1 suffer for it if they are under the demons of that place1 while those who are not under them1 and have not submitted to their power1 are free from all harm1 and bid defiance to such spirits2 although if1 in ignorance of certain things1 they have come under the power of other demons1 they may suffer punishment from them4 ,but the ,christian--the true ,christian1 ,i mean--who has submitted to ,god alone and ,his ,word1 will suffer nothing from demons1 for ,he is mightier than demons4 ,and the ,christian will suffer nothing1 for 8the angel of the ,lord will encamp about them that fear ,him1 and will deliver them10#afca and his 8angel10 who 8always beholds the face of his ,father in heaven10#afcb offers up his prayers through the one ,high ,priest to the ,god of all1 and also joins his own prayers with those of the man who is committed to his keeping4 ,let not1 then1 ,celsus try to scare us with threats of mischief from demons1 for we despise them4 ,and the demons1 when despised1 can do no harm to those who are under the protection of ,him who can alone help all who deserve ,his aid2 and ,he does no less than set ,his own angels over ,his devout servants1 so that none of the hostile angels1 nor even he who is called 8the prince of this world10#afcc can effect anything against those who have given themselves to ,god4 ,footnote #afca3 ,ps4 xxxiv4 #g4 ,footnote #afcb3 ,matt4 xviii4 #aj4 ,footnote #afcc3 ,john xiv4 #cj4 ,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,in the next place1 ,celsus forgets that he is addressing ,christians1 who pray to ,god alone through ,jesus2 and mixing up other notions with theirs1 he absurdly attributes them all to ,christians4 8,if10 says he1 8they who are addressed are called upon by barbarous names1 they will have power1 but no longer will they have any if they are addressed in ,greek or ,latin40 ,let him1 then1 state plainly whom we call upon for help by barbarous names4 ,any one will be convinced that this is a false charge which ,celsus brings against us1 when he considers that ,christians in prayer do not even use the precise names which divine ,scripture applies to ,god2 but the ,greeks use ,greek names1 the ,romans ,latin names1 and every one prays and sings praises to ,god as he best can1 in his mother tongue4 ,for the ,lord of all the languages of the earth hears those who pray to ,him in each different tongue1 hearing1 if ,i may so say1 but one voice1 expressing itself in various dialects4 ,for the ,most ,high is not as one of those who select one language1 barbarian or ,greek1 knowing nothing of any other1 and caring nothing for those who speak in other tongues4 ,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,he next represents ,christians as saying what he never heard from any ,christian2 or if he did1 it must have been from one of the most ignorant and lawless of the people4 8,behold10 they are made to say1 8,i go up to a statue of ,jupiter or ,apollo1 or some other god3 ,i revile it1 and beat it1 yet it takes no vengeance on me40 ,he is not aware that among the prohibitions of the divine law is this1 8,thou shalt not revile the gods10#afcd and this is intended to prevent the formation of the habit of reviling any one whatever2 for we have been taught1 8,bless1 and curse not10#afce and it is said that 8revilers shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god40#afcf ,and who amongst us is so foolish as to speak in the way ,celsus describes1 and to fail to see that such contemptuous language can be of no avail for removing prevailing notions about the gods8 ,for it is matter of observation that there are men who utterly deny the existence of a ,god or of an overruling providence1 and who by their impious and destructive teaching have founded sects among those who are called philosophers1 and yet neither they themselves1 nor those who have embraced their opinions1 have suffered any of those things which mankind generally account evils3 they are both strong in body and rich in possessions4 ,and yet if we ask what loss they have sustained1 we shall find that they have suffered the most certain injury4 ,for what greater injury can befall a man than that he should be unable amidst the order of the world to see ,him who has made it8 and what sorer affliction can come to any one than that blindness of mind which prevents him from seeing the ,creator and ,father of every soul8 ,footnote #afcd3 ,ex4 xxii4 #bh4 ,footnote #afce3 ,rom4 xii4 #ad4 ,footnote #afcf3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #aj4 ,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,after putting such words into our mouth1 and maliciously charging ,christians with sentiments which they never held1 he then proceeds to give to this supposed expression of ,christian feeling an answer1 which is indeed more a mockery than an answer1 when he says1 8,do you not see1 good sir1 that even your own demon is not only reviled1 but banished from every land and sea1 and you yourself1 who are as it were an image dedicated to him1 are bound and led to punishment1 and fastened to the stake1 whilst your demon--or1 as you call him1 #8the ,son of ,god'--takes no vengeance on the evil-doer80 ,this answer would be admissible if we employed such language as he ascribes to us2 although even then he would have no right to call the ,son of ,god a demon4 ,for as we hold that all demons are evil1 ,he who turns so many men to ,god is in our view no demon1 but ,god the ,word1 and the ,son of ,god4 ,and ,i know not how ,celsus has so far forgotten himself as to call ,jesus ,christ a demon1 when he nowhere alludes to the existence of any evil demons4 ,and finally1 as to the punishments threatened against the ungodly1 these will come upon them after they have refused all remedies1 and have been1 as we may say1 visited with an incurable malady of sinfulness4 ,chapter ,,xl4 ,such is our doctrine of punishment2 and the inculcation of this doctrine turns many from their sins4 ,but let us see1 on the other hand1 what is the response given on this subject by the priest of ,jupiter or ,apollo of whom ,celsus speaks4 ,it is this3 8,the mills of ,god grind slowly40#afcg ,another describes punishment as reaching 8to children's children1 and to those who came after them40#afch ,how much better are those words of ,scripture3 8,the fathers shall not be put to death for the children1 nor the children for the fathers4 ,every man shall be put to death for his own sin40#afci ,and again1 8,every man that eateth the sour grape1 his teeth shall be set on edge40#afdj ,and1 8,the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father1 neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son3 the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him1 and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him40#afda ,if any shall say that the response1 8,to children's children1 and to those who come after them10 corresponds with that passage1 8,who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me10#afdb let him learn from ,ezekiel that this language is not to be taken literally2 for he reproves those who say1 8,our fathers have eaten sour grapes1 and the children's teeth are set on edge10#afdc and then he adds1 8,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord1 every one shall die for his own sin40 ,as to the proper meaning of the figurative language about sins being visited unto the third and fourth generation1 we cannot at present stay to explain4 ,footnote #afcg3 8,the mills of the gods grind slowly1 but they grind to powder0 7,plutarch74 ,footnote #afch3 ,hom4 ,il4 xx4 #cjh4 ,footnote #afci3 ,deut4 xxiv4 #af4 ,footnote #afdj3 ,jer4 xxxi4 #cj4 ,footnote #afda3 ,ezek4 xviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #afdb3 ,ex4 xx4 #e4 ,footnote #afdc3 ,ezek4 xviii4 #b-d4 ,chapter ,,xli4 ,he then goes on to rail against us after the manner of old wives4 8,you10 says he1 8mock and revile the statues of our gods2 but if you had reviled ,bacchus or ,hercules in person1 you would not perhaps have done so with impunity4 ,but those who crucified your ,god when present among men1 suffered nothing for it1 either at the time or during the whole of their lives4 ,and what new thing has there happened since then to make us believe that he was not an impostor1 but the ,son of ,god8 ,and forsooth1 he who sent his ,son with certain instructions for mankind1 allowed him to be thus cruelly treated1 and his instructions to perish with him1 without ever during all this long time showing the slightest concern4 ,what father was ever so inhuman8 ,perhaps1 indeed1 you may say that he suffered so much1 because it was his wish to bear what came to him4 ,but it is open to those whom you maliciously revile1 to adopt the same language1 and say that they wish to be reviled1 and therefore they bear it with patience2 for it is best to deal equally with both sides1--although these gods severely punish the scorner1 so that he must either flee and hide himself1 or be taken and perish40 ,now to these statements ,i would answer that we revile no one1 for we believe that 8revilers will not inherit the kingdom of ,god40#afdd ,and we read1 8,bless them that curse you2 bless1 and curse not20 also1 8,being reviled1 we bless40 ,and even although the abuse which we pour upon another may seem to have some excuse in the wrong which we have received from him1 yet such abuse is not allowed by the word of ,god4 ,and how much more ought we to abstain from reviling others1 when we consider what a great folly it is6 ,and it is equally foolish to apply abusive language to stone or gold or silver1 turned into what is supposed to be the form of ,god by those who have no knowledge of ,god4 ,accordingly1 we throw ridicule not upon lifeless images1 but upon those only who worship them4 ,moreover1 if certain demons reside in certain images1 and one of them passes for ,bacchus1 another for ,hercules1 we do not vilify them3 for1 on the one hand1 it would be useless2 and1 on the other1 it does not become one who is meek1 and peaceful1 and gentle in spirit1 and who has learnt that no one among men or demons is to be reviled1 however wicked he may be4 ,footnote #afdd3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #aj4 ,chapter ,,xlii4 ,there is an inconsistency into which1 strangely enough1 ,celsus has fallen unawares4 ,those demons or gods whom he extolled a little before1 he now shows to be in fact the vilest of creatures1 punishing more for their own revenge than for the improvement of those who revile them4 ,his words are1 8,if you had reviled ,bacchus or ,hercules when present in person1 you would not have escaped with impunity40 ,how any one can hear without being present in person1 ,i leave any one who will to explain2 as also those other questions1 8,why he is sometimes present1 and sometimes absent80 and1 8,what is the business which takes demons away from place to place80 ,again1 when he says1 8,those who crucified your ,god himself1 suffered no harm for doing so10 he supposes that it is the body of ,jesus extended on the cross and slain1 and not ,his divine nature1 that we call ,god2 and that it was as ,god that ,jesus was crucified and slain4 ,as we have already dwelt at length on the sufferings which ,jesus suffered as a man1 we shall purposely say no more here1 that we may not repeat what we have said already4 ,but when he goes on to say that 8those who inflicted death upon ,jesus suffered nothing afterwards through so long a time10 we must inform him1 as well as all who are disposed to learn the truth1 that the city in which the ,jewish people called for the crucifixion of ,jesus with shouts of 8,crucify him1 crucify him10#afde preferring to have the robber set free1 who had been cast into prison for sedition and murder1 and ,jesus1 who had been delivered through envy1 to be crucified1--that this city not long afterwards was attacked1 and1 after a long siege1 was utterly overthrown and laid waste2 for ,god judged the inhabitants of that place unworthy of living together the life of citizens4 ,and yet1 though it may seem an incredible thing to say1 ,god spared this people in delivering them to their enemies2 for ,he saw that they were incurably averse to any amendment1 and were daily sinking deeper and deeper into evil4 ,and all this befell them1 because the blood of ,jesus was shed at their instigation and on their land2 and the land was no longer able to bear those who were guilty of so fearful a crime against ,jesus4 ,footnote #afde3 ,luke xxiii4 #ba1 #be4 ,chapter ,,xliii4 ,some new thing1 then1 has come to pass since the time that ,jesus suffered1--that1 ,i mean1 which has happened to the city1 to the whole nation1 and in the sudden and general rise of a ,christian community4 ,and that1 too1 is a new thing1 that those who were strangers to the covenants of ,god1 with no part in ,his promises1 and far from the truth1 have by a divine power been enabled to embrace the truth4 ,these things were not the work of an impostor1 but were the work of ,god1 who sent ,his ,word1 ,jesus ,christ1 to make known ,his purposes4#afdf ,the sufferings and death which ,jesus endured with such fortitude and meekness1 show the cruelty and injustice of those who inflicted them1 but they did not destroy the announcement of the purposes of ,god2 indeed1 if we may so say1 they served rather to make them known4 ,for ,jesus ,himself taught us this when ,he said1 8,except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die1 it abideth by itself alone3 but if it die1 it bringeth forth much fruit40#afdg ,jesus1 then1 who is this grain of wheat1 died1 and brought forth much fruit4 ,and the ,father is ever looking forward for the results of the death of the grain of wheat1 both those which are arising now1 and those which shall arise hereafter4 ,the ,father of ,jesus is therefore a tender and loving ,father1 though 8,he spared not ,his own ,son1 but delivered ,him up0 as ,his lamb 8for us all10#afdh that so 8the ,lamb of ,god10 by dying for all men1 might 8take away the sin of the world40 ,it was not by compulsion1 therefore1 but willingly1 that ,he bore the reproaches of those who reviled ,him4 ,then ,celsus1 returning to those who apply abusive language to images1 says3 8,of those whom you load with insults1 you may in like manner say that they voluntarily submit to such treatment1 and therefore they bear insults with patience2 for it is best to deal equally with both sides4 ,yet these severely punish the scorner1 so that he must either flee and hide himself1 or be taken and perish40 ,it is not1 then1 because ,christians cast insults upon demons that they incur their revenge1 but because they drive them away out of the images1 and from the bodies and souls of men4 ,and here1 although ,celsus perceives it not1 he has on this subject spoken something like the truth2 for it is true that the souls of those who condemn ,christians1 and betray them1 and rejoice in persecuting them1 are filled with wicked demons4 ,footnote #afdf3 4 ,spencer reads in this and the following sentences4 ,footnote #afdg3 ,john xii4 #bd4 ,footnote #afdh3 ,rom4 viii4 #cb4 ,chapter ,,xliv4 ,but when the souls of those who die for the ,christian faith depart from the body with great glory1 they destroy the power of the demons1 and frustrate their designs against men4 ,wherefore ,i imagine1 that as the demons have learnt from experience that they are defeated and overpowered by the martyrs for the truth1 they are afraid to have recourse again to violence4 ,and thus1 until they forget the defeats they have sustained1 it is probable that the world will be at peace with the ,christians4 ,but when they recover their power1 and1 with eyes blinded by sin1 wish again to take their revenge on ,christians1 and persecute them1 then again they will be defeated1 and then again the souls of the godly1 who lay down their lives for the cause of godliness1 shall utterly destroy the army of the wicked one4 ,and as the demons perceive that those who meet death victoriously for the sake of religion destroy their authority1 while those who give way under their sufferings1 and deny the faith1 come under their power1 ,i imagine that at times they feel a deep interest in ,christians when on their trial1 and keenly strive to gain them over to their side1 feeling as they do that their confession is torture to them1 and their denial is a relief and encouragement to them4 ,and traces of the same feeling may be seen in the demeanour of the judges2 for they are greatly distressed at seeing those who bear outrage and torture with patience1 but are greatly elated when a ,christian gives way under it4 ,yet it is from no feeling of humanity that this arises4 ,they see well1 that1 while 8the tongues0 of those who are overpowered by the tortures 8may take the oath1 the mind has not sworn40#afdi ,and this may serve as an answer to the remark of ,celsus3 8,but they severely punish one who reviles them1 so that he must either flee and hide himself1 or be taken and perish40 ,if a ,christian ever flees away1 it is not from fear1 but in obedience to the command of his ,master1 that so he may preserve himself1 and employ his strength for the benefit of others4 ,footnote #afdi3 ,euripides1 ,hippolytus4 ,chapter ,,xlv4 ,let us see what ,celsus next goes on to say4 ,it is as follows3 8,what need is there to collect all the oracular responses1 which have been delivered with a divine voice by priests and priestesses1 as well as by others1 whether men or women1 who were under a divine influence8--all the wonderful things that have been heard issuing from the inner sanctuary8--all the revelations that have been made to those who consulted the sacrificial victims8--and all the knowledge that has been conveyed to men by other signs and prodigies8 ,to some the gods have appeared in visible forms4 ,the world is full of such instances4 ,how many cities have been built in obedience to commands received from oracles2 how often1 in the same way1 delivered from disease and famine6 ,or again1 how many cities1 from disregard or forgetfulness of these oracles1 have perished miserably6 ,how many colonies have been established and made to flourish by following their orders6 ,how many princes and private persons have1 from this cause1 had prosperity or adversity6 ,how many who mourned over their childlessness1 have obtained the blessing they asked for6 ,how many have turned away from themselves the anger of demons6 ,how many who were maimed in their limbs1 have had them restored6 ,and again1 how many have met with summary punishment for showing want of reverence to the temples--some being instantly seized with madness1 others openly confessing their crimes1 others having put an end to their lives1 and others having become the victims of incurable maladies6 ,yea1 some have been slain by a terrible voice issuing from the inner sanctuary40 ,i know not how it comes that ,celsus brings forward these as undoubted facts1 whilst at the same time he treats as mere fables the wonders which are recorded and handed down to us as having happened among the ,jews1 or as having been performed by ,jesus and ,his disciples4 ,for why may not our accounts be true1 and those of ,celsus fables and fictions8 ,at least1 these latter were not believed by the followers of ,democritus1 ,epicurus1 and ,aristotle1 although perhaps these ,grecian sects would have been convinced by the evidence in support of our miracles1 if ,moses or any of the prophets who wrought these wonders1 or ,jesus ,christ ,himself1 had come in their way4 ,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,it is related of the priestess of ,apollo1 that she at times allowed herself to be influenced in her answers by bribes2 but our prophets were admired for their plain truthfulness1 not only by their contemporaries1 but also by those who lived in later times4 ,for through the commands pronounced by the prophets cities were founded1 men were cured1 and plagues were stayed4 ,indeed1 the whole ,jewish race went out as a colony from ,egypt to ,palestine1 in accordance with the divine oracles4 ,they also1 when they followed the commands of ,god1 were prosperous2 when they departed from them1 they suffered reverses4 ,what need is there to quote all the princes and private persons in ,scripture history who fared well or ill according as they obeyed or despised the words of the prophets8 ,if we refer to those who were unhappy because they were childless1 but who1 after offering prayers to the ,creator of all1 became fathers and mothers1 let any one read the accounts of ,abraham and ,sarah1 to whom at an advanced age was born ,isaac1 the father of the whole ,jewish nation3 and there are other instances of the same thing4 ,let him also read the account of ,hezekiah1 who not only recovered from his sickness1 according to the prediction of ,isaiah1 but was also bold enough to say1 8,afterwards ,i shall beget children1 who shall declare ,thy righteousness40#afej ,and in the fourth book of ,kings we read that the prophet ,elisha made known to a woman who had received him hospitably1 that by the grace of ,god she should have a son2 and through the prayers of ,elisha she became a mother4 ,the maimed were cured by ,jesus in great numbers4 ,and the books of the ,maccabees relate what punishments were inflicted upon those who dared to profane the ,jewish service in the temple at ,jerusalem4 ,footnote #afej3 ,isa4 xxxviii4 #ai 7according to the ,,lxx474 ,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,but the ,greeks will say that these accounts are fabulous1 although two whole nations are witnesses to their truth4 ,but why may we not consider the accounts of the ,greeks as fabulous rather than those8 ,perhaps some one1 however1 wishing not to appear blindly to accept his own statements and reject those of others1 would conclude1 after a close examination of the matter1 that the wonders mentioned by the ,greeks were performed by certain demons2 those among the ,jews by prophets or by angels1 or by ,god through the means of angels1 and those recorded by ,christians by ,jesus ,himself1 or by ,his power working in ,his apostles4 ,let us1 then1 compare all these accounts together2 let us examine into the aim and purpose of those who performed them2 and let us inquire what effect was produced upon the persons on whose account these acts of kindness were performed1 whether beneficial or hurtful1 or neither the one nor the other4 ,the ancient ,jewish people1 before they sinned against ,god1 and were for their great wickedness cast off by ,him1 must evidently have been a people of great wisdom4#afea ,but ,christians1 who have in so wonderful a manner formed themselves into a community1 appear at first to have been more induced by miracles than by exhortations to forsake the institutions of their fathers1 and to adopt others which were quite strange to them4 ,and indeed1 if we were to reason from what is probable as to the first formation of the ,christian society1 we should say that it is incredible that the apostles of ,jesus ,christ1 who were unlettered men of humble life1 could have been emboldened to preach ,christian truth to men by anything else than the power which was conferred upon them1 and the grace which accompanied their words and rendered them effective2 and those who heard them would not have renounced the old-established usages of their fathers1 and been induced to adopt notions so different from those in which they had been brought up1 unless they had been moved by some extraordinary power1 and by the force of miraculous events4 ,footnote #afea3 4 ,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,in the next place1 ,celsus1 after referring to the enthusiasm with which men will contend unto death rather than abjure ,christianity1 adds strangely enough some remarks1 in which he wishes to show that our doctrines are similar to those delivered by the priests at the celebration of the heathen mysteries4 ,he says1 8,just as you1 good sir1 believe in eternal punishments1 so also do the priests who interpret and initiate into the sacred mysteries4 ,the same punishments with which you threaten others1 they threaten you4 ,now it is worthy of examination1 which of the two is more firmly established as true2 for both parties contend with equal assurance that the truth is on their side4 ,but if we require proofs1 the priests of the heathen gods produce many that are clear and convincing1 partly from wonders performed by demons1 and partly from the answers given by oracles1 and various other modes of divination40 ,he would1 then1 have us believe that we and the interpreters of the mysteries equally teach the doctrine of eternal punishment1 and that it is a matter for inquiry on which side of the two the truth lies4 ,now ,i should say that the truth lies with those who are able to induce their hearers to live as men who are convinced of the truth of what they have heard4 ,but ,jews and ,christians have been thus affected by the doctrines they hold about what we speak of as the world to come1 and the rewards of the righteous1 and the punishments of the wicked4 ,let ,celsus then1 or any one who will1 show us who have been moved in this way in regard to eternal punishments by the teaching of heathen priests and mystagogues4 ,for surely the purpose of him who brought to light this doctrine was not only to reason upon the subject of punishments1 and to strike men with terror of them1 but to induce those who heard the truth to strive with all their might against those sins which are the causes of punishment4 ,and those who study the prophecies with care1 and are not content with a cursory perusal of the predictions contained in them1 will find them such as to convince the intelligent and sincere reader that the ,spirit of ,god was in those men1 and that with their writings there is nothing in all the works of demons1 responses of oracles1 or sayings of soothsayers1 for one moment to be compared4 ,chapter ,,xlix4 ,let us see in what terms ,celsus next addresses us3 8,besides1 is it not most absurd and inconsistent in you1 on the one hand1 to make so much of the body as you do--to expect that the same body will rise again1 as though it were the best and most precious part of us2 and yet1 on the other1 to expose it to such tortures as though it were worthless8 ,but men who hold such notions1 and are so attached to the body1 are not worthy of being reasoned with2 for in this and in other respects they show themselves to be gross1 impure1 and bent upon revolting without any reason from the common belief4 ,but ,i shall direct my discourse to those who hope for the enjoyment of eternal life with ,god by means of the soul or mind1 whether they choose to call it a spiritual substance1 an intelligent spirit1 holy and blessed1 or a living soul1 or the heavenly and indestructible offspring of a divine and incorporeal nature1 or by whatever name they designate the spiritual nature of man4 ,and they are rightly persuaded that those who live well shall be blessed1 and the unrighteous shall all suffer everlasting punishments4 ,and from this doctrine neither they nor any other should ever swerve40 ,now1 as he has often already reproached us for our opinions on the resurrection1 and as we have on these occasions defended our opinions in what seemed to us a reasonable way1 we do not intend1 at each repetition of the one objection1 to go into a repetition of our defence4 ,celsus makes an unfounded charge against us when he ascribes to us the opinion that 8there is nothing in our complex nature better or more precious than the body20 for we hold that far beyond all bodies is the soul1 and especially the reasonable soul2 for it is the soul1 and not the body1 which bears the likeness of the ,creator4 ,for1 according to us1 ,god is not corporeal1 unless we fall into the absurd errors of the followers of ,zeno and ,chrysippus4 ,chapter ,l4 ,but since he reproaches us with too great an anxiety about the body1 let him know that when that feeling is a wrong one we do not share in it1 and when it is indifferent we only long for that which ,god has promised to the righteous4 ,but ,celsus considers that we are inconsistent with ourselves when we count the body worthy of honour from ,god1 and therefore hope for its resurrection1 and yet at the same time expose it to tortures as though it were not worthy of honour4 ,but surely it is not without honour for the body to suffer for the sake of godliness1 and to choose afflictions on account of virtue3 the dishonourable thing would be for it to waste its powers in vicious indulgence4 ,for the divine word says3 8,what is an honourable seed8 ,the seed of man4 ,what is a dishonourable seed8 ,the seed of man40#afeb ,moreover1 ,celsus thinks that he ought not to reason with those who hope for the good of the body1 as they are unreasonably intent upon an object which can never satisfy their expectations4 ,he also calls them gross and impure men1 bent upon creating needless dissensions4 ,but surely he ought1 as one of superior humanity1 to assist even the rude and depraved4 ,for society does not exclude from its pale the coarse and uncultivated1 as it does the irrational animals1 but our ,creator made us on the same common level with all mankind4 ,it is not an undignified thing1 therefore1 to reason even with the coarse and unrefined1 and to try to bring them as far as possible to a higher state of refinement--to bring the impure to the highest practicable degree of purity--to bring the unreasoning multitude to reason1 and the diseased in mind to spiritual health4 ,footnote #afeb3 ,ecclus4 x4 #ai4 ,in the ,,lxx4 the last clause is1 8,what is a dishonourable seed8 ,they that transgress the commandments40 ,chapter ,,li4 ,in the next place1 he expresses his approval of those who 8hope that eternal life shall be enjoyed with ,god by the soul or mind1 or1 as it is variously called1 the spiritual nature1 the reasonable soul1 intelligent1 holy1 and blessed20 and he allows the soundness of the doctrine1 that 8those who had a good life shall be happy1 and the unrighteous shall suffer eternal punishments40 ,and yet ,i wonder at what follows1 more than at anything that ,celsus has ever said2 for he adds1 8,and from this doctrine let not them or any one ever swerve40 ,for certainly in writing against ,christians1 the very essence of whose faith is ,god1 and the promises made by ,christ to the righteous1 and ,his warnings of punishment awaiting the wicked1 he must see that1 if a ,christian were brought to renounce ,christianity by his arguments against it1 it is beyond doubt that1 along with his ,christian faith1 he would cast off the very doctrine from which he says that no ,christian and no man should ever swerve4 ,but ,i think ,celsus has been far surpassed in consideration for his fellow-men by ,chrysippus in his treatise1 ,on the ,subjugation of the ,passions4 ,for when he sought to apply remedies to the affections and passions which oppress and distract the human spirit1 after employing such arguments as seemed to himself to be strong1 he did not shrink from using in the second and third place others which he did not himself approve of4 8,for10 says he1 8if it were held by any one that there are three kinds of good1 we must seek to regulate the passions in accordance with that supposition2 and we must not too curiously inquire into the opinions held by a person at the time that he is under the influence of passion1 lest1 if we delay too long for the purpose of overthrowing the opinions by which the mind is possessed1 the opportunity for curing the passion may pass away40 ,and he adds1 8,thus1 supposing that pleasure were the highest good1 or that he was of that opinion whose mind was under the dominion of passion1 we should not the less give him help1 and show that1 even on the principle that pleasure is the highest and final good of man1 all passion is disallowed40 ,and ,celsus1 in like manner1 after having embraced the doctrine1 8that the righteous shall be blessed1 and the wicked shall suffer eternal punishments10 should have followed out his subject2 and1 after having advanced what seemed to him the chief argument1 he should have proceeded to prove and enforce by further reasons the truth that the unjust shall surely suffer eternal punishment1 and those who lead a good life shall be blessed4 ,chapter ,,lii4 ,for we who have been persuaded by many1 yea by innumerable1 arguments to lead a ,christian life1 are especially anxious to bring all men as far as possible to receive the whole system of ,christian truth2 but when we meet with persons who are prejudiced by the calumnies thrown out against ,christians1 and who1 from a notion that ,christians are an impious people1 will not listen to any who offer to instruct them in the principles of the divine word1 then1 on the common principles of humanity1 we endeavour to the best of our ability to convince them of the doctrine of the punishment of the wicked1 and to induce even those who are unwilling to become ,christians to accept that truth4 ,and we are thus anxious to persuade them of the rewards of right living1 when we see that many things which we teach about a healthy moral life are also taught by the enemies of our faith4 ,for you will find that they have not entirely lost the common notions of right and wrong1 of good and evil4 ,let all men1 therefore1 when they look upon the universe1 observe the constant revolution of the unerring stars1 the converse motion of the planets1 the constitution of the atmosphere1 and its adaptation to the necessities of the animals1 and especially of man1 with all the innumerable contrivances for the wellbeing of mankind2 and then1 after thus considering the order of the universe1 let them beware of doing aught which is displeasing to the ,creator of this universe1 of the soul and its intelligent principle2 and let them rest assured that punishment shall be inflicted on the wicked1 and rewards shall be bestowed upon the righteous1 by ,him who deals with every one as he deserves1 and who will proportion ,his rewards to the good that each has done1 and to the account of himself that he is able to give4 ,and let all men know that the good shall be advanced to a higher state1 and that the wicked shall be delivered over to sufferings and torments1 in punishment of their licentiousness and depravity1 their cowardice1 timidity1 and all their follies4 ,chapter ,,liii4 ,having said so much on this subject1 let us proceed to another statement of ,celsus3 8,since men are born united to a body1 whether to suit the order of the universe1 or that they may in that way suffer the punishment of sin2 or because the soul is oppressed by certain passions until it is purged from these at the appointed period of time1--for1 according to ,empedocles1 all mankind must be banished from the abodes of the blessed for #cj1jjj periods of time1--we must therefore believe that they are entrusted to certain beings as keepers of this prison-house40 ,you will observe that ,celsus1 in these remarks1 speaks of such weighty matters in the language of doubtful human conjecture4 ,he adds also various opinions as to the origin of man1 and shows considerable reluctance to set down any of these opinions as false4 ,when he had once come to the conclusion neither indiscriminately to accept nor recklessly to reject the opinions held by the ancients1 would it not have been in accordance with that same rule of judging1 if1 when he found himself not disposed to believe the doctrines taught by the ,jewish prophets and by ,jesus1 at any rate to have held them as matters open to inquiry8 ,and should he not have considered whether it is very probable that a people who faithfully served the ,most ,high ,god1 and who ofttimes encountered numberless dangers1 and even death1 rather than sacrifice the honour of ,god1 and what they believed to be the revelations of ,his will1 should have been wholly overlooked by ,god8 ,should it not rather be thought probable that people who despised the efforts of human art to represent the ,divine ,being1 but strove rather to rise in thought to the knowledge of the ,most ,high1 should have been favoured with some revelation from ,himself8 ,besides1 he ought to have considered that the common ,father and ,creator of all1 who sees and hears all things1 and who duly esteems the intention of every man who seeks ,him and desires to serve ,him1 will grant unto these also some of the benefits of ,his rule1 and will give them an enlargement of that knowledge of ,himself which ,he has once bestowed upon them4 ,if this had been remembered by ,celsus and the others who hate ,moses and the ,jewish prophets1 and ,jesus1 and ,his faithful disciples1 who endured so much for the sake of ,his word1 they would not thus have reviled ,moses1 and the prophets1 and ,jesus1 and ,his apostles2 and they would not have singled out for their contempt the ,jews beyond all the nations of the earth1 and said they were worse even than the ,egyptians1--a people who1 either from superstition or some other form of delusion1 went as far as they could in degrading the ,divine ,being to the level of brute beasts4 ,and we invite inquiry1 not as though we wished to lead any to doubt regarding the truths of ,christianity1 but in order to show that it would be better for those who in every way revile the doctrines of ,christianity1 at any rate to suspend their judgment1 and not so rashly to state about ,jesus and ,his apostles such things as they do not know1 and as they cannot prove1 either by what the ,stoics call 8apprehensive perception10#afec or by any other methods used by different sects of philosophers as criteria of truth4 ,footnote #afec3 4 ,chapter ,,liv4 ,when ,celsus adds1 8,we must therefore believe that men are entrusted to certain beings who are the keepers of this prison-house10 our answer is1 that the souls of those who are called by ,jeremiah 8prisoners of the earth10#afed when eager in the pursuit of virtue1 are even in this life delivered from the bondage of evil2 for ,jesus declared this1 as was foretold long before ,his advent by the prophet ,isaiah1 when he said that 8the prisoners would go forth1 and they that were in darkness would show themselves40#afee ,and ,jesus ,himself1 as ,isaiah also foretold of ,him1 arose as 8a light to them that sat in darkness and in the shadow of death10#afef so that we may therefore say1 8,let us break their bands asunder1 and cast their cords from us40#afeg ,if ,celsus1 and those who like him are opposed to us1 had been able to sound the depths of the gospel narratives1 they would not have counselled us to put our confidence in those beings whom they call 8the keepers of the prison-house40 ,it is written in the ,gospel that a woman was bowed together1 and could in no wise lift up herself4 ,and when ,jesus beheld her1 and perceived from what cause she was bowed together1 he said1 8,ought not this daughter of ,abraham1 whom ,satan has bound1 lo1 these eighteen years1 to be loosed from this bond on the ,sabbath day80#afeh ,and how many others are still bowed down and bound by ,satan1 who hinders them from looking up at all1 and who would have us to look down also6 ,and no one can raise them up1 except the ,word1 that came by ,jesus ,christ1 and that aforetime inspired the prophets4 ,and ,jesus came to release those who were under the dominion of the devil2 and1 speaking of him1 ,he said with that depth of meaning which characterized ,his words1 8,now is the prince of this world judged40 ,we are1 then1 indulging in no baseless calumnies against demons1 but are condemning their agency upon earth as destructive to mankind1 and show that1 under cover of oracles and bodily cures1 and such other means1 they are seeking to separate from ,god the soul which has descended to this 8body of humiliation20 and those who feel this humiliation exclaim1 8,o wretched man that ,i am6 who shall deliver me from the body of this death80#afei ,it is not in vain1 therefore1 that we expose our bodies to be beaten and tortured2 for surely it is not in vain for a man to submit to such sufferings1 if by that means he may avoid bestowing the name of gods on those earthly spirits that unite with their worshippers to bring him to destruction4 ,indeed1 we think it both reasonable in itself and well-pleasing to ,god1 to suffer pain for the sake of virtue1 to undergo torture for the sake of piety1 and even to suffer death for the sake of holiness2 for 8precious in the sight of ,god is the death of ,his saints20#affj and we maintain that to overcome the love of life is to enjoy a great good4 ,but when ,celsus compares us to notorious criminals1 who justly suffer punishment for their crimes1 and does not shrink from placing so laudable a purpose as that which we set before us upon the same level with the obstinacy of criminals1 he makes himself the brother and companion of those who accounted ,jesus among criminals1 fulfilling the ,scripture1 which saith1 8,he was numbered with transgressors40#affa ,footnote #afed3 ,lam4 iii4 #cd4 ,footnote #afee3 ,isa4 xlix4 #i4 ,footnote #afef3 ,isa4 ix4 #b4 ,footnote #afeg3 ,ps4 ii4 #c4 ,footnote #afeh3 ,luke xiii4 #aa1 #af4 ,footnote #afei3 ,rom4 vii4 #bd4 ,footnote #affj3 ,ps4 cxvi4 #ae4 ,footnote #affa3 ,isa4 liii4 #ab4 ,chapter ,,lv4 ,celsus goes on to say3 8,they must make their choice between two alternatives4 ,if they refuse to render due service to the gods1 and to respect those who are set over this service1 let them not come to manhood1 or marry wives1 or have children1 or indeed take any share in the affairs of life2 but let them depart hence with all speed1 and leave no posterity behind them1 that such a race may become extinct from the face of the earth4 ,or1 on the other hand1 if they will take wives1 and bring up children1 and taste of the fruits of the earth1 and partake of all the blessings of life1 and bear its appointed sorrows 7for nature herself hath allotted sorrows to all men2 for sorrows must exist1 and earth is the only place for them71 then must they discharge the duties of life until they are released from its bonds1 and render due honour to those beings who control the affairs of this life1 if they would not show themselves ungrateful to them4 ,for it would be unjust in them1 after receiving the good things which they dispense1 to pay them no tribute in return40 ,to this we reply1 that there appears to us to be no good reason for our leaving this world1 except when piety and virtue require it2 as when1 for example1 those who are set as judges1 and think that they have power over our lives1 place before us the alternative either to live in violation of the commands of ,jesus1 or to die if we continue obedient to them4 ,but ,god has allowed us to marry1 because all are not fit for the higher1 that is1 the perfectly pure life2 and ,god would have us to bring up all our children1 and not to destroy any of the offspring given us by ,his providence4 ,and this does not conflict with our purpose not to obey the demons that are on the earth2 for1 8being armed with the whole armour of ,god1 we stand0#affb as athletes of piety against the race of demons that plot against us4 ,footnote #affb3 ,eph4 vi4 #aa4 ,chapter ,,lvi4 ,although1 therefore1 ,celsus would1 in his own words1 8drive us with all haste out of life10 so that 8such a race may become extinct from the earth20 yet we1 along with those who worship the ,creator1 will live according to the laws of ,god1 never consenting to obey the laws of sin4 ,we will marry if we wish1 and bring up the children given to us in marriage2 and if need be1 we will not only partake of the blessings of life1 but bear its appointed sorrows as a trial to our souls4 ,for in this way is divine ,scripture accustomed to speak of human afflictions1 by which1 as gold is tried in the fire1 so the spirit of man is tried1 and is found to be worthy either of condemnation or of praise4 ,for those things which ,celsus calls evils we are therefore prepared1 and are ready to say1 8,try me1 ,o ,lord1 and prove me2 purge my reins and my heart40#affc ,for 8no one will be crowned10 unless here upon earth1 with this body of humiliation1 8he strive lawfully40#affd ,further1 we do not pay honours supposed to be due to those whom ,celsus speaks of as being set over the affairs of the world4 ,for we worship the ,lord our ,god1 and ,him only do we serve1 and desire to be followers of ,christ1 who1 when the devil said to ,him1 8,all these things will ,i give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me10 answered him by the words1 8,thou shalt worship the ,lord thy ,god1 and ,him only shalt thou serve40#affe ,wherefore we do not render the honour supposed to be due to those who1 according to ,celsus1 are set over the affairs of this world2 for 8no man can serve two masters10 and we 8cannot serve ,god and mammon10 whether this name be applied to one or more4 ,moreover1 if any one 8by transgressing the law dishonours the lawgiver10 it seems clear to us that if the two laws1 the law of ,god and the law of mammon1 are completely opposed to each other1 it is better for us by transgressing the law of mammon to dishonour mammon1 that we may honour ,god by keeping ,his law1 than by transgressing the law of ,god to dishonour ,god1 that by obeying the law of mammon we may honour mammon4 ,footnote #affc3 ,ps4 xxvi4 #b4 ,footnote #affd3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #e4 ,footnote #affe3 ,matt4 iv4 #i1 #aj4 ,chapter ,,lvii4 ,celsus supposes that men 8discharge the duties of life until they are loosened from its bonds10 when1 in accordance with commonly received customs1 they offer sacrifices to each of the gods recognised in the state2 and he fails to perceive the true duty which is fulfilled by an earnest piety4 ,for we say that he truly discharges the duties of life who is ever mindful who is his ,creator1 and what things are agreeable to ,him1 and who acts in all things so that he may please ,god4 ,again1 ,celsus wishes us to be thankful to these demons1 imagining that we owe them thankofferings4 ,but we1 while recognising the duty of thankfulness1 maintain that we show no ingratitude by refusing to give thanks to beings who do us no good1 but who rather set themselves against us when we neither sacrifice to them nor worship them4 ,we are much more concerned lest we should be ungrateful to ,god1 who has loaded us with ,his benefits1 whose workmanship we are1 who cares for us in whatever condition we may be1 and who has given us hopes of things beyond this present life4 ,and we have a symbol of gratitude to ,god in the bread which we call the ,eucharist4 ,besides1 as we have shown before1 the demons have not the control of those things which have been created for our use2 we commit no wrong1 therefore1 when we partake of created things1 and yet refuse to offer sacrifices to beings who have no concern with them4 ,moreover1 as we know that it is not demons1 but angels1 who have been set over the fruits of the earth1 and over the birth of animals1 it is the latter that we praise and bless1 as having been appointed by ,god over the things needful for our race2 yet even to them we will not give the honour which is due to ,god4 ,for this would not be pleasing to ,god1 nor would it be any pleasure to the angels themselves to whom these things have been committed4 ,indeed1 they are much more pleased if we refrain from offering sacrifices to them than if we offer them2 for they have no desire for the sacrificial odours which rise from the earth4 ,chapter ,,lviii4 ,celsus goes on to say3 8,let any one inquire of the ,egyptians1 and he will find that everything1 even to the most insignificant1 is committed to the care of a certain demon4 ,the body of man is divided into thirty-six parts1 and as many demons of the air are appointed to the care of it1 each having charge of a different part1 although others make the number much larger4 ,all these demons have in the language of that country distinct names2 as ,chnoumen1 ,chnachoumen1 ,cnat1 ,sicat1 ,biou1 ,erou1 ,erebiou1 ,ramanor1 ,reianoor1 and other such ,egyptian names4 ,moreover1 they call upon them1 and are cured of diseases of particular parts of the body4 ,what1 then1 is there to prevent a man from giving honour to these or to others1 if he would rather be in health than be sick1 rather have prosperity than adversity1 and be freed as much as possible from all plagues and troubles80 ,in this way1 ,celsus seeks to degrade our souls to the worship of demons1 under the assumption that they have possession of our bodies1 and that each one has power over a separate member4 ,and he wishes us on this ground to put confidence in these demons of which he speaks1 and to serve them1 in order that we may be in health rather than be sick1 have prosperity rather than adversity1 and may as far as possible escape all plagues and troubles4 ,the honour of the ,most ,high ,god1 which cannot be divided or shared with another1 is so lightly esteemed by him1 that he cannot believe in the ability of ,god1 if called upon and highly honoured1 to give to those who serve ,him a power by which they may be defended from the assaults directed by demons against the righteous4 ,for he has never beheld the efficacy of those words1 8in the name of ,jesus10 when uttered by the truly faithful1 to deliver not a few from demons and demoniacal possessions and other plagues4 ,chapter ,,lix4 ,probably those who embrace the views of ,celsus will smile at us when we say1 8,at the name of ,jesus every knee shall bow1 of things in heaven1 of things on earth1 and of things under the earth1 and every tongue0 is brought to 8confess that ,jesus ,christ is ,lord1 to the glory of ,god the ,father40#afff ,but although they may ridicule such a statement1 yet they will receive much more convincing arguments in support of it than ,celsus brings in behalf of ,chnoumen1 ,chnachoumen1 ,cnat1 ,sicat1 and the rest of the ,egyptian catalogue1 whom he mentions as being called upon1 and as healing the diseases of different parts of the human body4 ,and observe how1 while seeking to turn us away from our faith in the ,god of all through ,jesus ,christ1 he exhorts us for the welfare of our bodies to faith in six-and-thirty barbarous demons1 whom the ,egyptian magi alone call upon in some unknown way1 and promise us in return great benefits4 ,according to ,celsus1 then1 it would be better for us now to give ourselves up to magic and sorcery than to embrace ,christianity1 and to put our faith in an innumerable multitude of demons than in the almighty1 living1 self-revealing ,god1 who has manifested ,himself by ,him who by ,his great power has spread the true principles of holiness among all men throughout the world2 yea1 ,i may add without exaggeration1 ,he has given this knowledge to all beings everywhere possessed of reason1 and needing deliverance from the plague and corruption of sin4 ,footnote #afff3 ,phil4 ii4 #aj1 #aa4 ,chapter ,,lx4 ,celsus1 however1 suspecting that the tendency of such teaching as he here gives is to lead to magic1 and dreading that harm may arise from these statements1 adds3 8,care1 however1 must be taken lest any one1 by familiarizing his mind with these matters1 should become too much engrossed with them1 and lest1 through an excessive regard for the body1 he should have his mind turned away from higher things1 and allow them to pass into oblivion4 ,for perhaps we ought not to despise the opinion of those wise men who say that most of the earth-demons are taken up with carnal indulgence1 blood1 odours1 sweet sounds1 and other such sensual things2 and therefore they are unable to do more than heal the body1 or foretell the fortunes of men and cities1 and do other such things as relate to this mortal life40 ,if there is1 then1 such a dangerous tendency in this direction1 as even the enemy of the truth of ,god confesses1 how much better is it to avoid all danger of giving ourselves too much up to the power of such demons1 and of becoming turned aside from higher things1 and suffering them to pass into oblivion through an excessive attention to the body2 by entrusting ourselves to the ,supreme ,god through ,jesus ,christ1 who has given us such instruction1 and asking of ,him all help1 and the guardianship of holy and good angels1 to defend us from the earth-spirits intent on lust1 and blood1 and sacrificial odours1 and strange sounds1 and other sensual things6 ,for even1 by the confession of ,celsus1 they can do nothing more than cure the body4 ,but1 indeed1 ,i would say that it is not clear that these demons1 however much they are reverenced1 can even cure the body4 ,but in seeking recovery from disease1 a man must either follow the more ordinary and simple method1 and have recourse to medical art2 or if he would go beyond the common methods adopted by men1 he must rise to the higher and better way of seeking the blessing of ,him who is ,god over all1 through piety and prayers4 ,chapter ,,lxi4 ,for consider with yourself which disposition of mind will be more acceptable to the ,most ,high1 whose power is supreme and universal1 and who directs all for the welfare of mankind in body1 and in mind1 and in outward things1--whether that of the man who gives himself up to ,god in all things1 or that of the man who is curiously inquisitive about the names of demons1 their powers and agency1 the incantations1 the herbs proper to them1 and the stones with the inscriptions graven on them1 corresponding symbolically or otherwise to their traditional shapes8 ,it is plain even to the least intelligent1 that the disposition of the man who is simple-minded1 and not given to curious inquiries1 but in all things devoted to the divine will1 will be most pleasing to ,god1 and to all those who are like ,god2 but that of the man who1 for the sake of bodily health1 of bodily enjoyment1 and outward prosperity1 busies himself about the names of demons1 and inquires by what incantations he shall appease them1 will be condemned by ,god as bad and impious1 and more agreeable to the nature of demons than of men1 and will be given over to be torn and otherwise tormented by demons4 ,for it is probable that they1 as being wicked creatures1 and1 as ,celsus confesses1 addicted to blood1 sacrificial odours1 sweet sounds1 and such like1 will not keep their most solemn promises to those who supply them with these things4 ,for if others invoke their aid against the persons who have already called upon them1 and purchase their favour with a larger supply of blood1 and odours1 and such offerings as they require1 they will take part against those who yesterday sacrificed and presented pleasant offerings to them4 ,chapter ,,lxii4 ,in a former passage1 ,celsus had spoken at length on the subject of oracles1 and had referred us to their answers as being the voice of the gods2 but now he makes amends1 and confesses that 8those who foretell the fortunes of men and cities1 and concern themselves about mortal affairs1 are earth-spirits1 who are given up to fleshly lust1 blood1 odours1 sweet sounds1 and other such things1 and who are unable to rise above these sensual objects40 ,perhaps1 when we opposed the theological teaching of ,celsus in regard to oracles1 and the honour done to those called gods1 some one might suspect us of impiety when we alleged that these were stratagems of demoniacal powers1 to draw men away to carnal indulgence4 ,but any who entertained this suspicion against us1 may now believe that the statements put forth by ,christians were well-founded1 when they see the above passage from the writings of one who is a professed adversary of ,christianity1 but who now at length writes as one who has been overcome by the spirit of truth4 ,although1 therefore1 ,celsus says that 8we must offer sacrifices to them1 in so far as they are profitable to us1 for to offer them indiscriminately is not allowed by reason10 yet we are not to offer sacrifices to demons addicted to blood and odours2 nor is the ,divine ,being to be profaned in our minds1 by being brought down to the level of wicked demons4 ,if ,celsus had carefully weighed the meaning of the word 8profitable10 and had considered that the truest profit lies in virtue and in virtuous action1 he would not have applied the phrase 8as far as it is profitable0 to the service of such demons1 as he has acknowledged them to be4 ,if1 then1 health of body and success in life were to come to us on condition of our serving such demons1 we should prefer sickness and misfortune accompanied with the consciousness of our being truly devoted to the will of ,god4 ,for this is preferable to being mortally diseased in mind1 and wretched through being separate and outcasts from ,god1 though healthy in body and abounding in earthly prosperity4 ,and we would rather go for help to one who seeks nothing whatever but the well-being of men and of all rational creatures1 than to those that delight in blood and sacrificial odours4 ,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,after having said so much of the demons1 and of their fondness for blood and the odour of sacrifices1 ,celsus adds1 as though wishing to retract the charge he had made3 8,the more just opinion is1 that demons desire nothing and need nothing1 but that they take pleasure in those who discharge towards them offices of piety40 ,if ,celsus believed this to be true1 he should have said so1 instead of making his previous statements4 ,but1 indeed1 human nature is never utterly forsaken by ,god and ,his only-begotten ,son1 the truth4 ,wherefore even ,celsus spoke the truth when he made the demons take pleasure in the blood and smoke of victims2 although1 by the force of his own evil nature1 he falls back into his errors1 and compares demons with men who rigorously discharge every duty1 even to those who show no gratitude2 while to those who are grateful they abound in acts of kindness4 ,here ,celsus appears to me to get into confusion4 ,at one time his judgment is darkened by the influence of demons1 and at another he recovers from their deluding power1 and gets some glimpses of the truth4 ,for again he adds3 8,we must never in any way lose our hold of ,god1 whether by day or by night1 whether in public or in secret1 whether in word or in deed1 but in whatever we do1 or abstain from doing40 ,that is1 as ,i understand it1 whatever we do in public1 in all our actions1 in all our words1 8let the soul be constantly fixed upon ,god40 ,and yet again1 as though1 after struggling in argument against the insane inspirations of demons1 he were completely overcome by them1 he adds3 8,if this is the case1 what harm is there in gaining the favour of the rulers of the earth1 whether of a nature different from ours1 or human princes and kings8 ,for these have gained their dignity through the instrumentality of demons40 ,in a former part1 ,celsus did his utmost to debase our souls to the worship of demons2 and now he wishes us to seek the favour of kings and princes1 of whom1 as the world and all history are full of them1 ,i do not consider it necessary to quote examples4 ,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,there is therefore ,one whose favour we should seek1 and to whom we ought to pray that ,he would be gracious to us--the ,most ,high ,god1 whose favour is gained by piety and the practice of every virtue4 ,and if he would have us to seek the favour of others after the ,most ,high ,god1 let him consider that1 as the motion of the shadow follows that of the body which casts it1 so in like manner it follows1 that when we have the favour of ,god1 we have also the goodwill of all angels and spirits who are friends of ,god4 ,for they know who are worthy of the divine approval1 and they are not only well disposed to them1 but they co-operate with them in their endeavours to please ,god3 they seek ,his favour on their behalf2 with their prayers they join their own prayers and intercessions for them4 ,we may indeed boldly say1 that men who aspire after better things have1 when they pray to ,god1 tens of thousands of sacred powers upon their side4 ,these1 even when not asked1 pray with them1 they bring succour to our mortal race1 and if ,i may so say1 take up arms alongside of it3 for they see demons warring and fighting most keenly against the salvation of those who devote themselves to ,god1 and despise the hostility of demons2 they see them savage in their hatred of the man who refuses to serve them with the blood and fumes of sacrifices1 but rather strives in every way1 by word and deed1 to be in peace and union with the ,most ,high through ,jesus1 who put to flight multitudes of demons when ,he went about 8healing10 and delivering 8all who were oppressed by the devil40#affg ,footnote #affg3 ,acts x4 #ch4 ,chapter ,,lxv4 ,moreover1 we are to despise ingratiating ourselves with kings or any other men1 not only if their favour is to be won by murders1 licentiousness1 or deeds of cruelty1 but even if it involves impiety towards ,god1 or any servile expressions of flattery and obsequiousness1 which things are unworthy of brave and high-principled men1 who aim at joining with their other virtues that highest of virtues1 patience and fortitude4 ,but whilst we do nothing which is contrary to the law and word of ,god1 we are not so mad as to stir up against us the wrath of kings and princes1 which will bring upon us sufferings and tortures1 or even death4 ,for we read3 8,let every soul be subject unto the higher powers4 ,for there is no power but of ,god3 the powers that be are ordained of ,god4 ,whosoever therefore resisteth the power1 resisteth the ordinance of ,god40#affh ,these words we have in our exposition of the ,epistle to the ,romans1 to the best of our ability1 explained at length1 and with various applications2 but for the present we have taken them in their more obvious and generally received acceptation1 to meet the saying of ,celsus1 that 8it is not without the power of demons that kings have been raised to their regal dignity40 ,here much might be said on the constitution of kings and rulers1 for the subject is a wide one1 embracing such rulers as reign cruelly and tyrannically1 and such as make the kingly office the means of indulging in luxury and sinful pleasures4 ,we shall therefore1 for the present1 pass over the full consideration of this subject4 ,we will1 however1 never swear by 8the fortune of the king10 nor by aught else that is considered equivalent to ,god4 ,for if the word 8fortune0 is nothing but an expression for the uncertain course of events1 as some say1 although they seem not to be agreed1 we do not swear by that as ,god which has no existence1 as though it did really exist and was able to do something1 lest we should bind ourselves by an oath to things which have no existence4 ,if1 on the other hand 7as is thought by others1 who say that to swear by the fortune of the king of the ,romans is to swear by his demon71 what is called the fortune of the king is in the power of demons1 then in that case we must die sooner than swear by a wicked and treacherous demon1 that ofttimes sins along with the man of whom it gains possession1 and sins even more than he4 ,footnote #affh3 ,rom4 xiii4 #a1 #b4 ,chapter ,,lxvi4 ,then ,celsus1 following the example of those who are under the influence of demons--at one time recovering1 at another relapsing1 as though he were again becoming sensible--says3 8,if1 however1 any worshipper of ,god should be ordered to do anything impious1 or to say anything base1 such a command should in no wise be regarded2 but we must encounter all kinds of torment1 or submit to any kind of death1 rather than say or even think anything unworthy of ,god40 ,again1 however1 from ignorance of our principles1 and in entire confusion of thought1 he says3 8,but if any one commands you to celebrate the sun1 or to sing a joyful triumphal song in praise of ,minerva1 you will by celebrating their praises seem to render the higher praise to ,god2 for piety1 in extending to all things1 becomes more perfect40 ,to this our answer is1 that we do not wait for any command to celebrate the praises of the sun2 for we have been taught to speak well not only of those creatures that are obedient to the will of ,god1 but even of our enemies4 ,we therefore praise the sun as the glorious workmanship of ,god1 which obeys ,his laws and hearkens to the call1 8,praise the ,lord1 sun and moon10#affi and with all your powers show forth the praises of the ,father and ,creator of all4 ,minerva1 however1 whom ,celsus classes with the sun1 is the subject of various ,grecian myths1 whether these contain any hidden meaning or not4 ,they say that ,minerva sprang fully armed from the brain of ,jupiter2 that when she was pursued by ,vulcan1 she fled from him to preserve her honour2 and that from the seed which fell to the ground in the heat of ,vulcan's passion1 there grew a child whom ,minerva brought up and called ,erichthonius1 8,that owed his nurture to the blue-eyed maid1 ,but from the teeming furrow took his birth1 ,the mighty offspring of the foodful earth40#afgj ,it is therefore evident1 that if we admit ,minerva the daughter of ,jupiter1 we must also admit many fables and fictions which can be allowed by no one who discards fables and seeks after truth4 ,footnote #affi3 ,ps4 cxlviii4 #c4 ,footnote #afgj3 ,homer's ,iliad1 ii4 #edg1 #edh4 ,chapter ,,lxvii4 ,and to regard these myths in a figurative sense1 and consider ,minerva as representing prudence1 let any one show what were the actual facts of her history1 upon which this allegory is based4 ,for1 supposing honour was given to ,minerva as having been a woman of ancient times1 by those who instituted mysteries and ceremonies for their followers1 and who wished her name to be celebrated as that of a goddess1 much more are we forbidden to pay divine honours to ,minerva1 if we are not permitted to worship so glorious an object as the sun1 although we may celebrate its glory4 ,celsus1 indeed1 says that 8we seem to do the greater honour to the great ,god when we sing hymns in honour of the sun and ,minerva20 but we know it to be the opposite of that4 ,for we sing hymns to the ,most ,high alone1 and ,his ,only-begotten1 who is the ,word and ,god2 and we praise ,god and ,his ,only-begotten1 as do also the sun1 the moon1 the stars1 and all the host of heaven4 ,for these all form a divine chorus1 and unite with the just among men in celebrating the praises of the ,most ,high ,god and ,his ,only-begotten4 ,we have already said that we must not swear by a human king1 or by what is called 8the fortune of the king40 ,it is therefore unnecessary for us again to refute these statements3 8,if you are commanded to swear by a human king1 there is nothing wrong in that4 ,for to him has been given whatever there is upon earth2 and whatever you receive in this life1 you receive from him40 ,we deny1 however1 that all things which are on the earth have been given to the king1 or that whatever we receive in this life we receive from him4 ,for whatever we receive rightly and honourably we receive from ,god1 and by ,his providence1 as ripe fruits1 and 8corn which strengtheneth man's heart1 and the pleasant vine1 and wine which rejoiceth the heart of man40#afga ,and moreover1 the fruit of the olive-tree1 to make his face to shine1 we have from the providence of ,god4 ,footnote #afga3 ,ps4 civ4 #ae4 ,chapter ,,lxviii4 ,celsus goes on to say3 8,we must not disobey the ancient writer1 who said long ago1 #8,let one be king1 whom the son of crafty ,saturn appointed2'0#afgb and adds3 8,if you set aside this maxim1 you will deservedly suffer for it at the hands of the king4 ,for if all were to do the same as you1 there would be nothing to prevent his being left in utter solitude and desertion1 and the affairs of the earth would fall into the hands of the wildest and most lawless barbarians2 and then there would no longer remain among men any of the glory of your religion or of the true wisdom40 ,if1 then1 8there shall be one lord1 one king10 he must be1 not the man 8whom the son of crafty ,saturn appointed10 but the man to whom ,he gave the power1 who 8removeth kings and setteth up kings10#afgc and who 8raiseth up the useful man in time of need upon earth40#afgd ,for kings are not appointed by that son of ,saturn1 who1 according to ,grecian fable1 hurled his father from his throne1 and sent him down to ,tartarus 7whatever interpretation may be given to this allegory71 but by ,god1 who governs all things1 and who wisely arranges whatever belongs to the appointment of kings4 ,we therefore do set aside the maxim contained in the line1 8,whom the son of crafty ,saturn appointed20 for we know that no god or father of a god ever devises anything crooked or crafty4 ,but we are far from setting aside the notion of a providence1 and of things happening directly or indirectly through the agency of providence4 ,and the king will not 8inflict deserved punishment0 upon us1 if we say that not the son of crafty ,saturn gave him his kingdom1 but ,he who 8removeth and setteth up kings40 ,and would that all were to follow my example in rejecting the maxim of ,homer1 maintaining the divine origin of the kingdom1 and observing the precept to honour the king6 ,in these circumstances the king will not 8be left in utter solitude and desertion10 neither will 8the affairs of the world fall into the hands of the most impious and wild barbarians40 ,for if1 in the words of ,celsus1 8they do as ,i do10 then it is evident that even the barbarians1 when they yield obedience to the word of ,god1 will become most obedient to the law1 and most humane2 and every form of worship will be destroyed except the religion of ,christ1 which will alone prevail4 ,and indeed it will one day triumph1 as its principles take possession of the minds of men more and more every day4 ,footnote #afgb3 ,homer's ,iliad1 ii4 #bje4 ,footnote #afgc3 ,dan4 ii4 #ba4 ,footnote #afgd3 ,ecclus4 x4 #d4 ,chapter ,,lxix4 ,celsus1 then1 as if not observing that he was saying anything inconsistent with the words he had just used1 8if all were to do the same as you10 adds3 8,you surely do not say that if the ,romans were1 in compliance with your wish1 to neglect their customary duties to gods and men1 and were to worship the ,most ,high1 or whatever you please to call him1 that he will come down and fight for them1 so that they shall need no other help than his4 ,for this same ,god1 as yourselves say1 promised of old this and much more to those who served him1 and see in what way he has helped them and you6 ,they1 in place of being masters of the whole world1 are left with not so much as a patch of ground or a home2 and as for you1 if any of you transgresses even in secret1 he is sought out and punished with death40 ,as the question started is1 8,what would happen if the ,romans were persuaded to adopt the principles of the ,christians1 to despise the duties paid to the recognised gods and to men1 and to worship the ,most ,high80 this is my answer to the question4 ,we say that 8if two0 of us 8shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask1 it shall be done for them of the ,father0 of the just1 8which is in heaven20#afge for ,god rejoices in the agreement of rational beings1 and turns away from discord4 ,and what are we to expect1 if not only a very few agree1 as at present1 but the whole of the empire of ,rome8 ,for they will pray to the ,word1 who of old said to the ,hebrews1 when they were pursued by the ,egyptians1 8,the ,lord shall fight for you1 and ye shall hold your peace20#afgf and if they all unite in prayer with one accord1 they will be able to put to flight far more enemies than those who were discomfited by the prayer of ,moses when he cried to the ,lord1 and of those who prayed with him4 ,now1 if what ,god promised to those who keep ,his law has not come to pass1 the reason of its non-fulfilment is not to be ascribed to the unfaithfulness of ,god4 ,but ,he had made the fulfilment of ,his promises to depend on certain conditions1--namely1 that they should observe and live according to ,his law2 and if the ,jews have not a plot of ground nor a habitation left to them1 although they had received these conditional promises1 the entire blame is to be laid upon their crimes1 and especially upon their guilt in the treatment of ,jesus4 ,footnote #afge3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ai4 ,footnote #afgf3 ,ex4 xiv4 #ad4 ,chapter ,,lxx4 ,but if all the ,romans1 according to the supposition of ,celsus1 embrace the ,christian faith1 they will1 when they pray1 overcome their enemies2 or rather1 they will not war at all1 being guarded by that divine power which promised to save five entire cities for the sake of fifty just persons4 ,for men of ,god are assuredly the salt of the earth3 they preserve the order of the world2 and society is held together as long as the salt is uncorrupted3 for 8if the salt have lost its savour1 it is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill2 but it shall be cast out1 and trodden under foot of men4 ,he that hath ears1 let him hear0#afgg the meaning of these words4 ,when ,god gives to the tempter permission to persecute us1 then we suffer persecution2 and when ,god wishes us to be free from suffering1 even in the midst of a world that hates us1 we enjoy a wonderful peace1 trusting in the protection of ,him who said1 8,be of good cheer1 ,i have overcome the world40#afgh ,and truly ,he has overcome the world4 ,wherefore the world prevails only so long as it is the pleasure of ,him who received from the ,father power to overcome the world2 and from ,his victory we take courage4 ,should ,he even wish us again to contend and struggle for our religion1 let the enemy come against us1 and we will say to them1 8,i can do all things1 through ,christ ,jesus our ,lord1 which strengtheneth me40#afgi ,for of 8two sparrows which are sold for a farthing10 as the ,scripture says1 8not one of them falls on the ground without our ,father in heaven40#afhj ,and so completely does the divine providence embrace all things1 that not even the hairs of our head fail to be numbered by ,him4 ,footnote #afgg3 ,luke xiv4 #cd1 #ce2 ,matt4 v4 #ac4 ,footnote #afgh3 ,john xvi4 #cc4 ,footnote #afgi3 ,phil4 iv4 #ac4 ,footnote #afhj3 ,matt4 x4 #bi1 #cj4 ,chapter ,,lxxi4 ,celsus again1 as is usual with him1 gets confused1 and attributes to us things which none of us have ever written4 ,his words are3 8,surely it is intolerable for you to say1 that if our present rulers1 on embracing your opinions1 are taken by the enemy1 you will still be able to persuade those who rule after them2 and after these have been taken you will persuade their successors1 and so on1 until at length1 when all who have yielded to your persuasion have been taken1 some prudent ruler shall arise1 with a foresight of what is impending1 and he will destroy you all utterly before he himself perishes40 ,there is no need of any answer to these allegations3 for none of us says of our present rulers1 that if they embrace our opinions1 and are taken by the enemy1 we shall be able to persuade their successors2 and when these are taken1 those who come after them1 and so on in succession4 ,but on what does he ground the assertion1 that when a succession of those who have yielded to our persuasion have been taken because they did not drive back the enemy1 some prudent ruler shall arise1 with a foresight of what is impending1 who shall utterly destroy us8 ,but here he seems to me to delight in inventing and uttering the wildest nonsense4 ,chapter ,,lxxii4 ,afterwards he says3 8,if it were possible10 implying at the same time that he thought it most desirable1 8that all the inhabitants of ,asia1 ,europe1 and ,libya1 ,greeks and barbarians1 all to the uttermost ends of the earth1 were to come under one law20 but judging this quite impossible1 he adds1 8,any one who thinks this possible1 knows nothing40 ,it would require careful consideration and lengthened argument to prove that it is not only possible1 but that it will surely come to pass1 that all who are endowed with reason shall come under one law4 ,however1 if we must refer to this subject1 it will be with great brevity4 ,the ,stoics1 indeed1 hold that1 when the strongest of the elements prevails1 all things shall be turned into fire4 ,but our belief is1 that the ,word shall prevail over the entire rational creation1 and change every soul into ,his own perfection2 in which state every one1 by the mere exercise of his power1 will choose what he desires1 and obtain what he chooses4 ,for although1 in the diseases and wounds of the body1 there are some which no medical skill can cure1 yet we hold that in the mind there is no evil so strong that it may not be overcome by the ,supreme ,word and ,god4 ,for stronger than all the evils in the soul is the ,word1 and the healing power that dwells in ,him2 and this healing ,he applies1 according to the will of ,god1 to every man4 ,the consummation of all things is the destruction of evil1 although as to the question whether it shall be so destroyed that it can never anywhere arise again1 it is beyond our present purpose to say4 ,many things are said obscurely in the prophecies on the total destruction of evil1 and the restoration to righteousness of every soul2 but it will be enough for our present purpose to quote the following passage from ,zephaniah3 8,prepare and rise early2 all the gleanings of their vineyards are destroyed4 ,therefore wait ye upon me1 saith the ,lord1 on the day that ,i rise up for a testimony2 for my determination is to gather the nations1 that ,i may assemble the kings1 to pour upon them mine indignation1 even all my fierce anger3 for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy4 ,for then will ,i turn to the people a pure language1 that they may all call upon the name of the ,lord1 to serve ,him with one consent4 ,from beyond the rivers of ,ethiopia my suppliants1 even the daughter of my dispersed1 shall bring my offering4 ,in that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings1 wherein thou hast transgressed against me3 for then ,i will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride2 and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain4 ,i will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people1 and they shall trust in the name of the ,lord4 ,the remnant of ,israel shall not do iniquity1 nor speak lies2 neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth3 for they shall feed and lie down1 and none shall make them afraid40#afha ,i leave it to those who are able1 after a careful study of the whole subject1 to unfold the meaning of this prophecy1 and especially to inquire into the signification of the words1 8,when the whole earth is destroyed1 there will be turned upon the peoples a language according to their race10#afhb as things were before the confusion of tongues4 ,let them also carefully consider the promise1 that all shall call upon the name of the ,lord1 and serve ,him with one consent2 also that all contemptuous reproach shall be taken away1 and there shall be no longer any injustice1 or vain speech1 or a deceitful tongue4 ,and thus much it seemed needful for me to say briefly1 and without entering into elaborate details1 in answer to the remark of ,celsus1 that he considered any agreement between the inhabitants of ,asia1 ,europe1 and ,libya1 as well ,greeks as barbarians1 was impossible4 ,and perhaps such a result would indeed be impossible to those who are still in the body1 but not to those who are released from it4 ,footnote #afha3 ,zeph4 iii4 #g-ac4 ,footnote #afhb3 8,a language to last as long as the world40--,,bouhereau4 ,chapter ,,lxxiii4 ,in the next place1 ,celsus urges us 8to help the king with all our might1 and to labour with him in the maintenance of justice1 to fight for him2 and if he requires it1 to fight under him1 or lead an army along with him40 ,to this our answer is1 that we do1 when occasion requires1 give help to kings1 and that1 so to say1 a divine help1 8putting on the whole armour of ,god40#afhc ,and this we do in obedience to the injunction of the apostle1 8,i exhort1 therefore1 that first of all1 supplications1 prayers1 intercessions1 and giving of thanks1 be made for all men1 for kings1 and for all that are in authority20#afhd and the more any one excels in piety1 the more effective help does he render to kings1 even more than is given by soldiers1 who go forth to fight and slay as many of the enemy as they can4 ,and to those enemies of our faith who require us to bear arms for the commonwealth1 and to slay men1 we can reply3 8,do not those who are priests at certain shrines1 and those who attend on certain gods1 as you account them1 keep their hands free from blood1 that they may with hands unstained and free from human blood offer the appointed sacrifices to your gods2 and even when war is upon you1 you never enlist the priests in the army4 ,if that1 then1 is a laudable custom1 how much more so1 that while others are engaged in battle1 these too should engage as the priests and ministers of ,god1 keeping their hands pure1 and wrestling in prayers to ,god on behalf of those who are fighting in a righteous cause1 and for the king who reigns righteously1 that whatever is opposed to those who act righteously may be destroyed60 ,and as we by our prayers vanquish all demons who stir up war1 and lead to the violation of oaths1 and disturb the peace1 we in this way are much more helpful to the kings than those who go into the field to fight for them4 ,and we do take our part in public affairs1 when along with righteous prayers we join self-denying exercises and meditations1 which teach us to despise pleasures1 and not to be led away by them4 ,and none fight better for the king than we do4 ,we do not indeed fight under him1 although he require it2 but we fight on his behalf1 forming a special army--an army of piety--by offering our prayers to ,god4 ,footnote #afhc3 ,eph4 vi4 #aa4 ,footnote #afhd3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #a1 #b4 ,chapter ,,lxxiv4 ,and if ,celsus would have us to lead armies in defence of our country1 let him know that we do this too1 and that not for the purpose of being seen by men1 or of vainglory4 ,for 8in secret10 and in our own hearts1 there are prayers which ascend as from priests in behalf of our fellow-citizens4 ,and ,christians are benefactors of their country more than others4 ,for they train up citizens1 and inculcate piety to the ,supreme ,being2 and they promote those whose lives in the smallest cities have been good and worthy1 to a divine and heavenly city1 to whom it may be said1 8,thou hast been faithful in the smallest city1 come into a great one10#afhe where 8,god standeth in the assembly of the gods1 and judgeth the gods in the midst20 and ,he reckons thee among them1 if thou no more 8die as a man1 or fall as one of the princes40#afhf ,footnote #afhe3 ,luke xix4 #ag4 ,footnote #afhf3 ,ps4 lxxxii4 #a1 #g4 ,chapter ,,lxxv4 ,celsus also urges us to 8take office in the government of the country1 if that is required for the maintenance of the laws and the support of religion40 ,but we recognise in each state the existence of another national organization1#afhg founded by the ,word of ,god1 and we exhort those who are mighty in word and of blameless life to rule over churches4 ,those who are ambitious of ruling we reject2 but we constrain those who1 through excess of modesty1 are not easily induced to take a public charge in the church of ,god4 ,and those who rule over us well are under the constraining influence of the great ,king1 whom we believe to be the ,son of ,god1 ,god the ,word4 ,and if those who govern in the church1 and are called rulers of the divine nation--that is1 the church--rule well1 they rule in accordance with the divine commands1 and never suffer themselves to be led astray by worldly policy4 ,and it is not for the purpose of escaping public duties that ,christians decline public offices1 but that they may reserve themselves for a diviner and more necessary service in the church of ,god--for the salvation of men4 ,and this service is at once necessary and right4 ,they take charge of all--of those that are within1 that they may day by day lead better lives1 and of those that are without1 that they may come to abound in holy words and in deeds of piety2 and that1 while thus worshipping ,god truly1 and training up as many as they can in the same way1 they may be filled with the word of ,god and the law of ,god1 and thus be united with the supreme ,god through ,his ,son the ,word1 wisdom1 truth1 and righteousness1 who unites to ,god all who are resolved to conform their lives in all things to the law of ,god4 ,footnote #afhg3 4 ,chapter ,,lxxvi4 ,you have here1 reverend ,ambrosius1 the conclusion of what we have been enabled to accomplish by the power given to us in obedience to your command4 ,in eight books we have embraced all that we considered it proper to say in reply to that book of ,celsus which he entitles ,a ,true ,discourse4 ,and now it remains for the readers of his discourse and of my reply to judge which of the two breathes most of the ,spirit of the true ,god1 of piety towards ,him1 and of that truth which leads men by sound doctrines to the noblest life4 ,you must know1 however1 that ,celsus had promised another treatise as a sequel to this one1 in which he engaged to supply practical rules of living to those who felt disposed to embrace his opinions4 ,if1 then1 he has not fulfilled his promise of writing a second book1 we may well be contented with these eight books which we have written in answer to his discourse4 ,but if he has begun and finished that second book1 pray obtain it and send it to us1 that we may answer it as the ,father of truth may give us ability1 and either overthrow the false teaching that may be in it1 or laying aside all jealousy1 we may testify our approval of whatever truth it may contain4 ,,glory ,,be ,,to ,,thee1 ,,our ,,god2 ,,glory ,,be ,,to ,,thee4 ,,indexes4 ,i4--,,index ,,of ,,passages ,,of ,,scripture4 ,,old ,,testament4 ,genesis4 i4 #a1 i4 #abg1 #bga i4 #b1 i4 #cdi i4 #aa1 ii4 #eai i4 #bd1 i4 #aaj i4 #bf1 i4 #bfb1 ii4 #aij1 #cia i4 #bg1 ii4 #aij i4 #bg1 #bh1 i4 #bfc ii4 #b1 #c1 ii4 #djc ii4 #d1 ii4 #djc ii4 #g1 i4 #ci1 ii4 #bjj ii4 #ba1 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#dic li4 #e1 ii4 #dgb li4 #aj1 i4 #cd li4 #aa1 ii4 #dfh li4 #ab1 ii4 #dee liv4 #e1 i4 #dgh1 ii4 #dbe liv4 #f1 ii4 #dbe lviii4 #c1 ii4 #dgb lxii4 #a1 i4 #bhc lxiii4 #h1 ii4 #def lxviii4 #aa1 i4 #dfg lxix4 #ba1 ii4 #da1 #dcf lxxii4 #g1 i4 #bhc lxxii4 #h1 i4 #bhc lxxii4 #aa1 i4 #aae lxxiii4 #a1 i4 #ajd lxxvi4 #b1 ii4 #deb lxxvi4 #aj1 i4 #bcj lxxvii4 #b1 ii4 #h1 #def lxxviii4 #cd1 i4 #ajb lxxviii4 #di1 ii4 #eag lxxviii4 #fe1 ii4 #bch lxxx4 #ac1 #ad1 i4 #aff lxxxi4 #e1 ii4 #ia lxxxii4 #a1 ii4 #ahi bis1 #dic lxxxii4 #a1 #g1 ii4 #eeh lxxxiv4 #c1 i4 #bcj lxxxvi4 #h1 ii4 #bga lxxxvii4 #a1 #b1 ii4 #baf lxxxix4 #cb1 ii4 #cih lxxxix4 #ej1 #ea1 ii4 #aab xci4 #ac1 ii4 #dij xcvi4 #d1 ii4 #bga xcvi4 #e1 ii4 #ahi1 #dhi1 #dic xcvii4 #f1 i4 #abd xcvii4 #i1 ii4 #dic ci4 #i1 ii4 #ddb cii4 #be1 ii4 #djd cii4 #bf1 #bg1 i4 #bed1 #bga1 ii4 #bbc cii4 #bg1 i4 #dai1 ii4 #agd1 #dje cii4 #df1 i4 #eh civ4 #d1 i4 #abb civ4 #f1 ii4 #cef civ4 #ad1 #ae1 ii4 #bda civ4 #ae1 ii4 #eea civ4 #bd1 i4 #bi1 #acj civ4 #bd-bf1 ii4 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#bj1 i4 #afi i4 #bh1 i4 #ddc ii4 #a1 i4 #ddc ii4 #f1 ii4 #hj ii4 #i1 #aj1 ii4 #cdb iii4 #b1 #c1 i4 #ddi x41 ii4 #ceg xi4 #ai1 #bj1 i4 #aia xvi4 #ee1 i4 #ajb xviii4 #b-d1 ii4 #ebe xviii4 #c1 ii4 #ii xviii4 #d1 i4 #abc xviii4 #d1 #ai1 i4 #abc xviii4 #bj1 ii4 #ebd xx4 #c1 ii4 #abg xx4 #e1 ii4 #ebe xx4 #be1 ii4 #ddc xxii4 #ah1 #bj1 ii4 #bhc xxvi41 i4 #bci xxviii4 #aa-ai1 i4 #ej xxviii4 #ab1 i4 #bbd xxviii4 #ae1 ii4 #che xxviii4 #ai1 ii4 #che xxix4 #c1 ii4 #bag bis xxxii4 #a-bh1 ii4 #chd xxxii4 #b1 i4 #abc xxxii4 #f1 ii4 #bag xliii4-xlvi41 i4 #chg xlviii41 ii4 #cfa ,daniel4 ii4 #ba1 ii4 #eea iv4 #h1 i4 #cd iv4 #cg1 ii4 #dec vii4 #aj1 ii4 #agc1 #eai vii4 #bf1 ii4 #eb viii4 #bc1 ii4 #che viii4 #bc-be1 ii4 #chh ix4 #bd1 i4 #bhd ix4 #bg1 ii4 #chh x41 i4 #bci xii4 #a1 #b1 #c1 ii4 #bgg xii4 #c1 ii4 #aia ,hosea4 iii4 #d1 i4 #bgi viii4 #ab1 ii4 #cdj x4 #i1 ii4 #abg x4 #ab1 i4 #g xiii4 #ad1 i4 #hj1 ii4 #abg xiv4 #i1 ii4 #bag ,joel4 ii4 #bh1 #aej ,amos4 iii4 #f1 i4 #bic ix4 #c1 i4 #abc ,micah4 i4 #ab1 i4 #bic1 ii4 #cih i4 #ab1 #ac1 ii4 #cif iv4 #a1 i4 #chg v4 #b1 i4 #bhd1 #dec vi4 #h1 i4 #afe ,habakkuk4 iii4 #b1 i4 #cf ,zephaniah4 iii4 #g-ac1 ii4 #eef ,haggai4 ii4 #f1 ii4 #dec ,zechariah4 i4 #ad1 i4 #bcj iii1 #a1 i4 #bbd v4 #g1 ii4 #cfc ix4 #aj1 i4 #bib ,malachi4 iii4 #b1 ii4 #agc1 #bhc iii4 #b1 #c1 ii4 #cfd iii4 #c1 i4 #adc iii4 #f1 i4 #dai1 ii4 #agd1 #dje ,,apocrypha4 ,tobit4 i4 #ab1 i4 #chd i4 #ai1 i4 #che i4 #bb1 i4 #che ii4 #c1 i4 #cgj xii4 #g1 ii4 #bhg1 #bih ,wisdom4 i4 #d1 ii4 #adj1 #bih i4 #e1 ii4 #dcb i4 #g1 ii4 #aff vii4 #af1 i4 #aia vii1 #be1 i4 #bb vii4 #be1 #bf1 i4 #bf1 ii4 #aej1 #ejb ix4 #f1 ii4 #cej x4 #e1 ii4 #bih x4 #ai1 ii4 #ecd xi4 #ag1 i4 #cdi xi4 #bj1 i4 #abg xi4 #bf1 ii4 #ahh xii4 #a1 ii4 #bja xii4 #a1 #b1 ii4 #ahh1 #dgc xvii4 #a1 ii4 #eah xviii4 #bd1 i4 #hf ,ecclesiasticus4 vi4 #d1 i4 #abc x4 #d1 ii4 #eea xvi4 #ba1 i4 #cda xviii4 #ac1 ii4 #ahh xxi4 #ah1 ii4 #cdd1 #dce xxxix4 #ba1 #af1 #ag1 ii4 #bdb xliii4 #bj1 i4 #abc ,susannah4 ,ver4 #eb1 #ec1 i4 #cgf ,ver4 #ef1 i4 #cgg ,song of the ,three ,holy ,children1 i4 #cgb #b ,maccabees4 vii4 #bh1 i4 #gg ,,new ,,testament4 ,matthew4 i4 #bj1 i4 #dgb i4 #bc1 i4 #dcd ii4 #f1 i4 #bhd1 #dec ii4 #ac1 i4 #dgb iii4 #ag1 ii4 #gf iv4 #i1 #aj1 ii4 #eda iv4 #aj1 ii4 #dhe iv4 #ab1 i4 #agj iv4 #af1 i4 #agj iv4 #ai1 i4 #dff v4 #c1 ii4 #dji v4 #e1 i4 #ij v4 #f1 i4 #adf v4 #h1 i4 #ag1 ii4 #cdj1 #dee1 #dff v4 #ac1 ii4 #eec v4 #ad1 ii4 #bgh1 #dgd v4 #af1 ii4 #bgh v4 #bb1 i4 #aff1 #cbe v4 #bh1 i4 #cbe v4 #cd1 i4 #gd v4 #cd1 #ce1 i4 #ib v4 #ci1 i4 #aff1 ii4 #ddh v4 #ci1 #dj1 ii4 #dhb v4 #dd1 #de1 ii4 #eba v4 #de1 ii4 #ahh v4 #dh1 i4 #cee1 ii4 #aij v4 #dh1 #di1 i4 #ia vi4 #i1 i4 #ib vi4 #bd1 ii4 #dic vi4 #be-bh1 ii4 #ddg vii4 #g1 i4 #cij vii4 #ad1 ii4 #ced vii4 #ah1 i4 #ajc vii4 #bb1 i4 #djb vii4 #bb1 #bc1 i4 #bgh1 ii4 #ea vii4 #bd1 i4 #aff vii4 #bf1 i4 #afg viii4 #c1 i4 #ddi ix4 #ab1 ii4 #ada ix4 #bc1 ii4 #ddf ix4 #cg1 #ch1 i4 #dfh x4 #c1 i4 #dff x4 #ah1 i4 #bgh1 ii4 #ah1 #ai x4 #bc1 i4 #dga x4 #bi1 i4 #bcf x4 #bi1 #cj1 ii4 #eed xi4 #bj1 ii4 #bec xi4 #bg1 i4 #af1 #if1 #ajf1 ii4 #dff xi4 #bh1 ii4 #gg1 #adc xi4 #bi1 ii4 #h xii4 #bd1 ii4 #ac xii4 #cb1 i4 #cd xii4 #cc1 i4 #ajc xii4 #ce1 i4 #ajd xii4 #db1 i4 #bcg1 #bch xii4 #dd1 i4 #ccd xiii4 #i1 ii4 #def xiii4 #ed1 ii4 #ced xv4 #aa1 #ag-ai1 ii4 #eae xv4 #ai1 ii4 #dee xv4 #bd1 i4 #cbi xvii4 #i1 i4 #dej xviii4 #aj1 i4 #cbi1 ii4 #chj1 #ebj1 #ebb xviii4 #ai1 ii4 #eec xviii4 #bj1 ii4 #ab xix4 #ad1 i4 #bed xix4 #ag1 i4 #ajd1 ii4 #bgi xix4 #bd1 ii4 #ced xx4 #be1 ii4 #ddf xx4 #bh1 ii4 #aia xxi4 #b1 ii4 #bjh xxii4 #ab1 #ac1 i4 #ajj xxii4 #cj1 i4 #cde1 ii4 #ahi xxii4 #cb1 i4 #ib1 ii4 #did xxii4 #cg1 #ci1 #dj1 i4 #ic xxiii4 #ab1 ii4 #adb xxiii4 #bi-cf1 i4 #cgh xxiii4 #cj1 i4 #cig xxiii4 #cd1 ii4 #abg xxiv4 #d1 ii4 #che xxiv4 #ab1 i4 #abb xxiv4 #ad1 i4 #bgh1 ii4 #bj xxiv4 #ba1 i4 #bef xxiv4 #bc-bg1 ii4 #ea xxiv4 #bg1 i4 #eb xxiv4 #ce1 i4 #bed1 ii4 #bia xxv4 #d1 ii4 #cda xxv4 #bi1 i4 #adi xxv4 #cd1 i4 #afg xxv4 #ce1 i4 #afi xxvi4 #c1 i4 #aje xxvi4 #bc1 ii4 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#ejj ix4 #ci1 ii4 #dfa x4 #c1 i4 #cij x4 #h-aj1 ii4 #dij x4 #ah1 i4 #ajh1 #abe1 #cdf1 ii4 #bc1 #aac x4 #bd1 i4 #dej x4 #cj1 ii4 #ejj xii4 #bd1 ii4 #ebg xii4 #bg1 i4 #abe1 #cdf xiii4 #b1 i4 #bcb xiii4 #bg1 i4 #bbd xiv4 #b1 i4 #aeb1 ii4 #cei xiv4 #f1 i4 #a1 ii4 #dji1 #ejj xiv4 #i1 i4 #bd1 #ic xiv4 #aa1 ii4 #ejj xiv4 #af1 i4 #dgb xiv4 #bc1 i4 #i1 ii4 #ejf xiv4 #bf1 i4 #cf xiv4 #bg1 ii4 #ejb xiv4 #bh1 ii4 #ejb xiv4 #cj1 i4 #aaj xv4 #bb1 i4 #ch xvi4 #d1 ii4 #h xvi4 #ab1 #ac1 i4 #cf1 ii4 #c xvi4 #bh1 ii4 #bed xvi4 #cc1 i4 #bcc1 ii4 #dja1 #eed xvii4 #aj1 i4 #bi xvii4 #af1 i4 #hg xvii4 #bj1 #ba1 i4 #ef xvii4 #ba1 ii4 #ejj xvii4 #bb1 ii4 #ej xvii4 #bb1 #bc1 i4 #ef xvii4 #bd 7#ba1 #bb71 i4 #he1 #bfc xvii4 #be1 i4 #ajd xviii4 #d1 etc41 ii4 #ad xviii4 #cf1 i4 #dfe xix4 #b1 i4 #bdb xix4 #aa1 i4 #bce xix4 #cd1 #ce1 ii4 #dj xix4 #da1 ii4 #gb bis xix4 #eb1 ii4 #bc xx4 #bb1 i4 #cd1 #ci1 ii4 #dgc xx4 #bf1 ii4 #ff xx4 #bf1 #bg1 ii4 #fe xx4 #bg1 ii4 #fd xxi4 #ah1 ii4 #dg ,acts4 i4 #c1 ii4 #ff i4 #e1 ii4 #dgd i4 #h1 i4 #dj iv4 #cb1 ii4 #ejj v4 #cf1 #cg1 ii4 #cdi v4 #ch1 #ci1 i4 #dfa v4 #da1 ii4 #dg vii41 i4 #ih vii4 #bb1 ii4 #abh vii4 #db1 #dc1 ii4 #bge vii4 #eb1 i4 #cgi viii4 #aj1 ii4 #cdh viii4 #ah1 i4 #cd ix4 #ae1 i4 #bcc x4 #i-ae1 ii4 #b x4 #ad1 ii4 #cai x4 #ch1 ii4 #edh xv4 #bh1 #bi1 ii4 #eae xvii4 #bh1 i4 #gd1 ii4 #aff xxi4 #bf1 ii4 #c ,romans4 i4 #a-d1 i4 #id i4 #c1 #d1 i4 #bdh i4 #ad1 ii4 #acd i4 #ah-bc1 ii4 #cci i4 #ai1 ii4 #abi1 #aib i4 #bj1 ii4 #dja1 #dei i4 #bj-bb1 ii4 #abi i4 #ba1 ii4 #abi1 #dgj i4 #ba-bc1 ii4 #aib i4 #bb1 #bc1 ii4 #aeb i4 #bc1 ii4 #dih i4 #bd1 #be1 ii4 #dga i4 #bd1 #bf1 #bh1 ii4 #cja i4 #be1 ii4 #cdj1 #dgj i4 #bf-bh1 ii4 #abi i4 #bg1 ii4 #dgb i4 #bh1 ii4 #dga ii4 #d1 #e1 i4 #aha ii4 #d-aj1 i4 #afh ii4 #aa1 i4 #fc1 #fi ii4 #ac-af1 i4 #ada ii4 #bc1 ii4 #dih ii4 #bh1 i4 #cbg ii4 #bi1 ii4 #dde v4 #g1 ii4 #ahi v4 #h1 ii4 #ahh v4 #ad1 ii4 #bjf vi4 #d1 ii4 #gb vi4 #i1 ii4 #bc vi4 #aj1 ii4 #gb vii4 #i1 ii4 #adb vii4 #ab1 i4 #ajc vii4 #ab1 #ad1 ii4 #ddd vii4 #ac1 i4 #ajc vii4 #bc1 i4 #bdf1 #bea vii4 #bd1 ii4 #dgc1 #eci viii4 #b1 i4 #bea viii4 #g1 i4 #beb viii4 #h1 ii4 #dfj viii4 #i1 i4 #bdg1 ii4 #dfh viii4 #ac1 ii4 #cbj1 #dfj1 #dge viii4 #ad1 ii4 #bfb viii4 #af1 ii4 #dfj viii4 #ai1 i4 #fc viii4 #ai1 #bj1 ii4 #die viii4 #ai-ba1 ii4 #bha bis1 #dhf viii4 #bj1 ii4 #dgb viii4 #bj1 #ba1 i4 #fc1 #ace1 #bed1 #beh-bfd viii4 #bb1 i4 #fc viii4 #cb1 ii4 #ebg viii4 #ce-cg1 ii4 #cie viii4 #cg1 i4 #cif viii4 #ch1 #ci1 i4 #bcc1 #cie ix4 #f1 i4 #ccf ix4 #f1 #h1 i4 #cbg ix4 #h1 i4 #cbi ix4 #aa1 #ab1 i4 #acc ix4 #ad1 i4 #fc ix4 #af1 i4 #agj1 #bjc ix4 #ah1 i4 #aga ix4 #bj1 #ba1 i4 #aga x4 #f-h1 i4 #ch xi4 #d1 i4 #cjh xi4 #aa1 #ab1 ii4 #dbd xi4 #cc1 i4 #cci bis xi4 #cf1 ii4 #djg xii4 #aa1 i4 #abb xii4 #ad1 ii4 #ebc xiii4 #a1 #b1 ii4 #edh xiii4 #ad1 i4 #ha xiv4 #a1 i4 #cif xiv4 #i1 ii4 #fh1 #dff xiv4 #ae1 i4 #cgd1 ii4 #ead xiv4 #ba1 ii4 #ead xv4 #ai1 ii4 #ddd xvi4 #ae1 ii4 #f xvi4 #be1 #bf1 ii4 #ada #a ,corinthians4 i4 #ae1 i4 #ah i4 #ah1 ii4 #abh i4 #ba1 ii4 #bhd 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x4 #a1 #b1 ii4 #baf x4 #c1 #d1 ii4 #baf1 #dfi x4 #d1 i4 #cjf x4 #aa1 i4 #cjf1 ii4 #bji x4 #ac1 i4 #bbg1 #bbh1 #bbi x4 #ah1 i4 #cbg x4 #bc1 i4 #aag x4 #ca1 ii4 #eah xi4 #c1 i4 #ajf xi4 #ai1 ii4 #if xii4 #c1 i4 #cd1 #dj xii4 #d-g1 i4 #da xii4 #f1 i4 #db xii4 #h1 ii4 #abh xii4 #h1 #i1 ii4 #cea xii4 #aa1 ii4 #da xiii4 #aj1 ii4 #cei xiii4 #ab1 ii4 #cei1 #dfj1 #dgc xiv4 #ae1 i4 #aba xv4 #b1 ii4 #cdf xv4 #c-h1 ii4 #ff xv4 #i1 i4 #fg xv4 #aj1 i4 #bcc xv4 #ab1 ii4 #id xv4 #bb1 ii4 #bjf1 #cge xv4 #be1 i4 #ed xv4 #be1 #bf1 ii4 #cgd xv4 #bh1 i4 #bfj1 #bgj xv4 #ce-ch1 ii4 #bhf xv4 #ci-db1 i4 #ach xv4 #dj-db1 ii4 #bgh xv4 #da1 i4 #abi1 ii4 #bbd xv4 #da1 #db1 ii4 #aia xv4 #db1 i4 #d xv4 #db1 #dc1 ii4 #bhg xv4 #dd1 i4 #acg1 ii4 #bbd xv4 #dh1 #di1 ii4 #bhg xv4 #di1 ii4 #bhg xv4 #ej1 ii4 #bhg xv4 #ea1 #eb1 ii4 #bhe xv4 #eb1 ii4 #fi bis xv4 #ec1 ii4 #ded xv4 #ec-ef1 i4 #hj xv4 #ed1 ii4 #cgd #b ,corinthians4 i4 #aj1 i4 #ef ii4 #d1 i4 #aaf1 #bhi iii4 #f1 i4 #i1 ii4 #ddc iii4 #g1 #h1 ii4 #ddc iii4 #ae1 ii4 #ccj iii4 #ae-ag1 i4 #i iv4 #d1 i4 #cee iv4 #f1 ii4 #cda iv4 #aj1 ii4 #dfj iv4 #ah1 i4 #hi1 #bfg1 ii4 #dja v4 #a1 i4 #hi1 ii4 #ded v4 #a-d1 ii4 #ded v4 #f1 #h1 ii4 #dgc v4 #aj1 i4 #bac v4 #ac1 i4 #aac v4 #af1 ii4 #dfa v4 #bj1 ii4 #dib v4 #ba1 ii4 #age vi4 #af1 ii4 #ejf viii4 #af1 i4 #bcj ix4 #i1 #aj1 i4 #id x4 #c1 ii4 #ccd x4 #e1 i4 #bcj1 ii4 #afa1 #bfi xi4 #ad1 ii4 #did xi4 #bb1 i4 #id xii4 #b1 ii4 #dej xii4 #d1 ii4 #cdb1 #dfe xiii4 #c1 i4 #c1 #aab1 #cdd xiii4 #d1 i4 #cdh ,galatians4 i4 #d1 ii4 #cif i4 #ai1 i4 #ddg ii4 #e1 ii4 #dde ii4 #ab1 ii4 #b ii4 #bj1 i4 #cdd iii4 #c1 i4 #ce iv4 #aj1 #aa1 ii4 #eji iv4 #ba1 #bb1 ii4 #e iv4 #ba-bd1 ii4 #baj iv4 #bf1 i4 #cbi v4 #b1 ii4 #bai v4 #h1 i4 #aga1 ii4 #cii v4 #ag1 i4 #bbg1 #bde1 #bdg1 ii4 #eaj v4 #ai-ba1 i4 #bdg v4 #bb1 i4 #ce v4 #be1 ii4 #dge vi4 #ad1 ii4 #gb ,ephesians4 i4 #d1 i4 #bef i4 #ba1 i4 #de ii4 #b1 i4 #aea1 ii4 #dge ii4 #c1 ii4 #bch ii4 #g1 i4 #he ii4 #bj1 ii4 #ejg iv4 #aj1 i4 #dce iv4 #ac1 i4 #ef iv4 #ad1 ii4 #bhf iv4 #bg1 i4 #bcb v4 #a1 ii4 #djf v4 #af1 ii4 #cif v4 #ca1 #cb1 ii4 #baf vi4 #b1 #c1 i4 #id1 #cbd vi4 #aa1 ii4 #ebj1 #edj1 #eef vi4 #ab1 i4 #bbe1 #bcb1 ii4 #ebj vi4 #ac1 i4 #bbd ,philippians4 i4 #bc1 i4 #fd1 #adi ii4 #e-i1 ii4 #agh ii4 #f1 #g1 i4 #cdh1 ii4 #age ii4 #f-h1 ii4 #cec ii4 #aj1 #aa1 i4 #bi1 ii4 #edc ii4 #ac1 i4 #agj1 #bji iii4 #aj1 ii4 #gb iii4 #ba1 ii4 #dgc iv4 #h1 #i1 i4 #aja iv4 #ac1 i4 #bcc1 ii4 #eed ,colossians4 i4 #ae1 i4 #bb1 #ie1 #aje1 #cee1 ii4 #djg1 #dej i4 #af1 i4 #acj i4 #af1 #ag1 i4 #ajf i4 #af-ah1 i4 #ei ii4 #h1 i4 #cif ii4 #i1 i4 #aaj ii4 #ae1 ii4 #fg ii4 #af1 i4 #cjg1 ii4 #eaj ii4 #ah1 #ai1 ii4 #bge iii4 #c1 i4 #aab1 #cdg iii4 #e1 ii4 #cbj1 #dfj iii4 #h1 ii4 #bch iii1 #ag1 ii4 #eah iv4 #f1 ii4 #aad1 #cdg #a ,thessalonians4 ii4 #ad-af1 i4 #cgi iv4 #ac-ae1 i4 #fi iv4 #ae1 #af1 ii4 #bhe iv4 #af1 ii4 #fi iv4 #af1 #ag1 ii4 #bhe iv4 #ag1 i4 #aea v4 #ad1 i4 #cbe #b ,thessalonians4 ii4 #a-ab1 ii4 #chg ii4 #b1 ii4 #id ii4 #c1 #d1 ii4 #eb1 #che ii4 #d1 ii4 #chh ii4 #f-aj1 ii4 #eb ii4 #i1 ii4 #chi ii4 #aj-ab1 ii4 #eb #a ,timothy4 i4 #ae1 ii4 #dfi ii4 #a1 #b1 ii4 #eef ii4 #e1 ii4 #chd ii4 #bj1 #ba1 ii4 #bcf iii4 #af1 ii4 #aab iv4 #a-c1 i4 #aaf1 ii4 #ccd iv4 #d1 #e1 ii4 #eah iv4 #aj1 ii4 #ahh vi4 #ag1 #ah1 ii4 #ddd vi4 #bj1 #ba1 ii4 #id #b ,timothy4 i4 #c1 i4 #ic1 ii4 #cca i4 #af-ah1 i4 #bab ii4 #e1 ii4 #eda ii4 #aj1 ii4 #ada ii4 #aa1 ii4 #gb ii4 #ae1 ii4 #bfh ii4 #bj1 i4 #ace ii4 #bj1 #ba1 i4 #bad ii4 #ba1 i4 #ace iii4 #f1 ii4 #cfc iii4 #h1 ii4 #bah iv4 #g1 ii4 #dgd ,titus4 i4 #i1 #aj1 ii4 #abi i4 #ab1 ii4 #abd iii4 #c-f1 i4 #dgj iii4 #aj1 ii4 #ccc ,hebrews4 i4 #c1 i4 #bb1 #bd1 #be1 #cdc i4 #g1 i4 #abb i4 #h1 ii4 #ejj i4 #ad1 i4 #de1 #bdd1 ii4 #bga1 #ebj ii4 #a1 i4 #bcb iii4 #ad1 i4 #cij iv4 #ab1 i4 #bj iv4 #ad1 ii4 #eai iv4 #ae1 i4 #aaj v4 #ab-ad1 ii4 #acd v4 #ad1 ii4 #cej vi4 #g1 #h1 i4 #agg viii4 #e1 i4 #aac1 #bga1 #cjf1 #cjg ix4 #bf1 i4 #he x4 #bi1 ii4 #dii xi4 #bd-bf1 i4 #a xi4 #bh1 i4 #cgg xi4 #cg1 #ch1 ii4 #dca1 #dda xii4 #bb1 ii4 #dea xii4 #bb1 i4 #ccj1 ii4 #die xii4 #bi1 ii4 #dac ,james4 iv4 #ag1 i4 #ch #a ,peter4 i4 #i1 i4 #aba ii4 #e1 ii4 #ejg ii4 #i1 ii4 #bgg ii4 #bb1 ii4 #age iii4 #ae1 ii4 #aad1 #dce iii4 #ah-ba1 i4 #ajb v4 #f1 ii4 #adb v4 #h1 i4 #bdd #a ,john4 i4 #e1 i4 #ddi i4 #e1 i4 #h1 #cdc1 ii4 #bgh ii4 #a1 #b1 i4 #aag ii4 #b1 ii4 #acj1 #ahh1 #eje ii4 #f1 i4 #cdg iii4 #b1 i4 #bfc1 ii4 #aij v4 #ai1 i4 #eb1 #hf ,revelation4 i4 #h1 i4 #bi v4 #h1 ii4 #eje x4 #d1 ii4 #bdc x4 #i1 ii4 #cdb xiv4 #f1 i4 #cci xxi41 ii4 #bfb ,,ii4--,,index ,,of ,,principal ,,subjects4 ,abaris1 the ,hyperborean1 ii4 #aab4 ,abraham1 i4 #dai2 and ,isaac and ,jacob1 the names of1 united with that of ,god1 potent against demons1 ii4 #aie-aig4 ,abstinence1 the1 practised by the ,pythagoreans and ,christians1 the different reasons for1 ii4 #cbj4 ,acts of ,paul1 ,the1 quoted1 i4 #bj4 ,adam1 not the name of an individual but of the whole race1 ii4 #bjf4 ,ader ,hadad1 i4 #chi4 ,adrian and ,jesus1 ii4 #aag1 #aah4 ,adultery1 reasons why the followers of ,zeno and ,epicurus abstain from1 ii4 #dhd4 ,advents of ,christ1 two1 predicted1 i4 #dei4 sculapius and his supposed heavenly power1 ii4 #ajb1 #ajc1 #ajd4 ,africanus1 the letter of1 to ,origen1 i4 #cfi1 #cgj2 reply of ,origen to1 #cga1 etc4 ,ages1 the1 i4 #he4 ,allegories in ,scripture1 ii4 #bji1 #baj2 ,celsus accuses ,christians of having recourse to1 when ashamed of ,scripture histories1 #bad2 ,celsus' objection to1 refuted1 #bae-bag4 ,altar1 the only1 recognised by ,christians1 ii4 #eje4 ,altars1 images1 and temples1 why ,christians reject and abhor1 ii4 #dhj-dhg4 ,ammon forbids the use of cows' flesh1 ii4 #cjf4 ,anaxarchus1 anecdote of1 ii4 #dge1 #dgf4 ,angel1 the1 who had power to hurt the uncircumcised1 ii4 #cah1 #cai4 ,angels1 doctrine of the ,church respecting1 i4 #g2 how referred to by ,paul1 #de2 a particular office assigned to each1 #fe2 diversities among1 the result of merit1 #ff2 capable of good or evil1 #fg1 #fi2 the substance of1 #abb1 #abc2 superior to men1 ii4 #ahi1 #aij2 employment and dignity of1 #bga1 #eai1 #ebj2 not to be worshipped or invoked1 #bgb2 that waited on ,jesus1 #cbg1 #cbh4 ,angels1 evil1 ii4 #eag4 ,animal man1 the1 i4 #abj1 #aba4 ,animals1 irrational1 the superiority of man to1 ii4 #bdd-bef2 power of sorcery attributed to1 by ,celsus1 #beb2 knowledge of ,god attributed to1 by ,celsus1 #bed-bef2 division of1 by ,moses1 into clean and unclean1 #bfj2 according to ,celsus1 nearer to ,god and more beloved by ,him than men1 #bfc1 #bfd4 ,annihilation of material substances not possible1 i4 #eh4 ,anthropopathy1 the1 of ,scripture1 ii4 #bcf1 #bci4 ,antichrist1 ii4 #che-chh4 ,antinous1 ii4 #aag1 #aah1 #aai4 1 i4 #hf4 ,ants and bees asserted by ,celsus to be not inferior in intelligence to man1 ii4 #bdf-bdh4 ,apollonius of ,tyana1 ii4 #chj4 ,apopompus1 i4 #bbc4 ,apostles1 the subjects of their preaching1 i4 #c1 etc4 ,archilochus1 the poet1 ii4 #aje4 ,aristeas of ,proconnesus1 the story of1 ii4 #ajf-ajh2 and ,jesus1 #ajh-aaa4 ,aristotle flees from persecution1 i4 #dga4 ,ark1 the1 of ,noah1 ii4 #bjg4 ,artaxerxes and ,mordecai1 i4 #bca4 ,ascension of ,moses1 ,the1 quoted1 i4 #bbb4 1 i4 #e4 ,augury1 ii4 #beb1 #bec1 #bed1 #bee1 #bef1 #beg2 demons the real source of1 #bei-bfa2 forbidden by ,moses1 #bfb4 ,avenging injuries1 ii4 #dgi1 #dhj4 ,babel1 the overthrow of the tower of1 ii4 #ahj1 #aha4 ,barnabas1 ,the ,epistle of1 quoted respecting the two ways1 i4 #bca2 respecting the disciples of ,jesus1 #dfh4 ,bees and ants asserted by ,celsus to be not inferior to man in intelligence1 ii4 #bdf-bef4 ,betrayal1 the1 of ,jesus by ,judas1 ii4 #ae1 etc41 #ag1 etc4 ,bethlehem1 ,jesus born in1 i4 #dec4 ,birds1 divination or augury by1 ii4 #bed1 #bee1 etc41 #beh1 #bei4 ,birth1 the influence of1 i4 #dbg4 ,blessedness1 the future1 of the saints1 not carnal1 i4 #ade1 #adf2 but spiritual1 #adg-aec4 ,bodily nature1 the perpetuity of the1 i4 #gg-gi4 ,body1 the1 can rational creatures live without81 i4 #hj1 #hb2 to be made immortal and incorruptible1 the resurrection of1 #acg1 ii4 #bhd-bib2 varieties in the resurrection body1 i4 #ach2 a word to weak believers respecting the resurrection body1 #aci1 etc42 as well as the soul1 the work of ,god1 ,celsus refuted1 ii4 #bbj-bbd1 #bbe1 #bbf2 ,celsus misrepresents the views of ,christians respecting1 #ecc1 #ecd2 the care of1 assigned by the ,egyptians to thirty-six demons1 #edb1 #edc4 ,breath of the power of ,god1 the1 i4 #bf-bh4 ,brightness of the ,father's glory1 ,christ the1 i4 #bd4 ,calimachus1 his hymn to ,jupiter quoted1 ii4 #abd1 #abe4 ,callatians1 a horrid custom of1 ii4 #cjg4 ,camel1 easier for a1 to go through the eye of a needle1 etc41 ii4 #ced1 #cee4 ,chremon1 his ,treatise on ,comets cited1 i4 #dfb4 ,christ1 the words of1 i4 #a2 apostolical doctrine respecting1 #c2 the only-begotten ,son of ,god1 #ah2 the wisdom of ,god1 #ah1 #ai1 #bj2 the eternal generation of1 #ai1 #bb2 generated by the divine will1 #bc2 the image of the invisible ,god1 #bc1 #bd2 the brightness of the glory of ,god1 #bd1 #be2 the figure of ,god's person or subsistence1 #be2 the breath of the power of ,god1 #bf2 the efflux of ,god's glory1 #bh2 the splendour of eternal light1 #cj2 the stainless mirror of ,god's 1 #ca2 the image of ,god's goodness1 #ca1 #cb2 the incarnation of1 #ajf2 ,his union with ,god1 #ajh2 ,his union with ,god the reward of ,his love1 #aji2 possessed a human and rational soul1 #aaj1 #aaa2 anointed with the oil of joy1 #aaa1 #aab2 and ,moses1 as lawgivers1 #bge1 etc42 predicted1 #bgi1 etc41 #bhe1 etc42 all the majesty of ,his divinity not confined within the limits of the body of1 #cde-cdg2 ,jacob's prophecy of1 #ded2 sufferings of1 predicted1 #def2 two advents of1 predicted1 #dei1 etc42 the belief of ,jews and ,christians in the advent of1 ,celsus answered1 ii4 #ahj4 ,see ,jesus4 ,christianity1 the power of1 i4 #bgg1 etc41 #dbd1 #dbe1 #dbf2 its own defence1 #cic1 #cie2 its real evidence1 #cii1 #djj2 general conspiracy against1 #djj2 not a secret system1 #djc2 martyrs for1 praised by ,celsus1 #djd2 adaptability of1 to all orders of mind1 ii4 #dfd2 the object of1 to make all men wise1 #abf1 #abg1 #abh1 #aeb2 ,celsus' slanders of the teachers of1 refuted1 #aec1 #aed1 #aee1 #aef4 ,christians1 the1 accused of entering into secret associations1 i4 #cih1 #cii2 hostility of the heathen to1 #djj2 the morals of1 #djj1 #dja2 regulations of1 relating to idolatry1 #dja1 #djb2 use no incantations in casting out demons1 #djb1 #djc2 do not believe without a reason1 #dje2 reformed by the power of their religion1 #djf2 the points of difference between the ,jews and1 not trifling1 ii4 #he1 #hf1 #hh2 not rebels against the ,jewish ,state1 #ij1 #ia2 the zeal of1 to diffuse their principles1 #ib2 few at first1 yet not very few1 #ic2 differences of opinion among1 from the first1 #id2 existence of heresies among1 no reproach to1 #id-if2 the basis of the union of1 #if1 #ig2 charged with inventing terrors1 #ih2 the religion of1 compared by ,celsus with that of the ,egyptians1 #ih1 #ii2 charged by ,celsus with inviting to their ranks the ignorant only1 #abe-aca2 further calumnies of ,celsus against1 #aca1 #acc2 their mode of admitting members1 #acb2 instructions given by1 graduated to the capacity of the hearers1 #acc2 desire to instruct all classes of men1 #acd2 ,celsus' calumnies respecting the way their teachers deal with the young and ignorant1 #ace-ach2 the worst invited by1 to do them good1 #aci1 #adj1 #ada2 slander of ,celsus1 that wise men are driven from the religion of1 #aea2 charged with seeking after the unintelligent1 #aeb2 other charges against the teachers of1 repelled1 #aec-aef2 not won by vain hopes1 #aeh2 ,celsus' ridicule of1 as bats and ants1 etc41 #ahc1 #ahd2 the acknowledged opinions of1 which make them noble1 #ahe1 #ahf2 the character of1 #ahg1 #ahh2 do not profess to monopolize ,god1 #ahh1 #ahi2 the argument between the ,jews and1 #cbi2 sects and heresies among1 #cca1 #ccc1 #cce2 old calumnies against1 #cfe1 #cff2 ,celsus confounds them with certain silly errorists1 #cfe1 etc42 ,celsus reviles--answer to ,celsus' revilings of1 #cgc-cgf2 their views of ,god misrepresented by ,celsus1 #ddi-dej2 their hope after death1 #dej-dea2 further calumnies of ,celsus1 #dfb2 instructed and stigmatized by ,celsus1 #dfh1 #dfi2 how they live1 #dga2 why they reject images1 temples1 and altars1 #dhc-dhg2 not inconsistent in their rejection of images1 #dhg2 use no barbarous words in prayer1 #ebb2 do not revile the statues of the gods1 #ebc1 #ebd1 #ebe2 the loving zeal of1 for the salvation of men1 #ecf2 the liberty of1 #ech1 #eci1 #edj2 urged by ,celsus to help the king and fight for him--how they do this1 #eef-eeh2 why they refuse to take office under government1 #eeh4 ,christs1 false1 #dfj1 #dfa4 ,chrysippus' treatise ,on the ,cure of the ,passions quoted1 i4 #dgj2 ,on the ,subjugation of the ,passions1 ii4 #ece4 ,churches of the ,christians1 and heathen assemblies1 compared and contrasted1 ii4 #aaj1 #aab4 ,circumcision1 i4 #dai2 as practised by the ,jews different from that practised by the ,gentiles1 ii4 #caf1 #cah2 of ,moses' son1 #cah1 #cai2 abolished by ,christ1 #cai4 ,clean and unclean animals1 the reason of the ,mosaic division into1 ii4 #bfj4 ,clement of ,rome quoted1 i4 #hf1 #hg4 ,cleomedes1 the boxer1 of ,astypalea1 ii4 #aje1 #aad4 ,clothing1 the1 of the soul and of the body1 i4 #ha4 ,condescension1 the1 of ,god1 ii4 #agb1 #agd1 #age4 ,conflagration1 the1 of the world1 ,celsus' cavils against1 ii4 #bha-bhe4 ,conflict1 the1 with the powers of evil1 i4 #bcb1 etc4 ,confusion of tongues1 the1 at ,babel1 ii4 #big-bii4 ,consummation1 the1 i4 #ec-ei4 ,controversy between ,jason and ,papiscus1 ,the1 concerning ,christ1 referred to1 #bah1 #bai4 ,conversion possible for the very worst1 ii4 #ade-adh4 ,converts from ,judaism do not desert the law of their fathers1 ii4 #a1 #b4 ,corporeal and incorporeal being1 i4 #ei-fe4 ,corporeity1 will it ever be destroyed81 i4 #hb1 #hc1 etc4 ,corruptible1 the1 putting on incorruption1 i4 #hj1 #ha4 ,cosmogony1 the ,mosaic1 the criticism of ,celsus on1 answered1 ii4 #cij-cib1 #djb1 #djc4 ,cows' flesh forbidden by ,ammon1 ii4 #cjf4 ,creation1 the1 of the world in time1 i4 #bec1 etc42 objection to the creation of the world in time answered1 #bee2 the peculiar term employed in ,scripture to express1 #beh4 ,creation of man1 the1 ridiculed by ,celsus1 ii4 #aii1 #bjj2 and of beast1 the work of ,god1 #bbj-bbd4 ,creature1 the1 subjected to vanity1 i4 #fc-fe1 #beg1 #beh4 ,creatures1 made by ,god in the beginning1 i4 #abf2 changeable and mutable1 #abh2 varieties of1 #abi1 #acj4 ,crocodiles1 ,celsus has no fault to find with the worshippers of1 ii4 #caj4 ,cup1 the prayer of ,jesus respecting the1 ii4 #cb4 ,customs1 ought those of our respective countries to be followed81 ii4 #cje1 etc42 the variety and absurdity of1 #cjf1 etc4 ,cycles of mortal things1 asserted by ,celsus1 refutation of the notion of1 ii4 #bcb1 #bcc2 taught by the ,stoics1 #chi1 #cij4 ,dan and ,bethel1 i4 #cij4 ,daniel1 the wisdom of1 ii4 #abg4 ,daniel1 additions to the book of1 in the ,,lxx41 i4 #cga1 #cgb1 #cgc4 ,darkness1 outer1 i4 #add4 ,darkness1 the rulers and powers of1 obtained their degrees of evil by their own conduct1 i4 #fi4 ,darkness1 the1 round about ,god1 ii4 #cee4 ,days1 sacred1 ii4 #eji1 #eaj4 ,death1 how could the ,jews in captivity pass the sentence of81 i4 #che4 ,death1 the hope of ,christians after1 ii4 #dej1 #dea4 ,death1 the last enemy1 destroyed1 i4 #bfh1 #bfi4 ,defection1 the1 of men1 i4 #dc4 ,deluge1 the1 the cavils of ,celsus respecting1 ii4 #bjf-bjh1 #dja4 ,demons1 formul used against1 ii4 #aie1 #aif1 #aig2 the source of augury by birds1 etc41 #bei1 #bfj1 #bfa2 the seven ruling1 referred to by ,celsus1 #cfh1 #cfi2 cast out by ,christians1 #dhg2 the worship of1 inconsistent with the worship of ,god1 #dhh-dij2 eating things offered to1 #ead-eag2 have nothing to do with food and drink1 #eaf-eah2 first-fruits not to be offered to1 #eai2 can inflict no injury on ,christians1 #eba1 #ebb2 ,jesus not a demon1 #ebd2 afraid of martyrs1 #ebh2 not set over the fruits of the earth1 #edb2 thirty-six1 among the ,egyptians1 have assigned to them the care of the human body1 #edb2 caution1 according to ,celsus1 required in the service of1 #edd-edf2 other references to1 #aaj1 #aac1 #aad1 #aae1 #aag1 #aid1 #bcb1 #bei1 #bfj1 #bfa1 #bfd1 #bgb1 #eab1 #edd4 ,desire of knowledge1 the1 to be satisfied in a future state1 i4 #adf-aea4 ,deuteronomy1 the book of1 i4 #cch1 #cci4 ,devil1 the1 and his angels1 the doctrine of the ,church respecting1 i4 #e2 the titles of1 #de2 not incapable of goodness1 #fh2 the agency of1 as set forth in the ,old ,testament1 #bbb2 as revealed in the ,new ,testament1 #bbd2 not the prompter to all sins1 #bbg-bbi2 how he and his allied powers tempt1 #bbi2 the contest against1 #bcb1 etc42 the charges of ,celsus against the ,christians in relation to1 refuted1 ii4 #chj-chd2 the fall of1 #che4 ,diagram1 a curious1 referred to by ,celsus as in use among certain heretics1 ii4 #cfb1 #cfc1 #cfh1 #cfi1 #cgf1 #cgg4 ,disciples1 the1 of ,jesus1 their devotion to their ,master1 i4 #dcj2 defended against ,celsus1 #dff-dgj2 justified in fleeing from persecution1 #dga2 truthfulness of1 ii4 #ba1 #bc4 ,dionysius1 ii4 #ajc4 ,dioscuri1 the1 and ,hercules1 and sculapius1 no gods1 ii4 #ajb1 #ajc4 ,divination1 ii4 #bed1 #bee1 #bef1 #beg1 #beh1 #bei4 ,doctrine of ,peter1 ,the1 the apocryphal work so called1 quoted1 i4 #f4 ,dositheans1 the1 ii4 #cdi4 ,dove1 the descent of a1 on ,jesus1 i4 #ddj1 #dda1 #ddb-ddf4 ,earth1 the distribution of the several parts of1 among superintending spirits1 according to ,celsus1 ii4 #bic1 etc42 the correct view respecting1 #bif1 #big4 ,ebionite1 meaning of the name1 i4 #cbi4 ,ebionites1 who so called1 ii4 #a4 ,efflux of the glory of ,god1 ,christ the1 i4 #bh4 ,egypt1 how the ,hebrews were delivered from1 ii4 #hi1 #ij4 ,egyptians1 the1 what the ,israelites did with the spoil of1 i4 #chh1 #chi2 the ,jews not descended from1 ii4 #hh-ij2 the religion of1 foolishly compared by ,celsus to that of the ,christians1 #ih1 #ii2 inconsistently lauded by ,celsus1 #dbc2 assign the care of the human body to thirty-six demons1 #edb1 #edc4 ,elephants1 the fidelity of1 to oaths1 according to ,celsus1 ii4 #bfe4 ,end1 the1 when it will come1 i4 #ed2 and the beginning1 #ee2 what shall be after1 #eh2 admonitory remarks respecting1 #bfb-bgc4 ,enemy1 the last1 destroyed1 i4 #bfh1 #bfi4 ,enoch1 ,the book of1 quoted1 i4 #ceb1 ii4 #cbe4 ,epictetus1 an anecdote of1 ii4 #dge1 #dgf4 ,epicureans1 reasons of the1 for abstaining from adultery1 ii4 #dhd4 ,eros1 the story of1 from the ,symposium of ,plato1 ii4 #bjc-bje4 ,esaias sawn asunder1 i4 #cgg1 #cgh4 ,esoteric and exoteric doctrines of ,christianity1 the1 i4 #djc4 ,eternal generation of ,christ1 the1 i4 #ai1 #bc4 ,etymological fancies in ,scripture1 i4 #chc4 ,euphrates1 ii4 #cfg4 ,euripides quoted1 ii4 #bdc4 ,eve1 the formation of1 ridiculed by ,celsus1 ii4 #bja4 ,evidences of the truth of ,christianity1 i4 #dde1 #ddf4 ,evil1 or good1 every rational created nature capable of1 i4 #fh2 ,god1 not the author of1 #cie-cih2 what sort of1 ,god may be said to cause1 #cih2 the final complete destruction of1 #eee4 ,evil beings1 made such by themselves in their respective degrees1 i4 #fi4 ,evils1 never more nor fewer1 according to ,celsus--refutation of this opinion1 ii4 #bbh1 #bbi1 #bcj2 the inquiry into the origin of1 difficult1 #bca1 #bcb2 the source of1 #bcb2 seeming1 #bce1 #bcf2 allowed for good ends1 #cih4 ,eyes1 open and shut1--the inner and outer1 ii4 #dfa4 ,faith1 the reforming power of the ,christian1 i4 #djf2 the call to1 rational1 #djg4 ,faith in ,jesus1 ii4 #abj4 ,fallen spirits1 i4 #eg2 the restoration of1 #eg1 #eh4 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit1 a summary of the doctrine of the1 i4 #cdb1 etc4 ,figure of the ,father's person1 ,christ the1 i4 #be4 ,fire1 eternal1 the threatening of1 i4 #dj-dc4 ,fire1 ,god a consuming1 i4 #i2 why ,god is represented as1 ii4 #agb1 #agc4 ,flesh and spirit1 i4 #bde-bdh4 ,floods and conflagrations1 ii4 #aga4 ,food1 spiritual1 i4 #adg2 different ways of preparing1 i4 #dhj1 #dha4 ,foolishness1 the kind recommended by ,christianity1 i4 #daj4 ,foreknowledge1 does not necessitate the events foreseen1 ii4 #be1 #bf1 #bg1 #bh2 the gift of1 does not necessarily imply virtue1 #aje2 no proof of divinity1 #bfb1 #bfc4 ,foundation of the world1 the1 i4 #bef4 ,free-will1 i4 #d1 #acb1 #acc2 fully asserted1 #aeg1 etc42 able to resist external causes1 #afa2 proved from ,scripture1 #afe1 etc42 passages of ,scripture apparently opposed to1 explained1 #afh-bba4 ,gehenna1 ii4 #bfc1 #bfd4 ,generation1 eternal1 the1 of ,christ1 i4 #ai1 #bb1 #bc4 ,glory1 human1 forbidden1 ii4 #ddg4 ,god1 apostolic doctrine respecting1 i4 #c2 a ,spirit1 #h-aa2 light1 ibid42 fire1 #i2 incomprehensible1 #aa2 revealed in ,his works1 #ab1 #ac2 simple and uncompounded in ,his nature1 #ab1 #ae2 the nature of1 surpasses natural bodies1 #ae1 #af2 invisible1--how said to be seen1 #af1 #ag2 the image of1 #bc1 #bd1 #bfb1 #bfc2 omnipotent1 #bh1 #cja1 ii4 #adi2 nature of ,his power1 #ca2 created all things1 i4 #cd2 the1 of the law and the prophets the same as the ,father of ,jesus ,christ1 #ia1 etc42 not a body1 #ia2 anthropopathic expressions respecting1 in the ,old ,testament1 explained1 #if1 #ig2 the justice and goodness of1 #ig-aje2 the soul of1 #abe1 #abf2 nothing happens without the permission of1 #bce2 what was ,he doing before ,he created the world81 #bef2 in the end1 all in all1 #bfd1 #bfe2 one1 believed in by the ,jews1 #dbj1 #dba2 ,his dealing with the good and the bad1 ii4 #adi1 #aej2 ,his descent upon earth objected to by ,celsus1--meaning of ,his descent1 #afb-aff1 #agb2 by descending on earth ,he does not vacate heaven1 #aff2 why ,he desires to make ,himself known to men1 #afg1 #afh2 in every age has passed into the souls of men1 #afh2 has revealed ,himself to some preeminently1 #afi2 ,celsus accuses ,christians of babbling about1 #aga2 a consuming fire1 #agb1 #agc2 the condescension of1 #agb1 #agc1 #agd1 #age2 further objections of ,celsus to the descent of1 to earth1 answered--object of the incarnation of1 #agg1 #agh2 figurative language used to describe1 #bjj1 #djd2 the one ,creator of body and soul1 man and beast1 #bbj-bbd2 anger1 wrath1 etc41 ascribed to--how this is to be understood1 #bcg-bci2 made all things for the sake of man1 #bci1 #bdj1 #bda1 #bdb2 ever near ,his people1 #bhj2 the name given to1 is not unimportant1 but the contrary1 #cae-cag2 darkness round about1 #cee2 those who call ,him 8accursed10 #cfe1 #cff1 #cfg2 in what sense said to make evil1 #cie1 #cig2 not incapable of persuading men1 #cih1 #cii2 in what sense said to repent1 #cii1 #djj2 the resting attributed to1 #djc2 man made in the image of1 #dje1 #djf2 can ,he be reached by a word81 #djh2 how to know1 #djh1 #dji1 #daj1 #daa2 the ,spirit of1 #dac1 #dad2 ,celsus misrepresents the views of ,christians respecting1 #ddi1 #dej2 how seen1 #dee2 not confined to place1 #def2 not known by the senses1 #deg1 etc42 hard to find out1 #dfd1 #dfe2 adapts ,his truth to all classes1 #dfd2 seen in ,christ1 #dfe1 #dff2 known by the simplest ,christian1 through the help of divine grace1 #dff1 #dfg2 the worship of ,christ consistent with the sole worship of1 #ejj1 #eja2 worshipped equally well in different languages1 #ebb4 ,gods1 ,scythian and ,greek1 ii4 #cgg1 #cgh2 many1 not to be served1 #dib1 etc41 #dif-ejj2 ,christians do not revile the statues of the1 #ebc4 ,goodness1 divine1 i4 #cb2 and justice1 #ig1 etc42 consistent with the infliction of punishment1 #ih1 etc4 ,gospel1 the1 not perverted by ,christians1 ii4 #cc4 ,gospels1 the1 not all pure history1 i4 #cae1 #cag1 #cbj2 their character and authors1 ii4 #aba4 ,greek philosophy and learning to be made subservient to ,christianity1 i4 #chh4 ,gregory ,thaumaturgus1 letter of ,origen to1 i4 #chh4 ,hardening1 the1 of ,pharaoh's heart1 i4 #afi1 etc41 #agf-aia4 ,healing art1 the possession of the1 does not necessarily imply virtue1 ii4 #aje4 ,heaven1 i4 #hh1 #hi1 #ij1 #aeb4 ,heavenly bodies1 the1 animated and endowed with souls1 i4 #ei-fe4 ,heavenly ,dialogue1 ,a1 quoted by ,celsus1 ii4 #ejc4 ,heavens1 the1 opened to ,jesus at ,his baptism1 i4 #ddh1 #ddi1 #dej2 not called ,god1 nor worshipped by the ,jews1 ii4 #bge-bgi4 ,hebrew ,master1 the1 of ,origen1 cited1 i4 #ce4 ,hebrews1 the1 not ,egyptians by descent1--how freed from ,egyptian bondage1 ii4 #hh-ib4 ,hercules1 proposed by ,celsus to ,christians as an object of homage1--the character of1 ii4 #dge1 #dgf4 ,heresies among ,christians no reproach1 ii4 #if-ih1 #cca-ccc1 #cce4 ,hermas1 ,the ,shepherd of1 quoted1 i4 #cd1 #ce1 #bcj1 #cja4 ,herod seeks to destroy the child ,jesus1 i4 #dfd1 #dfe4 ,heroes proposed by ,celsus to the ,christians as objects of homage superior to their own1 ii4 #dge4 ,hesiod quoted as to the formation of ,pandora1 ii4 #bja1 #bjb4 ,holy ,spirit1 the1 the apostolic doctrine of1 i4 #c2 what1 #aj2 the existence of1 #cc2 what we are taught in ,scripture respecting1 #cd2 not created1 #ce2 one of the two seraphim of ,isaiah1 ibid42 reveals ,god1 #cf2 the nature of ,his working as distinguished from that of the ,father and the ,son1 #cg-dj1 #da1 #dc2 taken from the unworthy1 #ci2 dwells in the renewed1 #ci1 #dj2 bestowed on the saints1 #dj2 one1 #aad2 every rational creature receives a share of1 #aad1 #aae2 the advent of1 after the ascension of ,christ1 #aae2 gifts of1 #aaf2 the ,paraclete1 #aaf1 #aag4 ,homer quoted respecting the sparrow1 serpent1 and eagle1 ii4 #beh4 ,hope1 the1 of ,christians after death1 ii4 #dej1 #dea4 ,human nature1 the dignity of1 ii4 #ahc-ahf4 ,humility1 ii4 #ceb1 #cec4 ,idol festivals1 why not take part in81 ii1 #eaa1 #eab4 ,idolatry1 even heathen philosophers condemn1 i4 #dja4 ,idols1 abstinence from meats offered to1 ii4 #ead1 #eae1 #eaf4 ,ignorance receives no sanction from ,christianity1 ii4 #abe-aca1 #aed4 ,image of ,god1 the1 man made in1 i4 #bfb-bfd1 ii4 #dje1 #dhg4 ,image of ,god's goodness1 the1 i4 #cb4 ,image of the invisible ,god1 ,christ the1 i4 #bc1 #bd4 ,images1 not gods1 ii4 #aba2 the making of1 forbidden to the ,jews1 #aic2 why ,christians reject1 #dhj-dhg2 the true1 of ,god1 #eje1 #ejf4 ,immortality1 the1 of rational natures1 i4 #cec4 ,incantations1 not used by ,christians1 i4 #djb1 #djc2 the power of names in1 ii4 #cae1 #caf4 ,incarnation1 the1 of ,christ1 i4 #aje2 the wonderfulness of1 #ajf1 #ajg2 the intermediacy of ,christ's soul between the flesh and ,god in1 #ajh1 #aji2 the assumption of the soul in1 a reward of that soul's virtues1 #aji2 difficulty as to ,christ's possessing a human soul1 removed1 #aaj2 the subject illustrated1 #aaa1 #aab2 implies no change in ,god1 the object of1 ii4 #agd1 #age1 #agf-agi2 cavilled at and ridiculed by ,celsus1 #dae1 #daf1 #dba1 #dbb4 ,incorporeal1 meaning of the term1 i4 #e1 #f4 ,inspiration1 the1 of the ,scriptures1 i4 #bgd1 #bhe4 ,instinct and reason1 ii4 #bej-bec4 ,interpretation1 of the promises1 not literal1 but spiritual1 i4 #adc-adh2 of the ,scriptures1 the true method of1 #bia-cbc4 ,isis and ,osiris1 ii4 #cji4 ,israel1 the carnal and spiritual1 i4 #cbg4 ,jacob1 and ,esau1 i4 #acc1 #acd2 wrestles with an angel1 #bcd2 his prophecy of ,christ1 #dee4 ,james1 the brother of our ,lord1 i4 #ddg4 ,jesus1 ,his conversation with the woman of ,samaria1 i4 #aa2 silence of1 before ,his judges1 #cic2 charge of sorcery against1 power of ,his name1 #djb1 #djc2 acted by a divine power1 #dbd1 #dbe1 #dbf2 ,celsus introduces a ,jew disputing with1 and refuting1 #dbf1 #dbg2 ,celsus' defamation of1 turned into an argument to enhance the glory and divine power of1 #dbg1 #dcj2 the attachment of ,his disciples to1 and ,his death for men1 #dcj1 #dca2 the miraculous birth of1 vindicated against ,celsus1 #dca1 #dcb2 predicted to be born of a virgin1 #dcc2 no rational objection to the birth of1 from a virgin1 #dcg2 absurdity of imputing the miracles of1 to magic1 #dch1 #dci2 descent of a dove on1 #ddj1 #dda1 #ddb1 #ddc2 no grounds for believing in ,moses while ,he is rejected1 #ddd1 #dde2 evidence of the divinity of the doctrine of1 #dde1 #ddf2 the heavens open to1 #ddh1 #ddi1 #dej2 prophecies relating to1 #dea1 #deb1 etc42 born in ,bethlehem1 #dec2 the disciples of1 ,celsus' account of them1 #dff-dgj2 flight of1 into ,egypt1 justified against ,celsus1 #dgb1 #dgc2 the miracles of1 defended1 #dgd2 the miracles of1 not wrought by magic1 #dgd-dgf2 ,celsus' silly carping about the body of1 exposed1 #dgf1 #dgg2 ,his promise of the ,spirit of truth1 ii4 #c2 observed the ,jewish law1 #g1 #h2 not arrogant1 but meek and lowly1 #h2 inconsistency of the ,jews in rejecting1 #i1 #aj2 ,celsus' impeachment of the ,godhead of1 answered1 #aj1 #aa2 never broke ,his promise1 #ac2 never attempted disgracefully to hide from ,his enemies1 #ad2 the betrayal of1 #ae2 the argument of ,celsus founded on the betrayal of1 answered1 #ag1 etc42 predictions respecting1--,celsus' mode of dealing with the predictions respecting1 refuted1 #ah1 #ba2 the disciples of1 lovers of truth1 #ba2 really suffered1 died1 and was raised from the dead1--an objection met1 #bb-bd2 if ,he foreknew the traitor and perjurer1 why did they not desist from their purpose81 #bd1 #be2 ,his foreknowledge did not compel the events foreknown1 #be-bh2 ,his suffering real1 and voluntarily and submissively endured1 #bi-cc2 predictions concerning the life of1 #cd1 #ce2 the union of kingdoms at the time of the birth of1 #ce1 #cf2 objection of ,celsus drawn from the genealogies of1 #cg2 #8what great deeds did ,he perform1 being a ,god8' answered1 #cg1 #ch2 could ,he not have delivered ,himself from ,his enemies8--punishment of the enemies of1 #ch1 #ci1 #dj2 blood and water flow from the side of1--,celsus' mockery of this1 #dj2 vinegar and gall given to1 #da2 objection of ,celsus that ,he gained over no one in ,his life1--why the ,jews are blamed for not believing in1 #db-de2 ,celsus' assertion that ,he did not show ,himself pure from evil1 #dc1 #dd2 numbered with transgressors1 #de1 #df2 conduct of the disciples on ,his being apprehended1--,celsus' argument founded on this refuted1 #dg2 ,celsus' assertion that ,he only gained over ten sailors and tax-gatherers1 #dg1 #dh2 why ,christians were won over to1 #dh1 #di2 refutation of ,celsus concerning the miracles of1 #di-eg2 and the heroes of heathenism compared1 #ei1 #fj2 the resurrection of1 #fj2 ought ,he to have appeared after ,his resurrection to ,his persecutors81 #fe-gj2 why did ,he not escape from the cross81 #ga1 #gb2 to whom ,he appeared after ,his resurrection1 #gd2 purposes of ,his mission1 #ge2 ,celsus' argument derived from the incredulity of the ,jews1 answered1 #gg-ha2 censured by ,celsus for using threats1 #gi1 etc42 unbelief of the ,jews as to1 predicted and punished1 #hb1 #hc2 the power of1 to diffuse ,his doctrine and convert men1 #hc1 #hd2 not to be compared with sculapius1 ,hercules1 etc41 #ajb1 #ajc2 nor with ,aristeas of ,proconnesus--advantages derived from1 #ajf-aaa2 nor with ,abaris the ,hyperborean1 #aab2 nor with the ,clazomenean1 #aac2 nor with ,cleomedes of ,astypalea1 #aad2 nor with ,zamolxis1 #aae1 #aaf2 nor with ,adrian1 #aag1 #aah2 nor with ,antinous1 #aai1 #abj2 the human nature of1 changed into ,god1 #abb1 #abc2 and ,cretan ,jove1 #abd1 #abe2 ,celsus' objection that ,he was sent to sinners1 #ada1 #adb1 #adc2 suffering of the ,jews for their crime against1 #ahb1 #ebf1 #ebg2 cavils of ,celsus respecting--not the only one sent from ,god to men1 #cba1 #cbb2 angels wait on--reply to ,celsus on this point1 #cbg1 #cbh2 the soul of1 joined to the ,word1 #chi1 #cij2 personal appearance of--,celsus' reproaches respecting this1 #dah-dbj2 appearances after ,his resurrection not shadowy1 #def2 conduct of1 under ,his sufferings1 #dgf1 #dgg2 death of1 #dgh2 the worship of1 consistent with the worship of the one ,god1 #ejj1 #eja2 the ,son of ,god1 #eja1 #ejb2 not a demon1 #ebc1 #ebd2 fruitfulness of the death of1 #ebg4 ,jews1 the1 mutilated the ,scriptures of the ,old ,testament1 i4 #cgg1 #cgi2 ,celsus casts a slight upon1 #daa1 #dab2 ,numenius and others speak favourably of1 #dab1 #dac2 the antiquity of1 #dac2 believe in one ,god1 #dbj1 #dba2 falsely accused by ,celsus of angel-worship and sorcery1 #dbd2 the inconsistency of1 in rejecting ,jesus1--their unbelief foretold1 ii4 #i1 #aj1 #gg1 #hb1 #hc2 punishment of their unbelief1 #aj2 what they are to be blamed for respecting ,jesus1 #da2 the points of difference between ,christians and1 not foolish1 #he1 #hf1 #hh2 how they adhere to their religion1 #hg1 #hh2 blunder of ,celsus as to the ,egyptian descent of1 #hh1 #hi2 the punishment of1 for their treatment of ,jesus1 #ahb2 ,celsus' ridicule of ,christians and1 #ahc2 vindicated against ,celsus1 the law and polity of1 #aib1 #aic2 the genealogy of1 #aie1 #aig1 #aih2 do not worship the heavens1 #bgb1 #bgc2 do not consider the heavens to be ,god1 #bgd2 do not bow down to angels1 #bgf1 #bgg1 #bgh2 defended against the false charges of ,celsus1 #cab1 #cac2 have nothing in common with the ,persians in the worship of ,god1 #cad2 the circumcision practised by1 different from that of other nations1 #cag1 #cah2 reason of their abstinence from swine's flesh1 #cai1 #cbj2 were highly favoured by ,god1 #cbj1 #cba1 #ecj1 #eca4 ,job1 additions to the book of1 in the ,,lxx41 i4 #cgh2 and in the ,hebrew text1 ibid4 ,john the ,baptist referred to by ,josephus1 i4 #ddg4 ,jonah and ,jesus1 ii4 #dgh4 ,joseph1 ,celsus' cavils respecting1 ii4 #bac4 ,judaism1 converts from1 do not desert the law of their fathers1 ii4 #a1 #e1 #f4 ,judas1 the conduct of1 in betraying1 and after betraying1 ,jesus1 ii4 #ae1 #af2 foretold1 #bg4 ,judea and ,jerusalem1 figures of a heavenly land1 ii4 #dea4 ,jupiter1 the ,cretan1 ii4 #abd1 #abe4 ,just man1 the1 promised riches1 ii4 #ddd2 how he slays and prevails1 #dde4 ,justice and goodness1 their harmony and consistency1 i4 #ig-aje4 1 i4 #bef1 #beh4 ,kings1 the favour of1 according to ,celsus1 to be sought1 ii4 #edg1 #edh2 swearing by the fortune of1 #edi2 how ,christians fight for and help1 #eef1 #eeg4 ,knowledge1 the increase of1 in the future state1 i4 #adh-aea4 1 i4 #hf4 ,labour1 the wisdom of the necessity of1 laid on man1 ii4 #bdb4 ,laius1 and the oracle given to1 ii4 #bf1 #bg4 ,land1 the good1 promised by ,god to the righteous1 ii4 #dej1 #dea1 #deb4 ,languages1 the confusion of1 at ,babel1 ii4 #big1 #bih1 #bii4 ,law1 is it the king of all things81 ii4 #caj1 #caa4 ,law of ,moses1 the1 the irrationality and impossibility of some of its precepts taken literally1 i4 #cag-cbj2 twofold1 ii4 #ddc1 #ddd2 promises riches to the just1 #ddd4 ,laws1 ancestral1 is it impiety to abandon them81 ii4 #bic-bih2 when those of states and natural1 are opposed1 which to be followed81 #cjg1 #cjh4 ,light1 the1 not to be worshipped1 ii4 #bgh1 #bgi2 and darkness1 #dji1 #daj4 ,light1 ,god is1 i4 #h1 #ca4 ,lot and his daughters1 the story of1 assailed by ,celsus1--explanation of1 ii4 #baa1 #bab4 ,lucifer1 his fall from heaven1 i4 #ea-ec4 ,magi1 the visit of the1 to ,jesus1 i4 #dfa1 #dfd4 ,magic1 the miracles of ,jesus not wrought by1 i4 #dgd-dgf2 over whom it has power1 ii4 #cgi1 #chj4 ,man1 the account of the creation of1 ridiculed by ,celsus1 ii4 #aii1 #bjj2 all things made for the sake of1 #bci1 #bdj-bdd2 superiority of1 over irrational animals1 #bdd-bef4 ,marcion1 ii4 #cbd1 #dag4 ,martyrs1 demons afraid of1 ii4 #ebh4 ,masters1 no man can serve two1 ii4 #dic4 ,meats and drinks1 abstaining from1 ii4 #ead1 #eae1 #eaf4 ,mediator1 the1 through whom we come to ,god1 ii4 #bga1 #bgb4 ,men1 not be compared to bats and worms1 as ,celsus compares them1--the dignity of their nature1 ii4 #ahb-ahe2 ,god's care over the first1 #bdf4 ,minerva1 ii4 #eej4 ,miracles of ,jesus1 the1 their greatness1 i4 #dgd2 not wrought by magic1 #dgd-dgf2 vindicated against ,celsus1 ii4 #di-eg4 ,miraculous appearances1 on ,greek testimony1 witnessed by men1 ii4 #cbf1 #cbg4 ,mithrus1 the mysteries of1 referred to by ,celsus1 ii4 #bfj1 #bfb4 ,moses1 his history assailed by ,celsus1 i4 #dad1 #dae2 a challenge on behalf of the laws of1 #dae1 #daf2 ,celsus strives to discredit his account of creation1 #daf2 a divine spirit in1 #dag2 excellency of the history transmitted by1 #dah2 no reason for believing in1 while rejecting ,christ1 #ddd1 #dde2 and ,jesus1 the miracles of1 ii4 #ed-eg1 #eh1 #ei2 the antiquity of1 #aga2 his division of animals into clean and unclean1 #bfj1 #bfa2 the cosmogony of1 taken exception to by ,celsus1 #cij-cib1 #djb1 #djc4 ,name of ,jesus1 the power of1 i4 #djc4 ,names1 the origin1 power1 and mystery of1 i4 #dba1 #dbb1 #dbc2 not unimportant1 ii4 #cae2 the power of1 in invocations1 #caf4 ,new heavens and new earth1 the1 i4 #ef1 #eh4 ,numenius1 his treatise on ,the ,good1 i4 #dab4 ,old ,testament1 the1 and the ,new1 their teaching harmonious1 ii4 #ddd1 etc41 #ddg4 ,only-begotten ,son of ,god1 ,christ the1 i4 #ah2 the self-abasement of1 #bei4 ,ophites1 the1 referred to1 ii4 #cfb1 #cfe1 #cff1 #cfg1 #dfb4 ,opposing powers1 or powers of darkness1 the1 i4 #bbb1 etc42 our conflict with1 #bcb1 etc4 ,oracles1 ii4 #dbf1 #def2 and responses1 #ebi2 and the words of the prophets1 #ecj4 ,orpheus1 proposed by ,celsus to ,christians as an object of homage1 ii4 #bge1 #bgf4 ,osiris and ,isis1 ii4 #cji4 ,pandora1 ,hesiod's description of the formation of1 ii4 #bja1 #bjb4 ,pappus1 ii4 #cae-cag4 ,parables1 why ,jesus spoke in1 i4 #aie-bjb4 ,paraclete1 the1 i4 #aad1 #aaf4 ,paradise1 the1 prepared for departed saints1 i4 #aea4 ,passions1 the1 which affect the soul1 i4 #ada4 ,pastor1 ,the1 of ,hermas1 quoted1 i4 #cd1 #ce1 #bcj1 #cja4 ,paul1 his desire to depart1 i4 #aei1 #afj2 his wisdom1 ii4 #ajj1 #aja4 ,persecution1 ,jesus and ,his disciples justified in avoiding1 i4 #dga4 ,persians1 and ,jews hold nothing in common in the worship of ,god1 ii4 #bad2 mysteries of the1 #cfj2 have no temples1 #dhc2 worship the creature1 #dhe1 #dhf4 ,peter1 his superstitious adherence to ,jewish observances1--how delivered from it1 ii4 #a-c4 ,pharaoh1 the hardening of the heart of1 i4 #aga-aia4 ,philosophers1 the folly and error of1 ii4 #dgj4 ,phnix1 the1 ii4 #bfe4 ,planets1 the1 i4 #hg4 ,plato1 quoted respecting ,eros1 ii4 #bjc-bje2 and ,scripture1 the respective styles of1 #ccf-cch2 the inefficacy of his teaching compared with that of the ,scriptures1 #cci-cda2 ,jesus does not quote and pervert the words of1 as ,celsus asserts1 #ced2 excelled by the ,scriptures in his idea of ,god1 #cee1 #cff2 quoted as to ,elysium1 #dej2 quoted as to certain precious stones1 #deb2 his ,timus quoted1 #dfd2 on the avenging of injuries1 #dgi4 ,potter1 the1 his power over the clay1 i4 #baa1 etc4 ,power of ,god1 the1 i4 #bf1 #bh4 ,prayer1 to whom it is to be made1 ii4 #bgb1 #bgc2 ,christians use no barbarous names in1 #ebb4 ,precious stones1 certain1 spoken of by ,plato1 ii4 #deb4 ,predictions1 respecting ,india1 ,egypt1 and ,babylon1 etc41 #cca1 #ccb2 respecting ,jesus ,christ4 ,see ,prophecies4 ,pre-existence1 the1 of rational creatures1 i4 #bef-beh4 ,prejudice1 the power of1 i4 #dee4 ,principalities and powers of darkness1 the1 i4 #fh-gj4 ,prino-prisein and ,schino-schisein difficulty of interpretation1 the1 i4 #cge1 #cha1 #chc4 ,promises1 the1 of future good1 not to be interpreted literally and carnally1 i4 #ade-aec4 ,prophecies1 the1 the cavils of ,celsus respecting1 answered1 ii4 #dca-ddj1 #dda1 etc42 relating to ,christ1 #dea1 #dec1 etc41 #def-deh1 #dei4 ,prophets1 the1 the various ways ,god spake to1 i4 #chj2 quoted from each other1 #chf2 necessary for the ,jews1 #dcf1 #dcg2 the character of1 ii4 #dcj1 #dca2 power of the words of1 #ecj4 ,providence1 divine1 maintained against ,celsus1 ii4 #bdj-bdd1 #bff2 incorrect views of1 rectified1 #dhh1 #dhi4 1 i4 #abc4 ,punishment1 future1 the ,christian doctrine of1 i4 #adj1 etc41 ii4 #ebd1 #ecb1 #ecd1 #ece4 ,pythagoreans1 the abstinence practised by1 ii4 #cbj4 ,pythian oracle1 the1 ii4 #dbf1 #dbi4 ,qualities always belong to substances1 i4 #cea4 ,queen of ,sheba1 the1 ii4 #abf4 ,rational natures1 various1 i4 #dd1 #de2 capable of sin1 #de2 evil1 #de1 #df2 whether any were created so as to be incapable of sin or of virtue1 #df1 #dg2 the glory of some and the wickedness of others not original and essential to their being1 but the result of desert1 #dh1 #fi2 never sink into the condition of irrational animals1 #gj2 can they lead an existence out of the body1 #hb2 the immortality of1 #cec1 etc4 ,repentance1 attributed to ,god1 ii4 #cii1 #djj4 ,resting1 predicated of ,god1 ii4 #djc4 ,restoration1 the1 of fallen beings1 i4 #ef1 #eg4 ,resurrection1 the1 of the body1 i4 #acf2 weak believers instructed on the subject1 #aci2 ridiculed by ,celsus1 explained and defended1 ii4 #bhb1 #bhe1 #bhf-bhh1 #ded1 #dee4 ,resurrection1 the1 of ,jesus1 ii4 #ei-fb2 the belief of1 not the product of a dream1 #fc2 why did not ,jesus show ,himself to ,his enemies after1 #fe-gj2 ,his appearances after1 not phantom-like1 #deg4 ,riches1 promised to the just man1 in what sense1 ii4 #ddd2 ,jesus gave no laws contrary to this promise of1 #ddf4 ,samaritan woman1 ,jesus converses with a1 i4 #aa4 ,satan1 ii4 #che2 and ,antichrist1 #che1 #chf4 ,see ,devil4 ,scriptures1 the1 the teaching of the ,church respecting1 i4 #e2 the inspiration of1 #bgd1 etc41 #bhe1 etc42 the superhuman element in1 does not present itself to the uninstructed1 #bhg-bij2 how to be regarded and understood1 #bia1 #bid1 #bii2 a threefold sense in1 #cjj2 the soul of1 #cjc-cjh2 the mysteries contained in1 #cjh1 etc42 stumbling-blocks in1 #bab2 the histories of1 not all pure history1 but some to be mystically understood1 #cac-cbb2 in regard to many things1 the historical and literal sense of1 the true sense1 #cbc2 passages of1 which are true in their historical sense1 more numerous than those which are to be spiritually understood1 #cbd2 the need of careful search to distinguish between what is literal in1 and what is not1 #cbe2 our duty to grasp the whole meaning of1 #cbf2 etymological fancies in1 #chc2 exhortation to the study of1 #cij2 many of the histories of1 allegories1 ii4 #bji1 #baj2 simplicity of the style of1 compared with that of ,plato1 #cbf-cch2 the inefficacy of the teaching of ,plato compared with that of1 #cci-cda2 exceed ,plato in the idea they give of ,god1 #cee1 #cef4 ,scythian and ,greek names of ,god1 ii4 #cgg1 #cgh4 ,secret associations1 ,christians charged by ,celsus with entering into1--reply1 i4 #cij4 ,sects among ,christians1 ii4 #cca-ccc1 #cce4 ,seeing ,god1 i4 #af1 #ag1 ii4 #dfe1 #dff4 ,sense and the senses1 i4 #ae4 ,septuagint1 additions to the ,scripture in the--defence of these additions1 i4 #cga-cgc4 ,seraphim1 the1 i4 #ce1 #cdj1 #cda4 ,serapis1 ii4 #cji4 ,seriphian and ,themistocles1 i4 #dbh4 ,serpent1 the1 ,celsus ridicules the story of the temptation by1 ii4 #bjc2 is the devil1 #dhc4 ,shepherd of ,hermas1 ,the1 i4 #cd1 #ce1 #bcj1 #cja4 ,sicarians1 the1 ii4 #ai4 ,silence1 the1 of ,jesus before ,his judges1 i4 #cic4 ,simonians1 the1 ii4 #ccb1 #cdh4 ,sin1 incentives to1 ii4 #bbf4 ,sinners1 ,christianity invites and restores to virtue1 ii4 #aci-add2 a change of life possible for1 asserted against ,celsus1 #ade-adi4 ,sneezing1 according to the poets1 prophetic1 ii4 #bfa4 ,socrates pronounced the wisest of men1 ii4 #dbi4 ,son1 the only-begotten1 of ,god1 ,christ the1 i4 #ah2 self-abasement of1 #beg2 subjection of1 to the ,father1 #bfj-bfb2 the generation of1 #cdb1 #cdc2 the advent and incarnation of1 #cde-cdg2 the dignity of1 ii4 #cjh1 #chh1 #chi1 #ejb2 the soul of ,jesus joined with1 #chi1 #cij2 ,celsus misrepresents the views of ,christians respecting1 #ejc4 8,sons of ,god0 and 8daughters of men10 ii4 #cbe4 ,sorcery1 ,jesus charged with1 by ,celsus1 i4 #djb1 #djc2 the ,jews charged with1 #dbd2 the miracles of ,jesus not wrought by1 ii4 #di-ef2 the power of1 attributed by ,celsus to certain animals1 #beb1 etc4 ,soul1 the1 apostolic teaching respecting1 i4 #d2 a lost1 #aba1 #abb2 meaning of the word1 #abc1 #abd2 and spirit of ,christ1 #abe2 why acted on sometimes by evil spirits and sometimes by good1 #bdb1 etc42 and body alike the work of ,god1 ii4 #bbj-bbf4 ,souls1 various sorts of1 #aah1 #aai2 of angels and of ,god1 #aai1 #abj2 has man two8--three theories discussed1 #bdd-beb2 good and bad1 ii4 #dbh4 ,spirit1--what81 i4 #i4 ,spirit of truth1 the1 promised by ,jesus1 ii4 #c1 #d2 perpetually bestowed1 #dab1 #dac4 ,spirits1 wicked1 their mode of operation1 i4 #bda2 good1 their agency1 #bdb4 ,spiritual body1 the1 i4 #bff1 #bfg4 ,splendour of the eternal light1 ,christ the1 i4 #cj4 ,spoiling the ,egyptians1 i4 #chh1 #chi4 ,star1 the1 of the wise men1 i4 #dfb1 #dfd4 ,stars1 living rational beings capable of sin1 i4 #fa1 #fb4 ,stony heart1 the1 how taken away1 i4 #aia1 etc4 ,stumbling-blocks designedly placed in the ,scriptures1 i4 #cab4 ,subjection1 the1 of the ,son to the ,father1 i4 #bfj1 etc4 ,substance1 i4 #cej4 ,suffering of ,christ1 the1 predicted1 i4 #def1 #deg4 ,sun1 the1 and other planets endowed with life and souls1 i4 #ei-fe4 ,superiority and inferiority1 not to be decided by a bodily standard1 ii4 #ahd4 ,susanna1 the story of1 inquiry of ,africanus respecting the genuineness of1 i4 #cfi1 #cgj2 ,origen's defence of the genuineness of1 #cga1 etc4 ,swine's flesh1 abstinence from1 ii4 #cai1 #cbj4 ,temple1 the true1 of ,god1 i4 #ejf1 #ejg4 ,temptations1 proportioned to the strength of the tempted1 ii4 #bbg-bbi2 human1 treated of at large1 #bdd1 etc4 8,things in heaven1 earth1 and under the earth10 ii4 #eg4 ,thomas1 the scepticism of1 ii4 #fd1 #fe4 ,thoughts1 how suggested1 i4 #bbi1 #bcj4 ,threefold sense of ,scripture1 the1 i4 #cjj1 etc4 ,thrones1 dominions1 etc41 i4 #ef4 ,tobias1 i4 #chd4 ,trinity1 the1 the unity and operations of the persons of1 i4 #cg-da2 the sum of the doctrine of1 #cdb1 etc4 ,truth is truth1 by whomsoever spoken1 ii4 #dhj2 how served up as food by philosophers and prophets and the disciples of ,christ1 #dhj1 #dha4 ,typical interpretation1 i4 #cjf4 ,tyre1 the prince of1 i4 #di-ea4 ,union among ,christians1 the basis of1 ii4 #if1 etc4 ,unity of opinion1 not characteristic of ,christians from the beginning1 ii4 #id4 ,vanity1 the creature made subject to1 i4 #fc-fe1 #beg1 #beh4 ,variety1 the1 of creatures in the world1 i4 #abh2 accordance of this with righteousness and reason1 #aca1 etc42 brought to pass by the free-will of individuals1 #acb-acf4 ,veil on the heart1 the1 i4 #i4 ,vessels to honour and to dishonour1 i4 #bac4 ,vinegar and gall1 the1 predicted1 ii4 #da4 ,virgin ,mother1 the1 vilified by ,celsus1 vindication of1 i4 #dbf1 #dbg1 #dca1 #dcc2 prediction of the birth of ,christ of1 #dcd1 #dce2 the birth of ,jesus of1 open to no fair objection1 #dcg1 #dch4 ,will1 the free1 i4 #d1 #acb1 #acc1 #aeg1 etc42 able to resist external causes1 #afa2 its freedom proved from ,scripture1 #afe4 ,wisdom1 threefold1 i4 #bcg2 of the world1 #bch2 of the princes of the world1 #bci2 the sort condemned by ,christianity1 #daj2 of ,christianity1 #ajj1 #aja2 ,christianity designed to impart1 #abf1 etc42 human and divine1 #cej1 #cea1 #ceb4 ,wisdom of ,god1 ,christ the1 i4 #ai1 #bj1 #bf1 #bh4 8,wood1 hay1 stubble10 ii4 #agc4 ,word1 the incarnation of the1 ii4 #agd1 #age2 different appearances of the1 #agf2 final universal victory of the1 #eee4 ,words1 not to be specially considered by searchers after truth1 but the meaning of1 i4 #cci1 #cda4 ,words of ,christ1 the1 i4 #a4 ,world1 the1 the doctrine of the ,church respecting1 i4 #e2 the great variety in1 #gb2 cause of the variety in1 #gb1 #gc2 the unity of1 in diversity1 #gc1 #gd2 the oneness of1 proved from ,scripture1 #ge2 the matter of1 and its transformations and qualities1 #ge2 the matter of1 not uncreated1 #gf1 #gg2 the beginning of1--was there one before1 and shall there be one after81 #gi2 this1 the conclusion of many ages1 #he2 different meanings of the word in ,scripture1 #hf2 another besides this1 #hf1 #hg1 etc42 comprehensiveness of1 and variety of creatures in1 #abh-acj2 the accordance of this variety in1 with righteousness and reason1 #aca1 etc42 the cause of the variety in1 #acd-acf2 had its beginning in time1 #bec2 shall come to an end1 #bee1 etc42 another shall exist after this1 #bee2 the end of1 #bfb1 etc4 ,worlds1 the1 not similar1 but dissimilar1 i4 #hd4 ,worship1 to be given to ,god alone1 and not to gods or demons1 ii4 #dhi-ejj2 of the ,father and the ,son1 #ejj1 #eja2 equally acceptable to ,god in different languages1 #ebb4 ,wrath of ,god1 the1 ii4 #bcg-bci4 ,zeno1 the reasons why the followers of1 abstain from adultery1 ii4 #dhd4 ,zipporah1 and the circumcision of ,moses' son1 ii4 #cah1 #cai4 ,,end ,,of ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,murray ,,and ,,gibb1 ,,edinburgh1 ,,printers ,,to ,,her ,,majesty',s ,,stationery ,,office4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics74 ,footnotes have been moved to follow the chapters in which they are referenced4