Contra Celsum (Complete) (9/48)

CHAPTER xv.

Bat again, that it is not the fear of external enemies which strengthens our union, is plain from the fact that this cause, by God’s will, has already, for a considerable time, ceased to exist. And itis probable that the secure existence, so far as regards the world, enjoyed by believers at present, will come to an end, since those who calumniate Christianity in every way are again attributing the present frequency of rebellion to the multitude of believers, and to their not being persecuted by the authorities as in old times. For we have learned from the gospel neither to relax our efforts in days of peace, and to give ourselves up to repose, nor, when the world makes war upon us, to become cowards, and apostatize from the love of the God of all things which is in Jesus Christ. And we clearly mani- fest the illustrious nature of our origin, and do not (as Celsus imagines) conceal it, when we impress upon the minds of our first converts a contempt for idols, and images of all kinds, and, besides this, raise their thoughts from the worship of created things instead of God, and elevate them to the universal Creator; clearly showing Him to be the subject of prophecy, 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 Gospels, and the declarations of the apostles.

l ἐπιφανείας. ORIG.— VOL. II. G 98 ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. [Booz nr.

CHAPTEB XVI.

* But what the legends are of every kind which we gather together, or the terrors which we invent," as Celsus without proof asserts, he who likes may show. I know not, indeed, what he means by “inventing terrors,” unless it be our doctrine of God as Judge, and of the condemnation of men for their deeds, with the various proofs derived partly from Scripture, partly from probable reason. And yet—for truth is precious—Celsus says, at the close, “Forbid that either 1, or these, or any other individual should ever reject the doctrine respecting the future punishment of the wicked and the reward of the good!” What terrors, then, if you except the doctrine of punishment, do we invent and impose upon mankind? And if he should reply that “we weave together erroneous opinions drawn from ancient sources, and trumpet them aloud, and sound them be- fore men, as the priests of Cybele clash their cymbals in the ears of those who are being initiated in their mysteries;”* we shall ask him in reply, “ Erroneous opinions from what ancient sources?" For, whether he refers to Grecian accounts, which taught the existence of courts of justice under the earth, or Jewish, which, among other things, predicted the life that follows the present one; he will be unable to show that we who, striving to believe on grounds of reason, regulate our lives in conformity with such doctrines, have failed correctly to ascertain the truth.”

CHAPTER XVII.

He wishes, indeed, to compare the articles of our faith to those of the Egyptians; “among whom, as you approach their sacred edifices, are to be seen splendid enclosures, and groves, and large and beautiful gateways,* and wonderful temples, and magnificent tents around them, and ceremonies of worship full of superstition and mystery; but when you have entered, and 1 τὰ τοῦ παλαιοῦ λόγου παρακούσματα συμπλάττοντες, τούτοις "'poxas- ταυλοῦμεν καὶ προκατηχοῦμεν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους" ὡς οἱ τοὺς κορυβαντιζομένους “περιβομβοῦντες.

2 οὐκ diy ἔχοι παραστῆσαι, ὅτι ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐν παρακούσμασι γενόβοενοι τῆς οαἱλη- θείας, ὅσοι γε πειρώμεθα μετὼ λόγον πιστεύειν, πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα ζῶμεν δόγματα.

8 χροκυλαίων μεγέθη τε καὶ κάλλη.

Book 111. ] ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. 99 passed within, the object of worship is seen to be a cat, or an ape, or a crocodile, or a goat, or a dog!” Now, what is the resemblance’ between us and the splendours of Egyptian wor- ship which are seen by those who draw near their temples? And where is the resemblance to those irrational animals which are worshipped within, after you pass through the splendid gateways? Are our prophecies, and the God of all things, and the injunctions against images, objects of reverence in the view of Celsus also, and Jesus Christ crucified, the analogue to the worship of the irrational animal? 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 Jesus, showing that what appeared to have happened to Him in the capacity of His human nature, was fraught with benefit to all men, and with salvation to the whole world.

CHAPTER XVIII.

In the next place, referring to the statements of the Egyp- tians, who talk loftily about irrational animals, and who assert that they are a sort of symbols of God, or anything else which their prophets, so termed, are accustomed to call them, Celsus says that *an impression is produced in the minds of those who have learned these things; that they have not been ini- — tiated in vain;"? while with regard to the truths which are taught in our writings to those who have made progress in the study of Christianity (through that which is called by Paul the gift consisting in the “word of wisdom” through the Spirit, and in the “word of knowledge” according to the Spirit), Celsus does not seem even to have formed an idea, judging not only from what he has already said, but from what he subsequently adds in his attack upon the Christian system, when he asserts that Christians *repel every wise man from the doctrine of their faith, and invite only the ignorant and the vulgar;" on which assertions we shall remark in due time, when we come to the proper place.

1 xe ἀνάλογον.

3 φαντασίαν ἰξαποστέλλειν τοῖς ταῦτα μεμαθηκόσιν, ὅτι μὴ μάτην μερύηνται.

8 χεφαντάσθαι.

100 ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. [Book 111.

CHAPTER XIX.

He says, indeed, that * we ridicule the Egyptians, although they present many by no means contemptible mysteries’ for our consideration, when they teach us that such rites are acts of worship offered to eternal ideas, and not, as the multitude think, to ephemeral animals; and that we are silly, because we introduce nothing nobler than the goats and dogs of the Egyp- tian worship in our narratives about Jesus." Now to this we reply, * Good sir [suppose that] you are right in eulogizing the fact that the Egyptians present to view many by no means contemptible mysteries, and obscure explanations about the animals [worshipped] among them, you nevertheless do not act consistently in accusing us as if you believed that we had nothing to state which was worthy of consideration, but that all our doctrines were contemptible and of no account, seeing we unfold? the narratives concerning Jesus according to the ‘wisdom of the word’ to those who are ‘perfect’ in Chris- tianity. Regarding whom, as being competent to understand the wisdom that is in Christianity, Paul says; ‘We speak wisdom among them that are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, who come to nought, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew.’ "* CHAPTER XX.

CHAPTER XX.

And we say to those who hold similar opinions to those of Celsus: * Paul then, we are to suppose, had before his mind the idea of no pre-eminent wisdom when he professed to speak wisdom among them that are perfect?" Now, as he spoke with his customary boldness when in making such a profession he said that he was possessed of no wisdom, we shall say in reply: first of all examine the epistles of him who utters these words, and look carefully at the meaning of each expression in them—say, in those to the Ephesians, and Colossians, and Thessalonians, and Philippians, and Romans,—and show two things, both that you understand Paul’s words, and that you Book m1. | ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. 101 can demonstrate any of them to be silly or foolish. For if any one give himself to their attentive perusal, I am well assured either that he will be amazed at the understanding of the man who can clothe great ideas in common language; or if he be not amazed, he will only exhibit himself in a ridiculous light, whether he simply state the meaning of the writer as if he had comprehended it, or try to controvert and confute what he only imagined that he understood!

CHAPTER XXI.

And I have not yet spoken of tle observance! of all that is written in the Gospels, each one of which contains much doctrine difficult to be understood, not merely by the multitude, but even by certain of the more intelligent, including a very profound explanation of the parables which Jesus delivered to *those without," while reserving the exhibition of their full meaning? for those who had passed beyond the stage of exoteric teaching, and who came to Him privately in the house. And when he comes to understand it, he will admire the reason why some are said to be “ without," and others “in the house.” And again, who would not be filled with astonishment that is able to comprehend the movements? of Jesus; ascending at one time a mountain for the purpose of delivering certain discourses, or of performing certain miracles, or for His own transfiguration, and descending again to heal the sick and those who were unable to follow Him whither His disciples went? But it is not the appropriate time to describe at present the truly venerable and divine contents of the Gospels, or the mind of Christ—that is, the wisdom and the word—contained in the writings of Paul. But what we have said is sufficient by way of answer to the unphilosophic sneers* of Celsus, in comparing the inner mysteries of the church of God to the cats, and apes, and crocodiles, and goats, and dogs of Egypt.

CHAPTER XXII.

But this low jester? Celsus, omitting no species of mockery and ridicule which can be employed against us, mentions in his 1 χηρήσεως. 2 σαφήνειαν. ᾿ 8 μεταβάσεις. 4 ἀφιλόσοφον χλεύην. 5 βωμολόχος.

102 ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. [Book rrr.

treatise the Dioscuri, and Hercules, and ZEsculapius, and Dionysus, who are believed by the Greeks to have become gods after being men, and says that “we cannot bear to call such beings gods, because they were at first men,’ and yet they manifested many noble qualities, which were displayed for the benefit of mankind, while we assert that Jesus was seen after His death by His own followers;" and he brings against us an additional charge, as if we said that * He was seen indeed, but was only a shadow!” Now to this we reply, that it was very artful of Celsus not here clearly to indicate that he did not regard these beings as gods, for he was afraid of the opinion of those who might peruse his treatise, and who might suppose him to be an atheist; whereas, if he had paid respect to what appeared to him to be the truth, he would not have feigned to regard them as gods? Now to either of the allegations we are ready with an answer. Let us, accordingly, to those who do not regard them as gods reply as follows: These beings, then, are not gods at all; but agreeably to the view of those who think that the soul of man perishes immediately [after death], the souls of these men also perished; or according to the opinion of those who say that the soul continues to subsist or is immortal, these men continue to exist or are immortal, and they are not gods but heroes,—or not even heroes, but simply: souls. If, then, on the one hand, you suppose them not to exist, we shall have to prove the doctrine of the soul's immortality, which is to us a doctrine of pre-eminent importance;? if, on the other, they do exist, we have still to prove* the doctrine of immortality, not only by what the Greeks have so well said regarding it, but also in a manner agreeable to the teaching of Holy Scripture. And we shall demonstrate that it is impos- sible for those who were polytheists during their lives to obtain l The reading in the text is x«i πρῶτοι, for which Bohereau proposes τὸ πρῶτον, Which we have adopted in the translation.

? We have followed in the translation the emendation of Guietus, who proposes εἰ δὲ τὴν Φαινομένην αὑτῷ ἐλήθειαν ἐπρέσβευσεν, οὐκ diy, x.7.A., instead of the textual reading, εἴ τε τῆς Φαινομένης αὐτῷ ἀληθείας ἐπρέσβευσεν, οὐκ ἄν, X.T.À.

s τὸν προηγούμενον Hiv περὶ Ψυχῆς κατασκευαιστέον λόγον.

4 Bohereau conjectures, with great probability, that instead of dxodix- Tío», We Ought to read cdxrodsixrioy.

Book 1n. | ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. 103 a better country and position after their departure from this world, by quoting the histories that are related of them, in which is recorded the great dissoluteness of Hercules, and his effeminate bondage with Omphale, together with the statements regarding /Esculapius, that their Zeus struck him dead by a thunderbolt. And of the Dioscuri, it will be said that they die often— ** At one time live on alternate days, and at another. Die, and obtain honour equally with the gods."!

How, then, can they reasonably imagine that one of these is to be regarded as a god or a hero!

CHAPTER XXIII.

But we, in proving the facts related of our Jesus from the prophetic Scriptures, and comparing afterwards His history with them, demonstrate that no dissoluteness on his part is re- corded. For even they who conspired against Him, and who sought false witnesses to aid them, did not find even any plausible grounds for advancing a false charge against Him, so as to accuse Him of licentiousness; but His death was indeed the result of a conspiracy, and bore no resemblance to the death of ZEsculapius by lightning. And what is there that is venerable in the madman Dionysus, and his female garments, that he should be worshipped as a god? And if they who would defend such beings betake themselves to allegorical interpretations, we must examine each individual instance, and ascertain whether it is well founded,’ and also in each particular case, whether those beings can have a real existence, and are deserving of respect and worship who were torn by the Titans, and cast down from their heavenly throne. Whereas our Jesus, who appeared to the members of His own troop ’—for I will take the word that Celsus employs—did really appear, and Celsus makes a false accusation against the gospel in saying that what appeared was a shadow. And let the statements of their histories and that of Jesus be carefully compared together. Will Celsus have the former to be true, but the latter, although recorded by eye-witnesses who showed by their acts that they 1 Cf. Hom. Odyss. xi. 308 and 804. 3 gl τὸ ὑγιὲς ἔχουσιν.

3 διασωταὶῖς.

104 ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. [Book rm.

clearly understood the nature of what they had seen, and who manifested their state of mind by what they cheerfully under- went for the sake of His gospel, to be inventions? Now, who is there that, desiring to act always in conformity with right reason, would yield his assent at random! to what is related of the one, but would rush to the history of Jesus, and without examination refuse to believe what is recorded of Him??

CHAPTER XXIV.

And again, when it is said of Ausculapius that a great multi- tude both of Greeks and barbarians acknowledge that they have frequently seen, and still see, no mere phantom, but ZEsculapius himself, healing and doing good, and foretelling the future; Celsus requires us to believe this, and finds no fault with the believers in Jesus, when we express our belief in such stories, but when we give our assent to the disciples, and eye-witnesses of the miracles of Jesus, who clearly mani- fest the honesty of their convictions (because we see their guilelessness, as far as it is possible to see the conscience re- vealed in writing), we are called by him a set of “silly” indi- viduals, although he cannot demonstrate that an incalculable? number, as he asserts, of. Greeks and barbarians acknowledge the existence of 7Esculapius; while we, if we deem this a matter of importance, can clearly show a countless multitude of Greeks and barbarians who acknowledge the existence of Jesus. And some give evidence of their having received through this faith a marvellous power by the cures which they perform, invoking no other name over those who need their help than that of the God of all things, and of Jesus, along with a mention of His history. For by these means we too have seen many persons freed from grievous calamities, and from distractions of mind,‘ and madness, and countless other ills, which could be cured neither by men nor devils.

CHAPTER XXV.

Now, in order to grant that there did exist a healing spirit 1 ἐποχληρωτικῶς.

εἰς δὲ τὰ περὶ τούτου ἀνεξιτάστως ὁρμῶν ἐπιστήσαι Toig περὶ αὐτοῦ.

3 κμεύθητον. 4 ἐκοτάσεων.

Book m1] ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. 105 named ZEsculapius, who used to cure the bodies of men, I would say to those who are astonished at such an occurrence, or at the prophetic knowledge of Apollo, that since the cure of bodies is a thing indifferent,! and a matter within the reach not merely of the good,’ but also of the bad; and as the foreknowledge of the future is also a thing indifferent—for the possessor of fore- knowledge does not necessarily manifest the possession of virtue —you must show that they who practise healing or who fore- tell the future are in no respect wicked, but exhibit a perfect pattern of virtue, and are not far from being regarded as gods. But they will not be able to show that they are virtuous who practise the art of healing, or who are gifted with foreknowledge, seeing many who are not fit to live are related to have been healed; and these, too, persons whom, as leading improper lives, no wise physician would wish to heal. And in the responses of the Pythian oracle also you may find some injunctions which are not in accordance with reason, two of which we wil? adduce on the present occasion; viz. when it gave commandment that Cleomedes*—the boxer, I suppose—should be honoured with divine honours, seeing.some great importance or other attaching to his pugilistic skill, but did not confer either upon Pythagoras or upon Socrates the honours which it awarded to pugilism; and also when it called Archilochus “the servant of the Muses"—a man who employed his poetic powers upon topics of the most wicked and licentious nature, and whose public character was dissolute and impure—and entitled him * pious,”* in respect of his being the servant of the Muses, who are deemed to be goddesses! Now I am inclined to think that no one would assert that he was a “pious” man who was not adorned with all moderation and virtue, or that a decorous? man would utter such expressions as are contained in the unseemly* iambics of Árchilochus. And if nothing that is divine in itself is shown to belong either to the healing skill of ZEsculapius or the pro- phetic power of Apollo, how could any one, even were I to grant that the facts are as alleged, reasonably worship them as pure divinities?—and especially when the prophetic spirit of Apollo, pure from any body of earth, secretly enters through 1 μέέσον. 3 dorsious. 3 Cf. Smith's Dict. of Biograph. s.v. * εὐσεβᾷ. 5 χύσμιος. ὃ οἱ μὴ σεμνοὶ, 106 ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. [Book ri.

the private parts the person of her who is called the priestess, as she is seated at the mouth of the Pythian cave!’ Whereas regarding Jesus and His power we have no such notion; for the body which was born of the Virgin was composed of human material, and capable of receiving human wounds and death.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Let us see what Celsus says next, when he adduces from history marvellous occurrences, which in themselves seem to be incredible, but which are not discredited by him, so far at least as appears from his words. And, in the first place, re- garding Aristeas of Proconnesus, of whom he speaks as follows: ‘Then, with respect to Aristeas of Proconnesus, who disap- peared from among men in a manner so indicative of divine intervention, and who showed. himself again in so unmistake- able a fashion, and on many subsequent occasions visited many parts of the world, and announced marvellous events, and whom Apollo enjoined the inhabitants of Metapontium to regard as a god, no one considers him to be a god." This account he appears to have taken from Pindar and Herodotus. It will be sufficient, however, at present to quote the statement of the latter writer from the fourth book of his histories, which is to the following effect: “Of what country Aristeas, who made these verses, was, has already been mentioned, and I shall now relate the account I heard of him in Proconnesus and Cyzicus. They say that Aristeas, who was inferior to none of the citizens by birth, entering into a fuller's shop in Proconnesus, died suddenly, and that the fuller, having closed his workshop, went to acquaint the relatives of the deceased. When the report had spread through the city that Aristeas was dead, a certain Cyzicenian, arriving from Artace, fell into a dispute with those who made the report, affirming that he had met and conversed with him on his way to Cyzicus, and he vehemently disputed ort διὼ τοῦ IluÓíoy oropeiou περικαθεζομένη τῇ καλουμένῃ προφήτιδι “νεῦρα διὸ τῶν γυναικείων ὑπεισέρχεται τὸ μαντικὸν, ὁ ᾿Απόλλων, τὸ καιθαρὸν &*0 γηΐνον σώματος. Boherellus conjectures τὸ μαντικὸν τοῦ ᾿Απόλλωνος τὸ καθαρόν.

3 οὕτω δαιμονίως.

Boox m1] ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. 107 the truth of the report; but the relations of the deceased went to the fuller's shop, taking with them what was necessary for the purpose of carrying the body away; but when the house was opened, Áristeas was not to be seen, either dead or alive. They say that afterwards, in the seventh year, he appeared in Proconnesus, composed those verses which by the Greeks are now called Árimaspian, and having composed them, disappeared a second time. Such is the story current in these cities. But these things I know happened to the Metapontines in Italy 340 years after the second disappearance of Aristeas, as I dis- covered by computation in Proconnesus and Metapontium. The Metapontines say that Aristeas himself, having appeared in their country, exhorted them to erect an altar to Apollo, and to place near it a statue bearing the name of. Aristeas the Pro- connesian; for he said that Apollo had visited their country only of all the Italians, and that he himself, who was now Aristeas, accompanied him; and that when he accompanied the god he was a crow; and after saying this he vanished. And the Metapontines say they sent to Delphi to inquire of the god what the apparition of the man meant; but the Pythian bade them obey the apparition, and if they obeyed it would conduce to their benefit. They accordingly, having re- ceived this answer, fulfilled the injunctions. And now, a statue bearing the name of Aristeas is placed near the image of Apollo, and around it laurels are planted: the image is placed in the public square. Thus much concerning Aristeas."!

CHAPTER XXVII.

Now, in answer to this account of Aristeas, we have to say, that if Celsus had adduced it as history, without signifying his own assent to its truth, it is in a different way that we should have met his argument. But since he asserts that he “disappeared through the intervention of the divinity,” and “showed himself. again in an unmistakeable manner,” and “ visited many parts of the world,” and “ made marvellous announcements;” and, moreover, that there was “an oracle of Apollo, enjoining the Metapontines to treat Aristeas as a god,” he gives the accounts relating to him as upon his own authority, and with his full 1 Herod. book iv. chap. 14 and 15 (Cary’s transl.).

108 ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. [Book 111.

assent. And [this being the case], we ask, How is it possible that, while supposing the marvels related by the disciples of Jesus regarding their Master to be wholly fictitious, and find- ing fault with those who believe them, you, O Celsus, do not regard these stories of yours to be either products of jugglery! or inventions? And how,’ while charging others with an irra- tional belief in the marvels recorded of Jesus, can you show yourself justified in giving credence to such statements as the above, without producing some proof or evidence of the alleged occurrences having taken place? Or do Herodotus and Pindar appear to you to speak the truth, while they who have made it their concern to die for the doctrine of Jesus, and who have left to their successors writings so remarkable on the truths which they believed, entered upon a struggle for the sake of “fictions” (as you consider them), and “myths,” and “‘ juggleries," which entails a life of danger and a death of violence? Place yourself, then, as a neutral party, between what is related of Aristeas and what is recorded of Jesus, and see whether, from the result, and from the benefits which have accrued to the reformation of morals, and to the worship of the God who is over all things, it is not allowable to conclude that we must believe the events recorded of Jesus not to have happened without the divine intervention, but that this was not the case with the story of Aristeas the Proconnesian.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

For with what purpose in view did Providence accomplish the marvels related of Aristeas? And to confer what benefit upon the human race did such remarkable events, as you re- gard them, take place? You cannot answer. But we, when we relate the events of the history of Jesus, have no ordinary defence to offer for their occurrence;—this, viz., that God desired to commend the doctrine of Jesus as a doctrine which was to save mankind, and which was based, indeed, upon the apostles as foundations of the rising? edifice of Christianity, but which increased in magnitude also in the succeeding ages, 1 repersicy. 2 Guietus conjectures, καὶ ra;, ὦ λῷστε, ὃ τῆ; καταβαλλομένης οἰκοδομῆς.

Boox u1.] ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. 109 in which not a few cures are wrought in the name of Jesus, and certain other manifestations of no small moment have taken place. Now what sort of person is Apollo, who enjoined the Metapontines to treat Aristeas as a god? And with what object does he do this? And what advantage was he pro- curing to the Metapontines from this divine worship, if they were to regard him as a god, who a little ago was a mortal? And yet the recommendations of Apollo (viewed by us as a demon who has obtained the honour of libation and sacrificial odours’) regarding this Aristeas appear to you to be worthy of consideration; while those of the God of all things, and of His holy angels, made known beforehand through the prophets — not after the birth of Jesus, but before He appeared among men—do not stir you up to admiration, not merely of the prophets who received the Divine Spirit, but of Him also who was the object of their predictions, whose entrance into life was so clearly predicted many years beforehand by numerous pro- phets, that the whole Jewish people who were hanging in ex- pectation of the coming of Him who was looked for, did, after the advent of Jesus, fall into a keen dispute with each other; and that a great multitude of them acknowledged Christ, and believed Him to be the object of prophecy, while others did not believe in Him, but, despising the meekness of those who, on account of the teaching of Jesus, were unwilling to cause even the most trifling sedition, dared to inflict on Jesus those cruelties which His disciples have so truthfully and candidly recorded, without secretly omitting from their marvellous his- tory of Him what seems to the multitude to bring disgrace upon the doctrine of Christianity. But both Jesus Himself and His disciples desired that His followers should believe not merely in His Godhead and miracles, as if He had not also been a partaker of human nature, and had assumed the human flesh which “lusteth against the Spirit;"? but they saw also that the power which had descended into human nature, and into the midst of human miseries, and which had assumed a human soul and body, contributed through faith, along with