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Having completed seven books, I now propose to begin the eighth.
And may God and His Only-begotten Son the Word be with us, to enable us
effectively to refute the falsehoods which Celsus has published under
the delusive title of A True Discourse, and at the same time to unfold
the truths of Christianity with such fulness as our purpose requires.
And as Paul said, "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us,"' so would we in the same spirit and language
earnestly desire to be ambassadors for Christ to men, even as the Word
of God beseeches them to the love of Himself, seeking to win over to
righteousness truth, and the other virtues, those who, until they
receive the doctrines of Jesus Christ, live in darkness about God and
in ignorance of their Creator. Again, then, I would say, may God bestow
upon us His pure and true Word, even "the Lord strong and mighty in
battle"(2) against sin. We must now proceed to state the next objection
of Celsus, and afterwards to answer it.
In a passage previously quoted Celsus asks us why we do not
worship demons, and to his remarks on demons we gave such an answer as
seemed to us in accordance with the divine word. After having put this
question for the purpose of leading us to the worship of demons, he
represents us as answering that it is impossible to serve many masters.
"This," he goes on to say, "is the language of sedition, and is only
used by those who separate themselves and stand aloof from all human
society. Those who speak in this way ascribe," as he supposes, "their
own feelings and passions to God. It does hold true among men, that he
who is in the service of one master cannot well serve another, because
the service which he renders to the one interferes with that which he
owes to the other; and no one, therefore, who has already engaged
himself to the service of one, must accept that of another. And, in
like manner, it is impossible to serve at the same time heroes or
demons of different natures. But in regard to God, who is subject to no
suffering or loss, it is," he thinks, "absurd to be on our guard
against serving more gods, as though we had to do with demi-gods, or
other spirits of that sort." He says also, "He who serves many gods
does that which is pleasing to the Most High, because he honours that
which belongs to Him." And he adds, "It is indeed wrong to give honour
to any to whom God has not given honour." "Wherefore," he says, "in
honouring and worshipping all belonging to God, we will not displease
Him to whom they all belong."
Before proceeding to the next point, it may be well for us to see
whether we do not accept with approval the saying, "No man can serve
two masters," with the addition, "for either he will hate the one, and
love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the
other," and further, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."(3) The defence
of this passage will lead us to a deeper and more searching inquiry
into the meaning and application of the words "gods" and "lords."
Divine Scripture teaches us that there is "a great Lord above all
gods."(4) And by this name "gods" we are not to understand the objects
of heathen worship (for we know that "all the gods of the heathen are
demons"(5)), but the gods mentioned by the prophets as forming an
assembly, whom God "judges," and to each of whom He assigns his proper
work. For "God standeth in the assembly of the gods: He judgeth among
the gods."(6) For "God is Lord of gods," who by His Son "hath called
the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof."(1)
We are also commanded to "give thanks to the God of gods."(2) Moreover,
we are taught that "God is not the God of the dead, but of the
living."(3) Nor are these the only passages to this effect; but there
are very many others.
The sacred Scriptures teach us to think, in like manner, of the
Lord of lords. For they say in one place, "Give thanks to the God of
gods, for His mercy endureth for ever. Give thanks to the Lord of
lords, for His mercy endureth for ever;" and in another, "God is King
of kings, and Lord of lords." For Scripture distinguishes between those
gods which are such only in name and those which are truly gods,
whether they are called by that name or not; and the same is true in
regard to the use of the word "lords." To this effect Paul says, "For
though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, as
there are gods many, and lords many."(4) But as the God of gods calls
whom He pleases through Jesus to his inheritance, "from the east and
from the west," and the Christ of God thus shows His superiority to all
rulers by entering into their several provinces, and summoning men out
of them to be subject to Himself, Paul therefore, with this in view,
goes on to say, "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom
are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and
we by Him;" adding, as if with a deep sense of the marvellous and
mysterious nature of the doctrine, "Howbeit there is not in every man
that knowledge." When he says, "To us there is but one God, the Father,
of whom are all things; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all
things," by "us" he means himself and all those who have risen up to
the supreme God of gods and to the supreme Lord of lords. 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 Jesus. For
it is the Son alone who leads to God those who are striving, by the
purity of their thoughts, words, and deeds, to come near to God the
Creator of the universe. I think, therefore, that the prince of this
world, who "transforms himself into an angel of light," s was referring
to this and such like statements in the words, "Him follows a host of
gods and demons, arranged in eleven bands."(6) Speaking of himself and
the philosophers, he says, "We are of the party of Jupiter; others
belong to other demons."
Whilst there are thus many gods and lords, whereof some are such
in reality, and others are such only in name, we strive to rise not
only above those whom the nations of the earth worship as gods, but
also beyond those spoken of as gods in Scripture, of whom they are
wholly ignorant who are strangers to the covenants of God given by
Moses and by our Saviour Jesus, and who have no part in the promises
which He has made to us through them. That man rises above all
demon-worship who does nothing that is pleasing to demons; and he rises
to a blessedness beyond that of those whom Paul calls "gods," if he is
enabled, like them, or in any way he may, "to look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are unseen." And he who
considers that" the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God, not willingly, but by reason of him
who subjected the same in hope," whilst he praises the creature, and
sees how "it shall be freed altogether from the bondage of corruption,
and restored to the glorious liberty of the children of God,"(7)—such
a one cannot be induced to combine with the service of God the service
of any other, or to serve two masters. There is therefore nothing
seditious or factious in the language of those who hold these views,
and who refuse to serve more masters than one. To them Jesus Christ is
an all-sufficient Lord, who Himself instructs them, in order that when
fully instructed He may form them into a kingdom worthy of God, and
present them to God the Father. 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 covenants, in order that they
may live as citizens of heaven, "coming to the living God, and to the
city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of
angels, to the general assembly and Church of the first-born, which are
written in heaven."(8)
But when we refuse to serve any other than God through His word
and wisdom, we do so, not as though we would thereby be doing any harm
or injury to God, in the same way as injury would be done to a man by
his servant entering into the service of another, but we fear that we
ourselves should suffer harm by depriving ourselves of our portion in
God, through which we live in the participation of the divine
blessedness, and are imbued with that excellent spirit of adoption
which in the sons of the heavenly Father cries, not with words, but
with deep effect in the inmost heart, "Abba, Father." The Lacedaemonian
ambassadors, when brought before the king of Persia, refused to
prostrate themselves before him, when the attendants endeavoured to
compel them to do so, out of respect for that which alone had authority
and lordship over them, namely, the law of Lycurgus.(1) But they who
have a much greater and diviner embassy in "being ambassadors for
Christ" should not worship any ruler among Persians, or Greeks or
Egyptians, or of any nation whatever, even although their officers and
ministers, demons and angels of the devil, should seek to compel them
to do so, and should urge them to set at nought a law which is mightier
than all the laws upon earth. For the Lord of those who are
"ambassadors for Christ" is Christ Himself, whose ambassadors they are,
and who is "the Word, who was in the beginning, was with God, and was
God."(2)
But when Celsus speaks of heroes and demons, he starts a deeper
question than he is aware of. For after the statement which he made in
regard to service among men, that" the first master is injured when any
of his servants wishes at the same time to serve another," he adds,
that "the same holds true of heroes, and other demons of that kind."
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 another, and he who serves one demon may not serve another, 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 others. Let him also state what loss he supposes
those heroes or demons will suffer. For he will be driven either to
plunge into endless absurdities, and first repeat, then retract his
previous statements; or else to abandon his frivolous conjectures, and
confess that he understands nothing of the nature of heroes and demons.
And in regard to his statement, that men suffer injury when the servant
of one man enters the service of a second master, the question arises:
"What is the nature of the injury which is done to the former master by
a servant who, while serving him, wishes at the same time to serve
another?"
For if he answers, as one who is unlearned and ignorant of
philosophy, that the injury sustained is one which regards things that
are outside of us, it will be plainly manifest that he knows nothing of
that famous saying of Socrates, "Anytus and Melitus may kill me, but
they cannot injure me; for it is impossible that the better should ever
be injured by the worse." But if by injury he means a wicked impulse or
an evil habit, it is plain that no injury of this kind would befall the
wise, by one man serving two wise men in different places. If this
sense does not suit his purpose, it is evident that his endeavours are
vain to weaken the authority of the passage, "No man can serve two
masters;" for these words can be perfectly true only when they refer to
the service which we render to the Most High through His Son, who
leadeth us to God. And we will not serve God as though He stood in need
of our service, or as though He would be made unhappy if we ceased to
serve Him; but we do it because we are ourselves benefited by the
service of God, and because we are freed from griefs and troubles by
serving the Most High God through His only-begotten Son, the Word and
Wisdom.
And observe the recklessness of that expression, "For if thou
worship any other of the things in the universe," 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 God, without any injury to ourselves.
But, as if feeling his error, he corrects the words, "If thou worship
any other of the things in the universe," by adding, "We may honour
none, however, except those to whom that right has been given by God."
And we would put to Celsus this question in regard to those who are
honoured as gods, as demons, or as heroes: "Now, sir, can you prove
that the right to be honoured has been given to these by God, 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 due? You said a little ago, O Celsus, that Antinous, the
favourite of Adrian, is honoured; but surely you will not say that the
right to be worshipped as a god was given to him by the God of the
universe? And so of the others, we ask proof that the right to be
worshipped was given to them by the Most High God." But if the same
question is put to us in regard to the worship of Jesus, we will show
that the right to be honoured was given to Him by God, "that all may
honour the Son, even as they honour the Father."(3) For all the
prophecies which preceded His birth were preparations for His worship.
And the wonders which He wrought—through no magical art, as Celsus
supposes, but by a divine power, which was foretold by the
prophets—have served as a testimony from God in behalf of the worship
of Christ. He who honours the Son, who is the Word and Reason, acts in
nowise contrary to reason, and gains for himself great good; he who
honours Him, who is the Truth, becomes better by honouring truth: and
this we may say of honouring wisdom, righteousness, and all the other
names by which the sacred Scriptures are wont to designate the Son of
God.
But that the honour which we pay to the Son of God, as well as
that which we render to God the Father, consists of an upright course
of life, is plainly taught us by the passage, "Thou that makest thy
boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?"(1)
and also, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be
thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath
counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an
unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"(2) For
if he who transgresses the law dishonours God by his transgression, and
he who treads under foot the word treads under foot the Son of God, it
is evident that he who keeps the law honours God, and that the
worshipper of God is he whose life is regulated by the principles and
precepts of the divine word. Had Celsus known who they are who are
God's people, and that they alone are wise,—and who they are who are
strangers to God, and that these are all the wicked who have no desire
to give themselves to virtue,he would have considered before he gave
expression to the words, "How can he who honours any of those whom God
acknowledges as His own be displeasing to God, to whom they all belong?"
He adds, "And indeed he who, when speaking of God, asserts that
there is only one who may be called Lord, speaks impiously, for he
divides the kingdom of God, and raises a sedition therein, implying
that there are separate factions in the divine kingdom, and that there
exists one who is His enemy." He might speak after this fashion, if he
could prove by conclusive arguments that those who are worshipped as
gods by the heathens are truly gods, and not merely evil spirits, which
are supposed to haunt statues and temples and altars. But we desire not
only to understand the nature of that divine kingdom of which we are
continually speaking and writing, but also ourselves to be of those who
are under the rule of God alone, so that the kingdom of God may be
ours. Celsus, however, who teaches us to worship many gods, ought in
consistency not to speak of "the kingdom of God," but of "the kingdom
of the gods." There are therefore no factions in the kingdom of God,
nor is there any god who is an adversary to Him, although there are
some who, like the Giants and Titans, in their wickedness wish to
contend with God in company with Celsus, and those who declare war
against Him who has by innumerable proofs established the claims of
Jesus, and against Him who, as the Word, did, for the salvation of our
race, show Himself before all the world in such a form as each was able
to receive Him.
In what follows. some may imagine that he says something
plausible against us. "If," says he, "these people worshipped one God
alone, and no other, they would perhaps have some valid argument
against the worship of others. But they pay excessive reverence to one
who has but lately appeared among men, and they think it no offence
against God if they worship also His servant." To this we reply, that
if Celsus had known that saying," I and My Father are one,"(3) and the
words used in prayer by the Son of God, "As Thou and I are one,(4) he
would not have supposed that we worship any other besides Him who is
the Supreme God. "For," says He, "My Father is in Me, and I in Him."(5)
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 persons, let
him weigh that passage, "And the multitude of them that believed were
of one heart and of one soul,"(6) that he may understand the meaning of
the saying, "I and My Father are one." We worship one God, the Father
and the Son, therefore, as we have explained; and our argument against
the worship of other gods still continues valid. And we do not
"reverence beyond measure one who has but lately appeared," as though
He did not exist before;(7) for we believe Himself when He says,
"Before Abraham was, I am."(8) Again He says, "I am the truth;"(9) and
surely none of us is so simple as to suppose that truth did not exist
before the time when Christ appeared.(10) We worship, therefore, the
Father of truth, and the Son, who is the truth; and these, while they
are two, con- sidered as persons or subsistences, are one in unity of
thought, in harmony and in identity of will. So entirely are they one,
that he who has seen the Son, "who is the brightness of God's glory,
and the express image of His person,"' has seen in Him who is the
image, of God, God Himself.
He further supposes, that "because we join along with the worship
of God the worship of His Son, it follows that, in our view, not only
God, but also the servants of God, are to be worshipped." If he had
meant this to apply to those who are truly the servants of God, after
His only-begotten Son,—to Gabriel and Michael, and the other angels
and archangels,and if he had said of these that they ought to be
worshipped,—if also he had clearly defined the meaning of the word
"worship," and the duties of the worshippers,—we might perhaps have
brought forward such thoughts as have occurred to us on so important a
subject. But as he reckons among the servants of God the demons which
are worshipped by the heathen, he cannot induce us, on the plea of
consistency, to worship such as are declared by the word to be servants
of the evil one, the prince of this world, who leads astray from God as
many as he can. We decline, therefore, altogether to worship and serve
those whom other men worship, for the reason that they are not servants
of God. For if we had been taught to regard them as servants of the
Most High, we would not have called them demons. Accordingly, we
worship with all our power the one God, and His only Son, the Word and
the Image of God, by prayers and supplications; and we offer our
petitions to the God of the universe through His only-begotten Son. To
the Son we first present them, and beseech Him, as "the propitiation
for our sins,"(2) and our High Priest, to offer our desires, and
sacrifices, and prayers, to the Most High. Our faith, therefore, is
directed to God through His Son, who strengthens it in us; anti Celsus
can never show that the Son of God is the cause of any sedition or
disloyalty in the kingdom of God. We honour the Father when we admire
His Son, the Word, and Wisdom, and Truth, and Righteousness, and all
that He who is the Son of so great a Father is said in Scripture to be.
So much on this point.
Again Celsus proceeds: "If you should tell them that Jesus is not
the Son of God, but that, God is the Father of all, and that He alone:
ought to be truly worshipped, they would not consent to discontinue
their worship of him who is their leader in the sedition. And they call
him Son of God, not out of any extreme reverence for God, but from an
extreme desire to extol Jesus Christ." We, however, have learned who
the Son of God is, and know that He is "the brightness of His glory,
and the express image of His person," and "the breath of the power of
God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty;"
moreover, "the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted
mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness."(3) We know,
therefore, that He is the Son of God, and that God is His father. And
there is nothing extravagant or unbecoming the character of God in the
doctrine that He should have begotten such an only Son; and no one will
persuade us that such a one is not a Son of the unbegotten God and
Father. If Celsus has heard something of certain persons holding that
the Son of God is not the Son of the Creator of the universe, that is a
matter which lies between him and the supporters of such an opinion.
Jesus is, then, not the leader of any seditious movement, but the
promoter of peace. For He said to His disciples, "Peace I leave with
you, My peace I give unto you;" and as He knew that it would be men of
the world, and not men of God, who would wage war against us, he added,
"Not as the world giveth peace, do I give peace unto you."(4) And even
although we are oppressed in the world, we have confidence in Him who
said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world." And it is He whom we call Son of God—Son of
that God, namely, whom, to quote the words of Celsus, "we most highly
reverence;" and He is the Son who has been most highly exalted by the
Father. Grant that there may be some individuals among the multitudes
of believers who are not in entire agreement with us, and who
incautiously assert that the Saviour is the Most High God; however, we
do not hold with them, but rather believe Him when He says, "The Father
who sent Me is greater than I."(5) We would not therefore make Him whom
we call Father inferior—as Celsus accuses us of doing—to the Son of
God.
Celsus goes on to say: "That I may give a true representation of
their faith, I will use their own words, as given in what is called A
Heavenly Dialogue: 'If the Son is mightier than God, and the Son of man
is Lord over Him, who else than the Son can be Lord over that God who
is the ruler over all things? How comes it, that while so many go about
the well, no one goes down into it? Why art thou afraid when thou hast
gone so far on the way? Answer: Thou art mistaken, for I lack neither
courage nor weapons.' Is it not evident, then, that their views are
precisely such as I have described them to be? They suppose that
another God, who is above the heavens, is the Father of him whom with
one accord they honour, that they may honour this Son of man alone,
whom they exalt under the form and name of the great God, and whom they
assert to be stronger than God, who rules the world, and that he rules
over Him. And hence that maxim of theirs, 'It is impossible to serve
two masters,' is maintained for the purpose of keeping up the party who
are on the side of this Lord." Here, again, Celsus quotes opinions from
some most obscure sect of heretics, and ascribes them to all
Christians. I call it "a most obscure sect;" for although we have often
contended with heretics, yet we are unable to discover from what set of
opinions he has taken this passage, if indeed he has quoted it from any
author, and has not rather concocted it himself, or added it as an
inference of his own. For we who say that the visible world is under
the government to Him who created all things, do thereby declare that
the Son is not mightier than the Father, but inferior to Him. And this
belief we ground on the saying of Jesus Himself, "The Father who sent
Me is greater than I." And none of us is so insane as to affirm that
the Son of man is Lord over God. But when we regard the Saviour as God
the Word, and Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Truth, we certainly do say
that He has dominion over all things which have been subjected to Him
in this capacity, but not that His dominion extends over the God and
Father who is Ruler over all.(1) Besides, as the Word rules over none
against their will, there are still wicked beings—not only men, but
also angels, and all demons—over whom we say that in a sense He does
not rule, since they do not yield Him a willing obedience; but, in
another sense of the word, He rules even over them, in the same way as
we say that man rules over the irrational animals,—not by persuasion,
but as one who tames and subdues lions and beasts of burden.
Nevertheless, he leaves no means untried to persuade even those who are
still disobedient to submit to His authority. So far as we are
concerned, therefore, we deny the truth of that which Celsus quotes as
one of our sayings, "Who else than He can be Lord over Him who is God
over all?"
The remaining part of the extract given by Celsus seems to have
been taken from some other form of heresy, and the whole jumbled
together in strange confusion: "How is it, that while so many go about
the well, no one goes down into it? Why dost thou shrink with fear when
thou hast gone so far on the way? Answer: Thou art mistaken, for I lack
neither courage nor weapons." We who belong to the Church which takes
its name from Christ, assert that none of these statements are true.
For he seems to have made them simply that they might harmonize 'with
what he had said before; but they have no reference to us. For it is a
principle with us, not to worship any god whom we merely "suppose" to
exist, but Him alone who is the Creator of this universe, and of all
things besides which are unseen by the eye of sense. These remarks of
Celsus may apply to those who go on another road and tread other paths
from us,—men who deny the Creator, and make to themselves another god
under a new form, having nothing but the name of God, whom they esteem
higher than the Creator; and with these may be joined any that there
may be who say that the Son is greater than the God who rules all
things. In reference to the precept that we ought not to serve two
masters, we have already shown what appears to us the principle
contained in it, when we proved that no sedition or disloyalty could be
charged against the followers of Jesus their Lord, who confess that
they reject every other lord, and serve Him alone who is the Son and
Word of God.
Celsus then proceeds to say that "we shrink from raising altars,
statues, and temples; and this," he thinks, "has been agreed upon among
us as the badge or distinctive mark of a secret and forbidden society."
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-smelling, namely, the prayers ascending from a pure conscience.
Therefore it is said by John in the Revelation, "The odours are the
prayers of saints;"(2) and by the Psalmist, "Let my prayer come up
before Thee as incense."(3) And the statues and gifts which are fit
offerings to God are the work of no common mechanics, but are wrought
and fashioned in us by the Word of God, to wit, the virtues in which we
imitate "the First-born of all creation," who has set us an example of
justice, of temperance, of courage, of wisdom, of piety, and of the
other virtues. In all those, then, who plant and cultivate within their
souls, according to the divine word, temperance, justice, wisdom,
piety, and other virtues, these excellences are their statues they
raise, in which we are persuaded that it is becoming for us to honour
the model and prototype of all statues: "the image of the invisible
God," God the Only-begotten. And again, they who "put off the old man
with his deeds, and put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge
after the image of Him that hath created him," in taking upon them the
image of Him who hath created them, do raise within themselves a statue
like to what the Most High God Himself desires. And as among statuaries
there are some who are marvellously perfect in their art, as for
example Pheidias and Polycleitus, and among painters, Zeuxis and
Apelles, whilst others make inferior statues, and others, again, are
inferior to the second-rate artists,—so that, taking all together,
there is a wide difference in the execution of statues and
pictures,—in the same way there are some who form images of the Most
High in a better manner and with a more perfect skill; 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 Creator. But
by far the most excellent of all these throughout the whole creation is
that image in our Saviour who said, "My Father is in Me."
And every one who imitates Him according to his ability, does by
this very endeavour raise a statue according to the image of the
Creator for in the contemplation of God with a pure heart they become
imitators of Him. And, in general, we see that all Christians strive to
raise altars and statues as we have described them and these not of a
lifeless and senseless kind and not to receive greedy spirits intent
upon lifeless things, but to be filled with the Spirit of God who
dwells in the images of virtue of which we have spoken, and takes His
abode in the soul which is conformed to the image of the Creator. Thus
the Spirit of Christ dwells in those who bear, so to say, a resemblance
in form and feature to Himself. And the Word of God, wishing to set
this clearly before us, represents God as promising to the righteous,
"I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God,
and they shall be My people."(1) And the Saviour says, "If any man hear
My words, and do them, I and My Father will come to him, and make Our
abode with him."(2) Let any one, therefore, who chooses compare the
altars which I have described with those spoken of by Celsus, and the
images in the souls of those who worship the Most High God with the
statues of Pheidias, Polycleitus, and such like, and he will clearly
perceive, that while the latter are lifeless things, and subject to the
ravages of time, the former abide in the immortal spirit as long as the
reasonable soul wishes to preserve them.
And if, further, temples are to be compared with temples, 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 spoken, but that we do refuse to build lifeless temples
to the Giver of all life, let any one who chooses learn how we are
taught, that our bodies are the temple of God, and that if any one by
lust or sin defiles the temple of God, he will himself be destroyed, as
acting impiously towards the true temple. Of all the temples spoken of
in this sense, the best and most excellent was the pure and holy body
of our Saviour Jesus Christ. When He knew that wicked men might aim at
the destruction of the temple of God in Him, but that their purposes of
destruction would not prevail against the divine power which had built
that temple, He says to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I
will raise it again. ... This He said of the temple of His body."(3)
And in other parts of holy Scripture where it speaks of the mystery of
the resurrection to those whose ears are divinely opened, it says that
the temple which has been destroyed shall be built up again of living
and most precious stones, thereby giving us to understand that each of
those who are led by the word of God to strive together in the duties
of piety, will be a precious stone in the one great temple of God.
Accordingly, Peter says, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ;"(4) and Paul also says, "Being built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ our Lord
being the chief cornerstone."(5) And there is a similar hidden allusion
in this passage in Isaiah, which is addressed to Jerusalem: "Behold, I
will lay thy stones with carbuncles, and lay thy foundations with
sapphires. And I will make thy battlements of jasper, and thy gates of
crystal, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children
shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy
children. In righteousness shall thou be established."(6)
There are, then, among the righteous some who are carbuncles,
others sapphires, others jaspers, and others crystals, and thus there
is among the righteous every kind of choice and precious stone. As to
the spiritual meaning of the different stones,—what is their nature,
and to what kind of soul the name of each precious stone especially
applies,—we cannot at present stay, to examine. We have only felt it
necessary to show thus briefly what we understand by temples, and what
the one Temple of God built of precious stones truly means. For as if
in some cities a dispute should arise as to which had the finest
temples, 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 others,—in like manner, when they reproach us for not deeming
it necessary to worship the Divine Being by raising lifeless temples,
we set before them our temples, and show to such at least as are not
blind and senseless, like their senseless gods, that there is no
comparison between our statues and the statues of the heathen, nor
between our altars, with what we may call the incense ascending from
them, and the heathen altars, with the fat and blood of the victims;
nor, finally, between the temples of senseless gods, admired by
senseless men, who have no divine faculty for perceiving God, and the
temples, statues, and altars which are worthy of God. It is not
therefore true that we object to building altars, statues, and temples,
because we have agreed to make this the badge of a secret and forbidden
society; but we do so, because we have learnt from Jesus Christ the
true way of serving God, and we shrink from whatever, under a pretence
of piety, leads to utter impiety those who abandon the way marked out
for us by Jesus Christ. For it is He who alone is the way of piety, as
He truly said, "I am the way, the truth, the life."
Let us see what Celsus further says of God, and how he urges us
to the use of those things which are properly called idol offerings,
or, still better, offerings to demons, although, in his ignorance of
what true sanctity is, and what sacrifices are well-pleasing to God, he
call them "holy sacrifices." His words are, "God is the God of all
alike; He is good, He stands in need of nothing, and He is without
jealousy. What, then, is there to hinder those who are most devoted to
His service from taking part in public feasts. I cannot see the
connection which he fancies between God's being good, and independent,
and free from jealousy, and His devoted servants taking part in public
feasts. I confess, indeed, that from the fact that God is good, and
without want of anything, and free from jealousy, it would follow as a
consequence that we might take part in public feasts, if it were proved
that the public feasts had nothing wrong in them, and were grounded
upon true views of the character of God, so that they resulted
naturally from a devout service of God. If, however, the so-called
public festivals can in no way be shown to accord with the service of
God, but may on the contrary be proved to have been devised by men when
occasion offered to commemorate some human events, or to set forth
certain qualities of water or earth, or the fruits of the earth,—in
that case, it is clear that those who wish to offer an enlightened
worship to the Divine Being will act according to sound reason, and not
take part in the public feasts. For "to keep a feast," as one of the
wise men of Greece has well said, "is nothing else than to do one's
duty;"(1) and that man truly celebrates a feast who does his duty and
prays always, offering up continually bloodless sacrifices in prayer to
God. That therefore seems to me a most noble saying of Paul, "Ye
observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you,
lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."(2)
If it be objected to us on this subject that we ourselves are
accustomed to observe certain days, as for example the Lord's day, the
Preparation, the Passover, or Pentecost, I have to answer, that to the
perfect Christian, who is ever in his thoughts, words, and deeds
serving his natural Lord, God the Word, all his days are the Lord's,
and he is always keeping the Lord's day. He also who is unceasingly
preparing himself for the true life, and abstaining from the pleasures
of this life which lead astray so many,—who is not indulging the lust
of the flesh, but "keeping under his body, and bringing it into
subjection,"—such a one is always keeping Preparation-day. Again, he
who considers that "Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us," and
that it is his duty to keep the feast by eating of the flesh of the
Word, never ceases to keep the paschal feast; for the pascha means a
"passover," and he is ever striving in all his thoughts, words, and
deeds, to pass over from the things of this life to God, and is
hastening towards the city of God. And, finally, he who can truly say,
"We are risen with Christ," and "He hath exalted us, and made us to sit
with Him in heavenly places in Christ," is always living in the season
of Pentecost; and most of all, when going up to the upper chamber, like
the apostles of Jesus, he gives himself to supplication and prayer,
that he may become worthy of receiving "the mighty wind rushing from
heaven," which is powerful to destroy sin and its fruits among men, and
worthy of having some share of the tongue of fire which God sends.
But the majority of those who are accounted believers are not of
this advanced class; but from being either unable or unwilling to keep
every day in this manner, they require some sensible memorials to
prevent spiritual things from passing altogether away from their minds.
It is to this practice of setting apart some days distinct from others,
that Paul seems to me to refer in the expression, "part of the
feast;"(1) and by these words he indicates that a life in accordance
with the divine word consists not "in a part of the feast," but in one
entire and never ceasing festival? Again, compare the festivals,
observed among us as these have been described above, with the public
feasts of Celsus and the heathen, and say if the former are not much
more sacred observances than those feasts in which the lust of the
flesh runs riot, and leads to drunkenness and debauchery. 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 "the bread of affliction,"(3) or
"unleavened with bitter herbs,"(4) or why it says, "Humble your
souls,"(5) and such like. For it is impossible for man, who is a
compound being, in which "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh,"(6) to keep the feast with his whole nature;
for either he keeps the feast with his spirit and afflicts the body,
which through the lust of the flesh is unfit to keep it along with the
spirit, or else he keeps it with the body, and the spirit is unable to
share in it. But we have for the present said enough on the subject of
feasts.
Let us now see on what grounds Celsus urges us to make use of the
idol offerings and the public sacrifices in the public feasts. His
words are, "If these idols are nothing, what harm will there be in
taking part in the feast? On the other hand, if they are demons, it is
certain that they too are God's creatures, and that we must believe in
them, sacrifice to them according to the laws, and pray to them that
they may be propitious." In reference to this statement, it would be
profitable for us to take up and clearly explain the whole passage of
the first Epistle to the Corinthians, in which Paul treats of offerings
to idols.(7) The apostle draws from the fact that "an idol is nothing
in the world," the consequence that it is injurious to use things
offered to idols; and he shows to those who have ears to hear on such
subjects, that he who partakes of things offered to idols is worse than
a murderer, for he destroys his own brethren, for whom Christ died. And
further, he maintains that the sacrifices are made to demons; and from
that he proceeds to show that those who join the table of demons become
associated with the demons; and he concludes that a man cannot both be
a partaker of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. But
since it would require a whole treatise to set forth fully all that is
contained on this subject in the Epistle to the Corinthians, we shall
content ourselves with this brief statement of the argument; for it
will be evident to any one who carefully considers what has been said,
that even if idols are nothing, nevertheless it is an awful thing to
join in idol festivals. And even supposing that there are such beings
as demons to whom the sacrifices are offered, it it has been clearly
shown that we are forbidden to take part in these festivals, when we
know the difference between the table of the Lord and the table of
demons. And knowing this, we endeavour as much as we can to be always
partakers of the Lord's table, and beware to the utmost of joining at
any time the table of demons.
Celsus says that "the demons belong to God, and are therefore to
be believed, to be sacrificed to according to laws, and to be prayed to
that they may be propitious." Those who are disposed to learn, must
know that the word of God nowhere says of evil things that they belong
to God, for it judges them unworthy of such a Lord. Accordingly, it is
not all men who bear the name of "men of God," but only those who are
worthy of God,—such as Moses and Elias, and any others who are so
called, or such as resemble those who are so called in Scripture. In
the same way, all angels are not said to be angels of God, but only
those that are blessed: those that have fallen away into sin are called
"angels of the devil," just as bad men are called "men of sin," "sons
of perdition," or "sons of iniquity." Since, then, among men some are
good and others bad, and the former are said to be God's and the latter
the devil's, so among angels some are angels of God, and others angels
of the devil. But among demons there is no such dis- tinction, for all
are said to be wicked. We do not therefore hesitate to say that Celsus
is false when he says, "If they are demons, it is evident that they
must also belong to God." He must either show that this distinction of
good and bad among angels and men has no foundation, or else that a
similar distinction may be shown to hold among demons. If that is
impossible, it is plain that demons do not belong to God; for their
prince is not God, but, as holy Scripture says, "Beelzebub."
And we are not to believe in demons, although Celsus urges us to
do so; but if we are to obey God, we must die, or endure anything,
sooner than obey demons. In the same way, we are not to propitiate
demons; for it is impossible to propitiate beings that are wicked and
that seek the injury of men. Besides, what are the laws in accordance
with which Celsus would have us propitiate the demons? For if he means
laws enacted in states, he must show that they are in agreement with
the divine laws. But if that cannot be done, as the laws of many states
are quite inconsistent with each other, these laws, therefore, must of
necessity either be no laws at all in the proper sense of the word, or
else the enactments of wicked men; and these we must not obey, for "we
must obey God rather than men." Away, then, with this counsel, which
Celsus gives us, to offer prayer to demons: it is not to be listened to
for a moment; for our duty is to pray to the Most High God alone, and
to the Only-begotten, the First-born of the whole creation, and to ask
Him as our High Priest to present the prayers which ascend to Him from
us, to His God and our God, to His Father and the Father of those who
direct their lives according to His word.(1) And as we would have no
desire to enjoy the favour of those men who wish us to follow their
wicked lives, and who give us their favour only on condition that we
choose nothing opposed to their wishes, because their favour would make
us enemies of God, who cannot be pleased with those who have such men
for their friends,—in the same way those who are acquainted with the
nature, the purposes, and the wickedness of demons, can never wish to
obtain their favour.
And Christians have nothing to fear, even if demons should not be
well-disposed to them; for they are protected by the Supreme God, who
is well pleased with their piety, and who sets His divine angels to
watch over those who are worthy of such guardianship, so that they can
suffer nothing from demons. He who by his piety possesses the favour of
the Most High, who has accepted the guidance of Jesus, the "Angel of
the great counsel,''(2) being well contented with the favour of God
through Christ Jesus, may say with confidence that he has nothing to
suffer from the whole host of demons. "The Lord is my light and my
salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me, my
heart shall not fear."(3) So much, then, in reply to those statements
of Celsus: "If they are demons, they too evidently belong to God, and
they are to be believed, to be sacrificed to according to the laws, and
prayers are to be offered to them that they may he propitious."
We shall now proceed to the next statement of Celsus, and examine
it with care: "If in obedience to the traditions of their fathers they
abstain from such victims, they must also abstain from all animal food,
in accordance with the opinions of Pythagoras, who thus showed his
respect for the soul and its bodily organs. But if, as they say, they
abstain that they may not eat along with demons, I admire their wisdom,
in having at length discovered, that whenever they eat they eat with
demons, although they only refuse to do so when they are looking upon a
slain victim; for when they eat bread, or drink wine, or taste fruits,
do they not receive these things, as well as the water they drink and
the air they breathe, from certain demons, to whom have been assigned
these different provinces of nature?" Here I would observe that I
cannot see how those whom he speaks of as abstaining from certain
victims, in accordance with the traditions of their fathers, are
consequently bound to abstain from the flesh of all animals. We do not
indeed deny that the divine word does seem to command something similar
to this, when to raise us to a higher and purer life it says, "It is
good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy
brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak;"(4) and again,
"Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died;"(5) and again,
"If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world
standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."(6)
But it is to be observed that the Jews, who claim for themselves
a correct understanding of the law of Moses, carefully restrict their
food to such things as are accounted clean, and abstain from those that
are unclean. They also do not use in their food the blood of an animal
nor the flesh of an animal torn by wild beasts, and some other things
which it would take too long for us at present to detail. But Jesus,
wishing to lead all men by His teaching to the pure worship and service
of God, and anxious not to throw any hindrance in the way of many who
might be benefited by Christianity, through the imposition of a
burdensome code of rules in regard to food, has laid it down, that "not
that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh
out of the mouth; for whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into
the belly, and is cast out into the draught. But those things which
proceed out of the mouth are evil thoughts when spoken, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."(1) Paul
also says, "Meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are
we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse."(2) Wherefore,
as there is some obscurity about this matter, without some explanation
is given, it seemed good to the apostles of Jesus and the elders
assembled together at Antioch,(3) and also, as they themselves say, to
the Holy Spirit, to write a letter to the Gentile believers, forbidding
them to partake of those things from which alone they say it is
necessary to abstain, namely, "things offered to idols, things
strangled, and blood."(3)
For that which is offered to idols is sacrificed to demons, and a
man of God must not join the table of demons. As to things strangled,
we are forbidden by Scripture to partake of them, because the blood is
still in them; and blood, especially the odour arising from blood, is
said to be the food of demons. Perhaps, then, if we were to eat of
strangled animals, we might have such spirits feeding along with us.
And the reason which forbids the use of strangled animals for food is
also applicable to the use of blood. And it may not be amiss, as
bearing on this point, to recall a beautiful saying in the writings of
Sextus,(4) which is known to most Christians: "The eating of animals,"
says he, "is a matter of indifference; but to abstain from them is more
agreeable to reason." It is not, therefore, simply on account of some
traditions of our fathers that we refrain from eating victims offered
to those called gods or heroes or demons, but for other reasons, some
of which I have here mentioned. it is not to be supposed, however, that
we are to abstain from the flesh of animals in the same way as we are
bound to abstain from all race and wickedness: we are indeed to abstain
not only from the flesh of animals, but from all other kinds of food,
if we cannot partake of them without incurring evil, and the
consequences of evil. For we are to avoid eating for gluttony, or for
the mere gratification of the appetite, without regard to the health
and sustenance of the body. We do not believe that souls pass from one
body to another, and that they may descend so low as to enter the
bodies of the brutes. If we abstain at times from eating the flesh of
animals, it is evidently, therefore, not for the same reason as
Pythagoras; for it is the reasonable soul alone that we honour, and we
commit its bodily organs with due honours to the grave. For it is not
right that the dwelling-place of the rational soul should be cast aside
anywhere without honour, like the carcases of brute beasts; 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 resided. In regard to the
question, "How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they
come?"(5) we have already answered it briefly, as our purpose required.
Celsus afterwards states what is adduced by Jews and Christians
alike in defence of abstinence from idol sacrifices, namely, that it is
wrong for those who have dedicated themselves to the Most High God to
eat with demons. What he brings forward against this view, we have
already seen. In our opinion, a man can only be said to eat and drink
with demons when he eats the flesh of what are called sacred victims,
and when he drinks the wine poured out to the honour of the demons. But
Celsus thinks that we cannot eat bread or drink wine in any way
whatever, or taste fruits, or even take a draught of water, without
eating and drinking with demons. He adds also, that the air which we
breathe is received from demons, and that not an animal can breathe
without receiving the air from the demons who are set over the air. If
any one wishes to defend this statement of Celsus, let him show that it
is not the divine angels of god, but demons, the whole race of whom are
bad, that have been appointed to communicate all those blessings which
have been mentioned. We indeed also maintain with re- gard not only to
the fruits of the earth, but to every flowing stream and every breath
of air that the ground brings forth those things which are said to grow
up naturally,—that the water springs in fountains, and refreshes the
earth with running streams,—that the air is kept pure, 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
guardians; but we deny that those invisible agents are demons. And if
we might speak boldly, we would say that if demons have any share at
all in these things, to them belong famine, blasting of the vine and
fruit trees, pestilence among men and beasts: all these are the proper
occupations of demons, who in the capacity of public executioners
receive power at certain times to carry out the divine judgments, for
the restoration of those who have plunged headlong into wickedness, or
for the trial and discipline of the souls of the wise. For those who
through all their afflictions preserve their piety pure and unimpaired,
show their true character to all spectators, whether visible or
invisible, who behold them; while those who are otherwise minded, yet
conceal their wickedness, when they have their true character exposed
by misfortunes, become manifest to themselves as well as to those whom
we may also call spectators.
The Psalmist bears witness that divine justice employs certain
evil angels to inflict calamities upon men: "He cast upon them the
fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, sent by
evil angels."(1) Whether demons ever go beyond this when they are
suffered to do what they are ever ready, though through the restraint
put upon them they are not always able to do, is a question to be
solved by that man who can conceive, in so far as human nature will
allow, how it accords with the divine justice, that such multitudes of
human souls are separated from the body while walking in the paths
which lead to certain death. "For the judgments of God are so great,"
that a soul which is still clothed with a mortal body cannot comprehend
them; "and they cannot be expressed: therefore by unnurtured souls"(2)
they are not in any measure to be understood. And hence, too, rash
spirits, by their ignorance in these matters, and by recklessly setting
themselves against the Divine Being, multiply impious objections
against providence. It is not from demons, then, that men receive any
of those things which meet the necessities of life, and least of all
ourselves, who have been taught to make a proper use of these things.
And they who partake of corn and wine, and the fruits of trees, of
water and of air, do not feed with demons, but rather do they feast
with divine angels, who are appointed for this purpose, and who are as
it were invited to the table of the pious man, who hearkens to the
precept of the word, which says, "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever
y.e do, do all to the glory of God."(3) And again, in another place it
is written, "Do all things in the name of God."(4) When, therefore, we
eat and drink and breathe to the glory of God, and act in all things
according to what is right, we feast with no demons, but with divine
angels: "For every creature is good, and nothing to be refused, if it
be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God
and prayer."(5) But it could not be good, and it could not be
sanctified, if these things were, as Celsus supposes, entrusted to the
charge of demons.
From this it is evident that we have already met the next
statement of Celsus, which is as follows: "We must either not live, and
indeed not come into this life at all, or we must do so on condition
that we give thanks and first-fruits and prayers to demons, who have
been set over the things of this world: and that we must do as long as
we live, that they may prove good and kind." We must surely live, and
we must live according to the word of God, as far as we are enabled to
do so. And we are thus enabled to live, when, "whether we eat or drink,
we do all to the glory of God;" and we are not to refuse to enjoy those
things which have been created for our use, but must receive them with
thanksgiving to the Creator. And it is under these conditions, and not
such as have been imagined by Celsus, that we have been brought into
life by God; and we are not placed under demons, but we are under the
government of the Most High God, through Him who hath brought us to
God—Jesus Christ. It is not according to the law of God that any demon
has had a share in worldly affairs, 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 life, or places where there are many
enemies of God. Perhaps also, as being fit to rule over and punish
them, they have been set by the Word, who governs all things, to rule
over those who subjected themselves to evil and not to God. For this
reason, then, let Celsus, as one who knows not God, give
thank-offerings to demons. But we give thanks to the Creator of all,
and, along with thanksgiving and prayer for the blessings we have
received, we also eat the bread presented to us; and this bread becomes
by prayer a sacred body, which sanctifies those who sincerely partake
of it.
Celsus would also have us to offer first-fruits to demons. But we
would offer them to Him who said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the
herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,
whose seed is in itself upon the earth."(1) And to Him to whom we offer
first-fruits we also send up our prayers, "having a great high priest,
that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God," and "we hold
fast this profession"(2) as long as we live; for we find God and His
only-begotten Son, manifested to us in Jesus; to be gracious and kind
to us. And if we would wish to have besides a great number of beings
who shall ever prove friendly to us, we are taught that "thousand
thousands stood before Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand
ministered unto Him."(3) And these, regarding all as their relations
and friends who imitate their piety towards God, and in prayer call
upon Him with sincerity, work along with them for their salvation,
appear unto them, deem it their office and duty to attend to them, and
as if by common agreement they visit with all manner of kindness and
deliverance those who pray to God, to whom they themselves also pray:
"For they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those
who shall be heirs of salvation."(4) Let the learned Greeks say that
the human soul at its birth is placed under the charge of demons: Jesus
has taught us not to despise even the little ones in His Church,
saying, "Their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is
in heaven."(5) And the prophet says, "The angel of the Lord encampeth
round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them."(6) We do not,
then, deny that there are many demons upon earth, but we maintain that
they exist and exercise power among the wicked, as a punishment of
their wickedness. But they have no power over those who "have put on
the whole armour of God," who have received strength to "withstand the
wiles of the devil,"(7) and who are ever engaged in contests with them,
knowing that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."(8)
Now let us consider another saying of Celsus, which is as
follows: "The satrap of a Persian or Roman monarch, or ruler or general
or governor, yea, even those who fill lower offices of trust or service
in the state, would be able to do great injury to those who despised
them; and will the satraps and ministers of earth and air be insulted
with impunity?" Observe now how he introduces servants of the Most
High—rulers, generals, governors, and those filling lower offices of
trust and service—as, after the manner of men, inflicting injury upon
those who insult them. For he does not consider that a wise man would
not wish to do harm to any, but would strive to the utmost of his power
to change and amend them; unless, indeed, it be that those whom Celsus
makes servants and rulers appointed by the Most High are behind
Lycurgus, the lawgiver of the Lacedaemonians, or Zeno of Citium. For
when Lycurgus had had his eye put out by a man, he got the offender
into his power; but instead of taking revenge upon him, he ceased not
to use all his arts of persuasion until he induced him to become a
philosopher. And Zeno, on the occasion of some one saying, "Let me
perish rather than not have my revenge on thee," answered him, "But
rather let me perish if I do not make a friend of thee." And I am not
yet speaking of those whose characters have been formed by the teaching
of Jesus, and who have heard the words, "Love your enemies, and pray
for them which despitefully use you, that ye may be the children of
your Father which is in heaven; for He maketh His sun to rise on the
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust."(9) And in the prophetical writings the righteous man says, "O
Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; if
I have returned evil to those who have done evil to me, let me fall
helpless under mine enemies: let my enemy persecute my soul, and take
it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth."(10)
But the angels, who are the true rulers and generals and
ministers of God, do not, as Celsus supposes, "injure those who offend
them;" and if certain demons, whom Celsus had in mind, do inflict
evils, they show that they are wicked, and that they have received no
office of the kind from God. And they even do injury to those who are
under them, and who have acknowledged them as their masters; and
accordingly, as it would seem that those who break through the
regulations which prevail in any country in regard to matters of food,
suffer for it if they are under the demons of that place, while those
who are not under them, and have not submitted to their power, are free
from all harm, and bid defiance to such spirits; although if, in
ignorance of certain things, they have come under the power of other
demons, they may suffer punishment from them. But the Christian—the
true Christian, I mean—who has submitted to God alone and His Word,
will suffer nothing from demons, for He is mightier than demons. And
the Christian will suffer nothing, for "the angel of the Lord will
encamp about them that fear Him, and will deliver them,"(1) and his
"angel," who "always beholds the face of his Father in heaven,"(2)
offers up his prayers through the one High Priest to the God of all,
and also joins his own prayers with those of the man who is committed
to his keeping. Let not, then, Celsus try to scare us with threats of
mischief from demons, for we despise them. And the demons, when
despised, can do no harm to those who are under the protection of Him
who can alone help all who deserve His aid; and He does no less than
set His own angels over His devout servants, so that none of the
hostile angels, nor even he who is called "the prince of this
world,"(3) can effect anything against those who have given themselves
to God.
In the next place, Celsus forgets that he is addressing
Christians, who pray to God alone through Jesus; and mixing up other
notions with theirs, he absurdly attributes them all to Christians.
"If," says he, "they who are addressed are called upon by barbarous
names, they will have power, but no longer will they have any if they
are addressed in Greek or Latin." Let him, then, state plainly whom we
call upon for help by barbarous names. Any one will be convinced that
this is a false charge which Celsus brings against us, when he
considers that Christians in prayer do not even use the precise names
which divine Scripture applies to God; but the Greeks use Greek names,
the Romans Latin names, and every one prays and sings praises to God as
he best can, in his mother tongue. For the Lord of all the languages of
the earth hears those who pray to Him in each different tongue,
hearing, if I may so say, but one voice, expressing itself in different
dialects.(4) For the Most High is not as one of those who select one
language, Barbarian or Greek, knowing nothing of any other, and caring
nothing for those who speak in other tongues.
He next represents Christians as saying what he never heard from
any Christian; or if he did, it must have been from one of the most
ignorant and lawless of the people. "Behold," they are made to say, "I
go up to a statue of Jupiter or Apollo, or some other god: I revile it,
and beat it, yet it takes no vengeance on me." He is not aware that
among the prohibitions of the divine law is this, "Thou shalt not
revile the gods,"(5) and this is intended to prevent the formation of
the habit of reviling any one whatever; for we have been taught,
"Bless, and curse not,"(6) and it is said that "revilers shall not
inherit the kingdom of God."(7) And who amongst us is so foolish as to
speak in the way Celsus describes, and to fail to see that such
contemptuous language can be of no avail for removing prevailing
notions about the gods? For it is matter of observation that there are
men who utterly deny the existence of a God or of an overruling
providence, and who by their impious and destructive teaching have
founded sects among those who are called philosophers, and yet neither
they themselves, nor those who have embraced their opinions, have
suffered any of those things which mankind generally account evils:
they are both strong in body and rich in possessions. And yet if we ask
what loss they have sustained, we shall find that they have suffered
the most certain injury. 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 it? 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 soul?
After putting such words into our mouth, and maliciously charging
Christians with sentiments which they never held, he then proceeds to
give to this supposed expression of Christian feeling an answer, which
is indeed more a mockery than an answer, when he says, "Do you not see,
good sir, that even your own demon is not only reviled, but banished
from every land and sea, and you yourself, who are as it were an image
dedicated to him, are bound and led to punishment, and fastened to the
stake, whilst your demon—or, as you call him, 'the Son of God'—takes
no vengeance on the evil-doer?" This answer would be admissible if we
employed such language as he ascribes to us; although even then he
would have no right to call the Son of God a demon. For as we hold that
all demons are evil, He who turns so many men to God is in our view no
demon, but God the Word, and the Son of God. And I know not how Celsus
has so far forgotten himself as to call Jesus Christ a demon, when he
nowhere alludes to the existence of any evil demons. And finally, as to
the punishments threatened against the ungodly, these will come upon
them after they have refused all remedies, and have been, as we may
say, visited with an incurable malady of sinfulness.
Such is our doctrine of punishment; and the inculcation of this
doctrine turns many from their sins. But let us see, on the other hand,
what is the response given on this subject by the priest of Jupiter or
Apollo of whom Celsus speaks. It is this: "The mills of the gods grind
slowly."(1) Another describes punishment as reaching "to children's
children, and to those who came after them."(2) How much better are
those words of Scripture: "The fathers shall not be put to death for
the children, nor the children for the fathers. Every man shall be put
to death for his own sin."(3) And again, "Every man that eateth the
sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge."(4) And, "The son shall not
bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the
iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon
him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."(5) If any
shall say that the response, "To children's children, and to those who
come after them," corresponds with that passage, "Who visits the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate Me,"(6) let him learn from Ezekiel that
this language is not to be taken literally; for he reproves those who
say, "Our fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are
set on edge,"(7) and then he adds, "As I live, saith the Lord, every
one shall die for his own sin." As to the proper meaning of the
figurative language about sins being visited unto the third and fourth
generation, we cannot at present stay to explain.
He then goes on to rail against us after the manner of old wives.
"You," says he, "mock and revile the statues of our gods; but if you
had reviled Bacchus or Hercules in person, you would not perhaps have
done so with impunity. But those who crucified your God when present
among men, suffered nothing for it, either at the time or during the
whole of their lives. And what new thing has there happened since then
to make us believe that he was not an impostor, but the Son of God? And
forsooth, he who sent his Son with certain instructions for mankind,
allowed him to be thus cruelly treated, and his instructions to perish
with him, without ever during all this long time showing the slightest
concern. What father was ever so inhuman? Perhaps, indeed, you may say
that he suffered so much, because it was his wish to bear what came to
him. But it is open to those whom you maliciously revile, to adopt the
same language, and say that they wish to be reviled, and therefore they
bear it with patience; for it is best to deal equally with both
sides,—although these (gods) severely punish the scorner, so that he
must either flee and hide himself, or be taken and perish." Now to
these statements I would answer that we revile no one, for we believe
that "revilers will not inherit the kingdom of God."(8) And we read,
"Bless them that curse you; bless, and curse not;" also, "Being
reviled, we bless." And even although the abuse which we pour upon
another may seem to have some excuse in the wrong which we have
received from him, yet such abuse is not allowed by the word of God.
And how much more ought we to abstain from reviling others, when we
consider what a great folly it is ! And it is equally foolish to apply
abusive language to stone or gold or silver, turned into what is
supposed to be the form of God by those who have no knowledge of God.
Accordingly, we throw ridicule not upon lifeless images, but upon those
only who worship them. Moreover, if certain demons reside in certain
images, and one of them passes for Bacchus, another for Hercules, we do
not vilify them: for, on the one hand, it would be useless; and, on the
other, it does not become one who is meek, and peaceful, and gentle in
spirit, and who has learnt that no one among men or demons is to be
reviled, however wicked he may be.
There is an inconsistency into which, strangely enough, Celsus
has fallen unawares. Those demons or gods whom he extolled a little
before, he now shows to be in fact the vilest of creatures, punishing
more for their own revenge than for the improvement of those who revile
them. His words are, "If you had reviled Bacchus or Hercules when
present in person, you would not have escaped with impunity." How any
one can hear without being present in person, I leave any one who will
to explain; as also those other questions, "Why he is sometimes
present, and sometimes absent?" and, "What is the business which takes
demons away from place to place?" Again, when he says, "Those who
crucified your God himself, suffered no harm for doing so," he supposes
that it is the body of Jesus extended on the cross and slain, and not
His divine nature, that we call God; and that it was as God that Jesus
was crucified and slain. As we have already dwelt at length on the
sufferings which Jesus suffered as a man, we shall. purposely say no
more here, that we may not repeat what we have said already. But when
he goes on to say that "those who inflicted death upon Jesus suffered
nothing afterwards through so long a time," we must inform him, as well
as all who are disposed to learn the truth, that the city in which the
Jewish people called for the crucifixion of Jesus with shouts of"
Crucify him, crucify him," preferring to have the robber set free, who
had been cast into prison for sedition and murder and Jesus, who had
been delivered through envy, to be crucified,—that this city not long
afterwards was attacked, and, after a long siege, was utterly
overthrown and laid waste; for God judged the inhabitants of that place
unworthy of living together the life of citizens. And yet, though it
may seem an incredible thing to say, God spared this people in
delivering them to their enemies; for He saw that they were incurably
averse to any amendment, and were daily sinking deeper and deeper into
evil. And all this befell them, because the blood of Jesus was shed at
their instigation and on their land; and the land was no longer able to
bear those who were guilty of so fearful a crime against Jesus.
Some new thing, then, has come to pass since the time that Jesus
suffered,—that, I mean, which has happened to the city, to the whole
nation, and in the sudden and general rise of a Christian community.
And that, too, is a new thing, that those who were strangers to the
covenants of God, with no part in His promises, and far from the truth,
have by a divine power been enabled to embrace the truth. These things
were not the work of an impostor, but were the work of God, who sent
His Word, Jesus Christ, to make known His purposes.(2) The sufferings
and death which Jesus endured with such fortitude and meekness, show
the cruelty and injustice of those who inflicted them, but they did not
destroy the announcement of the purposes of God; indeed, if we may so
say, they served rather to make them known. For Jesus Himself taught us
this when He said, "Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and
die, it abideth by itself alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much
fruit."(3) Jesus, then, who is this grain of wheat, died, and brought
forth much fruit. And the Father is ever looking forward for the
results of the death of the grain of wheat, both those which are
arising now, and those which shall arise hereafter. The Father of Jesus
is therefore a tender and loving Father, though "He spared not His own
Son, but delivered Him up" as His lamb "for us all,"(4) that so "the
Lamb of God," by dying for all men, might "take away the sin of the
world." It was not by compulsion, therefore, but willingly, that He
bore the reproaches of those who reviled Him. Then Celsus, returning to
those who apply abusive language to images, says: "Of those whom you
load with insults, you may in like manner say that they voluntarily
submit to such treatment, and therefore they bear insults with
patience; for it is best to deal equally with both sides. Yet these
severely punish the scorner, so that he must either flee and hide
himself, or be taken and perish." It is not, then, because Christians
cast insults upon demons that they incur their revenge, but because
they drive them away out of the images, and from the bodies and souls
of men. And here, although Celsus perceives it not, he has on this
subject spoken something like the truth; for it is true that the souls
of those who condemn Christians, and betray them, and rejoice in
persecuting them, are filled with wicked demons.
CHAP, XLIV.
But when the souls of those who die for the Christian faith
depart from the body with great glory, they destroy the power of the
demons, and frustrate their designs against men. Wherefore I imagine,
that as the demons have learnt from experience that they are defeated
and overpowered by the martyrs for the truth, they are afraid to have
recourse again to violence. And thus, until they forget the defeats
they have sustained, it is probable that the world will be at peace
with the. Christians. But when they recover their power, and, with eyes
blinded by sin, wish again to take their revenge on Christians, and
persecute them, then again they will be defeated, and then again the
souls of the godly, who lay down their lives for the cause of
godliness, shall utterly destroy the army of the wicked one. And as the
demons perceive that those who meet death victoriously for the sake of
religion destroy their authority, while those who give way under their
sufferings, and deny the faith, come under their power, I imagine that
at times they feel a deep interest in Christians when on their trial,
and keenly strive to gain them over to their side, feeling as they do
that their confession is torture to them, and their denial is a relief
and encouragement to them. And traces of the same feeling may be seen
in the demeanour of the judges; for they are greatly distressed at
seeing those who bear outrage and torture with patience, but are
greatly elated when a Christian gives way under it. Yet it is from no
feeling of humanity that this arises. They see well, that, while "the
tongues" of those who are overpowered by the tortures "may take the
oath, the mind has not sworn.", And this may serve as an answer to the
remark of Celsus: "But they severely punish one who reviles them, so
that he must either flee and hide himself, or be taken and perish." If
a Christian ever flees away, it is not from fear, but in obedience to
the command of his Master, that so he may preserve himself, and employ
his strength for the benefit of others.
Let us see what Celsus next goes on to say. It is as follows:
"What need is there to collect all the oracular responses, which have
been delivered with a divine voice by priests and priestesses, as wall
as by others, whether men or women, who were under a divine
influence?—all the wonderful things that have been heard issuing from
the inner sanctuary?—all the revelations that have been made to those
who consulted the sacrificial victims?—and all the knowledge that has
been conveyed to men by other signs and prodigies? To some the gods
have appeared in visible forms. The world is full of such instances.
How many cities have been built in obedience to commands received from
oracles; how often, in the same way, delivered from disease and famine!
Or again, how many cities, from disregard or forgetfulness of these
oracles, have perished miserably! How many colonies have been
established and made to flourish by following their orders! How many
princes and private persons have, from this cause, had prosperity or
adversity! How many who mourned over their childlessness, have obtained
the blessing they asked for! How many have turned away from themselves.
the anger of demons! How many who were maimed in their limbs, have had
them restored! And again, how many have met with summary punishment for
showing want of reverence to the temples—some being instantly seized
with madness, others openly confessing their crimes, others having put
an end to their lives, and others having become the victims of
incurable maladies! Yea, some have been slain by a terrible voice
issuing from the inner sanctuary." I know not how it comes that Celsus
brings forward these as undoubted facts, 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 Jews, or as having been performed by
Jesus and His disciples. For why may not our accounts be true, and
those of Celsus fables and fictions? At least, these latter were not
believed by the followers of Democritus, Epicurus, and Aristotle,
although perhaps these Grecian sects would have been convinced by the
evidence in support of our miracles, if Moses or any of the prophets
who wrought these wonders, or Jesus Christ Himself, had come in their
way.
It is related of the priestess of Apollo, that she at times
allowed herself to be influenced in her answers by bribes; but our
prophets were admired for their plain truthfulness, not only by their
contemporaries, but also by those who lived in later times. For through
the commands pronounced by the prophets cities were founded, men were
cured, and plagues were stayed. Indeed, the whole Jewish race went out
as a colony from Egypt to Palestine, in accordance with the divine
oracles. They also, when they followed the commands of God, were
prosperous; when they departed from them, they suffered reverses. 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 prophets? If we refer to those who were unhappy because
they were childless, but who, after offering prayers to the Creator of
all, became fathers and mothers, let any one read the accounts of
Abraham and Sarah, to whom at an advanced age was born Isaac, the
father of the whole Jewish nation: and there are other instances of the
same thing. Let him also read the account of Hezekiah, who not only
recovered from his sickness, according to the prediction of Isaiah, but
was also bold enough to say, "Afterwards I shall beget children, who
shall declare Thy righteousness."(2) And in the fourth book of Kings we
read that the prophet Elisha made known to a woman who had received him
hospitably, that by the grace of God she should have a son; and through
the prayers of Elisha she became a mother.(8) The maimed were cured by
Jesus in great numbers. And the books of the Maccabees relate what
punishments were inflicted upon those who dared to profane the Jewish
service in the temple at Jerusalem.
But the Greeks Will say that these accounts are fabulous,
although two whole nations are witnesses to their truth. But why may we
not consider the accounts of fife Greeks as fabulous rather than those?
Perhaps some one, however, wishing not to appear blindly to accept his
own statements and reject those of others, would conclude, after a
close examination of the matter, that the wonders mentioned by the
Greeks were performed by certain demons; those among the Jews by
prophets or by angels, or by God through the means of angels; and those
recorded by Christians by Jesus Himself, or by His power working in His
apostles. Let us, then, compare all these accounts together; let us
examine into the aim and purpose of those who performed them; and let
us inquire what effect was produced upon the persons on whose account
these acts of kindness were performed, whether beneficial or hurtful,
or neither the one nor the other. The ancient Jewish people, before
they sinned against God, and were for their great wickedness cast off
by Him, must evidently have been a people of great wisdom.(1) But
Christians, who have in so wonderful a manner formed themselves into a
community, appear at first to have been more induced by miracles than
by exhortations to forsake the institutions of their fathers, and to
adopt others which were quite strange to them. And indeed, if we were
to reason from what is probable as to the first formation of the
Christian society, we should say that it is incredible that the
apostles of Jesus Christ, who were unlettered men of humble life, could
have been emboldened to preach Christian truth to men by anything else
than the power which was conferred upon them, and the grace which
accompanied their words and rendered them effective; and those who
heard them would not have renounced the old-established usages of their
fathers, and been induced to adopt notions so different from those in
which they had been brought up, unless they had been moved by some
extraordinary power, and by the force of miraculous events.
In the next place, Celsus, after referring to the enthusiasm with
which men will contend unto death rather than abjure Christianity, adds
strangely enough some remarks, in which he wishes to show that our
doctrines are similar to those delivered by the priests at the
celebration of the heathen mysteries. He says, "Just as you, good sir,
believe in eternal punishments, so also do the priests who interpret
and initiate into the sacred mysteries. The same punishments with which
you threaten others, they threaten you. Now it is worthy of
examination, which of the two is more firmly established as true; for
both parties contend with equal assurance that the truth is on their
side. But if we require proofs, the priests of the heathen gods produce
many that are clear and convincing, partly from wonders performed by
demons, and partly from the answers given by oracles, and various other
modes of divination." He would, then, have us believe that we and the
interpreters of the mysteries equally teach the doctrine of eternal
punishment, and that it is a matter for inquiry on which side of the
two the truth lies. 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 heard. But Jews and Christians have been
thus affected by the doctrines they hold about what we speak of as the
world to come, and the rewards of the righteous, and the punishments of
the wicked. Let Celsus then, or any one who will, show us who have been
moved in this way in regard to eternal punishments by the teaching of
heathen priests and mystagogues. For surely the purpose of him who
brought to light this doctrine was not only to reason upon the subject
of punishments, and to strike men with terror of them, but to induce
those who heard the truth to strive with all their might against those
sins which are the causes of punishment. And those who study the
prophecies with care, and are not content with a cursory perusal of the
predictions contained in them, will find them such as to convince the
intelligent and sincere reader that the Spirit of God was in those men,
and that with their writings there is nothing in all the works of
demons, responses of oracles, or sayings of soothsayers, for one moment
to be compared.
Let us see in what terms Celsus next addresses us: "Besides, is
it not most absurd and inconsistent in you, on the one hand, to make so
much of the body as you do—to expect that the same body will rise
again, as though it were the best and most precious part of us; and
yet, on the other, to expose it to such tortures as though it were
worthless? But men who hold such notions, and are so attached to the
body, are not worthy of being reasoned with; for in this and in other
respects they show themselves to be gross, impure, and bent upon
revolting without any reason from the common belief. But I shall direct
my discourse to those who hope for the enjoyment of eternal life with
God by means of the soul or mind, whether they choose to call it a
spiritual substance, an intelli- gent spirit, holy and blessed, or a
living soul, or the heavenly and indestructible offspring of a divine
and incorporeal nature, or by whatever name they designate the
spiritual nature of man. And they are rightly persuaded that those who
live well shall be blessed, and the unrighteous shall all suffer
everlasting punishments. And from this doctrine neither they nor any
other should ever swerve." Now, as he has often already reproached us
for our opinions on the resurrection, and as we have on these occasions
defended our opinions in what seemed to us a reasonable way, we do not
intend, at each repetition of the one objection, to go into a
repetition of our defence. Celsus makes an unfounded charge against us
when he ascribes to us the opinion that "there is nothing in our
complex nature better or more precious than the body;" for we hold that
far beyond all bodies is the soul, and especially the reasonable soul;
for it is the soul, and not the body, which bears the likeness of the
Creator. For, according to us, God is not corporeal, unless we fall
into the absurd errors of the followers of Zeno and Chrysippus.
But since he reproaches us with too great an anxiety about the
body, let him know that when that feeling is a wrong one we do not
share in it, and when it is indifferent we only long for that which God
has promised to the righteous. But Celsus considers that we are
inconsistent with ourselves when we count the body worthy of honour
from God, and therefore hope for its resurrection, and yet at the same
time expose it to tortures as though it were not worthy of honour. But
surely it is not without honour for the body to suffer for the sake of
godliness, and to choose afflictions on account of virtue: the
dishonourable thing would be for it to waste its powers in vicious
indulgence. For the divine word says: "What is an honourable seed? The
seed of man. What is a dishonourable seed? The seed of man."(1)
Moreover, Celsus thinks that he ought not to reason with those who hope
for the good of the body, as they are unreasonably intent upon an
object which can never satisfy their expectations. He also calls them
gross and impure men, bent upon creating needless dissensions. But
surely he ought, as one of superior humanity, to assist even the rude
and depraved. For society does not exclude from its pale the coarse and
uncultivated, as it does the irrational animals, but our Creator made
us on the same common level with all mankind. It is not an undignified
thing, therefore, to reason even with the coarse and unrefined, 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 reason, and the diseased
in mind to spiritual health.
In the next place, he expresses his approval of those who "hope
that eternal life shall be enjoyed with God by the soul or mind, or, as
it is variously called, the spiritual nature, the reasonable soul,
intelligent, holy, and blessed;" and he allows the soundness of the
doctrine, "that those who had a good life shall be happy, and the
unrighteous shall suffer eternal punishments." And yet I wonder at what
follows, more than at anything that Celsus has ever said; for he adds,
"And from this doctrine let not them or any one ever swerve." For
certainly in writing against Christians, the very essence of whose
faith is God, and the promises made by Christ to the righteous, and His
warnings of punishment awaiting the wicked, he must see that, if a
Christian were brought to renounce Christianity by his arguments
against it, it is beyond doubt that, along with his Christian faith, he
would cast off the very doctrine from which he says that no Christian
and no man should ever swerve. But I think Celsus has been far
surpassed in consideration for his fellow-men by Chrysippus in his
treatise, On the Subjugation of the Passions. For when he sought to
apply remedies to the affections and passions which oppress and
distract the human spirit, after employing such arguments as seemed to
himself to be strong, he did not shrink from using in the second and
third place others which he did not himself approve of. "For," says he,
"if it were held by any one that there are three kinds of good, we must
seek to regulate the passions in accordance with that supposition; and
we must not too curiously inquire into the opinions held by a person at
the time that he is under the influence of passion, lest, if we delay
too long for the purpose of overthrowing the opinions by which the mind
is possessed, the opportunity for curing the passion may pass away."
And he adds, "Thus, supposing that pleasure were the highest good, or
that he was of that opinion whose mind was under the dominion of
passion, we should not the less give him help, and show that, even on
the principle that pleasure is the highest and final good of man, all
passion is disallowed." And Celsus, in like manner, after having
embraced the doctrine, "that the righteous shall be blessed, and the
wicked shall suffer eternal punishments," should have followed out his
subject; and, after having advanced what seemed to him the chief argu-
ment, he should have proceeded to prove and enforce by further reasons
the truth that the unjust shall surely suffer eternal punishment, and
those who lead a good life shall be blessed.
For we who have been persuaded by many, yea by innumerable,
arguments to lead a Christian life, are especially anxious to bring all
men as far as possible to receive the whole system of Christian truth;
but when we meet with persons who are prejudiced by the calumnies
thrown out against Christians, and who, from a notion that Christians
are an impious people, will not listen to any who offer to instruct
them in the principles of the divine word, then, on the common
principles of humanity, we endeavour to the best of our ability to
convince them of the doctrine of the punishment of the wicked, and to
induce even those who are unwilling to become Christians to accept that
truth. And we are thus anxious to persuade them of the rewards of right
living, when we see that many things which we teach about a healthy
moral life are also taught by the enemies of our faith. For you will
find that they have not entirely lost the common notions of right and
wrong, of good and evil. Let all men, therefore, when they look upon
the universe, observe the constant revolution of the unerring stars,
the converse motion of the planets, the constitution of the atmosphere,
and its adaptation to the necessities of the animals, and especially of
man, with all the innumerable contrivances for the well-being of
mankind; and then, after thus considering the order of the universe,
let them beware of doing ought which is displeasing to the Creator of
this universe, of the soul and its intelligent principle; and let them
rest assured that punishment shall be inflicted on the wicked, and
rewards shall be bestowed upon the righteous, by Him who deals with
every one as he deserves, and who will proportion His rewards to the
good that each has done, and to the account of himself that he is able
to give.(1) And let all men know that the good shall be advanced to a
higher state, and that the wicked shall be delivered over to sufferings
and torments, in punishment of their licentiousness and depravity,
their cowardice, timidity, and all their follies.
Having said so much on this subject, let us proceed to another
statement of Celsus: "Since men are born united to a body, whether to
suit the order of the universe, or that they may in that way suffer the
punishment of sin; or because the soul is oppressed by certain passions
until it is purged from these at the appointed period of time,—for,
according to Empedocles, all mankind must be banished from the abodes
of the blessed for 30,000 periods of time,—we must therefore believe
that they are entrusted to certain beings as keepers of this
prison-house." You will observe that Celsus, in these remarks, speaks
of such weighty matters in the language of doubtful human conjecture.
He adds also various opinions as to the origin of man, and shows
considerable reluctance to set down any of these opinions as false.
When he had once come to the conclusion neither indiscriminately to
accept nor recklessly to reject the opinions held by the ancients,
would it not have been in accordance with that same rule of judging,
if, when he found himself not disposed to believe the doctrines taught
by the Jewish prophets and by Jesus, at any rate to have held them as
matters open to inquiry? And should he not have considered whether it
is very probable that a people who faithfully served the Most High God,
and who ofttimes encountered numberless dangers, and even death, rather
than sacrifice the honour of God, and what they believed to be the
revelations of His will, should have been wholly overlooked by God?
Should it not rather be thought probable that people who despised the
efforts of human art to represent the Divine Being, but strove rather
to rise in thought to the knowledge of the Most High, should have been
favoured with some revelation from Himself? Besides, he ought to have
considered that the common Father and Creator of all, who sees and
hears all things, and who duly esteems the intention of every man who
seeks Him and desires to serve Him, will grant unto these also some of
the benefits of His rule, and will give them an enlargement of that
knowledge of Himself which He has once bestowed upon them. If this had
been remembered by Celsus and the others who hate Moses and the Jewish
prophets, and Jesus, and His faithful disciples, who endured so much
for the sake of His word, they would not thus have reviled Moses, and
the prophets, and Jesus, and His apostles; and they would not have
singled out for their contempt the Jews beyond all the nations of the
earth, and said they were worse even than the Egyptians,—a people who,
either from superstition or some other form of delusion, went as far as
they could in degrading the Divine Being to the level of brute beasts.
And we invite inquiry, not as though we wished to lead any to doubt
regarding the truths of Christianity, but in order to show that it
would be better for those who in every way revile the doctrines of
Christianity, at any rate to suspend their judgment, and not so rashly
to state about Jesus and His apostles such things as they do not know,
and as they cannot prove, either by what the Stoics call" apprehensive
perception,"(1) or by any other methods used by different sects of
philosophers as criteria of truth.
When Celsus adds, "We must therefore believe that men are
entrusted to certain beings who are the keepers of this prison-house,"
our answer is, that the souls of those who are called by Jeremiah
"prisoners of the earth,"(2) when eager in the pursuit of virtue, are
even in this life delivered from the bondage of evil; for Jesus
declared this, as was foretold long before His advent by the prophet
Isaiah, when he said that "the prisoners would go forth, and they that
were in darkness would show themselves."(3) And Jesus Himself, as
Isaiah also foretold of Him, arose as "a light to them that sat in
darkness and in the shadow of death,"(4) so that we may therefore say,
"Let us break their bands asunder, and cast their cords from us."(5) If
Celsus, and those who like him are opposed to us, had been able to
sound the depths of the Gospel narratives, they would not have
counselled us to put our confidence in those beings whom they call "the
keepers of the prison-house." It is written in the Gospel that a woman
was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when
Jesus beheld her, and perceived from what cause she was bowed together,
he said, "Ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo,
these eighteen years, to be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath
day?"(6) And how many others are still bowed down and bound by Satan,
who hinders them from looking up at all, and who would have us to look
down also! And no one can raise them up, except the Word, that came by
Jesus Christ, and that aforetime inspired the prophets: And Jesus came
to release those who were under the dominion of the devil; and,
speaking of him, He said with that depth of meaning which characterized
His words, "Now is the prince of this world judged." We are, then,
indulging in no baseless calumnies against demons, but are condemning
their agency upon earth as destructive to mankind, and show that, under
cover of oracles and bodily cures, and such other means, they are
seeking to separate from God the soul which has descended to this "body
of humiliation;" and those who feel this humiliation exclaim, "0
wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?"(7) It is not in vain, therefore, that we expose our bodies to
be beaten and tortured; for surely it is not in vain for a man to
submit to such sufferings, 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 destruction. Indeed, we think it both reasonable in
itself and well-pleasing to God, to suffer pain for the sake of virtue,
to undergo torture for the sake of piety, and even to suffer death for
the sake of holiness; for "precious in the sight of God is the death of
His saints;"(8) and we maintain that to overcome the love of life is to
enjoy a great good. But when Celsus compares us to notorious criminals,
who justly suffer punishment for their crimes, 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 criminals, he makes himself the
brother and companion of those who accounted Jesus among criminals,
fulfilling the Scripture, which saith, "He was numbered with
transgressors."(9)
Celsus goes on to say: "They must make their choice between two
alternatives. If they refuse to render due service to the gods, and to
respect those who are set over this service, let them not come to
manhood, or marry wives, or have children, or indeed take any share in
the affairs of life; but let them depart hence with all speed, and
leave no posterity behind them, that such a race may become extinct
from the face of the earth. Or, on the other hand, if they will take
wives, and bring up children, and taste of the fruits of the earth, and
partake of all the blessings of life, and bear its appointed sorrows
(for nature herself hath allotted sorrows to all men; for sorrows must
exist, and earth is the only place for them), then must they discharge
the duties of life until they are released from its bonds, and render
due honour to those beings who control the affairs of this life, if
they would not show themselves ungrateful to them. For it would be
unjust in them, after receiving the good things which they dispense, to
pay them no tribute in return." To this we reply, that there appears to
us to be no good reason for our leaving this world, except when piety
and virtue require it; as when, for example, those who are set as
judges, and think that they have power over our lives, place before us
the alternative either to live in violation of the commands of Jesus,
or to die if we continue obedient to them. But God has allowed us to
marry, because all are not fit for the higher, that is, the perfectly
pure life; and God would have us to bring up all our children, and not
to destroy any of the offspring given us by His providence. And this
does not conflict with our purpose not to obey the demons that are on
the earth; for, "being armed with the whole armour of God, we stand"(1)
as athletes of piety against the race of demons that plot against us.
Although, therefore, Celsus would, in his own words, "drive us
with all haste out of life," so that "such a race may become extinct
from the earth;" yet we, along with those who worship the Creator, will
live according to the laws of God, never consenting to obey the laws of
sin. We will marry if we wish, and bring up the children given to us in
marriage; and if need be, we will not only partake of the blessings of
life, but bear its appointed sorrows as a trial to our souls. For in
this way is divine Scripture accustomed to speak of human afflictions,
by which, as gold is tried in the fire, so the spirit of man is tried,
and is found to be worthy either of condemnation or of praise. For
those things which Celsus calls evils we are therefore prepared, and
are ready to say, "Try me, O Lord, and prove me; purge my reins and my
heart."(2) For "no one will be crowned," unless here upon earth, with
this body of humiliation, "he strive lawfully."(3) Further, we do not
pay honours supposed to be due to those whom Celsus speaks of as being
set over the affairs of the world. For we worship the Lord our God, and
Him only do we serve, and desire to be followers of Christ, who, when
the devil said to Him, "All these things will I give thee if thou wilt
fall down and worship me," answered him by the words, "Thou shall
worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shall thou serve."(4) Wherefore
we do not render the honour supposed to be due to those who. according
to Celsus, are set over the affairs of this world; for "no man can
serve two masters," and we "cannot serve God and mammon," whether this
name be applied to one or more. Moreover, if any one "by transgressing
the law dishonours the lawgiver," it seems clear to us that if the two
laws, the law of God and the law of mammon, are completely opposed to
each other, it is better for us by transgressing the law of mammon to
dishonour mammon, that we may honour God by keeping His law, than by
transgressing the law of God to dishonour God, that by obeying the law
of mammon we may honour mammon,
Celsus supposes that men "discharge the duties of life until they
are loosened from its bonds," when, in accordance with commonly
received customs, they offer sacrifices to each of the gods recognised
in the state; and he fails to perceive the true duty which is fulfilled
by an earnest piety. For we say that he truly discharges the duties of
life who is ever mindful who is his Creator, and what things are
agreeable to Him, and who acts in all things so that he may please God.
Again, Celsus wishes us to be thankful to these demons, imagining that
we owe them thank-offerings. But we, while recognising the duty of
thankfulness, maintain that we show no ingratitude by refusing to give
thanks to beings who do us no good, but who rather set themselves
against us when we neither sacrifice to them nor worship them. We are
much more concerned lest we should be ungrateful to God, who has loaded
us with His benefits, whose workmanship we are, who cares for us in
whatever condition we may be, and who has given us hopes of things
beyond this present life. And we have a symbol of gratitude to God in
the bread which we call the Eucharist. Besides, as we have shown
before, the demons have not the control of those things which have been
created for our use; we commit no wrong, therefore, when we partake of
created things, and yet refuse to offer sacrifices to beings who have
no concern with them. Moreover, as we know that it is not demons, but
angels, who have been set over the fruits of the earth, and over the
birth of animals, it is the latter that we praise and bless, as having
been appointed by God over the things needful for our race; yet even to
them we will not give the honour which is due to God. For this would
not be pleasing to God, nor would it be any pleasure to the angels
themselves to whom these things have been committed. Indeed, they are
much more pleased if we refrain from offering sacrifices to them than
if we offer them; for they have no desire for the sacrificial odours
which rise from the earth.
Celsus goes on to say: "Let any one inquire of the Egyptians, and
he will find that everything, even to the most insignificant, is
committed to the care of a certain demon. The body of man is divided
into thirty-six parts, and as many demons of the air are appointed to
the care of it, each having charge of a different part, although others
make the number much larger. All these demons have in the language of
that country distinct names; as Chnoumen, Chnachoumen, Cnat, Sicat,
Biou, Erou, Erebiou, Ramanor, Reianoor, and other such Egyptian names.
Moreover, they call upon them, and are cured of diseases of particular
parts of the body. What, then, is there to prevent a man from giving
honour to these or to others, if he would rather be in health than be
sick, rather have prosperity than adversity, and be freed as much as
possible from all plagues and troubles?" In this way, Celsus seeks to
degrade our souls to the worship of demons, under the assumption that
they have possession of our bodies, and that each one has power over a
separate member. And he wishes us on this ground to put confidence in
these demons of which he speaks, and to serve them, in order that we
may be in health rather than be sick, have prosperity rather than
adversity, and may as far as possible escape all plagues and troubles.
The honour of the Most High God, which cannot be divided or shared with
another, is so lightly esteemed by him, that he cannot believe in the
ability of God, if called upon and highly honoured, to give to those
who serve Him a power by which they may be defended from the assaults
directed by demons against the righteous. For he has never beheld the
efficacy of those words, "in the name of Jesus," when uttered by the
truly faithful, to deliver not a few from demons and demoniacal
possessions and other plagues.
Probably those who embrace the views of Celsus will smile at us
when we say, "At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in
heaven, of things on earth, and of things under the earth, and every
tongue" is brought to "confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father.''(1) But although they may ridicule such a
statement. yet they will receive much more convincing arguments in
support of it than Celsus brings in behalf of Chnoumen, Chnachoumen,
Cnat, Sicat, and the rest of the Egyptian catalogue, whom he mentions
as being called upon, and as healing the diseases of different pans of
the human body. And observe how, while seeking to turn us away from our
faith in the God of all through Jesus Christ, he exhorts us for the
welfare of our bodies to faith in six-and-thirty barbarous demons, whom
the Egyptian magi alone call upon in some unknown way, and promise us
in return great benefits. According to Celsus, then, it would be better
for us now to give ourselves up to magic and sorcery than to embrace
Christianity, and to put our faith in an innumerable multitude of
demons than in the almighty, living, self-revealing God, who has
manifested Himself by Him who by His great power has spread the true
principles of holiness among all men throughout the world; yea, I may
add without exaggeration, He has given this knowledge to all beings
everywhere possessed of reason, and needing deliverance from the plague
and corruption of sin.
Celsus, however, suspecting that the tendency of such teaching as
he here gives is to lead to magic, and dreading that harm may arise
from these statements, adds: "Care, however, must be taken lest any
one, by familiarizing his mind with these matters, should become too
much engrossed with them, and lest, through an excessive regard for the
body, he should have his mind turned away from higher things, and allow
them to pass into oblivion. 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 indulgence, blood, odours, sweet sounds, and other
such sensual things; and therefore they are unable to do more than heal
the body, or foretell the fortunes of men and cities, and do other such
things as relate to this mortal life." If there is, then, such a
dangerous tendency in this direction, as even the enemy of the truth of
God confesses, how much better is it to avoid all danger of giving
ourselves too much up to the power of such demons, and of becoming
turned aside from higher things, and suffering them to pass into
oblivion through an excessive attention to the body; by entrusting
ourselves to the Supreme God through Jesus Christ, who has given us
such instruction, and asking of Him all help, and the guardianship of
holy and good angels, to defend us from the earth-spirits intent on
lust, and blood, and sacrificial odours,(2) and strange sounds, and
other sensual things! For even, by the confession of Celsus, they can
do nothing more than cure the body. But, indeed, I would say that it is
not clear that these demons, however much they are reverenced, can even
cure the body. But in seeking recovery from disease, a man must either
follow the inure ordinary and simple method, and have recourse to
medical art; or if he would go beyond the common methods adopted by
men, he must rise to the higher and better way of seeking the blessing
of Him who is God over all, through piety and prayers.
For consider with yourself which disposition of mind will be more
acceptable to the Most High, whose power is supreme and universal, and
who directs all for the welfare of mankind in body, and in mind, and in
outward things,—whether that of the man who gives himself up to God in
all things, or that of the man who is curiously inquisitive about the
names of demons, their powers and agency, the incantations, the herbs
proper to them, and the stones with the inscriptions graven on them,
corresponding sym- bolically or otherwise to their traditional shapes?
It is plain even to the least intelligent, that the disposition of the
man who is simpleminded and not given to curious inquiries, but in all
things devoted to the divine will, will be most pleasing to God, and to
all those who are like God; but that of the man who, for the sake of
bodily health, of bodily enjoyment, and outward prosperity, busies
himself about the names of demons, and inquires by what incantations he
shall appease them, will be condemned by God as bad and impious, and
more agreeable to the nature of demons than of men, and will be given
over to be torn and otherwise tormented by demons. For it is probable
that they, as being wicked creatures, and, as Celsus confesses,
addicted to blood, sacrificial odours, sweet sounds, and such like,
will not keep their most solemn promises to those who supply them with
these things. For if others invoke their aid against the persons who
have already called upon them, and purchase their favour with a larger
supply of blood, and odours, and such offerings as they require, they
will take part against those who yesterday sacrificed and presented
pleasant offerings to them.
In a former passage, Celsus had spoken at length on the subject
of oracles, and had referred us to their answers as being the voice of
the gods; but now he makes amends, and confesses that "those who
foretell the fortunes of men and cities, and concern themselves about
mortal affairs, are earth-spirits, who are given up to fleshly lust,
blood, odours, sweet sounds, and other such things, and who are unable
to rise above these sensual objects." Perhaps, when we opposed the
theological teaching of Celsus in regard to oracles, and the honour
done to those called gods, some one might suspect us of impiety when we
alleged that these were stratagems of demoniacal powers, to draw men
away to carnal indulgence. But any who entertained this suspicion
against us, may now believe that the statements put forth by Christians
were well-founded, when they see the above passage from the writings of
one who is a professed adversary of Christianity, but who now at length
writes as one who has been overcome by the spirit of truth. Although,
therefore, Celsus says that "we must offer sacrifices to them, in so
far as they are profitable to us, for to offer them indiscriminately is
not allowed by reason," yet we are not to offer sacrifices to demons
addicted to blood and odours; nor is the Divine Being to be profaned in
our minds, by being brought down to the level of wicked demons. If
Celsus had carefully weighed the meaning of the word "profitable," and
had considered that the tritest profit lies in virtue and in virtuous
action, he would not have applied the phrase "as far as it is
profitable" to the service of such demons, as he has acknowledged them
to be. If, then, health of body and success in life were to come to us
on condition of our serving such demons, we should prefer sickness and
misfortune accompanied with the consciousness of our being truly
devoted to the will of God. For this is preferable to being mortally
diseased in mind, and wretched through being separate and outcasts from
God, though healthy in body and abounding in earthly prosperity. And we
would rather go for help to one who seeks nothing whatever but the
well-being of men and of all rational creatures, than to those who
delight in blood and sacrificial odours.
After having said so much of the demons, and of their fondness
for blood and the odour of sacrifices, Celsus adds, as though wishing
to retract the charge he had made: "The more just opinion is, that
demons desire nothing and need nothing, but that they take pleasure in
those who discharge towards them offices of piety." If Celsus believed
this to be true, he should have said so, instead of making his previous
statements. But, indeed, human nature is never utterly forsaken by God
and His only-begotten Son, the Truth. Wherefore even Celsus spoke the
truth when he made the demons take pleasure in the blood and smoke of
victims; although, by the force of his own evil nature, he falls back
into his errors, and compares demons with men who rigorously discharge
every duty, even to those who show no gratitude; while to those who are
grateful they abound in acts of kindness. Here Celsus appears to me to
get into confusion. At one time his judgment is darkened by the
influence of demons, and at another he recovers from their deluding
power, and gets some glimpses of the truth. For again he adds: "We must
never m any way lose our hold of God, whether by day or by night,
whether in public or in secret, whether in word or in deed, but in
whatever we do, or abstain from doing." That is, as I understand it,
whatever we do in public, in all our actions, in all our words, "let
the soul be constantly fixed upon God." And yet again, as though, after
struggling in argument against the insane inspirations of demons, he
were completely overcome by them, he adds: "If this is the case, what
harm is there in gaining the favour of the rulers of the earth, whether
of a nature different from ours, or human princes and kings? For these
have gained their dignity through the instrumentality of demons." In a
former part, Celsus did his utmost to debase our souls to the worship
of demons; and now he wishes us to seek the favour of kings and
princes, of whom, as the world and all history are full of them. I do
not consider it necessary to quote examples.
There is therefore One whose favour we should seek, and to whom
we ought to pray that He would be gracious to us—the Most High God,
whose favour is gained by piety and the practice of every virtue. And
if he would have us to seek the favour of others after the Most High
God, let him consider that, as the motion of the shadow follows that of
the body which casts it, so in like manner it follows, that when we
have the favour of God, we have also the good-will of all angels and
spirits who are friends of God. For they know who are worthy of the
divine approval, and they are not only well disposed to them, but they
co-operate with them in their endeavours to please God: they seek His
favour on their behalf; with their prayers they join their own prayers
and intercessions for them. We may indeed boldly say, that men who
aspire after better things have, when they pray to God, tens of
thousands of sacred powers upon their side. These, even when not asked,
pray with them, they bring succour to our mortal race, and if I may so
say, take up arms alongside of it: for they see demons warring and
fighting most keenly against the salvation of those who devote
themselves to God, and despise the hostility of demons; they see them
savage in their hatred of the man who refuses to serve them with the
blood and fumes of sacrifices, but rather strives in every way, by word
and deed, to be in peace and union with the Most High through Jesus,
who put to flight multitudes of demons when He went about "heating,''
and delivering "all who were oppressed by the devil."(1)
Moreover, we are to despise ingratiating ourselves with kings or
any other men, not only if their favour is to be won by murders,
licentiousness, or deeds of cruelty, but even if it involves impiety
towards God, or any servile expressions of flattery and obsequiousness,
which things are unworthy of brave and high-principled men, who aim at
joining with their other virtues that highest of virtues, patience and
fortitude. But whilst we do nothing which is contrary to the law and
word of God, we are not so mad as to 'stir up against us the wrath of
kings and princes, which will bring upon us sufferings and tortures, or
even death. For we read: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher
powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth
the ordinance of God."(2) These words we have in our exposition of the
Epistle to the Romans, to the best of our ability, explained at length,
and with various applications; but for the present we have taken them
in their more obvious and generally received acceptation, to meet the
saying of Celsus, that "it is not without the power of demons that
kings have been raised to their regal dignity." Here much might be said
on the constitution of kings and rulers, for the subject is a wide one,
embracing such rulers as reign cruelly and tyrannically, and such as
make the kingly office the means of indulging in luxury and sinful
pleasures. We shall therefore, for the present, pass over the full
consideration of this subject. We will, however, never swear by "the
fortune of the king," nor by ought else that is considered equivalent
to God. For if the word "fortune" is nothing but an expression for the
uncertain course of events, as some say, although they seem not to be
agreed, we do not swear by that as God which has no existence, as
though it did really exist and was able to do something, lest we should
bind ourselves by an oath to things which have no existence. If, on the
other hand (as is thought by others, who say that to swear by the
fortune of the king of the Romans is to swear by his demon), what is
called the fortune of the king is in the power of demons, then in that
case we must die sooner than swear by a wicked and treacherous demon,
that ofttimes sins along with the man of whom it gains possession, and
sins even more than he.
Then Celsus, following the example of those who are under the
influence of demons—at one time recovering, at another relapsing, as
though he were again becoming sensible—says: "If, however, any
worshipper of God should be ordered to do anything impious, or to say
anything base, such a command should in no wise be regarded; but we
must encounter all kinds of torment, or submit to any kind of death,
rather than say or even think anything unworthy of God." Again,
however, from ignorance of our principles, and in entire confusion of
thought, he says: "But if any one commands you to celebrate the sun, or
to sing a joyful triumphal song in praise of Minerva, you will by
celebrating their praises seem to render the higher praise to God; for
piety, in extending to all things, becomes more perfect." To this our
answer is, that we do not wait for any command to celebrate the praises
of the sun; for we have been taught to speak well not only of those
creatures that are obedient to the will of God, but even of our
enemies. We therefore praise the sun as the glorious workmanship of
God, which obeys His laws and hearkens to the call, "Praise the Lord,
sun and moon,"(1) and with all your powers show forth the praises of
the Father and Creator of all. Minerva, however, whom Celsus classes
with the sun, is the subject of various Grecian myths, whether these
contain any hidden meaning or not. They say that Minerva sprang fully
armed from the brain of Jupiter; that when she was pursued by Vulcan,
she fled from him to preserve her honour; and that from the seed which
fell to the ground in the heat of Vulcan's passion, there grew a child
whom Minerva brought up and called Erichthonius,
"That owed his nurture to the blue-eyed maid,
But from the teeming furrow took his birth,
The mighty offspring of the foodful earth."(2)
It is therefore evident, that if we admit Minerva the daughter of Jupiter, we must also admit many fables and fictions which can be allowed by no one who discards fables and seeks after truth.
And to regard these myths in a figurative sense, and consider
Minerva as representing prudence, let any one show what were the actual
facts of her history, upon which this allegory is based. For, supposing
honour was given to Minerva as having been a woman of ancient times, by
those who instituted mysteries and ceremonies for their followers, and
who wished her name to be celebrated as that of a goddess, much more
are we forbidden to pay divine honours to Minerva, if we are not
permitted to worship so glorious an object as the sun, although we may
celebrate its glory. Celsus, indeed, says that "we seem to do the
greater honour to the great God when we sing hymns in honour of the sun
and Minerva;" but we know it to be the opposite of that. For we sing
hymns to the Most High alone, and His Only-begotten, who is the Word
and God; and we praise God and His Only-begotten, as do also the sun,
the moon, the stars, and all the host of heaven.(3) For these all form
a divine chorus, and unite with the just among men in celebrating the
praises of the Most High God and His Only-begotten. We have already
said that we must not swear by a human king, or by what is called "the
fortune of the king." It is therefore unnecessary for us again to
refute these statements: "If you are commanded to swear by a human
king, there is nothing wrong in that. For to him has been given
whatever there is upon earth; and whatever you receive in this life,
you receive from him." We deny, however, that all things which are on
the earth have been given to the king, or that whatever we receive in
this life we receive from him. For whatever we receive rightly and
honourably we receive from God, and by His providence, as ripe fruits,
and "corn which strengtheneth man's heart, and the pleasant vine, and
wine which rejoiceth the heart of man."(4) And moreover, the fruit of
the olive-tree, to make his face to shine, we have from the providence
of God.
Celsus goes on to say: "We must not disobey the ancient writer,
who said long ago,
'Let one be king, whom the son of crafty Saturn appointed ;'"(5) and adds: "If you set aside this maxim, you will deservedly suffer for it at the hands of the king. For if all were to do the same as you, there would be nothing to prevent his being left in utter solitude and desertion, and the affairs of the earth would fall into the hands of the wildest and most lawless barbarians; and then there would no longer remain among men any of the glory of your religion or of the true wisdom." If, then, "there shall be one lord, one king," he must be, not the man "whom the son of crafty Saturn appointed," but the man to whom He gave the power, who "removeth kings and setteth up kings,"(6) and who "raiseth up the useful man in time of need upon earth."(7) For kings are not appointed by that son of Saturn, who, according to Grecian fable, hurled his father from his throne, and sent him down to Tartarus (whatever interpretation may be given to this allegory), but by God, who governs all things, and who wisely arranges whatever belongs to the appointment of kings. We therefore do set aside the maxim contained in the line,
"Whom the son of crafty Saturn appointed;"
for we know that no god or father of a god ever devises anything crooked or crafty. But we are far from setting aside the notion of a providence, and of things happening directly or indirectly through the agency of providence. And the king will not "inflict deserved punishment" upon us, if we say that not the son of crafty Saturn gave him his kingdom, but He who "removeth and setteth up kings." And would that all were to follow my example in rejecting the maxim of Homer, maintaining the divine origin of the kingdom, and observing the precept to honour the king! In these circumstances the king will not "be left in utter solitude and desertion," neither will "the affairs of the world fall into the hands of the most impious and wild barbarians." For if, in the words of Celsus," they do as I do," then it is evident that even the barbarians, when they yield obedience to the word of God, will become most obedient to the law, and most humane; and every form of worship will be destroyed except the religion of Christ, which will alone prevail. And indeed it will one day triumph, as its principles take possession of the minds of men more and more every day.
Celsus, then, as if not observing that he was saying anything
inconsistent with the words he had just used, "if all were to do the
same as you," adds: "You surely do not say that if the Romans were, in
compliance with your wish, to neglect their customary duties to gods
and men, and were to worship the Most High, or whatever you please to
call him, that he will come down and fight for them, so that they shall
need no other help than his. For this same God, as yourselves say,
promised of old this and much more to those who served him, and see in
what way he has helped them and you! They, in place of being masters of
the whole world, are left with not so much as a patch of ground or a
home; and as for you, if any of you transgresses even in secret, he is
sought out and punished with death." As the question started is, "What
would happen if the Romans were persuaded to adopt the principles of
the Christians, to despise the duties paid to the recognised gods and
to men, and to worship the Most High?" this is my answer to the
question. We say that "if two" of us "shall agree on earth as touching
anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of the Father"
of the just, "which is in heaven;"(1) for God rejoices in the agreement
of rational beings, and turns away from discord. And what are we to
expect, if not only a very few agree, as at present, but the whole of
the empire of Rome? For they will pray to the Word, who of old said to
the Hebrews, when they were pursued by the Egyptians, "The LORD shall
fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace;"(2) and if they all unite
in prayer with one accord, 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 Lord, and of those who prayed with him. Now, if what God
promised to those who keep His law has not come to pass, the reason of
its nonfulfilment is not to be ascribed to the unfaithfulness of God.
But He had made the fulfilment of His promises to depend on certain
conditions,—namely, that they should observe and live according to His
law; and if the Jews bare not a plot of ground nor a habitation left to
them, although they had received these conditional promises, the entire
blame is to be laid upon their crimes, and especially upon their guilt
in the treatment of Jesus.
But if all the Romans, according to the supposition of Celsus,
embrace the Christian faith, they will, when they pray, overcome their
enemies; or rather, they will not war at all, being guarded by that
divine power which promised to save five entire cities for the sake of
fifty just persons. For men of God are assuredly the salt of the earth:
they preserve the order of the world;(3) and society is held together
as long as the salt is uncorrupted: for "if the salt have lost its
savour, it is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill; but it
shall be cast out, and trodden under foot of men. He that hath ears,
let him hear"(4) the meaning of these words, When God gives to the
tempter permission to persecute us, then we suffer persecution; and
when God wishes us to be free from suffering, even in the midst of a
world that hates us, we enjoy a wonderful peace, trusting in the
protection of Him who said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world."(5) And truly He has overcome the world. Wherefore the world
prevails only so long as it is the pleasure of Him who received from
the Father power to overcome the world; and from His victory we take
courage. Should He even wish us again to contend and struggle for our
religion, let the enemy come against us, and we will say to them, "I
can do all things, through Christ Jesus our Lord, which strengtheneth
me."(6) For of "two sparrows which are sold for a farthing," as the
Scripture says, "not one of them falls on the ground without our Father
in heaven."(7) And so completely does the Divine Providence embrace all
things, that not even the hairs of our head fail to be numbered by Him.
Celsus again, as is usual with him, gets confused, and attributes
to us things which none of us have ever written. His words are: "Surely
it is intolerable for you to say, that if our present rulers, on
embracing your opinions, are taken by the enemy, you will still be able
to persuade those who rule after them; and after these have been taken
you will persuade their successors and so on, until at length, when all
who have yielded to your persuasion have been taken some prudent ruler
shall arise, with a foresight of what is impending, and he will destroy
you all utterly before he himself perishes." There is no need of any
answer to these allegations: for none of us says of our present rulers,
that if they embrace our opinions, and are taken by the enemy, we shall
be able to persuade their successors; and when these are taken, those
who come after them, and so on in succession. But on what does he
ground the assertion, that when a succession of those who have yielded
to our persuasion have been taken because they did not drive back the
enemy, some prudent ruler shall arise, with a foresight of what is
impending, who shall utterly destroy us? But here he seems to me to
delight in inventing and uttering the wildest nonsense.
Afterwards he says: "If it were possible," implying at the same
time that he thought it most desirable, "that all the inhabitants of
Asia, Europe, and Libya, Greeks and Barbarians, all to the uttermost
ends of the earth, were to come under one law;" but judging this quite
impossible, he adds, "Any one who thinks this possible, knows nothing."
It would require careful consideration and lengthened argument to prove
that it is not only possible, but that it will surely come to pass,
that all who are endowed with reason shall come under one law. However,
if we must refer to this subject, it will be with great brevity. The
Stoics, indeed, hold that, when the strongest of the elements prevails,
all things shall be turned into fire. But our belief is, that the Word
shall prevail over the entire rational creation, and change every soul
into His own perfection; in which state every one, by the mere exercise
of his power, will choose what he desires, and obtain what he chooses.
For although, in the diseases and wounds of the body, there are some
which no medical skill can cure, yet we hold that in the mind there is
no evil so strong that it may not be overcome by the Supreme Word and
God. For stronger than all the evils in the soul is the Word, and the
healing power that dwells in Him; and this healing He applies,
according to the will of God, to every man. The consummation of all
things is the destruction of evil, although as to the question whether
it shall be so destroyed that it can never anywhere arise again, it is
beyond our present purpose to say. Many things are said obscurely in
the prophecies on the total destruction of evil, and the restoration to
righteousness of every soul; but it will be enough for our present
purpose to quote the following passage from Zephaniah: "Prepare and
rise early; all the gleanings of their vineyards are destroyed.
Therefore wait ye upon Me, saith the LORD, on the day that I rise up
for a testimony; for My determination is to gather the nations, that I
may assemble the kings, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My
fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My
jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they
may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My suppliants, even the daughter of
My dispersed, shall bring My offering. In that day shalt thou not be
ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against Me:
for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in
thy pride; and thou shalt no more be haughty because of My holy
mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor
people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of
Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful
tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and
none shall make them afraid."(1) I leave it to those who are able,
after a careful study of the whole subject, to unfold the meaning of
this prophecy, and especially to inquire into the signification of the
words, "When the whole earth is destroyed, there will be turned upon
the peoples a language according to their race,"(2) as things were
before the confusion of tongues. Let them also carefully consider the
promise, that all shall call upon the name of the Lord, and serve Him
with one consent; also that all contemptuous reproach shall be taken
away, and there shall be no longer any injustice, or vain speech, or a
deceitful tongue. And thus much it seemed needful for me to say
briefly, and without entering into elaborate details, in answer to the
remark of Celsus, that he considered any agreement between the
inhabitants of Asia, Europe, and Libya, as well Greeks as Barbarians,
was impossible. And perhaps such a result would indeed be impossible to
those who are still in the body, but not to those who are released from
it.
In the next place, Celsus urges us "to help the king with all our
might, and to labour with him in the maintenance of justice, to fight
for him; and if he requires it, to fight under him, or lead an army
along with him." To this our answer is, that we do, when occasion
requires, give help to kings, and that, so to say, a divine help,
"putting on the whole armour of God."(1) And this we do in obedience to
the injunction of the apostle, "I exhort, therefore, that first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made
for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority;"(2) and the
more any one excels in piety, the more effective help does he render to
kings, even more than is given by soldiers, who go forth to fight and
slay as many of the enemy as they can. And to those enemies of our
faith who require us to bear arms for the commonwealth, and to slay
men, we can reply: "Do not those who are priests at certain shrines,
and those who attend on certain gods, as you account them, keep their
hands free from blood, that they may with hands unstained and free from
human blood offer the appointed sacrifices to your gods; and even when
war is upon you, you never enlist the priests in the army. If that,
then, is a laudable custom, how much more so, that while others are
engaged in battle, these too should engage as the priests and ministers
of God, keeping their hands pure, and wrestling in prayers to God on
behalf of those who are fighting in a righteous cause, and for the king
who reigns righteously, that whatever is opposed to those who act
righteously may be destroyed!" And as we by our prayers vanquish all
demons who stir up war, and lead to the violation of oaths, and disturb
the peace, we in this way are much more helpful to the kings than those
who go into the field to fight for them. And we do take our part in
public affairs, when along with righteous prayers we join self-denying
exercises and meditations, which teach us to despise pleasures, and not
to be led away by them. And none fight better for the king than we do.
We do not indeed fight under him, although he require it; but we fight
on his behalf, forming a special army—an army of piety—by offering
our prayers to God.
And if Celsus would have us to lead armies in defence of our
country, let him know that we do this too, and that not for the purpose
of being seen by men, or of vainglory. For "in secret," and in our own
hearts, there are prayers which ascend as from priests in behalf of our
fellow-citizens. And Christians are benefactors of their country more
than others. For they train up citizens, and inculcate piety to the
Supreme Being; and they promote those whose lives in the smallest
cities have been good and worthy, to a divine and heavenly city, to
whom it may be said, "Thou hast been faithful in the smallest city,
come into a great one,"(3) where "God standeth in the assembly of the
gods, and judgeth the gods in the midst;" and He reckons thee among
them, if thou no more "die as a man, or fall as one of the princes."(4)
Celsus also urges us to "take office in the government of the
country, if that is required for the maintenance of the laws and the
support of religion." But we recognise in each state the existence of
another national organization(5) founded by the Word of God, and we
exhort those who are mighty in word and of blameless life to rule over
Churches. Those who are ambitious of ruling we reject; but we constrain
those who, through excess of modesty, are not easily induced to take a
public charge in the Church of God. And those who rule over us well are
under the constraining influence of the great King, whom we believe to
be the Son of God, God the Word. And if those who govern in the Church,
and are called rulers of the divine nation—that is, the Church—rule
well, they rule in accordance with the divine commands, and never
suffer themselves to be led astray by worldly policy. And it is not for
the purpose of escaping public duties that Christians decline public
offices, but that they may reserve themselves for a diviner and more
necessary service in the Church of God—for the salvation of men. And
this service is at once necessary and right. They take charge of
all—of those that are within, that they may day by day lead better
lives, and of those that are without, that they may come to abound in
holy words and in deeds of piety; and that, while thus worshipping God
truly, and training up as many as they can in the same way, they may be
filled with the word of God and the law of God, and thus be united with
the Supreme God through His Son the Word, Wisdom, Truth, and
Righteousness, who unites to God all who are resolved to conform their
lives in all things to the law of God.
You have here, reverend Ambrosius, the conclusion of what we have
been enabled to accomplish by the power given to us in obedience to
your command. 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
Discourse. 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 God, of piety towards Him, and of that truth which leads men by
sound doctrines to the noblest life. You must know, however, that
Celsus had promised another treatise as a sequel to this one, in which
he engaged to supply practical rules of living to those who felt
disposed to embrace his opinions. If, then, he has not fulfilled his
promise of writing a second book, we may well be contented with these
eight books which we have written in answer to his discourse. But if he
has begun and finished that second book, pray obtain it and send it to
us, that we may answer it as the Father of truth may give us ability,
and either overthrow the false teaching that may be in it, or, laying
aside all jealousy, we may testify our approval of whatever truth it
may contain.
GLORY BE TO THEE, OUR GOD; GLORY BE TO THEE.