Chapter II.
But let Celsus, and those who assent to his charges, tell us whether it is at all like "an ass's shadow," that the Jewish prophets should have predicted the birth-place of Him who was to be the ruler of those who had lived righteous lives, and who are called the "heritage" of God; [3440] and that Emmanuel should be conceived by a virgin; and that such signs and wonders should be performed by Him who was the subject of prophecy; and that His word should have such speedy course, that the voice of His apostles should go forth into all the earth; and that He should undergo certain sufferings after His condemnation by the Jews; and that He should rise again from the dead. For was it by chance [3441] that the prophets made these announcements, with no persuasion of the truth in their minds, [3442] moving them not only to speak, but to deem their announcements worthy of being committed to writing? And did so great a nation as that of the Jews, who had long ago received a country of their own wherein to dwell, recognise certain men as prophets, and reject others as utterers of false predictions, without any conviction of the soundness of the distinction? [3443] And was there no motive which induced them to class with the books of Moses, which were held as sacred, the words of those persons who were afterwards deemed to be prophets? And can those who charge the Jews and Christians with folly, show us how the Jewish nation could have continued to subsist, had there existed among them no promise of the knowledge of future events? and how, while each of the surrounding nations believed, agreeably to their ancient institutions, that they received oracles and predictions from those whom they accounted gods, this people alone, who were taught to view with contempt all those who were considered gods by the heathen, as not being gods, but demons, according to the declaration of the prophets, "For all the gods of the nations are demons," [3444] had among them no one who professed to be a prophet, and who could restrain such as, from a desire to know the future, were ready to desert [3445] to the demons [3446] of other nations? Judge, then, whether it were not a necessity, that as the whole nation had been taught to despise the deities of other lands, they should have had an abundance of prophets, who made known events which were of far greater importance in themselves, [3447] and which surpassed the oracles of all other countries.
[3440] ton chrematizonton meridos Theou.
[3441] ara gar hos etuche.
[3442] sun houdemia pithanoteti.
[3443] sun houdemia pithanoteti.
[3444] Ps. xcvi. 5, daimonia, "idols," Auth. Vers. We have in this passage, and in many others, the identification of the daimones or gods of the heathen with the daimones or daimonia, "evil spirits," or angels, supposed to be mentioned in Gen. vi. 2.
[3445] The reading in the text is automolein, on which Bohereau, with whom the Benedictine editor agrees, remarks that we must either read automolesontas, or understand some such word as hetoimous before automolein.
[3446] Ps. xcvi. 5, daimonia, "idols," Auth. Vers. We have in this passage, and in many others, the identification of the daimones or gods of the heathen with the daimones or daimonia, "evil spirits," or angels, supposed to be mentioned in Gen. vi. 2.
[3447] to meizon autothen.
Chapter III.
In the next place, miracles were performed in all countries, or at least in many of them, as Celsus himself admits, instancing the case of Æsculapius, who conferred benefits on many, and who foretold future events to entire cities, which were dedicated to him, such as Tricca, and Epidaurus, and Cos, and Pergamus; and along with Æsculapius he mentions Aristeas of Proconnesus, and a certain Clazomenian, and Cleomedes of Astypalæa. But among the Jews alone, who say they are dedicated to the God of all things, there was wrought no miracle or sign which might help to confirm their faith in the Creator of all things, and strengthen their hope of another and better life! But how can they imagine such a state of things? For they would immediately have gone over to the worship of those demons which gave oracles and performed cures, and deserted the God who was believed, as far as words went, [3448] to assist them, but who never manifested to them His visible presence. But if this result has not taken place, and if, on the contrary, they have suffered countless calamities rather than renounce Judaism and their law, and have been cruelly treated, at one time in Assyria, at another in Persia, and at another under Antiochus, is it not in keeping with the probabilities of the case [3449] for those to suppose who do not yield their belief to their miraculous histories and prophecies, that the events in question could not be inventions, but that a certain divine Spirit being in the holy souls of the prophets, as of men who underwent any labour for the cause of virtue, did move them to prophesy some things relating to their contemporaries, and others to their posterity, but chiefly regarding a certain personage who was to come as a Saviour to the human race?
[3448] mechri logou.
[3449] pos ouchi ex eikoton kataskeuazetai.