Chapter LXI.
Again, not understanding the meaning of the words, "And God ended [4594] on the sixth day His works which He had made, and ceased [4595] on the seventh day from all His works which He had made: and God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it, because on it He had ceased [4596] from all His works which He had begun to make;" [4597] and imagining the expression, "He ceased on the seventh day," to be the same as this, "He rested [4598] on the seventh day," he makes the remark: "After this, indeed, he is weary, like a very bad workman, who stands in need of rest to refresh himself!" For he knows nothing of the day of the Sabbath and rest of God, which follows the completion of the world's creation, and which lasts during the duration of the world, and in which all those will keep festival with God who have done all their works in their six days, and who, because they have omitted none of their duties, [4599] will ascend to the contemplation (of celestial things), and to the assembly of righteous and blessed beings. In the next place, as if either the Scriptures made such a statement, or as if we ourselves so spoke of God as having rested from fatigue, he continues: "It is not in keeping with the fitness of things [4600] that the first God should feel fatigue, or work with His hands, [4601] or give forth commands." Celsus says, that "it is not in keeping with the fitness of things that the first God should feel fatigue. Now we would say that neither does God the Word feel fatigue, nor any of those beings who belong to a better and diviner order of things, because the sensation of fatigue is peculiar to those who are in the body. You can examine whether this is true of those who possess a body of any kind, or of those who have an earthly body, or one a little better than this. But "neither is it consistent with the fitness of things that the first God should work with His own hands." If you understand the words "work with His own hands" literally, then neither are they applicable to the second God, nor to any other being partaking of divinity. But suppose that they are spoken in an improper and figurative sense, so that we may translate the following expressions, "And the firmament showeth forth His handywork," [4602] and "the heavens are the work of Thy hands," [4603] and any other similar phrases, in a figurative manner, so far as respects the "hands" and "limbs" of Deity, where is the absurdity in the words, "God thus working with His own hands?" And as there is no absurdity in God thus working, so neither is there in His issuing "commands;" so that what is done at His bidding should be beautiful and praiseworthy, because it was God who commanded it to be performed.
[4594] [sunetelesen, complevit. S.]
[4595] katepausen.
[4596] katepausen.
[4597] Cf. Gen. ii. 2, 3.
[4598] anepausato.
[4599] ton epiballonton.
[4600] ou themis.
[4601] cheirourgein.
[4602] Cf. Ps. xix. 1.
[4603] Cf. Ps. cii. 25.
Chapter LXII.
Celsus, again, having perhaps misunderstood the words, "For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it," [4604] or perhaps because some ignorant individuals had rashly ventured upon the explanation of such things, and not understanding, moreover, on what principles parts called after the names of the bodily members are assigned to the attributes [4605] of God, asserts: "He has neither mouth nor voice." Truly, indeed, God can have no voice, if the voice is a concussion of the air, or a stroke on the air, or a species of air, or any other definition which may be given to the voice by those who are skilled in such matters; but what is called the "voice of God" is said to be seen as "God's voice" by the people in the passage, "And all the people saw the voice of God;" [4606] the word "saw" being taken, agreeably to the custom of Scripture, in a spiritual sense. Moreover, he alleges that "God possesses nothing else of which we have any knowledge;" but of what things we have knowledge he gives no indication. If he means "limbs," we agree with him, understanding the things "of which we have knowledge" to be those called corporeal, and pretty generally so termed. But if we are to understand the words "of which we have knowledge" in a universal sense, then there are many things of which we have knowledge, (and which may be attributed to God); for He possesses virtue, and blessedness, and divinity. If we, however, put a higher meaning upon the words, "of which we have knowledge," since all that we know is less than God, there is no absurdity in our also admitting that God possesses none of those things "of which we have knowledge." For the attributes which belong to God are far superior to all things with which not merely the nature of man is acquainted, but even that of those who have risen far above it. And if he had read the writings of the prophets, David on the one hand saying, "But Thou art the same," [4607] and Malachi on the other, "I am (the Lord), and change not," [4608] he would have observed that none of us assert that there is any change in God, either in act or thought. For abiding the same, He administers mutable things according to their nature, and His word elects to undertake their administration.
[4604] Cf. Isa. i. 20.
[4605] epi ton dunameon.
[4606] Cf. Ex. xx. 18 (LXX.). The Masoretic text is different.
[4607] Cf. Ps. cii. 27.
[4608] Cf. Mal. iii. 6.