Ante-Nicene Fathers • VOLUME 4
Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Commodian & Origen
SECTION 441
Chapter XIV.
Chapter XIV. 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 re…
1,037 wordsSECTION 442Chapter XVI.
Chapter XVI. 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: Th…
722 wordsSECTION 443Chapter XVIII.
Chapter XVIII. 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 descr…
711 wordsSECTION 444Chapter XX.
Chapter XX. 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 pre…
721 wordsSECTION 445Chapter XXII.
Chapter XXII. 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 hi…
1,076 wordsSECTION 446Chapter XXV.
Chapter XXV. 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 s…
864 wordsSECTION 447Chapter XXVIII.
Chapter XXVIII. 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 o…
1,076 wordsSECTION 448Chapter XXXI.
Chapter XXXI. 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 on…
860 wordsSECTION 449Chapter XXXIII.
Chapter XXXIII. 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 t…
787 wordsSECTION 450Chapter XXXV.
Chapter XXXV. 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 …
742 wordsSECTION 451Chapter XXXVII.
Chapter XXXVII. 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…
818 wordsSECTION 452Chapter XL.
Chapter XL. 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." [4925] Another describes punis…
777 wordsSECTION 453Chapter XLII.
Chapter XLII. 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 B…
866 wordsSECTION 454Chapter XLIV.
Chapter 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, …
764 wordsSECTION 455Chapter XLVI.
Chapter XLVI. 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…
1,103 wordsSECTION 456Chapter XLIX.
Chapter XLIX. 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 tort…
1,134 wordsSECTION 457Chapter LII.
Chapter LII. 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 …
960 wordsSECTION 458Chapter LIV.
Chapter LIV. 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," [4944] when eager in the pursuit of virtue, are even in this life delivered from the bondage of…
990 wordsSECTION 459Chapter LVI.
Chapter LVI. 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…
792 wordsSECTION 460Chapter LVIII.
Chapter LVIII. 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 diff…
971 wordsSECTION 461Chapter LXI.
Chapter LXI. 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 …
1,074 wordsSECTION 462Chapter LXIV.
Chapter LXIV. 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 o…
746 wordsSECTION 463Chapter LXVI.
Chapter LXVI. 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 b…
796 wordsSECTION 464Chapter LXVIII.
Chapter LXVIII. 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;'" [4964] 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 t…
928 wordsSECTION 465Chapter LXX.
Chapter LXX. 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 assu…
1,310 wordsSECTION 466Chapter LXXIII.
Chapter LXXIII. 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 …
944 wordsSECTION 467Chapter LXXVI.
Chapter LXXVI. 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…
2,259 wordsSECTION 4681 Corinthians
1 Corinthians [1970]1:10 [1971]1:14-15 [1972]1:18 [1973]1:21 [1974]1:21 [1975]1:23-24 [1976]1:24 [1977]1:24 [1978]1:26 [1979]1:26 [1980]1:26-27 [1981]1:26-28 [1982]1:26-28 [1983]1:26-28 [1984]1:27 [1985]1:27 [1986]1:27-28 [1987]1:27-29 [1988]1:29 [1989]1:29 [1990]1:29 [1991]1:30 [1992]1:30 [1993]2:2 [1994]2:2 [1995]2:2 [1996]2:…
1,006 wordsSECTION 469* ta logo pros tous murmekas: [2927]1 * a: [2928]1 * aoriston: [2929]1 * ageneton: [2930]1 * agenetos: [2931]1 * agona ton proton kai megist
* ta logo pros tous murmekas: [2927]1 * a: [2928]1 * aoriston: [2929]1 * ageneton: [2930]1 * agenetos: [2931]1 * agona ton proton kai megiston tes psuches: [2932]1 * agalmaton: [2933]1 * angelmaton: [2934]1 * agenes: [2935]1 * agoranomoi: [2936]1 * agrio elephanti: [2937]1 * adikon: [2938]1 * adoleschesai: [2939]1 * aeroplastein…
8,073 wordsSECTION 470Index of Hebrew Words and Phrases
Index of Hebrew Words and Phrases * 'ts: [4351]1 * 'sn: [4352]1 * vrv: [4353]1 * hv': [4354]1 * vq': [4355]1 * vyph'ph: [4356]1 * kkychlsl tm' syrm' vyshl tm' yr"m' tsq: [4357]1 * kkyny" v'r ymlg: [4358]1 * kkyrvhl .trv tvts"mb: [4359]1 * mslvt: [4360]1 * mt syhl' tr: [4361]1 * mrph': [4362]1 * mlvt: [4363]1 * nvyv': [4364]1 [4…
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Source & rights
Historical text source: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. The downloaded text itself records Public Domain.