7. Origen, Against Celsus, 4.29, 6.48 (3rd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.29. But Celsus perhaps has misunderstood certain of those whom he has termed worms, when they affirm that God exists, and that we are next to Him. And he acts like those who would find fault with an entire sect of philosophers, on account of certain words uttered by some rash youth who, after a three days' attendance upon the lectures of a philosopher, should exalt himself above other people as inferior to himself, and devoid of philosophy. For we know that there are many creatures more honourable than man; and we have read that God stands in the congregation of gods, but of gods who are not worshipped by the nations, for all the gods of the nations are idols. We have read also, that God, standing in the congregation of the gods, judges among the gods. We know, moreover, that though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many and lords many), but to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him. And we know that in this way the angels are superior to men; so that men, when made perfect, become like the angels. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but the righteous are as the angels in heaven, and also become equal to the angels. We know, too, that in the arrangement of the universe there are certain beings termed thrones, and others dominions, and others powers, and others principalities; and we see that we men, who are far inferior to these, may entertain the hope that by a virtuous life, and by acting in all things agreeably to reason, we may rise to a likeness with all these. And, lastly, because it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like God, and shall see Him as He is. And if any one were to maintain what is asserted by some (either by those who possess intelligence or who do not, but have misconceived sound reason), that God exists, and we are next to Him, I would interpret the word we, by using in its stead, We who act according to reason, or rather, We virtuous, who act according to reason. For, in our opinion, the same virtue belongs to all the blessed, so that the virtue of man and of God is identical. And therefore we are taught to become perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. No good and virtuous man, then, is a worm rolling in filth, nor is a pious man an ant, nor a righteous man a frog; nor could one whose soul is enlightened with the bright light of truth be reasonably likened to a bird of the night. 6.48. In the next place, when the philosophers of the Porch, who assert that the virtue of God and man is the same, maintain that the God who is over all things is not happier than their wise man, but that the happiness of both is equal, Celsus neither ridicules nor scoffs at their opinion. If, however, holy Scripture says that the perfect man is joined to and made one with the Very Word by means of virtue, so that we infer that the soul of Jesus is not separated from the first-born of all creation, he laughs at Jesus being called Son of God, not observing what is said of Him with a secret and mystical signification in the holy Scriptures. But that we may win over to the reception of our views those who are willing to accept the inferences which flow from our doctrines, and to be benefited thereby, we say that the holy Scriptures declare the body of Christ, animated by the Son of God, to be the whole Church of God, and the members of this body - considered as a whole - to consist of those who are believers; since, as a soul vivifies and moves the body, which of itself has not the natural power of motion like a living being, so the Word, arousing and moving the whole body, the Church, to befitting action, awakens, moreover, each individual member belonging to the Church, so that they do nothing apart from the Word. Since all this, then, follows by a train of reasoning not to be depreciated, where is the difficulty in maintaining that, as the soul of Jesus is joined in a perfect and inconceivable manner with the very Word, so the person of Jesus, generally speaking, is not separated from the only-begotten and first-born of all creation, and is not a different being from Him? But enough here on this subject. |
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