Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Celsus (Platonic philosopher), active 180; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
2. Then, in the next place, we must know that every being which is
endowed with reason, and transgresses its statutes and limitations, is
undoubtedly involved in sin by swerving from rectitude and justice.
Every rational creature, therefore, is capable of earning praise and
censure: of praise, if, in conformity to that reason which he possesses,
he advance to better things; of censure, if he fall away from the plan
and course of rectitude, for which reason he is justly liable to pains
and penalties. And this also is to be held as applying to the devil
himself, and those who are with him, and are called his angels. Now the
titles of these beings have to be explained, that we may know what they
are of whom we have to speak. The name, then, of Devil, and Satan, and
Wicked One, who is also described as Enemy of God, is mentioned in many
passages of Scripture. Moreover, certain angels of the devil are
mentioned, and also a prince of this world, who, whether the devil
himself or some one else, is not yet clearly manifest. There are also
certain princes of this world spoken of as possessing a kind of wisdom
which will come to nought; but whether these are those princes who are
also the principalities with whom we have to wrestle, or other beings,
seems to me a point on which it is not easy for any one to pronounce.
After the principalities, certain powers also are named with whom we
have to wrestle, and carry on a struggle even against the princes of
this world and the rulers of this darkness. Certain spiritual powers of
wickedness also, in heavenly places, are spoken of by Paul himself.
What, moreover, are we to say of those wicked and unclean spirits
mentioned in the gospel? Then we have certain heavenly beings called by
a similar name, but which are said to bend the knee, or to be about to
bend the knee, at the name of Jesus; nay, even things on earth and
things under the earth, which Paul enumerates in order. And certainly,
in a place where we have been discussing the subject of rational
natures, it is not proper to be silent regarding ourselves, who are
human beings, and are called rational animals; nay, even this point is
not to be idly passed over, that even of us human beings certain
different orders are mentioned in the words, “The portion of the Lord is
His people Jacob; Israel is the cord of His inheritance.”[110] Other
nations, moreover, are called a part of the angels; since “when the Most
High divided the nations, and dispersed the sons of Adam, He fixed the
boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of
God.”[111] And therefore, with other rational natures, we must also
thoroughly examine the reason of the human soul.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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