Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Celsus (Platonic philosopher), active 180; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
2. But God, by the ineffable skill of His wisdom, transforming and
restoring all things, in whatever manner they are made, to some useful
aim, and to the common advantage of all, recalls those very creatures
which differed so much from each other in mental conformation to one
agreement of labour and purpose; so that, although they are under the
influence of different motives, they nevertheless complete the fulness
and perfection of one world, and the very variety of minds tends to one
end of perfection. For it is one power which grasps and holds together
all the diversity of the world, and leads the different movements
towards one work, lest so immense an undertaking as that of the world
should be dissolved by the dissensions of souls. And for this reason we
think that God, the Father of all things, in order to ensure the
salvation of all His creatures through the ineffable plan of His word
and wisdom, so arranged each of these, that every spirit, whether soul
or rational existence, however called, should not be compelled by force,
against the liberty of his own will, to any other course than that to
which the motives of his own mind led him (lest by so doing the power of
exercising free-will should seem to be taken away, which certainly would
produce a change in the nature of the being itself); and that the
varying purposes of these would be suitably and usefully adapted to the
harmony of one world, by some of them requiring help, and others being
able to give it, and others again being the cause of struggle and
contest to those who are making progress, amongst whom their diligence
would be deemed more worthy of approval, and the place of rank obtained
after victory be held with greater certainty, which should be
established by the difficulties of the contest.[151]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account