Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Celsus (Platonic philosopher), active 180; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
And again, when it is said of Æsculapius that a great multitude both of
Greeks and barbarians acknowledge that they have frequently seen, and
still see, no mere phantom, but Æsculapius himself, healing and doing
good, and foretelling the future; Celsus requires us to believe this,
and finds no fault with the believers in Jesus, when we express our
belief in such stories, but when we give our assent to the disciples,
and eye-witnesses of the miracles of Jesus, who clearly manifest the
honesty of their convictions (because we see their guilelessness, as far
as it is possible to see the conscience revealed in writing), we are
called by him a set of “silly” individuals, although he cannot
demonstrate that an incalculable[312] number, as he asserts, of Greeks
and barbarians acknowledge the existence of Æsculapius; while we, if we
deem this a matter of importance, can clearly show a countless multitude
of Greeks and barbarians who acknowledge the existence of Jesus. And
some give evidence of their having received through this faith a
marvellous power by the cures which they perform, invoking no other name
over those who need their help than that of the God of all things, and
of Jesus, along with a mention of His history. For by these means we too
have seen many persons freed from grievous calamities, and from
distractions of mind,[313] and madness, and countless other ills, which
could be cured neither by men nor devils.
Footnote 312:
ἀμύθητον.
Footnote 313:
ἐκστάσεων.
Chapter XXV.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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