Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Celsus (Platonic philosopher), active 180; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
I am, however, of opinion that these individuals are the only instances
with which Celsus was acquainted. And yet, that he might appear
voluntarily to pass by other similar cases, he says, “And one might name
many others of the same kind.” Let it be granted, then, that many such
persons have existed who conferred no benefit upon the human race: what
would each one of their acts be found to amount to in comparison with
the work of Jesus, and the miracles related of Him, of which we have
already spoken at considerable length? He next imagines that, “in
worshipping him who,” as _he_ says, “was taken prisoner and put to
death, we are acting like the Getæ who worship Zamolxis, and the
Cilicians who worship Mopsus, and the Acarnanians who pay divine honours
to Amphilochus, and like the Thebans who do the same to Amphiaraus, and
the Lebadians to Trophonius.” Now in these instances we shall prove that
he has compared us to the foregoing without good grounds. For these
different tribes erected temples and statues to those individuals above
enumerated, whereas we have refrained from offering to the divinity
honour by any such means (seeing they are adapted rather to demons,
which are somehow fixed in a certain place which they prefer to any
other, or which take up their dwelling, as it were, after being removed
[from one place to another] by certain rites and incantations), and are
lost in reverential wonder at Jesus, who has recalled our minds from all
sensible things, as being not only corruptible, but destined to
corruption, and elevated them to honour the God who is over all with
prayers and a righteous life, which we offer to Him as being
intermediate between the nature of the uncreated and that of all created
things,[355] and who bestows upon us the benefits which come from the
Father, and who as High Priest conveys our prayers to the supreme God.
Footnote 355:
οἳς προσάγομεν αὐτῷ, ὡς διὰ μεταξὺ ὄντος τῆς τοῦ ἀγενήτου καὶ τῆς τῶν
γενητῶν πάντων φύσεως. “Hoeschel (itemque Spencerus ad marg.)
suspicabatur legendum: ὡς δὴ μεταξὺ ὄντος. Male. Nihil mutari necesse
est. Agitur quippe de precibus, quas offerimus Deo ‘per eum, qui
veluti medius est inter increatam naturam et creatam.’”—RUÆUS.
Chapter XXXV.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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