CHAP. I.    Having completed seven books, I now propose to begin the eighth. And may God and His  Only-begotten Son the Word be with us, to enable us effectively to refute the falsehoods which  Celsus has published under the delusive title of A True Discourse, and at the same time to unfold  the truths of Christianity with such fulness as our purpose requires. And as Paul said, "We are  ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us,"' so would we in the same spirit  and language earnestly desire to be ambassadors for Christ to men, even as the Word of God  beseeches them to the love of Himself, seeking to win over to righteousness truth, and the other  virtues, those who, until they receive the doctrines of Jesus Christ, live in darkness about God and  in ignorance of their Creator. Again, then, I would say, may God bestow upon us His pure and  true Word, even "the Lord strong and mighty in battle"(2) against sin. We must now proceed to  state the next objection of Celsus, and afterwards to answer it.

CHAP. II.    In a passage previously quoted Celsus asks us why we do not worship demons, and to his  remarks on demons we gave such an answer as seemed to us in accordance with the divine word.  After having put this question for the purpose of leading us to the worship of demons, he  represents us as answering that it is impossible to serve many masters. "This," he goes on to say,  "is the language of sedition, and is only used by those who separate themselves and stand aloof  from all human society. Those who speak in this way ascribe," as he supposes, "their own feelings  and passions to God. It does hold true among men, that he who is in the service of one master  cannot well serve another, because the service which he renders to the one interferes with that  which he owes to the other; and no one, therefore, who has already engaged himself to the service  of one, must accept that of another. And, in like manner, it is impossible to serve at the same time  heroes or demons of different natures. But in regard to God, who is subject to no suffering or loss,  it is," he thinks, "absurd to be on our guard against serving more gods, as though we had to do  with demi-gods, or other spirits of that sort." He says also, "He who serves many gods does that  which is pleasing to the Most High, because he honours that which belongs to Him." And he  adds, "It is indeed wrong to give honour to any to whom God has not given honour."  "Wherefore," he says, "in honouring and worshipping all belonging to God, we will not displease  Him to whom they all belong."

CHAP. III.    Before proceeding to the next point, it may be well for us to see whether we do not accept with  approval the saying, "No man can serve two masters," with the addition, "for either he will hate  the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other," and further,  "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."(3) The defence of this passage will lead us to a deeper and  more searching inquiry into the meaning and application of the words "gods" and "lords." Divine  Scripture teaches us that there is "a great Lord above all gods."(4) And by this name "gods" we  are not to understand the objects of heathen worship (for we know that "all the gods of the  heathen are demons"(5)), but the gods mentioned by the prophets as forming an assembly, whom  God "judges," and to each of whom He assigns his proper work. For "God standeth in the  assembly of the gods: He judgeth among the gods."(6) For "God is Lord of gods," who by His Son  "hath called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof."(1) We are also  commanded to "give thanks to the God of gods."(2) Moreover, we are taught that "God is not the  God of the dead, but of the living."(3) Nor are these the only passages to this effect; but there are  very many others.

CHAP. IV.    The sacred Scriptures teach us to think, in like manner, of the Lord of lords. For they say in  one place, "Give thanks to the God of gods, for His mercy endureth for ever. Give thanks to the  Lord of lords, for His mercy endureth for ever;" and in another, "God is King of kings, and Lord  of lords." For Scripture distinguishes between those gods which are such only in name and those  which are truly gods, whether they are called by that name or not; and the same is true in regard  to the use of the word "lords." To this effect Paul says, "For though there be that are called gods,  whether in heaven or in earth, as there are gods many, and lords many."(4) But as the God of  gods calls whom He pleases through Jesus to his inheritance, "from the east and from the west,"  and the Christ of God thus shows His superiority to all rulers by entering into their several  provinces, and summoning men out of them to be subject to Himself, Paul therefore, with this in  view, goes on to say, "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and one  Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him;" adding, as if with a deep sense of the  marvellous and mysterious nature of the doctrine, "Howbeit there is not in every man that  knowledge." When he says, "To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things; and  one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things," by "us" he means himself and all those who have  risen up to the supreme God of gods and to the supreme Lord of lords. Now he has risen to the  supreme God who gives Him an entire and undivided worship through His Son--the word and  wisdom of God made manifest in Jesus. For it is the Son alone who leads to God those who are  striving, by the purity of their thoughts, words, and deeds, to come near to God the Creator of the  universe. I think, therefore, that the prince of this world, who "transforms himself into an angel  of light," s was referring to this and such like statements in the words, "Him follows a host of  gods and demons, arranged in eleven bands."(6) Speaking of himself and the philosophers, he  says, "We are of the party of Jupiter; others belong to other demons."

CHAP. V.    Whilst there are thus many gods and lords, whereof some are such in reality, and others are  such only in name, we strive to rise not only above those whom the nations of the earth worship  as gods, but also beyond those spoken of as gods in Scripture, of whom they are wholly ignorant  who are strangers to the covenants of God given by Moses and by our Saviour Jesus, and who  have no part in the promises which He has made to us through them. That man rises above all  demon-worship who does nothing that is pleasing to demons; and he rises to a blessedness  beyond that of those whom Paul calls "gods," if he is enabled, like them, or in any way he may,  "to look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen." And he who  considers that" the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of  God, not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected the same in hope," whilst he praises the  creature, and sees how "it shall be freed altogether from the bondage of corruption, and restored  to the glorious liberty of the children of God,"(7)--such a one cannot be induced to combine with  the service of God the service of any other, or to serve two masters. There is therefore nothing  seditious or factious in the language of those who hold these views, and who refuse to serve more  masters than one. To them Jesus Christ is an all-sufficient Lord, who Himself instructs them, in  order that when fully instructed He may form them into a kingdom worthy of God, and present  them to God the Father. But indeed they do in a sense separate themselves and stand aloof from  those who are aliens from the commonwealth of God and strangers to His covenants, in order that  they may live as citizens of heaven, "coming to the living God, and to the city of God, the  heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and  Church of the first-born, which are written in heaven."(8)

CHAP. VI.    But when we refuse to serve any other than God through His word and wisdom, we do so, not  as though we would thereby be doing any harm or injury to God, in the same way as injury would  be done to a man by his servant entering into the service of another, but we fear that we ourselves  should suffer harm by depriving ourselves of our portion in God, through which we live in the  participation of the divine blessedness, and are imbued with that excellent spirit of adoption  which in the sons of the heavenly Father cries, not with words, but with deep effect in the inmost  heart, "Abba, Father." The Lacedaemonian ambassadors, when brought before the king of Persia,  refused to prostrate themselves before him, when the attendants endeavoured to compel them to  do so, out of respect for that which alone had authority and lordship over them, namely, the law  of Lycurgus.(1) But they who have a much greater and diviner embassy in "being ambassadors  for Christ" should not worship any ruler among Persians, or Greeks or Egyptians, or of any  nation whatever, even although their officers and ministers, demons and angels of the devil,  should seek to compel them to do so, and should urge them to set at nought a law which is  mightier than all the laws upon earth. For the Lord of those who are "ambassadors for Christ" is  Christ Himself, whose ambassadors they are, and who is "the Word, who was in the beginning,  was with God, and was God."(2)

CHAP. VII.    But when Celsus speaks of heroes and demons, he starts a deeper question than he is aware of.  For after the statement which he made in regard to service among men, that" the first master is  injured when any of his servants wishes at the same time to serve another," he adds, that "the  same holds true of heroes, and other demons of that kind." Now we must inquire of him what  nature he thinks those heroes and demons possess of whom he affirms that he who serves one  hero may not serve another, and he who serves one demon may not serve another, as though the  former hero or demon would be injured in the same way as men are injured when they who serve  them first afterwards give themselves to the service of others. Let him also state what loss he  supposes those heroes or demons will suffer. For he will be driven either to plunge into endless  absurdities, and first repeat, then retract his previous statements; or else to abandon his frivolous  conjectures, and confess that he understands nothing of the nature of heroes and demons. And in  regard to his statement, that men suffer injury when the servant of one man enters the service of a  second master, the question arises: "What is the nature of the injury which is done to the former  master by a servant who, while serving him, wishes at the same time to serve another?"

CHAP. VIII.    For if he answers, as one who is unlearned and ignorant of philosophy, that the injury  sustained is one which regards things that are outside of us, it will be plainly manifest that he  knows nothing of that famous saying of Socrates, "Anytus and Melitus may kill me, but they  cannot injure me; for it is impossible that the better should ever be injured by the worse." But if  by injury he means a wicked impulse or an evil habit, it is plain that no injury of this kind would  befall the wise, by one man serving two wise men in different places. If this sense does not suit  his purpose, it is evident that his endeavours are vain to weaken the authority of the passage, "No  man can serve two masters;" for these words can be perfectly true only when they refer to the  service which we render to the Most High through His Son, who leadeth us to God. And we will  not serve God as though He stood in need of our service, or as though He would be made unhappy  if we ceased to serve Him; but we do it because we are ourselves benefited by the service of God,  and because we are freed from griefs and troubles by serving the Most High God through His  only-begotten Son, the Word and Wisdom.

CHAP. IX.    And observe the recklessness of that expression, "For if thou worship any other of the things in  the universe," as though he would have us believe that we are led by our service of God to the  worship of any other things which belong to God, without any injury to ourselves. But, as if  feeling his error, he corrects the words, "If thou worship any other of the things in the universe,"  by adding, "We may honour none, however, except those to whom that right has been given by  God." And we would put to Celsus this question in regard to those who are honoured as gods, as  demons, or as heroes: "Now, sir, can you prove that the right to be honoured has been given to  these by God, and that it has not arisen from the ignorance and folly of men who in their  wanderings have fallen away from Him to whom alone worship and service are properly due?  You said a little ago, O Celsus, that Antinous, the favourite of Adrian, is honoured; but surely  you will not say that the right to be worshipped as a god was given to him by the God of the  universe? And so of the others, we ask proof that the right to be worshipped was given to them by  the Most High God." But if the same question is put to us in regard to the worship of Jesus, we  will show that the right to be honoured was given to Him by God, "that all may honour the Son,  even as they honour the Father."(3) For all the prophecies which preceded His birth were  preparations for His worship. And the wonders which He wrought--through no magical art, as  Celsus supposes, but by a divine power, which was foretold by the prophets--have served as a  testimony from God in behalf of the worship of Christ. He who honours the Son, who is the Word  and Reason, acts in nowise contrary to reason, and gains for himself great good; he who honours  Him, who is the Truth, becomes better by honouring truth: and this we may say of honouring  wisdom, righteousness, and all the other names by which the sacred Scriptures are wont to  designate the Son of God.

CHAP. X.    But that the honour which we pay to the Son of God, as well as that which we render to God  the Father, consists of an upright course of life, is plainly taught us by the passage, "Thou that  makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?"(1) and also, "Of  how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under  foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an  unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"(2) For if he who transgresses the  law dishonours God by his transgression, and he who treads under foot the word treads under foot  the Son of God, it is evident that he who keeps the law honours God, and that the worshipper of  God is he whose life is regulated by the principles and precepts of the divine word. Had Celsus  known who they are who are God's people, and that they alone are wise,--and who they are who  are strangers to God, and that these are all the wicked who have no desire to give themselves to  virtue,he would have considered before he gave expression to the words, "How can he who  honours any of those whom God acknowledges as His own be displeasing to God, to whom they  all belong?"

CHAP. XI.    He adds, "And indeed he who, when speaking of God, asserts that there is only one who may  be called Lord, speaks impiously, for he divides the kingdom of God, and raises a sedition  therein, implying that there are separate factions in the divine kingdom, and that there exists one  who is His enemy." He might speak after this fashion, if he could prove by conclusive arguments  that those who are worshipped as gods by the heathens are truly gods, and not merely evil spirits,  which are supposed to haunt statues and temples and altars. But we desire not only to understand  the nature of that divine kingdom of which we are continually speaking and writing, but also  ourselves to be of those who are under the rule of God alone, so that the kingdom of God may be  ours. Celsus, however, who teaches us to worship many gods, ought in consistency not to speak of  "the kingdom of God," but of "the kingdom of the gods." There are therefore no factions in the  kingdom of God, nor is there any god who is an adversary to Him, although there are some who,  like the Giants and Titans, in their wickedness wish to contend with God in company with  Celsus, and those who declare war against Him who has by innumerable proofs established the  claims of Jesus, and against Him who, as the Word, did, for the salvation of our race, show  Himself before all the world in such a form as each was able to receive Him.

CHAP. XII.    In what follows. some may imagine that he says something plausible against us. "If," says he,  "these people worshipped one God alone, and no other, they would perhaps have some valid  argument against the worship of others. But they pay excessive reverence to one who has but  lately appeared among men, and they think it no offence against God if they worship also His  servant." To this we reply, that if Celsus had known that saying," I and My Father are one,"(3)  and the words used in prayer by the Son of God, "As Thou and I are one,(4) he would not have  supposed that we worship any other besides Him who is the Supreme God. "For," says He, "My  Father is in Me, and I in Him."(5) And if any should from these words be afraid of our going over  to the side of those who deny that the Father and the Son are two persons, let him weigh that  passage, "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul,"(6) that he  may understand the meaning of the saying, "I and My Father are one." We worship one God, the  Father and the Son, therefore, as we have explained; and our argument against the worship of  other gods still continues valid. And we do not "reverence beyond measure one who has but lately  appeared," as though He did not exist before;(7) for we believe Himself when He says, "Before  Abraham was, I am."(8) Again He says, "I am the truth;"(9) and surely none of us is so simple as  to suppose that truth did not exist before the time when Christ appeared.(10) We worship,  therefore, the Father of truth, and the Son, who is the truth; and these, while they are two,  considered as persons or subsistences, are one in unity of thought, in harmony and in identity of  will. So entirely are they one, that he who has seen the Son, "who is the brightness of God's glory,  and the express image of His person,"' has seen in Him who is the image, of God, God Himself.

CHAP. XIII.    He further supposes, that "because we join along with the worship of God the worship of His  Son, it follows that, in our view, not only God, but also the servants of God, are to be  worshipped." If he had meant this to apply to those who are truly the servants of God, after His  only-begotten Son,--to Gabriel and Michael, and the other angels and archangels,and if he had  said of these that they ought to be worshipped,--if also he had clearly defined the meaning of the  word "worship," and the duties of the worshippers,--we might perhaps have brought forward such  thoughts as have occurred to us on so important a subject. But as he reckons among the servants  of God the demons which are worshipped by the heathen, he cannot induce us, on the plea of  consistency, to worship such as are declared by the word to be servants of the evil one, the prince  of this world, who leads astray from God as many as he can. We decline, therefore, altogether to  worship and serve those whom other men worship, for the reason that they are not servants of  God. For if we had been taught to regard them as servants of the Most High, we would not have  called them demons. Accordingly, we worship with all our power the one God, and His only  Son, the Word and the Image of God, by prayers and supplications; and we offer our petitions to  the God of the universe through His only-begotten Son. To the Son we first present them, and  beseech Him, as "the propitiation for our sins,"(2) and our High Priest, to offer our desires, and  sacrifices, and prayers, to the Most High. Our faith, therefore, is directed to God through His Son,  who strengthens it in us; anti Celsus can never show that the Son of God is the cause of any  sedition or disloyalty in the kingdom of God. We honour the Father when we admire His Son, the  Word, and Wisdom, and Truth, and Righteousness, and all that He who is the Son of so great a  Father is said in Scripture to be. So much on this point.

CHAP. XIV.    Again Celsus proceeds: "If you should tell them that Jesus is not the Son of God, but that, God  is the Father of all, and that He alone: ought to be truly worshipped, they would not consent to  discontinue their worship of him who is their leader in the sedition. And they call him Son of  God, not out of any extreme reverence for God, but from an extreme desire to extol Jesus Christ."  We, however, have learned who the Son of God is, and know that He is "the brightness of His  glory, and the express image of His person," and "the breath of the power of God, and a pure  influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty;" moreover, "the brightness of the everlasting  light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness."(3) We know,  therefore, that He is the Son of God, and that God is His father. And there is nothing extravagant  or unbecoming the character of God in the doctrine that He should have begotten such an only  Son; and no one will persuade us that such a one is not a Son of the unbegotten God and Father.  If Celsus has heard something of certain persons holding that the Son of God is not the Son of the  Creator of the universe, that is a matter which lies between him and the supporters of such an  opinion. Jesus is, then, not the leader of any seditious movement, but the promoter of peace. For  He said to His disciples, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you;" and as He knew that  it would be men of the world, and not men of God, who would wage war against us, he added,  "Not as the world giveth peace, do I give peace unto you."(4) And even although we are  oppressed in the world, we have confidence in Him who said, "In the world ye shall have  tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." And it is He whom we call Son of  God--Son of that God, namely, whom, to quote the words of Celsus, "we most highly reverence;"  and He is the Son who has been most highly exalted by the Father. Grant that there may be some  individuals among the multitudes of believers who are not in entire agreement with us, and who  incautiously assert that the Saviour is the Most High God; however, we do not hold with them,  but rather believe Him when He says, "The Father who sent Me is greater than I."(5) We would  not therefore make Him whom we call Father inferior--as Celsus accuses us of doing--to the Son  of God.

CHAP. XV.    Celsus goes on to say: "That I may give a true representation of their faith, I will use their own  words, as given in what is called A Heavenly Dialogue: 'If the Son is mightier than God, and the Son of man is Lord over Him, who else than the Son can be Lord over that God who is  the ruler over all things? How comes it, that while so many go about the well, no one goes down  into it? Why art thou afraid when thou hast gone so far on the way? Answer: Thou art mistaken,  for I lack neither courage nor weapons.' Is it not evident, then, that their views are precisely such  as I have described them to be? They suppose that another God, who is above the heavens, is the  Father of him whom with one accord they honour, that they may honour this Son of man alone,  whom they exalt under the form and name of the great God, and whom they assert to be stronger  than God, who rules the world, and that he rules over Him. And hence that maxim of theirs, 'It is  impossible to serve two masters,' is maintained for the purpose of keeping up the party who are  on the side of this Lord." Here, again, Celsus quotes opinions from some most obscure sect of  heretics, and ascribes them to all Christians. I call it "a most obscure sect;" for although we have  often contended with heretics, yet we are unable to discover from what set of opinions he has  taken this passage, if indeed he has quoted it from any author, and has not rather concocted it  himself, or added it as an inference of his own. For we who say that the visible world is under the  government to Him who created all things, do thereby declare that the Son is not mightier than  the Father, but inferior to Him. And this belief we ground on the saying of Jesus Himself, "The  Father who sent Me is greater than I." And none of us is so insane as to affirm that the Son of  man is Lord over God. But when we regard the Saviour as God the Word, and Wisdom, and  Righteousness, and Truth, we certainly do say that He has dominion over all things which have  been subjected to Him in this capacity, but not that His dominion extends over the God and  Father who is Ruler over all.(1) Besides, as the Word rules over none against their will, there are  still wicked beings--not only men, but also angels, and all demons--over whom we say that in a  sense He does not rule, since they do not yield Him a willing obedience; but, in another sense of  the word, He rules even over them, in the same way as we say that man rules over the irrational  animals,--not by persuasion, but as one who tames and subdues lions and beasts of burden.  Nevertheless, he leaves no means untried to persuade even those who are still disobedient to  submit to His authority. So far as we are concerned, therefore, we deny the truth of that which  Celsus quotes as one of our sayings, "Who else than He can be Lord over Him who is God over  all?"

CHAP. XVI    The remaining part of the extract given by Celsus seems to have been taken from some other  form of heresy, and the whole jumbled together in strange confusion: "How is it, that while so  many go about the well, no one goes down into it? Why dost thou shrink with fear when thou hast  gone so far on the way? Answer: Thou art mistaken, for I lack neither courage nor weapons." We  who belong to the Church which takes its name from Christ, assert that none of these statements  are true. For he seems to have made them simply that they might harmonize 'with what he had  said before; but they have no reference to us. For it is a principle with us, not to worship any god  whom we merely "suppose" to exist, but Him alone who is the Creator of this universe, and of all  things besides which are unseen by the eye of sense. These remarks of Celsus may apply to those  who go on another road and tread other paths from us,--men who deny the Creator, and make to  themselves another god under a new form, having nothing but the name of God, whom they  esteem higher than the Creator; and with these may be joined any that there may be who say that  the Son is greater than the God who rules all things. In reference to the precept that we ought not  to serve two masters, we have already shown what appears to us the principle contained in it,  when we proved that no sedition or disloyalty could be charged against the followers of Jesus  their Lord, who confess that they reject every other lord, and serve Him alone who is the Son and  Word of God.

CHAP. XVII.    Celsus then proceeds to say that "we shrink from raising altars, statues, and temples; and this,"  he thinks, "has been agreed upon among us as the badge or distinctive mark of a secret and  forbidden society." He does not perceive that we regard the spirit of every good man as an altar  from which arises an incense which is truly and spiritually sweet-smelling, namely, the prayers  ascending from a pure conscience. Therefore it is said by John in the Revelation, "The odours are  the prayers of saints;"(2) and by the Psalmist, "Let my prayer come up before Thee as incense."(3)  And the statues and gifts which are fit offerings to God are the work of no common mechanics,  but are wrought and fashioned in us by the Word of God, to wit, the virtues in which we imitate  "the First-born of all creation," who has set us an example of justice, of temperance, of courage,  of wisdom, of piety, and of the other virtues. In all those, then, who plant and cultivate within  their souls, according to the divine word, temperance, justice, wisdom, piety, and other virtues,  these excellences are their statues they raise, in which we are persuaded that it is becoming for us  to honour the model and prototype of all statues: "the image of the invisible God," God the Only- begotten. And again, they who "put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man,  which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that hath created him," in taking upon  them the image of Him who hath created them, do raise within themselves a statue like to what  the Most High God Himself desires. And as among statuaries there are some who are  marvellously perfect in their art, as for example Pheidias and Polycleitus, and among painters,  Zeuxis and Apelles, whilst others make inferior statues, and others, again, are inferior to the  second-rate artists,--so that, taking all together, there is a wide difference in the execution of  statues and pictures,--in the same way there are some who form images of the Most High in a  better manner and with a more perfect skill; so that there is no comparison even between the  Olympian Jupiter of Pheidias and the man who has been fashioned according to the image of God  the Creator. But by far the most excellent of all these throughout the whole creation is that image  in our Saviour who said, "My Father is in Me."

CHAP. XVIII.    And every one who imitates Him according to his ability, does by this very endeavour raise a  statue according to the image of the Creator for in the contemplation of God with a pure heart  they become imitators of Him. And, in general, we see that all Christians strive to raise altars and  statues as we have described them and these not of a lifeless and senseless kind and not to receive  greedy spirits intent upon lifeless things, but to be filled with the Spirit of God who dwells in the  images of virtue of which we have spoken, and takes His abode in the soul which is conformed to  the image of the Creator. Thus the Spirit of Christ dwells in those who bear, so to say, a  resemblance in form and feature to Himself. And the Word of God, wishing to set this clearly  before us, represents God as promising to the righteous, "I will dwell in them, and walk among  them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."(1) And the Saviour says, "If any  man hear My words, and do them, I and My Father will come to him, and make Our abode with  him."(2) Let any one, therefore, who chooses compare the altars which I have described with  those spoken of by Celsus, and the images in the souls of those who worship the Most High God  with the statues of Pheidias, Polycleitus, and such like, and he will clearly perceive, that while the  latter are lifeless things, and subject to the ravages of time, the former abide in the immortal  spirit as long as the reasonable soul wishes to preserve them.

CHAP. XIX.    And if, further, temples are to be compared with temples, that we may prove to those who  accept the opinions of Celsus that we do not object to the erection of temples suited to the images  and altars of which we have spoken, but that we do refuse to build lifeless temples to the Giver of  all life, let any one who chooses learn how we are taught, that our bodies are the temple of God,  and that if any one by lust or sin defiles the temple of God, he will himself be destroyed, as acting  impiously towards the true temple. Of all the temples spoken of in this sense, the best and most  excellent was the pure and holy body of our Saviour Jesus Christ. When He knew that wicked  men might aim at the destruction of the temple of God in Him, but that their purposes of  destruction would not prevail against the divine power which had built that temple, He says to  them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it again. ... This He said of the temple of  His body."(3) And in other parts of holy Scripture where it speaks of the mystery of the  resurrection to those whose ears are divinely opened, it says that the temple which has been  destroyed shall be built up again of living and most precious stones, thereby giving us to  understand that each of those who are led by the word of God to strive together in the duties of  piety, will be a precious stone in the one great temple of God. Accordingly, Peter says, "Ye also,  as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,  acceptable to God by Jesus Christ;"(4) and Paul also says, "Being built upon the foundation of the  apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ our Lord being the chief cornerstone."(5) And there is a  similar hidden allusion in this passage in Isaiah, which is addressed to Jerusalem: "Behold, I will  lay thy stones with carbuncles, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy  battlements of jasper, and thy gates of crystal, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy  children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness  shall thou be established."(6)

CHAP. XX.    There are, then, among the righteous some who are carbuncles, others sapphires, others  jaspers, and others crystals, and thus there is among the righteous every kind of choice and  precious stone. As to the spiritual meaning of the different stones,--what is their nature, and to  what kind of soul the name of each precious stone especially applies,--we cannot at present stay,  to examine. We have only felt it necessary to show thus briefly what we understand by temples,  and what the one Temple of God built of precious stones truly means. For as if in some cities a  dispute should arise as to which had the finest temples, those who thought their own were the  best would do their utmost to show the excellence of their own temples and the inferiority of the  others,--in like manner, when they reproach us for not deeming it necessary to worship the  Divine Being by raising lifeless temples, we set before them our temples, and show to such at  least as are not blind and senseless, like their senseless gods, that there is no comparison between  our statues and the statues of the heathen, nor between our altars, with what we may call the  incense ascending from them, and the heathen altars, with the fat and blood of the victims; nor,  finally, between the temples of senseless gods, admired by senseless men, who have no divine  faculty for perceiving God, and the temples, statues, and altars which are worthy of God. It is not  therefore true that we object to building altars, statues, and temples, because we have agreed to  make this the badge of a secret and forbidden society; but we do so, because we have learnt from  Jesus Christ the true way of serving God, and we shrink from whatever, under a pretence of piety,  leads to utter impiety those who abandon the way marked out for us by Jesus Christ. For it is He  who alone is the way of piety, as He truly said, "I am the way, the truth, the life."

CHAP. XXI.    Let us see what Celsus further says of God, and how he urges us to the use of those things  which are properly called idol offerings, or, still better, offerings to demons, although, in his  ignorance of what true sanctity is, and what sacrifices are well-pleasing to God, he call them  "holy sacrifices." His words are, "God is the God of all alike; He is good, He stands in need of  nothing, and He is without jealousy. What, then, is there to hinder those who are most devoted to  His service from taking part in public feasts. I cannot see the connection which he fancies  between God's being good, and independent, and free from jealousy, and His devoted servants  taking part in public feasts. I confess, indeed, that from the fact that God is good, and without  want of anything, and free from jealousy, it would follow as a consequence that we might take  part in public feasts, if it were proved that the public feasts had nothing wrong in them, and were  grounded upon true views of the character of God, so that they resulted naturally from a devout  service of God. If, however, the so-called public festivals can in no way be shown to accord with  the service of God, but may on the contrary be proved to have been devised by men when  occasion offered to commemorate some human events, or to set forth certain qualities of water or  earth, or the fruits of the earth,--in that case, it is clear that those who wish to offer an  enlightened worship to the Divine Being will act according to sound reason, and not take part in  the public feasts. For "to keep a feast," as one of the wise men of Greece has well said, "is nothing  else than to do one's duty;"(1) and that man truly celebrates a feast who does his duty and prays  always, offering up continually bloodless sacrifices in prayer to God. That therefore seems to me  a most noble saying of Paul, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of  you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."(2)

CHAP. XXII.    If it be objected to us on this subject that we ourselves are accustomed to observe certain days,  as for example the Lord's day, the Preparation, the Passover, or Pentecost, I have to answer, that  to the perfect Christian, who is ever in his thoughts, words, and deeds serving his natural Lord,  God the Word, all his days are the Lord's, and he is always keeping the Lord's day. He also who is  unceasingly preparing himself for the true life, and abstaining from the pleasures of this life  which lead astray so many,--who is not indulging the lust of the flesh, but "keeping under his  body, and bringing it into subjection,"--such a one is always keeping Preparation-day. Again, he  who considers that "Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us," and that it is his duty to keep the  feast by eating of the flesh of the Word, never ceases to keep the paschal feast; for the pascha  means a "passover," and he is ever striving in all his thoughts, words, and deeds, to pass over  from the things of this life to God, and is hastening towards the city of God. And, finally, he who  can truly say, "We are risen with Christ," and "He hath exalted us, and made us to sit with Him  in heavenly places in Christ," is always living in the season of Pentecost; and most of all, when  going up to the upper chamber, like the apostles of Jesus, he gives himself to supplication and  prayer, that he may become worthy of receiving "the mighty wind rushing from heaven," which is  powerful to destroy sin and its fruits among men, and worthy of having some share of the tongue  of fire which God sends.

CHAP. XXIII.    But the majority of those who are accounted believers are not of this advanced class; but from  being either unable or unwilling to keep every day in this manner, they require some sensible  memorials to prevent spiritual things from passing altogether away from their minds. It is to this  practice of setting apart some days distinct from others, that Paul seems to me to refer in the  expression, "part of the feast;"(1) and by these words he indicates that a life in accordance with  the divine word consists not "in a part of the feast," but in one entire and never ceasing festival?  Again, compare the festivals, observed among us as these have been described above, with the  public feasts of Celsus and the heathen, and say if the former are not much more sacred  observances than those feasts in which the lust of the flesh runs riot, and leads to drunkenness  and debauchery. It would be too long for us at present to show why we are required by the law of  God to keep its festivals by eating "the bread of affliction,"(3) or "unleavened with bitter  herbs,"(4) or why it says, "Humble your souls,"(5) and such like. For it is impossible for man,  who is a compound being, in which "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against  the flesh,"(6) to keep the feast with his whole nature; for either he keeps the feast with his spirit  and afflicts the body, which through the lust of the flesh is unfit to keep it along with the spirit, or  else he keeps it with the body, and the spirit is unable to share in it. But we have for the present  said enough on the subject of feasts.

CHAP. XXIV.    Let us now see on what grounds Celsus urges us to make use of the idol offerings and the  public sacrifices in the public feasts. His words are, "If these idols are nothing, what harm will  there be in taking part in the feast? On the other hand, if they are demons, it is certain that they  too are God's creatures, and that we must believe in them, sacrifice to them according to the laws,  and pray to them that they may be propitious." In reference to this statement, it would be  profitable for us to take up and clearly explain the whole passage of the first Epistle to the  Corinthians, in which Paul treats of offerings to idols.(7) The apostle draws from the fact that "an  idol is nothing in the world," the consequence that it is injurious to use things offered to idols;  and he shows to those who have ears to hear on such subjects, that he who partakes of things  offered to idols is worse than a murderer, for he destroys his own brethren, for whom Christ died.  And further, he maintains that the sacrifices are made to demons; and from that he proceeds to  show that those who join the table of demons become associated with the demons; and he  concludes that a man cannot both be a partaker of the table of the Lord and of the table of  demons. But since it would require a whole treatise to set forth fully all that is contained on this  subject in the Epistle to the Corinthians, we shall content ourselves with this brief statement of  the argument; for it will be evident to any one who carefully considers what has been said, that  even if idols are nothing, nevertheless it is an awful thing to join in idol festivals. And even  supposing that there are such beings as demons to whom the sacrifices are offered, it it has been  clearly shown that we are forbidden to take part in these festivals, when we know the difference  between the table of the Lord and the table of demons. And knowing this, we endeavour as much  as we can to be always partakers of the Lord's table, and beware to the utmost of joining at any  time the table of demons.

CHAP. XXV.    Celsus says that "the demons belong to God, and are therefore to be believed, to be sacrificed to  according to laws, and to be prayed to that they may be propitious." Those who are disposed to  learn, must know that the word of God nowhere says of evil things that they belong to God, for it  judges them unworthy of such a Lord. Accordingly, it is not all men who bear the name of "men  of God," but only those who are worthy of God,--such as Moses and Elias, and any others who are  so called, or such as resemble those who are so called in Scripture. In the same way, all angels  are not said to be angels of God, but only those that are blessed: those that have fallen away into  sin are called "angels of the devil," just as bad men are called "men of sin," "sons of perdition," or  "sons of iniquity." Since, then, among men some are good and others bad, and the former are said  to be God's and the latter the devil's, so among angels some are angels of God, and others angels  of the devil. But among demons there is no such distinction, for all are said to be wicked. We do  not therefore hesitate to say that Celsus is false when he says, "If they are demons, it is evident  that they must also belong to God." He must either show that this distinction of good and bad  among angels and men has no foundation, or else that a similar distinction may be shown to hold  among demons. If that is impossible, it is plain that demons do not belong to God; for their prince  is not God, but, as holy Scripture says, "Beelzebub."

CHAP. XXVI.    And we are not to believe in demons, although Celsus urges us to do so; but if we are to obey  God, we must die, or endure anything, sooner than obey demons. In the same way, we are not to  propitiate demons; for it is impossible to propitiate beings that are wicked and that seek the injury  of men. Besides, what are the laws in accordance with which Celsus would have us propitiate the  demons? For if he means laws enacted in states, he must show that they are in agreement with the  divine laws. But if that cannot be done, as the laws of many states are quite inconsistent with  each other, these laws, therefore, must of necessity either be no laws at all in the proper sense of  the word, or else the enactments of wicked men; and these we must not obey, for "we must obey  God rather than men." Away, then, with this counsel, which Celsus gives us, to offer prayer to  demons: it is not to be listened to for a moment; for our duty is to pray to the Most High God  alone, and to the Only-begotten, the First-born of the whole creation, and to ask Him as our High  Priest to present the prayers which ascend to Him from us, to His God and our God, to His Father  and the Father of those who direct their lives according to His word.(1) And as we would have no  desire to enjoy the favour of those men who wish us to follow their wicked lives, and who give us  their favour only on condition that we choose nothing opposed to their wishes, because their  favour would make us enemies of God, who cannot be pleased with those who have such men for  their friends,--in the same way those who are acquainted with the nature, the purposes, and the  wickedness of demons, can never wish to obtain their favour.

CHAP. XXVII.    And Christians have nothing to fear, even if demons should not be well-disposed to them; for  they are protected by the Supreme God, who is well pleased with their piety, and who sets His  divine angels to watch over those who are worthy of such guardianship, so that they can suffer  nothing from demons. He who by his piety possesses the favour of the Most High, who has  accepted the guidance of Jesus, the "Angel of the great counsel,''(2) being well contented with the  favour of God through Christ Jesus, may say with confidence that he has nothing to suffer from  the whole host of demons. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord  is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me,  my heart shall not fear."(3) So much, then, in reply to those statements of Celsus: "If they are  demons, they too evidently belong to God, and they are to be believed, to be sacrificed to  according to the laws, and prayers are to be offered to them that they may he propitious."

CHAP. XXVIII.    We shall now proceed to the next statement of Celsus, and examine it with care: "If in  obedience to the traditions of their fathers they abstain from such victims, they must also abstain  from all animal food, in accordance with the opinions of Pythagoras, who thus showed his respect  for the soul and its bodily organs. But if, as they say, they abstain that they may not eat along  with demons, I admire their wisdom, in having at length discovered, that whenever they eat they  eat with demons, although they only refuse to do so when they are looking upon a slain victim;  for when they eat bread, or drink wine, or taste fruits, do they not receive these things, as well as  the water they drink and the air they breathe, from certain demons, to whom have been assigned  these different provinces of nature?" Here I would observe that I cannot see how those whom he  speaks of as abstaining from certain victims, in accordance with the traditions of their fathers, are  consequently bound to abstain from the flesh of all animals. We do not indeed deny that the  divine word does seem to command something similar to this, when to raise us to a higher and  purer life it says, "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy  brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak;"(4) and again, "Destroy not him with thy  meat, for whom Christ died;"(5) and again, "If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no  flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."(6)

CHAP. XXIX.    But it is to be observed that the Jews, who claim for themselves a correct understanding of the  law of Moses, carefully restrict their food to such things as are accounted clean, and abstain from  those that are unclean. They also do not use in their food the blood of an animal nor the flesh of  an animal torn by wild beasts, and some other things which it would take too long for us at  present to detail. But Jesus, wishing to lead all men by His teaching to the pure worship and  service of God, and anxious not to throw any hindrance in the way of many who might be  benefited by Christianity, through the imposition of a burdensome code of rules in regard to food,  has laid it down, that "not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh  out of the mouth; for whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into  the draught. But those things which proceed out of the mouth are evil thoughts when spoken,  murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."(1) Paul also says, "Meat  commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we  the worse."(2) Wherefore, as there is some obscurity about this matter, without some explanation  is given, it seemed good to the apostles of Jesus and the elders assembled together at Antioch,(3)  and also, as they themselves say, to the Holy Spirit, to write a letter to the Gentile believers,  forbidding them to partake of those things from which alone they say it is necessary to abstain,  namely, "things offered to idols, things strangled, and blood."(3)

CHAP. XXX.    For that which is offered to idols is sacrificed to demons, and a man of God must not join the  table of demons. As to things strangled, we are forbidden by Scripture to partake of them, because  the blood is still in them; and blood, especially the odour arising from blood, is said to be the food  of demons. Perhaps, then, if we were to eat of strangled animals, we might have such spirits  feeding along with us. And the reason which forbids the use of strangled animals for food is also  applicable to the use of blood. And it may not be amiss, as bearing on this point, to recall a  beautiful saying in the writings of Sextus,(4) which is known to most Christians: "The eating of  animals," says he, "is a matter of indifference; but to abstain from them is more agreeable to  reason." It is not, therefore, simply on account of some traditions of our fathers that we refrain  from eating victims offered to those called gods or heroes or demons, but for other reasons, some  of which I have here mentioned. it is not to be supposed, however, that we are to abstain from the  flesh of animals in the same way as we are bound to abstain from all race and wickedness: we are  indeed to abstain not only from the flesh of animals, but from all other kinds of food, if we cannot  partake of them without incurring evil, and the consequences of evil. For we are to avoid eating  for gluttony, or for the mere gratification of the appetite, without regard to the health and  sustenance of the body. We do not believe that souls pass from one body to another, and that they  may descend so low as to enter the bodies of the brutes. If we abstain at times from eating the  flesh of animals, it is evidently, therefore, not for the same reason as Pythagoras; for it is the  reasonable soul alone that we honour, and we commit its bodily organs with due honours to the  grave. For it is not right that the dwelling-place of the rational soul should be cast aside anywhere  without honour, like the carcases of brute beasts; and so much the more when we believe that the  respect paid to the body redounds to the honour of the person who received from God a soul  which has nobly employed the organs of the body in which it resided. In regard to the question,  "How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come?"(5) we have already answered it  briefly, as our purpose required.

CHAP. XXXI.    Celsus afterwards states what is adduced by Jews and Christians alike in defence of abstinence  from idol sacrifices, namely, that it is wrong for those who have dedicated themselves to the Most  High God to eat with demons. What he brings forward against this view, we have already seen. In  our opinion, a man can only be said to eat and drink with demons when he eats the flesh of what  are called sacred victims, and when he drinks the wine poured out to the honour of the demons.  But Celsus thinks that we cannot eat bread or drink wine in any way whatever, or taste fruits, or  even take a draught of water, without eating and drinking with demons. He adds also, that the air  which we breathe is received from demons, and that not an animal can breathe without receiving  the air from the demons who are set over the air. If any one wishes to defend this statement of  Celsus, let him show that it is not the divine angels of god, but demons, the whole race of whom  are bad, that have been appointed to communicate all those blessings which have been  mentioned. We indeed also maintain with regard not only to the fruits of the earth, but to every  flowing stream and every breath of air that the ground brings forth those things which are said to  grow up naturally,--that the water springs in fountains, and refreshes the earth with running  streams,--that the air is kept pure, and supports the life of those who breathe it, only in  consequence of the agency and control of certain beings whom we may call invisible husbandmen  and guardians; but we deny that those invisible agents are demons. And if we might speak boldly,  we would say that if demons have any share at all in these things, to them belong famine, blasting  of the vine and fruit trees, pestilence among men and beasts: all these are the proper occupations  of demons, who in the capacity of public executioners receive power at certain times to carry out  the divine judgments, for the restoration of those who have plunged headlong into wickedness, or  for the trial and discipline of the souls of the wise. For those who through all their afflictions  preserve their piety pure and unimpaired, show their true character to all spectators, whether  visible or invisible, who behold them; while those who are otherwise minded, yet conceal their  wickedness, when they have their true character exposed by misfortunes, become manifest to  themselves as well as to those whom we may also call spectators.

CHAP. XXXII.    The Psalmist bears witness that divine justice employs certain evil angels to inflict calamities  upon men: "He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble,  sent by evil angels."(1) Whether demons ever go beyond this when they are suffered to do what  they are ever ready, though through the restraint put upon them they are not always able to do, is  a question to be solved by that man who can conceive, in so far as human nature will allow, how  it accords with the divine justice, that such multitudes of human souls are separated from the  body while walking in the paths which lead to certain death. "For the judgments of God are so  great," that a soul which is still clothed with a mortal body cannot comprehend them; "and they  cannot be expressed: therefore by unnurtured souls"(2) they are not in any measure to be  understood. And hence, too, rash spirits, by their ignorance in these matters, and by recklessly  setting themselves against the Divine Being, multiply impious objections against providence. It is  not from demons, then, that men receive any of those things which meet the necessities of life,  and least of all ourselves, who have been taught to make a proper use of these things. And they  who partake of corn and wine, and the fruits of trees, of water and of air, do not feed with  demons, but rather do they feast with divine angels, who are appointed for this purpose, and who  are as it were invited to the table of the pious man, who hearkens to the precept of the word,  which says, "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever y.e do, do all to the glory of God."(3) And  again, in another place it is written, "Do all things in the name of God."(4) When, therefore, we  eat and drink and breathe to the glory of God, and act in all things according to what is right, we  feast with no demons, but with divine angels: "For every creature is good, and nothing to be  refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."(5)  But it could not be good, and it could not be sanctified, if these things were, as Celsus supposes,  entrusted to the charge of demons.

CHAP. XXXIII.    From this it is evident that we have already met the next statement of Celsus, which is as  follows: "We must either not live, and indeed not come into this life at all, or we must do so on  condition that we give thanks and first-fruits and prayers to demons, who have been set over the  things of this world: and that we must do as long as we live, that they may prove good and kind."  We must surely live, and we must live according to the word of God, as far as we are enabled to  do so. And we are thus enabled to live, when, "whether we eat or drink, we do all to the glory of  God;" and we are not to refuse to enjoy those things which have been created for our use, but  must receive them with thanksgiving to the Creator. And it is under these conditions, and not  such as have been imagined by Celsus, that we have been brought into life by God; and we are  not placed under demons, but we are under the government of the Most High God, through Him  who hath brought us to God--Jesus Christ. It is not according to the law of God that any demon  has had a share in worldly affairs, but it was by their own lawlessness that they perhaps sought  out for themselves places destitute of the knowledge of God and of the divine life, or places where  there are many enemies of God. Perhaps also, as being fit to rule over and punish them, they have  been set by the Word, who governs all things, to rule over those who subjected themselves to evil  and not to God. For this reason, then, let Celsus, as one who knows not God, give thank-offerings  to demons. But we give thanks to the Creator of all, and, along with thanksgiving and prayer for  the blessings we have received, we also eat the bread presented to us; and this bread becomes by  prayer a sacred body, which sanctifies those who sincerely partake of it.

CHAP. XXXIV.    Celsus would also have us to offer first-fruits to demons. But we would offer them to Him who  said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after  his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth."(1) And to Him to whom we offer first-fruits we  also send up our prayers, "having a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the  Son of God," and "we hold fast this profession"(2) as long as we live; for we find God and His  only-begotten Son, manifested to us in Jesus; to be gracious and kind to us. And if we would wish  to have besides a great number of beings who shall ever prove friendly to us, we are taught that  "thousand thousands stood before Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand ministered unto  Him."(3) And these, regarding all as their relations and friends who imitate their piety towards  God, and in prayer call upon Him with sincerity, work along with them for their salvation, appear  unto them, deem it their office and duty to attend to them, and as if by common agreement they  visit with all manner of kindness and deliverance those who pray to God, to whom they  themselves also pray: "For they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who  shall be heirs of salvation."(4) Let the learned Greeks say that the human soul at its birth is  placed under the charge of demons: Jesus has taught us not to despise even the little ones in His  Church, saying, "Their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven."(5)  And the prophet says, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and  delivereth them."(6) We do not, then, deny that there are many demons upon earth, but we  maintain that they exist and exercise power among the wicked, as a punishment of their  wickedness. But they have no power over those who "have put on the whole armour of God," who  have received strength to "withstand the wiles of the devil,"(7) and who are ever engaged in  contests with them, knowing that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against  principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual  wickedness in high places."(8)

CHAP. XXV.    Now let us consider another saying of Celsus, which is as follows: "The satrap of a Persian or  Roman monarch, or ruler or general or governor, yea, even those who fill lower offices of trust or  service in the state, would be able to do great injury to those who despised them; and will the  satraps and ministers of earth and air be insulted with impunity?" Observe now how he  introduces servants of the Most High--rulers, generals, governors, and those filling lower offices  of trust and service--as, after the manner of men, inflicting injury upon those who insult them.  For he does not consider that a wise man would not wish to do harm to any, but would strive to  the utmost of his power to change and amend them; unless, indeed, it be that those whom Celsus  makes servants and rulers appointed by the Most High are behind Lycurgus, the lawgiver of the  Lacedaemonians, or Zeno of Citium. For when Lycurgus had had his eye put out by a man, he got  the offender into his power; but instead of taking revenge upon him, he ceased not to use all his  arts of persuasion until he induced him to become a philosopher. And Zeno, on the occasion of  some one saying, "Let me perish rather than not have my revenge on thee," answered him, "But  rather let me perish if I do not make a friend of thee." And I am not yet speaking of those whose  characters have been formed by the teaching of Jesus, and who have heard the words, "Love your  enemies, and pray for them which despitefully use you, that ye may be the children of your Father  which is in heaven; for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain  on the just and on the unjust."(9) And in the prophetical writings the righteous man says, "O  Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; if I have returned evil to those  who have done evil to me, let me fall helpless under mine enemies: let my enemy persecute my  soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth."(10)

CHAP. XXXVI.    But the angels, who are the true rulers and generals and ministers of God, do not, as Celsus  supposes, "injure those who offend them;" and if certain demons, whom Celsus had in mind, do  inflict evils, they show that they are wicked, and that they have received no office of the kind  from God. And they even do injury to those who are under them, and who have acknowledged  them as their masters; and accordingly, as it would seem that those who break through the  regulations which prevail in any country in regard to matters of food, suffer for it if they are  under the demons of that place, while those who are not under them, and have not submitted to  their power, are free from all harm, and bid defiance to such spirits; although if, in ignorance of  certain things, they have come under the power of other demons, they may suffer punishment  from them. But the Christian--the true Christian, I mean--who has submitted to God alone and  His Word, will suffer nothing from demons, for He is mightier than demons. And the Christian  will suffer nothing, for "the angel of the Lord will encamp about them that fear Him, and will  deliver them,"(1) and his "angel," who "always beholds the face of his Father in heaven,"(2)  offers up his prayers through the one High Priest to the God of all, and also joins his own prayers  with those of the man who is committed to his keeping. Let not, then, Celsus try to scare us with  threats of mischief from demons, for we despise them. And the demons, when despised, can do  no harm to those who are under the protection of Him who can alone help all who deserve His  aid; and He does no less than set His own angels over His devout servants, so that none of the  hostile angels, nor even he who is called "the prince of this world,"(3) can effect anything against  those who have given themselves to God.

CHAP. XXXVII.    In the next place, Celsus forgets that he is addressing Christians, who pray to God alone  through Jesus; and mixing up other notions with theirs, he absurdly attributes them all to  Christians. "If," says he, "they who are addressed are called upon by barbarous names, they will  have power, but no longer will they have any if they are addressed in Greek or Latin." Let him,  then, state plainly whom we call upon for help by barbarous names. Any one will be convinced  that this is a false charge which Celsus brings against us, when he considers that Christians in  prayer do not even use the precise names which divine Scripture applies to God; but the Greeks  use Greek names, the Romans Latin names, and every one prays and sings praises to God as he  best can, in his mother tongue. For the Lord of all the languages of the earth hears those who  pray to Him in each different tongue, hearing, if I may so say, but one voice, expressing itself in  different dialects.(4) For the Most High is not as one of those who select one language, Barbarian  or Greek, knowing nothing of any other, and caring nothing for those who speak in other  tongues.

CHAP. XXXVIII.    He next represents Christians as saying what he never heard from any Christian; or if he did, it  must have been from one of the most ignorant and lawless of the people. "Behold," they are made  to say, "I go up to a statue of Jupiter or Apollo, or some other god: I revile it, and beat it, yet it  takes no vengeance on me." He is not aware that among the prohibitions of the divine law is this,  "Thou shalt not revile the gods,"(5) and this is intended to prevent the formation of the habit of  reviling any one whatever; for we have been taught, "Bless, and curse not,"(6) and it is said that  "revilers shall not inherit the kingdom of God."(7) And who amongst us is so foolish as to speak  in the way Celsus describes, and to fail to see that such contemptuous language can be of no avail  for removing prevailing notions about the gods? For it is matter of observation that there are men  who utterly deny the existence of a God or of an overruling providence, and who by their impious  and destructive teaching have founded sects among those who are called philosophers, and yet  neither they themselves, nor those who have embraced their opinions, have suffered any of those  things which mankind generally account evils: they are both strong in body and rich in  possessions. And yet if we ask what loss they have sustained, we shall find that they have suffered  the most certain injury. For what greater injury can befall a man than that he should be unable  amidst the order of the world to see Him who has made it? and what sorer affliction can come to  any one than that blindness of mind which prevents him from seeing the Creator and Father of  every soul?

CHAP. XXXIX,    After putting such words into our mouth, and maliciously charging Christians with sentiments  which they never held, he then proceeds to give to this supposed expression of Christian feeling  an answer, which is indeed more a mockery than an answer, when he says, "Do you not see, good  sir, that even your own demon is not only reviled, but banished from every land and sea, and you  yourself, who are as it were an image dedicated to him, are bound and led to punishment, and  fastened to the stake, whilst your demon--or, as you call him, 'the Son of God'--takes no  vengeance on the evil-doer?" This answer would be admissible if we employed such language as  he ascribes to us; although even then he would have no right to call the Son of God a demon. For  as we hold that all demons are evil, He who turns so many men to God is in our view no demon,  but God the Word, and the Son of God. And I know not how Celsus has so far forgotten himself  as to call Jesus Christ a demon, when he nowhere alludes to the existence of any evil demons.  And finally, as to the punishments threatened against the ungodly, these will come upon them  after they have refused all remedies, and have been, as we may say, visited with an incurable  malady of sinfulness.

CHAP. XL.    Such is our doctrine of punishment; and the inculcation of this doctrine turns many from their  sins. But let us see, on the other hand, what is the response given on this subject by the priest of  Jupiter or Apollo of whom Celsus speaks. It is this: "The mills of the gods grind slowly."(1)  Another describes punishment as reaching "to children's children, and to those who came after  them."(2) How much better are those words of Scripture: "The fathers shall not be put to death for  the children, nor the children for the fathers. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin."(3)  And again, "Every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge."(4) And, "The  son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son:  the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be  upon him."(5) If any shall say that the response, "To children's children, and to those who come  after them," corresponds with that passage, "Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the  children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me,"(6) let him learn from  Ezekiel that this language is not to be taken literally; for he reproves those who say, "Our fathers  have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge,"(7) and then he adds, "As I live,  saith the Lord, every one shall die for his own sin." As to the proper meaning of the figurative  language about sins being visited unto the third and fourth generation, we cannot at present stay  to explain.

CHAP. XLI.    He then goes on to rail against us after the manner of old wives. "You," says he, "mock and  revile the statues of our gods; but if you had reviled Bacchus or Hercules in person, you would not  perhaps have done so with impunity. But those who crucified your God when present among  men, suffered nothing for it, either at the time or during the whole of their lives. And what new  thing has there happened since then to make us believe that he was not an impostor, but the Son  of God? And forsooth, he who sent his Son with certain instructions for mankind, allowed him to  be thus cruelly treated, and his instructions to perish with him, without ever during all this long  time showing the slightest concern. What father was ever so inhuman? Perhaps, indeed, you may  say that he suffered so much, because it was his wish to bear what came to him. But it is open to  those whom you maliciously revile, to adopt the same language, and say that they wish to be  reviled, and therefore they bear it with patience; for it is best to deal equally with both sides,-- although these (gods) severely punish the scorner, so that he must either flee and hide himself, or  be taken and perish." Now to these statements I would answer that we revile no one, for we  believe that "revilers will not inherit the kingdom of God."(8) And we read, "Bless them that  curse you; bless, and curse not;" also, "Being reviled, we bless." And even although the abuse  which we pour upon another may seem to have some excuse in the wrong which we have received  from him, yet such abuse is not allowed by the word of God. And how much more ought we to  abstain from reviling others, when we consider what a great folly it is ! And it is equally foolish  to apply abusive language to stone or gold or silver, turned into what is supposed to be the form  of God by those who have no knowledge of God. Accordingly, we throw ridicule not upon lifeless  images, but upon those only who worship them. Moreover, if certain demons reside in certain  images, and one of them passes for Bacchus, another for Hercules, we do not vilify them: for, on  the one hand, it would be useless; and, on the other, it does not become one who is meek, and  peaceful, and gentle in spirit, and who has learnt that no one among men or demons is to be  reviled, however wicked he may be.

CHAP. XLII.    There is an inconsistency into which, strangely enough, Celsus has fallen unawares. Those  demons or gods whom he extolled a little before, he now shows to be in fact the vilest of  creatures, punishing more for their own revenge than for the improvement of those who revile  them. His words are, "If you had reviled Bacchus or Hercules when present in person, you would  not have escaped with impunity." How any one can hear without being present in person, I leave any one who will to explain; as also those other questions, "Why he is sometimes present, and  sometimes absent?" and, "What is the business which takes demons away from place to place?"  Again, when he says, "Those who crucified your God himself, suffered no harm for doing so," he  supposes that it is the body of Jesus extended on the cross and slain, and not His divine nature,  that we call God; and that it was as God that Jesus was crucified and slain. As we have already  dwelt at length on the sufferings which Jesus suffered as a man, we shall. purposely say no more  here, that we may not repeat what we have said already. But when he goes on to say that "those  who inflicted death upon Jesus suffered nothing afterwards through so long a time," we must  inform him, as well as all who are disposed to learn the truth, that the city in which the Jewish  people called for the crucifixion of Jesus with shouts of" Crucify him, crucify him," preferring to  have the robber set free, who had been cast into prison for sedition and murder and Jesus, who  had been delivered through envy, to be crucified,--that this city not long afterwards was attacked,  and, after a long siege, was utterly overthrown and laid waste; for God judged the inhabitants of  that place unworthy of living together the life of citizens. And yet, though it may seem an  incredible thing to say, God spared this people in delivering them to their enemies; for He saw  that they were incurably averse to any amendment, and were daily sinking deeper and deeper into  evil. And all this befell them, because the blood of Jesus was shed at their instigation and on their  land; and the land was no longer able to bear those who were guilty of so fearful a crime against  Jesus.

CHAP. XLIII.    Some new thing, then, has come to pass since the time that Jesus suffered,--that, I mean, which  has happened to the city, to the whole nation, and in the sudden and general rise of a Christian  community. And that, too, is a new thing, that those who were strangers to the covenants of God,  with no part in His promises, and far from the truth, have by a divine power been enabled to  embrace the truth. These things were not the work of an impostor, but were the work of God, who  sent His Word, Jesus Christ, to make known His purposes.(2) The sufferings and death which  Jesus endured with such fortitude and meekness, show the cruelty and injustice of those who  inflicted them, but they did not destroy the announcement of the purposes of God; indeed, if we  may so say, they served rather to make them known. For Jesus Himself taught us this when He  said, "Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth by itself alone: but if it die,  it bringeth forth much fruit."(3) Jesus, then, who is this grain of wheat, died, and brought forth  much fruit. And the Father is ever looking forward for the results of the death of the grain of  wheat, both those which are arising now, and those which shall arise hereafter. The Father of  Jesus is therefore a tender and loving Father, though "He spared not His own Son, but delivered  Him up" as His lamb "for us all,"(4) that so "the Lamb of God," by dying for all men, might "take  away the sin of the world." It was not by compulsion, therefore, but willingly, that He bore the  reproaches of those who reviled Him. Then Celsus, returning to those who apply abusive  language to images, says: "Of those whom you load with insults, you may in like manner say that  they voluntarily submit to such treatment, and therefore they bear insults with patience; for it is  best to deal equally with both sides. Yet these severely punish the scorner, so that he must either  flee and hide himself, or be taken and perish." It is not, then, because Christians cast insults upon  demons that they incur their revenge, but because they drive them away out of the images, and  from the bodies and souls of men. And here, although Celsus perceives it not, he has on this  subject spoken something like the truth; for it is true that the souls of those who condemn  Christians, and betray them, and rejoice in persecuting them, are filled with wicked demons.

CHAP, XLIV.    But when the souls of those who die for the Christian faith depart from the body with great  glory, they destroy the power of the demons, and frustrate their designs against men. Wherefore I  imagine, that as the demons have learnt from experience that they are defeated and overpowered  by the martyrs for the truth, they are afraid to have recourse again to violence. And thus, until  they forget the defeats they have sustained, it is probable that the world will be at peace with the.  Christians. But when they recover their power, and, with eyes blinded by sin, wish again to take  their revenge on Christians, and persecute them, then again they will be defeated, and then again  the souls of the godly, who lay down their lives for the cause of godliness, shall utterly destroy the  army of the wicked one. And as the demons perceive that those who meet death victoriously for  the sake of religion destroy their authority, while those who give way under their sufferings, and  deny the faith, come under their power, I imagine that at times they feel a deep interest in  Christians when on their trial, and keenly strive to gain them over to their side, feeling as they do  that their confession is torture to them, and their denial is a relief and encouragement to them.  And traces of the same feeling may be seen in the demeanour of the judges; for they are greatly  distressed at seeing those who bear outrage and torture with patience, but are greatly elated when  a Christian gives way under it. Yet it is from no feeling of humanity that this arises. They see  well, that, while "the tongues" of those who are overpowered by the tortures "may take the oath,  the mind has not sworn.", And this may serve as an answer to the remark of Celsus: "But they  severely punish one who reviles them, so that he must either flee and hide himself, or be taken  and perish." If a Christian ever flees away, it is not from fear, but in obedience to the command of  his Master, that so he may preserve himself, and employ his strength for the benefit of others.

CHAP. XLV.    Let us see what Celsus next goes on to say. It is as follows: "What need is there to collect all  the oracular responses, which have been delivered with a divine voice by priests and priestesses,  as wall as by others, whether men or women, who were under a divine influence?--all the  wonderful things that have been heard issuing from the inner sanctuary?--all the revelations that  have been made to those who consulted the sacrificial victims?--and all the knowledge that has  been conveyed to men by other signs and prodigies? To some the gods have appeared in visible  forms. The world is full of such instances. How many cities have been built in obedience to  commands received from oracles; how often, in the same way, delivered from disease and famine!  Or again, how many cities, from disregard or forgetfulness of these oracles, have perished  miserably! How many colonies have been established and made to flourish by following their  orders! How many princes and private persons have, from this cause, had prosperity or adversity!  How many who mourned over their childlessness, have obtained the blessing they asked for! How  many have turned away from themselves. the anger of demons! How many who were maimed in  their limbs, have had them restored! And again, how many have met with summary punishment  for showing want of reverence to the temples--some being instantly seized with madness, others  openly confessing their crimes, others having put an end to their lives, and others having become  the victims of incurable maladies! Yea, some have been slain by a terrible voice issuing from the  inner sanctuary." I know not how it comes that Celsus brings forward these as undoubted facts,  whilst at the same time he treats as mere fables the wonders which are recorded and handed down  to us as having happened among the Jews, or as having been performed by Jesus and His  disciples. For why may not our accounts be true, and those of Celsus fables and fictions? At least,  these latter were not believed by the followers of Democritus, Epicurus, and Aristotle, although  perhaps these Grecian sects would have been convinced by the evidence in support of our  miracles, if Moses or any of the prophets who wrought these wonders, or Jesus Christ Himself,  had come in their way.

CHAP. XLVI.    It is related of the priestess of Apollo, that she at times allowed herself to be influenced in her  answers by bribes; but our prophets were admired for their plain truthfulness, not only by their  contemporaries, but also by those who lived in later times. For through the commands  pronounced by the prophets cities were founded, men were cured, and plagues were stayed.  Indeed, the whole Jewish race went out as a colony from Egypt to Palestine, in accordance with  the divine oracles. They also, when they followed the commands of God, were prosperous; when  they departed from them, they suffered reverses. What need is there to quote all the princes and  private persons in Scripture history who fared well or ill according as they obeyed or despised the  words of the prophets? If we refer to those who were unhappy because they were childless, but  who, after offering prayers to the Creator of all, became fathers and mothers, let any one read the  accounts of Abraham and Sarah, to whom at an advanced age was born Isaac, the father of the  whole Jewish nation: and there are other instances of the same thing. Let him also read the  account of Hezekiah, who not only recovered from his sickness, according to the prediction of  Isaiah, but was also bold enough to say, "Afterwards I shall beget children, who shall declare Thy  righteousness."(2) And in the fourth book of Kings we read that the prophet Elisha made known  to a woman who had received him hospitably, that by the grace of God she should have a son;  and through the prayers of Elisha she became a mother.(8) The maimed were cured by Jesus in  great numbers. And the books of the Maccabees relate what punishments were inflicted upon  those who dared to profane the Jewish service in the temple at Jerusalem.

CHAP. XLVII.    But the Greeks Will say that these accounts are fabulous, although two whole nations are  witnesses to their truth. But why may we not consider the accounts of fife Greeks as fabulous  rather than those? Perhaps some one, however, wishing not to appear blindly to accept his own  statements and reject those of others, would conclude, after a close examination of the matter,  that the wonders mentioned by the Greeks were performed by certain demons; those among the  Jews by prophets or by angels, or by God through the means of angels; and those recorded by  Christians by Jesus Himself, or by His power working in His apostles. Let us, then, compare all  these accounts together; let us examine into the aim and purpose of those who performed them;  and let us inquire what effect was produced upon the persons on whose account these acts of  kindness were performed, whether beneficial or hurtful, or neither the one nor the other. The  ancient Jewish people, before they sinned against God, and were for their great wickedness cast  off by Him, must evidently have been a people of great wisdom.(1) But Christians, who have in so  wonderful a manner formed themselves into a community, appear at first to have been more  induced by miracles than by exhortations to forsake the institutions of their fathers, and to adopt  others which were quite strange to them. And indeed, if we were to reason from what is probable  as to the first formation of the Christian society, we should say that it is incredible that the  apostles of Jesus Christ, who were unlettered men of humble life, could have been emboldened to  preach Christian truth to men by anything else than the power which was conferred upon them,  and the grace which accompanied their words and rendered them effective; and those who heard  them would not have renounced the old-established usages of their fathers, and been induced to  adopt notions so different from those in which they had been brought up, unless they had been  moved by some extraordinary power, and by the force of miraculous events.

CHAP. XLVIII.    In the next place, Celsus, after referring to the enthusiasm with which men will contend unto  death rather than abjure Christianity, adds strangely enough some remarks, in which he wishes to  show that our doctrines are similar to those delivered by the priests at the celebration of the  heathen mysteries. He says, "Just as you, good sir, believe in eternal punishments, so also do the  priests who interpret and initiate into the sacred mysteries. The same punishments with which  you threaten others, they threaten you. Now it is worthy of examination, which of the two is more  firmly established as true; for both parties contend with equal assurance that the truth is on their  side. But if we require proofs, the priests of the heathen gods produce many that are clear and  convincing, partly from wonders performed by demons, and partly from the answers given by  oracles, and various other modes of divination." He would, then, have us believe that we and the  interpreters of the mysteries equally teach the doctrine of eternal punishment, and that it is a  matter for inquiry on which side of the two the truth lies. Now I should say that the truth lies with  those who are able to induce their hearers to live as men who are convinced of the truth of what  they have heard. But Jews and Christians have been thus affected by the doctrines they hold about  what we speak of as the world to come, and the rewards of the righteous, and the punishments of  the wicked. Let Celsus then, or any one who will, show us who have been moved in this way in  regard to eternal punishments by the teaching of heathen priests and mystagogues. For surely the  purpose of him who brought to light this doctrine was not only to reason upon the subject of  punishments, and to strike men with terror of them, but to induce those who heard the truth to  strive with all their might against those sins which are the causes of punishment. And those who  study the prophecies with care, and are not content with a cursory perusal of the predictions  contained in them, will find them such as to convince the intelligent and sincere reader that the  Spirit of God was in those men, and that with their writings there is nothing in all the works of  demons, responses of oracles, or sayings of soothsayers, for one moment to be compared.

CHAP. XLIX.    Let us see in what terms Celsus next addresses us: "Besides, is it not most absurd and  inconsistent in you, on the one hand, to make so much of the body as you do--to expect that the  same body will rise again, as though it were the best and most precious part of us; and yet, on the  other, to expose it to such tortures as though it were worthless? But men who hold such notions,  and are so attached to the body, are not worthy of being reasoned with; for in this and in other  respects they show themselves to be gross, impure, and bent upon revolting without any reason  from the common belief. But I shall direct my discourse to those who hope for the enjoyment of  eternal life with God by means of the soul or mind, whether they choose to call it a spiritual  substance, an intelligent spirit, holy and blessed, or a living soul, or the heavenly and  indestructible offspring of a divine and incorporeal nature, or by whatever name they designate  the spiritual nature of man. And they are rightly persuaded that those who live well shall be  blessed, and the unrighteous shall all suffer everlasting punishments. And from this doctrine  neither they nor any other should ever swerve." Now, as he has often already reproached us for  our opinions on the resurrection, and as we have on these occasions defended our opinions in  what seemed to us a reasonable way, we do not intend, at each repetition of the one objection, to  go into a repetition of our defence. Celsus makes an unfounded charge against us when he  ascribes to us the opinion that "there is nothing in our complex nature better or more precious  than the body;" for we hold that far beyond all bodies is the soul, and especially the reasonable  soul; for it is the soul, and not the body, which bears the likeness of the Creator. For, according to  us, God is not corporeal, unless we fall into the absurd errors of the followers of Zeno and  Chrysippus.

CHAP. L.    But since he reproaches us with too great an anxiety about the body, let him know that when  that feeling is a wrong one we do not share in it, and when it is indifferent we only long for that  which God has promised to the righteous. But Celsus considers that we are inconsistent with  ourselves when we count the body worthy of honour from God, and therefore hope for its  resurrection, and yet at the same time expose it to tortures as though it were not worthy of  honour. But surely it is not without honour for the body to suffer for the sake of godliness, and to  choose afflictions on account of virtue: the dishonourable thing would be for it to waste its powers  in vicious indulgence. For the divine word says: "What is an honourable seed? The seed of man.  What is a dishonourable seed? The seed of man."(1) Moreover, Celsus thinks that he ought not to  reason with those who hope for the good of the body, as they are unreasonably intent upon an  object which can never satisfy their expectations. He also calls them gross and impure men, bent  upon creating needless dissensions. But surely he ought, as one of superior humanity, to assist  even the rude and depraved. For society does not exclude from its pale the coarse and  uncultivated, as it does the irrational animals, but our Creator made us on the same common level  with all mankind. It is not an undignified thing, therefore, to reason even with the coarse and  unrefined, and to try to bring them as far as possible to a higher state of refinement--to bring the  impure to the highest practicable degree of purity--to bring the unreasoning multitude to reason,  and the diseased in mind to spiritual health.

CHAP. LI    In the next place, he expresses his approval of those who "hope that eternal life shall be  enjoyed with God by the soul or mind, or, as it is variously called, the spiritual nature, the  reasonable soul, intelligent, holy, and blessed;" and he allows the soundness of the doctrine, "that  those who had a good life shall be happy, and the unrighteous shall suffer eternal punishments."  And yet I wonder at what follows, more than at anything that Celsus has ever said; for he adds,  "And from this doctrine let not them or any one ever swerve." For certainly in writing against  Christians, the very essence of whose faith is God, and the promises made by Christ to the  righteous, and His warnings of punishment awaiting the wicked, he must see that, if a Christian  were brought to renounce Christianity by his arguments against it, it is beyond doubt that, along  with his Christian faith, he would cast off the very doctrine from which he says that no Christian  and no man should ever swerve. But I think Celsus has been far surpassed in consideration for his  fellow-men by Chrysippus in his treatise, On the Subjugation of the Passions. For when he sought  to apply remedies to the affections and passions which oppress and distract the human spirit, after  employing such arguments as seemed to himself to be strong, he did not shrink from using in the  second and third place others which he did not himself approve of. "For," says he, "if it were held  by any one that there are three kinds of good, we must seek to regulate the passions in accordance  with that supposition; and we must not too curiously inquire into the opinions held by a person at  the time that he is under the influence of passion, lest, if we delay too long for the purpose of  overthrowing the opinions by which the mind is possessed, the opportunity for curing the passion  may pass away." And he adds, "Thus, supposing that pleasure were the highest good, or that he  was of that opinion whose mind was under the dominion of passion, we should not the less give  him help, and show that, even on the principle that pleasure is the highest and final good of man,  all passion is disallowed." And Celsus, in like manner, after having embraced the doctrine, "that  the righteous shall be blessed, and the wicked shall suffer eternal punishments," should have  followed out his subject; and, after having advanced what seemed to him the chief argument, he  should have proceeded to prove and enforce by further reasons the truth that the unjust shall  surely suffer eternal punishment, and those who lead a good life shall be blessed.

CHAP. LII.    For we who have been persuaded by many, yea by innumerable, arguments to lead a Christian  life, are especially anxious to bring all men as far as possible to receive the whole system of  Christian truth; but when we meet with persons who are prejudiced by the calumnies thrown out  against Christians, and who, from a notion that Christians are an impious people, will not listen  to any who offer to instruct them in the principles of the divine word, then, on the common  principles of humanity, we endeavour to the best of our ability to convince them of the doctrine of  the punishment of the wicked, and to induce even those who are unwilling to become Christians  to accept that truth. And we are thus anxious to persuade them of the rewards of right living,  when we see that many things which we teach about a healthy moral life are also taught by the  enemies of our faith. For you will find that they have not entirely lost the common notions of  right and wrong, of good and evil. Let all men, therefore, when they look upon the universe,  observe the constant revolution of the unerring stars, the converse motion of the planets, the  constitution of the atmosphere, and its adaptation to the necessities of the animals, and especially  of man, with all the innumerable contrivances for the well-being of mankind; and then, after thus  considering the order of the universe, let them beware of doing ought which is displeasing to the  Creator of this universe, of the soul and its intelligent principle; and let them rest assured that  punishment shall be inflicted on the wicked, and rewards shall be bestowed upon the righteous,  by Him who deals with every one as he deserves, and who will proportion His rewards to the good  that each has done, and to the account of himself that he is able to give.(1) And let all men know  that the good shall be advanced to a higher state, and that the wicked shall be delivered over to  sufferings and torments, in punishment of their licentiousness and depravity, their cowardice,  timidity, and all their follies.

CHAP. LIII.    Having said so much on this subject, let us proceed to another statement of Celsus: "Since men  are born united to a body, whether to suit the order of the universe, or that they may in that way  suffer the punishment of sin; or because the soul is oppressed by certain passions until it is purged  from these at the appointed period of time,--for, according to Empedocles, all mankind must be  banished from the abodes of the blessed for 30,000 periods of time,--we must therefore believe  that they are entrusted to certain beings as keepers of this prison-house." You will observe that  Celsus, in these remarks, speaks of such weighty matters in the language of doubtful human  conjecture. He adds also various opinions as to the origin of man, and shows considerable  reluctance to set down any of these opinions as false. When he had once come to the conclusion  neither indiscriminately to accept nor recklessly to reject the opinions held by the ancients, would  it not have been in accordance with that same rule of judging, if, when he found himself not  disposed to believe the doctrines taught by the Jewish prophets and by Jesus, at any rate to have  held them as matters open to inquiry? And should he not have considered whether it is very  probable that a people who faithfully served the Most High God, and who ofttimes encountered  numberless dangers, and even death, rather than sacrifice the honour of God, and what they  believed to be the revelations of His will, should have been wholly overlooked by God? Should it  not rather be thought probable that people who despised the efforts of human art to represent the  Divine Being, but strove rather to rise in thought to the knowledge of the Most High, should have  been favoured with some revelation from Himself? Besides, he ought to have considered that the  common Father and Creator of all, who sees and hears all things, and who duly esteems the  intention of every man who seeks Him and desires to serve Him, will grant unto these also some  of the benefits of His rule, and will give them an enlargement of that knowledge of Himself which  He has once bestowed upon them. If this had been remembered by Celsus and the others who hate  Moses and the Jewish prophets, and Jesus, and His faithful disciples, who endured so much for  the sake of His word, they would not thus have reviled Moses, and the prophets, and Jesus, and  His apostles; and they would not have singled out for their contempt the Jews beyond all the  nations of the earth, and said they were worse even than the Egyptians,--a people who, either  from superstition or some other form of delusion, went as far as they could in degrading the  Divine Being to the level of brute beasts. And we invite inquiry, not as though we wished to lead  any to doubt regarding the truths of Christianity, but in order to show that it would be better for  those who in every way revile the doctrines of Christianity, at any rate to suspend their judgment,  and not so rashly to state about Jesus and His apostles such things as they do not know, and as  they cannot prove, either by what the Stoics call" apprehensive perception,"(1) or by any other  methods used by different sects of philosophers as criteria of truth.

CHAP. LIV.    When Celsus adds, "We must therefore believe that men are entrusted to certain beings who  are the keepers of this prison-house," our answer is, that the souls of those who are called by  Jeremiah "prisoners of the earth,"(2) when eager in the pursuit of virtue, are even in this life  delivered from the bondage of evil; for Jesus declared this, as was foretold long before His advent  by the prophet Isaiah, when he said that "the prisoners would go forth, and they that were in  darkness would show themselves."(3) And Jesus Himself, as Isaiah also foretold of Him, arose as  "a light to them that sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,"(4) so that we may therefore say,  "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast their cords from us."(5) If Celsus, and those who like  him are opposed to us, had been able to sound the depths of the Gospel narratives, they would not  have counselled us to put our confidence in those beings whom they call "the keepers of the  prison-house." It is written in the Gospel that a woman was bowed together, and could in no wise  lift up herself. And when Jesus beheld her, and perceived from what cause she was bowed  together, he said, "Ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these  eighteen years, to be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"(6) And how many others are  still bowed down and bound by Satan, who hinders them from looking up at all, and who would  have us to look down also! And no one can raise them up, except the Word, that came by Jesus  Christ, and that aforetime inspired the prophets: And Jesus came to release those who were under  the dominion of the devil; and, speaking of him, He said with that depth of meaning which  characterized His words, "Now is the prince of this world judged." We are, then, indulging in no  baseless calumnies against demons, but are condemning their agency upon earth as destructive to  mankind, and show that, under cover of oracles and bodily cures, and such other means, they are  seeking to separate from God the soul which has descended to this "body of humiliation;" and  those who feel this humiliation exclaim, "0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from  the body of this death?"(7) It is not in vain, therefore, that we expose our bodies to be beaten and  tortured; for surely it is not in vain for a man to submit to such sufferings, if by that means he  may avoid bestowing the name of gods on those earthly spirits that unite with their worshippers  to bring him to destruction. Indeed, we think it both reasonable in itself and well-pleasing to God,  to suffer pain for the sake of virtue, to undergo torture for the sake of piety, and even to suffer  death for the sake of holiness; for "precious in the sight of God is the death of His saints;"(8) and  we maintain that to overcome the love of life is to enjoy a great good. But when Celsus compares  us to notorious criminals, who justly suffer punishment for their crimes, and does not shrink from  placing so laudable a purpose as that which we set before us upon the same level with the  obstinacy of criminals, he makes himself the brother and companion of those who accounted  Jesus among criminals, fulfilling the Scripture, which saith, "He was numbered with  transgressors."(9)

CHAP. LV.    Celsus goes on to say: "They must make their choice between two alternatives. If they refuse to  render due service to the gods, and to respect those who are set over this service, let them not  come to manhood, or marry wives, or have children, or indeed take any share in the affairs of life;  but let them depart hence with all speed, and leave no posterity behind them, that such a race may  become extinct from the face of the earth. Or, on the other hand, if they will take wives, and  bring up children, and taste of the fruits of the earth, and partake of all the blessings of life, and  bear its appointed sorrows (for nature herself hath allotted sorrows to all men; for sorrows must  exist, and earth is the only place for them), then must they discharge the duties of life until they  are released from its bonds, and render due honour to those beings who control the affairs of this  life, if they would not show themselves ungrateful to them. For it would be unjust in them, after  receiving the good things which they dispense, to pay them no tribute in return." To this we  reply, that there appears to us to be no good reason for our leaving this world, except when piety  and virtue require it; as when, for example, those who are set as judges, and think that they have  power over our lives, place before us the alternative either to live in violation of the commands of  Jesus, or to die if we continue obedient to them. But God has allowed us to marry, because all are  not fit for the higher, that is, the perfectly pure life; and God would have us to bring up all our  children, and not to destroy any of the offspring given us by His providence. And this does not  conflict with our purpose not to obey the demons that are on the earth; for, "being armed with the  whole armour of God, we stand"(1) as athletes of piety against the race of demons that plot  against us.

CHAP. LVI.    Although, therefore, Celsus would, in his own words, "drive us with all haste out of life," so  that "such a race may become extinct from the earth;" yet we, along with those who worship the  Creator, will live according to the laws of God, never consenting to obey the laws of sin. We will  marry if we wish, and bring up the children given to us in marriage; and if need be, we will not  only partake of the blessings of life, but bear its appointed sorrows as a trial to our souls. For in  this way is divine Scripture accustomed to speak of human afflictions, by which, as gold is tried  in the fire, so the spirit of man is tried, and is found to be worthy either of condemnation or of  praise. For those things which Celsus calls evils we are therefore prepared, and are ready to say,  "Try me, O Lord, and prove me; purge my reins and my heart."(2) For "no one will be crowned,"  unless here upon earth, with this body of humiliation, "he strive lawfully."(3) Further, we do not  pay honours supposed to be due to those whom Celsus speaks of as being set over the affairs of  the world. For we worship the Lord our God, and Him only do we serve, and desire to be  followers of Christ, who, when the devil said to Him, "All these things will I give thee if thou wilt  fall down and worship me," answered him by the words, "Thou shall worship the Lord thy God,  and Him only shall thou serve."(4) Wherefore we do not render the honour supposed to be due to  those who. according to Celsus, are set over the affairs of this world; for "no man can serve two  masters," and we "cannot serve God and mammon," whether this name be applied to one or  more. Moreover, if any one "by transgressing the law dishonours the lawgiver," it seems clear to  us that if the two laws, the law of God and the law of mammon, are completely opposed to each  other, it is better for us by transgressing the law of mammon to dishonour mammon, that we may  honour God by keeping His law, than by transgressing the law of God to dishonour God, that by  obeying the law of mammon we may honour mammon,

CHAP. LVII.    Celsus supposes that men "discharge the duties of life until they are loosened from its bonds,"  when, in accordance with commonly received customs, they offer sacrifices to each of the gods  recognised in the state; and he fails to perceive the true duty which is fulfilled by an earnest piety.  For we say that he truly discharges the duties of life who is ever mindful who is his Creator, and  what things are agreeable to Him, and who acts in all things so that he may please God. Again,  Celsus wishes us to be thankful to these demons, imagining that we owe them thank-offerings.  But we, while recognising the duty of thankfulness, maintain that we show no ingratitude by  refusing to give thanks to beings who do us no good, but who rather set themselves against us  when we neither sacrifice to them nor worship them. We are much more concerned lest we  should be ungrateful to God, who has loaded us with His benefits, whose workmanship we are,  who cares for us in whatever condition we may be, and who has given us hopes of things beyond  this present life. And we have a symbol of gratitude to God in the bread which we call the  Eucharist. Besides, as we have shown before, the demons have not the control of those things  which have been created for our use; we commit no wrong, therefore, when we partake of created  things, and yet refuse to offer sacrifices to beings who have no concern with them. Moreover, as  we know that it is not demons, but angels, who have been set over the fruits of the earth, and over  the birth of animals, it is the latter that we praise and bless, as having been appointed by God  over the things needful for our race; yet even to them we will not give the honour which is due to  God. For this would not be pleasing to God, nor would it be any pleasure to the angels themselves  to whom these things have been committed. Indeed, they are much more pleased if we refrain  from offering sacrifices to them than if we offer them; for they have no desire for the sacrificial  odours which rise from the earth.

CHAP. LVIII.    Celsus goes on to say: "Let any one inquire of the Egyptians, and he will find that everything,  even to the most insignificant, is committed to the care of a certain demon. The body of man is  divided into thirty-six parts, and as many demons of the air are appointed to the care of it, each  having charge of a different part, although others make the number much larger. All these  demons have in the language of that country distinct names; as Chnoumen, Chnachoumen, Cnat,  Sicat, Biou, Erou, Erebiou, Ramanor, Reianoor, and other such Egyptian names. Moreover, they  call upon them, and are cured of diseases of particular parts of the body. What, then, is there to  prevent a man from giving honour to these or to others, if he would rather be in health than be  sick, rather have prosperity than adversity, and be freed as much as possible from all plagues and  troubles?" In this way, Celsus seeks to degrade our souls to the worship of demons, under the  assumption that they have possession of our bodies, and that each one has power over a separate  member. And he wishes us on this ground to put confidence in these demons of which he speaks,  and to serve them, in order that we may be in health rather than be sick, have prosperity rather  than adversity, and may as far as possible escape all plagues and troubles. The honour of the Most  High God, which cannot be divided or shared with another, is so lightly esteemed by him, that he  cannot believe in the ability of God, if called upon and highly honoured, to give to those who  serve Him a power by which they may be defended from the assaults directed by demons against  the righteous. For he has never beheld the efficacy of those words, "in the name of Jesus," when  uttered by the truly faithful, to deliver not a few from demons and demoniacal possessions and  other plagues.

CHAP. LIX.    Probably those who embrace the views of Celsus will smile at us when we say, "At the name of  Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, of things on earth, and of things under the earth,  and every tongue" is brought to "confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the  Father.''(1) But although they may ridicule such a statement. yet they will receive much more  convincing arguments in support of it than Celsus brings in behalf of Chnoumen, Chnachoumen,  Cnat, Sicat, and the rest of the Egyptian catalogue, whom he mentions as being called upon, and  as healing the diseases of different pans of the human body. And observe how, while seeking to  turn us away from our faith in the God of all through Jesus Christ, he exhorts us for the welfare  of our bodies to faith in six-and-thirty barbarous demons, whom the Egyptian magi alone call  upon in some unknown way, and promise us in return great benefits. According to Celsus, then,  it would be better for us now to give ourselves up to magic and sorcery than to embrace  Christianity, and to put our faith in an innumerable multitude of demons than in the almighty,  living, self-revealing God, who has manifested Himself by Him who by His great power has  spread the true principles of holiness among all men throughout the world; yea, I may add  without exaggeration, He has given this knowledge to all beings everywhere possessed of reason,  and needing deliverance from the plague and corruption of sin.

CHAP. LX.    Celsus, however, suspecting that the tendency of such teaching as he here gives is to lead to  magic, and dreading that harm may arise from these statements, adds: "Care, however, must be  taken lest any one, by familiarizing his mind with these matters, should become too much  engrossed with them, and lest, through an excessive regard for the body, he should have his mind  turned away from higher things, and allow them to pass into oblivion. For perhaps we ought not  to despise the opinion of those wise men who say that most of the earth-demons are taken up with  carnal indulgence, blood, odours, sweet sounds, and other such sensual things; and therefore they  are unable to do more than heal the body, or foretell the fortunes of men and cities, and do other  such things as relate to this mortal life." If there is, then, such a dangerous tendency in this  direction, as even the enemy of the truth of God confesses, how much better is it to avoid all  danger of giving ourselves too much up to the power of such demons, and of becoming turned  aside from higher things, and suffering them to pass into oblivion through an excessive attention  to the body; by entrusting ourselves to the Supreme God through Jesus Christ, who has given us  such instruction, and asking of Him all help, and the guardianship of holy and good angels, to  defend us from the earth-spirits intent on lust, and blood, and sacrificial odours,(2) and strange  sounds, and other sensual things! For even, by the confession of Celsus, they can do nothing more  than cure the body. But, indeed, I would say that it is not clear that these demons, however much  they are reverenced, can even cure the body. But in seeking recovery from disease, a man must  either follow the inure ordinary and simple method, and have recourse to medical art; or if he  would go beyond the common methods adopted by men, he must rise to the higher and better way  of seeking the blessing of Him who is God over all, through piety and prayers.

CHAP. LXI.    For consider with yourself which disposition of mind will be more acceptable to the Most High,  whose power is supreme and universal, and who directs all for the welfare of mankind in body,  and in mind, and in outward things,--whether that of the man who gives himself up to God in all  things, or that of the man who is curiously inquisitive about the names of demons, their powers  and agency, the incantations, the herbs proper to them, and the stones with the inscriptions  graven on them, corresponding symbolically or otherwise to their traditional shapes? It is plain  even to the least intelligent, that the disposition of the man who is simpleminded and not given to  curious inquiries, but in all things devoted to the divine will, will be most pleasing to God, and to  all those who are like God; but that of the man who, for the sake of bodily health, of bodily  enjoyment, and outward prosperity, busies himself about the names of demons, and inquires by  what incantations he shall appease them, will be condemned by God as bad and impious, and  more agreeable to the nature of demons than of men, and will be given over to be torn and  otherwise tormented by demons. For it is probable that they, as being wicked creatures, and, as  Celsus confesses, addicted to blood, sacrificial odours, sweet sounds, and such like, will not keep  their most solemn promises to those who supply them with these things. For if others invoke their  aid against the persons who have already called upon them, and purchase their favour with a  larger supply of blood, and odours, and such offerings as they require, they will take part against  those who yesterday sacrificed and presented pleasant offerings to them.

CHAP. LXII.    In a former passage, Celsus had spoken at length on the subject of oracles, and had referred us  to their answers as being the voice of the gods; but now he makes amends, and confesses that  "those who foretell the fortunes of men and cities, and concern themselves about mortal affairs,  are earth-spirits, who are given up to fleshly lust, blood, odours, sweet sounds, and other such  things, and who are unable to rise above these sensual objects." Perhaps, when we opposed the  theological teaching of Celsus in regard to oracles, and the honour done to those called gods,  some one might suspect us of impiety when we alleged that these were stratagems of demoniacal  powers, to draw men away to carnal indulgence. But any who entertained this suspicion against  us, may now believe that the statements put forth by Christians were well-founded, when they see  the above passage from the writings of one who is a professed adversary of Christianity, but who  now at length writes as one who has been overcome by the spirit of truth. Although, therefore,  Celsus says that "we must offer sacrifices to them, in so far as they are profitable to us, for to offer  them indiscriminately is not allowed by reason," yet we are not to offer sacrifices to demons  addicted to blood and odours; nor is the Divine Being to be profaned in our minds, by being  brought down to the level of wicked demons. If Celsus had carefully weighed the meaning of the  word "profitable," and had considered that the tritest profit lies in virtue and in virtuous action,  he would not have applied the phrase "as far as it is profitable" to the service of such demons, as  he has acknowledged them to be. If, then, health of body and success in life were to come to us on  condition of our serving such demons, we should prefer sickness and misfortune accompanied  with the consciousness of our being truly devoted to the will of God. For this is preferable to  being mortally diseased in mind, and wretched through being separate and outcasts from God,  though healthy in body and abounding in earthly prosperity. And we would rather go for help to  one who seeks nothing whatever but the well-being of men and of all rational creatures, than to  those who delight in blood and sacrificial odours.

CHAP. LXIII.    After having said so much of the demons, and of their fondness for blood and the odour of  sacrifices, Celsus adds, as though wishing to retract the charge he had made: "The more just  opinion is, that demons desire nothing and need nothing, but that they take pleasure in those who  discharge towards them offices of piety." If Celsus believed this to be true, he should have said so,  instead of making his previous statements. But, indeed, human nature is never utterly forsaken by  God and His only-begotten Son, the Truth. Wherefore even Celsus spoke the truth when he made  the demons take pleasure in the blood and smoke of victims; although, by the force of his own  evil nature, he falls back into his errors, and compares demons with men who rigorously  discharge every duty, even to those who show no gratitude; while to those who are grateful they  abound in acts of kindness. Here Celsus appears to me to get into confusion. At one time his  judgment is darkened by the influence of demons, and at another he recovers from their deluding  power, and gets some glimpses of the truth. For again he adds: "We must never m any way lose  our hold of God, whether by day or by night, whether in public or in secret, whether in word or in  deed, but in whatever we do, or abstain from doing." That is, as I understand it, whatever we do  in public, in all our actions, in all our words, "let the soul be constantly fixed upon God." And yet  again, as though, after struggling in argument against the insane inspirations of demons, he were  completely overcome by them, he adds: "If this is the case, what harm is there in gaining the  favour of the rulers of the earth, whether of a nature different from ours, or human princes and  kings? For these have gained their dignity through the instrumentality of demons." In a former  part, Celsus did his utmost to debase our souls to the worship of demons; and now he wishes us to seek the favour of kings and princes, of whom, as the world and all history are full of them. I do  not consider it necessary to quote examples.

CHAP. LXIV.    There is therefore One whose favour we should seek, and to whom we ought to pray that He  would be gracious to us--the Most High God, whose favour is gained by piety and the practice of  every virtue. And if he would have us to seek the favour of others after the Most High God, let  him consider that, as the motion of the shadow follows that of the body which casts it, so in like  manner it follows, that when we have the favour of God, we have also the good-will of all angels  and spirits who are friends of God. For they know who are worthy of the divine approval, and  they are not only well disposed to them, but they co-operate with them in their endeavours to  please God: they seek His favour on their behalf; with their prayers they join their own prayers  and intercessions for them. We may indeed boldly say, that men who aspire after better things  have, when they pray to God, tens of thousands of sacred powers upon their side. These, even  when not asked, pray with them, they bring succour to our mortal race, and if I may so say, take  up arms alongside of it: for they see demons warring and fighting most keenly against the  salvation of those who devote themselves to God, and despise the hostility of demons; they see  them savage in their hatred of the man who refuses to serve them with the blood and fumes of  sacrifices, but rather strives in every way, by word and deed, to be in peace and union with the  Most High through Jesus, who put to flight multitudes of demons when He went about "heating,''  and delivering "all who were oppressed by the devil."(1)

CHAP. LXV.    Moreover, we are to despise ingratiating ourselves with kings or any other men, not only if  their favour is to be won by murders, licentiousness, or deeds of cruelty, but even if it involves  impiety towards God, or any servile expressions of flattery and obsequiousness, which things are  unworthy of brave and high-principled men, who aim at joining with their other virtues that  highest of virtues, patience and fortitude. But whilst we do nothing which is contrary to the law  and word of God, we are not so mad as to 'stir up against us the wrath of kings and princes,  which will bring upon us sufferings and tortures, or even death. For we read: "Let every soul be  subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained  of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God."(2) These words  we have in our exposition of the Epistle to the Romans, to the best of our ability, explained at  length, and with various applications; but for the present we have taken them in their more  obvious and generally received acceptation, to meet the saying of Celsus, that "it is not without  the power of demons that kings have been raised to their regal dignity." Here much might be said  on the constitution of kings and rulers, for the subject is a wide one, embracing such rulers as  reign cruelly and tyrannically, and such as make the kingly office the means of indulging in  luxury and sinful pleasures. We shall therefore, for the present, pass over the full consideration  of this subject. We will, however, never swear by "the fortune of the king," nor by ought else that  is considered equivalent to God. For if the word "fortune" is nothing but an expression for the  uncertain course of events, as some say, although they seem not to be agreed, we do not swear by  that as God which has no existence, as though it did really exist and was able to do something,  lest we should bind ourselves by an oath to things which have no existence. If, on the other hand  (as is thought by others, who say that to swear by the fortune of the king of the Romans is to  swear by his demon), what is called the fortune of the king is in the power of demons, then in that  case we must die sooner than swear by a wicked and treacherous demon, that ofttimes sins along  with the man of whom it gains possession, and sins even more than he.

CHAP. LXVI.    Then Celsus, following the example of those who are under the influence of demons--at one  time recovering, at another relapsing, as though he were again becoming sensible--says: "If,  however, any worshipper of God should be ordered to do anything impious, or to say anything  base, such a command should in no wise be regarded; but we must encounter all kinds of torment,  or submit to any kind of death, rather than say or even think anything unworthy of God." Again,  however, from ignorance of our principles, and in entire confusion of thought, he says: "But if  any one commands you to celebrate the sun, or to sing a joyful triumphal song in praise of  Minerva, you will by celebrating their praises seem to render the higher praise to God; for piety,  in extending to all things, becomes more perfect." To this our answer is, that we do not wait for  any command to celebrate the praises of the sun; for we have been taught to speak well not only of those creatures that are obedient to the will of God, but even of  our enemies. We therefore praise the sun as the glorious workmanship of God, which obeys His  laws and hearkens to the call, "Praise the Lord, sun and moon,"(1) and with all your powers show  forth the praises of the Father and Creator of all. Minerva, however, whom Celsus classes with  the sun, is the subject of various Grecian myths, whether these contain any hidden meaning or  not. They say that Minerva sprang fully armed from the brain of Jupiter; that when she was  pursued by Vulcan, she fled from him to preserve her honour; and that from the seed which fell to  the ground in the heat of Vulcan's passion, there grew a child whom Minerva brought up and  called Erichthonius,    "That owed his nurture to the blue-eyed maid, But from the teeming furrow took his birth, The mighty offspring of the foodful earth."(2)    It is therefore evident, that if we admit Minerva the daughter of Jupiter, we must also admit many  fables and fictions which can be allowed by no one who discards fables and seeks after truth.

CHAP. LXVII.    And to regard these myths in a figurative sense, and consider Minerva as representing  prudence, let any one show what were the actual facts of her history, upon which this allegory is  based. For, supposing honour was given to Minerva as having been a woman of ancient times, by  those who instituted mysteries and ceremonies for their followers, and who wished her name to be  celebrated as that of a goddess, much more are we forbidden to pay divine honours to Minerva, if  we are not permitted to worship so glorious an object as the sun, although we may celebrate its  glory. Celsus, indeed, says that "we seem to do the greater honour to the great God when we sing  hymns in honour of the sun and Minerva;" but we know it to be the opposite of that. For we sing  hymns to the Most High alone, and His Only-begotten, who is the Word and God; and we praise  God and His Only-begotten, as do also the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the host of heaven.(3)  For these all form a divine chorus, and unite with the just among men in celebrating the praises  of the Most High God and His Only-begotten. We have already said that we must not swear by a  human king, or by what is called "the fortune of the king." It is therefore unnecessary for us again  to refute these statements: "If you are commanded to swear by a human king, there is nothing  wrong in that. For to him has been given whatever there is upon earth; and whatever you receive  in this life, you receive from him." We deny, however, that all things which are on the earth have  been given to the king, or that whatever we receive in this life we receive from him. For whatever  we receive rightly and honourably we receive from God, and by His providence, as ripe fruits, and  "corn which strengtheneth man's heart, and the pleasant vine, and wine which rejoiceth the heart  of man."(4) And moreover, the fruit of the olive-tree, to make his face to shine, we have from the  providence of God.

CHAP. LXVIII.    Celsus goes on to say: "We must not disobey the ancient writer, who said long ago, 'Let one be king, whom the son of crafty Saturn appointed ;'"(5)   and adds: "If you set aside this maxim, you will deservedly suffer for it at the hands of the king.  For if all were to do the same as you, there would be nothing to prevent his being left in utter  solitude and desertion, and the affairs of the earth would fall into the hands of the wildest and  most lawless barbarians; and then there would no longer remain among men any of the glory of  your religion or of the true wisdom." If, then, "there shall be one lord, one king," he must be, not  the man "whom the son of crafty Saturn appointed," but the man to whom He gave the power,  who "removeth kings and setteth up kings,"(6) and who "raiseth up the useful man in time of  need upon earth."(7) For kings are not appointed by that son of Saturn, who, according to  Grecian fable, hurled his father from his throne, and sent him down to Tartarus (whatever  interpretation may be given to this allegory), but by God, who governs all things, and who wisely  arranges whatever belongs to the appointment of kings. We therefore do set aside the maxim  contained in the line,    "Whom the son of crafty Saturn appointed;"   for we know that no god or father of a god ever devises anything crooked or crafty. But we are far  from setting aside the notion of a providence, and of things happening directly or indirectly  through the agency of providence. And the king will not "inflict deserved punishment" upon us, if  we say that not the son of crafty Saturn gave him his kingdom, but He who "removeth and setteth  up kings." And would that all were to follow my example in rejecting the maxim of Homer,  maintaining the divine origin of the kingdom, and observing the precept to honour the king! In  these circumstances the king will not "be left in utter solitude and desertion," neither will "the  affairs of the world fall into the hands of the most impious and wild barbarians." For if, in the  words of Celsus," they do as I do," then it is evident that even the barbarians, when they yield  obedience to the word of God, will become most obedient to the law, and most humane; and every  form of worship will be destroyed except the religion of Christ, which will alone prevail. And  indeed it will one day triumph, as its principles take possession of the minds of men more and  more every day.

CHAP. LXIX.    Celsus, then, as if not observing that he was saying anything inconsistent with the words he  had just used, "if all were to do the same as you," adds: "You surely do not say that if the Romans  were, in compliance with your wish, to neglect their customary duties to gods and men, and were  to worship the Most High, or whatever you please to call him, that he will come down and fight  for them, so that they shall need no other help than his. For this same God, as yourselves say,  promised of old this and much more to those who served him, and see in what way he has helped  them and you! They, in place of being masters of the whole world, are left with not so much as a  patch of ground or a home; and as for you, if any of you transgresses even in secret, he is sought  out and punished with death." As the question started is, "What would happen if the Romans  were persuaded to adopt the principles of the Christians, to despise the duties paid to the  recognised gods and to men, and to worship the Most High?" this is my answer to the question.  We say that "if two" of us "shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall  be done for them of the Father" of the just, "which is in heaven;"(1) for God rejoices in the  agreement of rational beings, and turns away from discord. And what are we to expect, if not only  a very few agree, as at present, but the whole of the empire of Rome? For they will pray to the  Word, who of old said to the Hebrews, when they were pursued by the Egyptians, "The LORD  shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace;"(2) and if they all unite in prayer with one  accord, they will be able to put to flight far more enemies than those who were discomfited by the  prayer of Moses when he cried to the Lord, and of those who prayed with him. Now, if what God  promised to those who keep His law has not come to pass, the reason of its nonfulfilment is not to  be ascribed to the unfaithfulness of God. But He had made the fulfilment of His promises to  depend on certain conditions,--namely, that they should observe and live according to His law;  and if the Jews bare not a plot of ground nor a habitation left to them, although they had received  these conditional promises, the entire blame is to be laid upon their crimes, and especially upon  their guilt in the treatment of Jesus.

CHAP. LXX.    But if all the Romans, according to the supposition of Celsus, embrace the Christian faith, they  will, when they pray, overcome their enemies; or rather, they will not war at all, being guarded by  that divine power which promised to save five entire cities for the sake of fifty just persons. For  men of God are assuredly the salt of the earth: they preserve the order of the world;(3) and society  is held together as long as the salt is uncorrupted: for "if the salt have lost its savour, it is neither  fit for the land nor for the dunghill; but it shall be cast out, and trodden under foot of men. He  that hath ears, let him hear"(4) the meaning of these words, When God gives to the tempter  permission to persecute us, then we suffer persecution; and when God wishes us to be free from  suffering, even in the midst of a world that hates us, we enjoy a wonderful peace, trusting in the  protection of Him who said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."(5) And truly He has  overcome the world. Wherefore the world prevails only so long as it is the pleasure of Him who  received from the Father power to overcome the world; and from His victory we take courage.  Should He even wish us again to contend and struggle for our religion, let the enemy come  against us, and we will say to them, "I can do all things, through Christ Jesus our Lord, which  strengtheneth me."(6) For of "two sparrows which are sold for a farthing," as the Scripture says,  "not one of them falls on the ground without our Father in heaven."(7) And so completely does  the Divine Providence embrace all things, that not even the hairs of our head fail to be numbered  by Him.

CHAP. LXXI.    Celsus again, as is usual with him, gets confused, and attributes to us things which none of us  have ever written. His words are: "Surely it is intolerable for you to say, that if our present rulers,  on embracing your opinions, are taken by the enemy, you will still be able to persuade those who  rule after them; and after these have been taken you will persuade their successors and so on,  until at length, when all who have yielded to your persuasion have been taken some prudent ruler  shall arise, with a foresight of what is impending, and he will destroy you all utterly before he  himself perishes." There is no need of any answer to these allegations: for none of us says of our  present rulers, that if they embrace our opinions, and are taken by the enemy, we shall be able to  persuade their successors; and when these are taken, those who come after them, and so on in  succession. But on what does he ground the assertion, that when a succession of those who have  yielded to our persuasion have been taken because they did not drive back the enemy, some  prudent ruler shall arise, with a foresight of what is impending, who shall utterly destroy us? But  here he seems to me to delight in inventing and uttering the wildest nonsense.

CHAP. LXXII.    Afterwards he says: "If it were possible," implying at the same time that he thought it most  desirable, "that all the inhabitants of Asia, Europe, and Libya, Greeks and Barbarians, all to the  uttermost ends of the earth, were to come under one law;" but judging this quite impossible, he  adds, "Any one who thinks this possible, knows nothing." It would require careful consideration  and lengthened argument to prove that it is not only possible, but that it will surely come to pass,  that all who are endowed with reason shall come under one law. However, if we must refer to this  subject, it will be with great brevity. The Stoics, indeed, hold that, when the strongest of the  elements prevails, all things shall be turned into fire. But our belief is, that the Word shall prevail  over the entire rational creation, and change every soul into His own perfection; in which state  every one, by the mere exercise of his power, will choose what he desires, and obtain what he  chooses. For although, in the diseases and wounds of the body, there are some which no medical  skill can cure, yet we hold that in the mind there is no evil so strong that it may not be overcome  by the Supreme Word and God. For stronger than all the evils in the soul is the Word, and the  healing power that dwells in Him; and this healing He applies, according to the will of God, to  every man. The consummation of all things is the destruction of evil, although as to the question  whether it shall be so destroyed that it can never anywhere arise again, it is beyond our present  purpose to say. Many things are said obscurely in the prophecies on the total destruction of evil,  and the restoration to righteousness of every soul; but it will be enough for our present purpose to  quote the following passage from Zephaniah: "Prepare and rise early; all the gleanings of their  vineyards are destroyed. Therefore wait ye upon Me, saith the LORD, on the day that I rise up for  a testimony; for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kings, to pour  upon them Mine indignation, even all My fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with  the fire of My jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call  upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia  My suppliants, even the daughter of My dispersed, shall bring My offering. In that day shalt thou  not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against Me: for then I will take  away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride; and thou shalt no more be haughty  because of My holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people,  and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor  speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie  down, and none shall make them afraid."(1) I leave it to those who are able, after a careful study  of the whole subject, to unfold the meaning of this prophecy, and especially to inquire into the  signification of the words, "When the whole earth is destroyed, there will be turned upon the  peoples a language according to their race,"(2) as things were before the confusion of tongues.  Let them also carefully consider the promise, that all shall call upon the name of the Lord, and  serve Him with one consent; also that all contemptuous reproach shall be taken away, and there  shall be no longer any injustice, or vain speech, or a deceitful tongue. And thus much it seemed  needful for me to say briefly, and without entering into elaborate details, in answer to the remark  of Celsus, that he considered any agreement between the inhabitants of Asia, Europe, and Libya,  as well Greeks as Barbarians, was impossible. And perhaps such a result would indeed be  impossible to those who are still in the body, but not to those who are released from it.

CHAP. LXXIII.    In the next place, Celsus urges us "to help the king with all our might, and to labour with him  in the maintenance of justice, to fight for him; and if he requires it, to fight under him, or lead an  army along with him." To this our answer is, that we do, when occasion requires, give help to  kings, and that, so to say, a divine help, "putting on the whole armour of God."(1) And this we do  in obedience to the injunction of the apostle, "I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications,  prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in  authority;"(2) and the more any one excels in piety, the more effective help does he render to  kings, even more than is given by soldiers, who go forth to fight and slay as many of the enemy  as they can. And to those enemies of our faith who require us to bear arms for the  commonwealth, and to slay men, we can reply: "Do not those who are priests at certain shrines,  and those who attend on certain gods, as you account them, keep their hands free from blood, that  they may with hands unstained and free from human blood offer the appointed sacrifices to your  gods; and even when war is upon you, you never enlist the priests in the army. If that, then, is a  laudable custom, how much more so, that while others are engaged in battle, these too should  engage as the priests and ministers of God, keeping their hands pure, and wrestling in prayers to  God on behalf of those who are fighting in a righteous cause, and for the king who reigns  righteously, that whatever is opposed to those who act righteously may be destroyed!" And as we  by our prayers vanquish all demons who stir up war, and lead to the violation of oaths, and  disturb the peace, we in this way are much more helpful to the kings than those who go into the  field to fight for them. And we do take our part in public affairs, when along with righteous  prayers we join self-denying exercises and meditations, which teach us to despise pleasures, and  not to be led away by them. And none fight better for the king than we do. We do not indeed fight  under him, although he require it; but we fight on his behalf, forming a special army--an army of  piety--by offering our prayers to God.

CHAP. LXXIV.    And if Celsus would have us to lead armies in defence of our country, let him know that we do  this too, and that not for the purpose of being seen by men, or of vainglory. For "in secret," and in  our own hearts, there are prayers which ascend as from priests in behalf of our fellow-citizens.  And Christians are benefactors of their country more than others. For they train up citizens, and  inculcate piety to the Supreme Being; and they promote those whose lives in the smallest cities  have been good and worthy, to a divine and heavenly city, to whom it may be said, "Thou hast  been faithful in the smallest city, come into a great one,"(3) where "God standeth in the assembly  of the gods, and judgeth the gods in the midst;" and He reckons thee among them, if thou no  more "die as a man, or fall as one of the princes."(4)

CHAP. LXXV.    Celsus also urges us to "take office in the government of the country, if that is required for the  maintenance of the laws and the support of religion." But we recognise in each state the existence  of another national organization(5) founded by the Word of God, and we exhort those who are  mighty in word and of blameless life to rule over Churches. Those who are ambitious of ruling we  reject; but we constrain those who, through excess of modesty, are not easily induced to take a  public charge in the Church of God. And those who rule over us well are under the constraining  influence of the great King, whom we believe to be the Son of God, God the Word. And if those  who govern in the Church, and are called rulers of the divine nation--that is, the Church--rule  well, they rule in accordance with the divine commands, and never suffer themselves to be led  astray by worldly policy. And it is not for the purpose of escaping public duties that Christians  decline public offices, but that they may reserve themselves for a diviner and more necessary  service in the Church of God--for the salvation of men. And this service is at once necessary and  right. They take charge of all--of those that are within, that they may day by day lead better lives,  and of those that are without, that they may come to abound in holy words and in deeds of piety;  and that, while thus worshipping God truly, and training up as many as they can in the same way,  they may be filled with the word of God and the law of God, and thus be united with the Supreme  God through His Son the Word, Wisdom, Truth, and Righteousness, who unites to God all who  are resolved to conform their lives in all things to the law of God.

CHAP. LXXVI.    You have here, reverend Ambrosius, the conclusion of what we have been enabled to  accomplish by the power given to us in obedience to your command. In eight books we have  embraced all that we considered it proper to say in reply to that book of Celsus which he entitles  A True Discourse. And now it remains for the readers of his discourse and of my reply to judge  which of the two breathes most of the Spirit of the true God, of piety towards Him, and of that  truth which leads men by sound doctrines to the noblest life. You must know, however, that  Celsus had promised another treatise as a sequel to this one, in which he engaged to supply  practical rules of living to those who felt disposed to embrace his opinions. If, then, he has not  fulfilled his promise of writing a second book, we may well be contented with these eight books  which we have written in answer to his discourse. But if he has begun and finished that second  book, pray obtain it and send it to us, that we may answer it as the Father of truth may give us  ability, and either overthrow the false teaching that may be in it, or, laying aside all jealousy, we  may testify our approval of whatever truth it may contain.    GLORY BE TO THEE, OUR GOD; GLORY BE TO THEE.