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Translated from the Greek original by Frederick Crombie.
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This Part: 128 Pages
Page 8
Nay, let it also be admitted that we turn away from physicians of the sect of the Stoics, who introduce a corruptible god, and assert that his essence consists of a body, which is capable of being changed and altered in all its parts, [3664] and who also maintain that all things will one day perish, and that God alone will be left; why shall we not even thus emancipate our subjects from evils, and bring them by pious arguments to devote themselves to the Creator, and to admire the Father of the Christian system, who has so arranged that instruction of the most benevolent kind, and fitted for the conversion of souls, [3665] should be distributed throughout the whole human race? Nay, if we should cure those who have fallen into the folly of believing in the transmigration of souls through the teaching of physicians, who will have it that the rational nature descends sometimes into all kinds of irrational animals, and sometimes into that state of being which is incapable of using the imagination, [3666] why should we not improve the souls of our subjects by means of a doctrine which does not teach that a state of insensibility or irrationalism is produced in the wicked instead of punishment, but which shows that the labours and chastisements inflicted upon the wicked by God are a kind of medicines leading to conversion? For those who are intelligent Christians, [3667] keeping this in view, deal with the simple-minded, as parents do with very young [3668] children. We do not betake ourselves then to young persons and silly rustics, saying to them, "Flee from physicians." Nor do we say, "See that none of you lay hold of knowledge;" nor do we assert that "knowledge is an evil;" nor are we mad enough to say that "knowledge causes men to lose their soundness of mind." We would not even say that any one ever perished through wisdom; and although we give instruction, we never say, "Give heed to me," but "Give heed to the God of all things, and to Jesus, the giver of instruction concerning Him." And none of us is so great a braggart [3669] as to say what Celsus put in the mouth of one of our teachers to his acquaintances, "I alone will save you." Observe here the lies which he utters against us! Moreover, we do not assert that "true physicians destroy those whom they promise to cure."
[3664] theon phtharton eisagonton, kai ten ousian autou legonton soma trepton diolou kai alloioton kai metableton.
[3665] The words in the text are, philanthrototata epistreptikon, kai psuchon mathemata oikonomesanta, for which we have adopted in the translation the emendation of Boherellus, philanthropotata kai psuchon epistreptika mathemata.
[3666] alla kan tous peponthotas ten peri tes metensomatoseos anoian apo iatron, ton katabibazonton ten logiken phusin hote men epi ten alogon pasan, hote de kai epi ten aphantaston.
[3667] Instead of hoi phronimosChristianoi zontes, as in the text, Ruaeus and Boherellus conjecture oi phronimos Christianizontes, etc.
[3668] tous komide nepious.
[3669] alazon.
Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/contra-celsum-2.asp?pg=8
