Origen, AGAINST CELSUS, Part IV, Complete

Translated from the Greek original by Frederick Crombie.

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Page 80

And although some may appear to have risen above such practices, nevertheless they will be found to have changed the truth of God into a lie, and to worship and serve the "creature more than the Creator." [4293] As the wise and learned among the Greeks, then, commit errors in the service which they render to God, God "chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and base things of the world, and things that are weak, and things which are despised, and things which are nought, to bring to nought things that are;" and this, truly, "that no flesh should glory in the presence of God." [4294] Our wise men, however,--Moses, the most ancient of them all, and the prophets who followed him,--knowing that the chief good could by no means be described in words, were the first who wrote that, as God manifests Himself to the deserving, and to those who are qualified to behold Him, [4295] He appeared to Abraham, or to Isaac, or to Jacob. But who He was that appeared, and of what form, and in what manner, and like to which of mortal beings, [4296] they have left to be investigated by those who are able to show that they resemble those persons to whom God showed Himself: for He was seen not by their bodily eyes, but by the pure heart. For, according to the declaration of our Jesus, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." [4297]

[4293] Rom. i. 25.

[4294] Cf. 1 Cor. i. 27, 28, 29.

[4295] epitedeiois.

[4296] kai tini ton en hemin. Boherellus understands homoios, which has been adopted in the translation.

[4297] Cf. Matt. v. 8.

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