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Origen, AGAINST CELSUS, Part V, Complete

Translated from the Greek original by Frederick Crombie.

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Page 19

Chapter LVII.

With respect to the question, "How is he incapable of persuading and admonishing men?" it has been already stated that, if such an objection were really a ground of charge, then the objection of Celsus might be brought against those who accept the doctrine of providence. Any one might answer the charge that God is incapable of admonishing men; for He conveys His admonitions throughout the whole of Scripture, and by means of those persons who, through God's gracious appointment, are the instructors of His hearers. Unless, indeed, some peculiar meaning be understood to attach to the word "admonish," as if it signified both to penetrate into the mind of the person admonished, and to make him hear the words of his [4568] instructor, which is contrary to the usual meaning of the word. To the objection, "How is he incapable of persuading?"--which also might be brought against all who believe in providence,--we have to make the following remarks. Since the expression "to be persuaded" belongs to those words which are termed, so to speak, "reciprocal" [4569] (compare the phrase "to shave a man," when he makes an effort to submit himself to the barber [4570] ), there is for this reason needed not merely the effort of him who persuades, but also the submission, so to speak, which is to be yielded to the persuader, or the acceptance of what is said by him. And therefore it must not be said that it is because God is incapable of persuading men that they are not persuaded, but because they will not accept the faithful words of God.

[4568] to kai epitunchanein en to nouthetoumeno kai akouein ton tou didaskontos logon.

[4569] hosperei ton kaloumenon antipeponthoton estin.

[4570] analogon to keiresthai anthropon, energounta to parechein heauton to keironti.
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Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/contra-celsum-4.asp?pg=19