Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">Celsus proceeds to say of God that “of Him are all things,”\r\nabandoning [in so speaking], I know not how, all his principles;<a id=\"r1361\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1361\"><sup>[1361]</sup></a>\r\nwhile our Paul declares, that “of Him, and through Him, and\r\nto Him are all things,”<a id=\"r1362\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1362\"><sup>[1362]</sup></a> showing that He is the beginning of\r\nthe substance of all things by the words “of Him,” and the\r\nbond of their subsistence by the expression “through Him,”\r\nand their final end by the terms “to Him.” Of a truth, God\r\nis of nothing. But when Celsus adds, that “He is not to be\r\nreached by word,”<a id=\"r1363\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1363\"><sup>[1363]</sup></a> I make a distinction, and say that if he\r\nmeans the word that is in <i>us</i>—whether the word conceived in\r\nthe mind, or the word that is uttered<a id=\"r1364\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1364\"><sup>[1364]</sup></a>—I, too, admit that God\r\nis not to be reached by word. If, however, we attend to the\r\npassage, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_408\">408</span>with God, and the Word was God,”<a id=\"r1365\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1365\"><sup>[1365]</sup></a> we are of opinion that\r\nGod is to be reached by <i>this</i> Word, and is comprehended not\r\nby Him only, but by any one whatever to whom He may reveal\r\nthe Father; and thus we shall prove the falsity of the assertion\r\nof Celsus, when he says, “Neither is God to be reached by\r\nword.” The statement, moreover, that “He cannot be expressed\r\nby name,” requires to be taken with a distinction. If\r\nhe means, indeed, that there is no word or sign<a id=\"r1366\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1366\"><sup>[1366]</sup></a> that can represent\r\nthe attributes of God, the statement is true, since there\r\nare many qualities which cannot be indicated by words. Who,\r\nfor example, could describe in words the difference betwixt the\r\nquality of sweetness in a palm and that in a fig? And who\r\ncould distinguish and set forth in words the peculiar qualities\r\nof each individual thing? It is no wonder, then, if in this\r\nway God cannot be described by name. But if you take the\r\nphrase to mean that it is possible to represent by words something\r\nof God’s attributes, in order to lead the hearer by the\r\nhand,<a id=\"r1367\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1367\"><sup>[1367]</sup></a> as it were, and so enable him to comprehend something\r\nof God, so far as attainable by human nature, then there is no\r\nabsurdity in saying that “He <i>can</i> be described by name.” And\r\nwe make a similar distinction with regard to the expression,\r\n“for He has undergone no suffering that can be conveyed by\r\nwords.” It <i>is</i> true that the Deity is beyond all suffering. And\r\nso much on this point.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK VI.","Chapter LXV."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-460"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"895328522f4ff2decef1fa205cd64c56ca6b1c60b7b772b58c8f943b4d99f41e","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f1367","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1872 English edition; listed translators died 1889 and 1872. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f1367","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1367\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1367\">1367</a>.  </span><span lang=\"grc\">χειραγωγῆσαι.</span></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f1367","text_sha256":"81b4b8e625a25bceaa7f3007e7a053a27a7fac91c79822a12e455dc7bded3482","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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