Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">But as in the words which I quoted from Celsus, which are a\r\nparaphrase from the <i>Timœus</i>, certain expressions occur, such\r\nas, “God made nothing mortal, but immortal things alone,\r\nwhile mortal things are the works of others, and the soul is a\r\nwork of God, but the nature of the body is different, and there\r\nis no difference between the body of a man and that of a bat,\r\nor of a worm, or of a frog; for the matter is the same, and\r\ntheir corruptible part alike,”—let us discuss these points for\r\na little; and let us show that Celsus either does not disclose\r\nhis Epicurean opinions, or, as might be said by one person,\r\nhas exchanged them for better, or, as another might say, has\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_221\">221</span>nothing in common save the name, with Celsus, the Epicurean.\r\nFor he ought, in giving expression to such opinions, and in\r\nproposing to contradict not only us, but the by no means\r\nobscure sect of philosophers who are the adherents of Zeno of\r\nCitium, to have proved that the bodies of animals are not the\r\nwork of God, and that the great skill displayed in their construction\r\ndid not proceed from the highest intelligence. And\r\nhe ought also, with regard to the countless diversities of plants,\r\nwhich are regulated by an inherent, incomprehensible nature,<a id=\"r709\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f709\"><sup>[709]</sup></a>\r\nand which have been created for the by no means despicable<a id=\"r710\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f710\"><sup>[710]</sup></a>\r\nuse of man in general, and of the animals which minister to\r\nman, whatever other reasons may be adduced for their existence,<a id=\"r711\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f711\"><sup>[711]</sup></a>\r\nnot only to have stated his opinion, but also to have\r\nshown us that it was no perfect intelligence which impressed\r\nthese qualities upon the matter of plants. And when he had\r\nonce represented [various] divinities as the creators of all the\r\nbodies, the soul alone being the work of God, why did not\r\nhe, who separated these great acts of creation, and apportioned\r\nthem among a plurality of creators, next demonstrate by some\r\nconvincing reason the existence of these diversities among divinities,\r\nsome of which construct the bodies of men, and others—those,\r\nsay, of beasts of burden, and others—those of wild animals?\r\nAnd he who saw that some divinities were the creators\r\nof dragons, and of asps, and of basilisks, and others of each\r\nplant and herb according to its species, ought to have explained\r\nthe causes of these diversities. For probably, had he given\r\nhimself carefully to the investigation of each particular point,\r\nhe would either have observed that it was one God who was the\r\ncreator of all, and who made each thing with a certain object\r\nand for a certain reason; or if he had failed to observe this, he\r\nwould have discovered the answer which he ought to return to\r\nthose who assert that corruptibility is a thing indifferent in\r\nits nature; and that there was no absurdity in a world which\r\nconsists of diverse materials, being formed by one architect,\r\nwho constructed the different kinds of things so as to secure\r\nthe good of the whole. Or, finally, he ought to have expressed\r\nno opinion at all on so important a doctrine, since he did not\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_222\">222</span>intend to prove what he professed to demonstrate; unless, indeed,\r\nhe who censures others for professing a simple faith, would\r\nhave us to believe his mere assertions, although he gave out that\r\nhe would not merely assert, but would prove his assertions.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK IV.","Chapter LIV."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-275"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"48a18dfdec609d0567adcb6a8b1014e01cbf937e88afdacf1f8862c227fc85a0","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-f711","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":"f711","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f711\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r711\">711</a>.  </span><span lang=\"grc\">ὅπως ποτὲ ἄλλως ὄντων.</span></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f711","text_sha256":"73592fe236d9eb7fc47973d4a6139e350caeb3803b3f1430fe73acc3ba925c82","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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