Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">For, in the first place, he is of opinion that “thunders, and\r\nlightnings, and rains are not the works of God,”—thus showing\r\nmore clearly at last his Epicurean leanings; and in the second\r\nplace, that “even if one were to grant that these were the\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_241\">241</span>works of God, they are brought into existence not more for\r\nthe support of us who are human beings, than for that of\r\nplants, and trees, and herbs, and thorns,”—maintaining, like a\r\ntrue Epicurean, that these things are the product of chance,\r\nand not the work of Providence. For if these things are of\r\nno more use to us than to plants, and trees, and herbs, and\r\nthorns, it is evident either that they do not proceed from Providence\r\nat all, or from a providence which does not provide for us\r\nin a greater degree than for trees, and herbs, and thorns. Now,\r\neither of these suppositions is impious in itself, and it would be\r\nfoolish to refute such statements by answering any one who\r\nbrought against us the charge of impiety; for it is manifest to\r\nevery one, from what has been said, who is the person guilty of\r\nimpiety. In the next place, he adds: “Although you may say\r\nthat these things, viz. plants, and trees, and herbs, and thorns,\r\ngrow for the use of men, why will you maintain that they grow\r\nfor the use of men rather than for that of the most savage of\r\nirrational animals?” Let Celsus then say distinctly that the\r\ngreat diversity among the products of the earth is not the work\r\nof Providence, but that a certain fortuitous concurrence of\r\natoms<a id=\"r771\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f771\"><sup>[771]</sup></a> gave birth to qualities so diverse, and that it was owing\r\nto chance that so many kinds of plants, and trees, and herbs resemble\r\none another, and that no disposing reason gave existence\r\nto them,<a id=\"r772\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f772\"><sup>[772]</sup></a> and that they do <i>not</i> derive their origin from an understanding\r\nthat is beyond all admiration. We Christians, however,\r\nwho are devoted to the worship of the only God, who created\r\nthese things, feel grateful for them to Him who made them, because\r\nnot only for us, but also (on our account) for the animals\r\nwhich are subject to us, He has prepared such a home,<a id=\"r773\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f773\"><sup>[773]</sup></a> seeing\r\n“He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the\r\nservice of man, that He may bring forth food out of the earth,\r\nand wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make\r\nhis face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.”<a id=\"r774\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f774\"><sup>[774]</sup></a>\r\nBut that He should have provided food even for the most\r\nsavage animals is not matter of surprise, for these very animals\r\nare said by some who have philosophized [upon the subject] to\r\nhave been created for the purpose of affording exercise to the\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_242\">242</span>rational creature. And one of our own wise men says somewhere:\r\n“Do not say, What is this? or Wherefore is that? for\r\nall things have been made for their uses. And do not say,\r\nWhat is this? or Wherefore is that? for everything shall be\r\nsought out in its season.”<a id=\"r775\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f775\"><sup>[775]</sup></a></p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK IV.","Chapter LXXV."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-296"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"d2b4c793e8720a37f65fc33be66e3c36fe564a12ba3d259a182be03c0288ac4b","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"SIR","chapter":39,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"Ecclus. xxxix. 21","verse":21,"verse_end":21}],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f775","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":"f775","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f775\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r775\">775</a>.  </span><abbr class=\"spell\">Cf.</abbr> <abbr title=\"Ecclesiasticus\">Ecclus.</abbr> <abbr title=\"thirty-nine\">xxxix.</abbr> 21, and 16, 17.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f775","text_sha256":"279ba0cc610d846f2d96442015f13188026f8201c2982fdfa08591c56d16f9a4","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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