Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">But we have a few remarks to make, out of a larger number,\r\nin answer to these statements of Celsus, that we may show the\r\ningratitude towards his Maker which is involved in his holding\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_257\">257</span>these false opinions.<a id=\"r813\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f813\"><sup>[813]</sup></a> For Celsus, although a man, and “being\r\nin honour,”<a id=\"r814\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f814\"><sup>[814]</sup></a> does not possess understanding, and therefore he\r\ndid not compare himself with the birds and the other irrational\r\nanimals, which he regards as capable of divining; but yielding\r\nto them the foremost place, he lowered himself, and as far as\r\nhe could the whole human race with him (as entertaining lower\r\nand inferior views of God than the irrational animals), beneath\r\nthe Egyptians, who worship irrational animals as divinities. Let\r\nthe principal point of investigation, however, be this: whether\r\nthere actually is or not an art of divination, by means of birds\r\nand other living things believed to have such power. For the\r\narguments which tend to establish either view are not to be\r\ndespised. On the one hand, it is pressed upon us not to\r\nadmit such an art, lest the rational being should abandon\r\nthe divine oracles, and betake himself to birds; and on the\r\nother, there is the energetic testimony of many, that numerous\r\nindividuals have been saved from the greatest dangers\r\nby putting their trust in divination by birds. For the present,\r\nhowever, let it be granted that an art of divination\r\ndoes exist, in order that I may in this way show to those who\r\nare prejudiced on the subject, that if this be admitted, the\r\nsuperiority of man over irrational animals, even over those that\r\nare endowed with power of divination, is great, and beyond all\r\nreach of comparison with the latter. We have then to say,\r\nthat if there was in them any divine nature capable of foretelling\r\nfuture events, and so rich [in that knowledge] as out\r\nof its superabundance to make them known to any man who\r\nwished to know them, it is manifest that they would know\r\nwhat concerned themselves far sooner [than what concerned\r\nothers]; and had they possessed this knowledge, they would\r\nhave been upon their guard against flying to any particular\r\nplace where men had planted snares and nets to catch them, or\r\nwhere archers took aim and shot at them in their flight. And\r\nespecially, were eagles aware beforehand of the designs formed\r\nagainst their young, either by serpents crawling up to their\r\nnests and destroying them, or by men who take them for\r\ntheir amusement, or for any other useful purpose or service,\r\nthey would not have placed their young in a spot where they\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_258\">258</span>were to be attacked; and, in general, not one of these animals\r\nwould have been captured by men, because they were more\r\ndivine and intelligent than they.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK IV.","Chapter XC."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-313"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"62f60330c525ad6f12ed242caceddfb2f7d04e1b0e4618c7acd3a234162c5ba7","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-f813","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":"f813","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f813\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r813\">813</a>.  </span><span lang=\"grc\">τὴν ἀχάριστον ψευδοδοξίαν.</span></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f813","text_sha256":"f84a0d790c6cf5bbb1545ef9813dadf82de4f3412115d66210cb11e6a40d35db","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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