Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">He imagines, however, that we utter these exhortations for\r\nthe conversion of sinners, because we are able to gain over no\r\none who is really good and righteous, and therefore open our\r\ngates to the most unholy and abandoned of men. But if any\r\none will fairly observe our assemblies, we can present a greater\r\nnumber of those who have been converted from not a very\r\nwicked life, than of those who have committed the most\r\nabominable sins. For naturally those who are conscious to\r\nthemselves of better things, desire that those promises may be\r\ntrue which are declared by God regarding the reward of the\r\nrighteous, and thus assent more readily to the statements [of\r\nScripture] than those do who have led very wicked lives, and\r\nwho are prevented by their very consciousness [of evil] from\r\nadmitting that they will be punished by the Judge of all with\r\nsuch punishment as befits those who have sinned so greatly, and\r\nas would not be inflicted by the Judge of all contrary to right\r\nreason.<a id=\"r436\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f436\"><sup>[436]</sup></a> Sometimes, also, when very abandoned men are willing\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_145\">145</span>to accept the doctrine of [future] punishment, on account of\r\nthe hope which is based upon repentance, they are prevented\r\nfrom so doing by their habit of sinning, being constantly\r\ndipped, and, as it were, dyed in wickedness, and possessing no\r\nlonger the power to turn from it easily to a proper life, and\r\none regulated according to right reason. And although Celsus\r\nobserves this, he nevertheless, I know not why, expresses himself\r\nin the following terms: “And yet, indeed, it is manifest\r\nto every one that no one by chastisement, much less by merciful\r\ntreatment, could effect a complete change in those who are\r\nsinners both by nature and custom, for to change nature is an\r\nexceedingly difficult thing. But they who are without sin are\r\npartakers of a better life.”</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK III.","Chapter LXV."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-202"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"2e9e22ab851fc8b0e06124b7488cafdcf3f91eef6074d4e3cf7259023220feac","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-f436","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":"f436","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f436\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r436\">436</a>.  </span><span lang=\"grc\">καὶ οὐ παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον προσάγοιτο ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσι δικαστοῦ.</span></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f436","text_sha256":"4b972ed6c296c5fee60cce9ce52330c3fbc1e1dfbc2987422725ca83488d3003","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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