{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">He then goes on to rail against us after the manner of old\r\nwives. “You,” says he, “mock and revile the statues of our\r\ngods; but if you had reviled Bacchus or Hercules in person, you\r\nwould not perhaps have done so with impunity. But those who\r\ncrucified your God when present among men, suffered nothing\r\nfor it, either at the time or during the whole of their lives. And\r\nwhat new thing has there happened since then to make us believe\r\nthat he was not an impostor, but the Son of God? And\r\nforsooth, he who sent his Son with certain instructions for\r\nmankind, allowed him to be thus cruelly treated, and his instructions\r\nto perish with him, without ever during all this long\r\ntime showing the slightest concern. What father was ever so\r\ninhuman? Perhaps, indeed, you may say that he suffered so\r\nmuch, because it was his wish to bear what came to him. But\r\nit is open to those whom you maliciously revile, to adopt the\r\nsame language, and say that they wish to be reviled, and therefore\r\nthey bear it with patience; for it is best to deal equally\r\nwith both sides,—although these [gods] severely punish the\r\nscorner, so that he must either flee and hide himself, or be taken\r\nand perish.” Now to these statements I would answer that we\r\nrevile no one, for we believe that “revilers will not inherit the\r\nkingdom of God.”<a id=\"r1644\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1644\"><sup>[1644]</sup></a> And we read, “Bless them that curse you;\r\nbless, and curse not;” also, “Being reviled, we bless.” And\r\neven although the abuse which we pour upon another may seem\r\nto have some excuse in the wrong which we have received from\r\nhim, yet such abuse is not allowed by the word of God. And\r\nhow much more ought we to abstain from reviling others, when\r\nwe consider what a great folly it is! And it is equally foolish\r\nto apply abusive language to stone or gold or silver, turned into\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_526\">526</span>what is supposed to be the form of God by those who have no\r\nknowledge of God. Accordingly, we throw ridicule not upon\r\nlifeless images, but upon those only who worship them. Moreover,\r\nif certain demons reside in certain images, and one of them\r\npasses for Bacchus, another for Hercules, we do not vilify them:\r\nfor, on the one hand, it would be useless; and, on the other, it\r\ndoes not become one who is meek, and peaceful, and gentle in\r\nspirit, and who has learnt that no one among men or demons\r\nis to be reviled, however wicked he may be.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK VIII.","Chapter XLI."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-588"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"66dc6f757aa4bb144c95fc1dc29f491620db97211615563edf4f3f1933eb8303","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"1CO","chapter":6,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"1 Cor. vi. 10","verse":10,"verse_end":10}],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f1644","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":"f1644","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1644\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1644\">1644</a>. </span>1 <abbr title=\"Corinthians\">Cor.</abbr> <abbr title=\"six\">vi.</abbr> 10.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f1644","text_sha256":"f75d4c15687c770bb998b2e99a405486d3b1ae11bd2fcbe11f324181ce786d3d","verified":false,"work_id":null}