{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">This statement also is untrue, that it is “only foolish and\r\nlow individuals, and persons devoid of perception, and slaves,\r\nand women, and children, of whom the teachers of the divine\r\nword wish to make converts.” Such indeed does the gospel\r\ninvite, in order to make them better; but it invites also others\r\nwho are very different from these, since Christ is the Saviour\r\nof all men, and especially of them that believe, whether they\r\nbe intelligent or simple; and “He is the propitiation with the\r\nFather for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the\r\nsins of the whole world.”<a id=\"r398\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f398\"><sup>[398]</sup></a> After this it is superfluous for us\r\nto wish to offer a reply to such statements of Celsus as the\r\nfollowing: “For why is it an evil to have been educated, and\r\nto have studied the best opinions, and to have both the reality\r\nand appearance of wisdom? What hindrance does this offer\r\nto the knowledge of God? Why should it not rather be an\r\nassistance, and a means by which one might be better able to\r\narrive at the truth?” Truly it is no evil to have been educated,\r\nfor education is the way to virtue; but to rank those amongst\r\nthe number of the educated who hold erroneous opinions is\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_131\">131</span>what even the wise men among the Greeks would not do. On\r\nthe other hand, who would not admit that to have studied the\r\nbest opinions is a blessing? But what shall we call the best,\r\nsave those which are true, and which incite men to virtue? Moreover,\r\nit is an excellent thing for a man to <i>be</i> wise, but not to\r\n<i>seem</i> so, as Celsus says. And it is no hindrance to the knowledge\r\nof God, but an assistance, to have been educated, and to\r\nhave studied the best opinions, and to be wise. And it becomes\r\nus rather than Celsus to say this, especially if it be shown that\r\nhe is an Epicurean.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK III.","Chapter XLIX."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-185"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"41da1bad9abe8a9944c1983a4f55bf7144f58c3cbeff33d8d5ce0ba8dbacc084","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"1JN","chapter":2,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"1 John ii. 2","verse":2,"verse_end":2}],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f398","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":"f398","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f398\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r398\">398</a>. </span><abbr class=\"spell\">Cf.</abbr> 1 John <abbr title=\"two\">ii.</abbr> 2.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f398","text_sha256":"05962f26222b92fc3e36e3190a4a92e6ff6f52994f364d8c747c70c6681e5cc9","verified":false,"work_id":null}