{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">Some new thing, then, has come to pass since the time that\r\nJesus suffered,—that, I mean, which has happened to the city,\r\nto the whole nation, and in the sudden and general rise of a\r\nChristian community. And that, too, is a new thing, that those\r\nwho were strangers to the covenants of God, with no part in\r\nHis promises, and far from the truth, have by a divine power\r\nbeen enabled to embrace the truth. These things were not\r\nthe work of an impostor, but were the work of God, who sent\r\nHis Word, Jesus Christ, to make known His purposes.<a id=\"r1646\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1646\"><sup>[1646]</sup></a> The\r\nsufferings and death which Jesus endured with such fortitude\r\nand meekness, show the cruelty and injustice of those who\r\ninflicted them, but they did not destroy the announcement of\r\nthe purposes of God; indeed, if we may so say, they served rather\r\nto make them known. For Jesus Himself taught us this when\r\nHe said, “Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and\r\ndie, it abideth by itself alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth\r\nmuch fruit.”<a id=\"r1647\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1647\"><sup>[1647]</sup></a> Jesus, then, who is this grain of wheat, died,\r\nand brought forth much fruit. And the Father is ever looking\r\nforward for the results of the death of the grain of wheat, both\r\nthose which are arising now, and those which shall arise hereafter.\r\nThe Father of Jesus is therefore a tender and loving\r\nFather, though “He spared not His own Son, but delivered\r\nHim up” as His lamb “for us all,”<a id=\"r1648\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1648\"><sup>[1648]</sup></a> that so “the Lamb of\r\nGod,” by dying for all men, might “take away the sin of the\r\nworld.” It was not by compulsion, therefore, but willingly, that\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_528\">528</span>He bore the reproaches of those who reviled Him. Then Celsus,\r\nreturning to those who apply abusive language to images, says:\r\n“Of those whom you load with insults, you may in like manner\r\nsay that they voluntarily submit to such treatment, and therefore\r\nthey bear insults with patience; for it is best to deal equally\r\nwith both sides. Yet these severely punish the scorner, so that\r\nhe must either flee and hide himself, or be taken and perish.”\r\nIt is not, then, because Christians cast insults upon demons that\r\nthey incur their revenge, but because they drive them away out\r\nof the images, and from the bodies and souls of men. And here,\r\nalthough Celsus perceives it not, he has on this subject spoken\r\nsomething like the truth; for it is true that the souls of those\r\nwho condemn Christians, and betray them, and rejoice in persecuting\r\nthem, are filled with wicked demons.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK VIII.","Chapter XLIII."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-590"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"8b6cc341e8096cf772a9a3c1bc235c58a182149726f8f438e7154fa348bbb160","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"JHN","chapter":12,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"John xii. 24","verse":24,"verse_end":24}],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f1647","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":"f1647","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1647\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1647\">1647</a>. </span>John <abbr title=\"twelve\">xii.</abbr> 24.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f1647","text_sha256":"f2bbc46254caf2ef9cab0f1e07b3e0b5cc3a4a5fdb537f1d3a1cb670932df4b9","verified":false,"work_id":null}