{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">Let us notice now what follows, where, expressing in a single\r\nword his opinion regarding the Mosaic cosmogony, without\r\noffering, however, a single argument in its support, he finds\r\nfault with it, saying: “Moreover, their cosmogony is extremely\r\nsilly.”<a id=\"r1270\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1270\"><sup>[1270]</sup></a> Now, if he had produced some credible proofs of its\r\nsilly character, we should have endeavoured to answer them; but\r\nit does not appear to me reasonable that I should be called upon\r\nto demonstrate, in answer to his mere <i>assertion</i>, that it is <i>not</i>\r\n“silly.” If any one, however, wishes to see the reasons which\r\nled us to accept the Mosaic account, and the arguments by\r\nwhich it may be defended, he may read what we have written\r\nupon Genesis, from the beginning of the book up to the passage,\r\n“And this is the book of the generation of men,”<a id=\"r1271\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1271\"><sup>[1271]</sup></a> where\r\nwe have tried to show from the Holy Scriptures themselves\r\nwhat the “heaven” was which was created in the beginning;\r\nand what the “earth,” and the “invisible part of the earth,”\r\nand that which was “without form;”<a id=\"r1272\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1272\"><sup>[1272]</sup></a> and what the “deep”\r\nwas, and the “darkness” that was upon it; and what the\r\n“water” was, and the “Spirit of God” which was “borne\r\nover it;” and what the “light” which was created, and what\r\nthe “firmament,” as distinct from the “heaven” which was\r\ncreated in the beginning; and so on with the other subjects\r\nthat follow. Celsus has also expressed his opinion that the\r\nnarrative of the creation of man is “exceedingly silly,” without\r\nstating any proofs, or endeavouring to answer our arguments;\r\nfor he had no evidence, in my judgment, which was\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_391\">391</span>fitted to overthrow the statement that “man has been made in\r\nthe image of God.”<a id=\"r1273\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1273\"><sup>[1273]</sup></a> He does not even understand the meaning\r\nof the “Paradise” that was planted by God, and of the\r\nlife which man first led in it; and of that which resulted from\r\naccident,<a id=\"r1274\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1274\"><sup>[1274]</sup></a> when man was cast forth on account of his sin, and\r\nwas settled opposite the Paradise of delight. Now, as he asserts\r\nthat these are silly statements, let him turn his attention not\r\nmerely to each one of them [in general], but to this in particular,\r\n“He placed the cherubim, and the flaming sword, which\r\nturned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life,”<a id=\"r1275\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1275\"><sup>[1275]</sup></a> and\r\nsay whether Moses wrote these words with no serious object in\r\nview, but in the spirit of the writers of the old Comedy, who\r\nhave sportively related that “Prœtus slew Bellerophon,” and\r\nthat “Pegasus came from Arcadia.” Now their object was\r\nto create laughter in composing such stories; whereas it is incredible\r\nthat he who left behind him laws<a id=\"r1276\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1276\"><sup>[1276]</sup></a> for a whole nation,\r\nregarding which he wished to persuade his subjects that they\r\nwere given by God, should have written words so little to the\r\npurpose,<a id=\"r1277\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1277\"><sup>[1277]</sup></a> and have said without any meaning, “He placed the\r\ncherubim, and the flaming sword, which turned every way, to\r\nkeep the way of the tree of life,” or made any other statement\r\nregarding the creation of man, which is the subject of\r\nphilosophic investigation by the Hebrew sages.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK VI.","Chapter XLIX."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-444"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"ad9258137b5b1efb60d5f87f9233cfe0f08ae9dc3f50730967e42d50e7aa1c73","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"GEN","chapter":3,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"Gen. iii. 24","verse":24,"verse_end":24}],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f1275","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":"f1275","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1275\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1275\">1275</a>. </span><abbr title=\"Genesis\">Gen.</abbr> <abbr title=\"three\">iii.</abbr> 24.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f1275","text_sha256":"ed75deb6c1d4c1ac84397871730de77916ba1974514453e1cb9eec1c1a06abe7","verified":false,"work_id":null}