{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">In the next place, as he represents the Jews accounting in\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_180\">180</span>a way peculiar to themselves for their belief that the advent of\r\nChrist among them is still in the future, and the Christians as\r\nmaintaining in <i>their</i> way that the coming of the Son of God\r\ninto the life of men has already taken place, let us, as far as\r\nwe can, briefly consider these points. According to Celsus, the\r\nJews say that “[human] life, being filled with all wickedness,\r\nneeded one sent from God, that the wicked might be punished,\r\nand all things purified in a manner analogous to the first deluge\r\nwhich happened.” And as the Christians are said to make\r\nstatements additional to this, it is evident that he alleges that\r\nthey admit these. Now, where is the absurdity in the coming\r\nof one who is, on account of the prevailing flood of wickedness,\r\nto purify the world, and to treat every one according to his\r\ndeserts? For it is not in keeping with the character of God\r\nthat the diffusion of wickedness should not cease, and all things\r\nbe renewed. The Greeks, moreover, know of the earth’s being\r\npurified at certain times by a deluge or a fire, as Plato, too,\r\nsays somewhere to this effect: “And when the gods overwhelm\r\nthe earth, purifying it with water, some of them on the\r\nmountains,”<a id=\"r543\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f543\"><sup>[543]</sup></a> etc. etc. Must it be said, then, that if the Greeks\r\nmake such assertions, they are to be deemed worthy of respect\r\nand consideration, but that if we too maintain certain of these\r\nviews, which are quoted with approval by the Greeks, they\r\ncease to be honourable? And yet they who care to attend to\r\nthe connection and truth of all our records, will endeavour to\r\nestablish not only the antiquity of the writers, but the venerable\r\nnature of their writings, and the consistency of their several parts.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK IV.","Chapter XX."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-239"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"208a6c20612b33c7297c24241ce7918f30f1ff49b80382696ab755d37d0f0779","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-f543","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":"f543","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f543\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r543\">543</a>. </span><abbr class=\"spell\">Cf.</abbr> Plato in the <i>Timæus</i>, and Book <abbr title=\"three\">iii.</abbr> <i>de legibus</i>.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f543","text_sha256":"0cc64aa3c7356b2265a7825343a0e2aa25e2c2d852b3c08bfb317ac771fc5065","verified":false,"work_id":null}