{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">Others, then, may concede to Celsus that God does not undergo\r\na change, but leads the spectators to imagine that He\r\ndoes; whereas we who are persuaded that the advent of Jesus\r\namong men was no mere appearance, but a real manifestation,\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_179\">179</span>are not affected by this charge of Celsus. We nevertheless\r\nwill attempt a reply, because you assert, Celsus, do you not,\r\nthat it is sometimes allowable to employ deceit and falsehood\r\nby way, as it were, of medicine?<a id=\"r541\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f541\"><sup>[541]</sup></a> Where, then, is the absurdity,\r\nif such a saving result were to be accomplished,\r\nthat some such events should have taken place? For certain\r\nwords, when savouring of falsehood, produce upon such characters\r\na corrective effect (like the similar declarations of physicians\r\nto their patients), rather than when spoken in the spirit\r\nof truth. This, however, must be our defence against other\r\nopponents. For there is no absurdity in Him who healed sick\r\nfriends, healing the dear human race by means of such remedies\r\nas He would not employ preferentially, but only according\r\nto circumstances.<a id=\"r542\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f542\"><sup>[542]</sup></a> The human race, moreover, when in a state\r\nof mental alienation, had to be cured by methods which the\r\nWord saw would aid in bringing back those so afflicted to a\r\nsound state of mind. But Celsus says also, that “one acts\r\nthus towards enemies when taking measures to escape danger.\r\nBut God does not fear any one, so as to escape danger by\r\nleading into error those who conspire against him.” Now it\r\nis altogether unnecessary and absurd to answer a charge which\r\nis advanced by no one against our Saviour. And we have\r\nalready replied, when answering other charges, to the statement\r\nthat “no one who is either in a state of sickness or\r\nmental alienation is a friend of God.” For the answer is, that\r\nsuch arrangements have been made, not for the sake of those\r\nwho, being already friends, afterwards fell sick or became\r\nafflicted with mental disease, but in order that those who were\r\nstill enemies through sickness of the soul, and alienation of the\r\nnatural reason, might become the friends of God. For it is\r\ndistinctly stated that Jesus endured all things on behalf of\r\nsinners, that He might free them from sin, and convert them\r\nto righteousness.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK IV.","Chapter XIX."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-238"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"06b0331bbbdefa2c2aab282f12eb0d92ebc467b23dfa7a0b6ed3a882eff77e66","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-f541","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":"f541","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f541\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r541\">541</a>. </span><span lang=\"grc\">ὅμως δ’ ἀπολογησόμεθα, ὅτι οὐ φῂς, ὦ Κέλσε, ὡς ἐν φαρμάκου μοίρᾳ ποτὲ\r\nδίδοται χρῆσθαι τῷ πλανᾶν καὶ τῷ ψεύδεσθαι.</span></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f541","text_sha256":"e2ee54d0139e5ae332867f032e97593699734757debef814564b2ae4eacd9e14","verified":false,"work_id":null}