Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

We acknowledge, however, although Celsus will not have it so, that we do desire to instruct all men in the word of God, so as to give to young men the exhortations which are appropriate to them, and to show to slaves how they may recover freedom of thought,530 ἐλεύθερον ἀναλαβόντες φρόνημα. and be ennobled by the word. And those amongst us who are the ambassadors of Christianity sufficiently declare that they are debtors531 Cf. Rom. i. 14. to Greeks and Barbarians, to wise men and fools, (for they do not deny their obligation to cure the souls even of foolish persons,) in order that as far as possible they may lay aside their ignorance, and endeavour to obtain greater prudence, by listening also to the words of Solomon: “Oh, ye fools, be of an understanding heart,”532 Cf. Prov. viii. 5. and “Who is the most simple among you, let him turn unto me;”533 Cf. Prov. ix. 4. and wisdom exhorts those who are devoid of understanding in the words, “Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mixed for you. Forsake folly that ye may live, and correct understanding in knowledge.”534 Cf. Prov. ix. 5, 6. This too would I say (seeing it bears on the point),535 διὰ τὰ ἐγκείμενα. in answer to the statement of Celsus: Do not philosophers invite young men to their lectures? and do they not encourage young men to exchange a wicked life for a better? and do they not desire slaves to learn philosophy? Must we find fault, then, with philosophers who have exhorted slaves to the practice of virtue? with Pythagoras for having so done with Zamolxis, Zeno with Perseus, and with those who recently encouraged Epictetus to the study of philosophy? Is it indeed permissible for you, O Greeks, to call youths and slaves and foolish persons to the study of philosophy, but if we do so, we do not act from philanthropic motives in wishing to heal every rational nature with the medicine of reason, and to bring them into fellowship with God, the Creator of all things? These remarks, then, may suffice in answer to what are slanders rather than accusations536 λοιδορίας μᾶλλον ἢ κατηγορίας. on the part of Celsus.

Ὁμολογοῦμεν δὲ πάντας ἐθέλειν παιδεῦσαι τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, κἂν μὴ βούληται Κέλσος, λόγῳ, ὥστε καὶ μειρακίοις μεταδιδόναι τῆς ἁρμοζούσης αὐτοῖς προτροπῆς καὶ οἰκότριψιν ὑποδεικνύναι, πῶς ἐλεύθερον ἀναλαβόντες φρόνημα ἐξευγε νισθεῖεν ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου. Οἱ δὲ παρ' ἡμῖν πρεσβεύοντες τὸν χριστιανισμὸν ἱκανῶς φασιν ὀφειλέται εἶναι "Ἕλλησι καὶ βαρβάροις, σοφοῖς καὶ ἀνοήτοις"· οὐ γὰρ ἀρνοῦνται τὸ καὶ ἀνοήτων δεῖν τὰς ψυχὰς θεραπεύειν, ἵν' ὅση δύναμις ἀποτιθέμενοι τὴν ἄγνοιαν ἐπὶ τὸ συνετώτερον σπεύδωσιν, ἀκούοντες καὶ Σολομῶντος λέγοντος· "Οἱ δὲ ἄφρονες ἔνθεσθε καρδίαν" καί· "Ὅς ἐστιν ὑμῶν ἀφρονέστατος, ἐκκλινάτω πρός με, ἐνδεέσι δὲ φρενῶν παρακελεύομαι λέγουσα ἡ σοφία"· "Ἔλθετε, φάγετε τὸν ἐμὸν ἄρτον καὶ πίετε οἶνον, ὃν ἐκέρασα ὑμῖν· ἀπολείπετε ἀφροσύνην, ἵνα ζήσητε, καὶ κατορθώσατε ἐν γνώσει σύνεσιν". Εἴποιμι δ' ἂν καὶ ταῦτα διὰ τὰ ἐκκείμενα πρὸς τὸν Κέλσου λόγον· ἆρα οἱ φιλοσοφοῦντες οὐ προκαλοῦνται μειράκια ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν; Καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ κακίστου βίου νέους οὐ παρακα λοῦσιν ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίονα; Τί δὲ τοὺς οἰκότριβας οὐ βούλονται φιλοσοφεῖν; Ἢ καὶ ἡμεῖς μέλλομεν ἐγκαλεῖν φιλοσόφοις οἰκότριβας ἐπ' ἀρετὴν προτρεψαμένοις, Πυθαγόρᾳ μὲν τὸν Ζάμολξιν Ζήνωνι δὲ τὸν Περσαῖον καὶ χθὲς καὶ πρώην τοῖς προτρεψαμένοις Ἐπίκτητον ἐπὶ τὸ φιλοσοφεῖν; Ἢ ὑμῖν μέν, ὦ Ἕλληνες, ἔξεστι μειράκια καὶ οἰκότριβας καὶ ἀνοήτους ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ φιλοσοφίαν καλεῖν· ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῦτο ποιοῦντες οὐ φιλανθρώπως αὐτὸ πράττομεν, τῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου ἰατρικῇ πᾶσαν λογικὴν φύσιν θεραπεῦσαι βουλόμενοι καὶ οἰκειῶσαι τῷ δημιουργήσαντι πάντα θεῷ; Ἤρκει μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς τὰς Κέλσου λοιδορίας μᾶλλον ἢ κατηγορίας.