Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

Immediately after this, Celsus, perceiving that he has slandered us with too great bitterness, as if by way of defence expresses himself as follows: “That I bring no heavier charge than what the truth compels me, any one may see from the following remarks. Those who invite to participation in other mysteries, make proclamation as follows: ‘Every one who has clean hands, and a prudent tongue;’539 φωνὴν συνετός. others again thus: ‘He who is pure from all pollution, and whose soul is conscious of no evil, and who has lived well and justly.’ Such is the proclamation made by those who promise purification from sins.540 [Much is to be gathered from this and the following chapters, of the evangelical character of primitive preaching and discipline.] But let us hear what kind of persons these Christians invite. Every one, they say, who is a sinner, who is devoid of understanding, who is a child, and, to speak generally, whoever is unfortunate, him will the kingdom of God receive. Do you not call him a sinner, then, who is unjust, and a thief, and a housebreaker, and a poisoner, and a committer of sacrilege, and a robber of the dead? What others would a man invite if he were issuing a proclamation for an assembly of robbers?” Now, in answer to such statements, we say that it is not the same thing to invite those who are sick in soul to be cured, and those who are in health to the knowledge and study of divine things. We, however, keeping both these things in view, at first invite all men to be healed, and exhort those who are sinners to come to the consideration of the doctrines which teach men not to sin, and those who are devoid of understanding to those which beget wisdom, and those who are children to rise in their thoughts to manhood, and those who are simply541 ἁπλῶς. unfortunate to good fortune,542 εὐδαιμονίαν. or—which is the more appropriate term to use—to blessedness.543 μακαριότητα. And when those who have been turned towards virtue have made progress, and have shown that they have been purified by the word, and have led as far as they can a better life, then and not before do we invite them to participation in our mysteries. “For we speak wisdom among them that are perfect.”544 Cf. 1 Cor. ii. 6.

Εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα αἰσθόμενος ἑαυτοῦ ὁ Κέλσος πικρότερον ἡμῖν λοιδορησαμένου ὡσπερεὶ ἀπολογούμενος τοιαῦτά φησιν· Ὅτι δὲ οὐδὲν πικρότερον ἐπαιτιῶμαι ἢ ἐφ' ὅσον ἡ ἀλήθεια βιάζεται, τεκμαιρέσθω καὶ τοῖσδέ τις. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὰς ἄλλας τελετὰς καλοῦντες προκηρύττουσι τάδε· ὅστις χεῖρας καθαρὸς καὶ φωνὴν συνετός, καὶ αὖθις ἕτεροι· ὅστις ἁγνὸς ἀπὸ παντὸς μύσους, καὶ ὅτῳ ἡ ψυχὴ οὐδὲν σύνοιδε κακόν, καὶ ὅτῳ εὖ καὶ δικαίως βεβίωται. Καὶ ταῦτα προκηρύττουσιν οἱ καθάρσια ἁμαρτημάτων ὑπισχνού μενοι. Ἐπακούσωμεν δὲ τίνας ποτὲ οὗτοι καλοῦσιν· ὅστις, φασίν, ἁμαρτωλός, ὅστις ἀσύνετος, ὅστις νήπιος, καὶ ὡς ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν ὅστις κακοδαίμων, τοῦτον ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ δέξεται. Τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἆρα οὐ τοῦτον λέγετε, τὸν ἄδικον καὶ κλέπτην καὶ τοιχωρύχον καὶ φαρμακέα καὶ ἱερόσυλον καὶ τυμβωρύχον; Τίνας ἂν ἄλλους προκηρύττων λῃστὴς ἐκάλεσε; Καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα δέ φαμεν ὅτι οὐ ταὐτόν ἐστι νοσοῦντας τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπὶ θεραπείαν καλεῖν καὶ ὑγιαί νοντας ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν θειοτέρων γνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην. Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα γινώσκοντες, κατ' ἀρχὰς μὲν προκαλούμενοι ἐπὶ τὸ θεραπευθῆναι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους προτρέ πομεν τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἥκειν ἐπὶ τοὺς διδάσκοντας λόγους μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ τοὺς ἀσυνέτους ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐμποιοῦντας σύνεσιν καὶ τοὺς νηπίους εἰς τὸ ἀναβαίνειν φρονήματι ἐπὶ τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τοὺς ἁπλῶς κακοδαίμονας ἐπὶ εὐδαιμονίαν ἤ, ὅπερ κυριώτερόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, ἐπὶ μακαριότητα. Ἐπὰν δ' οἱ προκόπτοντες τῶν προτραπέντων παραστήσωσι τὸ κεκαθάρ θαι ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου καὶ ὅση δύναμις βέλτιον βεβιωκέναι, τὸ τηνικάδε καλοῦμεν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὰς παρ' ἡμῖν τελετάς· "Σοφίαν γὰρ λαλοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις."