Chapter XIII.

Celsus, moreover, assumes that sun, and moon, and stars are regarded by us as of no account.  Now, with regard to these, we acknowledge that they too are “waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God,” being for the present subjected to the “vanity” of their material bodies, “by reason of Him who has subjected the same in hope.”1048    Cf. Rom. viii. 19–21.  But if Celsus had read the innumerable other passages where we speak of sun, moon, and stars, and especially these,—“Praise Him, all ye stars, and thou, O light,” and, “Praise Him, ye heaven of heavens,”1049    Cf. Ps. cxlviii. 3, 4.—he would not have said of us that we regard such mighty beings, which “greatly praise” the Lord God, as of no account.  Nor did Celsus know the passage:  “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope; because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”1050    Cf. Rom. viii. 19–21.  And with these words let us terminate our defence against the charge of not worshipping sun, moon, and stars.  And let us now bring forward those statements of his which follow, that we may, God willing, address to him in reply such arguments as shall be suggested by the light of truth.

Ἑαυτῷ δὲ λαμβάνει Κέλσος ὅτι ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην καὶ ἀστέρας ἡγούμεθα εἶναι τὸ μηδέν. Περὶ ὧν ὁμολογοῦμεν ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ "τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ θεοῦ" ἀπεκδέ χονται, "τῇ" τῶν ὑλικῶν σωμάτων "ματαιότητι" ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ὑποτεταγμένοι, "διὰ τὸν ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ὑποτάξαντα". Εἰ δ' ἀνεγνώκει ὁ Κέλσος καὶ ἄλλα μὲν μυρία, ὅσα περὶ ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἄστρων φαμέν, καὶ τὸ "Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν πάντα τὰ ἄστρα καὶ τὸ φῶς" καὶ τὸ "Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν οἱ οὐρανοὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν", οὐκ ἂν περὶ ἡμῶν ἀπεφήνατο ὅτι λέγομεν τὰ τηλικαῦτα, αἰνοῦντα μεγάλως τὸν θεόν, εἶναι τὸ μηδέν. Οὐκ οἶδε δ' ὁ Κέλσος οὐδὲ τὸ "Ἡ γὰρ ἀποκαραδοκία τῆς κτίσεως τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπεκδέχεται. Τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητι ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη, οὐχ ἑκοῦσα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα, ἐπ' ἐλπίδι, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ θεοῦ". Καὶ ἐν τούτοις δὴ τέλος ἐχέτω ἡ περὶ τοῦ μὴ σέβειν ἡμᾶς ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην καὶ ἀστέρας ἀπολογία. Ἐκθώμεθα δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑξῆς λέξιν, ἵνα μετὰ τοῦτο πρὸς αὐτὴν θεοῦ διδόντος εἴπωμεν τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας φωτὸς δοθησόμενα ἡμῖν.