Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

In designating others by the epithets of “uninstructed, and servile, and ignorant,” Celsus, I suppose, means those who are not acquainted with his laws, nor trained in the branches of Greek learning; while we, on the other hand, deem those to be “uninstructed” who are not ashamed to address (supplications) to inanimate objects, and to call upon those for health that have no strength, and to ask the dead for life, and to entreat the helpless for assistance.1273 τοὺς μὴ αἰσχυνομένους ἐν τῷ τοῖς ἀψύχοις προσλαλεῖν, καὶ περὶ μὲν ὑγείας τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐπικαλουμένους, περὶ δὲ ζωῆς τὸ νεκρὸν ἀξιοῦντας, περὶ δὲ ἐπικουρίας τὸ ἀπορώτατον ἱκετεύοντας. And although some may say that these objects are not gods, but only imitations and symbols of real divinities, nevertheless these very individuals, in imagining that the hands of low mechanics1274 βαναύσων. can frame imitations of divinity, are “uninstructed, and servile, and ignorant;” for we assert that the lowest1275 τοὺς ἐσχάτους. among us have been set free from this ignorance and want of knowledge, while the most intelligent can understand and grasp the divine hope. We do not maintain, however, that it is impossible for one who has not been trained in earthly wisdom to receive the “divine,” but we do acknowledge that all human wisdom is “folly” in comparison with the “divine.” In the next place, instead of endeavouring to adduce reasons, as he ought, for his assertions, he terms us “sorcerers,”1276 γόητας. and asserts that “we flee away with headlong speed1277 προτροπάδ῾ν. from the more polished1278 τοὺς χαριεστέρους. class of persons, because they are not suitable subjects for our impositions, while we seek to decoy1279 παλεύομεν. [See note supra, p. 482. S.] those who are more rustic.” Now he did not observe that from the very beginning our wise men were trained in the external branches of learning: Moses, e.g., in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; Daniel, and Ananias, and Azariah, and Mishael, in all Assyrian learning, so that they were found to surpass in tenfold degree all the wise men of that country. At the present time, moreover, the Churches have, in proportion to the multitudes (of ordinary believers), a few “wise” men, who have come over to them from that wisdom which is said by us to be “according to the flesh;”1280 Cf. 1 Cor. i. 26. and they have also some who have advanced from it to that wisdom which is “divine.”

Καίτοι γε ἄλλους μέν φησιν ἀπαιδευτοτάτους εἶναι καὶ ἀνδράποδα καὶ ἀμαθεστάτους ὁ Κέλσος, τοὺς μὴ ἐπιστα μένους αὐτοῦ τὰ πράγματα μηδὲ παιδευθέντας τὰ Ἑλλήνων μαθήματα· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀπαιδευτοτάτους φαμὲν τοὺς μὴ αἰσχυνομένους ἐν τῷ τοῖς ἀψύχοις προσλαλεῖν καὶ περὶ μὲν ὑγείας τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐπικαλουμένους περὶ δὲ ζωῆς τὸ νεκρὸν ἀξιοῦντας περὶ δ' ἐπικουρίας τὸ ἀπορώτατον ἱκετεύοντας. Κἄν τινες δὲ μὴ ταῦτα φῶσιν εἶναι τοὺς θεοὺς ἀλλὰ μιμήματα τῶν ἀληθινῶν κἀκείνων σύμβολα, οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ οὗτοι, ἐν βαναύσων χερσὶ τὰ μιμήματα τῆς θειότητος φανταζόμενοι εἶναι, ἀπαίδευτοί εἰσι καὶ ἀνδράποδα καὶ ἀμαθεῖς· ὡς τοὺς ἐσχάτους τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀπηλλάχθαι ταύτης τῆς ἀπαιδευσίας καὶ τῆς ἀμαθίας, καὶ φρονιμωτάτοις δὲ τὴν θείαν ἐλπίδα νοεῖσθαι καὶ καταλαμβάνεσθαί φαμεν. Λέγομεν δὲ καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τ' εἶναι μὴ ἐγγυμνασάμενον τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ σοφίᾳ χωρεῖν τὴν θειοτέραν, καὶ μωρίαν πᾶσαν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην σοφίαν ὡς πρὸς τὴν θείαν ὁμολογοῦμεν. Εἶτα δέον αὐτὸν ἀγωνίζεσθαι περὶ τοῦ λόγου, ὁ δὲ γόητας ἡμᾶς καλεῖ καί φησιν ὅτι φεύγομεν τοὺς χαριεστέρους προ τροπάδην ὡς οὐχ ἑτοίμους ἀπατᾶσθαι, παλεύομεν δὲ τοὺς ἀγροικοτέρους. Οὐ γὰρ εἶδεν ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ τοῖς ἔξωθεν μαθήμασι πεπαιδευμένους τοὺς παρ' ἡμῖν σοφούς, Μωϋσέα μὲν "πάσῃ Αἰγυπτίων σοφίᾳ", ∆ανιὴλ δὲ καὶ Ἀνανίαν καὶ Ἀζαρίαν καὶ Μισαὴλ πᾶσι τοῖς Ἀσσυρίωνγράμμασιν, ὥστ' αὐτοὺς εὑρεθῆναι πάντων τῶν ἐκεῖ σοφῶν δεκαπλασίους. Καὶ νῦν δὲ αἱ ἐκκλησίαι ἔχουσι μὲν ἀνάλογον τοῖς πλήθεσιν ὀλίγους σοφοὺς προσελθόντας καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς καλουμένης παρ' ἡμῖν "κατὰ σάρκα" σοφίας, ἔχουσι δὲ καὶ τοὺς διαβεβηκότας ἀπ' ἐκείνης ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν σοφίαν.