Chapter LVII.

With respect to the question, “How is he incapable of persuading and admonishing men?” it has been already stated that, if such an objection were really a ground of charge, then the objection of Celsus might be brought against those who accept the doctrine of providence.  Any one might answer the charge that God is incapable of admonishing men; for He conveys His admonitions throughout the whole of Scripture, and by means of those persons who, through God’s gracious appointment, are the instructors of His hearers.  Unless, indeed, some peculiar meaning be understood to attach to the word “admonish,” as if it signified both to penetrate into the mind of the person admonished, and to make him hear the words of his1492    τὸ καὶ ἐπιτυγχάνειν ἐν τῷ νουθετουμένῳ καὶ ἀκούειν τὸν τοῦ διδάσκοντος λόγον. instructor, which is contrary to the usual meaning of the word.  To the objection, “How is he incapable of persuading?”—which also might be brought against all who believe in providence,—we have to make the following remarks.  Since the expression “to be persuaded” belongs to those words which are termed, so to speak, “reciprocal”1493    ὡσπερεὶ τῶν καλουμένων ἀντιπεπονθότων ἐστίν. (compare the phrase “to shave a man,” when he makes an effort to submit himself to the barber1494    ἀνάλογον τῷ κείρεσθαι ἄνθρωπον, ἐνεργοῦντα τὸ παρέχειν ἑαυτὸν τῷ κείροντι.), there is for this reason needed not merely the effort of him who persuades, but also the submission, so to speak, which is to be yielded to the persuader, or the acceptance of what is said by him.  And therefore it must not be said that it is because God is incapable of persuading men that they are not persuaded, but because they will not accept the faithful words of God.  And if one were to apply this expression to men who are the “artificers of persuasion,”1495    πειθοῦς δημιουργῶν. he would not be wrong; for it is possible for a man who has thoroughly learned the principles of rhetoric, and who employs them properly, to do his utmost to persuade, and yet appear to fail, because he cannot overcome the will of him who ought to yield to his persuasive arts.  Moreover, that persuasion does not come from God, although persuasive words may be uttered by him, is distinctly taught by Paul, when he says:  “This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.”1496    Cf. Gal. v. 8.  Such also is the view indicated by these words:  “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, a sword shall devour you.”1497    Cf. Isa. i. 19, 20.  For that one may (really) desire what is addressed to him by one who admonishes, and may become deserving of those promises of God which he hears, it is necessary to secure the will of the hearer, and his inclination to what is addressed to him.  And therefore it appears to me, that in the book of Deuteronomy the following words are uttered with peculiar emphasis:  “And now, O Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to keep His commandments?”1498    Cf. Deut. x. 12, 13.

Εἰς δὲ τὸ πῶς πείθειν καὶ νουθετεῖν ἀδυνατεῖ; προείρηται μὲν ὅτι πᾶσιν ἄν, εἴπερ ἔγκλημά ἐστι τὸ τοιοῦτον, προσάγοιτο ἡ τοῦ Κέλσου λέξις τοῖς ἀποδεχομένοις πρόνοιαν· ἀπολογήσαιτο δ' ἄν τις ὅτι νουθετεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἀδυνατεῖ ὁ θεός, νουθετεῖ γὰρ διὰ πάσης γραφῆς καὶ διὰ τῶν χάριτι διδασκόντων θεοῦ τοὺς ἀκούοντας· εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἴδιόν τι σημαινόμενον ἐξακούοιτο εἰς τὸ νουθετεῖν τὸ καὶ ἐπιτυγχάνειν ἐν τῷ νουθετουμένῳ καὶ ἀκούεσθαι τὸν τοῦ διδάσκοντος λόγον, ὅπερ ἐστὶ παρὰ τὴν ἔννοιαν τοῦ τετριμμένου ἐν τῇ συνηθείᾳ σημαινομένου. Εἰς δὲ τὸ πῶς πείθειν ἀδυνατεῖ; καὶ αὐτὸ προσαχθὲν ἂν πᾶσι τοῖς πρόνοιαν παραδεχομένοις, ταῦτα λεκτέον. Ἐπειδὴ τὸ πείθεσθαι ὡσπερεὶ τῶν καλουμένων ἀντιπεπονθότων ἐστίν, ἀνάλογον τῷ κείρεσθαι ἄνθρωπον, ἐνεργοῦντα τὸ παρέχειν ἑαυτὸν τῷ κείροντι· διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μόνης δεῖται τῆς τοῦ πείθοντος ἐνεργείας ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, ὑποπτώσεως πρὸς τὸν πείθοντα ἢ παραδοχῆς τῶν λεγομένων ὑπὸ τοῦ πείθοντος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐ παρὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι τὸν θεὸν πείθειν λεκτέον τοὺς μὴ πειθομένους μὴ πείθεσθαι, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸ ἐκείνους μὴ δέχεσθαι τοὺς πειστικοὺς λόγους τοῦ θεοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων λέγων τις, ὀνομαζομένων πειθοῦς δημιουργῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι· δυνατὸν γὰρ καὶ τὸν ἄκρως κατειληφότα τὰ τῆς ῥητορικῆς θεωρήματα καὶ δεόντως αὐτοῖς χρώμενον πάντα μὲν ποιεῖν πρὸς τὸ πείθειν, μὴ τυγχάνοντα δὲ τῆς προαιρέσεως τοῦ ὀφείλοντος πείθεσθαι δοκεῖν μὴ πείθειν. Ὅτι δέ, κἂν τὸ πειστικοὺς λέγεσθαι λόγους ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἔρχηται, τό γε πείθεσθαι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπὸ θεοῦ, σαφῶς ὁ Παῦλος διδάσκει λέγων· "Ἡ πεισμονὴ οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος ὑμᾶς." Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ "Ἐὰν θέλητε καὶ εἰσακούσητέ μου, τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς φάγεσθε· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θέλητε μηδὲ εἰσακούσητέ μου, μάχαιρα ὑμᾶς κατέδεται". Ἵνα γάρ τις θέλῃ ἅπερ λέγει ὁ νουθετῶν καὶ εἰσακούσας αὐτῶν ἄξιος γένηται τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπαγγελιῶν, τῆς προαιρέσεως τοῦ ἀκούοντος δεῖ καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα ἐπινεύσεως. ∆ιόπερ ἐν ∆ευτερονομίῳ ἐμφαντικῶς εἰρῆσθαί μοι δοκεῖ τό· "Καὶ νῦν Ἰσραήλ, τί κύριος ὁ θεός σου αἰτεῖ παρὰ σοῦ ἀλλ' ἢ φοβεῖσθαι κύριον τὸν θεόν σου [καὶ] πορεύεσθαι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀγαπᾶν αὐτὸν καὶ" "φυλάσσειν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ";