Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

Celsus has not explained how error accompanies the “becoming,” or product of generation; nor has he expressed himself with sufficient clearness to enable us to compare his ideas with ours, and to pass judgment on them. But the prophets, who have given some wise suggestions on the subject of things produced by generation, tell us that a sacrifice for sin was offered even for new-born infants, as not being free from sin.1722 [The noteworthy testimony of the Alexandrian school to the doctrine of birth-sin.] They say, “I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me;”1723 Ps. li. 5. also, “They are estranged from the womb;” which is followed by the singular expression, “They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.”1724 Ps. lviii. 3. Besides, our wise men have such a contempt for all sensible objects, that sometimes they speak of all material things as vanity: thus, “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him that subjected the same in hope;”1725 Rom. viii. 20. at other times as vanity of vanities, “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, all is vanity.”1726 Eccles. i. 2. Who has given so severe an estimate of the life of the human soul here on earth, as he who says: “Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity?”1727 Ps. xxxix. 5. He does not hesitate at all as to the difference between the present life of the soul and that which it is to lead hereafter. He does not say, “Who knows if to die is not to live, and if to live is not death”1728 Euripides. [See De la Rue’s note ad loc. in his edition of Origen’s Works. S.] But he boldly proclaims the truth, and says, “Our soul is bowed down to the dust;”1729 Ps. xliv. 25. and, “Thou hast brought me into the dust of death;”1730 Ps. xxii. 15. and similarly, “Who will deliver me from the body of this death?”1731 Rom. vii. 24. also, “Who will change the body of our humiliation.”1732 Phil. iii. 21. It is a prophet also who says, “Thou hast brought us down in a place of affliction;”1733 Ps. xliii. 20 (LXX.). meaning by the “place of affliction” this earthly region, to which Adam, that is to say, man, came after he was driven out of paradise for sin. Observe also how well the different life of the soul here and hereafter has been recognised by him who says, “Now we see in a glass, obscurely, but then face to face;”1734 1 Cor. xiii. 12. and, “Whilst we are in our home in the body, we are away from our home in the Lord;” wherefore “we are well content to go from our home in the body, and to come to our home with the Lord.”1735 2 Cor. v. 6, 8.

Ὁ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἐσαφήνισε, πῶς μετὰ γενέσεώς ἐστι πλάνη, οὐδὲ παρέστησεν ὅ τι περ ἐβούλετο, ἵνα κατανοή σωμεν συγκρίνοντες τὰ αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἡμετέροις· οἱ δὲ προφῆται, αἰνιττόμενοι ὅ τι περὶ τῶν γενέσεως πραγμάτων σοφόν, θυσίαν "περὶ ἁμαρτίας" λέγουσιν ἀναφέρεσθαι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄρτι γεγενημένων ὡς οὐ καθαρῶν ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας. Φασὶ δὲ καὶ τό· "Ἐν ἀνομίαις συνελήφθην, καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἐκίσσησέ με ἡ μήτηρ μου." Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποφαίνονται ὅτι "Ἀπηλλοτριώθησαν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπὸ μήτρας", παρα δόξως λέγοντες καὶ τό· "Ἐπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ γαστρός, ἐλάλησαν ψευδῆ." Οὕτω δὲ πᾶσαν τὴν τῶν αἰσθητῶν διαβάλλουσιν οἱ καθ' ἡμᾶς σοφοὶ φύσιν, ὥστε πῇ μὲν ματαιότητα εἰρῆσθαι τὰ σώματα ἐν τῷ "Τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητι ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη οὐχ ἑκοῦσα ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι", πῇ δὲ ματαιότητα "ματαιοτήτων" ὧν εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής· "Ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης." Τίς δ' οὕτω διαβέβληκε τὴν ἐνταῦθα τῆς ἀνθρώπου ψυχῆς ζωήν, ὡς ὁ εἰπών· "Πλὴν τὰ σύμπαντα ματαιότης, πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ζῶν;" Οὐ γὰρ ἐδίστασε περὶ τῆς διαφορᾶς τοῦ ζῆν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἔξω τῶν ἐνθάδε, οὐδ' ἔλεγε μέν· Τίς οἶδεν εἰ τὸ ζῆν μέν ἐστι κατθανεῖν, τὸ κατθανεῖν δὲ ζῆν; θαρρεῖ δὲ λέγειν τὰ ἀληθῆ ἐν τῷ "Ἐταπεινώθη εἰς χοῦν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν" καὶ "Εἰς χοῦν θανάτου κατήγαγές με"· καθὸ καὶ τὸ "Τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου"; λέλεκται καὶ τὸ "Ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν". Προφήτης δέ ἐστι καὶ ὁ εἰπὼν τό· "Ἐταπείνωσας ἡμᾶς ἐν τόπῳ κακώσεως", "κακώ σεως" τόπον λέγων τὸν περίγειον τόπον, ἐφ' ὃν ἐκβληθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ παραδείσου διὰ τὴν κακίαν ἐλήλυθεν ὁ Ἀδάμ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἄνθρωπος. Καὶ ὁ λέγων δὲ ὅτι "Βλέπομεν ἄρτι δι' ἐσόπτρου καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον", ἔτι δὲ καὶ τό· "Ἐνδημοῦντες ἐν τῷ σώματι ἐκδημοῦμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου", διὸ "εὐδοκοῦμεν ἐκδημῆσαι ἐκ τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἐνδημῆσαι πρὸς τὸν κύριον", ὅρα πηλίκα περὶ τῆς διαφόρου ζωῆς τῶν ψυχῶν τεθεωρήκει.