Chapter XVI.

The remaining part of the extract given by Celsus seems to have been taken from some other form of heresy, and the whole jumbled together in strange confusion:  “How is it, that while so many go about the well, no one goes down into it?  Why dost thou shrink with fear when thou hast gone so far on the way?  Answer:  Thou art mistaken, for I lack neither courage nor weapons.”  We who belong to the Church which takes its name from Christ, assert that none of these statements are true.  For he seems to have made them simply that they might harmonize with what he had said before; but they have no reference to us.  For it is a principle with us, not to worship any god whom we merely “suppose” to exist, but Him alone who is the Creator of this universe, and of all things besides which are unseen by the eye of sense.  These remarks of Celsus may apply to those who go on another road and tread other paths from us,—men who deny the Creator, and make to themselves another god under a new form, having nothing but the name of God, whom they esteem higher than the Creator; and with these may be joined any that there may be who say that the Son is greater than the God who rules all things.  In reference to the precept that we ought not to serve two masters, we have already shown what appears to us the principle contained in it, when we proved that no sedition or disloyalty could be charged against the followers of Jesus their Lord, who confess that they reject every other lord, and serve Him alone who is the Son and Word of God.

Εἶτ' οἶμαι πάλιν φύρων τὰ πράγματα ἀπὸ ἄλλης αἱρέσεως φέρει τὸ "[Πῶς] πολλοὶ περὶ τὸ φρέαρ, καὶ οὐδεὶς εἰς τὸ φρέαρ;" καὶ τὸ "∆ιὰ τί τοσαύτην ἀνύων ὁδὸν ἄτολμος εἶ; Λανθάνει σε" καὶ τὸ "Πάρεστι γάρ μοι θάρσος καὶ μάχαιρα"· ὧν ἡμεῖς οὐδέν, οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπωνύμου Χριστοῦ ἐκκλησίας μόνου, φαμὲν εἶναι ἀληθές. Ταῦτα δὴ προειπὼν δοκεῖ ἀκόλουθα ἑαυτῷ λέγειν τὰ οὐδὲν ὄντα πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Ἡμῖν μὲν γὰρ τὸ προκείμενόν ἐστιν οὐκ ἐξ ὑποθέσεώς τινα σέβειν θεὸν ἀλλὰ τὸν τοῦδε τοῦ παντὸς καὶ ἄλλου οὑτινοσοῦν μὴ αἰσθητοῦ μηδὲ δεικνυμένου δημιουργόν· εἴσονται δὲ οἱ "ἄλλην ὁδὸν" καὶ "ἄλλα κέλευθα" βαδί ζοντες καὶ τοῦτον μὲν ἀρνούμενοι καινοειδεῖ δὲ ἀναπλάσματι καὶ ὀνόματι μόνον θεοῦ ἑαυτοὺς ὡς μείζονι τοῦ δημιουργοῦ ἐπιδεδωκότες, καὶ εἴ τις ἄρ' ἐστὶ λέγων ἰσχυρότερον εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν καὶ κύριον "τοῦ κρατοῦντος θεοῦ". Ἀποδεδώκαμεν δὲ τὸν φαινόμενον ἡμῖν λόγον εἰς τὸ μὴ δεῖν "δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν", ὅτε καὶ παρεστήσαμεν μηδεμίαν στάσιν περὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ κύριον ἀποδείκνυσθαι δύνασθαι ἐν τοῖς ὁμολογοῦσιν ὑπεραναβεβηκέναι μὲν πάντα κύριον μόνῳ δὲ κυρίῳ δουλεύειν τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγῳ θεοῦ.