Chapter XXXI.

Celsus afterwards states what is adduced by Jews and Christians alike in defence of abstinence from idol sacrifices, namely, that it is wrong for those who have dedicated themselves to the Most High God to eat with demons.  What he brings forward against this view, we have already seen.  In our opinion, a man can only be said to eat and drink with demons when he eats the flesh of what are called sacred victims, and when he drinks the wine poured out to the honour of the demons.  But Celsus thinks that we cannot eat bread or drink wine in any way whatever, or taste fruits, or even take a draught of water, without eating and drinking with demons.  He adds also, that the air which we breathe is received from demons, and that not an animal can breathe without receiving the air from the demons who are set over the air.  If any one wishes to defend this statement of Celsus, let him show that it is not the divine angels of god, but demons, the whole race of whom are bad, that have been appointed to communicate all those blessings which have been mentioned.  We indeed also maintain with regard not only to the fruits of the earth, but to every flowing stream and every breath of air that the ground brings forth those things which are said to grow up naturally,—that the water springs in fountains, and refreshes the earth with running streams,—that the air is kept pure, and supports the life of those who breathe it, only in consequence of the agency and control of certain beings whom we may call invisible husbandmen and guardians; but we deny that those invisible agents are demons.  And if we might speak boldly, we would say that if demons have any share at all in these things, to them belong famine, blasting of the vine and fruit trees, pestilence among men and beasts:  all these are the proper occupations of demons, who in the capacity of public executioners receive power at certain times to carry out the divine judgments, for the restoration of those who have plunged headlong into wickedness, or for the trial and discipline of the souls of the wise.  For those who through all their afflictions preserve their piety pure and unimpaired, show their true character to all spectators, whether visible or invisible, who behold them; while those who are otherwise minded, yet conceal their wickedness, when they have their true character exposed by misfortunes, become manifest to themselves as well as to those whom we may also call spectators.

Μετὰ ταῦτα ὁ Κέλσος τὸ ὁμολογουμένως ὑπὸ Χριστια νῶν καὶ Ἰουδαίων λεγόμενον τίθησιν, ἀπολογουμένων περὶ τῆς τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων ἀποχῆς καὶ φασκόντων μὴ δεῖν συνεστιᾶσθαι δαίμοσι τοὺς ἀνακειμένους τῷ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεῷ· πρὸς ὃ εἶπε τὰ ἐκκείμενα. Ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν, ὅσον ἐπὶ βρώμασι καὶ πόμασι, τοῦ συνεστιᾶσθαι δαίμοσι τρόπους ἄλλους οὐκ ἴσμεν ἢ καθ' οὓς τὰ καλούμενα παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἱερόθυτα ἐσθίει τις καὶ πίνει τὸν τῶν παρὰ τοῖς δαιμονίοις γινομένων σπονδῶν οἶνον· ὁ δὲ Κέλσος οἴεται συνεστιᾶσθαι δαίμοσι καὶ τὸν σίτου μεταλαμβάνοντα καὶ ὅπως ποτ' οὖν οἴνου πίνοντα καὶ ἀκροδρύων γευόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰ μόνου ὕδατός τις μεταλαμβάνει, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ φησὶ συνεστιᾶσθαι δαίμοσι τὸν πίνοντα. Προστίθησι δὲ τούτοις ὅτι καὶ ὁ τὸν ἀέρα τοῦτον ἀναπνέων παρὰ δαιμόνων τινῶν καὶ τοῦτον λαμβάνει, χαριζομένων δαιμόνων τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀέρος προστεταγμένων τὸν τῆς ἀναπνοῆς τοῖς ζῴοις ἀέρα. Ὁ βουλόμενος τοίνυν παραστησάτω τῷ Κέλσου λόγῳ καὶ δεικνύτω, πῶς οὐ θεῖοί τινες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ ἀλλὰ δαίμονες, ὧν ὅλον τὸ γένος ἐστὶ φαῦλον, προστεταγμένοι εἰσὶ πάντα τὰ προειρημένα οἰκονομεῖν. Καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν γάρ φαμεν οὐ χωρὶς προστασίας ἀοράτων, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, γεωργῶν καὶ ἄλλων οἰκονόμων οὐ μόνον τῶν ἀπὸ γῆς φυομένων ἀλλὰ καὶ παντὸς ναματιαίου ὕδατος καὶ ἀέρος τὴν γῆν φέρειν τὰ ὑπὸ φύσεως λεγόμενα διοικεῖσθαι, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐν ταῖς πηγαῖς καὶ τοῖς αὐθιγενέσι ποταμοῖς ὀμβρεῖν καὶ φέρεσθαι, καὶ τὸν ἀέρα ἀδιάφθορον τηρεῖσθαι καὶ ζωτικὸν τοῖς ἀναπ νέουσιν αὐτὸν γίνεσθαι. Οὐ μὴν τοὺς ἀοράτους φαμὲν εἶναι δαίμονας· ἀλλ' εἰ χρὴ ἀποτολμήσαντα λέγειν τίνα, εἰ μὴ ταῦτα, δαιμόνων ἐστὶν ἔργα, φήσομεν ὅτι λιμοὶ καὶ ἀφορίαι σταφυλῆς καὶ ἀκροδρύων καὶ αὐχμοὶ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἀέρος διαφθορὰ ἐπὶ λύμῃ τῶν καρπῶν ἔσθ' ὅτε δὲ καὶ τῷ τῶν ζῴων θανάτῳ καὶ τῷ κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων λοιμῷ. Πάντα ταῦτα δαίμονες αὐτουργοῦσι [ὡς] δήμιοι, κρίσει τινὶ θείᾳ λαβόντες ἐξουσίαν ἐν καιροῖς τισι ταῦτ' ἐνεργεῖν εἴτε εἰς ἐπιστροφὴν ἀνθρώπων, ἐπὶ τὴν χύσιν τῆς κακίας ἐξοκει λάντων, εἴτε καὶ εἰς γυμνάσιον τοῦ λογικοῦ γένους· ἵν' οἱ μὲν καὶ ἐν τοῖς τοσούτοις εὐσεβεῖς μένοντες καὶ μηδαμῶς χείρους γινόμενοι φανεροὶ τέως τοῖς μὴ βλέπουσιν αὐτῶν τὴν ἕξιν ἀοράτοις καὶ ὁρατοῖς θεαταῖς γένωνται, οἱ δ' ἐναντίως μὲν διακείμενοι κλέπτοντες δὲ τὴν τῆς κακίας ἐπίδειξιν ἐλεγχθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν συμβαινόντων ὁποῖοί εἰσιν αὐτοί τε ἑαυτῶν συναισθηθῶσι καὶ δῆλοι τοῖς, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, θεαταῖς γένωνται.