Chapter XXXV.

Now let us consider another saying of Celsus, which is as follows:  “The satrap of a Persian or Roman monarch, or ruler or general or governor, yea, even those who fill lower offices of trust or service in the state, would be able to do great injury to those who despised them; and will the satraps and ministers of earth and air be insulted with impunity?”  Observe now how he introduces servants of the Most High—rulers, generals, governors, and those filling lower offices of trust and service—as, after the manner of men, inflicting injury upon those who insult them.  For he does not consider that a wise man would not wish to do harm to any, but would strive to the utmost of his power to change and amend them; unless, indeed, it be that those whom Celsus makes servants and rulers appointed by the Most High are behind Lycurgus, the lawgiver of the Lacedæmonians, or Zeno of Citium.  For when Lycurgus had had his eye put out by a man, he got the offender into his power; but instead of taking revenge upon him, he ceased not to use all his arts of persuasion until he induced him to become a philosopher.  And Zeno, on the occasion of some one saying, “Let me perish rather than not have my revenge on thee,” answered him, “But rather let me perish if I do not make a friend of thee.”  And I am not yet speaking of those whose characters have been formed by the teaching of Jesus, and who have heard the words, “Love your enemies, and pray for them which despitefully use you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”1840    Matt. v. 44, 45.  And in the prophetical writings the righteous man says, “O Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; if I have returned evil to those who have done evil to me, let me fall helpless under mine enemies:  let my enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth.”1841    Ps. vii. 3–5.

Κατανοήσωμεν δὲ καὶ ἄλλην λέξιν τοῦ Κέλσου, οὕτως ἔχουσαν· Ἢ ὁ μὲν τοῦ Περσῶν ἢ Ῥωμαίων βασιλέως σατράπης καὶ ὕπαρχος ἢ στρατηγὸς ἢ ἐπίτροπος, ἔτι μὴν καὶ οἱ τὰς μικροτέρας ἀρχὰς ἢ ἐπιμελείας ἢ ὑπηρεσίας ἔχοντες μέγα δύναιντ' ἂν βλάπτειν ἀμελούμενοι, οἱ δ' ἀναέριοί τε καὶ ἐπίγειοι σατράπαι καὶ διάκονοι μικρὰ βλάπτοιεν ἂν ὑβριζόμενοι; Ὅρα δὴ πῶς ἀνθρωπικοὺς σατράπας τοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεοῦ καὶ ὑπάρχους καὶ στρατηγοὺς καὶ ἐπιτρόπους καὶ τοὺς μικροτέρας ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐπιμελείας καὶ ὑπηρεσίας ἔχοντας εἰσάγει μεγάλα βλάπτοντας τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας, οὐχ ὁρῶν ὅτι οὐδὲ σοφὸς ἄνθρωπος βλάψαι ἂν βούλοιτό τινα ἀλλ' ὅση δύναμις καὶ τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας ἐπιστρέφειν καὶ βελτιοῦν· εἰ μὴ ἄρα Λυκούργου τοῦ Λακεδαιμονίων νομο θέτου καὶ τοῦ Κιτιέως Ζήνωνος χείρους εἰσὶν οἱ κατὰ τὸν Κέλσον σατράπαι καὶ ὕπαρχοι καὶ στρατηγοὶ τοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεοῦ· ὅτι Λυκοῦργος μέν, λαβὼν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ ἐκκόψαντος αὐτοῦ τὸν ὀφθαλμόν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἠμύνατο ἀλλὰ καὶ οὐκ ἐπαύσατο κατεπᾴδων αὐτῷ, ἕως αὐτὸν πείσειε φιλοσοφεῖν, Ζήνων δὲ πρὸς τὸν εἰπόντα· "Ἀπολοίμην, ἐὰν μή σε [τιμωρήσωμαι", "Ἐγὼ δέ", ἔφη, "ἐὰν μή σε] φίλον κτήσωμαι". Καὶ οὐδέπω λέγω τοὺς κατὰ τὴν διδασκαλίαν Ἰησοῦ πεποιωμένους καὶ ἀκούσαντας τοῦ "Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς, ὅπως γένησθε υἱοὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ὃς τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους". Καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφητικοῖς δὲ λόγοις ὁ δίκαιος τοιαῦτά φησι· "Κύριε ὁ θεός μου, εἰ ἐποίησα τοῦτο, εἰ ἔστιν ἀδικία ἐν χερσί μου, εἰ ἀνταπέδωκα τοῖς ἀνταποδιδοῦσί μοι κακά, ἀποπέσοιμι ἄρα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου κενός· καταδιώξαι ἄρα ὁ ἐχθρὸς τὴν ψυχήν μου καὶ καταλάβοι, καὶ καταπατήσαι εἰς γῆν τὴν ζωήν μου."