Chapter LXXII.

Afterwards he says:  “If it were possible,” implying at the same time that he thought it most desirable, “that all the inhabitants of Asia, Europe, and Libya, Greeks and Barbarians, all to the uttermost ends of the earth, were to come under one law;” but judging this quite impossible, he adds, “Any one who thinks this possible, knows nothing.”  It would require careful consideration and lengthened argument to prove that it is not only possible, but that it will surely come to pass, that all who are endowed with reason shall come under one law.  However, if we must refer to this subject, it will be with great brevity.  The Stoics, indeed, hold that, when the strongest of the elements prevails, all things shall be turned into fire.  But our belief is, that the Word shall prevail over the entire rational creation, and change every soul into His own perfection; in which state every one, by the mere exercise of his power, will choose what he desires, and obtain what he chooses.  For although, in the diseases and wounds of the body, there are some which no medical skill can cure, yet we hold that in the mind there is no evil so strong that it may not be overcome by the Supreme Word and God.  For stronger than all the evils in the soul is the Word, and the healing power that dwells in Him; and this healing He applies, according to the will of God, to every man.  The consummation of all things is the destruction of evil, although as to the question whether it shall be so destroyed that it can never anywhere arise again, it is beyond our present purpose to say.  Many things are said obscurely in the prophecies on the total destruction of evil, and the restoration to righteousness of every soul; but it will be enough for our present purpose to quote the following passage from Zephaniah:  “Prepare and rise early; all the gleanings of their vineyards are destroyed.  Therefore wait ye upon Me, saith the Lord, on the day that I rise up for a testimony; for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kings, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My fierce anger:  for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.  For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.  From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My suppliants, even the daughter of My dispersed, shall bring My offering.  In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against Me:  for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride; and thou shalt no more be haughty because of My holy mountain.  I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.  The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth:  for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”1898    Zeph. iii. 7–13.  I leave it to those who are able, after a careful study of the whole subject, to unfold the meaning of this prophecy, and especially to inquire into the signification of the words, “When the whole earth is destroyed, there will be turned upon the peoples a language according to their race,”1899    “A language to last as long as the world.”—Bouhéreau. as things were before the confusion of tongues.  Let them also carefully consider the promise, that all shall call upon the name of the Lord, and serve Him with one consent; also that all contemptuous reproach shall be taken away, and there shall be no longer any injustice, or vain speech, or a deceitful tongue.  And thus much it seemed needful for me to say briefly, and without entering into elaborate details, in answer to the remark of Celsus, that he considered any agreement between the inhabitants of Asia, Europe, and Libya, as well Greeks as Barbarians, was impossible.  And perhaps such a result would indeed be impossible to those who are still in the body, but not to those who are released from it.

Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα εὐχήν τινα εἰπὼν τήν· Εἰ γὰρ δὴ οἷόν τε εἰς ἕνα συμφρονῆσαι νόμον τοὺς τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ Εὐρώπην καὶ Λιβύην Ἕλληνάς τε καὶ βαρβάρους ἄχρι περάτων νενεμημένους, ἀδύνατον τοῦτο νομίσας εἶναι ἐπιφέρει ὅτι ὁ τοῦτο οἰόμενος οἶδεν οὐδέν. Εἰ δὲ χρὴ καὶ τοῦτ' εἰπεῖν, λελέξεται ὀλίγα εἰς τὸν τόπον, δεόμενον πολλῆς ἐξετάσεως καὶ κατασκευῆς, εἰς τὸ φανῆναι οὐ μόνον δυνατὸν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀληθὲς τὸ λεγόμενον περὶ τοῦ εἰς ἕνα συμφρονῆσαι νόμον πᾶν τὸ λογικόν. Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς Στοᾶς, ἐπικρατήσαντος, ὡς οἴονται, τοῦ ἰσχυροτέρου τῶν ἄλλων στοιχείου, τὴν ἐκπύρωσίν [φασιν] ἔσεσθαι πάντων εἰς πῦρ μεταβαλλόντων, ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς λογικῆς φύσεώς φαμεν ὅλης κρατῆσαί ποτε τὸν λόγον καὶ μεταποιῆσαι πᾶσαν ψυχὴν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τελειότητα, ἐπὰν ἕκαστος ψιλῇ χρησάμενος τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ἕληται ἃ βούλεται καὶ γένηται ἐν οἷς εἵλατο· καί φαμεν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν εἰκός, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν [ἐν] τοῖς σώμασι νοσημάτων καὶ τραυμάτων τινὰ τῶν συμβαινόντων ἰσχυρότερα εἶναι πάσης ἰατρικῆς τέχνης, οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν ψυχῶν εἶναί τι τῶν ἀπὸ κακίας ἀδύνατον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσι λογικοῦ καὶ θεοῦ θεραπευθῆναι. Πάντων γὰρ τῶν ἐν ψυχῇ κακῶν δυνατώτερος ὢν ὁ λόγος καὶ ἡ ἐν αὐτῷ θεραπεία προσάγει κατὰ βούλησιν θεοῦ ἑκάστῳ αὐτήν, καὶ τὸ τέλος τῶν πραγμάτων ἀναιρεθῆναί ἐστι τὴν κακίαν· πότερον δὲ ὥστε μηδαμῇ μηδαμῶς ἔτι αὐτὴν ἐπιτραπῆναι δύνασθαι ἢ μή, οὐ τοῦ παρόντος ἐστὶ λόγου διδάξαι. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν αἱ προφητεῖαι περὶ τῆς παντελοῦς ἀναιρέ σεως τῶν κακῶν καὶ διορθώσεως πάσης ψυχῆς ἐν ἀπορρήτοις λέγουσιν, ἀρκεῖ δ' ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος παραθέσθαι τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Σοφονίου λέξιν, οὕτως ἔχουσαν· "Ἑτοιμάζου, ὄρθρι σον· διέφθαρται πᾶσα ἡ ἐπιφυλλὶς αὐτῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὑπόμεινόν [με], λέγει κύριος, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστάσεώς μου εἰς μαρτύριον· διότι τὸ κρίμα μου εἰς συναγωγὰς ἐθνῶν τοῦ ἐκδέξασθαι βασιλεῖς, τοῦ ἐκχέαι ἐπ' αὐτοὺς πᾶσαν ὀργὴν θυμοῦ μου. Ἐν γὰρ πυρὶ ζήλου μου καταναλωθήσεται πᾶσα ἡ γῆ· ὅτι τότε μεταστρέψω ἐπὶ λαοὺς γλῶσσαν εἰς γενεὰν αὐτῆς, τοῦ ἐπικαλεῖσθαι πάντας τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου, τοῦ δουλεύειν [αὐτῷ] ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἕνα. Ἐκ περάτων ποταμῶν Αἰθιοπίας θύσουσι θυσίας μοι. Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇς ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων σου, ὧν ἠσέβησας εἰς ἐμέ· ὅτι τότε περιελῶ ἀπὸ σοῦ τὰ φαυλίσματα τῆς ὕβρεώς σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι μὴ προσθῇς τοῦ μεγαλαυχῆσαι ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἅγιόν μου. Καὶ ὑπολείψομαι ἐν σοὶ λαὸν πραῢν καὶ ταπεινόν, καὶ εὐλαβηθήσονται ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος κυρίου οἱ κατάλοιποι τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ οὐ ποιήσουσιν ἀδικίαν καὶ οὐ λαλήσουσι μάταια, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν γλῶσσα δολία· διότι αὐτοὶ νεμήσονται καὶ κοιτασθή σονται, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ ἐκφοβῶν αὐτούς." Ὁ δυνάμενος δ' εἰσ[ελθεῖν εἰς τὸν τῆς γραφῆς νοῦν] ταῦτα ὅλα μὲν κατανοήσας τὴν σαφήνειαν τῆς προφητείας παραστησάτω, μάλιστα δ' ἐξετασάτω, τί τὸ ἀναλου μένης πάσης τῆς γῆς μεταστραφῆναι "ἐπὶ λαοὺς γλῶσσαν εἰς γενεὰν αὐτῆς", ἀνάλογον τοῖς πρὸ τῆς συγχύσεως πράγμασι· καὶ κατανοησάτω, τί τὸ "ἐπικαλεῖσθαι πάντας τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου, τοῦ δουλεύειν αὐτῷ ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἕνα", ὡς περιαιρεθῆναι "τὰ τῆς ὕβρεως φαυλίσματα", καὶ μηκέτι εἶναι "ἀδικίαν" μηδὲ λόγους ματαίους μηδὲ γλῶσσαν δολίαν. Ταῦτα δ' ἔδοξέ μοι μετρίως καὶ οὐ μετὰ τῆς ἀκριβοῦς διηγήσεως παραθέσθαι διὰ τὴν Κέλσου λέξιν, οἰομένου τὸ συμφρονῆσαι τοὺς τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ Εὐρώπην καὶ Λιβύην Ἕλληνάς τε καὶ βαρβάρους οἰκοῦντας ἀδύνατον εἶναι. Καὶ τάχα ἀληθῶς ἀδύνατον μὲν τὸ τοιοῦτο τοῖς ἔτι ἐν σώμασι, οὐ μὴν ἀδύνατον καὶ ἀπολυθεῖσιν αὐτῶν.