Chapter XLII.

But further, since Celsus will have it that “Jesus was not irreproachable,” let him instance any one of those who adhere to His doctrine, who has recorded anything that could truly furnish ground of reproach against Jesus; or if it be not from these that he derives his matter of accusation against Him, let him say from what quarter he has learned that which has induced him to say that He is not free from reproach.  Jesus, however, performed all that He promised to do, and by which He conferred benefits upon his adherents.  And we, continually seeing fulfilled all that was predicted by Him before it happened, viz., that this Gospel of His should be preached throughout the whole world, and that His disciples should go among all nations and announce His doctrine; and, moreover, that they should be brought before governors and kings on no other account than because of His teaching; we are lost in wonder at Him, and have our faith in Him daily confirmed.  And I know not by what greater or more convincing proofs Celsus would have Him confirm His predictions; unless, indeed, as seems to be the case, not understanding that the Logos had become the man Jesus, he would have Him to be subject to no human weakness, nor to become an illustrious pattern to men of the manner in which they ought to bear the calamities of life, although these appear to Celsus to be most lamentable and disgraceful occurrences, seeing that he regards labour241    πόνον. to be the greatest of evils, and pleasure the perfect good,—a view accepted by none of those philosophers who admit the doctrine of providence, and who allow that courage, and fortitude, and magnanimity are virtues.  Jesus, therefore, by His sufferings cast no discredit upon the faith of which He was the object; but rather confirmed the same among those who would approve of manly courage, and among those who were taught by Him that what was truly and properly the happy life was not here below, but was to be found in that which was called, according to His own words, the “coming world;” whereas in what is called the “present world” life is a calamity, or at least the first and greatest struggle of the soul.242    ἀγῶνα τὸν πρῶτον καὶ μέγιστον τῆς ψυχῆς.

Ἔτι δ' ἐπεὶ βούλεται μηδὲ ἀνεπίληπτον γεγονέναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὁ Κέλσος, παραστησάτω, τίς τῶν ἀρεσκομένων τῷ λόγῳ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀληθῶς ἐπίληπτον τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀνέγραψεν· ἤ, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τούτων αὐτοῦ κατηγορεῖ ὡς ἐπιλήπτου, δεικνύτω, πόθεν μαθὼν οὐκ ἀνεπίληπτον αὐτὸν εἴρηκεν. Ἐποίησε μὲν οὖν ἃ ἐπηγγείλατο πιστὰ δι' ὧν ὠφέλησε τοὺς προσέχοντας αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Καὶ ἀεὶ ὁρῶντες πληρούμενα τὰ εἰρημένα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, πρὶν γένηται, τὸ "κηρυχθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον" ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ πορευθέντας αὐτοῦ τοὺς μαθητὰς εἰς "πάντα τὰ ἔθνη" τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ κατηγγελ κέναι, ἔτι δὲ περὶ τοῦ "ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας καὶ βασιλεῖς" ἀχθή σεσθαι μέλλειν δι' οὐδεμίαν ἄλλην αἰτίαν ἢ τὴν διδασκαλίαν αὐτοῦ, τεθήπαμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁσημέραι βεβαιοῦμεν τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν πίστιν. Οὐκ οἶδα δ' ἀπὸ ποίων μειζόνων καὶ ἐναργεσ τέρων ἐβούλετο αὐτὸν πιστὰ ποιῆσαι τὰ προειρημένα ὁ Κέλσος· εἰ μὴ ἄρα, ὡς φαίνεται, μὴ ἐπιστάμενος τὸν λόγον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἄνθρωπον γενόμενον ἐβούλετο μηδὲν ἀνθρώπινον παθεῖν μηδὲ γενέσθαι ἀνθρώποις παράδειγμα γενναῖον περὶ τοῦ φέρειν τὰ συμβαίνοντα. Κἂν οἴκτιστα τῷ Κέλσῳ ταῦτ' εἶναι δοκοίη καὶ ἐπονειδιστότατα, ἐπεὶ πόνον μὲν τὸ μέγιστον οἶδε τῶν κακῶν ἡδονὴν δὲ τὸ τέλειον ἀγαθόν, ὅπερ οὐδεὶς τῶν πρόνοιαν εἰσαγόντων φιλοσόφων καὶ ἀνδρίαν ὁμολογούντων εἶναι ἀρετὴν καὶ καρτερίαν καὶ μεγαλοψυχίαν παρεδέξατο· οὐ διέβαλεν οὖν τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν πίστιν ὁ Ἰησοῦς δι' ὧν ὑπέμεινεν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς ἀνδρίαν ἀποδέξασθαι βουλομένοις ἐκράτυνε καὶ ἐν τοῖς διδαχθεῖσιν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ μὲν κυρίως καὶ ἀληθῶς ζῆν τὸ μακάριον οὐκ εἶναι ἐνταῦθα ἀλλ' "ἐν τῷ" καλουμένῳ κατὰ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ "μέλλοντι αἰῶνι", τὸ δ' ἐν τῷ ἐνεστῶτι αἰῶνι λεγομένῳ ζῆν συμφορὰν εἶναι ἢ ἀγῶνα τὸν πρῶτον καὶ μέγιστον τῆς ψυχῆς.