Origen: Against Celsus, Books I–VIII

φιλολόγων .

1 Cor. ii. 4, 5 .

Such is the reading of the Septuagint version. The Masoretic text has: “The Lord gave a word; of them who published it there was a great host.” [Cf. Ps. lxviii. 11 . S.]

Cf. Rom. i. 18–23 .

ἐκ πολλῆς συνουσίας γινομένης περὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα αὐτὸ, καὶ τοῦ συζῇν .

Cf. Plato, Phædo [lxvi. p. 118. S.]

καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὰς ἰδέας φαντασθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν, ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἀναβαίνουσιν ἐπὶ τὰ νοούμενα· τὴν τε ἀΐδιον αὐτοῦ δύναμιν καὶ θειότητα οὐκ ἀγεννῶς ἰδόντες , etc.

Rom. i. 25 .

Cf. 1 Cor. i. 27, 28, 29 .

ἐπιτηδείοις .

καὶ τίνι τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν . Boherellus understands ὅμοιος , which has been adopted in the translation.

Cf. Matt. v. 8 .

Hos. x. 12 . φωτίσατε ἑαυτοῖς φῶς γνώσεως (LXX.). The Masoretic text is, תע“וְ רינִ סכֶלָ וּרינִ , where for תע“וְ ( and time ) the Septuagint translator apparently read תעַדַּ ( knowledge ), ד and ו being interchanged for their similarity.

Cf. John i. 3, 4 .

τὸν ἀληθινὸν καὶ νοητόν .

Cf. 2 Cor. iv. 6 .

Ps. xxvii. 1 (attributed to David).

Ps. cxix. 105 .

Ps. iv. 6 (Heb. “Lift up upon us,” etc.)

Ps. xxxvi. 9 .

Cf. Isa. lx. 1 .

Cf. Isa. ix. 2 .

Cf. Isa. ix. 2 .

ἐνθουσιᾷν .

Cf. Matt. xxv. 4 .

κεφαλίδα βιβλίου .

οὐαί : cf. Ezek. ii. 9, 10 .

Cf. Rev. x. 9 .

2 Cor. xii. 4 .

Cf. Rev. x. 4 .

πολλάκις δὲ ἤδη ὁ Κέλσος θρυλλήσας ὡς ἀξιούμενον εὐθέως πιστεύειν, ὡς καινόν τι παρὰ τὰ πρότερον εἰρημένα . Guietus thus amends the passage: πολλάκις δὲ ἤδη ὁ Κέλσος ἀξιούμενος εὐθέως πιστεύειν, ὡς καινόν τι παρὰ τὰ πρότερον εἰρημένα θρυλλήσας , etc. Boherellus would change ἀξιούμενον into ἀξιοῦμεν .

παιδεία ἀνεξέλεγκτος πλανᾶται : cf. Prov. x. 17 (Sept.).

γνῶσις ἀσυνέτου ἀδιεξέταστοι λόγοι : cf. Ecclus. xxi. 18 .

οὐ τερατεύεται .

The night before Ariston brought Plato to Socrates as his pupil, the latter dreamed that a swan from the altar of Cupid alighted on his bosom. Cf. Pausanias in Atticis , p. 58.

“Alicubi forsan occurrit: me vero uspiam legisse non memini. Credo Platonem per tertium oculum suam πολυμάθειαν et scientiam, quâ ceteris anteibat, denotare voluisse.”— Spencer .

Plato, Epist ., vi.

ὧν ἓν μὲν ὄνομα· δεύτερον δὲ λόγος· τὸ δὲ τρίτον εἴδωλον· τὸ τέταρτον δὲ ἐπιστήμη .

τρανότερον φήσομεν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ γινόμενον μετὰ τὸν λόγον τῶν τραυμάτων τύπον, τοῦτον εἶναι τὸν ἑν ἑκάστῳ Χριστὸν, ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ Λόγου .

τὸ μηδέν .

εἰκῆ πιστεύοντι .

1 Cor. xv. 2 .

[p. 41. S.]

τοῦ δημιουργοῦ .

Cf. Col. iv. 6 .

χθὲς καὶ πρώην .

κοινὸν δὲ πάντων ἢ καὶ πρόχειρον . For ἢ , Boherellus reads ᾖ .

οἱ γὰρ ὁμοίως Κελσῷ ὑπολαβόντες τετερατεῦσθαι . The word ὁμοίως formerly stood, in the text of Spencer and Ruæus, before τετερατεῦθαι , but is properly expunged, as arising from the preceding ὁμοίως . Boherellus remarks: “Forte aliud quid exciderit, verbi gratiâ, τὰ τοῦ Ιησοῦ .”

τερατεύσασθαι .

τὸ οὐδέν .

Cf. Acts viii. 10 [and vol. i. p. 187, this series].

Cf. Acts v. 36, 37 .

Cf. 1 Cor. iii. 19 .

πεπλασμένον ἡμῖν .

ἦθος γὰρ ἀνθρώπειον μὲν οὐκ ἔχει γνώμας, θεῖον δὲ ἔχει .

Cf. Plato’s Apolog ., v.

μετρίων ὄντων .

Cf. Wisd. of Sol. ix. 6 .

τέλειοι .

Heb. v. 14 .

Ps. xlix. 9, 10 . (LXX.).

γνῶσις .

1 Cor. xii. 8, 9 . [See Gieseler’s Church History , on “The Alexandrian Theology,” vol. i. p. 212. S.]

τοὺς μὴ αἰσχυνομένους ἐν τῷ τοῖς ἀψύχοις προσλαλεῖν, καὶ περὶ μὲν ὑγείας τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐπικαλουμένους, περὶ δὲ ζωῆς τὸ νεκρὸν ἀξιοῦντας, περὶ δὲ ἐπικουρίας τὸ ἀπορώτατον ἱκετεύοντας .

βαναύσων .

τοὺς ἐσχάτους .

γόητας .

προτροπάδ῾ν .

τοὺς χαριεστέρους .

παλεύομεν . [See note supra , p. 482. S.]

Cf. 1 Cor. i. 26 .

ὡς περιηχηθεὶς τὰ περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης .

μὴ ἐπιμελῶς αὐτὴν νοήσας .

εὐθείᾳ περαίνει κατὰ φύσιν παραπορευόμενος .

Plato, de Legibus , iv. p. 716.

Ps. cxxxi. 1, 2 (LXX.). The clause, “If I had not been humble,” seems to belong to the following verse.

τῇ ἰδιωτείᾳ .

τῇ ἰδιωτείᾳ .

διὰ τὸν ἰδιωτισμόν .

Cf. Phil. ii. 6, 8 .

Cf. Matt. xi. 20 .

Cf. Matt. xix. 24 .

Cf. Plato, de Legibus , v. p. 743.

Cf. Matt. xiii. 54, Mark vi. 2, and John vii. 15 .

Cf. Matt. vii. 14 .

Cf. Ps. xviii. 11 .

Cf. Ex. xx. 21 .

Cf. Ex. xxiv. 2 .

Cf. Ps. civ. 6 .

Cf. Matt. xi. 27 .

ἀγένητον . Locus diligenter notandus, ubi Filius e creaturarum numero diserte eximitur, dum ἀγένητος dicitur. At non dissimulandum in unico Cod. Anglicano secundo legi: τὸν γεννητόν : cf. Origenianorum , lib. ii. quæstio 2, num. 23.— Ruæus .

[Bishop Bull, in the Defensio Fidei Nicenæ , book ii. cap. ix. 9, says, “In these words, which are clearer than any light, Origen proves the absolutely divine and uncreated nature of the Son.” S.]

ὅ τι ποτ᾽ ἂν χωρῇ γιγνώσκειν . Boherellus proposes ὅστις ποτ᾽ ἂν χωρῇ , etc.

Cf. Plato, Epist ., ii., ad Dionys.

Cf. Isa. vi. 2 .

Cf. Ezek. i. and x .

Ps. cxlviii. 4 .

Cf. Plato in Phædro , p. 247.

Cf. 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18 .

Cf. John xiv. 3 .

πρὸς ἄκροις τοῖς οὐρανοῖς .

ποταμοὺς τῶν θεωρήματων .

For ὅσον γε Boherellus proposes ὅσοι γε , which is adopted in the translation.

Cf. 1 Cor. xiii. 12 .

Cf. 1 Cor. xiii. 10 .

[Bishop Pearson, in his Exposition of the Creed , Art. IX., notes that “Origen for the most part speaks of the Church in the plural number, αι ἐκκλησίαι .” S.]

[But see 2 Cor. xii. 2 , and also Irenæus, vol. i. p. 405.]

Cf. Plato in Timæo , p. 42.

Cf. Gen. xxviii. 12, 13 .

ἐπεστηριγμένον .

τῆς τε ἀπλανοῦς .

κλίμαξ ἱψίπυλος . Boherellus conjectures ἑπτάπυλος .

κεραστοῦ νομίσματος .

τὴν χαλκοβάτην καὶ στεῤῥάν .

τλήμονα γὰρ ἔργων ἁπάντων, καὶ χρηματιστὴν, καὶ πολύκμητον εἶναι, τόν τε σίδηρον καὶ τὸν ῾Ερμῆν .

τῆς λοιπῆς ὕλης . For ὕλης , another reading is πύλης .

For ὡς ἐκείνοις ἀρκεῖσθαι , Spencer introduced into his text, οὐδ᾽ ἐκείνοις ἀρκεῖσθαι , which has been adopted in the translation.

ἐν οἷς πολλοὶ σεμνύνονται .

ἀπὸ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς .

Cf. Ezek. xlviii .

ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττονα .

Cf. Rev. xxi .

θεωρήματα .

[Vol. i. p. 354, this series.]

“Utinam exstaret! Multum enim lucis procul dubio antiquissimorum Patrum libris, priscæ ecclesiæ temporibus, et quibusdam sacræ Scripturæ locis, accederet.”— Spencer .

κατὰ τὸ φιλομαθὲς ἡμῶν .

Cf. 2 Tim. iii. 6, 7 .

Cf. note in Spencer’s edition.

παίγνιον .

Cf. Ps. civ. 24–26 .

Cf. Mal. iii. 2, 3 .

χωνευομένων .

ποῦ .

Cf. Zech. v. 7 .

[See Dean Plumptre’s The Spirits in Prison , on “The Universalism of Origen,” p. 137, et seqq. S.]

μάτην ἐκκείμενα .

ἀλλόκοτα καὶ ἀμοιβαίας φωνάς .

ἀρχοντικῶν .

οὐκ εὔγνωμον ἀλλά…πάνυ ἀγνωμονέστατον .

φύρων δὲ τὰ πράγματα .

συνέδριον .

μέτριος τὰ ἤθη .

ἀρχηγοῦ τῶν καλῶν .

᾽Οφιᾶνοι : cf. Irenæus, vol. i. pp. 354–358.

τὴν εὐτέλειαν ἀγαπήσας .

ἀπὸ τῆς παντελοῦς ἀκτημοσύνης .

“Euphraten hujus hæresis auctorem solus Origenes tradit.”— Spencer ; cf. note in Spencer’s edition.

ἀναισθήτου .

Boherellus proposes φῇς for the textual reading φησί .

καὶ τοῖς προφήταις ἐμπνέοντα .

ὅταν δὲ τὰ ἐναντία ὁ σὸς διδάσκαλος ᾽Ιησοῦς, καὶ ὁ ᾽Ιουδαίων Μωϋσῆς, νομοθετῇ .

ψυχικόν .

Cf. Spencer’s note, as quoted in Benedictine edition.

“Nescio, an hæresium Scriptores hujus Thauthabaoth, Erataoth, Thaphabaoth, Onoeles, et Thartharaoth, usquam meminerint. Hujus generis vocabula innumera invenies apud Epiphan., Hær ., 31, quæ est Valentinianorum, pp. 165–171.”— Spencer .

φραγμὸν κακίας .

πύλας ἀρχόντων αἰῶνι δεδεμένας .

μονότροπον .

λήθην ἀπερίσκεπτον .

᾽Ογδοάδος . Cf. Tertullian, de Præscript. adv. Hæreticos , cap. xxxiii. (vol. iii. p. 259), and other references in Benedictine ed.

Φαίνων . “Ea, quæ Saturni stella dicitur, φαινων que a Græcis dicitur.”— Cicero , de Nat. Deorum , book ii. c. 20.

συμπαθεῖν .

νυκτοφαής .

πεντάδι δυνατωτέρᾳ .

μύστην .

χάριν κρυπτομένην δυνάμεσιν ἐξουσιῶν .

For καταλυθέν Boherellus conjectures καταγλυφθέν , which has been adopted in the translation.

φαντασίας .

ἀπατεώνων .

εἰς τὰς ἀρχοντικὰς μορφάς .

Guietus thinks that some word has been omitted here, as ξίφος , which seems very probable.