Chapter XLIX.

This statement also is untrue, that it is “only foolish and low individuals, and persons devoid of perception, and slaves, and women, and children, of whom the teachers of the divine word wish to make converts.”  Such indeed does the Gospel invite, in order to make them better; but it invites also others who are very different from these, since Christ is the Saviour of all men, and especially of them that believe, whether they be intelligent or simple; and “He is the propitiation with the Father for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”524    Cf. 1 John ii. 2.  After this it is superfluous for us to wish to offer a reply to such statements of Celsus as the following:  “For why is it an evil to have been educated, and to have studied the best opinions, and to have both the reality and appearance of wisdom?  What hindrance does this offer to the knowledge of God?  Why should it not rather be an assistance, and a means by which one might be better able to arrive at the truth?”  Truly it is no evil to have been educated, for education is the way to virtue; but to rank those amongst the number of the educated who hold erroneous opinions is what even the wise men among the Greeks would not do.  On the other hand, who would not admit that to have studied the best opinions is a blessing?  But what shall we call the best, save those which are true, and which incite men to virtue?  Moreover, it is an excellent thing for a man to be wise, but not to seem so, as Celsus says.  And it is no hindrance to the knowledge of God, but an assistance, to have been educated, and to have studied the best opinions, and to be wise.  And it becomes us rather than Celsus to say this, especially if it be shown that he is an Epicurean.

Ψεῦδος δὲ καὶ τὸ μόνους ἠλιθίους καὶ ἀγεννεῖς καὶ ἀναισθήτους καὶ ἀνδράποδα καὶ γύναια καὶ παιδάρια πείθειν ἐθέλειν τοὺς διδάσκοντας τὸν θεῖον λόγον. Καὶ τούτους μὲν γὰρ καλεῖ ὁ λόγος, ἵνα αὐτοὺς βελτιώσῃ· καλεῖ δὲ καὶ τοὺς πολλῷ τούτων διαφέροντας· ἐπεὶ "σωτήρ ἐστιν πάντων ἀνθρώπων" ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ "μάλιστα πιστῶν", εἴτε συνετῶν εἴτε ἁπλουστέρων, καὶ "ἱλασμός ἐστι" "πρὸς τὸν πατέρα" "περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ μόνον δὲ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου". Περισσὸν οὖν τὸ θέλειν μετὰ ταῦτ' ἀπολογήσασθαι ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὰς Κέλσου λέξεις οὕτως ἐχούσας· Τί γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλως κακὸν τὸ πεπαιδεῦσθαι καὶ λόγων τῶν ἀρίστων ἐπιμεμελῆσθαι καὶ φρόνιμον εἶναί τε καὶ δοκεῖν; Τί δὲ κωλύει τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ γνῶναι θεόν; Τί δ' οὐχὶ προὔργου μᾶλλον καὶ δι' οὗ μᾶλλόν τις ἂν ἐφικέσθαι δύναιτο ἀληθείας; Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἀληθῶς πεπαι δεῦσθαι οὐ κακόν· ὁδὸς γὰρ ἐπ' ἀρετήν ἐστιν ἡ παίδευσις· τὸ μέντοι γε ἐν πεπαιδευμένοις ἀριθμεῖν τοὺς ἐσφαλμένα δόγματα ἔχοντας οὐδ' οἱ Ἑλλήνων σοφοὶ φήσουσι. Πάλιν τ' αὖ τίς οὐκ ἂν ὁμολογήσαι ὅτι λόγων τῶν ἀρίστων ἐπιμεμε λῆσθαι ἀγαθόν ἐστιν; Ἀλλὰ τίνας ἐροῦμεν τοὺς ἀρίστους λόγους ἢ τοὺς ἀληθεῖς καὶ ἐπ' ἀρετὴν παρακαλοῦντας; Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ φρόνιμον εἶναι καλόν ἐστιν, οὐκέτι δὲ τὸ δοκεῖν, ὅπερ εἶπεν ὁ Κέλσος. Καὶ οὐ κωλύει γε πρὸς τὸ γνῶναι θεὸν ἀλλὰ καὶ συνεργεῖ τὸ πεπαιδεῦσθαι καὶ λόγων ἀρίστων ἐπιμεμελῆσθαι καὶ φρόνιμον εἶναι. Καὶ ἡμῖν μᾶλλον πρέπει τοῦτο λέγειν ἢ Κέλσῳ, καὶ μάλιστ' ἐὰν ἐπικούρειος ὢν ἐλέγχηται.