ORIGEN against CELSUS Translated from the ORIGINAL INTO ENGLISH Origen against Celsus Translated from the ORIGINAL INTO ENGLISH By James Bellamy Gent. Nec Verbum Verbo curabis reddere fidus Interpres Horat. de Arte Poet LONDON Printed by B. Mills and Sold by I. Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard The Translator's PREFACE TO THE READER THAT Translations of Learned Authors in general especially if they be carefully undertak'n and prudently manag'd are of great Use to the Publick I think after all that has been said against 'em no Person can reasonably deny or ev'n call into question For as the same Reasons which may be assign'd for the Commendation of a Fountain of Water may as well be brought in Praise of the Streams which proceed from it so far as they are properly convey'd So I think the very same Arguments which are us'd in Favour of any Learned Original will equally serve to justifie and recommend a Translation of it so far as it answers its principal End in conveying to our Minds the true Sence of the Author And tho' I think I may say without the Suspicion of Vanity that I have in some measure employ'd my Time and Strength in the Study of the Learned Languages and that I highly value 'em as the happy Vehicles of solid and useful Learning yet the bare Language in which a Book is writ let it be never so much extoll'd as being learned and copious or esteem'd for its Antiquity native Majesty and inimitable Sweetness is I confess one of the least Things which will ever recommend it to my Esteem and Perusal For I humbly conceive that in all our Studies we shou'd not so much nibble at Words which are as it were but the Bark of the Tree of Knowledge as aim at the Improvement of our Reason which is a strong Reflection from the Deity and affords abundant Matter of agreeable Entertainment to them who are so happy as to be distinguish'd from the Generality of Mankind by a wonderful Penetration of Soul And if an Author by his natural Capacity and acquir'd Abilities do's make a more than ord'nary Figure in the intellectual and learned World is an Honour to the Age in which he flourish'd and perhaps equally the Wonder and Envy of succeeding Ages I think the more Reasons may be assign'd why he shou'd be cloath'd in the English Language which is most familiar to us and is allow'd by all capable Judges to be very expressive copious and charming For certainly 't is Pity that such immense Treasures of Sence and Learning shou'd be confin'd to those few Persons in a comparative Sence who happen to understand the Language in which he writes and like the vast Mines in Peru and Mexico serve chiefly for the Convenience and Delight of those who are Foreign to us both by Blood and by Religion And I have often thought and 't is the Opinion of many Persons who are far more capable of judging than my self that 't wou'd conduce very much to the Honour of the BRITISH NATION to have the Fathers of the Three First Centuries those Heroes of Antiquity and Pillars of the Christian Church translated into the Language of our Country and cloath'd in so Modern and so Charming a Dress if it be possible that many of both Sexes whose Genius and Education do's not lead 'em to the Study of Greek and Latin may be induc'd to read 'em and to square their Lives by those excellent Rules of Vertue and Piety which they have laid down for the Conduct of Others and of which they were in their several Ages and are still in some Sence living and highly honourable Examples And since by the Policy of a Neighbouring Nation the Language of Lewis the XIVth has already obtain'd that UNIVERSAL MONARCHY to which he seems to aspire and since many excellent Translations of which the French may justly boast have invited and almost constrain'd many ingenious and polite Persons to learn and admire their Language and so perhaps they have been unhappily and insensibly won over to their Corrupt Religion and Slavish Principles of Government I think 't is not a little strange that we who are so prone to a Phantastical Imitation of 'em shou'd so much abound in Vnnecessary and Trifling Originals and give so little Encouragement to the Translation of those Ancient Authors whom in Spite of all our Ignorance and Prejudice we must acknowledge to have been remarkable for their Learning and whose Labours since they were generally approv'd and highly admir'd in the Early and Pure Ages of the Church and since they strangely confounded the Whole Heathen World one wou'd think might very well serve for our Confirmation and delightful Entertainment And tho' we deservedly pay a most profound Respect to the Greek and Hebrew Text of Scripture as claiming in a strict Sense the Venerable Title of the Word of GOD and challenging in a special Manner the Time and Strength of those whom God and Men have thought fit to employ in the Explication and Defence of the Sacred Oracles yet 't is an extraordinary Happiness which we in these Nations enjoy that we have such excellent Translations of the Bible and ev'n the common People who have precious and immortal Souls as well as others and want more Helps for the regular and comfortable Discharge of their Duty are so far from being commanded by their Ministers to avoid 'em as being dangerous in unskillful Hands and an imperfect Rule both of Faith and Manners that they are strictly enjoyn'd and with all imaginable Tenderness entreated to read 'em with the greatest Seriousness Industry and Pleasure And if we have just Cause to return God our most humble and hearty Thanks for raising up and inclining some proper Persons to undertake so important and so difficult a Work for affording such Measures of his gracious Assistance as were necessary to support and encourage 'em in it and to bring it at last to a most honourable and happy Accomplishment I think the Translations of any pious rational and learned Authors whose Labours have a tendency to lead us into the true and deep Sence of the holy Scriptures and to furnish us with proper Weapons to encounter the inveterate and most formidable Adversaries of the Christian Religion must be very desireable and attended with no small Advantages I confess I am highly sensible that Translations do frequently abound with Faults and perhaps with sueh as are notorious which should a Person undertake to justifie he wou'd expose himself to the Scorn or Pity of the learned World and to the Censure ev'n of the injudicious and illiterate But this if it be a solid Objection against bad Translations which I hardly believe it is since they may have many great Defects and yet the Translator shou'd be esteem'd and rewarded for his good Will to the Publick and that Measure of Industry and Skill in the learned Languages which appears in his Work tho' he
deserves far less Esteem than one who happily accomplishes some accurate Composition or more compleat Translation I say this if it be a solid Argument against bad Translations wo'nt hold against such as are good and so apparently and so highly useful that shou'd any one exclaim against 'em he would but betray his Folly and provoke the Laughter or silent Scorn of those who are not as remarkable Triflers as himself For if no Translator must appear in the World who is not so industrious and so correct that he almost seems to be free from those Faults to which the Frailty of humane Nature renders Mankind unavoidably subject if the Taste of Readers is so nice as to disrellish the the most exact Translations that are extant by Reason of many great Defects which insensibly creep into the best humane Compositions then the same Argument which is us'd against Translations will equally overthrow the most learned and useful Originals that ever were and ev'n the sacred Oracles of the supream and all-wise Being For tho' I think 't is ridiculously objected against us by the Atheists and Deists that some Faults have been found in the best Versions of the Holy Scriptures and that the sacred Original Text it self thro' the long Tract of Time in which the Books of the Old and New Testament were committed to Writing thro' the Ignorance and Carelesness and perhaps Design of some Transcribers is liable to some few Exceptions yet if we must reject and despise all Translations because some are bad and the best imperfect I fear we must immediately throw up our Bibles themselves and grope after Truth by no better Help than that of the dim Light of Nature For all the Versions of the Holy Scriptures are allow'd to be the Works of Men who were not immediately inspir'd by the Spirit of GOD tho' we have Reason to believe he was pleas'd to afford 'em more than ord'nary Direction and Influence in an Affair which had so great a Tendency to the Welfare of the Christian Church and ev'n to the happy and timely Conviction and Conversion of the most hardn'd Infidels into whose Hands the Scriptures may fall from Time to Time and in which they made their serious earnest frequent and more solemn Addresses to Almighty God for all that gracious Assistance which he saw was necessary or convenient for em All the Versions and the Septuagint it Self for correcting which and comparing it with the Alexandrian Manuscript the World is beholden to the Incomparably Learned Indefatigable and Judicious Dr. Grabe all the Versions I say were the Works of uninspir'd Persons who were liable to many gross Defects Nay the Greek and Hebrew Text of Scripture those sacred and refreshing Fountains of living Water have been shamefully polluted by humane Additions and cursed Innovations tho' God in his wise and holy Providence has preserv'd 'em in all the Ages of the Church so far uncorrupted in Spite of all the Wit Malice and unweary'd Industry of Men and Devils that they carry the lively and honourable Stamp of a divine Authority and are still what they always were a perfect Rule both of Faith and Manners If then we pay a more than ord'nary Deference to the sacred Originals of the Holy Scriptures and if the small Errors in a comparative Sence which are found in all the Versions that were ever extant ought by no means to shock our religious and firm Belief of the Divine Inspiration of those sacred and most valuable Records then I think 't is sufficiently evident that Translations in general are of excellent and continual Use and the Badness of some and the Imperfections which unavoidably attend 'em all is no solid Argument against those which are good or even such as are bad if the Original was an Author who deserv'd to be translated and so far as the Translator discovers his Affection and does real Service to the Cause of Piety Sence or Learning Another Objection that may be brought against Translations is this that the injudicious and illiterate shou'd not dare to intrude into those venerable Misteries of the Empire of Reason and Learning which some are apt to imagine 't is their Prerogative to consult and to understand and the entire Reputation and Advantage of which they think is a Debt that ought only to be pay'd to Persons of their Character and Distinction But many who assume to themselves the Title of Persons who are profoundly learned especially such whose Talent lies chiefly in torturing such Words as very seldom occur in Authors whose Heads are living Dictionaries or rather Libraries the faithful but trifling Repositories of senseless Criticisms which how great Satisfaction soever they may perhaps afford to these eager and eternal Hunters of meer Words and Phrases are of little use I say many such Persons have a much smaller Share of solid Reason than they whom these Tyrants in the Empire of Learning would have to lie prostrate at their Feet Besides I can't for my Life conceive why any Persons how learned so ever they may esteem themselves to be how knowing soever they may be accounted by others who have gon in the same tedious if not unprofitable Track of Study and what Skill soever they may really have in reading uncommon and almost obliterated Characters or comparing almost an infinite Number of Worm-eaten and voluminous Manuscripts I say I can't conceive why such Persons shou'd desire and endeavour to engross all the Learning in the World to themselves make it serve like the Egyptian Hieroglyphicks to amaze but not instruct or reform Mankind and prevent the Generality of Men from making Enquiries into Truth which these fond Admirers of themselves represent as a Thing that 's vastly beyond their Reach and the Honour of Knowing which ought by no means to be prostituted to em For my Part I confess I cou'd never justifie nor easily extenuate the common Practice of the Popish Priests who forbid the Laity to read ev'n the Holy Scriptures which if they are not render'd a meer Nose of Wax by their Humane Traditions and wrong Interpretations are able under the Influence of the Holy Spirit to make the injudicious and illiterate so wise as to secure the Salvation of their Souls tho' not fit to dispute or manage an Intriegue with subtil and designing Jesuits and can warm their Hearts with a much deeper Impression of the near Relation in which they stand both to GOD and and to their Neighbour and of those prudent Methods which they ought to take to perform their Duty in the most pleasant and profitable Manner than some of the most learned Doctors of the Sorbon can modestly pretend to have And whether such Persons of Intriegue don't discover as much Ignorance as Antichristian Pride in taking these irregular Measures to gain the Esteem and command the Purses of the People to support the Interest and raise the Reputation of the Church of Rome which stands in Need of many pious Cheats to
more of the Benefit and Necessity of Translations in general but offer something concerning that Author whom I have in Part translated with a due Regard I hope to the Glory of God and the Publick Good tho' whether I have perform'd well or not I must leave to the Judgment of the Learned at whose Bar I shall think it an Honour to be arraign'd if I have been guilty of any gross Defects and whose Friendly Censures I shall willingly and ev'n thankfully undergo That ORIGEN flourish'd in the Third Century and in the Infancy if I may so say of the Christian Church is so generally known that it seems almost needless to mention it And since we deservedly and chearfully pay a Deference to the living Monuments of Antiquity and especially to those Pious and Learned Writers who liv'd in the Early and Pure Ages of the Church partly thro' a natural Curiosity to know the Names Characters and Works of the most Eminent Persons who flourish'd in such distant Periods of Time partly thro' a Sense of those Miraculous Methods which the Great God was as it were oblig'd to take for the Support and Encouragement of the Church during its Minority and partly from a just and deep Conviction of the Eminent Piety Profound Judgment and Universal Learning of many of the Primitive Fathers I think a more than ord'nary Veneration shou'd be paid to the Memory of the Deceased ORIGEN and especially to his Books against the Ingenious and Learned CELSVS which are a lively Picture of his Capacious and Exalted Genius Need I say any Thing in Commendation of his Piety or rather will not every Thing that I can say fall vastly short of the Dignity of the Awful Subject Will it not in some Sence and in some Measure lose its native and almost unsully'd Lustre by the faint Encomiums of the most elevated Mortals who are inspir'd with a tremendous Sense of his Majestick Simplicity and irresistible and almost inimitable Charms A Piety which was so sincere and so impatient of Restraint that 't is reported of him that when his Honoured Father was suffering under the Emperor DECIVS he wou'd ev'n in his tender Years have saluted the Flames of Martyrdom with the greatest Readiness and ev'n Triumphant Joy had not his Dear and Honour'd Mother by her maternal Authority Arts of Perswasion and innocent Methods of Female Policy clip'd the flutt'ring Wings of his humbly-aspiring Soul A Piety discover'd by denying ev'n the lawful Appetite of his sordid Flesh and looking with a generous Disdain on the outward Grandeur and perishing Vanities of this lower World A Piety which was seen by his Leaving or in a comparative Sence Despising the School of Plato that Celebrated Heathen Philosopher for the Sake of the meek and persecuted JESVS In a Word a Piety which appear'd in the Tenor of his Life and Conversation the Strictness of his Moral Vertues and Christian Graces in the flaming but just Zeal he shew'd for the Cause of Christ the exact Care and extraordinary Vigour which runs thro' the Body of his most Excellent Applogy and the prudent Measures which he took to win others to the sincere Belief and regular Practice of that Holy Religion which was so constantly so chearfully and so brightly exemplify'd in himself Need I say any Thing of his Sence who cou'd n't content himself without the severe Study of Philosophy and the sublime Notions of the Divine Plato in particular and familiarly convers'd with the most judicious Philosophers among the Pagans and greatly improv'd the refin'd and useful Knowledge which he eagerly imbib'd from those Stars in the Firmament of Learning by lighting his Torch if I may so say at the dazling Rays of the Sun of Righteousness Need I say any Thing of his Learning who on that Account was justly the Wonder and has too often been the Envy of the Heathen and Christian World who by reason of his solid Sence and uncommon acquir'd Abilities was inclin'd and qualify'd to take an unconfined Range thro' the immense Spaces of the Intellectual Aether who by the Number and Choice of the Books he publish'd of which Eusebius gives us an Account in his Ecclesiastical History discover'd at once the Regularity and almost infinite Compass of his Studies and by his Travels into Foreign Countries was fully acquainted with the Posture of Affairs both in the Christian Church and in the Learned World I can't but take Notice by the Way that if ORIGEN had been so mean a Man or his Works so dangerous as Cardinal Baronius Cardinal Noris Gretzerus the Jesuite and some others represent him I wonder that Pope Anastasius a whole Council the foremention'd Persons and the whole Justinian Age shou'd so violently oppose him I confess after all that I have said which is little if compar'd with what I cou'd easily offer in the Praise of ORIGEN I dare not say that St. Hierom that very Learned Father and afterwards the Justinian Age and many Others since had no Colour of Reason for what they alledg'd against him Indeed the Wisdom of God does very plainly appear in so ord'ring Matters that ev'n some of the Sacred Penmen of Holy Scripture and the Brightest Lights that ever shone in the Glorious Orb of the Church of God had some Defects to allay their intrinsick and apparent Worth and prevent that Excessive Veneration which wou'd otherwise have been paid 'em by reason of their Natural and Acquir'd Accomplishments the Honour they reflected on the Ages in which they flourish'd and the extraordinary Service they did the Cause of Christ and the Common Wealth of Learning But as the Translators of the Bible wou'd have been unjustly treated had they been reproach'd with ev'n seeming to countenance the false Notions of Things which the Generality of the Jewish and many of the Leaders of the Christian Church are known to have entertain'd or had they been upbraided as if they approv'd of David's Murder and Adultery and St. Peter's most shameful Denial of our Blessed Lord So I may rationally expect that the Reader will be so just and candid as not to imagine as great a Man as ORIGEN himself was and as great a Heroe of Antiquity and Christianity as I know he was that I 'm so very ignorant as to agree with him in those Opinions or Practices which are evidently and greatly liable to censure As for his Notion that the Devils may be recover'd I must confess it seems to me to be both a false and dangerous Position false because there 's no Colour for it that I can see in the Word of God and dangerous because it has a Tendency to encourage Persons to go on in Sin in Hopes that ev'n the Fire of Hell will be at last extinguish'd and be but a Second Purgatory We know that no less a Person than the Late Most Reverend Arch-Bishop of Canterbury has publickly appear'd in its Defence and has offer'd such plausible Arguments that perhaps it may seem difficult
keep up it's Aspiring and yet perhaps sinking Hierarchy is a Matter that deserves to be tak'n into our serious and most deliberate Thoughts And tho' I firmly believe that our Blessed Saviour has appointed an Order of Men which shall continue ev'n to the End of the World to preach his Gospel and administer his Holy Sacraments and I earnestly desire that my Tongue may cleave to the Roof of my Mouth if I don't prefer 'em before Multitudes of those who thro' the Influence of Satan the cursed Policy of the Church of Rome the Disorder of their Bodies their wretched Ignorance of the happy Settlement of the sacred Canon or the Reputation they expect to gain by affecting to make high Pretences to new Light and immediate Inspiration yet I am far from thinking that the Christian Religion was design'd to feed the boundless Ambition and in so extravagant a Manner to raise the Reputation and support the External Grandeur of the Clergy And if the Scriptures shou'd be frequently and seriously consider'd by all to whom its Precepts Promises and Threatnings are directed if the designing Priests of the Church of Rome are guilty of a notorious Crime in pretending that the common People shou'd n't dare to intrude into those Sacred Mysteries that are contain'd in 'em if they ought to lye always open for the Information and Conduct of those who most need their Assistance then no pious rational and learned Authors shou'd be deny'd the Laity but like the Public Service which they pay to Almighty God shou'd be offer'd to their Consideration in that Language which is most familiar to em I don't affirm that they who wou'd hinder Persons of mean Capacities and inconsiderable acquir'd Abilities from enjoying the Satisfaction and reaping the Advantage of learned Authors are as guilty as the Romish Priests who deny the People that Word which alone is able by the Blessing of Almighty God to make 'em holy in this World and compleatly and eternally happy in the World to come tho' I think that they who are eminent for Learning may with a much better Grace affirm that 't is their Prerogative to consult learned Authors than the Popish Clergy can pretend that the common People must be blind Votaries to the Church of Rome that they must not understand the Language in which their Divine Service is perform'd and their Religion and by consequence their Everlasting Salvation must depend on the Qualifications and Intention of those who officiate for em But if 't is the Duty of the common People to read the Word of God and to perform all their Acts of Devotion in the Language of their Native Country if they who are unable to understand the Sacred and Original Text of Scripture shou'd have the Bible translated into a Language that is familiar to 'em this seems to me to be a solid Argument to prove that any useful Original which they don't understand in the Language in which the Author writ shou'd be cloath'd in such a Dress as may render it intelligible and easie to em For my part I am far from being bigotted to any ancient Authors tho' I hope they will be ever valu'd in Proportion to that Vein of Sence Learning or Piety which often runs as it were thro' the whole Body of their Discourse I am not such a Slave to Antiquity as to judge it a Crime to read the Writings of those Modern Authors in which any Thing in its own Nature valuable do's occur and Sir William Temple in his Essay upon Ancient and Modern Learning as Ingenious and Polite a Person as he was and as much as I am charm'd with his Writings do's pay I think too great a Deference to the Ancients and give too mean a Character of the Modern Heroes But whether Ancient or Late Authors do deserve the Preference that the Encouragement of Translations shou'd be any Hindrance to the Reputation and successful Progress ev'n of Ancient Learning is what I confess after mature Deliberation I am not able to conceive For as for those who are entirely and perhaps culpably ignorant of the Heroes of Antiquity and have no Skill in any of the Learned Languages 't is impossible that Translations shou'd lessen their Esteem for those Authors who bear the awful Stamp of very distant Periods of Time Nay this is so far from being the true State of the Case that I do not see 't is possible for the common People to have any high and well-grounded Respect for the genuine Monuments of Antiquity but by Means of those very Translations which they who make the Objection do most severely condemn 'T is true they may hear it reported that the Fathers of the Primitive Church were very pious rational and learned Writers but their Knowledge or rather Opinion is not the natural Result of their own Examination and Judgement and by Consequence the Esteem which they have and express for 'em must be highly irrational or at best uncertain and extreamly superficial But when any of the Ancient and Learned Authors are as it were rais'd from the dead and cloath'd in a Language which they perfectly understand and they have carefully perus'd a Translation of 'em by one who as they have Reason to believe did perfectly understand the Language in which the Author writ and was Master of the Subject and whose Fidelity they have scarce a Temptation to suspect they then begin to entertain a very honourable Opinion of 'em and thank the Translator for saving 'em the Pains of understanding and consulting the Original And as for those who have Skill in the learned Languages I don't see that a Translation of any Ancient and Considerable Authors can do 'em any real Prejudice For certainly the Translator must be void ev'n of common Sence and very illiterate himself if he desires 'em to pay a greater Regard to the Translation than they ought to pay to the Original This wou'd be to prefer the Stream before the Fountain from which it proceeds which wou'd be monstrously absurd and can't fairly be suppos'd in so Judicious and Learned an Age as this And one who understands the Languages is so far from being hinder'd hereby from the Study of 'em or discourag'd from paying 'em a due Respect that a Translation if it be but tolerably perform'd is a Help to him in consulting the Orinal and tends to cultivate his Skill in the learned Language in which the Author writ Besides we must consider that no Translator who has common Sence will desire that they who are profoundly learned shou'd lay aside the Original for the Sake of a Translation but only allow some Time and take Pains to compare 'em and see whether he has hit on the true Sence of the Author and if he has really done so the Translation must be valu'd of Course unless the Original be esteem'd for nothing but the Words which I believe no rational Person will ever be tempted to imagine I shall say no
of all Saints and those Words Born out of due Time may have a greater Affinity than some Persons on the first View may be ready to imagine And as there 's no Colour of Reason for any One to reflect upon our Blessed Saviour for not taking all the Apostles with him to the Mount of Transfiguration but only three of 'em when he was going to display the Glory of his Raiment and the Heav'nly Lustre of Moses and Elias who were to discourse with him in a familiar Manner So neither is there just Cause for any one to find Fault with the Account which we meet with in the Gospels viz. That he didn't expose himself after his Resurrection to the View of all but only of those whose Eyes were strong enough to bear the dazling Brightness of so glorious an Object And I think that the following Expression which is us'd by the Apostle Paul To this End Christ both dy'd Rom 14 V. 9. and rose and reviv'd that he might be Lord both of the Dead and of the Living may have a Reference to the Subject on which I am now discoursing The Dead over whom he has a rightful Power are they of whom the Apostle speaks in his first Epistle to the Corinthians The Trumpet 1 Cor. 1 â— V. 52. says he shall sound and the dead shall be rais'd incorruptible Under the Term Living I conceive he comprehends not only those who shall be rais'd from the dead to an Immortal Life but those also who may be consider'd by us in a very different Capacity I mean those who will be alive at the Coming of our Lord and be chang'd He says We shall be chang'd which Words are brought in by him after he had said That the Dead shall be rais'd incorruptible And in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians he describes the Difference between the Dead and the Living in the following Words I wou'dn't have you ignorant Brethren 1 Thes 4. V. 13. concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not ev'n as others who have no Hope for if we believe that Jesus dy'd and rose again ev'n them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain to the Coming of the Lord sha'n't prevent them who are asleep The Sence of which Verses I have giv'n according to the best of my Judgment in my Comment on the foregoing Epistle Now we needn't wonder that our Saviour after his Resurrection wa'n't seen by all that believ'd in him since the Apostle writing to the Corinthians as Persons of mean Attainments has the following Words I determine 1 Cor. 4. V. 4. to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucify'd And says in another Place Hitherto ye 1 Cor. 3. V. 2. were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able for ye are yet carnal I confess the Scriptures in which the Characters of infinite Wisdom are so legible do acquaint us that our Saviour before his Death expos'd himself to Publick View tho' ev'n here some Exceptions must be made but after he was ris'n from the Dead he was no longer promiscuously seen by all but according to the Direction of Heaven consulted the Capacities of those to whom he thought fit to appear As we read in Scripture that God appear'd to Abraham and other Holy Men tho' there were considerable Intervals and we know very well that he didn't appear to all So we may rationally suppose that the SON OF GOD when he made his Appearance to Persons after he was ris'n from the dead took a prudent Method not unlike that which God had before observ'd in making Discoveries of himself to the Ancient Fathers of the Jewish Church So that I have return'd an Answer according to my weak Ability and as far as I thought consistent with the Design of the present Treatise to the Objection which Celsus makes in the following Words If Christ says he had a Mind to exert his Divine Power he ought to have appear'd to his Enemies to the Judge who pass'd the Sentence of Death upon him and to the whole Body of the People who as it were took up Arms against him Sure I am that he acted wisely in not appearing to his Enemies or the Judge who condemn'd him For he happily prevented 'em from being struck blind like the Sodomites of old who lay in wait for the Angels who as the Scripture acquaints us were kindly entertain'd by Lot Gen. 19 9 10. The Men 't is said put forth their Hand and pull'd Lot into the House to 'em and shut the Door and they sinote the Men that were at the Door of the House with Blindness both small and great so that they weary'd themselves to find the Door The Design of our Saviour was to shew his DIVINE POWER in a Way suited to the Capacities of Men and the TRUE REASON why he refus'd to appear so publickly after he was ris'n from the Dead as before was this because he was then too bright an Object to be beheld by COMMON EYES Therefore Celsus as if he had wrack'd his Brains to the utmost cou'd hardly have thought of any Thing that had less Argument in it than the following Words What! was he afraid that he shou'd be hung upon the Cross again when if we may give any Heed to you he was no less than A GOD Besides I suppose you 'll hardly say that he came into the World on Purpose to ABSCOND But 't is evident he came into the World to be seen by few comparitively and many of those who saw him were in a great Measure Strangers to the Bright Rays of his Divinity Nay he was altogether unknown to many in as much as he came to discover his Glory to those who were Children of the Light and so were freed from that worse than Egyptian Darkness which naturally draws a Veil over the Minds of Men. And he came with this generous Design to display the Riches of his Grace to those who were Vnrighteous and lay wallowing in their Filth and Gore and to act the Part of the best Physician that the World cou'd ever boast of in curing those whose Minds were attended with innumerable and great Disorders CHAP. XXXIII LET us see what Celsus adds Had he had a Mind says he to have giv'n a Proof of his pretended Divinity one wou'd think he shou'd have VANISH'D the very Moment he was nail'd to the Cross But this is just for all the World like the idle and prophane Talk of those who deny an Over-ruling Providence and are erecting new Schemes in their warm and fruitful Imagination for the more regular Government of the World and have the horrid Impudence to say that had the Affairs of it been left entirely to their prudent Management the Benefit of the Universe had been more effectually consulted than now it is tho' many Things in their Hypothesis are