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What he has done was so well done, that it has never been undone, although later ages added new improvements to the language. Celsus, who lived in the reign of Tiberius, was the author of a work on medicine which is used as a textbook even in the present advanced state of medical science. The Greek belief in destiny becomes in the Romans stoicism.
Could it be proved that Celsus was a friend of Lucian, then we should know that in the judgment of the latter he was a noble, truth-loving, and cultivated man. It was not Origen’s interest to emphasise these aspects of his opponent’s character; but it must be said to his credit, that though he was much incensed at some of the charges of Celsus, he never attacked his personal character.
In a third passage, the Jew whom Celsus introduces shuts up an argument in this manner: "these things then we have alleged to you out of your own writings, not needing any other weapons." That the books to which Celsus refers were no other than our present Gospels, is made out by his allusions to various passages still found in these Gospels.
We hear of no writer's undertaking to disprove Christianity till about one hundred years after the apostles' day, when Celsus wrote a violent work against the Christians, who were, at the same time, suffering severe persecutions. But this author, though a bitter enemy to Christ, allows his miracles; but like the old pharisees imputes them to a different power from that of God.
The next sort is named brown bread, of the colour of which we have two sorts one baked up as it cometh from the mill, so that neither the bran nor the flour are any whit diminished; this, Celsus called autopirus panis, lib. 2, and putteth it in the second place of nourishment.
Why do you believe them, except upon testimony I mean given either verbally, or, what is the same thing, in books? Now if the accumulated testimony of medical writers from the days of Galen, and Celsus, and Hippocrates, to the present hour, could have any weight with you, it would settle the point at once.
Origen imputes this evasion to Celsus; Jerome to Porphyry; and Lactantius to the heathen in general. The several passages which contain these testimonies will be produced in the next chapter.
Celsus pictured the frogs in symposium round a swamp, croaking to one another how God forsakes the whole universe, the spheres of heaven, to dwell with us; we frogs are so like God; he never ceases to seek how we may dwell with him for ever; but some of us are sinners, so God will come or send his son and burn them up; and the rest of us will live with him for eternity.
Now Celsus dared not have brought this charge against the Christians, if the fact had not been publicly known. But let us see whether it was denied by those, who were of opinion that his work demanded a reply. The person, who wrote against him in favour of Christianity, was Origen, who lived in the third century.
At the same time the Communion is not to be interpreted in any gross or carnal manner, or in such a way as to give colour to the ancient taunt of Celsus, the heathen critic, that Christians were self-confessed cannibals.
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