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Chapter
XXIII.
But we, in proving the facts related of our Jesus
from the prophetic Scriptures, and comparing afterwards His history
with them, demonstrate that no dissoluteness on His part is
recorded. For even they who conspired against Him, and who sought
false witnesses to aid them, did not find even any plausible grounds
for advancing a false charge against Him, so as to accuse Him of
licentiousness; but His death was indeed the result of a conspiracy,
and bore no resemblance to the death of Æsculapius by
lightning. And what is there that is venerable in the madman
Dionysus, and his female garments, that he should be worshipped
as a god? And if they who would defend such beings betake
themselves to allegorical interpretations, we must examine each individual instance,
and ascertain whether it is well founded,3499
3499 εἰ τὸ ὑγιὲς
ἔχουσιν. |
and also in each particular case, whether those beings can have a real
existence, and are deserving of respect and worship who were torn by
the Titans, and cast down from their heavenly throne. Whereas our
Jesus, who appeared to the members of His own troop3500 —for I will take the word that Celsus
employs—did really appear, and Celsus makes a false
accusation against the Gospel in saying that what appeared was a
shadow. And let the statements of their histories and that of
Jesus be carefully compared together. Will Celsus have the former
to be true, but the latter, although recorded by eye-witnesses who
showed by their acts that they clearly understood the nature of what
they had seen, and who manifested their state of mind by what they
cheerfully underwent for the sake of His Gospel, to be
inventions? Now, who is there that, desiring to act always in
conformity with right reason, would yield his assent at random3501 to what is related of the one, but would
rush to the history of Jesus, and without examination refuse to believe
what is recorded of Him?3502
3502 εἰς δὲ τὰ
περὶ τούτου
ἀνεξετάστως
ὁρμῶν
ἀπιστήσαι
τοῖς περὶ
αὐτοῦ; | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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