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| Chapter I
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Book IV.
Chapter I.
Having, in the three
preceding books, fully stated what occurred to us by way of answer to
the treatise of Celsus, we now, reverend Ambrosius, with prayer to God
through Christ, offer this fourth book as a reply to what
follows. And we pray that words may be given us, as it is written
in the book of Jeremiah that the Lord said to the prophet:
“Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth as fire. See, I
have set thee this day over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root
out and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, and to build
and to plant.”3682
For we need
words now which will root out of every wounded soul the reproaches
uttered against the truth by this treatise of Celsus, or which proceed
from opinions like his. And we need also thoughts which will pull
down all edifices based on false opinions, and especially the edifice
raised by Celsus in his work which resembles the building of those who
said, “Come, let us build us a city, and a tower whose top shall
reach to heaven.”3683
Yea, we even
require a wisdom which will throw down all high things that rise
against the knowledge of God,3684
and especially that
height of arrogance which Celsus displays against us. And in the
next place, as we must not stop with rooting out and pulling down the
hindrances which have just been mentioned, but must, in room of what
has been rooted out, plant the plants of “God’s
husbandry;”3685
and in place of
what has been pulled down, rear up the building of God, and the temple
of His glory,—we must for that reason pray also to the Lord, who
bestowed the gifts named in the book of Jeremiah, that He may grant
even to us words adapted both for building up the (temple) of Christ,
and for planting the spiritual law, and the prophetic words referring
to the same.3686
| 3686 τοὺς
ἀνάλογον
αὐτῷ
προφητικοὺς
λόγους. | And above all
is it necessary to show, as against the assertions of Celsus which
follow those he has already made, that the prophecies regarding Christ
are true predictions. For, arraying himself at the same time
against both parties—against the Jews on the one hand, who deny
that the advent of Christ has taken place, but who expect it as future,
and against Christians on the other, who acknowledge that Jesus is the
Christ spoken of in prophecy—he makes the following
statement:—E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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