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Chapter
LXXXIII.
After Celsus has finished speaking of the bees, in
order to depreciate (as far as he can) the cities, and constitutions,
and governments, and sovereignties not only of us Christians, but of
all mankind, as well as the wars which men undertake on behalf of their
native countries, he proceeds, by way of digression, to pass a eulogy
upon the ants, in order that, while praising them, he may compare the
measures which men take to secure their subsistence with those adopted
by these insects,4014
4014 παραβάλῃ τῷ
λόγῳ πρὸς
τοὺς
μύρμηκας. “Verba: τᾷ
λόγῳ πρὸς
τοὺς
μύρμηκας addititia
videntur et recidenda.”—Ruæus. | and so evince his
contempt for the forethought which makes provision for winter, as being
nothing higher than the irrational providence of the ants, as he
regards it. Now might not some of the more simple-minded, and
such as know not how to look into the nature of all things, be turned
away (so far, at least, as Celsus could accomplish it) from helping
those who are weighed down with the burdens (of life), and from sharing
their toils, when he says of the ants, that “they help one
another with their loads, when they see one of their number toiling
under them?” For he who needs to be disciplined by the
word, but who does not at all understand4015
its voice, will say: “Since, then, there is no difference
between us and the ants, even when we help those who are weary with
bearing their heavy burdens, why should we continue to do so to no
purpose?” And would not the ants, as being irrational
creature, be greatly puffed up, and think highly of themselves, because
their works were compared to those of men? while men, on the other
hand, who by means of their reason are enabled to hear how their
philanthropy4016 towards others is
contemned, would be injured, so far as could be effected by Celsus and
his arguments: for he does not perceive that, while he wishes to
turn away from Christianity those who read his treatise, he turns away
also the sympathy of those who are not Christians from those who bear
the heaviest burdens (of life). Whereas, had he been a
philosopher, who was capable of perceiving the good which men may do
each other, he ought, in addition to not removing along with
Christianity the blessings which are found amongst men, to have lent
his aid to co-operate (if he had it in his power) with those principles
of excellence which are common to Christianity and the rest of
mankind. Moreover, even if the ants set apart in a place by
themselves those grains which sprout forth, that they may not swell
into bud, but may continue throughout the year as their food, this is
not to be deemed as evidence of the existence of reason among
ants, but as the work of the universal mother, Nature, which adorned
even irrational animals, so that even the most insignificant is not
omitted, but bears traces of the reason implanted in it by
nature. Unless, indeed, by these assertions Celsus means
obscurely to intimate (for in many instances he would like to adopt
Platonic ideas) that all souls are of the same species, and that there
is no difference between that of a man and those of ants and bees,
which is the act of one who would bring down the soul from the vault of
heaven, and cause it to enter not only a human body, but that of an
animal. Christians, however, will not yield their assent to such
opinions: for they have been instructed before now that the human
soul was created in the image of God; and they see that it is
impossible for a nature fashioned in the divine image to have its
(original) features altogether obliterated, and to assume others,
formed after I know not what likeness of irrational
animals.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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