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| Chapter XC
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Chapter XC.
But we have a few remarks to make, out of a larger
number, in answer to these statements of Celsus, that we may show the
ingratitude towards his Maker which is involved in his holding these
false opinions.4038
| 4038 τὴν
ἀχάριστον
ψευδοδοξίαν. | For Celsus,
although a man, and “being in honour,”4039
does not possess understanding, and
therefore he did not compare himself with the birds and the other
irrational animals, which he regards as capable of divining; but
yielding to them the foremost place, he lowered himself, and as far as
he could the whole human race with him (as entertaining lower and
inferior views of God than the irrational animals), beneath the
Egyptians, who worship irrational animals as divinities. Let the
principal point of investigation, however, be this: whether there
actually is or not an art of divination, by means of birds and other
living things believed to have such power. For the arguments
which tend to establish either view are not to be despised. On
the one hand, it is pressed upon us not to admit such an art, lest the
rational being should abandon the divine oracles, and betake himself to
birds; and on the other, there is the energetic testimony of many, that
numerous individuals have been saved from the greatest dangers by
putting their trust in divination by birds. For the present,
however, let it be granted that an art of divination does exist, in
order that I may in this way show to those who are prejudiced on the
subject, that if this be admitted, the superiority of man over
irrational animals, even over those that are endowed with power of
divination, is great, and beyond all reach of comparison with the
latter. We have then to say, that if there was in them any divine
nature capable of foretelling future events, and so rich (in that
knowledge) as out of its superabundance to make them known to any man
who wished to know them, it is manifest that they would know what
concerned themselves far sooner (than what concerned others); and had
they possessed this knowledge, they would have been upon their guard
against flying to any particular place where men had planted snares and
nets to catch them, or where archers took aim and shot at them in their
flight. And especially, were eagles aware beforehand of the
designs formed against their young, either by serpents crawling up to
their nests and destroying them, or by men who take them for their
amusement, or for any other useful purpose or service, they would not
have placed their young in a spot where they were to be attacked; and,
in general, not one of these animals would have been captured by men,
because they were more divine and intelligent than
they.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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