Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Chapter VI
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Chapter VI.
Seeing, however, that Celsus quotes from an
epistle of Plato another statement to the following effect, viz.:
“If it appeared to me that these matters could be adequately
explained to the multitude in writing and in oral address, what nobler
pursuit in life could have been followed by me, than to commit to
writing what was to prove of such advantage to human beings, and to
lead the nature of all men onwards to the light?”—let us
then consider this point briefly, viz., whether or not Plato were
acquainted with any doctrines more profound than are contained in his
writings, or more divine than those which he has left behind him,
leaving it to each one to investigate the subject according to his
ability, while we demonstrate that our prophets did know of greater
things than any in the Scriptures, but which they did not commit to
writing. Ezekiel, e.g., received a roll,4311
written within and without, in which were contained
“lamentations,” and “songs,” and
“denunciations;”4312
but at the command
of the Logos he swallowed the book, in order that its contents might
not be written, and so made known to unworthy persons. John also
is recorded to have seen and done a similar thing.4313
Nay, Paul even heard
“unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to
utter.”4314
And it is
related of Jesus, who was greater than all these, that He conversed
with His disciples in private, and especially in their sacred retreats,
concerning the Gospel of God; but the words which He uttered have not
been preserved, because it appeared to the evangelists that they could
not be adequately conveyed to the multitude in writing or in
speech. And if it were not tiresome to repeat the truth regarding
these illustrious individuals, I would say that they saw better than
Plato (by means of the intelligence which they received by the grace of
God), what things were to be committed to writing, and how this
was to be done, and what was by no means to be written to the multitude, and
what was to be expressed in words, and what was not to be so
conveyed. And once more, John, in teaching us the difference
between what ought to be committed to writing and what not, declares
that he heard seven thunders instructing him on certain matters, and
forbidding him to commit their words to writing.4315
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
