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| Chapter LIX
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Chapter LIX.
Immediately after this, Celsus, perceiving that he
has slandered us with too great bitterness, as if by way of defence
expresses himself as follows: “That I bring no heavier
charge than what the truth compels me, any one may see from the
following remarks. Those who invite to participation in other
mysteries, make proclamation as follows: ‘Every one who has
clean hands, and a prudent tongue;’3608
others again thus: ‘He who is pure from all pollution, and
whose soul is conscious of no evil, and who has lived well and
justly.’ Such is the proclamation made by those who promise
purification from sins.3609
| 3609 [Much is to be
gathered from this and the following chapters, of the evangelical
character of primitive preaching and discipline.] | But let us
hear what kind of persons these Christians invite. Every one,
they say, who is a sinner, who is devoid of understanding, who is a
child, and, to speak generally, whoever is unfortunate, him will the
kingdom of God receive. Do you not call him a sinner, then, who
is unjust, and a thief, and a housebreaker, and a poisoner, and a
committer of sacrilege, and a robber of the dead? What others
would a man invite if he were issuing a proclamation for an assembly of
robbers?” Now, in answer to such statements, we say that it
is not the same thing to invite those who are sick in soul to be
cured, and those who are in health to the knowledge
and study of divine things. We, however, keeping both these
things in view, at first invite all men to be healed, and exhort
those who are sinners
to come to the consideration of the doctrines which teach men not to
sin, and those who are devoid of understanding to those which beget
wisdom, and those who are children to rise in their thoughts to
manhood, and those who are simply3610
unfortunate to
good fortune,3611
or—which is
the more appropriate term to use—to blessedness.3612
And when those who have been turned
towards virtue have made progress, and have shown that they have been
purified by the word, and have led as far as they can a better life,
then and not before do we invite them to participation in our
mysteries. “For we speak wisdom among them that are
perfect.”3613
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