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| Chapter LXII
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Chapter
LXII.
Celsus, again, having perhaps misunderstood the
words, “For the mouth of the Lord hath
spoken it,”4604
or perhaps because
some ignorant individuals had rashly ventured upon the explanation of
such things, and not understanding, moreover, on what principles parts
called after the names of the bodily members are assigned to the
attributes4605
of God,
asserts: “He has neither mouth nor voice.”
Truly, indeed, God can have no voice, if the voice is a concussion of
the air, or a stroke on the air, or a species of air, or any other
definition which may be given to the voice by those who are skilled in
such matters; but what is called the “voice of God” is said
to be seen as “God’s voice” by the people in
the passage, “And all the people saw the voice of
God;”4606
| 4606 Cf. Ex. xx. 18 (LXX.). The Masoretic text is
different. | the word
“saw” being taken, agreeably to the custom of Scripture, in
a spiritual sense. Moreover, he alleges that
“God possesses nothing else of which we have any
knowledge;” but of what things we have knowledge he gives
no indication. If he means “limbs,” we agree with
him, understanding the things “of which we have knowledge”
to be those called corporeal, and pretty generally so termed. But
if we are to understand the words “of which we have
knowledge” in a universal sense, then there are many things of
which we have knowledge, (and which may be attributed to God); for He
possesses virtue, and blessedness, and divinity. If we, however,
put a higher meaning upon the words, “of which we have
knowledge,” since all that we know is less than God, there is no
absurdity in our also admitting that God possesses none of those things
“of which we have knowledge.” For the
attributes which belong to God are far superior to all things with
which not merely the nature of man is acquainted, but even that of
those who have risen far above it. And if he had read the
writings of the prophets, David on the one hand saying, “But Thou
art the same,”4607
and Malachi on the
other, “I am (the Lord), and change
not,”4608
he would have
observed that none of us assert that there is any change in God, either
in act or thought. For abiding the same, He administers mutable
things according to their nature, and His word elects to undertake
their administration.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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