Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A70747
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Origen against Celsus translated from the original into English by James Bellamy ...; Contra Celsum. English
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Origen.; Bellamy, James.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing O427; ESTC R32215
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155,813
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432
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was the Resurrection of the two Children before-mention'd a great and diffusive Blessing to Mankind as we know the Resnrrection of our Saviour was when the Power of God did so eminently accompany the Preaching of the Gospel and caus'd it to make so deep and lasting an Impression upon the Minds of so many of his Hearers who at first were strangely prejudic'd against him CHAP. XXXI THE pretended Jew goes on and is ready to split his Sides with Laughing at the Earth-quake and ridicules the more than ordinary Darkness that were the AWFVL CONCOMITANTS of our Saviour's Sufferings But this I have already answer'd according to my weak Ability and produc'd the Testimony of Phlegon who acknowledges that these wonderful Events did really happen at the Time of our Saviour's Passion Then the Jew has the following Words You say that he rose from the dead tho' he was far from being able to secure his Person while he remain'd on Earth and shew'd upon his Body all the Marks of his Crucifixion and the very Print of the Nails with which his Hands and Feet were pierc'd But what dos this Gentleman mean by saying He wa'n't able to secure his Person If he means that our Blessed Saviour wa'nt able to secure himself from the common Contagion of Vice and Immorality what he says is absolutely and manifestly false For he never spoke a Word or did an Action that was in the least indecent or unworthy of an INCARNATE GOD. He was led as a Sheep to the Mat. 27 V. 2 Slaughter and as a Laneb before her Shearers was dumb so he open'd not his Mouth Viz. By way of Complaint or Uneasiness as St. Mathew acquaints us But if Celsus means that he didn't exert his Power to secure himself from the outward Calamities to which he was expos'd which morally consider'd were neither Good nor Evil I have prov'd already from the Gospels that he submitted to 'em with the greatest Readiness imaginable and shew'd the Reasons which justify'd his Conduct Then the pretended Jew having spoke of our Saviour's shewing all the Marks of his Crucifixion and the very Print of his Nails says There was no Witness of the Truth of this strange Account but one Fanatical Woman designing to ridicule Mary Magdalen who saw him after he was ris'n from the dead as we are told in the Gospels and because we are inform'd that he was seen by others he thought fit to add the following Words And perhaps some Body else of the same wretched Cabal Then he plainly discovers that he is one of those who admire the Epicurean Hypothesis when he endeavours to shew how a lively Idea of a deceas'd Person may be form'd in the warm Imagination in the following Words Who was deluded by her own idle Whimsies or too easily believ'd what she wou'd have to be true as we know it frequently happens There 's a great Deal of Force if we must give any heed to his idle Whimsies in this scurrilous Language But ev'n from hence we may be furnish'd with an Argument to prove the IMMORTAL SVBSISTENCE of HVMANE SOVLS when they are separated from their Bodies and the unavoidable Consequence of what he here asserts amounts to this at least that it survives the Body For if as Plato observes in his Dialogues about the HVMANE SOVL there are certain Images of dead Persons that are seen near their Tombs then they must be owing to some Cause or other And no Cause can be so rationally assign'd as the Soul of the deceas'd Person that assumes a Body which is adapted to it But Celsus who advances the fore-mention'd Notion wou'd make People dream while they are thoroughly awake and have their Sences about 'em and says They too easily believe what they wou'd have to be true Such Dreams indeed as he talks of are common when the Bodily Sences are lock'd up by Sleep but I think we can't easily account for 'em when Persons are awake unless they be troubl'd with Melancholy or fall'n into a Fit of the Frenzy Celsus it seems wa'n't ignorant of this and that made him call Mary Magdalen a Fanatick tho' the Scripture-History says nothing like it and our Saviour's Appearing after he was ris'n from the dead and showing all the Marks that were made in his Crucify'd Body must according to Celsus be solv'd by the Doctrine of the Images of deceas'd Persons but according to the Scripture-Account which he 's so cunning as to use when he thinks that it serves his purpose the Matter of Fact stood thus Our Saviour call'd one of his Disciples to him who cou'dn't for his Life believe that he was ris'n from the dead with the same Body I say with the same Body For the Appearance of Humane Souls after Death don't seem to be the least Matter of his Doubt Therefore 't is remarkable that he dos'n't say Except I see him but Except John 20. V. 25 I shall see in his Hands the Print of the Nails and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Sides I will not believe He didn't question but that the Soul of a deceas'd Person might animate a Body which wou'd be visible to the corporeal Eye and bear a Resemblance to that from which 't was separated by Death not only with respect to the Eyes and Voice and Mien but also Sometimes appear in a like Habit cloath'd Hom. Il. Book 23 V. 67. Therefore our Saviour call'd Thomas to him and said Reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach John 20 V. 27. hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be not faithless but believing And by the Way 't was agreable to the many Prophecies which we meet with concerning him the many evident Miracles he wrought and unusual Accidents that befell him that he shou'd rise from the Dead and that this considerable Circumstance shou'd as it were crown and compleat the rest The Prophetical Psalmist speaking in the Person of our Saviour has this Prophecy relating to him My Flesh also shall rest in Hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell nor Psalm 16 V. 9. suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption And the Body with which our Saviour rose from the Dead did neither consist of such gross Matter as it consisted of before nor of such subtil Matter as that with which separate Souls are cloath'd when an Apparition appears Therefore St. John has the following Words His Disciples were within and Thomas with em Then came Jesus the Doors being shut and stood in the Midst and said Peace be unto you And he adds these Words Then says he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger St. Luke tells us that When Simon and Cleopas were talking of the Things Luke 24 V. 14. that had happen'd to him Jesus himself drew near and went with em But their Eyes were holden that they shou'd not know him And he said to 'em What Manner of Communications are these that ye
of a Future and Aweful Judgment and do what lay in their Power to gain the Favour of the Blessed God the Creator and Supream Disposer of the Universe I say do's it stand to Reason that such a one so serviceable to promote the Glory of God and the Welfare of precious and immortal Souls shou'd be so far from being born in a miraculous Way as to be of a base and illegitimate Extraction I ask the Greeks and particularly Celsus who whether he be a Platonist or no thinks he has sufficient Authority for what he says if he do's but quote a Passage out of the learned Plato whether it be not a Reflection upon one who holds the Doctrine of the Transmigration of Souls and by Consequence that every Body has a proper Soul to act and animate it to deny that our Saviour was born in a lawful Manner who engag'd in so difficult and important a Work instructed so many ignorant and seduc'd Persons and happily and suddenly recover'd 'em from that Deluge of Immorality in which they had been so long and so deeply plung'd Is it not more rational to think according to the Opinion of Pythagoras Plato and Empedocles on the Testimony of which learned Authors Celsus himself do's very much rely that there are some secret Reasons why every Soul shou'd have a Body appropriated to it self that is a fit Receptacle for it and suited to the good or bad Qualities which it had in its State of Pre-existence Is it not just and reasonable that a more than humane Soul that do's more Service to the World than many Thousands of others to say no more lest my Discourse shou'd be thought to savour of Prejudice shou'd be united to a Portion of Organiz'd Matter that is more excellent than the Generality of Bodies are For if those Souls which by the Virtue of some secret Causes are of too noble a Nature to be united to an inanimate Creature and are not worthy to animate a Body that is compleatly form'd have one that is adapted to 'em the Head of which being disproportionable to the rest of its Members do's in a great Measure hinder the free Exercise of Reason and others that are more perfect act a Body that is more duly dispos'd and so others according to the several Degrees of their native or acquir'd Excellencies are sent into more or less perfect Bodies why may not a particular Soul assume a Body in a miraculous Way a Body that has something in common with the rest of Men that may render it fit for humane Conversation and something wherein it differs from 'em that may in some Measure secure it from the sad Contagion of a neighbouring and distemper'd Mind In short if we give any Credit to them who are skill'd in Physiognomy such as Zopyrus Loxus Polemon and others who have directly handl'd that difficult Subject and pretend to find out extraordinary Mysteries by observing the Rules which that Science proposes what Absurdity is there in asserting that all Bodies are suited to the Qualities of the Soul that acts em Is there then the least Probability that a Soul so excellent in it self and form'd for such great and truly-generous Designs as the Humane Soul of our Blessed Saviour shou'd animate a Body which as Celsus represents the Matter was begotten in Adultery by a wicked Souldier on the Body of a lustful Female One wou'd rather think that a Mad-man or a Person who prov'd a constant Plague to the Age and Place he liv'd in or a Teacher of Intemperance and Injustice and an impudent Encourager of all Manner of Vice shou'd owe his Birth to so impure a Copulation and not a Teacher much less an eminent Practicer of Temperance Justice and all other Virtues CHAP. XXX THIS was plainly foretold by the Prophet and exactly agrees with the promis'd Sign that we read of in the Prophecy of Isaiah where 't is said That our Blessed Saviour wou'd by the Course of his Actions make good his Name and prove himself to be Emmanuel God with us And I think it may not be improper to mention the Prediction of the fore-mention'd Prophet that our Saviour shou'd be born of a Virgin which Celsus takes no Notice of tho' he pretends to be perfectly acquainted with what the Christians hold either not having read it or cunningly concealing his Knowledge lest he shou'd unawares overthrow his own belov'd Opinions and advance any Thing to the Prejudice of the Cause which he espouses and uses his utmost Endeavours to maintain The Words of the Prophecy are these Moreover the Lord spake again to Ahaz Isaiah vii V. 10. saying ask thee a Sign of the Lord thy God ask it either in the Depth or in the Height above But Ahaz said I will not ask neither will I tempt the Lord and he said hear ye now O House of David is it a small thing to weary Men But will ye weary my God also Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a Sign Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and call his Name Emmanuel That Celsus discover'd his Malice in not mentioning the fore-going Prophecy I gather from his passing over it in a profound Silence when he quotes some Passages in St. Mathew's Gospel and particularly makes mention of the Star that appear'd at the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour But if the Jew whom Celsus personates being us'd to make critical Remarks on Words shou'd tell us that the Word which is translated Virgin shou'd be render'd Young Woman I answer the Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint translate Virgin tho' Others favour his Meaning of the Word is understood of a Virgin in the Book of Deuteronomy If a Damsel that Deu. xxii V. 23. is a Virgin be betroth'd to an Husband and a Man find her in the City and lye with her then ye shall bring 'em both out to the Gate of the City and ye shall stone 'em with Stones that they dye the Damsel because she cry'd not being in the City and the Man because he has humbl'd his Neighbour's Wife So thou shalt put away evil from among you But if a Man find a betroth'd Damsel in the Field and the Man force her and lye with her then the Man only that lay with her shall dye But to the Damsel thou shalt do nothing there is in the Damsel no Sin worthy of Death But not to dwell too long upon the Hebrew Word which perhaps few Persons understand I shall endeavour to prove from the Context that according to the Prophetick Oracle Emmanuel was to be born of a Virgin The Lord said to Ahaz ask thee a Sign of the Lord thy God either in the Depth or in the Height above Then 't is said that this Sign was to be giv'n Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son But what Sign cou'd a young Woman's Conceiving be if it was not meant of a Virgin And to which of the two