Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IV/Origen/Origen Against Celsus/Book IV/Chapter LXI

Chapter LXI.

He maintains, moreover, that &#8220;no product of matter is immortal.&#8221;&#160; Now, in answer to this it may be said, that if no product of matter is immortal, then either the whole world is immortal, and thus not a product of matter, or it is not immortal.&#160; If, accordingly, the world is immortal (which is agreeable to the view of those who say that the soul alone is the work of God, and was produced from a certain bowl), let Celsus show that the world was not produced from a matter devoid of qualities, remembering his own assertion that &#8220;no product of matter is immortal.&#8221;&#160; If, however, the world is not immortal (seeing it is a product of matter), but mortal, does it also perish, or does it not?&#160; For if it perish, it will perish as being a work of God; and then, in the event of the world perishing, what will become of the soul, which is also a work of God?&#160; Let Celsus answer this!&#160; But if, perverting the notion of immortality, he will assert that, although perishable, it is immortal, because it does not really perish; that it is capable of dying, but does not actually die,&#8212;it is evident that, according to him, there will exist something which is at the same time mortal and immortal, by being capable of both conditions; and that which does not die will be mortal, and that which is not immortal by nature will be termed in a peculiar sense immortal, because it does not die!&#160; According to what distinction, then, in the meaning of words, will he maintain that no product of matter is immortal?&#160; And thus you see that the ideas contained in his writings, when closely examined and tested, are proved not to be sound and incontrovertible. &#160; And after making these assertions he adds:&#160; &#8220;On this point these remarks are sufficient; and if any one is capable of hearing and examining further, he will come to know (the truth).&#8221;&#160; Let us, then, who in his opinion are unintelligent individuals, see what will result from our being able to listen to him for a little, and so continue our investigation.