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

Chapter III.

Let the ancient sages, then, make known their sayings to those who are capable of understanding them.&#160; Suppose that Plato, for example, the son of Ariston, in one of his Epistles, is discoursing about the &#8220;chief good,&#8221; and that he says, &#8220;The chief good can by no means be described in words, but is produced by long habit, and bursts forth suddenly as a light in the soul, as from a fire which had leapt forth.&#8221;&#160; We, then, on hearing these words, admit that they are well said, for it is God who revealed to men these as well as all other noble expressions.&#160; And for this reason it is that we maintain that those who have entertained correct ideas regarding God, but who have not offered to Him a worship in harmony with the truth, are liable to the punishments which fall on sinners.&#160; For respecting such Paul says in express words:&#160; &#8220;The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.&#160; For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:&#160; because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.&#160; Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.&#8221; &#160; The truth, then, is verily held (in unrighteousness), as our Scriptures testify, by those who are of opinion that &#8220;the chief good cannot be described in words,&#8221; but who assert that, &#8220;after long custom and familiar usage, a light becomes suddenly kindled in the soul, as if by a fire springing forth, and that it now supports itself alone.&#8221;