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

Chapter IX.

But as Celsus promises to give an account of the manner in which prophecies are delivered in Ph&#339;nicia and Palestine, speaking as though it were a matter with which he had a full and personal acquaintance, let us see what he has to say on the subject.&#160; First he lays it down that there are several kinds of prophecies, but he does not specify what they are; indeed, he could not do so, and the statement is a piece of pure ostentation.&#160; However, let us see what he considers the most perfect kind of prophecy among these nations.&#160; &#8220;There are many,&#8221; he says, &#8220;who, although of no name, with the greatest facility and on the slightest occasion, whether within or without temples, assume the motions and gestures of inspired persons; while others do it in cities or among armies, for the purpose of attracting attention and exciting surprise.&#160; These are accustomed to say, each for himself, &#8216;I am God; I am the Son of God; or, I am the Divine Spirit; I have come because the world is perishing, and you, O men, are perishing for your iniquities.&#160; But I wish to save you, and you shall see me returning again with heavenly power.&#160; Blessed is he who now does me homage.&#160; On all the rest I will send down eternal fire, both on cities and on countries.&#160; And those who know not the punishments which await them shall repent and grieve in vain; while those who are faithful to me I will preserve eternally.&#8217;&#8221;&#160; Then he goes on to say:&#160; &#8220;To these promises are added strange, fanatical, and quite unintelligible words, of which no rational person can find the meaning:&#160; for so dark are they, as to have no meaning at all; but they give occasion to every fool or impostor to apply them to suit his own purposes.&#8221;