Chapter IV: Book IV: , 161-267

Subject of Fourth Book mainly to show that the prophecies regarding Christ are true predictions—chap. i. The position maintained by certain Christians, that there has already descended upon the earth a certain God, or Son of a God, who will make the inhabitants of the earth righteous, and by the Jews, that the advent of this being is still future, asserted by Celsus to be false: Answer—chap. ii. Question of Celsus as to the meaning of such a descent: Answered—chap. iii. Argument of Celsus turned against himself—chap. iv. Celsus misrepresents Christians as saying that God Himself will come down to men, and that it follows that He has left His own abode—chap. v. Celsus represents the object of God’s descent to be a desire to make Himself known, and to make trial of men; and this, he alleges, testifies to an excessive and mortal ambition on the part of God: Answer—chaps. vi.-ix. Celsus asserts, that Christians talk of God in a way that is neither holy nor reverential, and likens them to those who in the Bacchic mysteries introduce phantoms and objects of terror: Answer—chap. x. Celsus endeavours to prove that the statements in the Christian records regarding floods and conflagrations are neither new nor wonderful, but may be paralleled and explained from the accounts of the Greeks: Answer—chaps. xi.-xiii. Celsus returns to the subject of the descent of God, alleging that if He came down among men, He must have undergone a change from better to worse, which is impossible in the case of an immortal being: Answer—chaps. xiv.-xvi. Superiority of the scriptural accounts of these matters over those of the Greek mythology—chap. xvii. Celsus repeats his objections: Answer—chaps. xviii., xix. Celsus’ representation of the manner in which the Jews maintain that the advent of Jesus is still future—chap. xx. Absurdity of the statement of Celsus that the overturning of the tower of Babel had the same object as the Deluge, viz. the purification of the earth—chap. xxi. Proof that Jews brought on themselves the divine wrath, because of their treatment of Jesus—chap. xxii. Celsus insolently compares Jews and Christians to bats, and ants, and frogs, and worms, etc.—chap. xxiii. Answer—chaps. xxiv., xxv. Superiority of Christians in their opinions and practice to idolaters—chaps. xxvi., xxvii. Celsus misrepresents the language of Christians as to God’s descent among men, and His intercourse with them—chaps. xxviii., xxix. Celsus, not understanding the words, “Let us make man in our image and likeness,” has represented Christians as saying that they _resemble_ God because created by Him: Answer—chap. xxx. Celsus again asserts that the Jews were fugitives from Egypt, who never performed anything of note, and were never held in any account: Answer—chaps. xxxi., xxxii. Celsus, in very ambiguous language, asserts that the Jews endeavoured to derive their origin from the first race of jugglers and deceivers, and appealed to the testimony of dark and ambiguous words: Answer—chaps. xxxiii.-xxxv. Celsus adduces instances of alleged great antiquity put forth by other nations, and asserts that the Jews wove together some most incredible and stupid stories, regarding the creation of man, the formation of the woman, the issuing of certain commands by God, the opposition of the serpent, and the defeat of God, who is thus shown to have been weak at the very beginning of things, and unable to persuade a single individual to obey His will: Detailed answers to these misrepresentations—chaps. xxxvi.-xl. Celsus next ridicules the accounts of the Deluge and the Ark: Answers—chaps. xli., xlii. Goes on to carp at the histories of Abraham and Sarah, of Cain and Abel, of Esau and Jacob, of Laban and Jacob—chap. xliii. Explanation of the statement that “God gave wells to the righteous;” other matters, also, to be allegorically understood—chap. xliv. Celsus does not recognise the love of truth which characterizes the writers of Scripture; figurative signification of Sodom, and of Lot and his daughters; discussion on the nature of actions—chap. xlv. Spirit of hostility which characterizes Celsus, in selecting from the narratives of Scripture whatever may serve as ground of accusation against Christians, while passing without notice whatever may redound to their credit: Instances—chap. xlvi. Celsus refers vaguely to the dreams of the butler and baker in the history of Joseph, and endeavours to find ground of objection in the history of Joseph’s conduct towards his brethren—chap. xlvii. Asserts that the more modest among Jews and Christians endeavour to give these things an allegorical meaning, because they are ashamed of them: Answer—chap. xlviii. Falsity of his assertion that the scriptural writings are incapable of receiving an allegorical meaning—chaps. xlix., l. The treatises which give allegorical explanations of the law of Moses evidently unknown to Celsus, otherwise he could not have said that these allegorical explanations were more shameful than the fables themselves: Illustrations—chap. li. Celsus refers to the work entitled “Controversy between Papiscus and Jason,” in support of his assertions—chaps. lii., liii. Celsus conceals his real opinions, although he ought to have avowed them, when quoting from the _Timæus_ of Plato, to the effect that God made immortal things alone, while mortal things are the work of others; that the soul is the work of God, while the body is different; that there is no difference between the body of a man, and that of a bat: Examination of these statements—chaps. liv.-lix. Asserts that a common nature pervades all bodies, and that no product of matter is immortal: Answers—chaps. lx., lxi. Maintains that the amount of evil is a fixed quantity, which has never varied: Answers—chaps. lxii.-lxiv. That it is difficult for any but a philosopher to ascertain the origin of evils, but that it is sufficient for the multitude to say that they do not proceed from God, but cleave to matter; and that, as the cause of mortal events never varies, the same things must always return, according to the appointed cycles: Answers—chaps. lxv.-lxix. Assertion of Celsus that a thing which seems to be evil may not necessarily be so: Examined—chap. lxx. Celsus misunderstands the anthropopathic language of Scripture: Explanation—chaps. lxxi.-lxxiii. Celsus finds fault with Christians for asserting that God made all things for the sake of man, whereas they were made as much for the sake of the irrational animals: Answer—chap. lxxiv. Celsus holds that thunders, and lightnings, and rains are not the works of God; that even if they were, they were brought into existence as much for the sake of plants, and trees, and herbs, as for that of human beings: Answer—chaps. lxxv., lxxvi. Celsus maintains that the verse of Euripides, viz. “The sun and night are to mortals slaves,” is untrue, as these luminaries may be said to be created for the use of ants and flies as much as of man: Answer—chap. lxxvii. Asserts that we may be said to be created as much on account of irrational animals as they on our account: Answer—chaps. lxxviii.-lxxx. Celsus maintains that the superiority of man over irrational animals in building cities and founding political communities is only apparent: Examination of this assertion—chaps. lxxxi.-lxxxiv. No great difference, according to Celsus, between the actions of men, and those of ants and bees—chap. lxxxv. Certain irrational animals, according to Celsus, possess the power of sorcery; instances: Examination of these—chaps. lxxxvi., lxxxvii. Assertion that the thoughts entertained of God by irrational animals are not inferior to those of men; illustrations: Answer—chaps. lxxxviii., lxxxix. Degrading views of Celsus—chaps. xc.-xcix.