But it has been said that an agent-generally a stranger -will make a deeper impression, and of course get more money than the pastor. This is doubtless a mistaken notion. Let a pastor do his duty-let him come before his people in the honour and might of his office, possessing their confidence as one that has no cunningly devised fable to unfold, and it is but reasonable to suppose he may produce, if not a deeper, a more lasting and profitable impression. His flock will follow him, for they know his voice. But a stranger will they not follow.

4. The employment, in agencies, of so great a number of preachers, is another sore evil. And these too generally the men-most of them torn from a pastoral charge-who would as pastors do most for the cause of benevolence. Not only then are their salaries as agents to be deducted from the general funds, but there is a still greater loss to the cause from their being without a pastoral charge. On this topic there is no need of enlargement. No one can but regard this as a grievous evil, and can only be reconciled to it from its supposed or real necessity.

If we have succeeded in convincing any one that agencies are unnecessary, he will feel the evil in question, and set himself about a reformation. Here every Here every individual Christian may bear a part. He may promptly and cheerfully come forward, unsolicited by agent or pastor, and do his duty-give a portion to "seven," and [if there be more than seven benevolent societies) to "eight also," according as the Lord has prospered him; and we shall no longer have occasion to complain of any of these evils.

There are two classes of ministers who doubtless ought to be temporarily employed as helpers to pastors in the diffusion of a missionary spirit, and the collecting of funds. These are missionaries under appointment and waiting to be sent to the destined field of labour, and returned missionaries who are here recruiting their health, or for other reasons detained in this country with the expectation of resuming their labours abroad. They are not pastors, and cannot consistently become such. They possess peculiar advantages for assisting pastors in this important part of their sacred office, which cannot, in any other way, be employed so directly for the general good of the church of Christ.

ART. VII. CELSUS.

(Concluded.)

By ENOCH POND, D. D., Professor in the Theological Seminary, Bangor, Maine.

24. CELSUS objects to the Christians, that Jesus had borrowed much of his instructions from the Greeks, particularly from Plato.

"They have a precept not to repel him that injures, and if he should strike the one cheek, yet offer thou also the other. This is ancient, and very well said before. For Socrates is introduced by Plato, discoursing with Crito these things: "Must, then, an injury in no wise be done? No, certainly Nor must the injured repay the injury, as many think, seeing an injury must in no wise be done.'

"These things are better said by the Greeks, and without that commination and denunciation from God, or the Son of God" "Plato does not vaunt and lie, saying, that he has found some new thing, or that he is come from heaven, but confesses from whence these things are. But ye say, believe him whom I sent forth to you, that he is the Son of God; though he was bound most ignominiously, and punished most shamefully though so recently, before the eyes of all, he was treated most reproachfully, yea, believe the rather for this."*

25. Celsus had evidently read the Apocalypse, and regarded it as among the sacred books of the Christians; for he ridicules many things contained in it, such as the voices, and the seals, and the figures of the cherubim, and the tree of life, and the coming period, "when the sin of the world. shall die." We forbear to give a specimen of his language on this head.

26. Celsus objects to our sacred books, that they teach the doctrine of fallen spirits.†

"They are deceived most impiously, and by the greatest ignorance, making one contrary to God, naming him the devil, and in the Hebrew tongue, Satan. It is rash and unholy to say these things, that the great God, being willing to do good to men, hath one working against him, and is not able. The child of God, then, is put to the worse by the devil, and

* Lib. vi. vii.

+ Celsus had no doubt that our sacred books do teach this doctrine; nor did Origen reply to him, as some modern interpreters would have done, that he was mistaken in this matter.

being punished by him, teaches us also to despise punishments; foretelling, that Satan himself, in like manner appearing, shall show great works and wonders, usurping to himself the glory of God; to which, however, they must not give heed, but believe himself alone. These things belong manifestly to a man that is an impostor, setting himself to work, and beforehand guarding against them that maintain the contrary opin

ion."

57. Celsus objects to the account given by Moses of the creation of the world.

"The generation of the world and of men, described by Moses, is very foolish. Not knowing what is the nature of the world, and of man, he has composed a profoundly idle tale. Some of the days of the world's formation were passed before light and heaven were made, and the sun, and moon, and stars; and some passed after the making of these things. And certainly the maker of the world did not borrow light from above, even as they that kindle lamps among neighbours. If there was opposite to the great God, a certain execrated god who was doing these things against his mind, why should he lend him light?"

"It is extremely foolish to attribute certain days to the making of the world, before there were days: for how were there days, the heaven being not yet made, nor the earth established, nor the sun appointed to his place? Let us consider, whether the first and greatest God would not be absurd, commanding, Let this be, and another, this or that; and one day framing such a thing; the second day, so much more; and so on during the third, and fourth, and fifth, and sixth; and resting the seventh day, like some ill workman, being wearied out, and needing relaxation or rest. It is neither just that the first God should be weary, nor work with his hands, nor give orders; nor has he a mouth, nor a voice; nor has he any other of these things; nor did he make man in his image; for God is not such as man, nor is he like to any other similitude."*

28. Celsus objects, that the laws of Moses and those of Christ are contradictory.

"If the prophets of the God of the Jews foretold that he (Jesus) would be his Son; how did he by Moses, give law to become rich, and to become powerful, and to replenish the earth, and to cut off enemies in war." But now his Son, the Nazarene. gives opposite law, insisting that there is no access to the Father for one possessing riches, or loving power, or striving for wisdom or glory; and there must be no more care had of provisions and the storehouse, than have the crows; and of raiment than the lilies; and it must be permitted to him that strikes once, to strike again. Whether does Moses or Jesus lie? Or did the Father, sending him, forget what things he discoursed by Moses? Or, disapproving his own laws, did he change his mind, and send the messenger to contrary purposes?"+

29. Celsus urges upon the Christians, that if they de

* Many philosophers in the days of Celsus, holding matter to be something evil, did not attribute the creation of the world to the Supreme God, but to some inferiour, opposing divinity.

sired a new religion, they ought to have choson some more respectable leader.

"How much better would it have been for you, since ye desired to make some innovation, to study concerning some other of them who have died nobly, and may well admit of a divine fable? If Hercules did not please, and Esculapius, and those who were of old glorified; ye had Orpheus, a man that, without controversy, received the holy spirit. But perhaps he was pre-occupied by others. Then there was Anaxarchus, who, being cast into a mortar, and most unconscionably pounded, despised the punishment, saying, Bray, bray the husk of Anaxarchus, for you bray not him; the voice of some truly divine spirit! But some naturalists have followed him. Had ye not, then Epictetus, who, when his master was twisting his leg, smiling composedly said, ' You will break it and when he had broken it, said, 'Did I not say you would break it? But what did your God utter like this when he was punished? Ye might also have set up as the Son of God the Sybil, whom some of you use. But now ye worship him as God, who passed the most infamous life, and underwent a most pitiful death. How much more appropriate for you than he, was Jonas under the gourd; or Daniel who escaped from the wild beasts, or they that are yet more marvellous than these!”*

30. Celsus blames the Christians for not worshiping the idols, demons, or gods of the nations among whom they dwell.

"Why are not demons to be worshipped? Are not all things dispensed according to the mind of God, and every providence from himself? And whatsoever work be in the whole, either of God, or of angels, or of other demons, or of heroes, all these things have law from the greatest God; since whoever was worthy was set over each, receiving power. Does not the worshipper of God, therefore, justly serve him who hath obtained authority from God?"

"It is not possible, say they, that the same one should serve many lords. But this is the voice of the sedition of those that enclose themselves, and that break off from the rest of men. They that say this, as much as in them is, transfer their own passion to God. It is true amongst men, that he who serves one man should not serve another, as the other is hurt by the different service; nor should he that happens to be associated by oath with any one be so associated with another; but with respect to God, to whom neither hurt nor grief appertains, it is unreasonable to shun, as among men and heroes, serving many Gods."

"And he that serves many gods, serves one of those that belong to the great God, and in this does a friendly thing to him. It is unlawful to honour any to whom that is not given from him; but whoever honours and worships those that are his, grieves not God, whose they all are."

"If, indeed, these served no other but one God, they would perhaps have some strong reason against others; but now they worship excessively him that lately appeared, and think that nothing is done wickedly in respect to God if his Son be served."

Certainly God is common to all, and is good, he stands in need of nothing, and is without envy, what then hinders them who are especially

* Lib. vii.

consecrated to him, from partaking of the public festivals? If these idols be nothing what is then grievous in partaking of the solemn feast? But if they are some demons, doubtless they also belong to God, and are to be believed in and sacrificed to according to the laws, and prayed to, that they may be benevolent. If, according to the custom of their country, they abstain from certain victims, they should also abstain from the eating of all animals, which is also the opinion of Pythagoras; but if they abstain that they may not eat with demons, are they not always eating with demons? and to what purpose is it to guard against this, only when they see the victim sacrificed? For whenever they eat bread and drink wine, and taste the fruits of trees, and draw in the water and the very air with their breath; do they not certainly receive with each of these some demons, to whom the care of them is in particular committed ?"

'Either, therefore, there is no living any where or any way; or he that comes into life must give thanks to the demons that are set over the earth, and offer first fruits and prayers while he lives, that so he may have them lovers of men."

"The Christian says, 'Behold I, standing by the statue of Jupiter or Apollo, or any other god, reproach and strike, and he does not at all repel me.' Dost thou not see too, oh simpleton, that any one standing by thine own demon, not only reproaches, but also binding, leads thee away and crucifies thee, consecrated to him as a statue; and the demon, or (as thou sayest) the Son of God, doth not at all repel him?"

"Thou indeed railing, laughest at our statues, who, if thou hadst railed at Bacchus himself, or Hercules in person, thou wouldst not perhaps, have been dismissed rejoicing. But they who stretched out and punished thy God, in person, suffered nothing."

"What need we to allege how many things prophets and prophetesses, and others who were possessed, both men and women, have foretold from the oracles with a divinely inspired voice; yea, how many wonderful things have been heard from their innermost temples; yea, how many things have been manifested from the victims and sacrifices, to those consulting them; yea, how many things from other marvellous symbols? To some, evident apparitions have been exhibited. All life is full of these. How many cities have been set in order from oracles, and freed from diseases and famines; and how many that neglected or forgot these have perished miserably? How many have been banished, and following theorders, have become happy? How many, impatient through the want of children, have obtained their desires? How many have escaped the wrath of demons? How many have been healed of the mutilations of their bodies? On the other hand, how many that have violated the sacred things have been instantly seized? Some have been held there beside themselves, declaring the things that they had done; and some have been smitten with incurable diseases. Yea, I have known some destroyed by a grievous voice from the innermost temples." What, therefore, forbids our honouring these by gifts, if one would be whole rather than sick; and be happy rather than unhappy; and be freed from places of torture, and places of punishment?"

31. Finally, Celsus blames the Christians for their disobedience to magistrates in certain things; particularly, in refusing to worship idols, to take an oath, and to bear arms

in war.

* Lib. vii.