But Celsus, lingering over matters which he does not understand, leads
us to be guilty of tautology, as we do not wish even in appearance to
leave any one of his objections unexamined. He proceeds, accordingly, as
follows: “God either really changes himself, as these assert, into a
mortal body, and the impossibility of that has been already declared; or
else he does _not_ undergo a change, but only causes the beholders to
imagine so, and thus deceives them, and is guilty of falsehood. Now
deceit and falsehood are nothing but evils, and would only be employed
as a medicine, either in the case of sick and lunatic friends, with a
view to their cure, or in that of enemies when one is taking measures to
escape danger. But no sick man or lunatic is a friend of God, nor does
God fear any one to such a degree as to shun danger by leading him into
error.” Now the answer to these statements might have respect partly to
the nature of the Divine Word, who is God, and partly to the soul of
Jesus. As respects the nature of the Word, in the same way as the
quality of the food changes in the nurse into milk with reference to the
nature of the child, or is arranged by the physician with a view to the
good of his health in the case of a sick man, or [is specially] prepared
for a stronger man, because he possesses greater vigour, so does God
appropriately change, in the case of each individual, the power of the
Word to which belongs the natural property of nourishing the human soul.
And to one is given, as the Scripture terms it, “the sincere milk of the
word;” and to another, who is weaker, as it were, “herbs;” and to
another who is full-grown, “strong meat.” And the Word does not, I
imagine, prove false to His own nature, in contributing nourishment to
each one, according as he is capable of receiving Him. Nor does He
mislead or prove false. But if one were to take the change as referring
to the soul of Jesus after it had entered a body, we would inquire in
what sense the term “change” is used. For if it be meant to apply to its
essence, such a supposition is inadmissible, not only in relation to the
soul of Jesus, but also to the rational soul of any other being. And if
it be alleged that it suffers anything from the body when united with
it, or from the place to which it has come, then what inconvenience[539]
can happen to the Word who, in great benevolence, brought down a Saviour
to the human race?—seeing none of those who formerly professed to effect
a cure could accomplish so much as that soul showed _it_ could do, by
what it performed, even by voluntarily descending to the level of human
destinies for the benefit of our race. And the Divine Word, well knowing
this, speaks to that effect in many passages of Scripture, although it
is sufficient at present to quote one testimony of Paul to the following
effect: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus; who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a
servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion
as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and
given Him a name which is above every name.”[540]
Footnote 539:
τί ἄτοπον.
Footnote 540:
Phil. ii. 5-9.