In the next place, as he represents the Jews accounting in a way
peculiar to themselves for their belief that the advent of Christ among
them is still in the future, and the Christians as maintaining in
_their_ way that the coming of the Son of God into the life of men has
already taken place, let us, as far as we can, briefly consider these
points. According to Celsus, the Jews say that “[human] life, being
filled with all wickedness, needed one sent from God, that the wicked
might be punished, and all things purified in a manner analogous to the
first deluge which happened.” And as the Christians are said to make
statements additional to this, it is evident that he alleges that they
admit these. Now, where is the absurdity in the coming of one who is, on
account of the prevailing flood of wickedness, to purify the world, and
to treat every one according to his deserts? For it is not in keeping
with the character of God that the diffusion of wickedness should not
cease, and all things be renewed. The Greeks, moreover, know of the
earth’s being purified at certain times by a deluge or a fire, as Plato,
too, says somewhere to this effect: “And when the gods overwhelm the
earth, purifying it with water, some of them on the mountains,”[543]
etc. etc. Must it be said, then, that if the Greeks make such
assertions, they are to be deemed worthy of respect and consideration,
but that if we too maintain certain of these views, which are quoted
with approval by the Greeks, they cease to be honourable? And yet they
who care to attend to the connection and truth of all our records, will
endeavour to establish not only the antiquity of the writers, but the
venerable nature of their writings, and the consistency of their several
parts.
Footnote 543:
Cf. Plato in the _Timæus_, and Book iii. _de legibus_.