I do not understand how Celsus, while admitting the existence of
Providence, at least so far as appears from the language of this book,
can say that there never existed [at any time] either more or fewer
evils, but, as it were, a fixed number; thus annihilating the beautiful
doctrine regarding the indefinite[732] nature of evil, and asserting
that evil, even in its own nature,[733] is infinite. Now it appears to
follow from the position, that there never have been, nor are now, nor
ever will be, more or fewer evils in the world; that as, according to
the view of those who hold the indestructibility of the world, the
equipoise of the elements is maintained by a Providence (which does not
permit one to gain the preponderance over the others, in order to
prevent the destruction of the world), so a kind of Providence presides,
as it were, over evils (the number of which is fixed),[734] to prevent
their being either increased or diminished! In other ways, too, are the
arguments of Celsus concerning evil confuted, by those philosophers who
have investigated the subjects of good and evil, and who have proved
also from history that in former times it was without the city, and with
their faces concealed by masks, that loose women hired themselves to
those who wanted them; that subsequently, becoming more impudent, they
laid aside their masks, though not being permitted by the laws to enter
the cities, they [still] remained without them, until, as the
dissoluteness of manners daily increased, they dared [finally] even to
enter the cities. Such accounts are given by Chrysippus in the
introduction to his work on _Good and Evil_. From this also it may be
seen that evils both increase and decrease, viz. that those individuals
who were called “Ambiguous”[735] used formerly to present themselves
openly to view, suffering and committing all shameful things, while
subserving the passions of those who frequented their society; but
recently they have been expelled [from the city] by the
authorities.[736] And of countless evils which, owing to the spread of
wickedness, have made their appearance in human life, we may say that
formerly they did _not_ exist. For the most ancient histories, which
bring innumerable other accusations against sinful men, know nothing of
the perpetrators of abominable[737] crimes.
Footnote 732:
ἀόριστον.
Footnote 733:
καὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ λόγῳ.
Footnote 734:
τοσοῖσδε τυγχάνουσιν.
Footnote 735:
Ἀμφίβολοι.
Footnote 736:
Ἀγορανόμοι.
Footnote 737:
ἀῤῥητοποιοὺς οὐκ ἴσασι.