I will conclude this long chapter, by laying before my reader some extracts from the book written by Celsus, a heathen philosopher, against Christianity, preserved by Origen in his work against Celsus.  That the entire work of Celsus is lost, is to be regretted; as he appears to have been a man of observation, though too sarcastic to please a fair inquirer; and from the picture given by him of the first Christians, their maxims, and their modes of teaching, and the subjects they chose for converts, it appears, that they were the exact prototypes of the Methodists and Shakers of the present day, both sects which contain excellent people, with hardly any fault but credulity.

“If they (i. e. the teachers of Christianity,) say ‘do not examine,’ and the like:  it is however incumbent on them to teach what those things are which they assert, and whence they are derived.”

“Wisdom in life is a bad thing, but folly is good.”

“Why should Jesus, when an infant, be carried into Egypt, lest he should be murdered?  God should not fear being put to death.”

“You say that God was sent to sinners:  but why not to those who are free from sin?  What harm is it not to have sinned?

“You encourage sinners, because you are not able to persuade any really good men:  therefore you open the doors to the most wicked and abandoned.”

“Some of them say ’do not examine, but believe, and thy faith shall gave thee.’”

“These are our institutions, say they, let not any man of learning come here, nor any wise man, nor any man of prudence:  for these things are reckoned evil by us.  But whoever is unlearned, ignorant, and silly, let him come without fear!  Thus they own that they can gain only the foolish, the vulgar, the stupid slaves, women, and children.”

“At first, when they were but few, they agreed.  But when they became a multitude, they were rent, again and again, and each will have their own factions:  for factious spirits they had from the beginning.”

“All wise men are excluded from the doctrine of their faith; they call to it only fools, and men of a servile spirit.”

“The preachers of their divine word only attempt to persuade silly, mean, senseless persons, slaves, women, and children.  What harm is there in being well-informed; and both in being, and appearing a man of knowledge?  What obstacle can this be to the knowledge of God?  Must it not be an advantage?”

“We see these Itinerants shewing readily their tricks to the vulgar, but not approaching the assemblies of wise men, nor daring there to show themselves.  But wherever they see boys, a crowd of slaves, and ignorant men, there they thrust in themselves, and show off their doctrine.”