[3] Thus Celsus represents the Jews—μηδὲν πὠποτε ἀξιόλογον πράξαντας, οὔτ’ ἐν λόγῳ, οὔτ’ ἐν ἀριθμῷ αὐτούς ποτε γεγενημένους. Orig. contra Cels. l. iv. p. 181. ed. Spenc. Cantab. 1677. And in p. 175, he represents it as the highest absurdity in such reptiles to pretend that their insignificant concerns were the objects of divine prediction, and that the supreme Governor of the world, who had so many greater things upon his hands, should be only solicitous, as it were, to keep up a perpetual intercourse with them. See the whole passage, which the philosopher seems to have taken a pleasure to work up with much oratorical amplification.—Julian, too, was much pleased with this foolish objection.
[4] Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the dust of the balance. Isaiah xl. 15.
[5] Si dii sint, est divinatio.
[6] Si divinatio sit, dii sunt.
[7] These objections were long since urged by Celsus, who speaks of the Jewish and Christian oracles, as fanatical, uncertain, and obscure, l. vii. p. 338—ἄγνωστα, καὶ πάροιϛρα, καὶ πάντῃ ἄδηλα, ὧν τὸ μὲν γνῶμα οὐδεὶς ἂν ἔχων νοῦν εὑρεῖν δύναιτο, ἀσαφῆ γὰρ καὶ τὸ μηδέν. as applicable to other subjects besides those to which they were referred—τὰς εἰς τὰ περὶ τούτου ἀναφερομένας προφητείας δύνασθαι καὶ ἄλλοις ἐφαρμόζειν πράγμασι. l. i. p. 39.—nay, as much more applicable to others, than to Jesus—μυρίοις ἄλλοις ἐφαρμοσθῆναι δύνασθαι πολὺ πιθανώτερον τὰ προφητικὰ ἢ τῷ Ἰησοῦ. l. ii. p. 78.
[8] Utrum tandem, per deos atque homines, magis verisimile est, vesanum remigem, aut aliquem nostrûm, qui ibi tum eramus, me, Catonem, Varronem, Coponium ipsum, concilia deorum immortalium perspicere potuisse? Cic. Div. l. ii. c. 55.
[9] Illud etiam requiro, cur, si deus ista visa nobis providendi causâ dat, non vigilantibus potius dat quàm dormientibus? l. ii. c. 61.
[10] Jam verò quid opus est circuitione et amfractu, ut sit utendum interpretibus somniorum, potiùs quàm directo? Ibid.
Οὺκ οἶδ’. ἐφ’ οἷς γὰρ μὴ φρονῶ, σιλᾷν φιλῶ.
Soph. Oedip. Tyran. ver. 577.