At whose name, having been put to flight by a violent death,
The preceding verses describe the power of Christ over death and the soul.
Souls, having obtained their own breasts and the breasts of others,
Exclaim and grow pale, and being commanded, they withdraw,
Just as many miracles before have declared concerning You,
Since they are held suspended between earth and heaven,
Because nothing is permitted to the enemy, when restricted by You.

A But now You, a Father in merits and piety,
Easy in command, a master in the law of living,
And equal to the edicts which the law established for You:
You make Constantinus victorious and joyful for me.
Than this offspring, You have given nothing better to the earth before,
Nor will You give: I wish that his pledges may follow the father!

CELSI

ON THE ALTERCATION BETWEEN JASON AND PAPISCUS

PREFACE

CONCERNING JEWISH INCREDULITY, TO BISHOP VIGILIUS.

I. Although I know that very many of the Gentiles, most holy Vigilius, are turned away from the order and reason of truth, and wander in the blindness of the mind so that they do not know the Lord; yet I know more of the madness of the Jewish people against the name of the Lord, persisting even now with the stubborn hardness of their heart, and the iniquity inherited from their fathers. They turn away from true salvation, and do not seek the giver of eternal life. So that they who are subject to the faults of their ancient stock by an equal merit of natural wickedness, might at least, by believing even if late, be turned to the fear of the Lord and be freed from their iniquities by a full satisfaction of penance. But the innate irreligious treachery of the fathers still persists and endures, and I think it will always endure until the succeeding progeny. This treachery, strengthened by the madness of incredulity against the hatred of the Lord's name, can neither be corrected to recognize the truth, nor be taught and persuaded by the warnings of God himself. But when the Lord teaches and shows, saying (Joan. John, VIII, 12): I am the light of the world: he who has followed me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life: what, in the world, is the reason for omitting the light of life shown divinely, and in the blindness of the mind, preferring to choose the darkness of death, so that they show, by the free and illicit destruction of their own will, that they do not want even those things that are profitable against God? According to which also

B the Holy Spirit speaks through the voice of the Lord rebuking Jerusalem, because she did not want to be gathered, though God wished to gather her, and manifests the goodness of God continuously willing to help sinners (Matth. Matthew, XXIII, 37): Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who killest the prophets and stonest those who were sent to you, how often did I want to gather your children, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want it? Thus, the stubbornness of the treacherous people is so clearly denoted by the voice of God that it is taught that they have always spurned their own salvation against the clement mercy of the Lord. Then the Prophet, offering and suggesting the benevolence of God by the exhortation of his preaching, proclaims and persuades, saying (Malach. Malachi, III, 7): Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord. C Another also, similarly demonstrating that the mercy of the Lord remains eternal, added, saying (Ezech. Ezekiel, XXXIII, 11): I do not want the death of the one who dies, but rather that he should return and live, says the Lord.

II. What therefore is it to return to the Lord, other than, by believing in Christ, through him who is the way of coming to the father, to be able to be saved, having been reconciled to God? But how can they return to God, who did not want to believe in him through whom is the knowledge and return to God, and who preached the will of God? Or how could they have appeased God by any satisfaction, they who chose to pursue with sacrilegious assault him who is

D Although many. Before these words, it is read in the Colbertine Codex 1455: Cyprian greets his brother Vigilius.
Yet. Then in all manuscript codices, they have adversaries a little before.
Turning away. Thus all manuscript codices, and a little later seeking; the editions have of the one turning away and of the one seeking. A little before the conjunction and, I added it before fathers from the Remigius Codex.
Satisfaction. Remigius has: With all manner of satisfaction of penance.
I think it will endure. We added these words from the Remigius Codex.
Madness. Thus two manuscript codices; the editions have infamy. Thus also to recognize in two manuscript codices; the editions have us.
What, in the world, is the reason. Otherwise in two ancient codices: This (that is, Judea) preferred, by reason, to omit the light shown divinely, and to feed the blindness of the mind and to choose the darkness of death, etc.
Free and illicit destruction. Thus four manuscript codices; the editions have free, etc.
That are profitable. Otherwise one manuscript codex has that are possible.
God her. Thus four manuscript codices; the editions have the Lord.
Clearly. Thus three codices of better note; the editions have manifest.
Then the Prophet. We corrected by the authority of three manuscript codices what was previously read erroneously: Another prophet likewise offering the benevolence of God by exhortation, suggesting by preaching.
Another also. Thus three manuscript codices; the editions have otherwise also similarly God his mercy; one manuscript codex has through another.
To the Lord. I added these words from the Remigius Codex, and a little later any before appease.
Could have. Thus the Remigius Codex; the editions have could; one manuscript codex has will be able.