Well, anyhow, I returned to Against Celsus, who after indicating that Christianity derives from the Jews, a barbarous people in his opinion,
Celsus wrote:1:3 After this, Celsus proceeding to speak of the Christians teaching and practising their favorite doctrines in secret, and saying that they do this to some purpose, seeing they escape the penalty of death which is imminent, he compares their dangers with those which were encountered by such men as Socrates [who did not conceal his opinions to escape death] for the sake of philosophy [itself];
I may have earlier speculated (by means of my infamous use of angle brackets "[ ]") that Celsus was saying that Socrates had his own secrets, but now I have to think that he is contrasting Christians, who hide their doctrines from the authorities in opposition to Socrates who openly admitted his own "atheistic" opinions, even though it resulted in his being sentenced to death.
Celsus wrote:1:4 Let us notice also how he thinks to cast discredit upon our system of morals [τὸν ἠθικὸν τόπον, the ethical system (of ours)], alleging that it is only common to us with other philosophers, and no venerable or new branch of instruction [needing to be rightly hidden for the sake of philosophy].
διαβαλεῖν [he throws out that] τῷ [all of it] κοινὸν [common] εἶναι [it is] καὶ [also] πρὸς [with] τοὺς [the] ἄλλους [other]φιλοσόφους [philosophers], ὡς [thus] οὐ [not] σεμνόν [seminal] τι [nor] καὶ [also] καινὸν [new] μάθημα [teaching].
Hey, after all, it is "barbarous" in origin (see 1.2).
1:5 Treating of the regulations respecting idolatry as being peculiar [to Christianity], Celsus establishes their correctness [Τὰ δὲ περὶ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ὡς ἴδια τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου ἐκτιθέμενος καὶ ὑποκατασκευάζει],
saying that the Christians do not consider those to be gods that are made with hands [λέγων διὰ τοῦτο μὴ νομίζειν αὐτοὺς χειροποιήτους θεούς],
On the ground that it is not in conformity with right reason (to suppose) that images, fashioned by the most worthless and depraved of workmen [ἐπεὶ μὴ εὔλογόν ἐστι τὰ ὑπὸ φαυλοτάτων δημιουργῶν καὶ μοχθηρῶν τὸ ἦθος εἰργασμένα εἶναι θεούς],
and in many instances also provided by wicked men, can be (regarded as) gods [πολλάκις καὶ ὑπὸ ἀδίκων ἀνθρώπων κατασκευασθέντα].
In what follows, however, wishing to show that this is a common opinion, and one not first discovered by Christianity, he quotes a saying of Heraclitus to this effect [Ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς οὖν θέλων αὐτὸ κοινοποιῆσαι ὡς οὐ πρῶτον ὑπὸ τούτου εὑρεθὲν ἐκτίθεται Ἡρακλείτου λέξιν τὴν λέγουσαν]:
"That those who draw near to lifeless images, as if they were gods, act in a similar manner to those who would enter into conversation with houses." [Ὅμοια, ὡς εἴ τις τοῖς δόμοις λεσχη νεύοιτο, ποιεῖν τοὺς προσιόντας ὡς θεοῖς τοῖς ἀψύχοις]
So, Celsus says that disbelief in the effectiveness of praying to idols is common knowledge among Philosophers like Heraclitus. In Against Celsus 7.62, Origen quotes this same passage by Heraclitus differently:
'Persons who address prayers to these images act like those who speak to the walls, without knowing who the gods or the heroes are.' [Καὶ τοῖς ἀγάλμασι τουτέοισι εὔχονται, ὁκοῖον εἴ τις τοῖς δόμοισι λεσχηνεύοιτο, οὔ τι γινώσκων θεοὺς οὐδ' ἥρωας, οἵτινές εἰσι].
Personally, I think that Celsus must have mentioned this Christian belief before he brings attention to it as "common," so likely in the section where he discusses the barbarous origin of Christian teaching. In fact, the bulk of this discussion about the good ideas to come from barbarian peoples is in Book 7 around chapter 62.
7:62 Let us now see what follows. "Let us pass on," says he, "to another point.
They cannot tolerate temples, altars, or images.
In this they are like the Scythians, the nomadic tribes of Libya, the Seres who worship no god, and some other of the most barbarous and impious nations in the world.
That the Persians hold the same notions is shown by Herodotus in these words: 'I know that among the Persians it is considered unlawful to erect images, altars, or temples; but they charge those with folly who do so, because, as I conjecture, they do not, like the Greeks, suppose the gods to be of the nature of men.' [History, Bk 1 Clio]
Heraclitus also says in one place: 'Persons who address prayers to these images act like those who speak to the walls, without knowing who the gods or the heroes are.' [Καὶ τοῖς ἀγάλμασι τουτέοισι εὔχονται, ὁκοῖον εἴ τις τοῖς δόμοισι λεσχηνεύοιτο, οὔ τι γινώσκων θεοὺς οὐδ' ἥρωας, οἵτινές εἰσι. cf. Clement of Alex. Protrept. 4. “But if you will not listen to the prophetess, hear your own philosopher, Heraclitus, the Ephesian, imputing unconsciousness to images, "And to these images," etc.”]
And what wiser lesson have they to teach us than Heraclitus?
He certainly plainly enough implies that it is a foolish thing for a man to offer prayers to images, whilst he knows not who the gods and heroes are.
This is the opinion of Heraclitus; but as for them, they go further, and despise without exception all images.
If they merely mean that the stone, wood, brass, or gold which has been wrought by this or that workman cannot be a god, they are ridiculous with their wisdom.
For who, unless he be utterly childish in his simplicity, can take these for gods, and not for offerings consecrated to the service of the gods, or images representing them?
But if we are not to regard these as representing the Divine Being, seeing that God has a different form, as the Persians concur with them in saying, then let them take care that they do not contradict themselves; for they say that God made man His own image, and that He gave him a form like to Himself.
However, they will admit that these images, whether they are like or not, are made and dedicated to the honor of certain beings.
But they will hold that the beings to whom they are dedicated are not gods, but demons, and that a worshipper of God ought not to worship demons."
DCH
