Origenis Contra Celsum Libri Octo: Ejusdem Philocalia. Gulielmus Spencerus, Cantabrigiensis, Collegii Trinitatis Socius, utriusq; operis versionem recognovit, et Annotationes adjecit. [...]. Cantabrigiae: Joan Hayes, 1677.
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Contra Celsum, preserved entirely in Greek, is a major apologetical work by the Church Father Origen of Alexandria, written in around 248 AD, countering the writings of Celsus, a pagan philosopher and controversialist who had written a scathing attack on Christianity in his treatise 'The True Word'. This is the second edition of the important William Spencer edition, with the text given in both Latin and Greek.
In the book, Origen systematically refutes each of Celsus' arguments and argues that the Christian faith has a rational basis. Origen, in a fashion typical of the Alexandrian school (but certainly not like Tertullian!) draws heavily on the teachings of Plato and argues that Christianity and Greek philosophy are not incompatible. Origen maintains that philosophy contains much that is true and admirable, but that the Bible contains far greater wisdom than anything Greek philosophers could ever grasp.
Contra Celsum became the most influential of all early Christian apologetics works; before it was written, Christianity was seen by many as merely a folk religion for the illiterate and uneducated, but Origen raised it to a level of academic respectability. Eusebius admired Contra Celsum so much that in his Contra Hieroclem, he declared that Contra Celsum provided an adequate rebuttal to all criticisms the Church would ever face. The compilers of the Philokalia in the fourth century AD relied extensively on Contra Celsum and almost one seventh of the entire text of the Philokalia is directly quoted from it.
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Size: 186 x 239 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(3), A4, a2, B-Z4, Aa-Zz4, Aaa-Zzz4, Aaaa-Rrrr4, Ssss2, (2)]
Collated as complete. Greek and Latin in parallel columns, title page in red and black, also in Greek and Latin. First leaf is a blank (A1) and this edition does not call for a frontis or additional title in this place, and indeed the final collation terminates at 4S2 as called for (see OCLC 972843074). Contemporary full calf binding, the spine affixed with a later tooled red morocco label, the backstrip with some fine restoration, near imperceptible. The boards do have a classic 17th century English panelled design, but the rubbing makes this difficult to see. Binding rubbed, scuffed, with some loss to the leather. Both boards are securely attached and the binding stands without shelf lean, though with the front joints cracked & exposed. Some dampstaining in the inner gutter visible in the first few quires, but not intrusive into the text, worst at the title page gutter, pictured. The text block is, otherwise, exceptionally clean throughout. There is some near contemporary marginalia to the first few pages and to a final blank, but not through the full text. A lovely copy of this important apologetic work.
[OCLC 228727632, 972843074].
