Against Celsus 6.18

I thought it right to set out these few examples from a great many thoughts about God conceived by holy men, to show that the sacred writings of the prophets contain something more sublime than the Platonic words admired by Celsus, for those who have eyes able to see the sublime things of the Scriptures. The passage of Plato which Celsus set out runs thus: “All things are about the King of all, and all things are for his sake, and he is the cause of all beautiful things. And second things are about the second, and third things about the third. The human soul, then, longs to learn about them, of what sort they are, looking to what is akin to itself, none of which is adequate. But about the King and the things I have mentioned there is nothing of this sort.” I could also set out what is written in Isaiah about those whom the Hebrews call “seraphim,” who cover “the face” and “the feet” of God, and about those named “cherubim,” whom Ezekiel described, and their shapes, as it were, and in what manner God is said to ride upon the cherubim. But since these things are spoken in a very hidden way because of the unworthy and irreverent, who cannot follow the grandeur and sublimity of theology, I did not think it fitting to discuss them in this treatise.