Against Celsus 8.60

Celsus, at any rate, suspecting the slide into magic of those who have learned such things, and somehow perceiving that harm would come to his hearers, says: “One must, however, guard against this, lest someone, associating with these beings, be wholly absorbed in their service, and, becoming a lover of the body and turning away from better things, be overcome by forgetfulness. For perhaps one ought not to disbelieve wise men, who say that most of the earthly demons, being absorbed in generation and riveted to blood and the savour of fat and melodies and bound to certain other such things, could do nothing better than heal the body and foretell future fortune to a man or a city, and that all they know and can do concerns mortal affairs.” Since, then, there is so great a danger of slipping in this matter, as even the enemy bears witness to God's truth, how much better, free from all suspicion of being absorbed in such demons, or becoming lovers of the body and turning away from better things and being overcome by forgetfulness of the better, to entrust oneself to the God over all through Jesus Christ, who gave us such teaching, and to ask from him all help and protection from holy angels and righteous ones, so that they may deliver us from the earthly demons, absorbed in generation, riveted to blood and the savour of fat, drawn by outlandish melodies, and bound to other such things, who even by Celsus's admission can do nothing better than heal the body. But I would say that it is not even clear that these demons, served in whatever way, can heal bodies; rather, one must heal the body, if one wishes to live more simply and in the ordinary way, by the method of medicine, and, if more excellently than the many, by piety toward the God over all and by prayers to him.