Against Celsus 8.50

And since he reproaches us as longing for the body, let him know that if longing is something bad, we long for nothing; but if it is indifferent, we long for everything that God promises to the righteous. So too we long for and hope for the resurrection of the righteous. Celsus thinks that we are also inconsistent with ourselves, when on the one hand we hope for the resurrection of the body, as worthy of honour from God, and on the other hand cast it into punishments as dishonourable. But nothing is dishonourable that suffers for piety and chooses hardships for virtue; while everything is dishonourable that is spent in pleasures with wickedness. The divine Word at any rate says, “What seed is honoured? The seed of man. What seed is dishonoured? The seed of man.” Then Celsus thinks one must not discuss with those who hope for things concerning the body, as being unreasonably glued to a thing that cannot obtain what they hope for, calling them rustic and impure and without reason sharing in the sedition; whereas he ought, as a lover of mankind, to help even the more rustic. For fellowship is not cut off from the more rustic among men as it is from the irrational animals, but he who made us made us equally for fellowship with all men. It is worth while, then, to discuss even with rustics and to bring them, as far as possible, to a more cultivated state, and with the impure, to make them purer as far as possible, and with those who think whatever they think without reason and are sick in soul, so that they may no longer do anything without reason nor be sick in soul.