Against Celsus 8.57

Celsus, then, thinks that one performs the fitting services for life, until men are set free from their bonds, when one renders sacrifices according to the customs of the many to each of the gods recognized in the city, not understanding what is truly fitting as it is understood by exact piety. But we say that he performs the services of life with what is fitting who remembers who the Creator is and what is pleasing to him, and who does everything with a view to what is pleasing to God. Again, Celsus does not want us to be ungrateful to the demons here, thinking that we owe them thank-offerings; and we, clarifying the teaching about thanksgiving, say that we do nothing ungrateful toward those who do us no good but even stand against us, when we do not sacrifice to them nor even serve them. But we take care not to be ungrateful to God, whose benefits fill us, since we are his creatures, cared for by him, judged in whatever way we are, and awaiting from him hopes even beyond this life. And we have a symbol of our thanksgiving to God, the bread called “Eucharist” (thanksgiving). Nor, as we said above too, do the demons have the management of what has been created for our needs; so we do nothing unjust in partaking of created things and not sacrificing to those to whom they do not belong. And if we see that it is not certain demons but angels who are appointed over the fruits of the earth and the birth of animals, we speak well of them and call them blessed, as entrusted by God with what is useful to our race; yet we do not give them the honour owed to God, for neither does God wish this, nor do they themselves who have been entrusted with such things. And they approve of us when we guard against sacrificing to them rather than when we sacrifice; for they have no need of the fumes rising from the earth.