Against Celsus 3.57

And which teachers do we say talk nonsense and are senseless, those on whose behalf Celsus stands up as teaching better things? Unless, perhaps, he thinks good teachers of women, and not talkers of nonsense, to be those who summon them to superstition and licentious spectacles, and not senseless those who lead and drive the young into all the disorderly things we know are done by them in many places. We, for our part, summon as far as we can even those from philosophical schools to our worship of God, showing its excellence and purity. But since Celsus by his words has represented that we do not do this but call only the foolish, we would say to him: If you accused us of drawing away from philosophy those already engaged in it, you would not be speaking the truth, but your argument would have some plausibility. But as it is, since you say that we draw those who come to us away from good teachers, show us teachers other than the teachers of philosophy, or those who have worked at some useful subject. But he will have nothing of the kind to show. And we promise openly, and not in secret, that those will be blessed who live according to the word of God, look to him in all things, and do whatever they do as with God looking on. Are these then the teachings of wool-workers, cobblers, fullers, and the most uneducated boors? But this he will not be able to show.