Thunder, rain and growing things are the work of providence
For first he thinks that thunders and lightnings and rains are not works of God, and here he is already showing himself an Epicurean more openly. Second, he says that even if one should grant that these are works of God, they are produced no more as food for us human beings than for plants, for trees and grasses and thorns. In this, like a true Epicurean, he grants that these things happen by chance and not by providence. For if these things are no more useful to us than to plants and trees and grasses and thorns, it is plain either that they do not come from providence at all, or that they come from a providence that takes no more thought for us than for trees and grass and thorn. Each of these is impious on its face; and to take a stand and argue against such things in reply to a man who accuses us of impiety is foolish, for it is plain to everyone from what has been said who the impious one is.
Then he says: “Even if you say that these things grow for human beings” (he plainly means the plants and trees and grasses and thorns), “why will you say that they grow for human beings rather than for the most savage irrational animals?” Let Celsus, then, say plainly that the great variety of the things that grow on the earth is not the work of providence, but that some chance meeting of atoms made such a great range of qualities, and that it is by chance that so many kinds of plants and trees and grass are like one another; and that no craftsman’s reason gave them their being, nor do they have their origin from a Mind that surpasses all wonder.
But we Christians, who are devoted to the God who created these things, and to Him alone, give thanks for these things too to Him who fashioned them as well, because He has made ready for us so great a home, and for our sake for the animals that serve us: “He makes grass spring up for the cattle, and green plants for the service of men, to bring forth bread from the earth, and that wine may gladden the heart of man, that his face may shine with oil, and that bread may strengthen the heart of man” (Psalm 104:14–15).
And if He has prepared food even for the most savage of the animals, it is no wonder; for others too among those who have pursued philosophy have said that these animals also came into being to give exercise to the rational animal. And one of the wise men among us says somewhere: “Do not say, ‘What is this? What is this for?’ For all things have been created for their use” (Sirach 39:21); and, “Do not say, ‘What is this? What is this for?’ For all things will be sought out in their time” (Sirach 39:17).
Greek
Οἴεται γὰρ πρῶτον μὲν μὴ ἔργα θεοῦ εἶναι βροντὰς καὶ ἀστραπὰς καὶ ὑετοὺς. ἤδη σαφέστερον Ἐπικουρίζων· δεύτερον δέ φησιν ὅτι. εἰ καὶ διδῴη τις ταῦτα ἔργα εἶναι θεοῦ, οὐ μᾶλλον ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ταῦτα γίνεται πρὸς τροφὴν ἢ τοῖς φυτοῖς δένδροις τε καὶ πόαις καὶ ἀκάνθαις. συντυχικῶς διδοὺς καὶ οὐ κατὰ πρόνοιαν ὡς ἀληθῶς Ἐπικούρειος ταῦτα συμβαίνειν. εἰ γὰρ οὐ μᾶλλον ἡμῖν ἢ φυτοῖς καὶ δένδροις καὶ πόαις καὶ ἀκάνθαις ταῦτ᾿ ἐστι χρήσιμα, δῆλον ὅτι οὐδ᾿ ἀπὸ προνοίας ταῦτ᾿ ἔρχεται ἢ ἀπὸ προνοίας οὐ μᾶλλον ἡμῶν προνοουμένης ἢ δένδρων καὶ πόας καὶ ἀκάνθης. ἑκάτερον δ᾿ αὐτόθεν ἀσεβὲς. καὶ τὸ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀντιλέγειν ἱστάμενον πρὸς τὸν ἀσέβειαν ἡμῶν κατηγοροῦντα εὔηθες· παντὶ γὰρ δῆλον ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων, τίς ὁ ἀσεβής. εἶτά φησιν ὅτι κἂν ταῦτα λέγῃς ἀνθρώποις φύεσθαι (δῆλον δ᾿ ὅτι τὰ φυτὰ καὶ δένδρα καὶ πόας καὶ ἀκάνθας). τί μᾶλλον αὐτὰ ἀνθρώποις φήσεις φύεσθαι ἢ τοῖς ἀλόγοις ζῴοις τοῖς ἀγριωτάτοις; σαφῶς οὖν λεγέτω ὁ Κέλσος ὅτι ἡ τοσαύτη τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς φυομένων διαφορὰ οὐ προνοίας ἐστὶν ἔργον. ἀλλὰ συντυχία τις ἀτόμων τὰς τοσαύτας ποιότητας πεποίηκε, καὶ κατὰ συντυχίαν τοσαῦτα εἴδη φυτῶν καὶ δένδρων καὶ πόας παραπλήσιά ἐστιν ἀλλήλοις. καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς λόγος τεχνικὸς ὑπέστησεν αὐτὰ, οὐδ᾿ ἀπὸ νοῦ ἔχει τὴν ἀρχὴν. πάντα θαυμασμὸν ὑπερβεβηκότος. ἀλλ᾿ ἡμεῖς οἱ τῷ ταῦτα κτίσαντι μόνῳ ἀνακείμενοι θεῷ Χριστιανοὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις χάριν οἴδαμεν τῷ καὶ τούτων δημιουργῷ, ὅτι ἡμῖν τηλικαύτην ἑστίαν εὐτρέπισε καὶ δι᾿ ἡμᾶς τοῖς δουλεύουσιν ἡμῖν ζῴοις· „ὁ ἐξανατέλλων χόρτον τοῖς κτήνεσι καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, (τοῦ) ἐξαγαγεῖν ἄρτον ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἵν᾿ οἶνος εὐφραίνῃ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ἱλαρύνηται πρόσωπον ἐν ἐλαίῳ. καὶ ἄρτος στηρίζῃ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου.“ εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀγριωτάτοις τῶν ζῴων τροφὰς κατεσκεύασεν, οὐδὲν θαυμαστόν· καὶ ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ ζῷα καὶ ἄλλοι τῶν φιλοσοφησάντων εἰρήκασι γυμνασίου ἕνεκα γεγονέναι τῷ λογικῷ ζῴῳ. φησὶ δέ που τῶν καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς τις σοφῶν· „μὴ εἴπῃς· τί τοῦτο, εἰς τί τοῦτο; πάντα γὰρ εἰς χρείαν αὐτῶν ἔκτισται“ καὶ „μὴ εἴπῃς· τί τοῦτο, εἰς τί τοῦτο; πάντα γὰρ ἐν καιρῷ αὐτῶν ζητηθήσεται.“