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Chapter
XXXVI.—Other Works of
Origen.
1. At
this time, as the faith extended and our doctrine was proclaimed boldly
before all,2045
2045 τοῦ καθ᾽
ἡμας παρὰ
πᾶσι λόγου | Origen, being, as they say, over
sixty years old,2046
2046 Since Origen was born in the year 185 or 186, this must have been
as late as 245. Most if not all of the homilies of Origen, which are
now preserved, were probably delivered after this time, and reported,
as Eusebius says, by stenographers. The increasing boldness of the
Christians referred to here was apparently due to their uncommonly
comfortable condition under Philip. | and having gained
great facility by his long practice, very properly permitted his public
discourses to be taken down by stenographers, a thing which he had
never before allowed.
2. He also at this time composed
a work of eight books in answer to that entitled True Discourse, which
had been written against us by Celsus2047
2047 Of
the personal history of Celsus, the first great literary opponent of
Christianity, we know nothing with certainty, nor did Origen know any
more. He had heard that there were two persons of the same name, the
one living in the time of Nero, the other, whom he identifies with his
opponent, in the time of Hadrian and later, and both of them Epicurean
philosophers (see contra Cels. I. 8). The work of Celsus,
however, was clearly the work, not of an Epicurean, but of a Platonist,
or at least of an eclectic philosopher, with a strong leaning toward
Platonism. The author wrote about the middle of the second century,
probably in the reign of Marcus Aurelius (Keim fixes the date of the
work at 178 a.d.). The True Discourse
(ἀληθὴς
λόγος) is no longer
extant, but it can be reconstructed in great part from Origen’s
reply to it. It is seen to have been one of the ablest and most
philosophical attacks of ancient times, and to have anticipated a great
many arguments urged against Christianity by modern unbelievers. Celsus
was well acquainted with Christianity in its various forms and with its
literature, and he set himself to work with all his learning and skill
to compose a complete refutation of the whole thing. He writes
apparently less from a religious than from a political motive. He was
an ardent patriot, and considered paganism essential to the life of the
State, and Christianity its necessary antagonist. He undertakes first
to show that Christianity is historically untenable, and then that it
is false from the standpoint of philosophy and ethics. It is noticeable
that it is not his desire to exterminate Christianity completely, but
to make peace with it; to induce the Christians to give up their claim
to possess the only true religion, and, with all their high ethics and
lofty ideals, to join hands with the upholders of the ancient religion
in elevating the religious ideas of the people, and thus benefiting the
state. When we look at his work in this light (and much
misunderstanding has been caused by a failure to do this), we must
admire his ability, and respect his motives. He was, however, by no
means free from the superstitions and prejudices of his age. The most
important book upon the work of Celsus is Keim’s Celsus’
Wahres Wort, Zürich, 1873, which reconstructs, from
Origen’s reply, Celsus’ work, and translates and explains
it. Origen’s reply is philosophical and in parts very able, but
it must be acknowledged that in many places he does not succeed in
answering his opponent. His honesty, however, must be admired in
letting his adversary always speak for himself. He attempts to answer
every argument urged by Celsus, and gives the argument usually in
Celsus’ own words. The result is that the work is quite desultory
in its treatment, and often weighted with unimportant details and
tiresome repetitions. At the same time, it is full of rich and
suggestive thought, well worthy of Origen’s genius, and shows a
deep appreciation of the true spiritual nature of Christianity. The
entire work of eight books is extant in the original Greek, and is
printed in all editions of Origen’s works (Lommatzsch, Vol. XX.
p. 1–226), and is translated in the Ante-Nicene Fathers,
Am. ed. Vol. IV. 395–669. It was one of Origen’s latest
works, as we are told here by Eusebius, and was composed (as we learn
from its preface) at the urgent request of Ambrose, to whom also it was
dedicated. | the Epicurean, and the
twenty-five books on the Gospel of Matthew,2048
2048 The commentary on Matthew was written toward the close of
Origen’s life, as Eusebius informs us here, a fact which is
confirmed by references in the work itself to many of his earlier
commentaries. There are extant a single fragment from the first book
(quoted in chap. 25, above), one from the second book (quoted in the
Philocalia, chap. 6), and Books X.–XVII. entire in the
original Greek, covering Matt. xiii.
36–xxii. 33. There are also extant numerous notes, which may have been
taken, some of them from the commentary, and others from the homilies;
and a Latin version of the commentary covering Matt. xvi.
13–xxvii. (See Lommatzsch, Vols. III.–V.). The catalogue of
Jerome mentions twenty-five books and twenty-five homilies, and in the
preface to his commentary on Matthew, Jerome states that he had read
the twenty-five books, but elsewhere (in the prologue to his
translation of Origen’s homilies on Luke; Migne, VII. 219) he
speaks of thirty-six (or twenty-six) books of the commentary, but this
is doubtless a mistake (and so Vallarsi reads viginti quinque in
the text). There is no reason to think that Origen wrote more than
twenty-five books, which must have covered the whole Gospel (to judge
from the portions extant). The books which are preserved contain much
that is interesting and suggestive. | besides those on the Twelve Prophets, of
which we have found only twenty-five.2049
2049 Jerome also mentions twenty-five books upon the twelve prophets
(in duodecim Prophetas viginti quinque ἐξηγήσεων Origenis volumina), of which he
had found a copy in the library of Cæsarea, transcribed by the
hand of Pamphilus (de vir. ill. 75). The catalogue of Jerome
enumerates two books on Hosea, two on Joel, six on Amos, one on Jonah,
two on Micah, two on Mahum, three on Habakkuk, two on Zephaniah, one on
Haggai, two on Zechariah, two on Malachi; but in the preface to his
commentary on Malachi, Jerome mentions three books on that prophecy. Of
all these books only one fragment of the commentary on Hosea is extant,
being preserved in the Philocalia, c. 8. |
3. There is extant also an
epistle2050
2050 These
epistles to Philip and his wife Severa are no longer extant, nor can we
form an accurate idea of their contents. We are reminded of
Origen’s interview with Mammæa, the mother of Alexander
Severus, mentioned in chap. 21. Whether he wrote in response to a
request from Philip is uncertain, but is not likely in view of the
silence of Eusebius. It is possible that the favor shown by the emperor
and his wife had led Origen to believe that they might be won for the
faith, and there is nothing surprising in his addressing epistles to
them with this idea. On Philip’s relations to Christianity, see
chap. 34, note 2. | of his to the Emperor Philip, and
another to Severa his wife, with several others to different persons.
We have arranged in distinct books to the number of one hundred, so
that they might be no longer scattered, as many of these as we have
been able to collect,2051
2051 This
collection of Origen’s epistles made by Eusebius is no longer
extant. The catalogue of Jerome mentions “eleven books of letters
in all; two books in defense of his works.” Only two epistles are
preserved entire,—the one to Julius Africanus (see chap. 31, note
1); the other to Gregory Thaumaturgus, written, apparently, soon after
the departure of the latter from Cæsarea (see chap. 30, note 1),
for Gregory was, at the time it was written, still undecided as to the
profession which he should follow. In addition to these two complete
epistles, there are extant a sentence from a letter to his father
(quoted in chap. 2); also a fragment of an epistle to some unknown
person, describing the great zeal of his friend Ambrose (see chap. 18
note 1. The fragment is preserved by Suidas s. v. ᾽Ωριγένης); also a fragment defending his study of heathen philosophy
(quoted in chap. 19, above); and two fragments in Latin, from a letter
addressed to some Alexandrian friends, complaining of the alterations
made by certain persons in the reports of disputations which he had
held with them (see chap. 32, note 4. The one fragment is preserved by
Jerome, in his Apol. adv. Ruf. II. 18; the other by Rufinus, in
his apology for Origen). Of his epistles to Fabian and others no trace
remains. | which have been
preserved here and there by different persons.
4. He wrote also to Fabianus,2052
2052 On
Fabian, see chap. 29, note 4. We do not know when this letter to Fabian
was written; but it cannot have been written in consequence of
Origen’s condemnation by the Alexandrian synods called by
Demetrius, for they were held in 231 or 232, and Fabian did not become
bishop until 236. There must have been some later cause,—perhaps
a condemnation by a later synod of Alexandria, perhaps only the
prevalence of a report that Origen was heterodox, which was causing
serious suspicions in Rome and elsewhere. We know that the
controversies which raged so fiercely about his memory began even
before his death. | bishop of Rome, and to many other rulers of
the churches concerning his orthodoxy. You have examples of these in
the eighth book of the Apology2053
2053 On
this Defense, see above, p. 36. | which we have
written in his behalf.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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