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| From Rufinus to Macarius.
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Letter LXXX. From Rufinus to Macarius.
Rufinus on his return from Bethlehem to Rome published a
Latin version of Origen’s treatise περι
᾽Αρχῶν, On First
Principles. To this he prefixed the preface which is here printed
among Jerome’s letters. Professing to take as his model
Jerome’s own translations of Origen’s commentaries which he
greatly praises, he declares that, following his example, he has
paraphrased the obscure passages of the treatise and has paraphrased
the obscure passages of the treatise and has omitted as due to
interpolators such parts as seem heretical. This preface with its
insincere praise of Jerome (whose name, however, is not mentioned) and
its avowed manipulation of Origen’s text caused much perplexity
at Rome (see Letters LXXXI., LXXXIII., and LXXXIV.), and gave rise to
the controversy between Rufinus and Jerome described in the
Prolegomena, and given at length in vol. iii. of this Series. The date
is 398 a.d.
1. Large numbers of the brethren have, I know, in their
zeal for the knowledge of the scriptures begged learned men skilled in
Greek literature to make Origen a Roman by bringing home his teaching
to Latin ears. One of these scholars, a dear brother and associate,2478
at the request of bishop Damasus
translated from Greek into Latin
his two homilies on the Song of Songs and prefaced the work with an
eloquent and eulogistic introduction such as could not fail to arouse
in all an ardent desire to read and to study Origen. To the soul of
that just man—so he declared—the words of the Song were
applicable: “the king hath brought me into his chambers;”2479
| 2479 Cant. i. 4. See the Preface to Origen on the
Canticles translated in this volume. | and he went on to speak thus:
“while in his other books Origen surpasses all former writers, in
dealing with the Song of Songs he surpasses himself.” In his
preface he pledges himself to give to Roman ears these homilies of
Origen and as many of his other works as he can. His style is certainly
attractive but I can see that he aims at a more ambitious task than
that of a mere translator. Not content with rendering the words of
Origen he desires to be himself the teacher.2480
| 2480 Rem maioris
gloriæ sequitur ut pater verbi sit potius quam interpres. | I for my part do but follow up an
enterprise which he has sanctioned and commenced, but I lack his
vigorous eloquence with which to adorn the sayings of this great man. I
am even afraid lest my deficiencies and inadequate command of Latin may
detract seriously from the reputation of one whom this writer has
deservedly termed second only to the apostles as a teacher of the
Church in knowledge and in wisdom.
2. Often turning this over in my mind I held my peace
and refused to listen to the brethren when—as frequently
happened—they urged me to undertake the work. But your
persistence, most faithful brother Macarius, is so great that even want
of ability cannot resist it. Thus, to escape the constant importunings
to which you subject me, I have given way contrary to my resolution;
yet only on these terms that, so far as is possible, I am to be free to
follow the rules of translation laid down by my predecessors, and
particularly those acted upon by the writer whom I have just mentioned.
He has rendered into Latin more than seventy of Origen’s
homiletical treatises and a few also of his commentaries upon the
apostle;2481
and in these wherever the Greek
text presents a stumbling block, he has smoothed it down in his version
and has so emended the language used that a Latin writer can find no
word that is at variance with our faith. In his steps, therefore, I
propose to walk, if not displaying the same vigorous eloquence at least
observing the same rules. I shall not reproduce passages in
Origen’s books which disagree with or contradict his own
statements elsewhere. The reason of these inconsistencies I have put
more fully before you in the defence of Origen’s writings
composed by Pamphilianus2482
which I have
supplemented by a short treatise of my own. I have given what I
consider plain proofs that his books have been corrupted in numbers of
places by heretics and ill-disposed persons, and particularly those
which you now urge me to translate. The books περὶ
᾽Αρχῶν, that is of Principles or
of Powers, are in fact in other respects extremely obscure and
difficult. For they treat of subjects on which the philosophers have
spent all their days and yet have been able to discover nothing. In
dealing with these themes Origen has done his best to make belief in a
Creator and a rational account of things created subservient to
religion and not, as with the philosophers, to irreligion. Wherever
then in his books I have found a statement concerning the Trinity
contrary to those which in other places he has faithfully made on the
same subject, I have either omitted the passage as garbled and
misleading or have substituted that view of the matter which I find him
to have frequently asserted. Again, wherever—in haste to get on
with his theme—he is brief or obscure relying on the skill and
intelligence of his readers, I, to make the passage clearer, have
sought to explain it by adding any plainer statements that I have read
on the point in his other books. But I have added nothing of my own.
The words used may be found in other parts of his writings: they are
his, not mine. I mention this here to take from cavillers all pretext
for once more2483
| 2483 See this
treatise in vol. iii. of this series. Rufinus with John of Jerusalem
had been already accused of Origenism. See Letter LI. 6. | finding
fault. But let such perverse and contentious persons look well to what
they are themselves doing.
3. Meantime I have taken up this great task—if so
be that God will grant your prayers—not to stop the mouths of
slanderers (an impossible feat except perhaps to God) but to give to
those who desire it the means of making progress in knowledge.
In the sight of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost,2484
I adjure and require everyone
who shall either read or copy these books of mine, by his belief in a
kingdom to come, by the mystery of the resurrection from the dead, by
the eternal fire which is “prepared for the devil and his
angels;”2485
as he hopes
not to inherit eternally that place where “there is weeping and
gnashing of teeth,”2486
and where
“their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched,”2487
let him add nothing to what is
written, let him subtract nothing, let him insert nothing, let him
alter nothing, but let him compare
his transcript with the copies from which it is made, let him correct
it to the letter, and let him punctuate it aright. Every manuscript
that is not properly corrected and punctuated he must reject: for
otherwise the difficulties in the text arising from the want of
punctuation will make obscure arguments still more obscure to those who
read them.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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