Havingthus noticed, in succession, the several topics which are chiefly insisted on in the Work before us; and having endeavoured to deduce from each, the distinct evidence in favour of Christianity, which it seemed to afford, it remains only to sum up the general testimony thus borne to our religion.
Let the evidence be first considered, which arises from the concessions and objections of Celsus. In the first place then he proves the existence of the Scriptures in his own times, he relates some facts extracted from them, and he corroborates many others, which would otherwise stand upon their unsupported authority; and thus he authenticates both the religion, and the Bible.
In the next place, as Celsus is usually considered the most subtle and malignant of the assailants of Christianity, the weakness of his assault discovers the difficulty of the attack, or, in other words, the strength of the religion.
In the third place, his admission of many facts, which he would have rejoiced to deny, is a strong testimony to the general belief of the facts, at the period at which he wrote.
Fourthly, His wary suppression of some circumstances incontrovertibly established by the authority of other persons, of much evidence which strengthened, and many writers who had served the Christian cause,[50]betrays his conviction that such facts could not be promulgated with safety to his argument.
Let us turn next to the reasonings and the reply of Origen, and to the evidence for Christianity supplied by them.
In the first place, as the infidel may find in the objections, all the weapons by which he is now accustomed to assault religion, so the believer may find in the answers of Origen, the shield which has repelled, and is sufficient to repel them for ever.
The confidence with which Origen appeals to the Scriptures, evinces the reverence in which they were held at an age when their spuriousness, if they had not been genuine, could so readily have been detected.
The exact correspondence of the Scriptural passages extracted by him, with our own copies, establishes the integrity of the sacred canon.
The confidence with which he challenges an investigation of the miracles, and the miraculous powers of the Church, for some ages, leaves us no room to doubt of their existence.
The firm faith of such a man as Origen, at a period when the evidence of Christianity lay most open to a scrutiny, is no small testimony of the truth of the religion.
The very rashness which is charged, and justly charged upon Origen, is so far satisfactory, that it assures us, the friends of Christianity, however injudicious, could open no avenues of attack through which the most dextrous adversaries could successfully assault the citadel of our faith.
Finally, The effect wrought upon the character of Origen, and his contemporaries, to which he continually refers, at once gives weight to their testimony, and vindicates the claim set up by Christianity, to a Divine efficacy accompanying its doctrines. Let Origen himself be examined. Such was his superiority to worldly attraction, that he[52]was content to live and die, a humble catechist atAlexandria. Such was his devotion to the sacred cause, that he sold[53a]his possessions for a daily allowance that would enable him to pursue the duties of piety and usefulness, without distraction. Such was his zeal, that he is said to have bequeathed to his fellow-creatures six thousand volumes,[53b]the fruits of his own labour. Nor is his character a solitary instance, upon the annals of Christianity. The great mass of individuals who drank at or near the fountain-head of the religion, were evidently “made whole.”[53c]They were animated by another spirit, and quickened into another life. “Old things passed away, and all things became new.”[53d]It was moreover in the power of these men to examine the sources of objection which were opened to them by Celsus; this they had certainly done, but their belief gathered strength by enquiry,and they sealed their testimony by their blood. We have in their conduct a proof of the impression which the arguments of Celsus made on their minds.
Paganism began to tremble, when she saw that the new religion was not only a new creed, buta new power; she anticipated her own downfall when she exclaimed, “See how these Christians love one another.” This evidence is peculiar to the Gospel. By this, under the Divine aid, it ascended the throne, and grasped the sceptre of the world. By this it will continue to conquer, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Upon the whole, the reply of Origen to Celsus may be considered as one of the most valuable legacies of antiquity. The importance of the subject, the talents of the contending authors, the ample evidence it affords to our faith, claim for it our earnest consideration; the errors of Origen are such as a little sagacity may correct, his merit will ever be confessed,while religion shall need an apology, or talent and piety have any claim to admiration. It is true that the revolution of ages has afforded, as might be expected, to truth additional evidence, and to error fresh refutation. So much however was effected, in their distinct enterprizes by the early enemies and friends of Christianity, that the vanity of unbelievers should be subdued, by discovering most of their objections to have been before advanced, and the faith of Christians should be confirmed, by knowing them to have been long since refuted.
THE END.
[1a]The references made to the original work are to the edition of Guliel. Spencer, Cantabrigiensis, Collegii SS. Trinitatis Socius. 1658.
[1b]“ἀληθὴς λόγος.” Con. Cels. P. lvi. 14.
[1c]Lardner, vol. VIII. 6.
[1d]Con. Cels. P. viii. 186.
[1e]Lucian, vol. I. p. 746.
[2a]Euseb. B. vii. c. 19.
[2b]Con. Cels. 231, &c.
[2c]Con. Cels. 56.
[3a]Milner,Ec. Hist.vol. I. 489. “Great honesty of mind was, if I mistake not, a ruling feature of Origen’s character.” Paley, vol. I. 292.
[3b]Eus. con. Hieroc. 511. Ed.Paris.
[3c]Hieron. Ep. 83. Op. Tom. IV. 655. Ed.Paris.
[3d]Cave,Life of Origen, Bull. def. Fid. Nic.
[3e]Huet. Ev. d’Aviânches. M. de la Motte. Dupin.
[5a]Con. Cels. 181.
[5b]Ib. 183.
[5c]Ib. 186.
[6a]Con. Cels. 186.
[6b]Con. Cels. xiv. 167.
[6c]Jos. deJud. Antiq.
[6d]Tatian ad Græ. Orat.
[6e]Con. Cels. 13.
[6f]Con. Cels. 167.
[6g]Ib. 115.
[7a]Con. Cels. 14. 260.
[7b]Ib. 189. et seq.
[8a]Con. Cels. 112.
[8b]Ib. 39.
[8c]Ib. 44.
[10a]Matt. ch. ii.
[10b]Afric. in Eus.
[10c]Hospini de Orig. Tempi. c. iii.
[11a]“Cum audisset (Augustus) inter pueros, quos in Syriâ Herodes rex Judæoram intra bimatum jussit interfici, filium quoque ejus occisum, ait, Melius esse Herodis Porcum esse quam Filium.”Macrob. Sat.ii. 4.
[11b]Eclogue 4th. In which the expressions relating to the Golden Age, of which he prophesied the advent, have the greatest similarity to those applied to the Messiah by Isaiah. See an admirable Essay, entitled, “Observations on 4th Eclogue.”Miller, 1810.
“Tibi quem promitti sæpius audis.”Æneid, lib. vi. 791.
“Tibi quem promitti sæpius audis.”Æneid, lib. vi. 791.
[11c]Cic. Or. 3 contr. Catilin. lin. 72.
[11d]Bell. Catilin.
[11e]“Pererebuerat oriente toto vetus et constans opinio, esse in fatis, ut eo tempore Judæi profecti rerum potirentur.”Sueton. Vespasian, cap. iv. 8.
[11f]“Pluribus persuasio inerat, antiquis sacerdotum literis contineri, eo ipso tempore fore, ut valesceret oriens, profectique Judæâ rerum potirentur.”Tac. His.B. V. c. ix. 13.
[13a]Con. Cels. 67.
[13b]Con. Cels. 147.
[13c]Matt. xi. 5.
[13d]Luke v. 32.
[14a]Con. Cels. 77.
[14b]“There are about eighty quotations from the books of the New Testament in Celsus.”Doddridge.
[15]Con. Cels. 47.
[16a]The writings of Origen are esteemed of greater value than those of any other of the Fathers in proof of the authenticity of Scripture. Dr. Mills says, “Si hæc (op. Orig.) integra superessent, versaretur utique nobis ob oculos universus fere textus utriusque Testamenti qualis isto seculo ferebatur.”Mill. Proleg.64. Ed.Ox.1707.
[16b]Those omitted in his quotations: Ruth, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Song of Solomon, Joel, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk.
[16c]Philemon, 2 John, Jude.
[16d]Tobit, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees.
[16e]Matt. chap. ii. &c.
[16f]Con. Cels. 117.
[17a]Con. Cels. 346.
[17b]Ps. cxxxvii. 8.
[19a]Con. Cels. 22.
[19b]Ib. 25.
[20a]Con. Cels. 26.
[20b]The Author is aware, that many very profligate persons have been placed on the Calendar of Popish Saints. Such cases however apply to a later period in the Christian History than that to which he refers.
[20c]Con. Cels. 369.
[20d]Ib. 168.
[20e]Ib. 164.
[21a]Con. Cels. 329.
[21b]Horat. B. iii. Od. 16. Ovid. Met. 4.
[21c]John xviii. 36.
[21d]1 John ii. 15.
[21e]James ii. 5.
[21f]Rom. v. 6.
[21g]Isaiah liii. 3.
[21h]Heb. i. 8.
[22a]Exod. xiv. 20.
[22b]Con. Cels. 72. 282. 79.
[22c]Ib. 82. 95.
[22d]Ib. 82. 340.
[22e]Ib. 94.
[22f]Ib. 98.
[23]Luke xvi. 31.
[24a]Euseb. v. c. 7. Tert. ad Scap. 4. Apol. 23. Theophil.
[24b]Con. Cels. 87.
[25a]Con. Cels. 53.
[25b]Doddridge—Sherlock—Chandler, Def. 429.
[26a]Con. Cels. 124.
[26b]Ib. 89.
[27a]Con. Cels. 34. 53. 124. 127. 337.
[27b]Ib. 34.
[28a]Con. Cels. 125.
[28b]Ib. 91.
[28c]Ib. 88.
[30a]Ex. viii. 19.
[30b]Con. Cels. 87.
[30c]Matt. xii. 26.
[31]Acts ii. 6.
[34a]Con. Cels. 147.
[34b]Ib. 147.
[35a]Con. Cels. 150.
[35b]Ib. 86.
[35c]Ib. 370.
[35d]Ib. 365.
[35e]Ib. 115.
[36a]Con. Cels. 128.
[36b]Ib. 4.
[36c]Ib. 373.
[37a]Con. Cels. 375.
[37b]1 Kings viii. 27.
[39]Con. Cels. 266.
[40a]Waterland’s Def.
[40b]Con. Cels. 287.
[40c]Ib. 375.
[40d]Ib. 237.
[40e]Ib. 367.
[40f]Ib. 158.
[41a]Con. Cels. 308. 325.
[41b]Ib. 63.
[41c]Ib. 233.
[41d]Ib. 382.
[41e]Ib. 46. 160. εὐσέβεια.
[41f]Ib. 386.
[41g]Ib. 239.
[41h]Ib. 169.
[41i]Ib. 164.
[41j]Ib. 171. 342. 387. 386. &c. &c.
[41k]It may be observed, that although charges were laid against some of Origen’s doctrines after his death, none were made against his orthodoxy on the subject of the Trinity, till after the time of Arius. The Eustathians then opposed him on the ground of some expressions which he had used against the Sabellians, by which he separated the hypostases of the Godhead. His orthodoxy was however maintained by St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Basil, St. Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Didymus. The words of St. Athanasius are “Verbum autem ab æterno esse cum patre, nec alterius substantiæ vel hypostasis, sed ipsius paternæ substantiæ proprium illum esse, quemadmodum dixerunt qui interfuerunt Synodo, liceat nobis rursus audire etiam ex laborioso Origine.”—Op. Athan.T. 1. p. 277.
Jerome about the year 390 said of Origen, “Quem post Apostolos, Ecclesiarum Magistrum nemo nisi imperitus negabat.Præf. ad nom. Heb.” His celebrated controversy with Ruffinus then began, and as the latter was an admirer and translator of Origen’s writings, the character of Origen was involved in the dispute, and Jerome heaped upon it all the abuse he thought due to Ruffinus. Bishop Bull says of this transaction, “Hieronymus odiô suô in Originem seu potiùs in Origenis interpretem Ruffinum, nimiùm indulgens, indeque omnia ejus verba dictaque in pessimum sensum trahere amans.”—Bullii. Op. Om.p. 121. And again, “Hieronymus in hac Origenis accusatione, animum à candore alienum atque affectibus abreptum ita manifestè prodidit, ut in cæteris criminationibus fidem sibi omnem derogâsse videatur.”—Bullii. Op. Om.p. 123.
Milner (Ecc. Hist.I. 496) observes that the Arians who had so very little assistance from precedents, were glad to catch at the shadow of an argument drawn from Origen’s illustrious name, and they accordingly sought out expressions obscure in themselves, but plainly contradictory to the general tenor of his opinions, upon the ground of which they claim him as their supporter. Milner observes of these men (Ecc. Hist.II. 163) that every thing mean and sordid, cruel and inhuman, ambitious and perfidious is on their side, and this is the character of their conduct towards the writings of Origen.
Of modern writers the opinion is decisive. Bishop Bull says, “Ita mecum statuo Origenem in articulo de fillii divinitate adeoque de S. Trinitate revera Catholicum fuisse.”—Bullii. Op. Om.p. 127. Waterland, Chandler, Fiddes, and Cudworth hold the same sentiment.
[42]Con. Cels. 35.
[43a]Con. Cels. 34.
[43b]Ib. 8.
[43c]2 Cor. xiii. 5.
[43d]John v. 39.
[44a]Con. Cels. 153.
[44b]Ib. 354.
[44c]Ps. li. 10.
[44d]Con. Cels. 190.
[45]Con. Cels. 242. 292. &c.
[46a]Titus ii. 12.
[46b]Con. Cels. 409.
[50]Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Tatian.
[52]Cave’sLives.
[53a]Euseb. B. VI. c. 3.
[53b]Epiph. Epis. Const. contra Hær. p. 141. Ed. 1617.
De Illust. Eccle. Script. 249. Ed.Colon.1580.
Geor. Cedr. Compen. Hist. 253. Ed.Par.1647.
Mic. Glycæ. An. 242. Ed.Par.1660.
[53c]John v. 4.
[53d]2 Cor. v. 17.