INTRODUCTORY NOTICE.
The name of the illustrious Origen comes before us in this volume in connection with his worksDe Principiis,Epistola ad Africanum, andContra Celsum. Of these, the first two have been given entire, while of the third we have been able at present only to give the first book. A full account of the life and writings of the author will be prefixed to our next volume of his works. Meanwhile, we restrict ourselves to a brief notice of the three which have been mentioned.
It is in his treatiseΠερὶ Ἀρχῶν, or, as it is commonly known under the Latin title,De Principiis, that Origen most fully develops his system, and brings out his peculiar principles. None of his works exposed him to so much animadversion in the ancient church as this. On it chiefly was based the charge of heresy which some vehemently pressed against him,—a charge from which even his firmest friends felt it no easy matter absolutely to defend him. The points on which it was held that he had plainly departed from the orthodox faith, were the four following:—First, That the souls of men had existed in a previous state, and that their imprisonment in material bodies was a punishment for sins which they had then committed.Second, That the human soul of Christ had also previously existed, and been united to the Divine nature before that incarnation of the Son of God which is related in the Gospels.Third, That our material bodies shall be transformed into absolutely etherealones at the resurrection; andfourth, That all men, and even devils, shall be finally restored through the mediation of Christ. His principles of interpreting Scripture are also brought out in this treatise; and while not a little ingenuity is displayed in illustrating and maintaining them, the serious errors into which they might too easily lead will be at once perceived by the reader.
It is much to be regretted that the original Greek of theDe Principiishas for the most part perished. We possess it chiefly in a Latin translation by Rufinus. And there can be no doubt that he often took great liberties with his author. So much was this felt to be the case, that Jerome undertook a new translation of the work; but only small portions of his version have reached our day. He strongly accuses Rufinus of unfaithfulness as an interpreter, while he also inveighs bitterly against Origen himself, as having departed from the catholic faith, specially in regard to the doctrine of the Trinity. There seems, however, after all, no adequate reason to doubt the substantial orthodoxy of our author, although the bent of his mind and the nature of his studies led him to indulge in many vain and unauthorized speculations.
TheEpistle to Africanuswas drawn forth by a letter which that learned writer had addressed to Origen respecting the story of Susanna appended to the book of Daniel. Africanus had grave doubts as to the canonical authority of the account. Origen replies to his objections, and seeks to uphold the story as both useful in itself, and a genuine portion of the ancient prophetical writings.
The treatise of OrigenAgainst Celsusis, of all his works, the most interesting to the modern reader. It is a defence of Christianity in opposition to a Greek philosopher named Celsus, who had attacked it in a work entitledἈληθὴς Λόγος, that is,The True Word, orThe True Discourse. Ofthis work we know nothing, except from the quotations contained in the answer given to it by Origen. Nor has anything very certain been ascertained respecting its author. According to Origen, he was a follower of Epicurus, but others have regarded him as a Platonist. If we may judge of the work by those specimens of it preserved in the reply of Origen, it was little better than a compound of sophistry and slander. But there is reason to be grateful for it, as having called forth the admirable answer of Origen. This work was written in the old age of our author, and is composed with great care; while it abounds with proofs of the widest erudition. It is also perfectly orthodox; and, as Bishop Bull has remarked, it is only fair that we should judge from a work written with the view of being considered by the world at large, and with the most elaborate care, as to the mature and finally accepted views of the author.
The best edition of Origen’s works is that superintended by Charles and Charles Vincent de la Rue, Paris 1783, 4vols.fol., which is reprinted by Migne. There is also an edition in 25 volumes, based upon that of De la Rue, but without the Latin translation, by Lommatzsch, Berlin 1831-1848. TheDe Principiishas been separately edited by Redepenning, Leipzig 1836. Spencer edited theContra Celsum, Cambridge 1677.