there were authors who, having stolen all their works out of Origen, afterwards reproached their master, in order to conceal their own plagiarisms by deterring the world from reading the original ". These sly insinuations, though veiled under the language of respect and esteem, could not escape the notice, nor elude the understanding, of Jerome's western friends; and it was easily foreseen that the reconciliation, so lately confirmed in Palestine, must soon share the common fate of attempts at renewing old friendships once violated with insult.

The books Of Principles, though they contained, besides Universalism, the doctrine of pre-existence and other novel opinions, were readily received A. D. 397, by many at Rome, and attached a number 398. of priests, monks and common christians to Origen. Others, however, rose in opposition; and a lady of influence, by the name of Marcella, with whom Jerome maintained a correspondence, appears to have taken the lead in fixing the stigma of heresy on the gathering party of Origenists. Assisted by Vincentius, who had returned from Bethlehem, and seconded by the numerous and powerful friends of Jerome, she soon succeeded in rousing and directing the public indignation. It seems probable, however, that even Jerome's own friends did not consider the books Of Principles very heretical as they stood in the translation; and the more moderate and impartial dis

w Ditto. And Rufini Lib. De Adulterat. Origenis Librorum. Hieron. Epist. xcvi. vel. 16 ad Principium. p. 782. y Ditto. 2 Jerome's friends, Pammachius and Oceanus (Epist. xl. vel 64

covered nothing alarming in the late publications, if we may judge from the conduct of Pope Siricius: It was one of the last acts of his life, to grant letters of recommendation to Rufinus, who was preparing to proceed, after an absence of twenty-five years, to his native city of Aquileiaa.

A. D. 398,

399.

IX. Jerome at length received, with surprise, an account sent from Italy, of the artful procedure of Rufinus; but with a moderation unusual for him, he wrote to his false friend in terms of manly and candid expostulation, entreating him, as a brother, to offer no more abuse, and to regard their parting conciliation ". As he was, however, accused of inconsistency in his treatment of Origen, not by Rufinus alone, but by many others at Rome, at Alexandria, and indeed throughout christendom, he composed a formal explanation of the praises he had formerly bestowed upon that father, and sent it to his Roman friends. I have, indeed, commended him, said he, as an able interpreter, but not as a correct dogmatist; I have admired his genius, without approving his doctrine. Have I ever adopted his detestable representations concerning the Trinity, or concerning the Resurrection? Have I not, on the contrary, carefully omitted them in my translations? If people would know my sentiments, let them read my Commentaries on Ephe

inter Hieronymi (Opp. Tom. iv.) say they have found in Rufinus's translation of the books Of Principles, many things not so very orthodox; still they suspect that Rufinus had omitted whatever would more plainly expose Origen's impiety; and therefore they request Jerome to send them a correct translation.

a Huet. Origenian. Lib. ii. Cap. 4. Sect. i, § 16. Epist, xlii.

b Hieron,

sians, and on Ecclesiastes, where I have uniformly contradicted his opinions. I certainly never followed his notions; or if I have, yet now I repent. And let others imitate this my example; "let us all be con"verted to God. Let us not wait the repentance of "the devil; for vain is the presumption that extends "into the abyss of hell. It is in this world that life must "be sought, or lost c." In the conclusion, he exposed the absurdity of Rufinus's pretence that Origen's works had been interpolated; and with a daring assurance, denied that the Apology for Origen was written by Pamphilus. At the same time, he also sent to Rome, at the request of his friends, an accurate version of the books Of Principles, in order, as he said, to expose the mistranslations of his rival".

By the passage just quoted from his Defence, we discover that he was now disposed to deny a Restoration from hell, which he had formerly asserted. But still, it appears, he did not account that notion one of the heinous, alarming errors in question, as is manifest from his referring to his Commentaries on Ephesians in proof that he had uniformly contradicted them; for those Commentaries, though they opposed some other tenets ascribed to Origen, abounded, as we have seen, with the fullest declarations of Universalism. What he now treated as the great, detestable errors of his master, may be learned from the following passage in the same Defence: "I acknowledge that Origen erred in certain "things: that his opinion was wrong concerning the

Hieron. Epist. xli. vel 65. ad Pammach. et Oceanum, p, 345. d Ditto. P. 348.

"Son, and worse concerning the Holy Ghost; that he "impiously supposed that our souls fell from heaven; "that he acknowledged the Resurrection only in words, "denying it in reality; and that he held that in future 66 ages, after one universal restitution, Gabriel would at "length become what the devil now is, Paul what Caia"phas, and Virgins what Prostitutes are. When you have "rejected these errors, you may read him with safety f."

X. Jerome and Epiphanius now began to discover in the disposition of the Alexandrian bishop, a favorable change which they had long sought to procure. Flattery and exhortation had been spent upon him in vain : he had still inclined to the side of John. But what no persuasion could effect, self-interest and revenge speedily accomplished. Theophilus had been, for some time, involved in a contention with his Egyptian monks, the smaller, more ignorant, and therefore the more turbulent part of whom, hated the name of Origen, because his doctrine was so directly opposed to their own gross and monstrous notion that Deity possessed a body like man's.*

These Anthropomorphites, so called, were

e"-et post multa sæcula atque unam omnium restitutionem, id"ipsum fore Gabrielem quod Diabolum, Paulum quod Caiapham, "virgines quod prostibulas." In his Epist, xxxvi. ad Vigilantium, written about this time, Jerome acknowledges that Origen "erred "concerning the state of the soul, [i. e. Pre-existence,] and the re"L pentance of the Devil; and what is of more importance than these, "that the Son of God and the Holy Ghost, he pronounced, in his "Commentaries on Isaiah, to be Seraphim." p. 276. Afterwards, Jerome reproaches Vigilantius for having misinterpreted the vision of the mountain, in Daniel ii, and insultingly tells him to repent “if, "indeed, this impiety can be forgiven you; and then you may ob"tain pardon when, according to the error of Origen, the Devil shall "obtain it; who was never guilty of worse blasphemy than yours." p. 278. f Hieron, Epist. xli. p. 345. *Socratis Hist, Eccl, Lib. vi. cap. 7.

A

roused to open insurrection by one of their bishop's late Addresses, in which he had freely reproached their error; and assembling from various parts of Egypt, they crowded to Alexandria with the intention of murdering him. To save his life, Theophilus deceived the fierce assailants into a persuasion that he himself was converted to their belief; and promising, at their instance, to condemn the works of their great adversary, Origen, he dismissed them in peace. Meanwhile, the aged Isidorus, whom he had always honored, and whom he had lately attempted to place in the vacant bishopric of Constantinople, had incurred his dangerous displeasure, by refusing to countenance his unjust and rapacious schemes. Some of the Origenist monks of Nitria, also, where Isidorus sought and obtained refuge, fell under his resentment. Theophilus went and invaded their quiet retreat, seized and tortured those who refused to deliver up his victim, burnt their monasteries; and bethinking himself of an easier way to satiate his baffled vengeance, denounced them to the fierce Anthropomorphites as Origenists. Sacrificing every thing to his wrath, he now determined to fulfil his late extorted promise; and siding with the more dilatory Jerome and Epiphanius, he proceeded to the hazardous measure of engaging the church in his quarrel. Accordingly, he called a Synod A. D. 399. of the neighboring bishops at Alexandria, and procured a decree, remarkable for being the first of its kind, condemning Origen, and anathematizing all who should approve his works. He dared not arraign the whole multitude of offenders; but three of them, called the tall brethren, were condemned