CHAPTER IV.

[Origen.]

I. Meanwhile, the attention of the chrisA. D. 230. tian world was directed to an extraordinary genius who had arisen in the church. The name of Origen Adamantius had awakened an interest among heathens as well as believers, from Egypt and Greece eastward to the remotest provinces of the Roman empire. As a doctor in the church, and as a philosopher among the learned, he stood alone, without either rival or competitor, and enjoyed a living reputation, such as few, in any age, have ever acquired,

It was about the year 230 that he published, at Alexandria, among other works, his books Of Principles, in which he advocated, at considerable length, the doctrine of Universal Salvation. This work has come down to us only in the Latin translation by Rufinus, who altered it in many places, especially in what related to the Trinity, in order the more to accommodate its doctrine to the faith of the fourth century. This

a He became a philosopher, as many a one does, not by original discoveries, nor by his own investigations into the nature of things; but by a thorough acquaintance with the philosophic principles and maxims he had learned from his preceptors, and by his surprising, though not always happy readiness in illustrating and tracing them, and in accommodating them to every case and subject which occurred. In one word, he was a philosopher of the schools, not of nature. Mosheim (De Reb. Christian. Ante Constant. pp. 611, 612.) has drawn his character, as a philosopher, in strong, but not unfaithful

colors.

circumstance throws a shade of uncertainty, in some respects, upon the original character of the treatise. But that it contained, in its first, as well as in its present state, the doctrine in view, is beyond a question; as ancient writers who lived while the genuine Greek copies were yet extant, referred to them, and quoted their language, for the purpose of exciting the indignation, or calling forth the anathema, of the church, against the memory of the illustrious author, for having asserted the restoration of every fallen, intelligent creature.

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II. Taking, then, the translation of Rufinus for our authority, where we can obtain no other, it appears that Origen introduced the doctrine of Universalism and that of the Pre-existence of souls, together: "Whoever," said he, "would read and acquaint himself with these subjects, so difficult to be understood, should possess a mature and well instructed understanding. For if "he be not accustomed to such topics, they may appear "to him vain and useless; or if his mind be already es"tablished in opposite sentiments, he may hastily sup"pose, through his own prejudice, that these are heret"ical and contrary to the faith of the church. Indeed, "they are advanced by us with much hesitation, and "more in the way of investigating and discussing them, "than as pronouncing them certain and indisputable.

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"The end and consummation of the world will take 'place, when all shall be subjected to punishments pro"portioned to their several sins; and how long each 66 one shall suffer, in order to receive his deserts, God b Viz. Jerome, Justinian, &c.

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only knows. But we suppose that the goodness of "God, through Christ, will certainly restore all crea"tures into one final state; his very enemies being over66 come and subdued. For thus saith the scripture: "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, "until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Ps. cx. 1.) To "the same amount, but more clearly, the apostle Paul "says that Christ must reign till he hath put all enemies "under his feet. But if there be any doubt what is "meant by putting enemies under his feet, let us hear "the apostle still further, who says, for ALL things must “be subjected to him.(1 Cor. xv.) What, then, is that sub"jection with which all things must be subdued to Christ? "I think it to be that with which we ourselves desire to "be subdued to him; and with which also the apostles "and all the saints who have followed Christ, have been "subdued to him. For the very expression, subjected "to Christ, denotes the salvation of those who are sub"jected; as David says, shall not my soul be subjected "to God? for from him is my salvation. (Ps. lxii. 1.)

"Such, then, being the final result of things, that all "enemies shall be subdued to Christ, death the last en"emy be destroyed, and the kingdom be delivered up

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to the Father, by Christ; let us, with this view be"fore us, now turn and contemplate the beginning of "things. Now, the beginning always resembles the "end; and as there will be one common end or result

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to all, so we should believe that all had one common "beginning. In other words, that as the great variety "of characters and different orders of beings which now "exist, will, through the goodness of God, their subjec

"tion to Jesus Christ, and the unity of the Holy Spirit, "be finally restored to one and the same state; so were "they all originally created in one common condition, "resembling that into which they are eventually to be "recalled. All who are at last to bow the knee to Je"sus Christ, in token of subjection, that is, all who are “in heaven, all on earth, and all under the earth, (by "which three terms is comprehended the whole intelligent creation) proceeded at first from that one common state; but as virtue was not immutably fixed in "them, as in God, they came to indulge different pas"sions, and to cherish different principles. They were

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"therefore assigned to the various ranks and condi"tions they now hold, as the reward or punishment "of their respective deserts," &c. &c. The same subject he introduces repeatedly, with various illustrations, in the course of this work.

III. Our author was, at this time, about forty-five From his childhood, the greatest expecta

years old JUWAN

A. D. 185, to 203.

tions had been entertained of him; and in his case, mature years did not disappoint the hopes which precocious genius had inspired. Origen, afterwards surnamed Adamantius, was born in the city of Alexandria, A. D. 185, or 186. Under his father, Leonidas, he was, while very young, well instructed in all the rudiments of learning, and assiduously trained to the study of the sacred scriptures. Of these, it was his daily task to commit a portion to mem

c Origen. de Principiis, Lib. i. cap. 6. N. B. The reader will find our author's notion of Pre-existence more plainly described, in Sect, vi. of this chapter.

ory; but with his characteristic passion for speculative inquiry, he refused to be content with their obvious meaning, and often perplexed his father by an inquisitive desire after a hidden, mysterious sense of the passages which struck his attention. This imaginary sense was then the great object of investigation, among all who aspired to superior attainments in religious knowledge; and therefore his son's inquiries, at so early an age, were hailed by Leonidas with secret rapture, though he seemingly checked his too manly researches, and admonished him to confine his thoughts to subjects more within the reach of his infantile powers.

When a little more advanced in years, Origen was sent to the Catechetical School, where he studied divinity under Clemens Alexandrinus. Here his pursuits were at length interrupted, in the seventeenth year of his age, by the persecution under Severus; which began at Alexandria in A. D. 202, and soon obliged his master to flee from the city. His father was seized and imprisoned for his religion; and many others shared the same fate. But undismayed by the gathering dangers, the eager spirit of the youth seemed to contemplate them with the strange delight of an enthusiast. He would have

thrown himself into the hands of the persecutors, in hope of obtaining the prize of martyrdom, had he not been prevented by his mother, who hid his clothes, and thus, by the sense of shame, confined him to his house. Fearing that his father's constancy would yield to anxiety for his family's welfare, he entreated him, by letter, to persevere: "Be steadfast, my father," said he," and take "heed that you do not renounce your profession, on our