Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/340

 ORIGEN

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ORIGKN

Bestand dor altchristl. Litteratur" (Leipzig, lS9:i), 333-90; Uardenhower, "Geschichte der altkirchl. Litcratur." (Freiburg), II, 68-149; Prat in Vigouroux, "Diet, de la Bible", s. v.

C. PosTiiuMors Influence of Okigen. — During his lifetime Origen by his writings, teaching, and in- tercourse exercised \'ery great influence. St. Firmil- ian of Ca\sarca in Cui)padocia, who regard<'d himself as his disciple, made him remain with him for a long period to profit by his learning (Kuseliius, "Hist. eccl.", VI, xxvi; Palladius, "Hist. Laus.", 147). St. Alexander of Jerusalem his fellow-pupil at the cate- chetical school was his intimate faithful friend (Euse- bius, VI, xiv), as was Theoctistus of C;&sarea in Pales- tine, who ordained him (Photius, cod. 118). Beryllus of Bostra, whom he had won back from heresy, was deeply attached to him (Eusebius, VI, xxxiii; St. Jerome, "De viris ill.", Ix). St. Anatolus of Laodicea sang his praises in his "Carmen Paschale" (P. G., X, 210). The learned Julius Africanus consulted him, Origen's reply being extant (P. G., XI, 41-8.5). St. Hippolytus highly appreciated his talents (St. Jerome, "De viris ill.", Ixi). St. Dionysius, his pupil and successor in the catechetical school, when Patriarch of Alexandria, dedicated to him his treatise "On the Persecution" (Eusebius, VI, xlvi), and on learning of his death wrote a letter tilled with his praises (Photius, cod. 232). St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, who had been his pupil for five years at Caesarea, before leaving addressed to him his celebrated "Farewell Address" (P. G., X, 1049-1104), an enthusiastic panegyric. There is no proof that Heracles, his disciple, colleague, and successor in the catechetical school, before being raised to the Patriarchate of Alexandria, wavered in his sworn friendship. Origen's name was so highly esteemed that when there was question of putting an end to a schism or rooting out a heresy, appeal was made to it.

After his death his reputation continued to spread. St. Pamphilus, martyred in 307, composed with Euse- bius an "Apology for Origen" in six books, the first alone of which has been preserved in a Latin transla- tion by Rufinus (P. G., XVII, 541-616). Origen had at that time many other apologists whose names are unknown to us (Photius, cod. 117 and 118). The directors of the catechetical school continued to walk in his footsteps. Theognostus, in his " Hypotyposes", followed him even too closely, according to Photius (cod. 106), though his action was approved by St. Athanasius. Pierius was called by St. Jerome "Ori- genes junior" (De viris ill., Ixxvi). Didymus the Blind composed a work to explain and justify the teaching of the "De principiis" (St. Jerome, "Adv. llufin.", I, vi). St. Athanasius does not he.sitate to cite him with praise (Epist. IV ad Serapion., 9 andlO) and points out that he must be interpreted generously (De decretis Nic, 27).

Nor was the admiration for the great Alexandrian less outside of Egypt. St. Gregory of Nazianzus gave significant expression to his opinion (Suidas, "Lexi- con", ed. Bemhardy, II, 1274: 'ilpiyivn^ i] Trdintav jifidv ix*"')). In collaboration with St. Basil, he had pubhshed, under the title "Philocalia", a volume of selections from the master. In his "Panegyric on St. Gregory Thaumaturgus", St. Gregory of Nys.sa called Origen the prince of Christian learning in the third century (P. G., XLVI, 00.5). At Cffisarea in Palestine the admiration of the learned for Origen be- came a passion . St . Pamphilus wrote his " Apology ' ', Euzoius had his writings transcribed on parchment (St. Jerome, "De viris ill.", xciii). Eusebius cata- logued them carefully and drew upon them largely. Nor were the Latins less enthusiastic than the Greeks. According to St. Jerome, the principal Latin imitators of Origen are St. Eu.sebius of Verceil, St. Hilary of Poitiers, and St. Ambrose of Milan; St. Victorinus of Pettau had set them the example (St. Jerome, "Adv.

Uufin.", I, ii; "Ad Augustin. Epist.", cxii, 20). Ori- gen's writings were so much drawn upon that the soli- tary of Bethlehem called it plagiarism, jurta Latin- rum. However, excepting Kufinus, who is practically only a translator, St. Jerome is perhaps the Latin writer who is most indebted to Origen. Before the Origenist controversies he willingly admitted this, and even afterwards, he did not entirely r(>pudiatc it ; cf. the prologues to his translations of Origen (Ildniilies on St. Luke, Jeremias, and Ezechiel, the Canticle of Canticles), and also the prefaces to his own "Com- mentaries" (on Micheas, the Epistles to the Galatians, and to the Ephesians etc.).

Amidst these expressions of admiration and praise, a few discordant voices were heard. St. Methodius, bishop and martyr (311), had written several works against Origen, amongst others a treatise "On the Resurrection", of which St. Epiphanius cites a long extract (Ha>res., LXVI, xii-lxii). St. Eustathius of Antioch, who died in exile about 337, criticized hisalle- gori.sm (P. G., XVIII, 613-673). St. Alexander of Alexandria, martyred in 311, also attacked him, if we are to credit Leontius of Byzantium and the emperor Ju.stinian. But his chief adversaries were the heretics, Sabellians, Arians, Pelagians, Nestorians, Apollinarists. On this subject see Prat, "Origene", 199-200.

II. Origenism. — By this term is understood not so much Origen's theology and the body of his teachings, as a certain number of doctrines, rightly or wrongly attributed to him, and which by their novelty or their danger called forth at an early period a refutation from orthodox writers. They are chiefly: A. — AUe- gorisra in the interpretation of Scripture; B. — Sub- ordination of the Divine Persons; C. — The theory of successive trials and a final restoration. Before ex- amining how far Origen is responsible for these the- ories, a word must be said of the directive principle of his theology.

The Church and the Rule of Faith. — In the preface to the "De principiis" Origen laid down a rule thus formulated in the translation of Rufinus: "Ilia sola credenda est Veritas qua? in nuUo ab ecclesiastica et apostolica discordat traditione". The same norm is expressed almost in equivalent terms in many other passages, e. g., "non debemus credere nisi quemad- modum per successionem Ecclesia; Dei tradiderunt nobis" (InMatt.,ser. 46, Migne, XIII, 1667). In ac- cordance with those principles Origen constantly ap- peals to ecclesiastical preaching, ecclesiastical teaching, and the ecclesiastical rule of faith {xaviiv) . He accepts only four canonical Gospels because tradition does not receive more; he admits the necessity of the baptism of infants because it is in accordance with the practice of the Church founded on Apostolic tradition; he warns the interpreter of the Holy Scriptures, not to rely on his own judgment, but "on the rule of the Church insti- tuted by Christ". For, he adds, we have only two lights to guide us here below, Christ and the Church; the Church reflects faithfully the light rec»ived from Christ, as the moon reflects the rays of the sun. The distinctive mark of the Catholic is to belong to the Church, to depend on the Church outside of which there is no salvation; on the contrary, he who leaves the Church walks in darkness, he is a heretic. It is through the principle of authority that Origen is wont to unmask and combat doctrinal errors. It is the principle of authority, too, that he invokes when he enumerates the dogmas of faith. A man animated with such sentiments may have made mistakes, be- cause he is human, but his dispo.sition of mind is essentially Catholic and he does not deserve to be ranked among the promoters of heresy.

A. Scriptural Allegorism. — The principal passageson the inspiration, meaning, and interpretation of the Scriptures are preserved in Greek in the first fifteen chapters of the "Philocalia". According to Origen, Scripture is inspired because it is the word and work