,transcribed from the #ahab ,j4 ,smith edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org ,,hulsean ,,essay ,for #ahaa4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,dissertation ,,on ,,the ,,books of ,,origen against ,,celsus1 ,,with ,a ,,view ,,to ,,illustrate ,,the ,,argument ,,and ,,point ,,out ,,the ,,evidence ,,they ,,afford ,,to ,,the ,,truth ,,of ,,christianity4 99 99 99 99 99 ,published in pursuance of the ,will of the ,rev4 ,j4 ,,hulse1 as having gained the ,,annual ,,prize1 instituted by him in the ,university of ,cambridge4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,francis ,,cunningham1 ,,of ,,queen',s ,,college4 99 99 99 99 99 8,quippe in his 7nimirum ,origenis contra ,celsum libris7 communem ,christianorum doctrinam1 adversus instructissimum ,religionis nostr hostem propugnat3 hi summo ,auctoris studio maxima eruditione1 elucubrati fuere40 ,bull4 ,def4 ,fid4 ,nic4 ,cap4 ix4 ,sec4 #b4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,cambridge3 ,,printed by ,j4 ,,smith1 ,,printer to the ,,university2 ,,and ,,sold ,,by ,,deighton1 ,,cambridge2 ,,and ,,rivingtons1 ,,and ,,hatchard1 ,,london4 99 99 99 99 99 #ahab4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,the ,very ,rev4 the ,,dean of ,,carlisle1 ,,professor ,,of ,,mathematics1 ,,the ,,president1 ,,and ,to the ,reverend and ,learned ,,the ,,fellows ,,of ,,queen',s ,,college1 ,,this ,,essay ,,is ,,dedicated ,,as ,a ,,tribute ,,of ,,respect ,,and ,,gratitude ,,by ,,the ,,author4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,contents4 ,page ,introduction #a ,,chap4 ,i4 ,history and ,writings of the ,jews #e ,,chap4 ,,ii4 ,the ,scriptures #ab ,,chap4 ,,iii4 ,history of ,christ #ai ,,chap4 ,,iv4 ,miracles #bd ,,chap4 ,v4 ,character of the early ,christians #cc ,,chap4 ,,vi4 ,doctrines of the early ,christians #ci ,,chap4 ,,vii4 ,conclusion #di ,,introduction4 ,,the ,book of ,celsus1 #a;a entitled 8,the ,true ,discourse10 #a;b is supposed to have been written during the fifth persecution1 #a;c in the reign of ,marcus ,antoninus1 and in the one hundred and seventieth year of the ,christian era4 ,of his history nothing is known1 but that he was an epicurean philosopher1 #a;d and a friend of ,lucian1 who inscribed a book #a;e to him4 ,the object of his work was an attack upon ,christianity1 and as such1 it is one of the most malignant and unreserved upon record4 ,he is indebted to his opponents for bringing down any account of his writings to posterity1 for they have otherwise perished4 ,origen died in the year of our ,lord #b;a two hundred and fifty-four4 ,he undertook1 at the request of ,ambrose1 #b;b to answer the work of ,celsus1 and 8to leave no part without examination40 ,his ,treatise is divided into eight books2 but this division seems rather to be founded upon caprice1 #b;c than upon any design of methodically discussing the argument4 ,the reasonings of ,celsus are discussed in the order in which they occur1 which is without method1 or connection4 ,the extracts which are made by ,origen from the works of his adversary are very copious1 so much so1 that1 considering his object1 of fully discussing every part of the original work1 it is probable nothing of importance is omitted4 ,the accuracy of the quotations of ,origin is guaranteed both by his acknowledged veracity1 #c;a and by the risk of refutation to which he would otherwise have exposed himself1 from opponents who had the original writing in their hands4 ,the work of ,origen has been considered both by ancients and moderns1 as a master-piece of eloquence and argument4 ,eusebius #c;b and ,jerome #c;c have given it their highest approbation4 ,many of our own writers1 #c;d and many more of the ,french1 #c;e both ,catholic and ,protestant1 have pronounced it to be the completest1 and best written apology for the ,christian ,religion which has been bequeathed to us by the ancients4 ,the want of order1 both in the attack of ,celsus1 and the reply of ,origen1 renders it impracticable to follow1 precisely in their steps4 ,time will be gained1 and perspicuity promoted1 by endeavouring to bring their perplexed argument into a more regular form4 ,we shall therefore single out the main topics discussed by each1 and by stating the objections of the one1 and the replies of the other1 strive to collect the evidence which each furnishes to the truth of ,christianity4 ,taking the more prominent topics therefore1 we shall consider in order2 the ,history and ,writings of the ,jews--the ,scriptures--the ,history of ,christ--the ,conduct and the ,principles of the early ,christians4 ,after which it will be useful to sum up the evidence to ,christianity1 supplied by the whole argument4 ,,chap4 ,i4 ,,history and ,,writings of the ,,jews4 ,,the evidence in favour of ,christianity1 to be deduced from the history and writings of the ,jews1 is so important1 that it was a primary object with ,celsus1 to render it nugatory4 ,this he endeavours to effect1 first1 by disputing the antiquity of ,moses2 and secondly1 by condemning his narration4 ,we shall examine his statement on these points1 and some important acknowledgments he makes1 of the existence of the prophetic writings4 ,he says that 8the ,jews1 #e;a who were originally fugitive slaves from ,egypt1 pretended1 on the authority of the ,books of ,moses1 to a very ancient genealogy2 #e;b that they lived together in a corner of ,palestine1 in profound ignorance2 #e;c not having heard of the things long before celebrated by ,hesiod1 and many other men divinely inspired40 ,he then particularizes much of the history of ,genesis1 which he calls 8an old woman's story1 full of impiety20 #f;a and asserts that 8many of its facts are taken from the heathens40 ,to this ,origen #f;b replies by referring to ,josephus #f;c and ,tatian #f;d for external proof of the history of the ,jews3 ,he affirms that they have all the evidence of their existence which other nations have1 #f;e that they have records which others have not2 #f;f that other nations are allowed to have existed who bear testimony to the ,jews2 #f;g that it would have been impossible for so small a band1 to have opposed itself to the whole power of ,egypt2 that it must have changed its language2 and that1 in changing1 it has not assumed one resembling the neighbouring nations4 ,he then urges the wisdom of the ,jewish ,institutions2 infers from their perfect preservation1 the esteem in which they were held2 and challenges a comparison1 #g;a as to sublimity of doctrine1 and purity of morals1 with any other system1 proposed to mankind4 ,celsus then notices many of the ,old ,testament characters3 ,he ridicules the relation of 8the ,fall1 #g;b the ,deluge1 ,children born of old ,persons1 ,brothers who kill each other1 ,mothers who deceive1 the ,sin of ,lot1 the ,animosity of ,esau1 the ,deceit of the ,sons of ,jacob1 the ,history of ,joseph10 c4 ,origen replies that such facts alone are selected by ,celsus from the writings of ,moses1 as supply a ground of attack2 that the simplicity of his narration proves the integrity of its author2 and he then apologizes for these causes of offence by the necessity of the case1 he contrasts with them the greater profligacy of the heathen1 or fancifully explains them upon the scheme of allegory4 ,no direct admission of ,celsus1 relating to ,jewish prophecy1 is to be found4 ,there are however many observations1 which prove the coming of ,christ to have been expected by the ,jews1 and this expectation must have been the result of prophecy4 ,the remarks of ,celsus1 with regard to this topic1 are of this kind4 ,that the 8,jews #h;a and ,christians believe1 that the ,spirit of ,god had promised there would come a ,saviour2 but they could not agree1 whether or no1 he had already come20 #h;b that 8the prophecies which the ,christians apply to ,christ refer equally to other persons20 #h;c that 8others had lived who had applied the prophecies of ,christ to themselves10 c4 c4 ,thus he plainly admits prophecies to have existed of some great person1 who was to come2 and that ,jews and ,christians believed in them1 but that it was uncertain whether they were accomplished4 ,the inferences to be collected from the preceding observations1 are as follows4 ,first1 ,the ,jewish ,scriptures are of older date1 than the birth of ,christ4 ,for if these writings had been compiled since that time1 some rumours of such an event must have reached ,celsus2 and this fact which would have ruined all the pretensions of ,jewish antiquity1 would have been urged by the heathens as a primary objection to their claims4 ,the ,jews themselves moreover could not have been deceived1 if this had been a cunningly devised fable2 for they were a widely extended people1 and in so short a space of time1 it would have been impossible to make them the dupes of such an imposture4 ,secondly1 ,it may be inferred from the admission of ,celsus1 that the prophecies were found in the ,jewish ,scriptures in his time2 and since then no alteration has been made in them by the ,jews4 ,but if so1 this is the strongest presumption1 that the ,jews had never altered them before4 ,for1 if1 when by the fulfilment of the prophecies1 in the person of ,christ1 they were most tempted to erase predictions1 so hostile to their own creed1 they made no change1 much less1 would they do it1 when the temptation was diminished4 ,thirdly1 ,if little is to be collected from the writings of ,celsus1 in favour of those prophecies which he has attacked1 something may be inferred in favour of those which he has failed to attack4 ,their existence is admitted1 and his spirit of hostility is such1 that we must attribute his silence not to his forbearance1 but to his disingenuousness4 ,fourthly1 ,the admission that some important character was expected1 not only by the ,jews1 but by the heathens1 at the era of ,christ's advent1 is very important to religion4 ,where could the expectation originate1 except in the ,jewish ,scriptures8 ,the sages1 poets1 and historians of antiquity1 appear to have drunk at this sacred source4 ,the ,arabians #aj;a came from a far country to greet it2 ,herod destroyed #aj;b the ,jewish genealogies that the family of ,david might not be known1 #aj;c undertook the building of the temple1 a work it was thought the ,messias was to perform1 and murdered #aa;a his own son in fear that the promised ,king should dethrone him4 ,virgil1 building upon the popular persuasion1 applied it on two occasions to ,augustus4 #aa;b ,this expectation is also mentioned by ,cicero1 #aa;c ,sallust1 #aa;d ,suetonius1 #aa;e and ,tacitus4 #aa;f ,if the origin of this expectation was with the ,jews1 where else can we look for the accomplishment4 ,who has fulfilled their wide-spread expectations8 ,where is this hope of all nations to be sought1 if not in the person of ,christ8 ,,chap4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,scriptures4 ,,celsus in his general mode of argument against the ,christians1 renders a very important testimony to the truth of their ,scriptures3 for his charges are not grounded on facts or doctrines1 not there recorded2 but almost every one of them may be directly traced1 to some important and obvious passage of the ,bible4 ,he seemed therefore to consider1 that he could most effectually destroy ,christianity1 by overturning the authority of the writings which the ,christians believed to have been delivered to them by inspiration1 and which they considered the authority1 the guide and the security of their religion4 ,he acknowledges #ac;a that there were 8writings concerning the affairs of ,christ made by his disciples20 using the word disciple distinctly from the follower of ,christ1 and plainly in the sense of the immediate attendant upon his person4 ,whence may be inferred the general belief1 in his time1 that the ,gospels proceeded from their accredited authors4 ,he states the ,christians to have 8preached their doctrines to the poor and wicked1 without partiality or respect of persons20 #ac;b a statement admitted by ,origen1 to be conformable to the genius of the ,gospel1 and fulfilling its own declarations1 8that to the poor the ,gospel is preached20 #ac;c and that 8,christ came not to call the righteous1 but sinners to repentance40 #ac;d ,this statement also proves the ,gospel to have been publicly promulged4 ,he charges the ,christians with so 8mutilating the ,scriptures1 that if one expression was attacked they might take refuge in another20 #ad;a but the charge rests alone upon his assertion4 ,origen confidently challenges any proof of it2 imputes the mutilations of ,scripture1 exclusively1 to ,marcion and ,valentinus2 but denies their claim to the title of ,christians4 ,the quotations of ,celsus from the ,new ,testament are so numerous1 #ad;b that from them a great part of the ,history of ,christ1 a statement of his doctrines1 his character1 and that of his disciples1 might be gathered4 ,these quotations are taken from the ,gospels1 in general1 but more particularly from ,saint ,matthew1 from the ,acts of the ,apostles1 from the various ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul1 ,st4 ,peter1 and ,st4 ,john4 ,they are so faithful a transcript of our ,new ,testament1 as to leave no doubt1 that he had it before him4 ,now and then1 however1 he mutilates passages1 as if to show the contempt in which he held the whole relation4 ,thus in mentioning the disciples of ,christ1 he says1 8that he took ten or eleven abjects1 vile publicans and sailors40 #ae ,this error is plainly one1 rather of contempt1 than of ignorance4 ,it is also worthy of notice1 that ,celsus has taken very few stories from the heretical writings1 which assumed to themselves equal authority with the ,gospels1 and which abounded in his days4 ,these stories1 wherever they occur1 are disallowed by ,origen1 and their authors1 at once1 given up as uninspired4 ,the concessions of ,celsus may be taken in evidence1 that the canon of ,scripture was already so well established1 that it would have been in vain for him to mis-state it4 ,the general testimony furnished by ,origen to the ,scriptures1 may be viewed in some degree distinctly from that of ,celsus4 ,it must be considered as coming about fifty years after4 #af;a ,in this work he quotes from twenty-nine books of the ,old ,testament1 #af;b from all but three in the ,new1 #af;c and from five books of the ,apocrypha4 #af;d ,his quotations agree very accurately with our ,text1 and many passages1 which since have been disputed1 #af;e are held by him as authentic4 ,he allows no objection to lie against the plenary inspiration of ,scripture2 he indeed admits #af;f some differences to have existed1 as to the interpretation of passages1 but adverts to none respecting their authority4 ,origen frankly avows the difficulties of ,scripture2 and it is to cut his way through these1 that he is tempted to employ the weapon of allegorical interpretation2 a weapon1 which never fails to wound the hand of the employer1 and to injure the cause it is designed to serve4 ,his rashness in this method of interpretation may be estimated by the following specimen4 #ag;a 8,o daughter of ,babylon1 who art to be destroyed2 happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us4 ,happy shall he be1 who taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones40 #ag;b 8,the little ones1 the children of ,babylon10 he says1 8are to be interpreted vexatious thoughts1 the offspring of confusion1 which vice has produced2 and he who is happy in dashing them against the stones1 is he1 who crushes these thoughts against the solidity of reason40 ,such excesses1 whilst they betray the unsoundness of an expositor of ,scripture1 evince his faith in its authority3 and it is rather the authority of the text1 than the universal sobriety of its interpreters1 which we are anxious to defend4 ,,chap4 ,,iii4 ,,history ,,of ,,christ4 ,,the attack of ,celsus1 upon the ,history of ,christ1 maybe arranged under the three divisions1 of his birth2 his life2 his death4 ,in adverting to the birth of ,christ1 ,celsus introduces a ,jew1 charging ,christ with being privately born #ai;a in a little village of ,judea1 his mother being driven out by the ,carpenter1 to whom she was betrothed1 because convicted of adultery #ai;b with a soldier named ,panther4 ,he imputes to him that he was privately educated1 and went to earn his livelihood in ,egypt4 ,it is enough to say of all this1 that it is mere assertion2 that no proof of it is either established or offered4 ,origen1 however1 justly asks1 if it be probable1 that a person1 the purity of whose life and doctrine is so remarkably opposite to the imputation laid against his birth1 #bj;a should have been born and educated by a profligate parent4 ,perhaps1 even the idolatrous worship of the ,virgin ,mary1 in the ,church of ,rome1 of which the first elements are discernible at a very early period1 may in a measure serve1 7the only good purpose it ever served7 to vindicate her moral character4 #bj;b ,against the ,life of ,christ1 no charge is brought by ,celsus2 #bj;c except that he did not answer to his conception #bj;d of the appearance of a ,deity on earth4 ,it is obvious that this objection is founded on a misconception of the object of his advent4 ,celsus believed that other gods had descended #bj;e from heaven to earth1 and framed his notion of the appearance of deity1 upon the model with which the fictions of heathen poetry and history supplied him4 ,to satisfy his perverted imagination1 #ba;a ,god must descend in showers of gold1 #ba;b or armed with celestial thunders4 ,and indeed had ,jesus ,christ appeared1 like the gods of heathenism1 to gratify lust1 or decide the fate of empires2 the ensigns of pomp and power would have been adapted to his commission4 ,but when it is remembered1 that he came to establish a spiritual religion1 #ba;c to wean men from the world1 #ba;d to live with the poor1 #ba;e and above all to die for the guilty2 #ba;f then it is evident1 that the character which became him1 was that of a 8,man of ,sorrows40 #ba;g ,moral grandeur was the only grandeur with which he could invest himself1 righteousness his sceptre1 #ba;h and his throne a cross4 ,had ,celsus indeed been disposed to examine1 or enabled to appreciate1 the moral dignity of his character1 he would have shrunk with disgust from the fabled descents of ,jupiter4 ,he would have seen that this ,pillar of ,cloud #bb;a had a bright side2 that if he was a man in suffering1 in the grandeur with which he suffered he was truly ,god4 ,celsus states1 even to minuteness1 the facts recorded by the ,sacred ,historians1 as to the ,death of ,christ4 ,he says1 that he was 8betrayed10 #bb;b 8bound10 8scourged10 8stretched upon the ,cross20 #bb;c that he 8drank vinegar20 #bb;d that after his death1 he was 8said to have appeared twice10 #bb;e but that 8he did not appear to his enemies40 #bb;f ,to the objection conveyed in the last clause it is an obvious reply1 that his appearance to his enemies cannot be claimed1 except by those who contend that ,god is bound to increase evidence to the persons who shut their eyes against it4 ,those who1 after the evidence of the miracles of ,jesus ,christ1 could continue to doubt1 would not have believed1 though he 8had risen from the dead0 #bc in their view4 ,the objections of ,celsus to the character of ,christ being thus dismissed1 and they are really unworthy even of the scanty space here bestowed upon them1 it is plain that all the facts admitted by him are so much to be added to the scale of evidence4 ,it is thus proved1 that1 either influenced by universal persuasion1 or borne down by overwhelming testimony1 men1 who desired to be infidels1 were compelled to admit the facts of ,christianity4 ,it is also proved1 that nothing can be charged against the life of ,christ1 except that he most accurately maintained the character in which he condescended to appear4 ,,chap4 ,,iv4 ,,miracles4 ,,the strongest evidence in favour of ,christianity is supplied by the ,miracles1 which accompanied its promulgation4 ,we shall proceed to consider the light cast by the work before us1 on this important topic2 and examine1 first1 the testimony of ,origen and ,celsus to the miraculous effects that were produced2 secondly1 the pretensions which these works had to a ,divine original4 ,celsus lived in an age when by the testimony of all history1 the ,miracles of ,christ were objects of notoriety4 ,the disciples had yet the power of working them1 #bd;a and they propounded #bd;b them as the incontrovertible proof of the truth of their religion4 ,it was impossible therefore1 in a general work against ,christianity1 that ,celsus should not refer to the subject of ,miracles1 or that he should1 in the face of their public performance1 flatly deny their existence4 ,he has then taken the only method by which he could obviate this difficulty4 ,he makes a 8supposition #be;a that ,christ did perform many marvellous works20 these however he imputes to 8the same magical power that is made use of in the market-places of ,egypt40 ,we shall first examine how far this concession on the part of ,celsus may stand as an admission that ,miracles were really performed4 ,writers have differed about the meaning to be attached to these words2 but the greater part of those1 whose opinion is of highest authority1 #be;b have considered them as an acknowledgment that these wonderful works could not be denied by him4 ,considering the peculiarly difficult circumstances in which ,celsus was placed1 he could1 by a supposition of this kind alone1 escape from the dilemma2 and as he did not dare on such a subject to assert a falsehood1 he endeavoured at least to excite a doubt4 ,this opinion is moreover strengthened by the line of argument he pursues1 8that if the by-standers had really thought these works to be ,miracles1 they could not but have believed20 then he proceeds to undervalue the worth of these performances1 by comparing them with those of sculapius4 #bf;a ,after reading the passage1 in which our ,lord foretells that 8many should come in his name1 doing many wondrous things20 #bf;b he exclaims1 8how great is the force of truth6--,christ carries with him his own refutation1 for he acknowledges a certain ,satan1 should work the same miracles that he did40 ,of this objection it may be observed1 that it cuts two ways4 ,if it invalidates the ,miracles of ,christ1 yet the event corresponding with the prediction establishes his prophetical character1 and thus authenticates his religion4 ,origen continually proclaims1 #bg;a in bold and eloquent language1 in the name of himself1 and his fellow ,christians1 their faith in ,christianity to be founded upon miracles1 wrought in the name of ,christ2 of which #bg;b they themselves had been eye-witnesses4 ,it may be asked whether modern infidels who have ventured to contradict the ,miracles of ,christ1 a weapon ,celsus was afraid to take up1 have estimated the rashness of their enterprize4 ,are they competent to deny what a spectator no less malevolent than themselves was compelled to admit4 ,has the lapse of eighteen hundred years enabled them to ascertain a fact of daily occurrence with more accuracy than a by-stander8 ,are objects best seen at the greatest distance8 ,having then stated the admission of the occurrence of certain supernatural events1 both by the friend1 and enemy of ,christianity2 we shall say a few words upon the source1 to which they are ascribed by ,celsus4 ,origen1 in considering this topic1 admits #bh;a the faculty of healing to be not necessarily divine2 but says1 that the nature of the power by which wonders of this kind were performed1 must be ascertained1 first1 by the character of the agent1 and secondly1 by the nature of the fact4 ,he then shews that the ,miracles of ,christ #bh;b were not wrought like those of the ,egyptians1 for vain exhibition2 that their object was to heal disease1 or to assuage grief2 and that those miracles1 more peculiarly characteristic of their ministry1 namely1 the conversion of the heart from sin to ,god1 #bh;c were such as the magicians neither felt the disposition nor professed the power to perform4 ,the question however may be differently argued4 ,all miracles1 and therefore those of ,egypt1 must be allowed to originate in the permission of ,god4 ,for as the strongest proof of the existence of the ,deity is the creation and regular course of nature1 so1 that this proof may remain1 the suspension of the power of nature must also be attributed to him4 ,there is the same proof1 that miracles were performed by the power of ,god1 as that the world was made1 and is regulated by him4 ,if1 however1 it is admitted1 that the ,divine ,being has1 under certain circumstances1 permitted the influence of ,satanic agency3 it will still be evident that the miracles of ,christianity were not works of this class4 ,to suppose that they were1 would involve a variety of conclusions1 unsupported by reason or analogy4 ,for1 if they were1 then ,god1 contrary to the whole course of his dispensations1 has suffered his laws to be suspended1 in order to betray millions of his creatures1 for a succession of ages1 into a false theology4--,if they were2 then1 contrary also to all precedent1 he has suffered the interpositions of devils to outstrip his own4 ,even the magicians of ,egypt1 #cj;a were compelled to recognise the supremacy of ,god4--,if they were2 then1 contrary to all experience1 a large body of men1 through a long period of time1 have been found willing to incur reproach1 #cj;b to endure pain1 and even to suffer death1 in the support of miracles which they knew to be the grossest frauds4--,if they were2 then the kingdom of ,satan #cj;c must1 in the most signal manner1 have been 8divided against itself20 since1 upon this hypothesis1 miracles which were wrought by devils1 were employed to dispossess them1 and finally accomplished the subversion of the ,pagan ,mythology1 the most formidable system of machinery1 by which ,satan ever perpetrated his designs upon mankind4 ,the evidence then furnished by this ,work1 on the subject of ,miracles1 is considerable4 ,celsus admits their existence2 ,origen appeals to them1 as what he1 and many others had seen4 ,there is indeed incontrovertible evidence for their existence1 till the conversion of the ,roman ,empire invested ,christianity with temporal power1 and raised her to universal dominion4 ,with the necessity1 the possession of the miraculous powers ceased4 ,from this period the ,gospel was left to the ordinary grace of ,god1 to its own resources1 and to the human powers of its followers4 ,when a body of illiterate fishermen were commissioned to publish it to all nations1 then ,god supplied the powers by which all men 8heard them speak in their own language40 #ca ,now that learning and wealth are the handmaids of religion1 they are left in a great measure to do the work of miracles4 ,all our faculties should be therefore bent to this sacred cause1 and all our spoils be offered at the foot of the cross4 ,nor is the evidence furnished even now to ,christianity through the channel of miracles by any means small4 ,although miracles of one class have ceased1 men may see in the true ,christian1 the greatest of all miracles2 a man by nature1 cold1 corrupt1 indolent1 selfish1 transformed under the creative hand of the ,gospel1 into the bold1 generous1 active1 disinterested1 enterprizing1 apostle of truth4 ,,chap4 ,v4 ,,character of the ,,early ,,christians4 ,,although the character of an individual1 professing a particular faith1 is not sufficient of itself either to establish1 or condemn his creed1 the character of a whole body1 professedly living under the influence of the same principles1 bears the most convincing testimony1 either for1 or against them4 ,accordingly the mixed indolence1 sensuality1 and ferocity of the ,mahometan character1 have always been deemed a sufficient objection1 to the principles of the ,koran4 ,and the ancient ,christian writers tell us1 that the arm of their tormentors1 was sometimes suspended1 by the purity of the ,christian victim3 and that they heard with astonishment men supplicating blessings on the heads of their persecutors4 ,now it may be of importance to enquire1 what testimony is supplied by the work of ,origen1 to the character of the early ,christians1 and1 through them1 to religion itself4 ,celsus objects to the ,christians1 that they invited every person1 #cd;a however ignorant1 or simple1 or wretched1 or wicked1 to their mysteries2 and thereby made such a society1 as was fit only for a company of thieves4 ,to this ,origen replies by admitting their willingness to receive every body into their society4 ,he glories in their desire1 to give knowledge to the ignorant1 wisdom to the simple1 peace to the wretched1 and reformation to the wicked4 ,he says that 8all are cordially received2 and food administered1 according to their different wants40 ,but he adds1 that1 as the great object of ,christianity was conversion from sin1 #cd;b so1 before any were allowed to partake of the mysteries of religion1 they were subjected to considerable trial2 that the very acceptance of ,christianity implied a conversion from these sins1 and that if the converts of the ,christians #ce;a were examined1 they would be found far better than the rest of men4 ,some of the other objections serve1 in a striking manner1 to shew the superiority both of ,christianity and its followers1 to the prevailing system and current characters of the day4 8,now a days10 #ce;b says he1 8you die with ,christ20 you teach #ce;c such precepts as 8resist not injuries40 ,this charge ,origen is naturally unwilling to refute4 ,he admits that such is the genius of his religion1 that many ,christians devote themselves to perpetual celibacy2 8,we renounce luxury #ce;d to devote ourselves to ,god2 we expose our body #ce;e to all manner of sufferings2 and are strangled like sheep without daring to resist40 ,in order to repel some charges of ,celsus1 against the ,christians1 as subjects1 and citizens1 ,origen appeals to the evidence of facts2 institutes a comparison between the ,christians and the heathens1 #cf;a under the same government1 at ,athens1 ,corinth1 and other cities4 8,their religion10 says he1 8teaches1 that union with ,god1 and each other1 is supreme happiness40 ,celsus charges them with holding secret assemblies4 #cf;b ,his opponent1 whilst he invites enquiry into the nature and conduct of these meetings1 asks if their actual circumstances did not debar them from meeting in any other manner4 ,he objects to them also1 that they have no temples of worship2 #cf;c but is at once refuted1 by a statement of the impossibility of erecting them4 ,the error also is stated1 of imagining that ,god can dwell in temples made with hands2 and the sublime article #cg;a of our creed avowed1 that the 8heaven of heavens cannot contain him60 #cg;b ,while therefore1 the paucity and weakness of the charges alleged by the enemies of ,christianity1 against its followers1 is established by this work1 much is incidentally advanced1 which substantiates the superiority of the character of ,christians4 ,they had indeed degenerated even in the days of ,celsus4 ,the stream had not flowed even thus far1 without being tinged with many impurities4 ,but enough virtue was left to vindicate the religion2 enough to enable her champions to demonstrate the superior efficacy of the faith1 because it made the best citizens and the most useful men4 ,the allegations of ,celsus1 and the defence of ,origen1 alike prove the extent of the sufferings to which the ,christians were subjected4 ,and it may be truly said1 that the best defence of ,christianity is written with the blood of its persecuted followers4 ,it is not credible1 that those should either be deceived1 or conspire to deceive others1 whose lives were almost necessarily to pay the forfeit of their mistake1 or of their stratagem4 ,,chap4 ,,vi4 ,,doctrines of the ,,early ,,christians4 ,,it would be a material defect in an ,essay purporting to state the contents of the reply of ,origen to ,celsus1 and the evidence supplied by it in favour of ,christianity1 not to notice the doctrines of the early ,christians1 as they may be collected from the work before us4 ,in the first place then it appears1 both from the objections of the one1 and the direct assertion of the other1 that the ,christians of that age admitted in the fullest sense the ,divinity of ,christ4 8,let them10 says ,celsus1 8account him an angel1 but is he the first and only one that is come80 #ci ,hence it is plain1 that however ,celsus might confound angels and ,christ1 the ,christians did not4 ,the assertions of ,origen however are unequivocal1 and decisive4 ,three distinct propositions form a prominent part #dj;a in his writings4 ,first1 ,that ,christ was 77 uncreated4 ,secondly1 ,that the ,maker of the ,world is to be worshipped4 ,thirdly1 ,that ,christ is the ,maker of the ,world4 ,as to the first point it is sufficient to refer to a passage where ,jesus ,christ is expressly called the 8uncreated ,son of ,god40 #dj;b ,he preserves a precise distinction between creatures1 77 and their ,creator2 and he brings #dj;c them together into comparison as to the respect that is due to them4 ,in the next place he says that we ought to worship #dj;d no creatures 771 but the ,creator2 #dj;e that we can only lift up our eyes #dj;f to the ,creator of all the magnificence of ,nature1 to see whom we ought to admire1 serve1 and adore4 ,then he proclaims ,jesus ,christ #da;a as the ,creator of the ,universe2 that ,god working with him said at the creation1 8,let there be ,light1 let us make ,man40 #da;b ,but ,origen is yet more distinct in the statement of his opinions4 ,he says that the ,father is indeed eminently ,god2 #da;c but that the worship of the ,son #da;d is not an inferior but a ,divine worship2 he applies the same expression to the adoration of ,jesus ,christ #da;e by the ,magi that he does to the worship of ,god2 he speaks of the ,father #da;f and the ,son being jointly worshipped as one ,god2 he admits #da;g the worship of the ,son in his distinct individual character2 he attributes to him immutability1 #da;h omnipresence1 #da;i and other qualities #da;j which are characteristic only of the ,most ,high4 #dak ,the personality of the ,holy ,ghost is distinctly admitted by ,origen2 #db and his descent upon earth at the day of ,pentecost4 ,he also frequently asserts1 that miracles were performed upon earth by the agency #dc;a of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,to the doctrine of the ,atonement continual references are made4 ,the recognition is not less distinct1 both by ,celsus1 and ,origen1 of the doctrine of ,justification by ,faith1 as the opinion of the early ,christians4 8,you tell sinners10 says ,celsus1 8not to examine1 but believe2 and their faith will save them40 #dc;b ,this is precisely the language in which an uncandid opponent might be expected to state that doctrine4 ,a more patient examination of the system would have taught him1 that 8examine yourselves10 #dc;c and 8search the ,scriptures10 #dc;d were lessons taught by the same ,master who insisted upon the efficacy of a true and living faith4 ,there are two doctrines1 original sin1 and the eternity of punishment1 as to one of which the language of ,origen is contradictory1 and as to the other it is heterodox4 ,on the doctrine of original sin1 he asserts1 in one place1 8that no soul came vicious from the hands of ,god1 #dd;a but that many persons so corrupt themselves by bad education1 or example1 or advice1 that sin becomes as it were natural2 but that it is not very difficult1 much less impossible to conquer this1 corruption by the word of ,god40 ,in the latter clause he supposes the assistance of the ,spirit of ,god1 because he elsewhere says1 8,we cannot give ourselves a pure heart1 without the help of the ,holy ,spirit3 #dd;b we must therefore pray1 ,create in me a new heart1 ,o ,god40 #dd;c ,he acknowledges in another place that ,adam sinned1 and that we1 in our bodies1 #dd;d are naturally prone to sin by our descent from him4 ,celsus states the doctrine after the manner of the ,fatalists2 asserting an original bias to evil1 and accounting that bias to be insurmountable4 ,the language of ,origen as to the doctrine of future punishments is so obscure1 as to make it difficult to determine what were his opinions4 ,he seems however1 in general to speak the language #de of ,plato1 upon a state of future existence1 rather than that of ,christ2 and to furnish a convenient basis for the doctrine of purgatory1 which the ,church of ,rome afterwards introduced among the credenda of ,christianity4 ,although he distinctly states his own opinion upon this subject1 yet he treats it with a caution almost amounting to suspicion1 as to its practical consequences4 ,this proves to us two things4 ,first1 ,that a belief of the eternity of future punishment was generally held by the ,christians1 or he would have stated his own opinion without reserve4 ,secondly1 ,that ,origen in some measure apprehended that the doctrine on this subject which he held1 was not consistent in its operation with that gospel1 which teaches that1 8denying ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should live soberly1 righteously1 and godly1 in this present life40 #df;a ,could he fear this and yet be firmly convinced of the truth of his own doctrines8 ,could he believe that the different parts of ,christianity had an opposite tendency--that its ,almighty framer would pull down with one arm what he erected with the other4 ,it is remarkable that we learn from ,celsus1 what ,origen as to this point might not have taught us2 that the eternity of punishments was the common faith of the ,christian ,church4 ,his words are1 8,they 7the ,christians7 persuade themselves that the good1 #df;b after this life1 shall be happy1 the wicked shall be plunged into everlasting wretchedness3 from which opinion1 neither let them1 nor any other mortal depart40 ,such is a slight sketch of the doctrines of ,christianity1 as held by the ,church at the period when this work was written4 ,that the faith of those times is the faith of the purest ,churches in our own days1 that the creed of one century is the creed of many ages1 in itself1 affords very convincing testimony to our religion4 ,the sameness of the faith1 proves in the first place1 the integrity of the ,scriptures from which it is drawn4 ,it proves also1 that it is1 by one and the same ,divine ,spirit1 that all true ,christians1 in all successive periods1 are taught and influenced4--,it proves that ,christians1 instead of yielding themselves like the heathens1 disciples to every succeeding philosopher1 and 8calling many men master10 have called only one their 8teacher10 their 8guide10 their 8master10 which is ,god4 ,it proves the superiority of ,christianity to time and place2 that it is a religion suited to all men1 in all ages1 and in all circumstances1 and that it therefore bears the impress of a religion sent from ,god1 and designed to be the faith of the universe4 ,it enables us lastly1 to consider our ,creed1 not as the conception of a solitary enthusiast1 not a cunningly devised fable1 or the scheme of an ambitious innovator2 but to cast ourselves back1 as it were1 upon the faith of nations1 and lay hold confidently of that ,tree of ,life which was planted by ,christ1 and whose fruit has been gathered by the hand1 and whose root has been fed by the blood of saints in all ages4 ,,chap4 ,,vii4 ,,conclusion4 ,,having thus noticed1 in succession1 the several topics which are chiefly insisted on in the ,work before us2 and having endeavoured to deduce from each1 the distinct evidence in favour of ,christianity1 which it seemed to afford1 it remains only to sum up the general testimony thus borne to our religion4 ,let the evidence be first considered1 which arises from the concessions and objections of ,celsus4 ,in the first place then he proves the existence of the ,scriptures in his own times1 he relates some facts extracted from them1 and he corroborates many others1 which would otherwise stand upon their unsupported authority2 and thus he authenticates both the religion1 and the ,bible4 ,in the next place1 as ,celsus is usually considered the most subtle and malignant of the assailants of ,christianity1 the weakness of his assault discovers the difficulty of the attack1 or1 in other words1 the strength of the religion4 ,in the third place1 his admission of many facts1 which he would have rejoiced to deny1 is a strong testimony to the general belief of the facts1 at the period at which he wrote4 ,fourthly1 ,his wary suppression of some circumstances incontrovertibly established by the authority of other persons1 of much evidence which strengthened1 and many writers who had served the ,christian cause1 #ej betrays his conviction that such facts could not be promulgated with safety to his argument4 ,let us turn next to the reasonings and the reply of ,origen1 and to the evidence for ,christianity supplied by them4 ,in the first place1 as the infidel may find in the objections1 all the weapons by which he is now accustomed to assault religion1 so the believer may find in the answers of ,origen1 the shield which has repelled1 and is sufficient to repel them for ever4 ,the confidence with which ,origen appeals to the ,scriptures1 evinces the reverence in which they were held at an age when their spuriousness1 if they had not been genuine1 could so readily have been detected4 ,the exact correspondence of the ,scriptural passages extracted by him1 with our own copies1 establishes the integrity of the sacred canon4 ,the confidence with which he challenges an investigation of the miracles1 and the miraculous powers of the ,church1 for some ages1 leaves us no room to doubt of their existence4 ,the firm faith of such a man as ,origen1 at a period when the evidence of ,christianity lay most open to a scrutiny1 is no small testimony of the truth of the religion4 ,the very rashness which is charged1 and justly charged upon ,origen1 is so far satisfactory1 that it assures us1 the friends of ,christianity1 however injudicious1 could open no avenues of attack through which the most dextrous adversaries could successfully assault the citadel of our faith4 ,finally1 ,the effect wrought upon the character of ,origen1 and his contemporaries1 to which he continually refers1 at once gives weight to their testimony1 and vindicates the claim set up by ,christianity1 to a ,divine efficacy accompanying its doctrines4 ,let ,origen himself be examined4 ,such was his superiority to worldly attraction1 that he #eb was content to live and die1 a humble catechist at ,alexandria4 ,such was his devotion to the sacred cause1 that he sold #ec;a his possessions for a daily allowance that would enable him to pursue the duties of piety and usefulness1 without distraction4 ,such was his zeal1 that he is said to have bequeathed to his fellow-creatures six thousand volumes1 #ec;b the fruits of his own labour4 ,nor is his character a solitary instance1 upon the annals of ,christianity4 ,the great mass of individuals who drank at or near the fountain-head of the religion1 were evidently 8made whole40 #ec;c ,they were animated by another spirit1 and quickened into another life4 8,old things passed away1 and all things became new40 #ec;d ,it was moreover in the power of these men to examine the sources of objection which were opened to them by ,celsus2 this they had certainly done1 but their belief gathered strength by enquiry1 and they sealed their testimony by their blood4 ,we have in their conduct a proof of the impression which the arguments of ,celsus made on their minds4 ,paganism began to tremble1 when she saw that the new religion was not only a new creed1 but a new power2 she anticipated her own downfall when she exclaimed1 8,see how these ,christians love one another40 ,this evidence is peculiar to the ,gospel4 ,by this1 under the ,divine aid1 it ascended the throne1 and grasped the sceptre of the world4 ,by this it will continue to conquer1 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it4 ,upon the whole1 the reply of ,origen to ,celsus may be considered as one of the most valuable legacies of antiquity4 ,the importance of the subject1 the talents of the contending authors1 the ample evidence it affords to our faith1 claim for it our earnest consideration2 the errors of ,origen are such as a little sagacity may correct1 his merit will ever be confessed1 while religion shall need an apology1 or talent and piety have any claim to admiration4 ,it is true that the revolution of ages has afforded1 as might be expected1 to truth additional evidence1 and to error fresh refutation4 ,so much however was effected1 in their distinct enterprizes by the early enemies and friends of ,christianity1 that the vanity of unbelievers should be subdued1 by discovering most of their objections to have been before advanced1 and the faith of ,christians should be confirmed1 by knowing them to have been long since refuted4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,end4 ,,footnotes4 #a;a ,the references made to the original work are to the edition of ,guliel4 ,spencer1 ,cantabrigiensis1 ,collegii ,,ss4 ,trinitatis ,socius4 #afeh4 #a;b 8 40 ,con4 ,cels4 ,p4 lvi4 #ad4 #a;c ,lardner1 vol4 ,,viii4 #f4 #a;d ,con4 ,cels4 ,p4 viii4 #ahf4 #a;e ,lucian1 vol4 ,i4 p4 #gdf4 #b;a ,euseb4 ,b4 vii4 c4 #ai4 #b;b ,con4 ,cels4 #bca1 c4 #b;c ,con4 ,cels4 #ef4 #c;a ,milner1 ,ec4 ,hist4 vol4 ,i4 #dhi4 8,great honesty of mind was1 if ,i mistake not1 a ruling feature of ,origen's character40 ,paley1 vol4 ,i4 #bib4 #c;b ,eus4 con4 ,hieroc4 #eaa4 ,ed4 ,paris4 #c;c ,hieron4 ,ep4 #hc4 ,op4 ,tom4 ,,iv4 #fee4 ,ed4 ,paris4 #c;d ,cave1 ,life of ,origen1 ,bull4 def4 ,fid4 ,nic4 #c;e ,huet4 ,ev4 d',avinches4 ,m4 de la ,motte4 ,dupin4 #e;a ,con4 ,cels4 #aha4 #e;b ,ib4 #ahc4 #e;c ,ib4 #ahf4 #f;a ,con4 ,cels4 #ahf4 #f;b ,con4 ,cels4 xiv4 #afg4 #f;c ,jos4 de ,jud4 ,antiq4 #f;d ,tatian ad ,gr4 ,orat4 #f;e ,con4 ,cels4 #ac4 #f;f ,con4 ,cels4 #afg4 #f;g ,ib4 #aae4 #g;a ,con4 ,cels4 #ad4 #bfj4 #g;b ,ib4 #ahi4 et seq4 #h;a ,con4 ,cels4 #aab4 #h;b ,ib4 #ci4 #h;c ,ib4 #dd4 #aj;a ,matt4 ch4 ii4 #aj;b ,afric4 in ,eus4 #aj;c ,hospini de ,orig4 ,tempi4 c4 iii4 #aa;a 8,cum audisset 7,augustus7 inter pueros1 quos in ,syri ,herodes rex ,judoram intra bimatum jussit interfici1 filium quoque ejus occisum1 ait1 ,melius esse ,herodis ,porcum esse quam ,filium40 ,macrob4 ,sat4 ii4 #d4 #aa;b ,eclogue #dth4 ,in which the expressions relating to the ,golden ,age1 of which he prophesied the advent1 have the greatest similarity to those applied to the ,messiah by ,isaiah4 ,see an admirable ,essay1 entitled1 8,observations on #dth ,eclogue40 ,miller1 #ahaj4 8,tibi quem promitti spius audis40 neid1 lib4 vi4 #gia4 #aa;c ,cic4 ,or4 #c contr4 ,catilin4 lin4 #gb4 #aa;d ,bell4 ,catilin4 #aa;e 8,pererebuerat oriente toto vetus et constans opinio1 esse in fatis1 ut eo tempore ,judi profecti rerum potirentur40 ,sueton4 ,vespasian1 cap4 iv4 #h4 #aa;f 8,pluribus persuasio inerat1 antiquis sacerdotum literis contineri1 eo ipso tempore fore1 ut valesceret oriens1 profectique ,jud rerum potirentur40 ,tac4 ,his4 ,b4 ,v4 c4 ix4 #ac4 #ac;a ,con4 ,cels4 #fg4 #ac;b ,con4 ,cels4 #adg4 #ac;c ,matt4 xi4 #e4 #ac;d ,luke v4 #cb4 #ad;a ,con4 ,cels4 #gg4 #ad;b 8,there are about eighty quotations from the books of the ,new ,testament in ,celsus40 ,doddridge4 #ae ,con4 ,cels4 #dg4 #af;a ,the writings of ,origen are esteemed of greater value than those of any other of the ,fathers in proof of the authenticity of ,scripture4 ,dr4 ,mills says1 8,si hc 7op4 ,orig47 integra superessent1 versaretur utique nobis ob oculos universus fere textus utriusque ,testamenti qualis isto seculo ferebatur40 ,mill4 ,proleg4 #fd4 ,ed4 ,ox4 #agjg4 #af;b ,those omitted in his quotations3 ,ruth1 #b ,chronicles1 ,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 ,esther1 ,song of ,solomon1 ,joel1 ,obadiah1 ,nahum1 ,habakkuk4 #af;c ,philemon1 #b ,john1 ,jude4 #af;d ,tobit1 ,wisdom1 ,ecclesiasticus1 #a ,maccabees1 #b ,maccabees4 #af;e ,matt4 chap4 ii4 c4 #af;f ,con4 ,cels4 #aag4 #ag;a ,con4 ,cels4 #cdf4 #ag;b ,ps4 cxxxvii4 #h4 #ai;a ,con4 ,cels4 #bb4 #ai;b ,ib4 #be4 #bj;a ,con4 ,cels4 #bf4 #bj;b ,the ,author is aware1 that many very profligate persons have been placed on the ,calendar of ,popish ,saints4 ,such cases however apply to a later period in the ,christian ,history than that to which he refers4 #bj;c ,con4 ,cels4 #cfi4 #bj;d ,ib4 #afh4 #bj;e ,ib4 #afd4 #ba;a ,con4 ,cels4 #cbi4 #ba;b ,horat4 ,b4 iii4 ,od4 #af4 ,ovid4 ,met4 #d4 #ba;c ,john xviii4 #cf4 #ba;d #a ,john ii4 #ae4 #ba;e ,james ii4 #e4 #ba;f ,rom4 v4 #f4 #ba;g ,isaiah liii4 #c4 #ba;h ,heb4 i4 #h4 #bb;a ,exod4 xiv4 #bj4 #bb;b ,con4 ,cels4 #gb4 #bhb4 #gi4 #bb;c ,ib4 #hb4 #ie4 #bb;d ,ib4 #hb4 #cdj4 #bb;e ,ib4 #id4 #bb;f ,ib4 #ih4 #bc ,luke xvi4 #ca4 #bd;a ,euseb4 v4 c4 #g4 ,tert4 ad ,scap4 #d4 ,apol4 #bc4 ,theophil4 #bd;b ,con4 ,cels4 #hg4 #be;a ,con4 ,cels4 #ec4 #be;b ,doddridge--,sherlock--,chandler1 ,def4 #dbi4 #bf;a ,con4 ,cels4 #abd4 #bf;b ,ib4 #hi4 #bg;a ,con4 ,cels4 #cd4 #ec4 #abd4 #abg4 #ccg4 #bg;b ,ib4 #cd4 #bh;a ,con4 ,cels4 #abe4 #bh;b ,ib4 #ia4 #bh;c ,ib4 #hh4 #cj;a ,ex4 viii4 #ai4 #cj;b ,con4 ,cels4 #hg4 #cj;c ,matt4 xii4 #bf4 #ca ,acts ii4 #f4 #cd;a ,con4 ,cels4 #adg4 #cd;b ,ib4 #adg4 #ce;a ,con4 ,cels4 #aej4 #ce;b ,ib4 #hf4 #ce;c ,ib4 #cgj4 #ce;d ,ib4 #cfe4 #ce;e ,ib4 #aae4 #cf;a ,con4 ,cels4 #abh4 #cf;b ,ib4 #d4 #cf;c ,ib4 #cgc4 #cg;a ,con4 ,cels4 #cge4 #cg;b #a ,kings viii4 #bg4 #ci ,con4 ,cels4 #bff4 #dj;a ,waterland's ,def4 #dj;b ,con4 ,cels4 #bhg4 #dj;c ,ib4 #cge4 #dj;d ,ib4 #bcg4 #dj;e ,ib4 #cfg4 #dj;f ,ib4 #aeh4 #da;a ,con4 ,cels4 #cjh4 #cbe4 #da;b ,ib4 #fc4 #da;c ,ib4 #bcc4 #da;d ,ib4 #chb4 #da;e ,ib4 #df4 #afj4 4 #da;f ,ib4 #chf4 #da;g ,ib4 #bci4 #da;h ,ib4 #afi4 #da;i ,ib4 #afd4 #da;j ,ib4 #aga4 #cdb4 #chg4 #chf4 c4 c4 #dak ,it may be observed1 that although charges were laid against some of ,origen's doctrines after his death1 none were made against his orthodoxy on the subject of the ,trinity1 till after the time of ,arius4 ,the ,eustathians then opposed him on the ground of some expressions which he had used against the ,sabellians1 by which he separated the hypostases of the ,godhead4 ,his orthodoxy was however maintained by ,st4 ,gregory ,nazianzen1 ,st4 ,basil1 ,st4 ,athanasius1 ,chrysostom1 and ,didymus4 ,the words of ,st4 ,athanasius are 8,verbum autem ab terno esse cum patre1 nec alterius substanti vel hypostasis1 sed ipsius patern substanti proprium illum esse1 quemadmodum dixerunt qui interfuerunt ,synodo1 liceat nobis rursus audire etiam ex laborioso ,origine40--,op4 ,athan4 ,t4 #a4 p4 #bgg4 ,jerome about the year #cij said of ,origen1 8,quem post ,apostolos1 ,ecclesiarum ,magistrum nemo nisi imperitus negabat4 ,prf4 ad nom4 ,heb40 ,his celebrated controversy with ,ruffinus then began1 and as the latter was an admirer and translator of ,origen's writings1 the character of ,origen was involved in the dispute1 and ,jerome heaped upon it all the abuse he thought due to ,ruffinus4 ,bishop ,bull says of this transaction1 8,hieronymus odi su in ,originem seu potis in ,origenis interpretem ,ruffinum1 nimim indulgens1 indeque omnia ejus verba dictaque in pessimum sensum trahere amans40--,bullii4 ,op4 ,om4 p4 #aba4 ,and again1 8,hieronymus in hac ,origenis accusatione1 animum candore alienum atque affectibus abreptum ita manifest prodidit1 ut in cteris criminationibus fidem sibi omnem derogsse videatur40--,bullii4 ,op4 ,om4 p4 #abc4 ,milner 7,ecc4 ,hist4 ,i4 #dif7 observes that the ,arians who had so very little assistance from precedents1 were glad to catch at the shadow of an argument drawn from ,origen's illustrious name1 and they accordingly sought out expressions obscure in themselves1 but plainly contradictory to the general tenor of his opinions1 upon the ground of which they claim him as their supporter4 ,milner observes of these men 7,ecc4 ,hist4 ,,ii4 #afc7 that every thing mean and sordid1 cruel and inhuman1 ambitious and perfidious is on their side1 and this is the character of their conduct towards the writings of ,origen4 ,of modern writers the opinion is decisive4 ,bishop ,bull says1 8,ita mecum statuo ,origenem in articulo de fillii divinitate adeoque de ,s4 ,trinitate revera ,catholicum fuisse40--,bullii4 ,op4 ,om4 p4 #abg4 ,waterland1 ,chandler1 ,fiddes1 and ,cudworth hold the same sentiment4 #db ,con4 ,cels4 #ce4 #dc;a ,con4 ,cels4 #cd4 #dc;b ,ib4 #h4 #dc;c #b ,cor4 xiii4 #e4 #dc;d ,john v4 #ci4 #dd;a ,con4 ,cels4 #aec4 #dd;b ,ib4 #ced4 #dd;c ,ps4 li4 #aj4 #dd;d ,con4 ,cels4 #aij4 #de ,con4 ,cels4 #bdb4 #bib4 c4 #df;a ,titus ii4 #ab4 #df;b ,con4 ,cels4 #dji4 #ej ,ignatius1 ,polycarp1 ,justin ,martyr1 ,tatian4 #eb ,cave's ,lives4 #ec;a ,euseb4 ,b4 ,,vi4 c4 #c4 #ec;b ,epiph4 ,epis4 ,const4 contra ,hr4 p4 #ada4 ,ed4 #afag4 ,de ,illust4 ,eccle4 ,script4 #bdi4 ,ed4 ,colon4 #aehj4 ,geor4 ,cedr4 ,compen4 ,hist4 #bec4 ,ed4 ,par4 #afdg4 ,mic4 ,glyc4 ,an4 #bdb4 ,ed4 ,par4 #affj4 #ec;c ,john v4 #d4 #ec;d #b ,cor4 v4 #ag4