Third Century
Notice Concerning the Writings of Origen with Reference to Baptism
There are a few passages, namely, Homily 8, on the 12th and 13th chapters of Leviticus; Homily 14, on the 2nd chapter of Luke; the Commentary on the 6th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, from which some who today uphold infant baptism suppose they can draw something to show that Origen was not a stranger to their views, but that he sanctioned them. But various eminent writers deny, indeed completely refute, this, since it is proved that these passages do not belong to Origen, but to Rufinus, the priest at Aquileia, who, it is stated, more than one hundred and fifty years after Origen's time translated Origen's works from the Greek into Latin, adding from his own, that is, out of his own mind, the above-mentioned passages, and, on the other hand, leaving out other matters. To this explanation we assent. See Rufinus' prefatory and concluding remarks on Origen's Commentary to the Epistle to the Romans. Also, Erasmus' account of the life of Origen, prefaced to Origen's works, according to J. Mehrn., Bapt. Hist., pages 283 and 291. Also, H. Mont. Nietigheyd van den Kinderdoop, pages 29 to 34, and 42, 43.
Besides this, various gross errors have long been imputed to Origen, as, for instance, that he believed that the evil spirits would ultimately be saved. However, he himself denies this in a certain letter written to those of Alexandria, in which he complains of the shamelessness of his adversaries, who dared in his lifetime to defame him with slanders which not even an insane man would utter. What, then, must have been the treatment his writings received after his death!
"We may plainly see," says Jacob Mehrning, "from what we still have of the writings of Origen, that many ignorant and grossly erring spirits have sought to pass off on the simple-minded their own whims under the name of this eminent man, who by Jerome (in Prefatione ante Ezechielem) is called the second master of the church after the apostles." Bapt. Hist., pages 288 and 289. Also, H. Mont. Nietigh., pages 35, 36.