Socrates Defends Origen

But since carping critics have misled many people and have managed to frighten them off from reading Origen, as though he were a blasphemous writer, I think it not out of place to make a few remarks about him. Worthless people, who lack the ability to rise to distinction themselves, often try to win notice by running down those who excel them. First Methodius, bishop of a city in Lycia called Olympus, suffered from this disease; next Eustathius, who for a short time presided over the church at Antioch; after him Apollinaris; and last of all Theophilus. This group of four detractors has slandered Origen, but not on the same grounds: one found one cause to accuse him, and another another. And in this way each has shown that whatever he raised no objection to, he fully accepted. For since one attacked one particular opinion and another found fault with another, it is clear that each admitted as true what he did not assail, giving silent approval to what he did not attack. Methodius, indeed, after railing against Origen in various places, afterward, as if taking back all he had said before, expresses his admiration for the man in a dialogue he entitled Xenon. [a]

But I say that from the censure of these men Origen gains even greater praise. For those who have hunted out whatever they thought worthy of blame in him, and yet have never charged him with holding unsound views about the holy Trinity, in this way show most clearly that they bear witness to his orthodox godliness; and by not reproaching him on this point, they commend him by their own testimony. And Athanasius, the defender of the doctrine that the Son is of one substance with the Father, in his Discourses against the Arians constantly cites this author as a witness to his own faith, weaving Origen’s words in with his own and saying: “The most admirable and hard-working Origen, by his own testimony, confirms our doctrine about the Son of God, declaring him to be co-eternal with the Father.” So those who heap abuse on Origen overlook the fact that their curses fall at the same time on Athanasius, who praised Origen. This will be enough for the defense of Origen. We will now return to the course of our history.