Origen, a Great Trial to the Church

We said above that in the church of God the teacher’s error is the people’s trial, and the more learned the teacher who errs, the greater the trial. We showed this first from the authority of Scripture, and then from instances in church history: men who for a time had the reputation of being sound in the faith, but in the end either fell away to some sect that already existed or founded a heresy of their own. This is an important fact indeed, useful to learn and necessary to remember, and to be illustrated and pressed home again and again, example upon example, so that all true catholics may understand that they ought to receive teachers along with the church, and not desert the faith of the church along with teachers.

Among the many instances of this kind of trial that could be produced, I believe there is none to compare with that of Origen. There was so much in him that was excellent, so unique, so admirable, that anyone would at first readily judge that all his statements should be trusted without question. If a man’s way of life carries authority, great was his diligence, great his modesty, his patience, his endurance. If his family or his learning carries it, what was nobler than his birth into a house made famous by martyrdom? Later, when for the cause of Christ he had lost not only his father but all his property as well, he reached so high a standard in the hardships of holy poverty that, it is said, he suffered several times as a confessor. [a]

Nor were these the only things about him, all of which afterward proved an occasion of trial. He had a mind so powerful, so deep, so sharp, so refined, that there was hardly anyone he did not far surpass. His learning, and his education generally, were so brilliant that there were few points of divine philosophy, and hardly any of human philosophy, that he had not thoroughly mastered. When he had conquered Greek by hard work, he became skilled in Hebrew as well. What shall I say of his eloquence? His style was so charming, so soft, so sweet, that honey rather than words seemed to flow from his mouth. What subject was there, however difficult, that he did not make clear and plain by the force of his reasoning? What task was there, however hard to accomplish, that he did not make look perfectly easy?

But perhaps his claims rested only on cleverly woven argument? On the contrary, no teacher ever used more proofs drawn from Scripture. Then I suppose he wrote little? No one wrote more. If I am not mistaken, his writings not only cannot all be read through, they cannot all be found. And so that nothing might be lacking to his chances of gaining knowledge, he also had the advantage of a very long life. But perhaps he was not especially fortunate in his disciples? Who was ever more so? From his school came teachers, priests, confessors and martyrs without number.

Then who can express how much he was admired by all, how great his fame, how wide his influence? Who was there of more than ordinary devotion who did not hurry to him from the ends of the earth? What Christian did not revere him almost as a prophet, what philosopher as a master? How much he was honored, not only by private persons but also by the imperial court, is told in the histories, which relate that he was sent for by the mother of the emperor Alexander, moved by the heavenly wisdom with whose love both she and he were on fire. His letters bear witness to it too, which he wrote, with the authority he took on as a Christian teacher, to the emperor Philip, the first Roman ruler who was a Christian. As for his incredible learning, if anyone is unwilling to accept the testimony of Christians from us, let him at least accept the testimony of pagans from the philosophers. For that impious Porphyry says that when he himself was little more than a boy, drawn by Origen’s fame, he went to Alexandria and saw him there, an old man by then, but plainly a man of such attainments that he had reached the summit of all knowledge.

Time would fail me to recount even a very small part of this man’s excellent qualities, all of which nevertheless not only served the glory of religion but also increased the size of the trial. For who in the world would lightly abandon a man of such genius, such learning, such influence, and would not rather adopt the saying that he would rather be wrong with Origen than be right with others? [g]

What more shall I say? The result was that very many were led astray from the soundness of the faith, not by any human excellence of this great man, this great teacher, this great prophet, but, as the outcome showed, by the all too dangerous trial that he proved to be. So it came about that this Origen, great as he was, wantonly abused the grace of God. He rashly followed the bent of his own genius, and put too much confidence in himself. He made light of the ancient simplicity of the Christian religion, presumed that he knew more than all the world besides, despised the traditions of the church and the rulings of the ancients, and interpreted certain passages of Scripture in a new way. And so he earned for himself the warning given to the church of God, which applies to his case as much as to others: “If a prophet arises among you … you shall not listen to the words of that prophet … because the Lord your God is testing you, to see whether you love him or not.” Truly, so suddenly to lead astray the church that was devoted to him and hung on his words, through admiration for his genius, his learning, his eloquence, his way of life and his influence, while she had no fear and no suspicion for herself; so, I say, to lead the church astray, slowly and little by little, from the old religion to a new profaneness, was not only a trial, but a great trial.

But someone will say: Origen’s books have been corrupted. I do not deny it; in fact I readily grant it. For it has been handed down, both by word of mouth and in writing, not only by catholics but by heretics as well, that this is so. But the point is this: although he himself is not a great trial, the books published under his name are. They are full of many harmful blasphemies, and they are read and enjoyed, not as someone else’s, but as his, as people believe; so that even though there was no error in what Origen himself meant, yet Origen’s authority seems to be an effective cause in leading people to embrace error.