himself soon after entirely to human learning, by teaching grammar made a shift to maintain himself, his mother, and his brethren.

While he followed this profession, the chair of the school at Alexandria becoming vacant by the retreat of Clement, and by the flight of all those who were dispersed by the persecution, some of the heathens, who were willing to be converted, made their application to him, though he was not then above eighteen years of age and at length, the reputation and number of his converts increasing every day, Demetrius, bishop of Alexandria, confirmed him in the employment of catechist, or professor of sacred learning, in that church. He then left off teaching grammar, and sold all his books of profane learning; contenting himself with a small daily allowance of four oboli, which were allowed him by the person who bought them. He now likewise began to lead a most strict and severe life, which contributed no less than his learning to draw a great number of disciples about him; although a violent persecution was then begun at Alexandria under the government of Lætus, and was continued with equal fury under that of Aquila his successor. Several of his disciples suffered martyrdom there, and he himself was exposed to the rage of the heathens, when he went, as he constantly did, to the assistance and encouragement of the martyrs. He then practised all kind of austerities, and carried the doctrine of mortification so far as even to commit an unnatural act upon his person, taking, contrary to his usual practice, the following text literally, "There be some who make themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven:" but he lived to be convinced of his error, and afterwards condemned it.

It was about this time, in the beginning of Caracalla's reign, that he went to Rome, under the pontificate of Zepherinus; and began that great celebrated work, cailed the "Tetrapla." This was a Bible, in which, by the side of the Hebrew text, he had transcribed in different columns four translations, distinguished by verses; namely, the translation of the Seventy, that of Aquila, that of Symmachus, and that of Theodotion. He afterwards added two other versions, without any author's name, and a seventh upon the Psalms only, which he found at Jericho and these versions, with the Hebrew, which is written in Greek as well as Hebrew characters, make up what is called Origen's "Hexapla," which was the first attempt to compile

those Polyglots to which the Christian world has been so much indebted. He had frequent occasion afterwards to leave Alexandria, first in consequence of the invitation of A little an Arabian prince to come and instruct him. while after, the city of Alexandria being miserably ha rassed by the emperor Caracalla for some affront put upon him, he retired into Palestine; and, settling in the city of Cæsarea, the bishops of that province desired him, though he was not yet a priest, to expound the Scriptures pub licly in that church, and to instruct the people in their presence; with which request be complied. But whether his bishop Demetrius secretly envied him this honour, or was really persuaded that they had violated the rules of the church, he wrote to these prelates, and told them, "it was a thing unheard of, and had never been practised till then, that laymen should preach in the presence of bishops :" to which Alexander of Jerusalem and Theoctistus wrote back, that "this had been often practised." Demetrius, however, ordered Origen home, who obeyed, and betook himself to his first employment. Some time after, he was again diverted from it by order of the princess Mammæa, who invited him to Antioch, that she might see and discourse with him: but he shortly returned to Alexandria, where he continued till the year 228. He then went again to Cæsarea about some ecclesiastical affairs; and, as he passed through Palestine, was ordained priest by Alexander and Theoctistus. This ordination of Origen by foreign bishops so extremely incensed his diocesan Demetrius, that from this time his conduct towards Origen was marked by the most determined enmity. However, Origen returned to Alexandria, where he continued, as he had long ago begun, to write "Commentaries upon the Holy Scriptures;" and he then published five books of "Commen "Genesis," taries upon St. John's Gospel," eight upon "Commentaries upon the first 25 Psalms," and upon the "Lamentations of Jeremiah;" his books "De Principiis," and his "Stromata."

All this while the bishop of Alexandria continued to persecute him as fiercely as ever. The truth is, Demetrius had long conceived envy and ill-will against him, on account of his shining merit and extensive reputation, and He wrote took this opportunity of giving it full vent. letters every where against him; he reproached him with the violence he had committed on his person, which he

had formerly extolled as flowing from the greatest prudence, zeal, and piety; and in a council which he assembled in the year 231, it was ordained that Origen should not desist only from teaching, but even quit the city. Banished thus from Alexandria, he retired to Cæ-sarea, his ordinary place of refuge; where he was kindly received by Theoctistus, bishop of that city, and by Alexander bishop of Jerusalem, who undertook to defend him, and commissioned him to expound the Scriptures publicly, hearing him all the while as if he had been their master. The encouragement he received at Cæsarea, seems to have exasperated Demetrius still more; who, not satisfied with the first judgment given against Origen, accused him in a council of the bishops of Egypt; and having caused him to be deposed, and even excommunicated, according to Jerom, wrote at the same time to all parts against him, to procure his being expelled the catholic church. However, the bishops of Palestine, Arabia, Phoenicia, and Achaia, who were particularly acquainted with his high merit, and many of them very intimate with him, determined to support him to the utmost, and encouraged by their zeal and friendship, he continued to explain the Scriptures at Cæsarea with great reputation, both in the life-time and after the death of Demetrius, who did not live long after he had condemned Origen. All sorts of persons, not only from that province, but even from remote countries, came to be his disciples; the most famous of which were, Gregory, surnamed afterwards Thaumaturgus, and his brother Athenodorus. But though, after Demetrius's death the persecution he had raised against Origen abated a little, yet Origen was always considered by the Egyptians as an excommunicated person; and the sentence given against him by Demetrius continued under his successors, Heraclas and Dionysius, although the former had been his disciple, and the latter had a great regard for him.

After the death of Alexander Severus, under whose reign all this happened, his successor Maximinus stirred up a persecution against the church in the year 235. Origen concealed himself during this persecution, and retired for some time to Athens, where he went on with his "Commentaries upon the Scriptures." Under the reign of Gordianus, which began in the year 238, Beryllus, bishop of Bostra, in Arabia, fell into a very gross error, affirming,

that our Lord had no existence before his inearnation; upon which, some bishops gathering themselves together, caused Origen to come thither also; who convinced him of his error so effectually, that the bishop not only publicly acknowledged it, but ever after retained a kindness for Origen. Afterwards he was called, under the reign of Philip, to another assembly of bishops, which was held against some Arabians, who maintained that the souls of men died and were raised again with their bodies. He was then about sixty years old, yet pursued his studies with his usual vigour; and not only composed several books, but preached almost daily to the people, and for the most part without any preparation at all, yet his discourses were so highly esteemed, that they were taken down from his mouth, and afterwards published. Under the persecution of Decius, he suffered with great constancy for the faith. He was seized, put into prison, loaded with irons, had his feet in the stocks for several days, where they were cruelly extended beyond their natural dimensions. He was threatened to be burned alive, racked with various tortures; but he bore all with resolution and firmness. Being released from prison, he held several conferences, and behaved in every respect like a confessor of Jesus Christ; and lastly, after having laboured so much, and suffered with such credit and glory, he died at Tyre, in the reign of Gallus, aged sixty-nine, according to Eusebius.

Though what we have at present of the works of Origen made several considerable volumes, yet they are but an inconsiderable part of what he wrote. Jerom, speaking of Origen, says, "Who is there among you that can read as many books as he has composed?" We may distinguish his works into two kinds; the one upon the sacred Scriptures, the other into separate treatises upon different subjects. Not to mention his "Tetrapla" and "Hexapla," which were rather a collection than a work of his own, he composed three sorts of books upon the Scriptures; and these were "Commentaries," "Scholia," and "Homilies." In his " Commentaries," he gave himself wholly up to all that heat and fire, all that genius and force of fancy, which was natural to him; the better, as he thought, to reach the height and depth of the Scriptures, and their most recondite and mysterious interpretation. His "Scholia" were, on the contrary, only short notes, to explain the

difficult places. These two kinds of works were rather for the use of the learned than of the people; but the "Homilies," which the Latins call Treatises, and we Sermons, were moral lectures upon the holy Scriptures. We have none of the "Scholia" remaining, nor hardly any of the "Homilies" in Greek; and those which we have in Latin, are translated by Ruffinus, and others, with so much licence, that it is difficult, if not impossible, to discern Origen's own from what has been foisted in by his interpreters. A great part likewise of his "Commentaries" are lost. The other Treatises of Origen are not near so many in number as his works upon the Scriptures, and yet they were very considerable; for, not to mention his "Commentaries upon the "Philosophers," which Eusebius speaks of, he wrote two books upon the "Resurrection;" a treatise "De Principiis," in four books; ten of "Stromata;"

an

"Exhortation to Martyrdom;" eight books against "Celsus;" "A Treatise upon Prayer;" "A Letter to Africanus concerning the History of Susannah," &c.

All Origen's works, which remain only in Latin, were collected by Merlinus, and afterwards by Erasmus, and printed at Paris, in 1512, and at Basil in 1536, in 2 vols. folio. Genebrard has since made a larger collection, which was printed at Paris, in 1574, 1604, 1619, 2 vols. folio. All the Greek fragments of Origen upon the Scriptures were published, with a Latin translation by Huetius, and printed in 1668, 1679, and 1685, 2 vols. folio; to which are prefixed by the editor large Prolegomena, under the title of "Origeniana," in which are given, in three books, a very copious and learned account of the life, the doctrines, and the writings of Origen. The eight books against "Celsus," an Epicurean philosopher, which are by far the most valuable of his works, were published in Greek, with the "Translation of Gelenius," and the "Notes of Hæs chelius," in 1605, 4to; and afterwards very correctly at Cambridge, in 1658, 4to, by William Spencer, fellow of Trinity-college, who corrected the translation, and also added notes of his own. To this edition are subjoined the "Philocalia, sive de obscuris sacræ scripturæ locis," of Origen. Wetstein, Greek-professor at Basil, caused to be printed there, with a Latin version and notes, in 1674, 4to, "The Dialogue against Marcion" (which, by the way, is supposed by Huetius to be a spurious piece), the "Exhortation to Martyrdom," and the "Letters of Africanus