WEBVTT

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CHAPTER I THROUGH XI.

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CHAPTER I.

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THE PERSECUTION UNDER SEVERUS.

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When Severus began to persecute the
churches, glorious testimonies were given

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everywhere by the athletes of religion.

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This was especially the case in
Alexandria, to which city, as to a most

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prominent theater, athletes of God were
brought from Egypt and all Thebaeus

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according to their merit, and won crowns
from God through their great patience

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under many tortures and every mode of
death.

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Among these was Leonidas, who was called
the father of Origen, and who was beheaded

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while his son was still young.

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How remarkable the predilection of this
son was for the divine word!

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In consequence of his father's
instruction, it will not be amiss to state

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briefly, as his fame has been very greatly
celebrated by many.

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CHAPTER II.

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THE TRAINING OF ORIGEN FROM CHILDHOOD.

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Many things might be said in attempting to
describe the life of the man while in

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school, but this subject alone would
require a separate treatise.

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Nevertheless, for the present,
abridging most things, we shall state a

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few facts concerning him as briefly as
possible, gathering them from certain

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letters, and from the statement of persons
still living who were acquainted with him.

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What they report of Origen seems to me
worthy of mention, even, so to speak,

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from his swathing-bands.

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It was the tenth year of the reign of
Severus, while Laetus was governor of

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Alexandria and the rest of Egypt,
and Demetrius had lately received the

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episcopate of the parishes there,
as successor of Julian.

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As the flame of persecution had been
kindled greatly, and multitudes had gained

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the crown of martyrdom, such desire for
martyrdom seized the soul of Origen,

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although yet a boy, that he went close to
danger, springing forward and rushing to

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the conflict in his eagerness.

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And truly the termination of his life had
been very near had not the divine and

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heavenly providence, for the benefit of
many, prevented his desire through the

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agency of his mother.

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For, at first entreating him, she begged
him to have compassion on her motherly

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feelings toward him, but finding that when
he had learned that his father had been

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seized and imprisoned, he was set the more
resolutely, and completely carried away

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with his zeal for martyrdom, she hid all
his clothing, and thus compelled him to

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remain at home.

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But, as there was nothing else that he
could do, and his zeal beyond his age

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would not suffer him to be quiet,
he sent to his father an encouraging

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letter on martyrdom, in which he exhorted
him, saying, Take heed not to change your

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mind on our account.

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This may be recorded as the first evidence
of Origen's youthful wisdom, and of his

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genuine love for piety.

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For even then he had stored up no small
resources in the words of the faith,

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having been trained in the divine
scriptures from childhood, and he had not

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studied them with indifference,
for his father, besides giving him the

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usual liberal education, had made them a
matter of no secondary importance.

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First of all, before inducting him into
the Greek sciences, he drilled him in

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sacred studies, requiring him to learn and
recite every day.

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Nor was this irksome to the boy,
but he was eager and diligent in these

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studies, and he was not satisfied with
learning what was simple and obvious in

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the sacred words, but sought for something
more, and even at that age busied himself

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with deeper speculations, so that he
puzzled his father with inquiries for the

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true meaning of the inspired scriptures.

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And his father rebuked him seemingly to
his face, telling him not to search beyond

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his age, or further than the manifest
meaning.

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But by himself he rejoiced greatly and
thanked God, the author of all good,

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that he had deemed him worthy to be the
father of such a child.

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And they say that often, standing by the
boy when asleep, he uncovered his breast

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as if the divine spirit were enshrined
within it, and kissed it reverently,

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considering himself blessed in his goodly
offspring.

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These and other things like them are
related of origin when a boy.

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But when his father ended his life in
martyrdom, he was left with his mother and

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six younger brothers when he was not quite
seventeen years old.

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And the property of his father being
confiscated to the royal treasury,

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he and his family were in want of the
necessaries of life, but he was deemed

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worthy of divine care, and he found
welcome and rest with a woman of great

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wealth, and distinguished in her manner of
life and in other respects.

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She was treating with great honor a famous
heretic then in Alexandria, who however

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was born in Antioch.

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He was with her as an adopted son,
and she treated him with the greatest

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kindness.

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But although origin was under the
necessity of associating with him,

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he nevertheless gave from this time on
strong evidences of his orthodoxy in the

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faith.

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For when on account of the apparent skill
in argument of Paul, for this was the

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man's name, a great multitude came to him,
not only of heretics but also of our

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people, origin could never be induced to
join with him in prayer, for he held,

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although a boy, the rule of the church,
and abominated, as he somewhere expresses

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it, heretical teachings.

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Having been instructed in the sciences of
the Greeks by his father, he devoted him

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after his death more assiduously and
exclusively to the study of literature,

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so that he obtained considerable
preparation in philology, and was able not

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long after the death of his father,
by devoting himself to that subject,

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to earn a compensation amply sufficient
for his needs at his age.

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Chapter 3.

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While still very young, he taught
diligently the word of Christ.

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But while he was lecturing in the school,
as he tells us himself, and there was no

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one at Alexandria to give instruction in
the faith, as all were driven away by the

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threat of persecution, some of the heathen
came to him to hear the word of God.

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The first of them, he says, was Plutarch,
who after living well, was honored with

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divine martyrdom.

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The second was Heraclus, a brother of
Plutarch, who after he too had given with

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him abundant evidence of a philosophic and
ascetic life, was esteemed worthy to

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succeed Demetrius in the bishopric of
Alexandria.

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He was in his eighteenth year when he took
charge of the catechetical school.

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He was prominent also at this time,
during the persecution under Aquila,

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the governor of Alexandria, when his name
became celebrated among the leaders in the

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faith, through the kindness and goodwill
which he manifested toward all the holy

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martyrs, whether known to him or
strangers.

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For not only was he with them while in
bonds and until their final condemnation,

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but when the holy martyrs were led to
death, he was very bold and went with them

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into danger, so that as he acted bravely
and with great boldness saluted the

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martyrs with a kiss, oftentimes the
heathen multitude round about them became

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infuriated and were on the point of
rushing upon him.

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But through the helping hand of God he
escaped absolutely and marvelously,

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and this same divine and heavenly power,
again and again, it is impossible to say

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how often, on account of his great zeal
and boldness for the words of Christ,

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guarded him when thus endangered.

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So great was the enmity of the unbelievers
toward him, on account of the multitude

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that were instructed by him in the sacred
faith, that they placed bands of soldiers

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around the house where he abode.

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Thus day by day the persecution burned
against him, so that the whole city could

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no longer contain him, but he removed from
house to house and was driven in every

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direction because of the multitude who
attended upon the divine instruction which

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he gave.

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For his life also exhibited right and
admirable conduct according to the

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practice of genuine philosophy.

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For they say that his manner of life was
as his doctrine and his doctrine as his

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life.

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Therefore, by the divine power working
with him, he aroused a great many to his

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own zeal.

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But when he saw yet more coming to him for
instruction, and the catechetical school

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had been entrusted to him alone by
Demetrius, who presided over the church,

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he considered the teaching of grammatical
science inconsistent with training in

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divine subjects, and forthwith he gave up
his grammatical school as unprofitable and

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a hindrance to sacred learning.

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Then, with becoming consideration,
that he might not need aid from others,

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he disposed of whatever valuable books of
ancient literature he possessed,

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being satisfied with receiving from the
purchaser for Obole a day.

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For many years he lived philosophically in
this manner, putting away all the

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incentives of youthful desires.

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Through the entire day he endured no small
amount of discipline, and for the greater

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part of the night he gave himself to the
study of the divine scriptures.

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He restrained himself as much as possible
by a most philosophic life, sometimes by

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the discipline of fasting, again by
limited time for sleep, and in his zeal he

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never lay upon a bed but upon the ground.

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Most of all he thought that the words of
the Savior in the gospel should be

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observed, in which he exhorts not to have
two coats nor to use shoes, nor to occupy

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oneself with cares for the future.

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With a zeal beyond his age he continued in
cold and nakedness, and going to the very

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extreme of poverty he greatly astonished
those about him.

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And indeed he grieved many of his friends
who desired to share their possessions

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with him on account of the wearisome toil
which they saw him enduring in the

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teaching of divine things.

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But he did not relax his perseverance.

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He is said to have walked for a number of
years never wearing a shoe, and for a

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great many years to have abstained from
the use of wine, and of all other things

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beyond his necessary food, so that he was
in danger of breaking down and destroying

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his constitution.

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By giving such evidences of a philosophic
life to those who saw him, he aroused many

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of his pupils to similar zeal,
so that prominent men even of the

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unbelieving heathen and men that followed
learning and philosophy were led to his

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instruction.

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Some of them having received from him into
the depth of their souls faith in the

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divine word became prominent in the
persecution then prevailing, and some of

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them were seized and suffered martyrdom.

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Chapter 4.

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The Pupils of Origin that Became Martyrs.

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The first of these was Plutarch,
who was mentioned just above.

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As he was led to death, the man of whom we
are speaking being with him at the end of

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his life, came near being slain by his
fellow-citizens, as if he were the cause

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of his death.

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But the providence of God preserved him at
this time also.

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After Plutarch, the second martyr among
the pupils of origin was Serenus,

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who gave through fire a proof of the faith
which he had received.

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The third martyr from the same school was
Heraclides, and after him the fourth was

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Hero.

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The fourth of these was as yet a
catechumen, and the latter had but

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recently been baptized.

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Both of them were beheaded.

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After them the fifth from the same school
proclaimed as an athlete of piety was

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another Serenus, who it is reported was
beheaded after a long endurance of

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tortures.

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And of women, Heraeus died while yet a
catechumen, receiving baptism by fire,

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as origin himself somewhere says.

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CHAPTER V.

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POTAMINA.

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Basilides may be counted the seventh of
these.

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He led to martyrdom the celebrated
Potamina, who is still famous among the

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people of the country for the many things
which she endured for the preservation of

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her chastity and virginity.

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For she was blooming in the perfection of
her mind and her physical graces.

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Having suffered much for the faith of
Christ, finally after tortures dreadful

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and terrible to speak of, she with her
mother Marcella was put to death by fire.

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They say that the judge, Aquila by name,
having inflicted severe tortures upon her

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entire body, at last threatened to hand
her over to the gladiators for bodily

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abuse.

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After a little consideration, being asked
for her decision, she made a reply which

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was regarded as impious.

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Therefore she received sentence
immediately, and Basilides, one of the

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officers of the army, led her to death.

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But as the people attempted to annoy and
insult her with abusive words,

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he drove back her insulters, showing her
much pity and kindness.

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And perceiving the man's sympathy for her,
she exhorted him to be of good courage,

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for she would supplicate her lord for him
after her departure, and he would soon

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receive a reward for the kindness he had
shown her.

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Having said this, she nobly sustained the
issue, burning pitch being poured little

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by little over various parts of her body,
from the sole of her feet to the crown of

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her head.

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Such was the conflict endured by this
famous maiden.

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Not long after this, Basilides,
being asked by his fellow soldiers to

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swear for a certain reason, declared that
it was not lawful for him to swear at all,

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for he was a Christian, and he confessed
this openly.

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At first they thought that he was jesting,
but when he continued to affirm it,

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he was led to the judge, and acknowledging
his conviction before him, he was

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imprisoned.

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But the brethren in God coming to him and
inquiring the reason of this sudden and

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remarkable resolution, he is reported to
have said that Potemina, for three days

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after her martyrdom, stood beside him by
night and placed a crown on his head,

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and said that she had besought the Lord
for him, and had obtained what she asked,

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and that soon she would take him with her.

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Thereupon the brethren gave him the seal
of the Lord, and on the next day,

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after giving glorious testimony for the
Lord, he was beheaded.

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And many others in Alexandria are recorded
to have accepted speedily the word of

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Christ in those times.

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For Potemina appeared to them in their
dreams and exhorted them.

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But let this suffice in regard to this
matter.

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CHAPTER VI.

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CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA.

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Clement, having succeeded Pantinus,
had charge at that time of the

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catechetical instruction in Alexandria,
so that Origen also, while still a boy,

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was one of his pupils.

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In the first book of the work called
Stromata, which Clement wrote,

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he gives a chronological table bringing
events down to the death of Commodus.

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So it is evident that that work was
written during the reign of Severus,

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whose times we are now recording.

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CHAPTER VII.

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THE WRITER JUDAS.

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At this time another writer, Judas,
discoursing about the seventy weeks in

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Daniel, brings down the chronology to the
tenth year of the reign of Severus.

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He thought that the coming of Antichrist,
which was much talked about, was then

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near.

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So greatly did the agitation caused by the
persecution of our people at this time

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disturb the minds of many.

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CHAPTER VIII.

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ORIGEN'S DARING DEED.

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At this time, while Origen was conducting
catechetical instruction at Alexandria,

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a deed was done by him which evidenced an
immature and youthful mind, but at the

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same time gave the highest proof of faith
and continence.

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For he took the words, There are eunuchs
who have made themselves eunuchs for the

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kingdom of heaven's sake in too literal
and extreme a sense.

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And in order to fulfill the Saviour's
word, and at the time to take away from

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the unbelievers all opportunity for
scandal, for although young he met for the

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study of divine things with women as well
as men, he carried out in action the word

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of the Saviour.

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He thought that this would not be known by
many of his acquaintances, but it was

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impossible for him, though desiring to do
so, to keep such an action secret.

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When Demetrius, who presided over that
parish, at last learned of this,

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he admired greatly the daring nature of
the act, and as he perceived his zeal and

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the genuineness of his faith, he
immediately exhorted him to courage,

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and urged him the more to continue his
work of catechetical instruction.

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Such was he at that time, but soon
afterward, seeing that he was prospering

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and becoming great and distinguished among
all men, the same Demetrius, overcome by

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human weakness, wrote of his deed as most
foolish to the bishops throughout the

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world.

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But the bishops of Caesarea and Jerusalem,
who were especially notable and

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distinguished among the bishops of
Palestine, considering origin worthy in

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the highest degree of the honor,
ordained him a presbyter.

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Thereupon his fame increased greatly,
and his name became renowned everywhere,

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and he obtained no small reputation for
virtue and wisdom.

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But Demetrius, having nothing else that he
could say against him save this deed of

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his boyhood, accused him bitterly,
and dared to include with him in these

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accusations those who had raised him to
the presbyterate.

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These things, however, took place a little
later, but at this time origin continued

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fearlessly the instruction in divine
things at Alexandria by day and night to

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all who came to him, devoting his entire
leisure without cessation to divine

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studies and to his pupils.

18:39.990 --> 18:44.710
Severus, having held the government for
eighteen years, was succeeded by his son

18:44.710 --> 18:45.610
Antoninus.

18:45.610 --> 18:50.850
Among those who had endured courageously
the persecution of that time, and had been

18:50.850 --> 18:54.790
preserved by the providence of God through
the conflicts of confession, was

18:54.790 --> 18:59.210
Alexander, of whom we have spoken already
as bishop of the church in Jerusalem.

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On account of his preeminence in the
confession of Christ, he was thought

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worthy of that bishopric, while Narcissus,
his predecessor, was still living.

19:09.450 --> 19:10.590
CHAPTER IX.

19:11.010 --> 19:12.570
THE MIRACLES OF NARCISSUS.

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The citizens of that parish mention many
other miracles of Narcissus, on the

19:18.790 --> 19:23.050
tradition of the brethren who succeeded
him, among which they relate the following

19:23.050 --> 19:24.850
wonder as performed by him.

19:25.590 --> 19:29.990
They say that the oil once failed while
the deacons were watching through the

19:29.990 --> 19:31.770
night at the great Paschal Vigil.

19:32.570 --> 19:36.810
Thereupon the whole multitude being
dismayed, Narcissus directed those who

19:36.810 --> 19:40.050
attended to the lights to draw water and
bring it to him.

19:40.910 --> 19:45.630
This being immediately done, he prayed
over the water, and with firm faith in the

19:45.630 --> 19:48.250
Lord commanded them to pour it into the
lamps.

19:48.890 --> 19:53.510
And when they had done so, contrary to all
expectation by a wonderful and divine

19:53.510 --> 19:57.370
power, the nature of the water was changed
into that of oil.

19:58.010 --> 20:02.550
A small portion of it has been preserved
even to our day by many of the brethren

20:02.550 --> 20:04.730
there as a memento of the wonder.

20:06.150 --> 20:09.890
They tell many other things worthy to be
noted of the life of this man,

20:10.090 --> 20:11.290
among which is this.

20:11.890 --> 20:16.330
Certain base men, being unable to endure
the strength and firmness of his life,

20:16.710 --> 20:20.230
and fearing punishment for the many evil
deeds of which they were conscious,

20:20.770 --> 20:25.690
sought by plotting to anticipate him,
and circulated a terrible slander against

20:25.690 --> 20:26.030
him.

20:27.310 --> 20:31.470
And to persuade those who heard of it,
they confirmed their accusations with

20:31.470 --> 20:36.190
oaths, one invoked upon himself
destruction by fire, another the wasting

20:36.190 --> 20:40.490
of his body by a foul disease,
the third the loss of his eyes.

20:41.090 --> 20:45.090
But though they swore in this manner,
they could not affect the mind of the

20:45.090 --> 20:49.470
believers, because the continence and
virtuous life of Narcissus were well known

20:49.470 --> 20:50.010
to all.

20:51.470 --> 20:56.110
But he could not in any wise endure the
wickedness of these men, and as he had

20:56.110 --> 21:00.830
followed a philosophic life for a long
time, he fled from the whole body of the

21:00.830 --> 21:05.590
church, and hid himself in desert and
secret places, and remained there many

21:05.590 --> 21:06.130
years.

21:07.650 --> 21:12.610
But the great eye of judgment was not
unmoved by these things, but soon looked

21:12.610 --> 21:17.230
down upon these impious men, and brought
on them the curses with which they had

21:17.230 --> 21:18.050
bound themselves.

21:18.630 --> 21:22.650
The residence of the first, from nothing
but a little spark falling upon it,

21:22.910 --> 21:27.130
was entirely consumed by night,
and he perished with all his family.

21:27.870 --> 21:31.990
The second was speedily covered with the
disease with which he had imprecated upon

21:31.990 --> 21:34.870
himself, from the sole of his feet to his
head.

21:35.830 --> 21:39.730
But the third, perceiving what had
happened to the others, and fearing the

21:39.730 --> 21:44.410
inevitable judgment of God, the ruler of
all, confessed publicly what they had

21:44.410 --> 21:48.990
plotted together, and in his repentance he
became so wasted by his great

21:48.990 --> 21:53.950
lamentations, and continued weeping to
such an extent that both his eyes were

21:53.950 --> 21:54.510
destroyed.

21:55.350 --> 21:59.150
Such were the punishments which these men
received for their falsehood.

22:00.950 --> 22:01.590
10.

22:02.030 --> 22:03.530
THE BISHOPS OF JERUSALEM.

22:04.830 --> 22:09.770
Narcissus having departed, and no one
knowing where he was, those presiding over

22:09.770 --> 22:13.110
the neighboring churches thought it best
to ordain another bishop.

22:13.590 --> 22:14.890
His name was Dias.

22:15.330 --> 22:19.010
He presided but a short time, and Germanio
succeeded him.

22:19.550 --> 22:24.410
He was followed by Gordius, in whose time
Narcissus appeared again, as if raised

22:24.410 --> 22:25.130
from the dead.

22:25.630 --> 22:30.330
And immediately the brethren besought him
to take the episcopate, as all admired him

22:30.330 --> 22:35.150
the more on account of his retirement and
philosophy, and especially because of the

22:35.150 --> 22:37.470
punishment with which God had avenged him.

22:38.850 --> 22:39.450
11.

22:40.270 --> 22:40.870
ALEXANDER.

22:41.750 --> 22:46.990
But as on account of his great age
Narcissus was no longer able to perform

22:46.990 --> 22:52.130
his official duties, the providence of God
called to the office with him by a

22:52.130 --> 22:56.170
revelation given him in a night vision,
the above-mentioned Alexander,

22:56.590 --> 22:58.650
who was then bishop of another parish.

23:00.210 --> 23:04.650
Thereupon, as by divine direction,
he journeyed from the land of Cappadocia,

23:05.010 --> 23:10.210
where he first held the episcopate,
to Jerusalem, in consequence of a vow and

23:10.210 --> 23:12.910
for the sake of information in regard to
its places.

23:13.670 --> 23:17.850
They received him there with great
cordiality, and would not permit him to

23:17.850 --> 23:22.750
return, because of another revelation seen
by them at night, which uttered the

23:22.750 --> 23:25.210
clearest message to the most zealous among
them.

23:25.650 --> 23:30.190
For it made known that if they would go
outside the gates, they would receive the

23:30.190 --> 23:32.530
bishop for ordained for them by God.

23:33.230 --> 23:37.170
And having done this with the unanimous
consent of the bishops of the neighboring

23:37.170 --> 23:39.750
churches, they constrained him to remain.

23:41.670 --> 23:46.790
Alexander himself, in private letters to
the Antinowites, which are still preserved

23:46.790 --> 23:52.390
among us, mentions the joint episcopate of
Narcissus and himself, writing in these

23:52.390 --> 23:57.830
words at the end of the epistle,
Narcissus salutes you, who held the

23:57.830 --> 24:02.310
episcopate here before me, and is now
associated with me in prayers,

24:02.750 --> 24:07.590
being one hundred and sixteen years of
age, and he exhorts you, as I do,

24:07.950 --> 24:09.290
to be of one mind.

24:10.310 --> 24:12.750
These things took place in this manner.

24:13.210 --> 24:18.650
But on the death of Serapion, Asclepiades,
who had been himself distinguished among

24:18.650 --> 24:23.210
the confessors during the persecution,
succeeded to the episcopate of the church

24:23.210 --> 24:24.110
at Antioch.

24:24.670 --> 24:29.370
Alexander alludes to his appointment,
writing thus to the church at Antioch.

24:30.430 --> 24:35.510
Alexander, a servant and prisoner of Jesus
Christ, to the blessed church of Antioch,

24:35.870 --> 24:36.990
greeting in the Lord.

24:37.510 --> 24:42.050
The Lord hath made my bonds during the
time of my imprisonment light and easy,

24:42.490 --> 24:47.630
since I learned that, by the divine
providence, Asclepiades, who in regard to

24:47.630 --> 24:52.670
the true faith is eminently qualified,
has undertaken the bishopric of your holy

24:52.670 --> 24:53.990
church in Antioch.

24:55.130 --> 25:00.610
He indicates that he sent this epistle by
Clement, writing toward its close as

25:00.610 --> 25:01.170
follows.

25:02.290 --> 25:06.670
My honored brethren, I have sent this
letter to you by Clement, the blessed

25:06.670 --> 25:12.330
presbyter, a man virtuous and approved,
whom ye yourselves also know and will

25:12.330 --> 25:12.830
recognize.

25:13.850 --> 25:18.730
Being here in the providence and oversight
of the Master, he has strengthened and

25:18.730 --> 25:20.530
built up the church of the Lord.

25:21.550 --> 25:24.270
End of Book 6, Part 1