T34 
O R I 
fome proficiency. About this time, according to Eule- 
bius, he had made himfelf acquainted with the Hebrew 
language, and compofed his Hexapla, or that edition of 
the Old Tefcament which was thus named from its con¬ 
taining fix columns-: in the fir ft of which was the Hebrew 
text of the Bible ; in the fecond, the fame text in Greek 
characters ; in the third, the Greek verfion of the Sep- 
tuagint; in the fourth, that of Aquila; in the fifth, that 
of Symmachus; and in the fixth, Theodotion’s Greek 
verfion. This-admirable work, which gave the firft hint 
for our Polyglot Bibles, greatly increafed the reputation 
of Origen, and induced numbers of learned perfons to 
refort to Alexandria, for the fake of improving by his 
converfation and inftruftions. In this number was Am- 
brofe, a wealthy man, who had been converted from the 
Valentinian herefy to the orthodox doftrine by the 
preaching of Origen, and became his great admirer and 
intimate friend. It was he who principally encouraged 
hint, to write commentaries upon the Scriptures, by fur- 
nifhing him with what books he required, and particu¬ 
larly by being at the expenfe of maintaining feven or more 
amanuenfes, to write down what he dictated, and as 
many young women, or others, who excelled in the art of 
writing, to copy his works. 
After this, Origen met with frequent interruptions in 
his ftudies, the precife dates of which cannot now be af- 
certained. He took a journey into Arabia, in confe- 
quence of a letter which a prince of that country wrote 
to Demetrius, requefting that he might be fent to inftrttft 
him in the principles .of Chriftianity. When, afterwards, 
the city of Alexandria was cruelly haraffed by the em¬ 
peror Caracalla, he withdrew into Paleftine, where, at the 
requeft of the bifliops of the country, he publicly ex¬ 
plained the Scriptures to the people in the churches, and 
preached in their prefence, though he was only a layman. 
Upon this Demetrius, who either envied him this ho¬ 
nour, or was perfuaded that thofe bifhops had violated 
the difcipline of the church, wrote to them, complaining 
of the encouragement which they had given to the un¬ 
heard-of pradlice of the preaching of laymen before 
bifliops. In reply, Alexander bifliop of Jerufalem, and 
Theoftiftus bifliop of Ctefarea, vindicated themfelves and 
Origen in that proceeding, by producing more than one 
precedent of the conduct againft which Demetrius ex¬ 
cepted. In the mean time Demetrius recalled Origen to 
Alexandria, where he refumed his office in the cateche¬ 
tical fchool, and his biblical ftudies. From thefe he was 
again called by the princefs Mammrea, mother of the em¬ 
peror Alexander, who fent for him to come to her at 
Antioch, that (lie might enjoy the benefit of his conver¬ 
fation on religious fubjefts. On this occafion, for his 
greater honour as well as fafety, a military guard was di¬ 
rected to attend him during his journey. 
After a fliort flay at Antioch, Origen returned to 
Alexandria, where he remained till the year 228, when 
Demetrius fent him on fome bufinefs relating to the 
church into Achaia. In the courfe of this journey he 
was ordained prefbyter at Ctefarea, by Theoftiftus and 
Alexander, being then about forty-three or forty-four 
years of age. This ordination by foreign bifhops gave 
fitch offence to Demetrius, who had long envied the great 
reputation of Origen, that from this time his conduct 
towards him was marked by the moft determined and 
violent enmity. Soon after the return of Origen from 
Athens, Demetrius wrote letters againft him to every 
quarter, in which he reproached him for the aft by 
which lie had loft his virility, though, at the time when 
he committed it, the bifhop beftowed high praife on the 
ardour of his zeal and the flrength of his virtue. In the 
year 231, Demetrius affembled a council at Alexandria, 
in which he procured a decree to be palled, that not only 
prohibited Origen from teaching any more in that city, 
but pronounced fenteuce of banifhment upon him. Soon 
afterwards he prevailed on a fecond council of Egyptian 
bifhops to depofe him from the office of prefbyter $ and 
GEN. 
Jerome feems to fay that he was excommunicated. Pe- 
metrius alfo wrote letters to all parts of the Chriftian 
world, and obtained the concurrence of the bifhop of 
Rome and numerous other bifhops, in the fentence which 
cut him off from the communion of the catholic church j 
but the bifhops of Paleftine, Arabia, Phoenicia, and 
Achaia, who were well acquainted with his extraordinary 
merit, and knew him perlonally, refufed to join in his 
condemnation, and continued to entertain the refpeft for 
him to which he was juftly entitled. 
In the mean time Origen had retired to Csefarea in 
Paleftine, where he was well received by Theoftiftus 
bifliop of that city, and Alexander bifliop of Jerufalem, 
who determined to fupport him, and commiiTioned him 
to deliver interpretations of the Scriptures and other re¬ 
ligious inftruftions. Here he opened a fchool, in which 
he taught facred and profane learning to a numerous 
train of difciples, not only from among the people of that 
country, but from the moft diftant places; in which num¬ 
ber were Porphyry, Gregory, afterwards furnamed T/utu- 
maturg'us, and bifliop of Neocaefarea in Pontus, and his 
brother Athenodorus, who alfo became a bifliop in Pon¬ 
tus. The two latter attended on the inftruftions-of Ori¬ 
gen for five years. Here he alfo received feveral vifits 
front Firmilian bifhop of Csefarea in Cappadocia, who 
was defirous of his affifhnce for further improvement in 
divine knowledge. With this bifhop, according to St. 
Jerome, he afterwards lived for fome time; probably 
during the perfecution under the emperor Maximin. 
About the year 2+0, Origen took a fecond journey to 
Athens, where he muft have made fome ftay, fince he 
finifhed at that place his Commentary upon Ezekiel, and 
began that upon the Canticles. Having returned to Cae- 
fiirea, he was foon afterwards called to attend a fynod of 
bifliops in Arabia, which was convened for the purpofe 
of taking into confideration a charge preferred againft 
Beryllus bifliop of Boftra, who was accuf’ed of faying, 
“ that our Lord and Saviour, before his coming to dwell 
among men, had no proper diftinft fubfiftence; and that 
lie had no godhead of his own, but only that of the Fa¬ 
ther refiding in him.” On this occafion Origen is faid to 
have argued with fuch force againft thofe tenets, that 
Beryllus was fatisfied of their fallacy, and made an open 
declaration of* his entire affent to the catholic creed. 
After this, another numerous fynod was affembled in 
Arabia, to difcufs another point, relating to the nature 
of the human foul; fome maintaining, “ that it died with 
the body, and turned to corruption ; but that at the time 
of the refurreftion it fliould be revived together with it.” 
In this fynod Origen, who had been requefted to attend, 
was fo luccefsful in combating the advocates for that 
doftrine, that they yielded to him the viftory, and pro- 
fefl'ed a change of fentiment upon the fubjeft. 
When Origen was fixty years of age, and not before, 
as Eufebius informs us, he permitted the difcourfes to be 
taken down by fhort-hand writers, which he preached to 
the people almoft every day, after little previous prepara¬ 
tion. This employment, however, did not prevent him 
from applying with affiduity to his ftudies, and compofing 
feveral confiderable works; fuch as his Eight Books 
againft Celfus, his Commentaries upon the Twelve Mi¬ 
nor Prophets, and upon St. Matthew, See. During the 
Decian perfecution, in the year 250, he fuffered much, 
with exemplary and invincible fortitude, on account of 
his zeal for the Chriftian caufe. Though far advanced in 
life, he was arrefted, and confined in the interior part of 
a prifon, where he was faftened with an iron chain, and 
his feet in the flocks ftretched to fuch a diftance from 
each other as to render his fituation exceffively painful. 
He was alfo fubjefted to various other kinds of torture, 
care being taken that he fliould not be entirely deprived 
of life; and he was threatened to be burnt alive. But 
neither his fufferings nor the threats of his per-fecutors 
could (hake his conftancy, or induce him to behawe in a 
manner in the lead unworthy of his Chriftian profeffion. 
That 
