scheme of fanciful interpretation, as for many ages after,—through the excessive respect paid to this man,-much obscured the light of Scripture. There wanted not, however, some persons who found fault with Origen for all this attachment to pagan philosophy. Probably, simple, docile, ingenuous minds, which desired to be fed with the 6c SINCERE MILK OF THE WORD, THAT THEY MIGHT GROW THEREBY," found themselves starved amidst all this heterogeneous, inconsistent doctrine. He felt himself called upon to vindicate his practice; -which he docs, only by observing the use of philosophy in confuting heretics; and by the example of Pantænus, and of Heraclas, an Alexandrian pastor, -his coadjutor, who formerly had worn the common dress, and afterwards took up the philosopher's garb, and still studied earnestly the writings of the heathen philosophers. What does all this prove but the destructive progress of this epidemical disease? The governor of Arabia sent to Demetrius, desiring the instruction of Origen; who did not hesitate to undertake the necessary journey for that purpose; and he then returned back to Alexandria. The elegant publication of Minucius Felix,-a work deserving even to be ranked among the Latin classics for neatness and purity of style, was an ornament to the Latin Church. The arguiments contained in it against Paganism are well pointed and well adapted to the state of the world at that time: It is only to be regretted that we see not more of the real nature of Christianity in that celebrated performance. In the year two hundred and seventeen, Macrinus succeeded Caracalla, who had reigned a little more than six years. CENT. III. A. D. 217. CHAP. VI. eliozaba Jus slain. A. D. 222. CHAP. VI. STATE OF CHRISTIANITY DURING THE REIGNS MACRINUS He ACRINUS reigned one year and two months; and was succeeded by Heliogabalus; whose follies and vices are infamous; but it does not appear that the Church of God suffered on that account. seems not to have conceived any particular prejudices against Christians; on the contrary, he expressed a desire of removing their rites of worship to Rome. It is not worth while to attempt an explanation of the views of so senseless a prince. He was slain at the age of eighteen, in the year two hundred and twenty-two, after he had swayed the sceptre three years and nine months. His cousin Alexander succeeded him; who was then only in the sixteenth year of his age, but was esteemed one of the best moral characters in profane history.-His mother Mammæa, is called by Eusebius*, a most godly and religious woman.-I am at a loss to vindicate the expression.-It does not appear that she received the faith of Christ :-however,-neither she nor her son persecuted, they rather approved and countenanced, the Christians. They were persons of candour and probity themselves; and they saw that, in morals at least, the people of God concurred with their own views. Their conduct was laudable; but-MARK the mischief of blending philosophy with Christianity! How cheap is the term GODLY grown in the eyes of Eusebius! The providence of God not only secured his Church from suffering, but procured it a favourable patron in this princess and her son. The emperor had a domestic chapel, where, every morning, he worshipped * Euseb. L. 6. Fleury, B. v. iv. III. those deceased princes, whose characters were most CENT. esteemed their statues were placed among those of the gods and into this company he introduced Apollonius of Tyana, Jesus Christ, Abraham, and Orpheus*. He had a desire to erect even a temple to Christ, and to receive him regularly into the number of the gods. There are, on record, other instances of his candour towards the Christians.-The right of possessing á certain piece of ground was claimed by a tavernkeeper: It had been COMMON for a long time f, and the Christians had occupied it for a place of worship. -"It is fitter," said Alexander, " that God should be served there, in any manner whatever, rather than that it should be used for a tavern." He frequently used this Christian sentence, "Do AS YOU WOULD BE DONE BY." He obliged a crier to repeat it when he punished any person; and was so fond of it, that he caused it to be written in his palace and in the public buildings. buildings. When he was going to appoint governors of provinces or other officers, he proposed their names in public, giving the people notice, that if they had any crime to accuse them of, they should come forward and make it known. "It would be a shame," says he, "not to do that with respect to governors, who are entrusted with men's properties and lives, which is done by Jews and Christians when they publish the names of those whom they mean to ordain Priests." And, indeed, by Origen's account, the Christians were so very careful in the choice of their pastors, that the civil magistrates were by no means to be compared with them in probity and sound morality. This prince had, it seems, too much gravity and virtue for the times in which he lived-for some persons, in derision, called him Archysynagogus || Lamprid. + That is, without owner or possessor. + Ag. Celsus, B. iii. and viii. The chief ruler of the synagogue. CHAP, VI. A. D. It seems to have been his plan to encourage every thing that carried the appearance of religion and virtue; and to discountenance whatever was openly immoral and profane.-His historian* tells us "that he favoured astrologers, and permitted them to teach publicly; that he himself was well skilled in the vain science of the Aruspices, and was master of that of the Augurs in a high degree." In the year two hundred and twenty-nine, Alex229. ander was obliged to go to the East, and to reside at Antioch. His mother Mammea went with him, and having heard of the fame of Origen, and being very curious to hear new things; she sent him a guard, and caused him to come to her. All the account we have of this interview is, that he continued there a while, and published many things to the glory of God, and concerning the power of the heavenly doctrine; and, that he then returned to his school at Alexandria. What Origen taught this princess we are not told: What he ought to have taught her, the Acts of the Apostles would have amply informed him--A plain and artless declaration of the vanity and wickedness of all the reigning idolatries and philosophical sects; and what is still more-of the corruption, helplessness, and misery of man, and a faithful information concerning the only way of salvation by Jesus Christ, the great duty of believing on him, of confessing him, and of admitting the sanctifying operations of his Spirit, these things a perfectly sound preacherwould have shown to her; and his exhortations would have been entirely founded on these doctrines; nor would he have felt the necessity of aiding his message by the authority of Plato or of any other philosopher.History informs us of no remarkable effect which attended the ministry of Origen on this occasion. That he spake what he believed and what he thought * Lampridius. most wise and expedient, is not to be doubted; but we may be allowed to lament, that his own state and views were too similar to those of Mammaa and of her son, to permit him to represent Christianity to them in the clearest and the most striking manner. In truth, it is to be feared that a number of Christians so called, at this time, were much of the same religion with Alexander himself. He seems to have learnt, in some measure, the doctrine of the unity of the Godhead; and by the help of the eclectic philosophy to have consolidated all religions into one mass.--But the Scriptural method of teaching things that accompany salvation will not incorporate with this system of doctrines. The liberality of his friend Ambrose enabled Origen to prosecute his Scriptural studies with vast rapidity. Ambrose himself was a deacon of the Church; and, by his faithfulness under persecution, he obtained the name of Confessor. At this time Noctus of Smyrna propagated the same heresy in the East, which Praxeas had done in the West,-namely, that there was no distinction among the Divine Persons. The pastors of the Church of Ephesus summoned him before them; and demanded whether he really maintained this opinion. At first he denied it; but afterwards, having formed a party, he became more bold, and publicly taught his heresy. Being again interrogated by the pastors, he said, "What harm have I done I glorify none but one God; I know none besides him who hath been begotten, who suffered and died." He evidently, in this way, confounded the persons of the Father and the Son together; and being obstinate in his views, he was ejected out of the Church with all his disciples.--We have here an additional proof of the jealousy of the primitive Christians in support of the fundamental articles of Christianity: The connexion also indissolubly |