Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">His great apologetical work was the treatise undertaken at\r\nthe special request of his friend Ambrosius, in answer to the\r\nattack of the heathen philosopher Celsus on the Christian\r\nreligion, in a work which he entitled <span lang=\"grc\">Λόγος ἀληθής</span>, or <i>A True\r\nDiscourse</i>. Origen states that he had heard that there were\r\ntwo individuals of this name, both of them Epicureans, the\r\nearlier of the two having lived in the time of Nero, and the\r\nother in the time of Adrian, or later.<a id=\"r31\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f31\"><sup>[31]</sup></a> Redepenning is of\r\nopinion that Celsus must have composed his work in the time\r\nof Marcus Aurelius (161-180 <abbr class=\"spell\"><span class=\"fss\">A.D.</span></abbr>), on account of his supposed\r\nmention of the Marcionites (whose leader did not make his\r\nappearance at Rome before 142 <abbr class=\"spell\"><span class=\"fss\">A.D.</span></abbr>), and of the Marcellians\r\n(followers of the Carpocratian Marcellina), a sect which was\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_xxxvi\">xxxvi</span>founded after the year 155 <abbr class=\"spell\"><span class=\"fss\">A.D.</span></abbr> under Bishop Anicetus.<a id=\"r32\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f32\"><sup>[32]</sup></a>\r\nOrigen believed his opponent to be an Epicurean, but to have\r\nadopted other doctrines than those of Epicurus, because he\r\nthought that by so doing he could assail Christianity to greater\r\nadvantage.<a id=\"r33\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f33\"><sup>[33]</sup></a> The work which Origen composed in answer to\r\nthe so-styled <i>True Discourse</i> consists of eight books, and belongs\r\nto the latest years of his life. It has always been regarded\r\nas the great apologetic work of antiquity; and no one can\r\nperuse it without being struck by the multifarious reading, wonderful\r\nacuteness, and rare subtlety of mind which it displays.\r\nBut the rule which Origen prescribed to himself, of not allowing\r\na single objection of his opponent to remain unanswered,\r\nleads him into a minuteness of detail, and into numerous repetitions,\r\nwhich fatigue the reader, and detract from the interest\r\nand unity of the work. He himself confesses that he began it\r\non one plan, and carried it out on another.<a id=\"r34\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f34\"><sup>[34]</sup></a> No doubt, had\r\nhe lived to re-write and condense it, it would have been more\r\nworthy of his reputation. But with all its defects, it is a great\r\nwork, and well deserves the notice of the students of Apologetics.\r\nThe table of contents prefixed to the translation will\r\nconvey a better idea of its nature than any description which\r\nour limits would permit us to give.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","LIFE OF ORIGEN.","APOLOGETICAL WORKS."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-35"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"cb13b411b8907db0d2eb40ba83e168f862961aa817723d3bb1838f35150615e6","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f32","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1872 English edition; listed translators died 1889 and 1872. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f32","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f32\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r32\">32</a>.  </span><abbr class=\"spell\">Cf.</abbr> Redepenning, <abbr title=\"volume\">vol.</abbr> <abbr title=\"two\">ii.</abbr> <abbr title=\"page\">p.</abbr> 131, note 2.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f32","text_sha256":"8352c4b8e013a1e936f46770c8a4ab364a33f17f2d0b8e8b7266d3faaf0099cd","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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