{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c005\">19. Let no one, however, entertain the suspicion that we\r\ndo not believe any history in Scripture to be real, because we\r\nsuspect certain events related in it not to have taken place;\r\nor that no precepts of the law are to be taken literally, because\r\nwe consider certain of them, in which either the nature or\r\npossibility of the case so requires, incapable of being observed;\r\nor that we do not believe those predictions which were written\r\nof the Saviour to have been fulfilled in a manner palpable to\r\nthe senses; or that His commandments are not to be literally\r\nobeyed. We have therefore to state in answer, since we are\r\nmanifestly so of opinion, that the truth of the history may\r\nand ought to be preserved in the majority of instances. For\r\nwho can deny that Abraham was buried in the double cave<a id=\"r963\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f963\"><sup>[963]</sup></a>\r\nat Hebron, as well as Isaac and Jacob, and each of their\r\nwives? Or who doubts that Shechem was given as a portion\r\nto Joseph?<a id=\"r964\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f964\"><sup>[964]</sup></a> or that Jerusalem is the metropolis of Judea,\r\non which the temple of God was built by Solomon?—and\r\ncountless other statements. For the passages which hold\r\ngood in their historical acceptation are much more numerous\r\nthan those which contain a purely spiritual meaning. Then,\r\nagain, who would not maintain that the command to “honour\r\nthy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee,”<a id=\"r965\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f965\"><sup>[965]</sup></a> is\r\nsufficient of itself without any spiritual meaning, and necessary\r\nfor those who observe it? especially when Paul also has confirmed\r\nthe command by repeating it in the same words. And\r\nwhat need is there to speak of the prohibitions, “Thou shalt\r\nnot commit adultery,” “Thou shalt not steal,” “Thou shalt\r\nnot bear false witness,”<a id=\"r966\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f966\"><sup>[966]</sup></a> and others of the same kind? And\r\nwith respect to the precepts enjoined in the Gospels, no doubt\r\ncan be entertained that very many of these are to be literally\r\nobserved, as <i>e.g.</i> when our Lord says, “But I say unto you,\r\nSwear not at all;”<a id=\"r967\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f967\"><sup>[967]</sup></a> and when He says, “Whosoever looketh\r\nupon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with\r\nher already in his heart;”<a id=\"r968\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f968\"><sup>[968]</sup></a> the admonitions also which are\r\nfound in the writings of the Apostle Paul, “Warn them that\r\nare unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be\r\npatient towards all men,”<a id=\"r969\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f969\"><sup>[969]</sup></a> and very many others. And yet\r\nI have no doubt that an attentive reader will, in numerous\r\ninstances, hesitate whether this or that history can be considered\r\nto be literally true or not; or whether this or that\r\nprecept ought to be observed according to the letter or no.\r\nAnd therefore great pains and labour are to be employed,\r\nuntil every reader reverentially understand that he is dealing\r\nwith divine and not human words inserted in the sacred books.</p>","headings":["The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2","ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS.","BOOK IV.","FROM THE LATIN."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70561-paragraph-326"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"2bc2d589795c7482bb34fd1d38833a0ce81c27bd018e7db0c3b6d463b81c08c4","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 1 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie"],"edition_year":1869,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"1TH","chapter":5,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"1 Thess. v. 14","verse":14,"verse_end":14}],"headings":[],"id":"pg70561-f969","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 1869 English translation; translator died 1889. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f969","source_ebook":70561,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f969\">\n<p class=\"c006\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r969\">969</a>. </span>1 <abbr title=\"Thessalonians\">Thess.</abbr> <abbr title=\"five\">v.</abbr> 14.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"de125e213d16053354f22b34a1c8d477ac23f201e660e4f4841b2ed7e05bb367","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70561/pg70561-images.html#f969","text_sha256":"fb133e3e6df9b97b903aac65887dae50b43a2572da42922e2f3799582bd01906","verified":false,"work_id":null}