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Some notice must here be taken of METHODIUS, a pious Christian, of the third century.  A work (Methodius, Gl.  Combes.  Paris, 1644) {132} formerly attributed to him has been quoted in proof of the early invocation of saints; but the work, among many others, has been long ago allowed by the best Roman Catholic critics to be the production of a later age. (Fabricius, vol. vii. p. 268, and vol. x. p. 241.) Many homilies, purporting to have been delivered on the festival of our Lord’s presentation in the temple, at so early a period, must be received as the works of a later age, because that feast began to be observed in the Church so late as the fifteenth year of Justinian, in the sixth century.  Evidently, moreover, the theological language of the homily is of a period long subsequent to the date assigned to Methodius.  In speaking of our blessed Saviour, for example, he employs expressions to guard against the Arian heresy, and makes extracts apparently from the Nicene creed, “God of himself, and not by grace,” “Very God of very God, very light of very light, who for us men and our salvation, &c.”  The general opinion indeed seems to be that this, and many other writings formerly ascribed to the first Methodius, were written by persons of a subsequent age, who either were of the same name or assumed his.  Even were the work genuine, it would afford just as strong a demonstration that Methodius believed that the city of Jerusalem could hear his salutation, as that the saints could hear his prayer; for he addresses the same “Hail” to Mary, Symeon, and the Holy City alike, calling it the “earthly heaven.” [Greek:  Chairois hae polis, ho epigeios ouranos.] {133}

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SECTION V.—­THE EVIDENCE OF ORIGEN.

Jerome informs us that Tertullian, whose remains we have last examined, lived to a very advanced age.  Long, therefore, before his death flourished Origen, one of the most celebrated lights of the primitive Church.  He was educated a Christian.  Indeed his father is said to have suffered martyrdom about the year 202.  Origen was a pupil of Clement of Alexandria.  His virtues and his labours have called forth the admiration of all ages; and though he cannot be implicitly followed as a teacher, what still remains of his works will be delivered down as a rich treasure to succeeding times.  He was a most voluminous writer; and Jerome asked the members of his church, “Who is there among us that can read as many books as Origen has composed?” [Vol. iv. epist. xli. p. 346.] A large proportion of his works are lost; and of those which remain, few are preserved in the original Greek.  We are often obliged to study Origen through the medium of a translation, the accuracy of which we have no means of verifying.  A difficult and delicate duty also devolves upon the theological student to determine which of the works