The nature of the present work precludes us from entering at length on the broad question, how far we can with safety regard the several writings which now purport to be translations of Origen’s compositions, as on the whole the works of that early Christian writer.  A multitude of those works which, until almost the middle of the sixteenth century, were circulated as Origen’s, have long been by common consent excluded from the catalogue of his works[56].  On this subject I {155} would refer any one, who desires to enter upon the inquiry, to the several prefaces of the Benedictine editors, who point out many sources of information, as well from among their friends as from those with whom they differ.  Our inquiry must be limited within far narrower bounds, though I trust our arguments may assist somewhat in establishing the principles on which the student may at first guide himself in the wider range of investigation.

    [Footnote 56:  See preface to vol. iv. of the Benedictine
    edition.]

We will first look to the external evidence bearing on the passage in question, and then to the internal character of the passage itself.

Origen’s Commentaries on Ezekiel were divided into no fewer than twenty-five volumes, which he is said to have begun in Caesarea of Palestine, and to have finished in Athens.  Of these only one single fragment remains, namely, part of the twenty-first volume[57].  Jerome says that he translated fourteen of Origen’s homilies on Ezekiel.  Of these not one passage in the original language of Origen is known to be in existence.  We must now, therefore, either receive the existing translations generally as Origen’s, (whether they are Jerome’s translations or not,) or we must consider Origen’s homilies on Ezekiel as altogether lost to us.  But supposing that we receive these works as containing, on the whole, traditionary translations of Origen, the genuineness of any one passage may yet become the subject of fair criticism.  And whilst some persons reject whole masses of them altogether, the history of his works cannot but suggest some very perplexing points of suspicion and doubt.

    [Footnote 57:  See Benedictine edition, vol. iii. p. 351. and
    Eusebius, Eccl.  Hist. lib. vi. c. 6. there referred to.] {156}

The great body of his homilies, Origen probably delivered extempore in the early part of his ministry to the Christians of Caesarea.  Eusebius tells us, that not before Origen had reached his sixtieth year did he sanction the notaries (persons well known to history and corresponding to the short-hand writers[58] of the present day) in publishing any of his homilies. [Eccles.  Hist. lib. vi. c. 36.] But the Benedictine editor, De la Rue, conceives that those men might surreptitiously and against the preacher’s wishes have published some of Origen’s homilies.  Be this as it may.  Suppose that the homilies on Ezekiel were published by Origen himself, and were translated by