seek out every teacher of note, with the hope to glean something of truth from his lips. "I espoused," says he, "not this or that philosophy, not the stoic, nor the platonic, nor the epicurean or that of Aristotle; but whatever any of these sects had said that was fit and just, that taught righteousness with a divine and religious knowledge, all that being selected, I call philosophy." Still, however, as Cave remarks, he seemed to lean chiefly to the stoics, and like them was extremely fond of paradoxes, as austere philosophers have generally been to the present day. But whether it was before or after his hearing Pantaenus, that he embraced the doctrines of Christianity as a predominant part in his medley of philosophy, it might have been well for the church, as Milner suggests, had neither he nor any of his brethren embraced any other philosophy than what is found in the word of God. 2 He undoubtedly united himself to the church in Alexandria, and there became a presbyter, but at what time, is uncertain. He is supposed to have commenced the office of teaching in the christian school, as an assistant to Pantaenus, about 190. Eusebius informs us that he succeeded Pantaenus as master of the school; and that Origen, while a boy, was one of his scholars.3 This declaration, while it contributes to fix the time, goes also to show us that he acted at first as an assistant only; for Pantaenus did not give up the school till after the period of boyhood was past with Origen. Cave supposes, indeed, that Clement had the entire but temporary charge of the school at this early period, while Pantaenus was absent on his Indian mission; but this is a mere supposition, for we have already seen that there is no proof of the school being thus left for a while by its principal; and that Pantaenus probably accomplished this mission before he took charge of the school at all. Guerike has fully shown,1 that nothing appears to invalidate the position he maintains, viz. that Clement continued in the simple capacity of usher from A. D. 190 to 203. At this latter period, both Pantaenus and himself fled for a while to Palestine, and left the school in the hands of Origen. The occasion of their flight, as before stated, was the persecution under Severus. He is supposed to have returned to Alexandria with Pantaenus A. D. 206, after an absence of three years; but this cannot be known for certainty, as 1 Strom. I. Cave, p. 195. 3 Euseb. VI. 6. 2 Milner's Ch. Hist. 4 P. I. p. 31 seq. none of the fathers directly assert that he returned at all. Still there can be no doubt of his return at some time previous to A. D. 211, as he is known to have succeeded Pantaenus as principal of the school about this time. In this bigh office, Guerike supposes him to have continued about two years, and to have died A.D. 213. This opinion is founded on the fact, that Eusebius mentions Origen at that time as being oppressed with the overwhelming labors of the school, and as therefore appointing Heraclas to be his assistant. Were Clement then acting at the head of the school, the appointment of an assistant should have come from him, if indeed a further assistant besides Origen had been needed. Others, however, as Cave and Schröckh, suppose him to have lived till A. D. 220. His works were numerous and important. Some of them are lost. The most valuable of what remain, are the three following, which I will mention in the order in which he designed them to be studied in the progress of an individual from heathenism to the deepest knowledge of christian doctrine. The first is his Дoyos IIooroεлτinós, or "Exhortation" to the Greeks. The object of this work is to persuade pagans to become Christians. For this purpose he shows the absurdities of polytheism, and the truth and excellence of Christianity.-In the next work, he takes the recent convert from paganism and gives him such instruction as he deems needful in the case-milk, and not strong meat, as he is yet a babe in Christ. This work is accordingly denominated Pædagogus. It is designed to supply the place of a spiritual pedagogue, or instructor to such as are children in christian knowledge.-The last of his three principal works, is called Eroouara, which we should render Miscellanies. Zipua signifies, literally, a coverlet of various colors, and, in the figurative sense, and plural number, it very aptly designates the parti-colored patchwork which is here put together. Clement himself compares it, not to a garden regularly laid out and arranged, but to a thick and shady mountain, covered with all kinds of trees, great and small, without order or similarity.2 He mingled together scriptural truth and heathen philosophy, and passed from one subject to another in this work as his thoughts happened to flow. It is designed for what he would call a christian Gnostic, in a good sense; a full grown man who could digest strong meat. This last work is very frequently quoted by both ancient and modern writers. 1 Euseb. VI. 15. Guer. I. p. 35. 2 B. VII, at the close. Clement is regarded as a man of vast learning, and of real piety; but as most unhappily devoted to metaphysical speculation and beathen philosophy. He went so far as even to consider such philosophy a good preparation of the mind for the seed of divine truth-a most baleful principle indeed for one who was to teach christian theology, and to give tone to a christian seminary. With but one exception, he is said to have been more devoted to philosophic speculation than any other of the christian fathers. With his great learning and his philosophic fame, and in this early stage of the school, it becomes a matter of intense interest to mark, as we may be able, his probable influence on his pupils and his successors in office. For this purpose, the chief resource that remains for us, is the known character of these successors and a few of his pupils, and the general current of theological thought in the ages that immediately followed. Our present business, however, is more directly with his successors in office in the Alexandrian school. And whom do we next see there? ORIGEN. This famous personage had been first the pupil of Clement, while only a boy. Afterwards, as we have seen, he was the fellow-laborer of that catechist, in the work of teaching; and finally, his successor. We must also regard him as standing in the same relations essentially to the philosophizing Pantaenus. I have said above, that Clement was surpassed but by a single man among the fathers in a fondness for philosophic speculation in matters of religion. That individual was Origen, the very individual whom we should expect to go beyond him, according to the current of the human mind, provided his abilities should prove adequate to the task of surpassing his master in this beguiling progress. Let us now attend to some account of this extraordinary man. The facts on record are much more numerous than in the two former cases; and as most of these facts are not only interesting and instructive in themselves, but serve to cast light on the state of the school and the age, I must be allowed some space in order to present them. 1 See Guer. P. I. p. 105. 2 Note to Mosheim's Ecc. Hist. Vol. I. p. 148. Origen was born about the year 185, of christian parents, whose stated residence was at Alexandria, and who appear to have been respectable, and perhaps wealthy. At the time of his birth, it is generally supposed that they had retired to a mountainous region for a while to escape persecution, and that being born. there they gave him the significant name of Origen, from the Greek, ἐν ὄρει γενηθείς. His father, Leonidas, very assiduously taught him the elements of both sacred and profane learning, while a child, and so desirous was he especially to imbue his son's mind with sacred knowledge, that he caused him daily to commit to memory and repeat some portion of Scripture. Nor was the son less eager in the pursuit; for in addition to a knowledge of the language of Scripture, he was intent, like a genuine lover of learning, to decipher its full import. Accordingly he would often so urge his father for explanations of the deep meaning of the sacred language, that his father found it needful to repress his curiosity by telling him to be content with the plain meaning, and not search for what was above his years. Still, as Eusebius remarks, Leonidas greatly rejoiced in this forwardness, "and gave thanks to God for making him the father of such a son; and would often stand by the child while asleep, and, laying his breast bare, would kiss it with reverence, as if the sacred spirit of God had been enshrined in it." Thus early did Origen display the buddings of his mighty genius, and also that peculiar bent of his mind which gave character to his investigations through life, viz. a propensity, a passion even, to seek for recondite meanings. The like, in both of these respects, has often been remarked in the childhood of distinguished men. But with Origen, there was something still more important than a mere love of knowledge. He soon evinced that his bosom glowed with an equal zeal for the practice of the truths he had learnt from the sacred pages. This was exhibited in the intense interest he showed in the cause of Christianity, at the time of the persecution under Severus, A. D. 202, which raged through all the churches, but fell with most tremendous devastation on the church at Alexandria, where many of the most distinguished Christians from other parts were brought to suffer martyrdom in this conspicuous city. So great was his love for these martyrs, and his zeal even for martyrdom itself, that he often came forward and exposed himself to the savage multitude, in order to minister to these holy men; and in several instances, now and subsequently, he well nigh lost his life. His mother interposed her entreaties in vain, that he would desist from this voluntary exposure; and she was finally compelled to hide all his clothes, and thus to keep him from going abroad. When this was done, and hearing that his own father was now apprehended, he wrote a most persuasive letter, exhorting him to remain firm to his purpose, and not shrink from death through any care he might feel for the family, who would thus be bereaved. Leonidas remained firm, and was beheaded; and Origen with his mother and younger brothers, six in all, were left destitute of protection, and of property too, as the estate was confiscated. In this forlorn condition, he found a friend and patron in a rich lady who supported him for a while, in company with a certain heretic whom she had adopted as her son. This man, it seems, was in high repute at Alexandria for his learning and eloquence, and was listened to by multitudes of sound Christians as well as others. But Origen, though thus associated with him under the same roof, would have no communion with him in prayer, notwithstanding the risk of thus displeasing their mutual friend and patroness. Having obtained some skill in grammar and Greek learning, he soon supported himself by teaching; and not long after, was put in charge of the catechetical school, now become vacant, (A. D. 203,) at the early age of seventeen. Soon finding that he could not attend to the teaching of both his former scholars and the new charge assigned him, he dismissed his grammar school, and devoted himself, with almost incredible assiduity, to his catechetic vocation. No labor and no self-denial were too great for him. He hardened himself, by sleeping on the ground instead of a bed; wore no shoes; dressed himself in the plainest manner; and lived on the most scanty and simple fare. And even for these, he would not be beholden to his friends nor his scholars, but sold his books and lived on the proceeds at the rate of four oboli, (about seven cents,) a day. His love and zeal for the martyrs remained still unabated, and he continued to visit, exhort, and comfort them. From the position he now so fearlessly occupied alone at the head of the christian seminary, (his superiors having fled,) and from the support he still afforded to the martyrs, how manifest are his courage, his constancy, and his devotion to the sacred cause. Here was a signal instance of that faith which shone preeminently as |