C. Delarue, O.S.B., Monitum ad Origenis De oratione libellum

Notice on the Treatise of Origen On Prayer.

1. That a treatise On Prayer was written by Origen is testified by the martyr Pamphilus in the Apology for the same Origen: "Among so many," he says, "and so diverse books of Origen, nowhere at all is there found a single book written by him properly concerning the soul, such as he has either concerning martyrdom, or concerning prayer, or concerning the resurrection." Now that this book On Prayer is the very same which first came forth into the light at Oxford in the year 1686 at the Sheldonian Theatre, I think no one will deny who has tasted a little of critical salt. For besides the fact that Codex Colbertinus 3607, which exhibits a notable fragment of this work from number 31 right to the end, attributes it to Origen, certainly almost every page of this treatise proclaims our Adamantius as its author. There is seen in it the same piety as in his other works, the same humility, the same style, and finally the same singular opinions needing either censure or pardon: concerning prayer, which is called proseuche, as to be directed not to the Son, but to the Father alone through the Son; concerning animate stars; concerning free will for acting well or ill, which he teaches that souls enjoy forever whatever state they have attained; concerning the perpetual ascent of souls to higher things and their lapse to lower things; concerning the future restitution of all things at the end, and consequently the salvation perhaps not to be despaired of for the devil and the rest of the daemons if they should be willing to be converted; concerning the spherical figure of bodies in the resurrection, etc. Besides, just as most of the works of Origen are inscribed with the name of Ambrose, so also this treatise was written at the exhortation of Ambrose and Tatiana.

2. Who Ambrose was, all know who have heard anything of our Origen, and of him we have already spoken above in the first note to the first fragment of the Epistles of Origen. Who Tatiana was, however, one may scarcely attain by conjecture. The praises which she shares with Ambrose, the joint commissions of both, and the deference paid to both together by Origen would persuade us that the closest bond existed between them, and that they were husband and wife, had it not appeared on the contrary from the epistle to Africanus that the wife of Ambrose was called Marcella. It seems therefore to remain that we should place Tatiana in the next degree of kinship, namely that of sister; especially since from Origen's Exhortation to Martyrdom, addressed to Ambrose when set in bonds, it is established that he had not only children and brothers, but also sisters. Nay more, by Origen in number 2 of this book On Prayer Tatiana is described as of advanced age, and both she herself and Ambrose towards the end of the work are called "most genuine brethren," "full brother and sister." Yet although these things are very probable, I should not wish them to be held as certain. For nothing forbids that the wife of Ambrose, who in the epistle to Africanus is called Marcella, also had the name of Tatiana. Nor is it of great weight that in number 2 of the book On Prayer Tatiana is described as of advanced age, and towards the end of the work she herself and Ambrose are saluted as "most genuine brethren." For in both places the expression may be figurative, and perhaps both are called "most genuine brethren" no otherwise than in Christ, in almost the same way in which Origen calls Ambrose himself his brother at the beginning of Tome II of the Commentaries on John.

3. Concerning the year in which this treatise On Prayer was written, nothing certain can be established. This one thing we learn from what is read in number 23, that it was written after the tomes on Genesis had already been published. Now since only the first eight tomes on Genesis were written before the year 231, in which Origen departed from the city of Alexandria, and similarly the four books On First Principles were written after the first tome on Genesis, we rightly gather that the book On Prayer was composed after Origen's departure from Alexandria, and is later than the four books On First Principles.