C. Delarue, O.S.B., Monitum in libros Stromatum

Fragments from the Books of Origen's Stromateis.

Eusebius, in Book VI of the Ecclesiastical History, chapter 18, after relating that Ambrose, who followed the heresy of Valentinus, convicted by the power of the truth which Origen taught, passed over to the profession of the right faith which was preached in the Church, adds: "And many others also of those trained in learning, since the fame of Origen was bruited everywhere, came to him to make trial of the man's sufficiency in the sacred words; and countless numbers of the heretics, and not a few of the most distinguished philosophers, gave heed to him earnestly, being instructed by him, one might almost say, in the things of secular philosophy as well as in divine things. For he introduced as many as he saw naturally well-endowed to philosophical studies as well, imparting geometry and arithmetic and the other preliminary disciplines, and leading them on to the sects among the philosophers, and expounding the writings among them, and commenting on and examining into each; so that the man was proclaimed a great philosopher even among the Greeks themselves." "Very many other learned men also, attracted by the everywhere famous name of Origen, flocked to him to make trial of that man's skill in the sacred letters. Innumerable heretics besides, and not a few of the illustrious philosophers, eagerly listened to him, and besides the knowledge of divine things, received from him as disciples the precepts of Greek philosophy also. For whomsoever among his disciples he observed to be endowed with shrewdness and keenness of mind, these he introduced to philosophy, delivering to them geometry and arithmetic and the other preliminary disciplines, leading them thence to the various sects of the philosophers, and expounding the books written by the ancient philosophers, writing commentaries also upon each of them, and thoroughly investigating their hidden meanings, so that even among the Gentiles themselves he was pronounced a supreme philosopher." Moreover, that these commentaries of Origen upon the several books of the ancient philosophers either were nothing other than the very books entitled Stromateis, ten in number, or at least were the principal matter of the Stromateis, becomes very probable from Jerome's Epistle 83, otherwise 84, in which he says: "Imitating him (Clement of Alexandria), Origen wrote ten Stromateis, comparing with one another the opinions of Christians and of philosophers, and confirming all the dogmas of our religion from Plato and Aristotle, Numenius and Cornutus."

At what time and where they were written, Eusebius teaches in Book VI of the Ecclesiastical History, chapter 24: "And he composed the books entitled Stromateis, being ten in number, in the same city (Alexandria) during the reign of Alexander, as his own autograph notes prefixed to the tomes also show." "Moreover, the books which are entitled Stromateis, ten in number, he wrote in the same city (Alexandria) in the times of the Emperor Alexander, as the notes written out by his own hand and prefixed to the books themselves testify."

Origen himself cites the third book of this work in Tome XIII on John in these words: "As we also set forth in the third of the Stromateis when expounding: 'Your Father Who sees in secret will repay you.'" "As we set forth in the third book of the Stromateis when expounding that saying (Matt. 6:4): 'Your Father Who sees in secret will repay you.'" Jerome mentions the fifth in Book IV of the Commentaries on Jeremiah, chapter 22, where, expounding verse 24: "As I live, says the Lord, though Chonias the son of Joakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, in that day I will pluck him off," etc. (Jer. 22:24), he has these words: "Now I say both to that man (Jovinian) who is dead, and to this man (Rufinus) who is alive and tries to renew heresy, that their master Origen refers this to Christ, because like a signet ring He was plucked from the hand of God the Father and sent into the land of captivity, into the vale of tears, and delivered up to the cross; and that His mother also, doubtless the Synagogue, was captured and cast forth. And mentioning those things, he is not afraid to understand what follows: 'Earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: Write this man down as abominated, or childless' (Jer. 22:29–30), and the rest, of the Lord of majesty. And he writes this, lest his disciples dare to deny it, in the fifth book of the Stromateis." The same Jerome in Epistle 41, otherwise 65, makes mention of the sixth book of the Stromateis, and asserts that in it Origen teaches perjuries and falsehoods: "Moreover," he says, "that the Origenists are leagued together among themselves by mysteries of perjuries and falsehood, the sixth book of the Stromateis, in which he confirms our dogma from the opinion of Plato, most plainly teaches." And in Book I Against Rufinus: "They are indignant," he says, "as to why I wrote that the Origenists are leagued together among themselves by mysteries of falsehoods. I named the book in which I read this written, that is, the sixth of the Stromateis of Origen, in which, adjusting our dogma to the opinion of Plato, he speaks thus." Presently Jerome brings forward the very passage of Origen which follows this notice, and afterwards adds: "These things Origen wrote, we cannot deny it; he wrote them in books which he spoke to the perfect and to disciples; and he teaches that masters may lie, whereas disciples ought not to lie. He therefore who lies well, and without any shame invents against the brethren whatever comes into his mouth, proves himself an excellent master." Of the tenth tome Jerome makes mention more than once: 1. in the Commentary on Daniel, chapter 13, where he brings forward a notable fragment concerning the histories of Susanna and of Bel, which you will find published in the second place after this notice; 2. in the Preface to the Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, where he says: "That man (Origen) wrote five proper volumes on the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, and filled the tenth book of his Stromateis with a clause-by-clause discourse upon its explanation;" 3. in Epistle 74, otherwise 89, to St. Augustine, he says that Origen first introduced in the tenth book of the Stromateis, where he interprets the Epistle to the Galatians, that explanation which he had given of Gal. 2:14, whereby he contended that Peter was rebuked by Paul only in pretence; 4. in the third book of the Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, chapter 5, from the same volume of the Stromateis of Origen the holy doctor exhibits a very long passage, published below in the third place.

One thing now remains to be pointed out: that Jerome reckons these Stromateis among those books which teemed with the gravest errors, and especially concerning the resurrection, and which for that reason no one had dared to render into Latin. See Letter 38, otherwise 61, chapter 8, where he sets out Origen's doctrine of the resurrection; and Letter 41, otherwise 65, in which he says: 'It is nearly a hundred and fifty years since Origen died at Tyre. Which of the Latins has ever dared to translate his books On the Resurrection, Peri Archon, the Stromateis and the Tomoi? Who has wished to bring infamy on himself through an infamous work?'