On First Principles
c. 220–230
De Principiis
Origen’s On First Principles, mainly from Rufinus’s Latin with surviving Greek where noted in the ANF edition. English by Frederick Crombie.
Translated by Frederick Crombie
English translation by Frederick Crombie, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. IV (eds. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson; Buffalo: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885). Public domain. Mainly from Rufinus’s Latin; Greek portions noted in the ANF apparatus. Digital text via New Advent Church Fathers.
Contents
- All who believe and are assured that grace and truth were obtained through Jesus Christ, and who
- Book 1, Chapter 1: On God.
- Book 1, Chapter 2: On Christ.
- Book 1, Chapter 3: On the Holy Spirit.
- Book 1, Chapter 4: On Defection, or Falling Away.
- Book 1, Chapter 5: On Rational Natures.
- Book 1, Chapter 6: On the End or Consummation.
- Book 1, Chapter 7: On Incorporeal and Corporeal Beings.
- Book 1, Chapter 8: On the Angels.
- Book 2, Chapter 1: On the World.
- Book 2, Chapter 2: On the Perpetuity of Bodily Nature.
- Book 2, Chapter 3: On the Beginning of the World, and Its Causes.
- Book 2, Chapter 4: The God of the Law and the Prophets, and the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, is the Same God.
- Book 2, Chapter 5: On Justice and Goodness.
- Book 2, Chapter 6: On the Incarnation of Christ.
- Book 2, Chapter 7: On the Holy Spirit.
- Book 2, Chapter 8: On the Soul (Anima).
- Book 2, Chapter 9: On the World and the Movements of Rational Creatures, Whether Good or Bad; And on the Causes of Them.
- Book 2, Chapter 10: On the Resurrection, and the Judgment, the Fire of Hell, and Punishments.
- Book 2, Chapter 11: On Counter Promises.
- Book 3, Preface
- Book 3, Chapter 1: On the Freedom of the Will, With an Explanation and Interpretation of Those Statements of Scripture Which Appear to Nullify It.
- Book 3, Chapter 2: On the Opposing Powers.
- Book 3, Chapter 3: On Threefold Wisdom.
- Book 3, Chapter 4: On Human Temptations.
- Book 3, Chapter 5: That the World Took Its Beginning in Time.
- Book 3, Chapter 6: On the End of the World.
- Book 4, §1: But as it is not sufficient, in the discussion of matters of such importance, to entrust the decisio
- Book 4, §2: And we may see, moreover, how that religion itself grew up in a short time, making progress by the p
- Book 4, §3: What, then, are we to say of this, which the prophets had beforehand foretold of Him, that princes w
- Book 4, §4: In the song of Deuteronomy, also, it is prophetically declared that, on account of the sins of the
- Book 4, §5: What are we to say, moreover, regarding those prophecies of Christ contained in the Psalms, especia
- Book 4, §6: These points now being briefly established, viz
- Book 4, §7: It is, however, a matter attended with considerable labour, to point out, in every instance, how an
- Book 4, §8: These particulars, then, being briefly stated regarding the inspiration of the sacred Scriptures by
- Book 4, §9: Now the reason of the erroneous apprehension of all these points on the part of those whom we have m
- Book 4, §10: But lest this difficulty perhaps should be supposed to exist only in the language of the prophets,
- Book 4, §11: But, as we had begun to observe, the way which seems to us the correct one for the understanding of
- Book 4, §12: This point, indeed, is not to be passed by without notice, viz
- Book 4, §13: Now a spiritual interpretation is of this nature: when one is able to point out what are the heavenl
- Book 4, §14: This being the state of the case, we shall sketch out, as if by way of illustration and pattern, wha
- Book 4, §15: But as if, in all the instances of this covering (i
- Book 4, §16: Nor was it only with regard to those Scriptures which were composed down to the advent of Christ tha
- Book 4, §17: In the passages containing the commandments also, similar things are found
- Book 4, §18: And now, if we institute a similar examination with regard to the Gospels, how shall it appear other
- Book 4, §19: Let no one, however, entertain the suspicion that we do not believe any history in Scripture to be r
- Book 4, §20: The understanding, therefore, of holy Scripture which we consider ought to be deservedly and consis
- Book 4, §21: This, then, being the state of the case, the holy apostle desiring to elevate in some degree, and to
- Book 4, §22: Being taught, then, by him that there is one Israel according to the flesh, and another according to
- Book 4, §23: For perhaps as those who, departing this world in virtue of that death which is common to all, are a