THE ORATION AND PANEGYRIC ADDRESSED TO ORIGEN
ARGUMENT I.—FOR EIGHT YEARS GREGORY HAS GIVEN UP
THE PRACTICE OF ORATORY, BEING BUSIED WITH THE STUDY CHIEFLY OF ROMAN
LAW AND THE LATIN LANGUAGE.
ARGUMENT II.—HE ESSAYS TO SPEAK OF THE WELL-NIGH
DIVINE ENDOWMENTS OF ORIGEN IN HIS PRESENCE, INTO WHOSE HANDS HE AVOWS
HIMSELF TO HAVE BEEN LED IN A WAY BEYOND ALL HIS EXPECTATION.
ARGUMENT III.—HE IS STIMULATED TO SPEAK OF HIM BY
THE LONGING OF A GRATEFUL MIND. TO THE UTMOST OF HIS ABILITY HE THINKS
HE OUGHT TO THANK HIM. FROM GOD ARE THE BEGINNINGS OF ALL BLESSINGS;
AND TO HIM ADEQUATE THANKS CANNOT BE RETURNED.
ARGUMENT IV.—THE SON ALONE KNOWS HOW TO PRAISE THE
FATHER WORTHILY. IN CHRIST AND BY CHRIST OUR THANKSGIVING SOUGHT TO BE
RENDERED TO THE FATHER. GREGORY ALSO GIVES THANKS TO HIS GUARDIAN
ANGEL, BECAUSE HE WAS CONDUCTED BY HIM TO ORIGEN.
ARGUMENT V.—HERE GREGORY INTERWEAVES THE NARRATIVE
OF HIS FORMER LIFE. HIS BIRTH OF HEATHEN PARENTS IS STATED. IN THE
FOURTEENTH YEAR OF HIS AGE HE LOSES HIS FATHER. HE IS DEDICATED TO
THE STUDY OF ELOQUENCE AND LAW. BY A WONDERFUL LEADING OF PROVIDENCE,
HE IS BROUGHT TO ORIGEN.
ARGUMENT VI.—THE ARTS BY WHICH ORIGEN STUDIES TO
KEEP GREGORY AND HIS BROTHER ATHENODORUS WITH HIM, ALTHOUGH IT WAS
ALMOST AGAINST THEIR WILL; AND THE LOVE BY WHICH BOTH ARE TAKEN
CAPTIVE. OF PHILOSOPHY, THE FOUNDATION OF PIETY, WITH THE VIEW OF
GIVING HIMSELF THEREFORE WHOLLY TO THAT STUDY, GREGORY IS WILLING TO
GIVE UP FATHERLAND, PARENTS, THE PURSUIT OF LAW, AND EVERY OTHER
DISCIPLINE. OF THE SOUL AS THE FREE PRINCIPLE. THE NOBLER PART DOES
NOT DESIRE TO BE UNITED WITH TIlE INFERIOR, BUT THE INFERIOR WITH THE
NOBLER.
ARGUMENT VII.—THE WONDERFUL SKILL WITH WHICH
ORIGEN PREPARES GREGORY AND ATHENODORUS FOR PHILOSOPHY. THE INTELLECT
OF EACH IS EXERCISED FIRST IN LOGIC, AND THE MERE ATTENTION TO WORDS
IS CONTEMNED.
ARGUMENT VIII.—THEN IN DUE SUCCESSION HE INSTRUCTS
THEM IN PHYSICS, GEOMETRY,AND ASTRONOMY.
ARGUMENT IX.—BUT HE IMBUES THEIR MINDS, ABOVE
ALL, WITH ETHICAL SCIENCE; AND HE DOES NOT CONFINE HIMSELF TO
DISCOURSING ON THE VIRTUES IN WORD, BUT HE RATHER CONFIRMS HIS
TEACHING BY HIS ACTS.
ARGUMENT X.—HENCE THE MERE WORD-SAGES ARE
CONFUTED, WHO SAY AND YET ACT NOT.
ARGUMENT XI.—ORIGEN IS THE FIRST AND THE ONLY ONE
THAT EXHORTS GREGORY TO ADD TO HIS ACQUIREMENTS THE STUDY OF
PHILOSOPHY, AND OFFERS HIM IN A CERTAIN MANNER AN EXAMPLE IN HIMSELF.
OF JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, AND FORTITUDE. THE MAXIM, KNOW
THYSELF.
ARGUMENT XII.—GREGORY DISALLOWS ANY ATTAINMENT OF
THE VIRTUES ON HIS PART. PIETY IS BOTH THE BEGINNING AND THE END, AND
THUS IT IS THE PARENT OF ALL THE VIRTUES.
ARGUMENT XIII.—THE METHOD WHICH ORIGEN USED IN
HIS THEOLOGICAL AND METAPHYSICAL INSTRUCTIONS. HE COMMENDS THE STUDY
OF ALL WRITERS, THE ATHEISTIC ALONE EXCEPTED. THE MARVELLOUS POWER OF
PERSUASION IN SPEECH. THE FACILITY OF THE MIND IN GIVING ITS ASSENT.
ARGUMENT XIV.—WHENCE THE CONTENTIONS OF
PHILOSOPHERS HAVE SPRUNG. AGAINST THOSE WHO CATCH AT EVERYTHING THAT
MEETS THEM, AND GIVE IT CREDENCE, AND CLING TO IT. ORIGEN WAS IN THE
HABIT OF CAREFULLY READING AND EXPLAINING THE BOOKS OF THE HEATHEN TO
HIS DISCIPLES.
ARGUMENT XV.—FILE CASE OF DIVINE MATTERS. ONLY
GOD AND HIS PROPHETS ARE TO BE HEARD IN THESE. THE PROPHETS AND THEIR
AUDITORS ARE ACTED ON BY THE SAME AFFLATUS. ORIGEN'S EXCELLENCE IN THE
INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE.
ARGUMENT XVI.—GREGORY LAMENTS HIS DEPARTURE UNDER
A THREEFOLD COMPARISON; LIKENING IT TO ADAM'S DEPARTURE OUT OF
PARADISE. TO THE PRODIGAL SON'S ABANDONMENT OF HIS FATHER'S HOUSE, AND
TO THE DEPORTATION OF THE JEWS INTO BABYLON.
ARGUMENT XVII.—GREGORY CONSOLES HIMSELF.
ARGUMENT XVIII.—PERORATION, AND APOLOGY FOR THE
ORATION.
ARGUMENT XIX.—APOSTROPHE TO ORIGEN, AND THEREWITH
THE LEAVE-TAKING, AND THE URGENT UTTERANCE OF PRAYER.
ELUCIDATION.
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