Section 250
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 219 books, but he sought also what was beyond this, into the deeper senses of the text, and was busily employed in such speculations even at tha^t age ; so that he gave his father trouble, by his ques tions what forsooth the passage of the inspired Scriptures should mean. He, indeed, to appearance, rebuked him to his face, tell ing him not to inquire into things beyond his age, nor to search beyond the obvious meaning of Scriptures. But he, greatly de lighted in his own mind, gave most hearty thanks to Almighty God, the author of all good, that he had honoured him to be the father of such a child. And they say, that frequently, when standing over his sleeping boy, he would uncover his breast, and as a shrine consecrated by the divine Spirit, he reverently kissed it and congratulated himself upon his favoured offspring. These and other similar circumstances are related of Origen when yet a boy. But now, as his father had ended his days a martyr, he is left in this bereaved condition with his mother and younger brothers, in number six, when he was yet in his seventeenth year. And as his father's property was forfeited to the imperial trea sury, he was reduced with his relatives to great straits for the necessaries of life. But he was honoured with a provision from God. For he found a kind reception and retreat with a certain lady of great wealth and distinction ; but who at the same time patronized a certain celebrated man who was an advocate of the heretics then existing in Alexandria. This man was a native of Antioch, and was taken home by the lady as an adopted son, and was treated with the greatest kindness by her. But as Origen thus necessarily associated with him, he thenceforth gave him strong specimens of his orthodox faith. As great numbers not only of heretics but ours also, induced by the apparent eloquence of the man, collected to hear this Paul, for that was his name, he could never be induced to join with him in prayer, observing even from a boy that rule of the church, and as he himself says, somewhere, abominating the inculcation of heretical doctrines. But as he had been instructed by his father in Greek literature, and after his death devoted himself more ardently to the sole study of literature, so that he acquired a tolerable acquaintance with philology, he devoted himself not long after his father's