Origen of Alexandria, On First Principles
When we discuss matters so great and weighty, human senses and ordinary understanding are not enough to entrust the heart of the matter to them, nor, so to speak, to pronounce visibly on invisible things; therefore we must bring forward the testimonies of divine Scripture to prove what we say. Since those testimonies need to carry certain and undoubted conviction — whether for what we are about to say or for what has already been said — it seems necessary first to demonstrate that the Scriptures themselves are divine, that is, inspired by the Spirit of God. Accordingly, as briefly as possible, we will also set forth evidence for this from the divine Scriptures themselves, the ones that have competently moved us to produce them: namely, from Moses, the first lawgiver of the Hebrew nation, and from the words of Jesus Christ, the author and prince of the Christian religion and doctrine.
Many lawgivers have arisen among Greeks and barbarians, and innumerable teachers or philosophers have claimed to assert the truth; yet we recall no lawgiver who could instill a certain affection and zeal even in the minds of foreign nations, so that they would either willingly accept his laws or defend them with wholehearted devotion. Consequently, no one has been able to insinuate and instill the truth he perceived not only into many other foreign nations but not even into a single nation, so that his knowledge or belief would reach everyone. And indeed it cannot be doubted that lawgivers desired their laws to be observed by all people, if that were possible, and that teachers wished the truth they saw to become known to all. But knowing they could not do this at all, and that no such great virtue existed in them to move foreign nations to observe their laws or assertions, they did not even dare to attempt or begin such an undertaking, lest they be marked as imprudent in an ineffectual and unfulfillable venture.
Yet throughout the whole world, in all Greece and in all foreign nations, there are innumerable and vast multitudes who, abandoning the laws of their fathers and the beings they thought were gods, have committed themselves to the observance of Moses' law and to the discipleship of Christ; and this has happened not without stirring up great hatred against them from those who venerate idols, so that they are frequently afflicted with torments and sometimes even led to death; nevertheless they embrace and guard with wholehearted affection the teaching of Christ's word. It is clear how in a short time the religion itself has grown, advancing through the punishments and deaths of its people, and through the plundering of their goods, while they endure every kind of suffering; and it is especially remarkable that not even the teachers themselves are sufficiently adequate or numerous enough: yet 'the word is preached' nonetheless 'in the whole world' (Matthew 10:18), so that 'Greeks and barbarians, wise and unwise' receive the religion of Christian doctrine. From this there is no doubt that 'these things are not done by human strength or resources', so that with all power and credibility the word of Christ Jesus may prevail in the minds and souls of all. For it is evident that these things were predicted by him and confirmed by divine responses, when he says that 'you will be led before rulers and judges on account of me, as a testimony to them and to the nations'; and again:
Latin
Verum quoniam de tantis et talibus rebus disserentibus non suffieit humanis sensibus et communi intellectui summam rei committere et, ut ita dixerim, visibiliter de invisibilibus pronuntiare, assumenda sunt nobis ad probationem horum, quae dicimus, etiam divinarum scripturarum testimonia. Quae testimonia ut certam et indubitatam "tree d o habeant fidem sive in his, quae dicenda a nobis, sive quae iam dicta sunt, necessarium prius videtur ostendere quod ipsae scripturae divinae sint, id est dei spiritu inspiratae. lgitur quam poterimus breviter etiam de hoc adsignabimus ex ipsis divinis scripturis quae nos conpetenter moverint proferentes, id est de Moyseo primo, legislatore gentis Hebraeae, et ex verbis lesu Christi, auctoris et principis Christianorum religionis et dogmatis. Cum enim permulti legislatores extiterint apud Graecos et barbaros, innumeri quoque doctores vel philosophi veritatem se pollicentes adserere, nullum meminimus legislatorem adfectum quendam et studium etiam exterarum gentium animis inicere potuisse, ut leges suas vel susciperent libenter vel cum omni animi intentione defenderent. Nemo ergo eam quae sibi visa est veritatem non solum pluribus aliis exteris nationibus, ‚sed ne uni quidem genti ita insinuare atque inolescere potuit, ut ad omnes eius scientia vel credulitas perveniret. Et quidem dubitari non potest quod et legislatores optaverint observari ab omnibus, si fieri posset, hominibus leges suas, et magistri, omnibus innotescere eam quae sibi visa fuerat veritatem. Sed scientes quia id omnino non possent, nee virtus in eis aliqua tanta subsisteret, quae etiam exteras nationes ad legum suarum vel adsertionum observantiam provocaret, ne conari quidem hoc aut incipere omnino ausi sunt, ne inprudentes eos etiam in hoc inefficax et inexplebile notaret inceptum. At vero in omni orbe terrarum, in omni Graecia atque universis exteris nationibus innumeri sunt et inmensi, qui relictis patris legibus et his, quos putabant deos, ad observantiam Moysi legis et discipulatum se Christi ceultumque tradiderunt, et hoc non sine ingenti odio adversum se commoto eorum, qui simulacra venerantur, ita ut ab his frequenter et cruciatibus adfligantur, nonnumquam etiam agantur in mortem; amplectuntur tamen et cum omni affectu custodiunt doctrinae Christi sermonem. Et est videre quomodo brevi tempore ipsa religio creverit, poenis eultorum mortibusque proficiens, sed et bonorum direptionibus atque omni ab his suppliciorum genere tolerato; et eo maxime mirum est quod ne doctores quidem ipsi vel satis idonei sunt vel satis plures: “praedicatur’ tamen sermo iste -in omni orbe terrarum”, ita ut ‘Graeci ac barbari, sapientes et insipientes’ religionem Christianae doctrinae suscipiant. Ex quo dubium non est “non haec humanis’ viribus aut ‘opibus” agi, ut cum omni potestate et creduhtate sermo Christi lesu apud omnium mentes atque animos convalescat. Nam et praedicta esse ab eo haec ipsa et divinis ab eo responsis confirmata, manifestum est cum dicit quia “apud praesides et iudices adducemini propter me, in testimonium ipsis et gentibuse; et rursum: