Exhortatio ad martyrium

 “where is your God?” to him, “every day” he poured out upon himself “his soul,” rebuking it for still being sorrowful and deeply troubled because of w

 to honor “with the lips” while having the heart “far” from God, than to honor him “with the heart” while the mouth does not confess “unto salvation”.

 clothed in a corruptible body into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 8 It is to be expected that some prophet of impiety, perhaps not

 of what are considered to be dearest in life, of affection towards possession or towards this life, but having turned away from all these things, we m

 you believe that Paul was caught up to the third heaven and was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a m

 an eagle to return to the house of their ruler. It is right, therefore, just as those not examined in tortures and pains yield the first place to th

 to the vanquished and those captured by the devil to those captured in denial, what then are these things? you too were captured just as we were, and

 having undertaken piety? What a man was Eleazar, choosing a death with glory rather than a life with pollution, and going of his own accord to the in

 «dragging [him] by the hair,» the ministers of the tyrannical cruelty called the one who had suffered to repentance, asking if he would eat of the thi

 «My strength and my song is the Lord» and «I can do all things through Christ Jesus our Lord who strengthens me». 28 And what martyrdom is and how muc

 of martyrdom, but perhaps secretly to ask for something else heavier, so that a more universal benefit, and one reaching to more people, might be acco

 his “light burden,” to subject oneself again to the yoke of demons and to bear the burden of the heaviest sin after we have come to know that “the hea

 it is thus: 'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and

 a confession? But let one who has considered denying “before men” be reminded of the one who spoke truthfully: “I also will deny him before my Father

 mine, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed, when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels,” and of the one who said:

 press on to the end in endurance, because “he who endures to the end, this one will be saved.” Know that according to Peter you will rejoice “though n

 let us marvel if the world hates us. For no one who has not passed from death to life but remains in death can love those who have passed from the d

 to be ignored, when perhaps we are rather being recognized. So, bearing what happens, we are disciplined but not put to death, and we who rejoice are

 to the opposites. 47 Moreover, man loves life, having received a conviction concerning the essence of a rational soul, that it possesses something aki

 «of tribulation or persecution» being scandalized after seeming to have received the holy teachings with joy and being scandalized because they do not

Exhortatio ad martyrium

ORIGEN'S EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM. 1 "Those weaned from milk, those drawn from the breast, expect affliction upon affliction, expect hope upon hope, yet a little, yet a little, through contempt of lips, through another tongue." And you, therefore, according to Isaiah, as no longer carnal nor babes "in Christ," having advanced in your spiritual "stature," most God-fearing Ambrose and most pious Protoctetus, and no longer "having need of milk" but "of solid food," hear as "those weaned from milk" and "drawn from the breast," in what manner for athletes who have been weaned not a simple affliction but a certain "affliction upon affliction" is prophesied. But he who does not reject the affliction "upon affliction," but as a noble athlete accepts it, straightway also accepts "hope upon hope," which not long after the affliction "upon affliction" he will enjoy; for such is the "yet a little, yet a little." 2 But even if they should disparage and despise us by calling us either impious or foolish—those who are strangers to the language of the holy scriptures—let us remember that the hope "upon hope," which will be given to us "yet a little," will be given "through contempt of lips, through another tongue." And who would not accept "affliction upon affliction," so that he might straightway also accept "hope upon hope," reckoning with Paul "that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy"—with which we, as it were, purchase blessedness—"to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" from God; and especially since "our light and momentary affliction"—being and being called "light" by those not weighed down by circumstances—by how much more it becomes exceedingly abundant, so much greater and more abundant "an eternal weight of glory it works for us," if during the time of those who afflict us and wish as it were to crush our souls, turning our ruling faculty away from painful things, we should look not at the present painful things but at the things laid up by the grace of God for those who have "lawfully" contended in Christ through endurance in these things, he who multiplies his benefits and beyond the worth of the labors of the one who has contended, bestows so much, as much as is fitting for the munificent God to give, who gives not sparingly and who knowingly magnifies His own graces upon those who with all their strength, through having despised the earthen vessel, have shown their love for him with their whole soul. 3 And with the whole soul I think God is loved by those who separate and detach it, through their great eagerness to have fellowship with God, not only from the earthly body but also from every body; for whom it does not happen with any distraction or reluctance to put off "the body" "of our humiliation," when the time allows, through what is considered death, to put off the body "of death" and to be heard, having prayed and spoken in an apostolic manner: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" For who of those groaning "in this tabernacle" because they are burdened by the corruptible body will not also first give thanks, having said: "Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" seeing that through this utterance, having been delivered from "the body of death," he will piously exclaim: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." But if such a thing seems hard to anyone, he has not "thirsted" "for God," the mighty, "the living," nor has he longed for God "as the hart longs for the fountains of water," nor has he said: "When shall I come and appear before the face of God?" nor has he considered in himself what the prophet considered, when it was said:

Exhortatio ad martyrium

ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ΕΙΣ ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΟΝ ΠΡΟΤΡΕΠΤΙΚΟΣ. 1 «Οἱ ἀπογεγαλακτισμένοι ἀπὸ γάλακτος, οἱ ἀπεσπασμένοι ἀπὸ μαστοῦ, θλῖψιν ἐπὶ θλίψει προσδέχου, προσδέχου ἐλπίδα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι, ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρὸν, διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων, διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας.» καὶ ὑμεῖς τοίνυν κατὰ τὸν Ἡσαΐαν ὡς οὐκέτι σάρκινοι οὐδὲ «ἐν Χριστῷ» νήπιοι προκόψαντες «ἐν τῇ» νοητῇ ὑμῶν «ἡλικίᾳ», Ἀμβρόσιε θεοσεβέστατε καὶ Πρωτόκτητε εὐσεβέστατε, καὶ μηκέτι «χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος» ἀλλὰ «στερεᾶς τροφῆς», ἀκούετε ὡς «ἀπογεγαλακτισμένοι ἀπὸ γάλακτος» καὶ «ἀπεσπασμένοι ἀπὸ μαστοῦ», τίνα τρόπον ὡς ἀθληταῖς τοῖς ἀπογεγαλακτισμένοις οὐχ ἁπλῆ θλῖψις ἀλλά τις «θλῖψις ἐπὶ θλίψει» προφητεύεται. ὁ δὲ μὴ ἀπωθούμενος τὴν «ἐπὶ θλίψει» θλῖψιν, ἀλλ' ὡς γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς αὐτὴν προσδεχόμενος εὐθέως προσ δέχεται καὶ «ἐλπίδα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι», ἧς μετ' οὐ πολὺ τῆς «ἐπὶ θλίψει» θλίψεως ἀπολαύσει· τοιοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ «ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρόν.» 2 Ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰ φαυλίζοιεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐξευτελίζοιεν ἤτοι ἀσεβεῖς ἢ μωροὺς ἀποκαλοῦντες οἱ ἀλλότριοι τῆς κατὰ τὰς ἁγίας γραφὰς διαλέκτου, ὑπομιμνησκώμεθα ὅτι ἡ «ἐπ' ἐλπίδι» ἐλπὶς, ἡ «ἔτι μικρὸν» ἀποδοθησομένη ἡμῖν, ἀποδοθήσεται «διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων, διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας». καὶ τίς οὐκ ἂν προσδέχοιτο «θλῖψιν ἐπὶ θλίψει», ἵνα εὐθέως προσδέξηται καὶ «ἐλπίδα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι», λογισάμενος μετὰ Παύλου «ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ», ὧν ὡσπερεὶ ὠνούμεθα τὴν μακαριότητα, «πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκα λύπτεσθαι εἰς ἡμᾶς» ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ· καὶ μάλιστα ἐπεὶ «τὸ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως ἡμῶν» «ἐλαφρὸν» τοῖς μὴ βαρουμένοις ὑπὸ τῶν περιεστηκότων καὶ τυγχάνον καὶ λεγόμενον, ὅσῳ πλεῖον ὑπερ βάλλον γίνεται, τοσούτῳ μεῖζον καὶ πλεῖον «βάρος αἰωνίου δόξης κατεργάζεται ἡμῖν», εἰ παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῶν θλιβόντων καὶ ὡσπερεὶ πιέζειν τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν ἐθελόντων ἀποστρέψαντες τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ἡμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιπόνων σκοποῖμεν οὐ τὰ ἐνεστηκότα ἐπίπονα ἀλλὰ τὰ διὰ τὴν ἐν τούτοις ὑπομονὴν τοῖς «νομίμως» ἐν Χριστῷ ἀθλή σασι χάριτι θεοῦ ἀποκείμενα, πολλαπλασιάζοντος τὰς εὐεργεσίας καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν τῶν τοῦ ἀγωνισαμένου καμάτων τοσαῦτα δωρουμέ νου, ὅσα ἂν πρέπῃ μὴ γλισχρολογουμένῳ διδόναι τῷ μεγαλοδώρῳ καὶ ἐπιστημόνως τὰς ἑαυτοῦ χάριτας μεγεθύνοντι θεῷ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὅση δύναμις διὰ τοῦ καταπεφρονηκέναι τοῦ ὀστρακίνου σκεύους ἐπιδειξα μένους τὴν ὅλῃ ψυχῇ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγάπην. 3 Ὅλῃ δὲ ψυχῇ νομίζω ἀγαπᾶσθαι τὸν θεὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποσπών των καὶ διϊστάντων αὐτὴν διὰ πολλὴν τὴν πρὸς τὸ κοινωνῆσαι τῷ θεῷ προθυμίαν οὐ μόνον ἀπὸ τοῦ γηΐνου σώματος ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ παντὸς σώματος· οἷς οὐδὲ μετὰ περισπασμοῦ καὶ περιελκυσμοῦ τινος γίνεται τὸ ἀποθέσθαι «τὸ» «τῆς ταπεινώσεως» «σῶμα», ὅταν καιρὸς διδῷ διὰ τοῦ νομιζομένου θανάτου ἐκδύσασθαι τὸ σῶμα «τοῦ θανά του» καὶ ἐπακουσθῆναι ἀποστολικῶς εὐξάμενον καὶ εἰπόντα· «τα λαίπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος· τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανά του τούτου;» τίς γὰρ τῶν «ἐν τῷ σκήνει» στεναζόντων διὰ τὸ βα ρεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ φθαρτοῦ σώματος οὐχὶ καὶ εὐχαριστήσει πρότερον εἰπών· «τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου;» βλέ πων ὅτι διὰ τῆς ὁμιλίας ῥυσθεὶς ἀπὸ «τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου» ἁγίως ἀναφθέγξεται τό· «χάρις τῷ θεῷ διὰ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν». εἰ δέ τινι τὸ τοιοῦτο χαλεπὸν φαίνεται, οὐκ «ἐδί ψησε» «πρὸς τὸν θεὸν» τὸν ἰσχυρὸν «τὸν ζῶντα» οὐδὲ ἐπεπόθησε πρὸς τὸν θεὸν «ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων» οὐδὲ εἶπε· «πότε ἄρα ἥξω καὶ ὀφθήσομαι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ;» οὐδὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἐλογίσατο ἃ διαλογισάμενος ὁ προφήτης, λεγομένου τοῦ·