iii. P. 46.)
VII. Origen's sentiments excited great controversies,--the bishops of
Rome and Alexandria, and many others, condemning, the bishops of the
east espousing them; yet there is not the smallest question but that
both the advocates and adversaries of these opinions acknowledged the
same authority of Scripture. In his time, which the reader will remember
was about one hundred and fifty years after the Scriptures were
published, many dissensions subsisted amongst Christians, with which
they were reproached by Celsus; yet Origen, who has recorded this
accusation without contradicting it, nevertheless testifies, that the
four Gospels were received without dispute, by the whole church of God
under heaven. (Lardner, vol. iv. ed. 1788, p. 642.)
VIII. Paul of Samosata, about thirty years after Origen, so
distinguished himself in the controversy concerning the nature of Christ
as to be the subject of two councils or synods, assembled at Antioch,
upon his opinions. Yet he is not charged by his adversaries with
rejecting any book of the New Testament. On the contrary, Epiphanius,
who wrote a history of heretics a hundred years afterwards, says, that
Paul endeavoured to support his doctrine by texts of Scripture.
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