The Corruption of Works

Quidam eorum qui libenter habent criminari proximos suos, ascribunt nobis et doctrinae nostrae crimen blasphemiae, quod a nobis nunquam audierunt: de quo ipsi viderint, nolentes observare mandatum illud quod dicit, quia maledici regnum Dei non possidebunt, dicentes me, patrem malitiae ac perditionis et eorum qui de regno Dei ejiciuntur, id est diabolum, dicere esse salvandum: quod ne aliquis quidem mente motus, et manifeste insaniens dicere potest. Sed nihil mirum mihi videtur, si adulteretur doctrina mea ab inimicis meis, et tali adulterio corrumpatur, quali adulterio corrupta est Epistola Pauli apostoli. Quidam enim sub nomine Pauli falsam epistolam conscripserunt, ut conturbarent Thessalonicenses, quasi instaret dies Domini, et seducerent eos. Propter hanc ergo Epistolam in secunda Epistola quam ad Thessalonicenses scribit, haec dixit: Rogamus autem vos, fratres, per adventum Domini nostri Jesu Christi, et nostrae congregationis in ipsum, ut non moveamini cito a sensu vestro, neque terramini, neque per spiritum, neque per verbum, neque per epistolam tanquam per nos missam, quasi instet dies Domini. Nemo vos seducat ullo modo. Talia ergo quaedam video etiam nobis accidere. Nam quidam auctor haereseos, cum sub praesentia multorum habita inter nos fuisset disputatio, et descripta, accipiens ab his qui descripserant codicem, quae voluit addidit, et quae voluit abstulit, et quod ei visum est permutavit, circumferens tanquam ex nomine nostro, insultans et ostendens ea quae ipse conscripsit. Pro quibus indignantes fratres qui in Palestina sunt, miserunt ad me Athenas hominem qui acciperet a me ipsum authenticum exemplar, quod ne relectum quidem vel recensitum a me antea fuerat, sed ita neglectum jacebat, ut vix inveniri potuerit. Misi tamen, et sub Deo teste loquor, quoniam, eum convenissem illum ipsum qui adulteraverat librum, arguens quare hoc fecisset, velut satisfaciens mihi respondit: Quoniam magis ornare volui disputationem illam, atque purgare. Videte quali purgatione disputationem nostram purgavit. Tali nempe, quali purgatione Marcion Evangelia purgavit, vel Apostolum; vel quali successor ejus post ipsum Appelles. Nam sicut illi subverterunt Scripturarum veritatem: sic et iste, sublatis quae vere dicta sunt, ob nostri criminationem inservit quae falsa sunt. Sed licet homines haeritici et impii sint qui haec facere ausi sunt, tamen habebunt et illi judicem Deum, qui talibus adversum nos criminationibus accommodant fidem. Origenes, ex Epistola ad quosdam charos suos Alexandriam, Interprete Rufino Aquileiense

Some of those who freely accuse their neighbours ascribe to us and our teaching the crime of blasphemy, which they have never heard from us, concerning which let them look to themselves who are unwilling to observe the command that says 'Speakers of evil shall not possess the kingdom of heaven,'1 that is, those who say that I say that the father of wickedness and perdition and those who were cast out of the kingdom of heaven, that is the devil, shall be saved, which is something not one of disturbed mind or stark mad would be able to say. But it does not seem amazing to me if my teaching has been falsified by my enemies and by such a falsification corrupted as was an epistle of the Apostle Paul. For they wrote under the false name of Paul that they might trouble the Thessalonians, as if the day of the Lord were near, and that they might seduce them. Because of this in the second letter which he wrote to the Thessalonians he says this: 'We ask you, brothers, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering into him, that you be not quickly moved in your minds, nor fearful, either by a spirit, or a word, or a letter claiming to be sent by us, as though the day of the Lord were near. Let no one seduce you in any way.'2 Such a thing I see happening even to us. For a certain author of heresy, when in the presence of many there was a discussion between us, it being recorded, took the book from those who had written it, added what he wished, removed what he wished, and changed what seemed good to him, and then he carried it around as if it were by us, mocking and showing off those things which he had written. The brothers who are in Palestine being indignant at this sent to me at Athens a man who was to receive the authentic work, which I had neither reread nor corrected, but it was lying so neglected that he was scarcely able to find it. I sent it off, however, and I say with God as witness that when I met the man who had falsified the book and questioned him as to why he had done so, as if he were satisfying me, he replied: 'Because I wished to adorn the discussion and purify it.' See with what sort of purity he purified our discussion! Certainly with such a purification Marcion purified the Gospels or the Apostles, or his successor after him Apelles. For as they subverted the truth of the Scriptures, so this man took out what we had truly spoken and to incriminate us inserted what was false. But it is for heretical and impious men to dare to do such things, but they shall have God's judgement who give credit to such accusations against us. Origen, from a Letter to Certain Dear Friends at Alexandria, Translated by Rufinus of Aquileia 1 1 Cor 6. 10 2 2 Thes 2.1-3