The Complete Testimony of the Fathers of the First Three Centuries Concerning the Sabbath and First Day - J. N. Andrews

Testimony of Origen
Origen was born about A.D. 185, probably at
Alexandria in Egypt. He was a man of immense
learning, but unfortunately adopted a spiritualizing
system in the interpretation of the Scriptures that
was the means of flooding the church with many
errors. He wrote during the first half of the third
century. I have carefully examined all the writings
of every Christian writer preceding the council of
Nice with the single exception of Origen. Some of
his works, as yet, I have not been able to obtain.
While, therefore, I give the entire testimony of
every other father on the subject of inquiry, in his
case I am unable to say this. But I can give it with
sufficient fullness to present him in a just light. His
first reference to the Sabbath is a denial that it
should be literally understood. Thus he says:--
There are countless multitudes of believers
who, although unable to unfold methodically and
clearly the results of their spiritual understanding,
are nevertheless most firmly persuaded that neither
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