Ruffinus informs us, that with regard to many
of the various works of Origen, he changed the preacher's extemporary
addresses, as delivered in the Church, into a more explanatory form,
"adding, supplying, filling up what he thought wanting[60]."
[Footnote 60: Dum supplere cupimus ea quae ab Origene in
auditorio Ecclesiae extempore (non tam explanationis quam
aedificationis intentione) perorata sunt.... Si addere quod
videar, et explere quae desunt.--Orig. vol. iv. p. 688.]
Moreover, he proceeds so far as to tell us[61] that his false {158}
friends had remonstrated with him for not publishing the works under his
own name, instead of retaining Origen's, his changes having been so
great; a point, which he was far from unwilling to acknowledge. This
must appear to every one unsatisfactory in the extreme, and to shake
one's confidence in any evidence drawn from such a source. Indeed, the
Benedictine editor, with great cause and candour, laments this course of
proceeding on the part of Ruffinus, as throwing a doubt and uncertainty,
and suspicion, over all the works so tampered with. "This one thing
(observes that honest editor) would the learned desire, that Ruffinus
had spared himself the labour of filling up what he thought deficient.
For since the Greek text has perished, it can scarcely with certainty be
distinguished, where Origen himself speaks, or where Ruffinus obtrudes
his own merchandise upon us.
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