Dialogue Against the Marcionites, Exhortation to Martyrdom (Wettstein 1674)

It will therefore be permitted for a good man, and one occupied by no prejudices, having scorned the rubbish, to gather the better things for laudable uses with Gregory Thaumaturgus the Wonderworker, Pamphilus, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Chrysostom, Hilary, Cassiodorus, and Jerome himself. The second reason is that, partly in those more ancient centuries, the greatest men offered themselves as lovers and strenuous champions of the name of Origenist; and partly in this present age of ours, happy in the abundance of famous talents and the praise of all-encompassing learning, we have accurate investigators of orthodox antiquity who have taken upon themselves the task of both rescuing the writings of this Teacher of the Churches (a title with which the blessed Jerome once honored Origen)—collected from everywhere with exquisite diligence—from destruction, and thrusting them into the eyes and hands of all who love Christian piety. And there has been no one, no matter to which party of religion he was devoted, who did not admire and commend the talent, learning, and incredible labors of Origen. It would suffice, I think, among theologians and philologists, if there were only Erasmus, a man of sublime talent and especially sharp judgment, who devoted extreme effort to cleaning, translating, and reviewing the works of Origen. He not only singularly deserved the praise of Beatus Rhenanus in the preface to the Basel edition of Origen's works in the year 1536, addressed to Hermann, Archbishop of Cologne, but from that time on, Origen seemed as if to revive and return to favor among theologians. Hence his writings were eagerly sought and published by the most learned men throughout Germany, France, and England. In particular, I must mention here a theologian of blessed memory, second to none in solid learning, dexterity of judgment, eloquent speech, and expertise in ecclesiastical antiquity, and held in the highest grace and favor by the most Serene and High Princes: our own Johann Jakob Grynaeus, who, although he was not unaware of the censures of others, was so far from abhorring Origen and his writings that he instead diligently oversaw their later Basel edition in 1571, adorned it with very learned prolegomena to Thomas Erastus, and amicably asked that same man to undertake the defense of Adamantius.

Therefore, fortified by the examples of such great men, I will not blush to restore to the light Adamantius—who was broken by no envious attempts of his adversaries, nor circumvented by the frauds and deceits of heretics, nor overcome by the very harshest storms of persecutions—having freed him from his long-standing neglect and darkness.