different kind when compared with that of God; but these utterances lose
their force when it is asserted that complete similarity between Father
and Son only exists in relation to the world. We have to acknowledge the
divine being that appeared in Christ to be the manifestation of the
Deity; but, from God's standpoint, the Son is the hypostasis appointed
by and _subordinated_ to him.[747] The Son stands between the uncreated
One and the created Many; in so far as unchangeableness is an attribute
of self-existence he does not possess it.[748] It is evident why Origen
was obliged to conceive the Logos exactly as he did; it was only in this
form that the idea answered the purpose for which it was intended. In
the description of the essence of the Logos much more heed continues to
be given to his creative than to his redeeming significance. Since it
was only a teacher that Origen ultimately required for the purpose of
redemption, he could unfold the nature and task of the Logos without
thinking of Christ, whose name indeed he frequently mentions in his
disquisitions, but whose person is really not of the slightest
importance there.[749]

In order to comply with the rule of faith, and for this reason alone,
for his speculation did not require a Spirit in addition to the Logos,
Origen also placed the Spirit alongside of Father and Son. All that is
predicated about him by the Church is that he is equal to the other
persons in honour and dignity, and it was he that inspired both Prophets
and Apostles; but that it is still undecided whether he be created or
uncreated, and whether he too is to be considered the Son of God or
not.[750] As the third hypostasis, Origen reckoned him part of the
constant divine essence and so treated him after the analogy of the Son,
without producing an impressive proof of the necessity of this
hypostasis. He, however, became the Holy Spirit through the Son, and is
related to the latter as the latter is related to the Father; in other
words he is subordinate to the Son; he is the first creation of the
Father through the Son.[751] Here Origen was following an old tradition.
Considered quantitatively therefore, and this according to Origen is the
most important consideration, the Spirit's sphere of action is the
smallest. All being has its principle in the Father, the Son has his
sphere in the rational, the Holy Spirit in the sanctified, that is in
the Church; this he has to rule over and perfect. Fat