reasonable for us to call upon angels, without receiving a
knowledge concerning them which is above man. But supposing the
knowledge concerning them, wonderful and unutterable as it is, had been
received; that very knowledge describing their nature, and those to whom
they are respectively assigned, would not give confidence in praying to
any other than to Him who is sufficient for every thing, God who is
above all, through our Saviour, the Son of God, who is the word, and
wisdom, and the truth, and whatsoever else the writings of the prophets
of God, and the Apostles of Jesus say concerning Him. But for the angels
of God to be favourable to us, and to do all things for us, our
disposition towards God is sufficient; we copy them to the utmost of
human strength, {143} as they copy God. And our conception concerning
his Son, the Word, according to what is come to us, is not opposed to
the more clear conception of the holy angels concerning Him, but is
daily approximating towards it in clearness and perspicuity."

Again, he thus writes: "But Celsus wishes us to dedicate the
first-fruits unto the demons; but we to Him who said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, &c. But to whom we give the first-fruits, to him we
send up also our prayers; having a great High Priest who is entered into
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God; and this confession we hold fast as
long as we live, having God favourable unto us, and his only-begotten
Son being manifested among us, Jesus Christ. But if we wish to have a
multitude favourable unto us, we learn that thousand thousands stand by
Him, and ten thousand thousands minister unto Him; who, regarding those
as kinsfolks and friends who imitate their piety to God, work together
for the salvation of them who call upon God and pray sincerely;
appearing also, and thinking that they ought to listen to them, and as
if upon one watchword to go forth for the benefit and salvation of those
who pray to God, to whom they also pray." [Cont. Cels. lib. viii. Sec. 34.
(Benedict, p. 766.)]

After these multiplied declarations of Origen, not only confessing that
Christians did not pray to the angels, but vindicating them from the
charge of impiety brought against them by their enemies for their
neglect of the worship of angels, is it possible to regard him as a
witness in favour of prayer to angels?

But it has been said that Origen in another passage (Cont. Cels. lib.
viii. Sec. 13. p. 751.) {144} plainly implies,