removed from the body act
at all according to the purpose of their own mind, like the bad angels,
with whom, it is said by Christ, that they will be sent into eternal
fires;--let this too be {147} considered among the secret things of God,
mysteries not to be committed to writing." [Epist. ad Rom. lib. ii.
(Benedict. vol. iv. p. 479.) "Jam vero si etiam," &c.]

In a passage found in Origen's Comment on Ezekiel's text, "Though Noah,
Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver neither son nor
daughter, they should deliver only their own souls by their
righteousness," [Hom. iii. vol. iii. p. 372.] independently of the
testimony borne to the point before us, we read a very interesting and
awakening lesson of general application:--

"First, let us expound the passage agreeably to its plain sense, in
consequence of the ignorance of some who maintain the ideas of their own
mind to be the truth of God, and often say, 'Every one of us will be
able by his prayers to snatch whomsoever he will from hell,' and
introduce iniquity to the Lord; not seeing that the righteousness of the
righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be
upon him; so that each shall die in his own sin, and each live in his
own person. My father being a martyr profits me nothing, if I shall not
live well, and adorn the nobleness of my race,--that is, his testimony
and confession, by which he was glorified in Christ. It profiteth not
the Jews to say, 'We were not born of fornication, we have one father,
the Lord;' and, a little after, 'Abraham is our father.' Whatever they
may say, whatever they will assume, if they have not the faith of
Abraham they make their boast in vain; for they will not be saved on
account of their being children of Abraham. Since, therefore, some have
formed incorrect notions, we have necessarily brought in the plain sense
of the passage as to the letter, saying, Noah, Daniel, and Job will not
rescue sons or daughters; they only will be saved. Let no {149} one of
us put his trust in a just father, a holy mother, chaste brethren.
Blessed is the man who hath his hope in himself, and in the right way.
But to those who place confident trust in the saints, we bring forward
no improper example,--'Cursed is the man whose hope is in man;' and
again, 'Trust ye not in man.' And this also, 'It is good to trust in the
Lord rather than in princes[53].' If we must hope in some object,
leaving all others, let us hope in