At  this  time  Noetus,  of  Smyrna,  propagated  in  the
east,  the  heresy,  that  there  is  no  distinction  between
the  Divine  Persons  in  the  Godhead.  The  pastors  of
the  church  of  Ephesus,  to  which  he  belonged,  sum-
moned him  before  themy  and  asked  whether  he  really
maintained  this  opinion.  At  first  he  denied  it;  but
afterwards,  having  formed  a  party,  he  became  more
bold,  and  publicly  taught  this  heresy.  Being  again
interrogated  by  the  pastors,  he  said,  "  What  harm  have
I  done  ?  I  glorify  none  but  one  God ;  I  know  none  be-
sides him  who  hath  been  begotten,  who  suffered  and
died."  In  this  way  he  evidently  confounded  the  per-
sons of  the  Father  and  the  Son  together;  and  being
obstmata  in  his  views,  was  ejected  from  the  church,
with  his  disciples.
This  proves  that  there  were,  at  that  timey  zeal  and
faithfiuness  among  the  primitive  Christians,  to  support
the  fundamental  articles  of  their  religion.
Origen  was  now  sent  for  to  Athens  to  assist  the
churches,  who  were  there  disturbed  with  several  her-
esies. Thence  he  went  to  Palestine.  At  Csesarea,
Theoctistus,  the  bishop,  and  Alexander,  bishop  of  Je-
rusalem, ordained  him  a  priest,  at  the  age  of  45,  about
the  year  280.  Demetrius,  his  own  bishop  was  of-
fended, and  exposed  his  youthful  indiscretion  in  his
having  mutilated  himself,  and  on  his  return  to  Alex-
andria, procured  his  ejection  from  the  church,  by  a
council  of  pastors,  on  account  of  some  errors  which
4iad  appeared  in  his  works.  Banished  from  Egypt,


107

Origen  repaired  to  Palestine  to  his  friends  who  had
ordained  him,  followed  by  many  disciples.  Here  the
famous  Gregory  Thaumaturgus  attended  his  theolo-
gical lectures,  which  were  still  delivered  in  Origen's
usual  manner.
