things
had, not inappropriately, an allegorical meaning."[142] Many chapters
are devoted to these allegorical and mystical meanings, hidden beneath
the words of the Old and New Testaments, and he alleges that Moses, like
the Egyptians, gave histories with concealed meanings.[143] "He who
deals candidly with histories"--this is Origen's general canon of
interpretation--"and would wish to keep himself also from being imposed
on by them, will exercise his judgment as to what statements he will
give his assent to, and what he will accept figuratively, seeking to
discover the meaning of the authors of such inventions, and from what
statements he will withhold his beliefs, as having been written for the
gratification of certain individuals. And we have said this by way of
anticipation respecting the whole history related in the Gospels
concerning Jesus."[144] A great part of his Fourth Book is taken up with
illustrations of the mystical explanations of the Scripture stories, and
anyone who wishes to pursue the subject can read through it.

In the _De Principiis_, Origen gives it as the received teaching of the
Church "that the Scriptures were written by the Spirit of God, and have
a meaning, not only such as is apparent at first sight, but also
another, which escapes the notice of most. For those [words] which are
written are the forms of certain Mysteries, and the images of divine
things. Respecting which there is one opinion throughout the whole
Church, that the whole law is indeed spiritual; but that the spiritual
meaning which the law conveys is not known to all, but to those only on
whom the grace of the Holy Spirit is bestowed in the word of wisdom and
knowledge."[145] Those who remember what has already been quoted will
see in the "Word of wisdom" and "the word of knowledge" the two typical
mystical instructions, the spiritual and the intellectual.

In the Fourth Book of _De Principiis_, Origen explains at length his
views on the interpretation of Scripture. It has a "body," which is the
"common and historical sense"; a "soul," a figurative meaning to be
discovered by the exercise of the intellect; and a "spirit," an inner
and divine sense, to be known only by those who have "the mind of
Christ." He considers that incongruous and impossible things are
introduced into the history to arouse an intelligent reader, and compel
him to search for a deeper explanation, while simple people would read
on without appreciating th