Is there a need for literal interpretation and moral interpretation while ignoring allegorical and spiritual styles of interpretation?

Origen expressed his frustration, because some members of the congregation resisted his method of interpreting Scripture and in particular his allegorical interpretation method, at a time when the moral and literal interpretation styles were prevalent. In one of his homilies, he says, “If I shall wish to dig deeply and open the hidden veins ‘of living water,’ immediately the Philistines will be present and will strive with me. They will stir up disputes and malicious charges against me and will begin to refill my wells with their earth and mud.”¹⁰⁷⁵

He also said, “For if, according to some people, who are even among our own, I should follow the plain sense [of Scripture] and understand the voice of the lawgiver without any verbal trick or clouded allegory thus they usually ridicule us then I, a man of the church who lives under faith in Christ and stand in the midst of the church, am compelled by the authority of God’s law to sacrifice calves and lambs and to offer flour, along with incense and oil. For they who force us to spend our time on the narrative and to keep the letter of the law do this. But it is time for us to use the words of the blessed Susanna against the unprincipled presbyters, words that they themselves indeed repudiate when they lop the story of Susanna off from the catalogue of inspired books. But we accept this story [as scripture] and conveniently bring its words against them and say: ‘I am hemmed in on all sides, for if I do this thing, it is death for me; yet if I do not, I will not escape your hands. But it is better for me not to do it and to fall into your hands, than to sin against the Lord’ (Dan. 13:22–23).”¹⁰⁷⁶

“Then there were believers, when there were noble martyrdoms. As soon as we returned from conveying the martyrs to the cemetery, we gathered together in assembly. The whole church was there, not the least bit anguished, and the catechumens were instructed in the midst of the confessors, and in the midst of the dead who had confessed the truth unto death, nor were they anxious or perturbed, because they believed in the living God. Then we saw great and marvelous signs. Then there were few believers, but they really did believe, and they traveled the strait and narrow way that leads to life. But now we have become numerous

1073 Origen, Homilies on Genesis 10.3 (FOTC 71:162-63).

1074 Origen, Homilies on Exodus 12.2 (FOTC 71:369).

1075 Origen, Homilies on Genesis 12.4 (FOTC 71:180ff).

1076 Origen, Homily on 1 Samuel 28.1.

… and there are few indeed among the many who profess Christian piety who will actually attain divine election and blessedness.”¹⁰⁷⁷

“But I fear that the Church is still bearing sons in sadness and sorrow. Or does it not cause her sadness and sorrow when you do not gather to hear the word of God? And scarcely on feast days do you proceed to the Church, and you do this not so much from a desire for the word as from a fondness for the festival and to obtain, in a certain manner, common relaxation.”¹⁰⁷⁸