saints are fervent in spirit, so, on the contrary, those who have fallen away from the love of God are undoubtedly said to have cooled in their affection for Him, and to have become cold. For the Lord also says, that, “ because iniquity has abounded, the love of many will grow cold.”° Nay, all things, whatever they are, which in holy Scripture are com- pared with the hostile power, the devil is said to be perpetually finding cold; and what is found to be colder than he? In Deut. iv. 24. 2 Ps. civ. 4; cf. Heb. i. 7.
5 Cf. Jer.i.9. The word “ fire” is found neither in the Uebrew nor in the Septuagint.
6 Matt. xxiv. 12.
_——ae _—_oo,, ee, ee. eee a qT A, et CHAP. VII. | ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. 123 the sea also the dragon is said to reign. For the prophet’ intimates that the serpent and dragon, which certainly 1s referred to one of the wicked spirits, is also in the sea, And elsewhere the prophet says, “I will draw out my holy sword upon the dragon the flying serpent, upon the dragon the crooked serpent, and will slay him.”* And again he says: ‘¢ Even though they hide from my eyes, and descend into the depths of the sea, there will I command the serpent, and it shall bite them.”*® In the book of Job also, he is said to be the king of all things in the waters. The prophet’ threatens that evils will be kindled by the north wind upon all who inhabit the earth. Now the north wind is described in holy Scripture as cold, according to the statement in the book of Wisdom, “That cold north wind;”® which same thing also must undoubtedly be understood of the devil. If, then, those things which are holy are named fire, and light, and fervent, while those which are of an opposite nature are said to be cold; and if the love of many is said to wax cold; we have to inquire whether perhaps the name soul, which in Greek is termed yuy7, be so termed from growing cold’ out of a better and more divine condition, and be thence derived, be- cause it seems to have cooled from that natural and divine warmth, and therefore has been placed in its present posi- tion, and called by its present name. Finally, see if you can easily find a place in holy Scripture where the soul is properly mentioned in terms of praise: it frequently occurs, on the contrary, accompanied with expressions of censure, as in the passage, “ An evil soul ruins him who possesses it;”° and, “The soul which sinneth, it shall die.”® For after it has been said, “ All souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine,”™ it seemed to follow that Hie would say, “The soul that doeth righteousness, it shall be saved,” and “ The soul which sinneth, it shall die.” But 1 Cf. Ezek. xxxii. 2 seqq. 2 Isa. xxvii. 1.
3 Amos ix. 3. 4 Job xii. 34.
5 Jer. i. 14. 8 Kcclus. xliii. 20. 7 uy from Woxeobes. § Ecclus. vi. 4.
124 ORIGEN DE PRINCIPITS. [Book 1.
now we see that Ie has associated with the soul what is cen- surable, and has been silent as to that which was deserving of praise. We have therefore to see if, perchance, as we have said is declared by the name itself, it was called yuyn, t.e. anima, because it has waxed cold from the fervour of just things,’ and from participation in the divine fire, and yet has not lost the power of restoring itself to that condition of fer- vour in which it was at the beginning. Whence the prophet also appears to point out some such state of things by the words, “ Return, O my soul,‘unto thy rest.”? From all which this appears to be made out, that the understanding, falling away from its status and dignity, was made or named soul; and that, if repaired and corrected, it returns to the condition of the understanding.® 4, Now, if this be the case, it seems to me that this very decay and falling away of the understanding is not the same in all, but that this conversion into a soul is carried to a greater or less degree in different instances, and that certain under- standings retain something even of their former vigour, and 1% By falling away and growing cold from a spiritual life, the soul has become what it now is, but is capable also of returning to what it was at the beginning, which I think is intimated by the prophet in the words, ‘Return, O my soul, unto thy rest,’ so as to be wholly this.”"— Epistle of Justinian to Patriarch of Constantinople.
2 Ps. exvi. 7.
3 «The understanding (Nod;) somehow, then, has become a soul, and the soul, being restored, becoines an understanding. The understanding falling away, was made a soul, and the soul, again, when furnished with virtues, will become an undeistanding. For if we examine the case of Hsau, we may find that he was condemned because of his ancient sins in 2 worse course of life. «And respecting the heavenly bodics we must inquire, that not at the time when the world was created did the sonl of the sun, or whatever else it ought to be called, beyin to exist, but before that it entered that shining and burning body. We may hold similar opinions regarding the moon and stars, that, for the foregoing reasons, they were compelled, unwillingly, to subject themselves to vanity on account of the rewards of the future; and to do, not their own will, but the will of their Creator, by whom they were arranged among their different offices." —Jerome’s Letter to Avitus. From these, as well as other passaces, it may be scen how widely Rufinus departed in his translation from the original.
Cuap. Vu. | ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. 125 others again either nothing or a very small amount. Whence some are found from the very commencement of their lives to be of more active intellect, others again of a slower habit of mind, and some are born wholly obtuse, and altogether incapable of instruction. Our statement, however, that the understanding is converted into a soul, or whatever else seems to have such a meaning, the reader must carefully consider and settle for himself, as these views are not to be regarded as advanced by us in a dogmatic manner, but simply as opinions, treated in the style of investigation and discussion. Let the reader take this also into consideration, that it is observed with regard to the soul of the Saviour, that of those things which are written in the Gospel, some are ascribed to it under the name of soul, and others under that of spirit. For when it wishes to indicate auy suffering or perturbation aifecting Him, it indicates it under the name of soul; as when it says, “ Now is my soul troubled;”* and, “ My soul is sorrow- ful, even unto death;”? and, “ No man taketh my soul? from me, but I lay it down of mysclf.’* Into the hands of His | Father He commends not Ilis soul, but His spirit; and when Ife says that the flesh is weak, He does not say that the soul is willing, but the spirit: whence it appears that the soul is something intermediate between the weak flesh and the villing spirit.
d. But perhaps some one may mect us with one of those objections which we have ourselves warned you of in our statements, and say, “ Ifow then is there said to be also a soul of God?” To which we answer as follows: That as with respect to everything corporeal which is spoken of God, such as fingers, or hands, or arms, or eyes, or fcet, or mouth, we say that these are not to be understood as human members, but that certain of his powers are indicated by these names of members of the body; so also we are to suppose that it is something else which is pointed out by this titlhe—soul of God. And if it is allowable for us to venture to say anything more on such a subject, the soul of God may perhaps be under- stood to mean the only-begotten Son of God. For as the 126 ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. [Book 11.
soul, when implanted in the body, moves all things in it, and exerts its force over everything on which it operates; so also the only-begotten Son of God, who is His Word and Wisdon, stretches and extends to every power of God, being implanted in it; and perhaps to indicate this mystery is God either called or described in Scripture as a body. We must, indeed, take into consideration whether it 1s not perhaps on this account that the soul of God may be understood to mean His only- begotten Son, because Ile Himself came into this world of affliction, and descended into this valley of tears, and into this place of our humiliation; as He says in the Psalm, “ Because Thou hast humiliated us in the place of affliction.” Finally, I am aware that certain critics, in explaining the words used in the Gospel by the Saviour, “ My soul is sorrowful, even unto death,” have interpreted them of the apostles, whom Ie termed His soul, as being better than the rest of His body. For as the multitude of believers is called His body, they say that the apostles, as being better than the rest of the body, ought to be understood to mean Ilis soul.
We have brought forward as we best could these points regarding the rational soul, as topics of discussion for our readers, rather than as dogmatic and well-defined proposi- tions. And with respect to the souls of animals and other dumb creatures, let that suffice which we have stated above in general terms.
CHAPTER IX.
ON THE WORLD AND THE MOVEMENTS OF RATIONAL ChEA- TURES, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD; AND ON TUE CAUSES OF THEM.
1. Burt let us now return to the order of our proposed dis- cussion, and behold the commencement of creation, so far as the understanding can behold the beginning of the creation of God. In that commencement,’ then, we are to suppose 1 Ps. xliv. 19. * The original of this passage is found in Justinian’s Epistle to Menas, Patriarch of Constantinople, apud finem. ‘‘ In that beginning which is Cup. 1x. | ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS, 1: NS) ~] that God created so great a number of rational or intellectual creatures (or by whatever name they are to be called), which we have formerly termed understandings, as He foresaw would be sufficient. It is certain that He made them according to some definite number, predetermined by Himself: for it is not to be imagined, as some would have it, that creatures have not a limit, because where there is no limit there can neither be any comprehension nor any limitation. Now if this were the case, then certainly created things could neither be re- strained nor administered by God. For, naturally, what- ever is infinite will also be incomprchensible. Morcover, as Scripture says, “God has arranged all things in number and measure;”* and therefore number will be correctly applied to rational creatures or understandings, that they may be so numerous as to admit of being arranged, governed, and con- trolled by God. But measure will be appropriately applied to a material body; and this measure, we are to believe, was created by God such as He knew would be sufficient for the adorning of the world. These, then, are the things which we are to believe were created by God in the beginning, ie. before all things. And this, we think, is indicated even in that beginning which Moses has introduced in terms some- what ambiguous, when he says, “ In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth.”? For it is certain that the fir- mament is not spoken of, nor the dry land, but that heaven and earth from which this present heaven and earth which we now see afterwards borrowed their names.
cognisable by the understanding, God, by His own will, caused to exist as great a number of intclligent beings as was sufficient; for we must say that the power of God is finite, and not, under pretence of praising Him, take away His limitation. For if the divine power be infinite, it must of necessity be unable to understand even itself, since that which is naturally illimitable is incapable of being comprehended. He made things therefore so great as to be able to apprehend and keep them under HIis power, and control them by His providence; so also He prepared matter of such a size (roseurny vany) as He had the power to ornament.”
1 Wisd. xi. 20: ‘‘ Thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight.”
128 ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. [Boor 1.
2. But since those rational natures, which we have said above were made in the beginning, were created when they did not previously exist, in consequence of this very fact of their non-existence and commencement of being, are they necessarily changeable and mutable; since whatever power was in thicir substance was not in it by nature, but was the result of the goodness of their Maker. What they are, therefore, is neither their own nor endures for ever, but is bestowed by God. For it did not always exist; and every- thing which is a gift may also be taken away, and disappear. And a reason for removal will consist in the movements of souls not being conducted according to right and propriety. For the Creator gave, as an indulgence to the understandings ereated by Ilim, the power of free and voluntary action, by which the good that was in them might become their own, being preserved by the exertion of their own will; but sloth- fulness, and a dislike of labour in preserving what is good, and an aversion to and a neglect of better things, furnished the beginning of a departure from goodness. But to depart from good is nothing else than to be made bad. For it is certain that to want goodness is to be wicked. Whence it happens that, in proportion as one falls away from goodness, in the same proportion does he become involved in wicked- ness. In which condition, according to its actions, each understanding, neglecting goodness either to a greater or more limited extent, was dragzed into the opposite of good, which undoubtedly is evil. From which it appears that the Creator of all things admitted certain seeds and causes of variety and diversity, that Ife might create variety and di- versity In proportion to the diversity of understandings,?.e. of rational creatures, which diversity they must be supposed to have conceived from that cause which we have mentioned above. And what we mean by variety and diversity is what we now wish to explain.
3. Now we term world everything which is above the heavens, or in the heavens, or upon the earth, or in those places which are called the lower regions, or all places what- ever that anywhere exist, together with their inhabitants.
poet gee CaP. 1X. ] ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS, 129 This whole, then, is called world. In which world certain beings are said to be super-celestial, i.e. placed in happier abodes, and clothed with heavenly and resplendent bodies; and among these many distinctions are shown to exist, the apostle, e.g., saying, “ That one is the glory of the sun, an- other the glory of the moon, another the glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in giory.”* Certain beings are called earthly, and among them, 7.e. among men, there is no small difference; for some of them are Barbarians, others Greeks; and of the Barbarians some are savage and fierce, and others of a milder disposition. And certain of them live under laws that have been thoroughly approved; others, again, under laws of a more common or severe kind;? while some, again, possess customs of an inhuman and savage character, rather than laws. And certain of them, from the hour of their birth, are reduced to humiliation and subjec- tion, and brought up as slaves, being placed under the dominion either of masters, or princes, or tyrants. Others, again, are brought up in a manner more consonant with free- dom and reason: some with sound bodies, some with bodies diseased from their early years; some defective in vision, others in hearing and speech; some born in that condition, others deprived of the use of their senses immediately after birth, or at least undergoing such misfortune on reaching manhood. And why should I repeat and enumerate all the horrors of human misery, from which some have been free, and in which others have been involved, when each one can weigh and consider them for himself? There are also certain invisible powers to which earthly things have been entrusted for administration; and amongst them no small difference must be believed to exist, as is also found to be the case among men. The Apostle Paul indeed intimates that there are certain lower powers,® and that among them, in like manner, must undoubtedly be sought a ground of diversity. Regarding dumb animals, and birds, and those creatures which live in the waters, it seems superfluous to inquire; 11 Cor. xv. 41. ® Vilioribus et asperioribus, 8 Inferna. ORIG. I 130 ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. [Book 1.
since it is certain that these ought to be regarded not as cf primary, but of subordinate rank.
4. Seeing, then, that all things which have been created are said to have been made through Christ, and in Christ, as the Apostle Paul most clearly indicates, when he says, “ For in Him and by Him were all things created, whether things in heaven or things on earth, visible and invisible, whether thev be thrones, or powers, or principalities, or dominions; all things were created by Him, and in Him;”* and as in his Gospel John indicates the same thing, saying, “ In the begin- ning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God: the same was in the beginning with God: all things were made by Him; and without Him was not any- thing made;”? and as in the Psalm also it is written, “ In wisdom hast Thou made them all;”’—seeing, then, Christ is, as it were, the Word and Wisdom, and so also the Righit- eousness, it will undoubtedly follow that those things which were created in the Word and Wisdom are said to be created also in that righteousness which is Christ; that in created things there may appear to be nothing unrighteous or acci- dental, but that all things may be shown to be in conformity with the law of equity and righteousness. How, then, so great a variety of things, and so great a diversity, can’be under- stood to be altogether just and righteous, am sure no human power or language can explain, unless as prostrate suppliants we pray to the Word, and Wisdom, and Righteousness Ilim- self, who is the only-begotten Son of God, and who, pouring Himself by His graces into our senses, may deign to illumi- nate what is dark, to lay open what is concealed, and to reveal what is secret; if, indeed, we should be found either to seek, or ask, or knock so worthily as to deserve to receive when we ask, or to find when we seek, or to have it opened to us when we knock. Not relying, then, on our own powers, but on the help of that Wisdom which made all things, and of that Righteousness which we believe to be in all His crea- tures, although we are in the meantime unable to declare it, yet, trusting in His mercy, we shall endeavour to examine Cuar, IX. | ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. 131 and inquire how that great variety and diversity in the world may appear to be consistent with all righteousness and reason. I mean, of course, merely reason in general; for it would be a mark of ignorance either to seek, or of folly to give, a special reason for each individual case.
5. Now, when we say that this world was established in the variety in which we have above explained that it was created by God, and when we say that this God is good, and righteous, and most just, there are numerous individuals, especially those who, coming from the school of Marcion, and Valentinus, and Basilides, have heard that there are souls of different natures, who object to us, that it cannot consist with the justice of God in creating the world to assign to some of His creatures an abode in the heavens, and not only to give such a better habitation, but also to grant them a higher and more honourable position; to favour others with the grant of principalities; to bestow powers upon some, dominions on others; to confer upon some the most honour- able seats in the celestial tribunals; to enable some to shine with more resplendent glory, and to glitter with a starry splendour; to give to some the glory of the sun, to others the glory of the moon, to others the glory of the stars; to cause one star to differ from another star in glory. And, to speak once for all, and briefly, if the Creator God wants neither the will to undertake nor the power to complete a good and perfect work, what reason can there be that, in the creation of rational natures, ze. of beings of whose existence IIe Ilimself is the cause, He should make some of higher rank, and others of second, or third, or of many lower and inferior degrees? In the next place, they object to us, with regard to terxestrial beings, that a happier lot by birth is the case with some rather than with others; as one man, e.g., is begotten of Abraham, and born of the promise; another, too, of Isaac and Rebekah, and who, while still in the womb, supplants his brother, and is said to be loved by God before he is born. Nay, this very circumstance,—espccially that one man is born among the Hebrews, with whom he finds instruction in the divine law; another among the Grecks, 132 ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. {Book 11.
themselves also wise, and men of no small learning; and then another amongst the Ethiopians, who are accustomed to feed on human flesh; or amongst the Scythians, with whom parricide is an act sanctioned by law; or amongst the people of Taurus, where strangers are offered in sacri- fice,—is a ground of strong objection. Their argument ac- cordingly is this: If there be this great diversity of circum- stances, and this diverse and varying condition by birth, in which the faculty of free-will has no scope (for no one chooses for himself either where, or with whom, or in what condition he is born); if, then, this is not caused by the difference in the nature of souls, ze. that a soul of an evil nature is destined for a wicked nation, and a good soul for a righteous nation, what other conclusion remains than that these things must be supposed to be regulated by accident and chance? And if that be admitted, then it will be no longer believed that the world was made by God, or administered by His providence; and as a consequence, a judgment of God upon the deeds of each individual will appear a thing not to be looked for. In which matter, indeed, what is clearly the truth of things is the privilege of Him alone to know who searches all things, even the deep things of God.
6. We, however, althouch but men, not to nourish the insolence of the heretics by our silence, will return to their objections such answers as occur to us, so far as our abilities enable us. We have frequently shown, by those declarations which we were able to produce from the holy Scriptures, that God, the Creator of all things, is good, and just, and all-powerful. When He in the beginning created those beings which He desired to create, ze. rational natures, He had no other reason for creating them than on account of Himself, ze. His own goodness. As He Himself, then, was the cause of the existence of those things which were to be created, in whom there was neither any variation nor change, nor want of power, He created all whom He made equal and alike, because there was in Himself no reason for producing variety and diversity. But since those rational creatures themselves, as we have frequently shown, and will yet show Crap. 1x. ] ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIS. 133 in the proper place, were endowed with the power of frce- will, this freedom of will incited each one either to progress by imitation of God, or reduced him to failure through negligence. And this, as we have already stated, is the cause of the diversity among rational creatures, deriving its origin not from the will or judgment of the Creator, but from the freedom of the individual will. Now God, who deemed it just to arrange His creatures according to their merit, brought down these different understandings into the harmony of one world, that He might adorn, as it were, one dwelling, in which there ought to be not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay (and some indeed to honour, and others to dishonour), with those different vessels, or souls, or understandings. And these are the causes, in my opinion, why that world presents the aspect of diversity, while Divine Providence continues to regulate each individual according to the variety of his movements, or of his feelings and purpose. On which account the Creator will neither appear to be unjust in distributing (for the causes already mentioned) to every one according to his merits; nor will the happiness or unhappiness of each one’s birth, or whatever be the condition that falls to his lot, be deemed accidental; nor will different creators, or souls of different natures, be believed to exist.
7. But even holy Scripture does not appear to me to be altogether silent on the nature of this secret, as when the Apostle Paul, in discussing the case of Jacob and Esau, says: “ For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to elec- tion might stand, not of works, but of Him who calleth, it was said, The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”! And after that, he answers himself, and says, “ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God?” And that he might furnish us with an opportunity of inquiring into these matters, and of ascertaining how these things do not happen without a reason, he answers himself, and says, “ God for- 134 ORIGEN DE PRINCIPLIIS. [Boox um.
bid.”* For the same question, as it seems to me, which is raised concerning Jacob and Esau, may be raised regarding all celestial and terrestrial creatures, and even those of the lower world as well. And in like manner it seems to me, that as he there says, “The children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil,” so it might also be said of all other things, “ When they were not yet” created, “neither had yet done any good or evil, that the decree of God according to election may stand,” that (as certain think) some things on the one hand were created heavenly, some on the other earthly, and others, again, beneath the earth, “not of works” (as they think), “but of Him who calleth,” what shall we say then, if these things areso? ‘Is there unrichteousness with God? God forbid.” As, therefore, when the Scriptures are carefully examined regarding Jacob and Esau, it is not found to be unrighteousness with God that it should be said, before they were born, or had done anything in this life, “the elder shall serve the younger;” and as it is found not to be unrighteousness that even in the womb Jacob supplanted his brother, if we feel that he was worthily beloved by God, according to the deserts of his pre- vious life, so as to deserve to be preferred before his brother; so also is it with regard to heavenly creatures, if we notice that diversity was not the original condition of the creature, but that, owing to causes that have previously existed, a different office is prepared by the Creator for each one in proportion to the degree of his merit, on this ground, indeed, that each one, in respect of having been created by God an under- standing, or a rational spirit, has, according to the move- ments of his mind and the feelings of his soul, gained for himself a greater or less amount of merit, and has become either an object of love to God, or else one of dislike to Him; while, nevertheless, some of those who are possessed of greater merit are ordained to suffer with others for the adorning of the state of the world, and for the discharge of