Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">Now, to those who introduce souls of different natures,<a id=\"r587\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f587\"><sup>[587]</sup></a>\r\nand who turn this declaration of the apostle to the support\r\nof their own opinion, we have to reply as follows: If even\r\nthey are agreed as to what the apostle says, that out of the\r\none lump are formed both those who are made to honour\r\nand those who are made to dishonour, whom they term of a\r\nnature that is to be saved and destroyed, there will then be\r\nno longer souls of different natures, but one nature for all.\r\nAnd if they admit that one and the same potter may undoubtedly\r\ndenote one Creator, there will not be different\r\ncreators either of those who are saved, or of those who perish.\r\nNow, truly, let them choose whether they will have a good\r\nCreator to be intended who creates bad and ruined men, or\r\none who is not good, who creates good men and those who\r\nare prepared to honour. For the necessity of returning an\r\nanswer will extort from them one of these two alternatives.\r\nBut according to our declaration, whereby we say that it is\r\nowing to preceding causes that God makes vessels either to\r\nhonour or to dishonour, the approval of God’s justice is in\r\nno respect limited. For it is possible that this vessel, which\r\nowing to previous causes was made in this world to honour,\r\nmay, if it behave negligently, be converted in another world,\r\naccording to the deserts of its conduct, into a vessel unto\r\ndishonour: as again, if any one, owing to preceding causes,\r\nwas formed by his Creator in this life a vessel unto dishonour,\r\nand shall mend his ways and cleanse himself from all filth\r\nand vice, he may, in the new world, be made a vessel to\r\nhonour, sanctified and useful, and prepared unto every good\r\nwork. Finally, those who were formed by God in this world\r\nto be Israelites, and who have lived a life unworthy of the\r\nnobility of their race, and have fallen away from the grandeur\r\nof their descent, will, in the world to come, in a certain degree<a id=\"r588\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f588\"><sup>[588]</sup></a>\r\nbe converted, on account of their unbelief, from vessels of\r\nhonour into vessels of dishonour; while, on the other hand,\r\nmany who in this life were reckoned among Egyptian or\r\nIdumean vessels, having adopted the faith and practice of\r\nIsraelites, when they shall have done the works of Israelites,\r\nand shall have entered the church of the Lord, will exist\r\nas vessels of honour in the revelation of the sons of God.\r\nFrom which it is more agreeable to the rule of piety to\r\nbelieve that every rational being, according to his purpose\r\nand manner of life, is converted, sometimes from bad to\r\ngood, and falls away sometimes from good to bad: that some\r\nabide in good, and others advance to a better condition, and\r\nalways ascend to higher things, until they reach the highest\r\ngrade of all; while others, again, remain in evil, or, if the\r\nwickedness within them begin to spread itself further, they\r\ndescend to a worse condition, and sink into the lowest depth\r\nof wickedness. Whence also we must suppose that it is possible\r\nthere may be some who began at first indeed with small\r\noffences, but who have poured out wickedness to such a degree,\r\nand attained such proficiency in evil, that in the measure of\r\ntheir wickedness they are equal even to the opposing powers:\r\nand again, if, by means of many severe administrations of\r\npunishment, they are able at some future time to recover\r\ntheir senses, and gradually attempt to find healing for their\r\nwounds, they may, on ceasing from their wickedness, be\r\nrestored to a state of goodness. Whence we are of opinion\r\nthat, seeing the soul, as we have frequently said, is immortal\r\nand eternal, it is possible that, in the many and endless periods\r\nof duration in the immeasurable and different worlds, it may\r\ndescend from the highest good to the lowest evil, or be\r\nrestored from the lowest evil to the highest good.</p>","headings":["The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2","ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS.","BOOK III.","FROM THE LATIN."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70561-paragraph-239"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"81bdc49a892db357157572382ef792e6a1a7352506f079e7bf1a1237ec230b63","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 1 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie"],"edition_year":1869,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg70561-f587","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1869 English translation; translator died 1889. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f587","source_ebook":70561,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f587\">\n<p class=\"c006\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r587\">587</a>.  </span><span lang=\"la\">Diversas animarum naturas.</span></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"de125e213d16053354f22b34a1c8d477ac23f201e660e4f4841b2ed7e05bb367","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70561/pg70561-images.html#f587","text_sha256":"cfdb3c496dcdac4e50b3001c8287a507c0cf940b3b675a705532479dda7ee36a","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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