{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">3. But perhaps this question is asked, If it be the understanding\r\nwhich prays and sings with the spirit, and if it be the\r\nsame which receives both perfection and salvation, how is it\r\nthat Peter says, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the\r\nsalvation of your souls?”<a id=\"r277\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f277\"><sup>[277]</sup></a> If the soul neither prays nor\r\nsings with the spirit, how shall it hope for salvation? or\r\nwhen it attains to blessedness, shall it be no longer called a\r\nsoul?<a id=\"r278\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f278\"><sup>[278]</sup></a> Let us see if perhaps an answer may be given in\r\nthis way, that as the Saviour came to save what was lost,\r\nthat which formerly was said to be lost is not lost when it\r\nis saved; so also, perhaps, this which is saved is called a\r\nsoul, and when it has been placed in a state of salvation will\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_122\">122</span>receive a name from the Word that denotes its more perfect\r\ncondition. But it appears to some that this also may be\r\nadded, that as the thing which was lost undoubtedly existed\r\nbefore it was lost, at which time it was something else than\r\ndestroyed, so also will be the case when it is no longer in a\r\nruined condition. In like manner also, the soul which is said\r\nto have perished will appear to have been something at one\r\ntime, when as yet it had not perished, and on that account\r\nwould be termed soul, and being again freed from destruction,\r\nit may become a second time what it was before it perished,\r\nand be called a soul. But from the very signification of the\r\nname soul which the Greek word conveys, it has appeared to\r\na few curious inquirers that a meaning of no small importance\r\nmay be suggested. For in sacred language God is\r\ncalled a fire, as when Scripture says, “Our God is a consuming\r\nfire.”<a id=\"r279\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f279\"><sup>[279]</sup></a> Respecting the substance of the angels also\r\nit speaks as follows: “Who maketh His angels spirits, and\r\nHis ministers a burning fire;”<a id=\"r280\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f280\"><sup>[280]</sup></a> and in another place, “The\r\nangel of the Lord appeared in a flame of fire in the bush.”<a id=\"r281\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f281\"><sup>[281]</sup></a>\r\nWe have, moreover, received a commandment to be “fervent\r\nin spirit;”<a id=\"r282\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f282\"><sup>[282]</sup></a> by which expression undoubtedly the Word of\r\nGod is shown to be hot and fiery. The prophet Jeremiah\r\nalso hears from Him, who gave him his answers, “Behold, I\r\nhave given my words into thy mouth a fire.”<a id=\"r283\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f283\"><sup>[283]</sup></a> As God,\r\nthen, is a fire, and the angels a flame of fire, and all the\r\nsaints are fervent in spirit, so, on the contrary, those who\r\nhave fallen away from the love of God are undoubtedly said\r\nto have cooled in their affection for Him, and to have become\r\ncold. For the Lord also says, that, “because iniquity has\r\nabounded, the love of many will grow cold.”<a id=\"r284\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f284\"><sup>[284]</sup></a> Nay, all\r\nthings, whatever they are, which in holy Scripture are compared\r\nwith the hostile power, the devil is said to be perpetually\r\nfinding cold; and what is found to be colder than he? In\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_123\">123</span>the sea also the dragon is said to reign. For the prophet<a id=\"r285\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f285\"><sup>[285]</sup></a>\r\nintimates that the serpent and dragon, which certainly is\r\nreferred to one of the wicked spirits, is also in the sea. And\r\nelsewhere the prophet says, “I will draw out my holy sword\r\nupon the dragon the flying serpent, upon the dragon the\r\ncrooked serpent, and will slay him.”<a id=\"r286\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f286\"><sup>[286]</sup></a> And again he says:\r\n“Even though they hide from my eyes, and descend into the\r\ndepths of the sea, there will I command the serpent, and it\r\nshall bite them.”<a id=\"r287\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f287\"><sup>[287]</sup></a> In the book of Job also, he is said to be\r\nthe king of all things in the waters.<a id=\"r288\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f288\"><sup>[288]</sup></a> The prophet<a id=\"r289\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f289\"><sup>[289]</sup></a> threatens\r\nthat evils will be kindled by the north wind upon all who\r\ninhabit the earth. Now the north wind is described in holy\r\nScripture as cold, according to the statement in the book of\r\nWisdom, “That cold north wind;”<a id=\"r290\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f290\"><sup>[290]</sup></a> which same thing also\r\nmust undoubtedly be understood of the devil. If, then, those\r\nthings which are holy are named fire, and light, and fervent,\r\nwhile those which are of an opposite nature are said to be\r\ncold; and if the love of many is said to wax cold; we have\r\nto inquire whether perhaps the name soul, which in Greek\r\nis termed <span lang=\"grc\">ψυχή</span>, be so termed from growing cold<a id=\"r291\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f291\"><sup>[291]</sup></a> out of a\r\nbetter and more divine condition, and be thence derived, because\r\nit seems to have cooled from that natural and divine\r\nwarmth, and therefore has been placed in its present position,\r\nand called by its present name. Finally, see if you can\r\neasily find a place in holy Scripture where the soul is properly\r\nmentioned in terms of praise: it frequently occurs,\r\non the contrary, accompanied with expressions of censure, as\r\nin the passage, “An evil soul ruins him who possesses it;”<a id=\"r292\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f292\"><sup>[292]</sup></a>\r\nand, “The soul which sinneth, it shall die.”<a id=\"r293\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f293\"><sup>[293]</sup></a> For after it has\r\nbeen said, “All souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so\r\nalso the soul of the son is mine,”<a id=\"r294\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f294\"><sup>[294]</sup></a> it seemed to follow that\r\nHe would say, “The soul that doeth righteousness, it shall\r\nbe saved,” and “The soul which sinneth, it shall die.” But\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_124\">124</span>now we see that He has associated with the soul what is censurable,\r\nand has been silent as to that which was deserving\r\nof praise. We have therefore to see if, perchance, as we\r\nhave said is declared by the name itself, it was called <span lang=\"grc\">ψυχή</span>,\r\n<i>i.e.</i> <span lang=\"la\"><i>anima</i></span>, because it has waxed cold from the fervour of just\r\nthings,<a id=\"r295\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f295\"><sup>[295]</sup></a> and from participation in the divine fire, and yet has\r\nnot lost the power of restoring itself to that condition of fervour\r\nin which it was at the beginning. Whence the prophet\r\nalso appears to point out some such state of things by the\r\nwords, “Return, O my soul, unto thy rest.”<a id=\"r296\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f296\"><sup>[296]</sup></a> From all\r\nwhich this appears to be made out, that the understanding,\r\nfalling away from its status and dignity, was made or named\r\nsoul; and that, if repaired and corrected, it returns to the\r\ncondition of the understanding.<a id=\"r297\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f297\"><sup>[297]</sup></a></p>","headings":["The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2","ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS.","BOOK II.","CHAPTER VIII. ON THE SOUL (ANIMA)."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70561-paragraph-167"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"55718dddcdf6e7bf7dca9da7159b7fea8ae871f481edcf478b6655a3547d5e4b","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 1 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie"],"edition_year":1869,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"EZK","chapter":32,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"Ezek. xxxii. 2","verse":2,"verse_end":2}],"headings":[],"id":"pg70561-f285","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":"f285","source_ebook":70561,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f285\">\n<p class=\"c006\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r285\">285</a>. </span><abbr class=\"spell\">Cf.</abbr> <abbr title=\"Ezekiel\">Ezek.</abbr> <abbr title=\"thirty-two\">xxxii.</abbr> 2 <abbr class=\"spell\">seqq.</abbr></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"de125e213d16053354f22b34a1c8d477ac23f201e660e4f4841b2ed7e05bb367","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70561/pg70561-images.html#f285","text_sha256":"107a70cdf9ebac167dadc76e2df591f10a0142750c469e8775770356c17f4b68","verified":false,"work_id":null}