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Translated by John Patrick.
Origen Resources OnLine & in Print
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128 Pages
Page 17
And here, accordingly, the kingdom of heaven is "like unto a net that was cast into the sea," not (as supposed by some, [5206] who represent that by this word the different natures of those who have come into the net, to-wit, the evil and the righteous, are treated of), as if it is to be thought that, because of the phrase "which gathered of every kind," there are many different natures of the righteous and likewise also of the evil; for to such an interpretation all the Scriptures are opposed, which emphasise the freedom of the will, and censure those who sin and approve those who do right; or otherwise blame could not rightly attach to those of the kinds that were such by nature, nor praise to those of a better kind. For the reason why fishes are good or bad lies not in the souls of the fishes, but is based on that which the Word said with knowledge, "Let the waters bring forth creeping things with living souls," [5207] when, also, "God made great sea-monsters and every soul of creeping creatures which the waters brought forth according to their kinds." [5208] There, accordingly, "The waters brought forth every soul of creeping animals according to their kinds," the cause not being in it; but here we are responsible for our being good kinds and worthy of what are called "vessels," or bad and worthy of being cast outside. For it is not the nature in us which is the cause of the evil, but it is the voluntary choice which worketh evil; and so our nature is not the cause of righteousness, as if it were incapable of admitting unrighteousness, but it is the principle which we have admitted that makes men righteous; for also you never see the kinds of things in the water changing from the bad kinds of fishes into the good, or from the better kind to the worse; but you can always behold the righteous or evil among men either coming from wickedness to virtue, or returning from progress towards virtue to the flood of wickedness.
[5206] Valentinus and his followers.
[5207] Gen. i. 20.
[5208] Gen. i. 21.
Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/matthew-commentary.asp?pg=17
