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Translated by Frederick Crombie.
Origen Resources OnLine & in Print
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128 Pages
Page 115
For the Lord also says, that, "because iniquity has abounded, the love of many will grow cold." [2205] Nay, all things, whatever they are, which in holy Scripture are compared with the hostile power, the devil is said to be perpetually finding cold; and what is found to be colder than he? In the sea also the dragon is said to reign. For the prophet [2206] intimates that the serpent and dragon, which certainly is 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." [2207] 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." [2208] In the book of Job also, he is said to be the king of all things in the waters. [2209] The prophet [2210] 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;" [2211] 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 psuche, be so termed from growing cold [2212] out of a better and more divine condition, and be thence derived, because it seems to have cooled from that natural and divine warmth, and therefore has been placed in its present position, 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;" [2213] and, "The soul which sinneth, it shall die." [2214] 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," [2215] it seemed to follow that He would say, "The soul that doeth righteousness, it shall be saved," and "The soul which sinneth, it shall die." But now we see that He has associated with the soul what is censurable, 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 psuche, i.e., anima, because it has waxed cold from the fervour of just things, [2216] and from participation in the divine fire, and yet has not lost the power of restoring itself to that condition of fervour 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." [2217] 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. [2218]
[2205] Matt. xxiv. 12.
[2206] Cf. Ezek. xxxii. 2 seqq.
[2207] Isa. xxvii. 1.
[2208] Amos ix. 3.
[2209] Job xli. 34 [LXX.].
[2210] Jer. i. 14.
[2211] Ecclus. xliii. 20.
[2212] psuche from psuchesthai.
[2213] Ecclus. vi. 4.
[2214] Ezek. xviii. 4, cf. 20.
[2215] Ezek. xviii. 4, 19.
[2216] "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.
[2217] Ps. cxvi. 7.
[2218] "The understanding (Nous) somehow, then, has become a soul, and the soul, being restored, becomes an understanding. The understanding falling away, was made a soul, and the soul, again, when furnished with virtues, will become an understanding. For if we examine the case of Esau, we may find that he was condemned because of his ancient sins in a worse course of life. And respecting the heavenly bodies we must inquire, that not at the time when the world was created did the soul of the sun, or whatever else it ought to be called, begin 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 Epistle to Avitus. From these, as well as other passages, it may be seen how widely Rufinus departed in his translation from the original.
Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/principia.asp?pg=115
