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Translated by Frederick Crombie.
Origen Resources OnLine & in Print
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This Part: 128 Pages
Page 106
2. Now, if there be any one who would here oppose either the authority or credibility of our Scriptures, [2652] we would ask of him whether he asserts that God can, or cannot, comprehend all things? To assert that He cannot, would manifestly be an act of impiety. If then he answer, as he must, that God comprehends all things, it follows from the very fact of their being capable of comprehension, that they are understood to have a beginning and an end, seeing that which is altogether without any beginning cannot be at all comprehended. For however far understanding may extend, so far is the faculty of comprehending illimitably withdrawn and removed when there is held to be no beginning.
3. But this is the objection which they generally raise: they say, "If the world had its beginning in time, what was God doing before the world began? For it is at once impious and absurd to say that the nature of God is inactive and immoveable, or to suppose that goodness at one time did not do good, and omnipotence at one time did not exercise its power." Such is the objection which they are accustomed to make to our statement that this world had its beginning at a certain time, and that, agreeably to our belief in Scripture, we can calculate the years of its past duration. To these propositions I consider that none of the heretics can easily return an answer that will be in conformity with the nature of their opinions. But we can give a logical answer in accordance with the standard of religion, [2653] when we say that not then for the first time did God begin to work when He made this visible world; but as, after its destruction, there will be another world, so also we believe that others existed before the present came into being. And both of these positions will be confirmed by the authority of holy Scripture. For that there will be another world after this, is taught by Isaiah, who says, "There will be new heavens, and a new earth, which I shall make to abide in my sight, saith the Lord;" [2654] and that before this world others also existed is shown by Eccelesiastes, in the words: "What is that which hath been? Even that which shall be. And what is that which has been created? Even this which is to be created: and there is nothing altogether new under the sun. Who shall speak and declare, Lo, this is new? It hath already been in the ages which have been before us." [2655] By these testimonies it is established both that there were ages [2656] before our own, and that there will be others after it. It is not, however, to be supposed that several worlds existed at once, but that, after the end of this present world, others will take their beginning; respecting which it is unnecessary to repeat each particular statement, seeing we have already done so in the preceding pages.
[2652] Auctoritate Scripturae nostrae, vel fidei.
[2653] Regulam pietatis.
[2654] Cf. Isa. lxvi. 22.
[2655] Cf. Eccles. i. 9, 10. The text is in conformity with the Septuagint: Ti to gegonos; Auto to genesomenon. Kai ti to pepoiemenon ; Auto to poiethesomenon. Kai ouk esti pan prosphaton hupo ton helion. ;!Os lalesei kai erei. ,'Ide touto kainon estin ede gegonen en tois aiosi tois genomenois apo emtrosthen hemon.
[2656] Saecula.
Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/principiis.asp?pg=106
