4. Now, if this be the case, it seems to me that this very decay and falling away of the understanding is not the same in all, but that this conversion into a soul is carried to a greater or less degree in different instances, and that certain understandings retain something even of their former vigour, and others again either nothing or a very small amount. Whence some are found from the very commencement of their lives to be of more active intellect, others again of a slower habit of mind, and some are born wholly obtuse, and altogether incapable of instruction. Our statement, however, that the understanding is converted into a soul, or whatever else seems to have such a meaning, the reader must carefully consider and settle for himself, as these views are not be regarded as advanced by us in a dogmatic manner, but simply as opinions, treated in the style of investigation and discussion. Let the reader take this also into consideration, that it is observed with regard to the soul of the Saviour, that of those things which are written in the Gospel, some are ascribed to it under the name of soul, and others under that of spirit. For when it wishes to indicate any suffering or perturbation affecting Him, it indicates it under the name of soul; as when it says, "Now is My soul troubled;" [2219] and, "My soul is sorrowful, even unto death;" [2220] and, "No man taketh My soul [2221] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself." [2222] Into the hands of His Father He commends not His soul, but His spirit; and when He says that the flesh is weak, He does not say that the soul is willing, but the spirit: whence it appears that the soul is something intermediate between the weak flesh and the willing spirit.
5. But perhaps some one may meet us with one of those objections which we have ourselves warned you of in our statements, and say, "How then is there said to be also a soul of God?" To which we answer as follows: That as with respect to everything corporeal which is spoken of God, such as fingers, or hands, or arms, or eyes, or feet, or mouth, we say that these are not to be understood as human members, but that certain of His powers are indicated by these names of members of the body; so also we are to suppose that it is something else which is pointed out by this title--soul of God. And if it is allowable for us to venture to say anything more on such a subject, the soul of God may perhaps be understood to mean the only-begotten Son of God. For as the soul, when implanted in the body, moves all things in it, and exerts its force over everything on which it operates; so also the only-begotten Son of God, who is His Word and Wisdom, stretches and extends to every power of God, being implanted in it; and perhaps to indicate this mystery is God either called or described in Scripture as a body. We must, indeed, take into consideration whether it is not perhaps on this account that the soul of God may be understood to mean His only-begotten Son, because He Himself came into this world of affliction, and descended into this valley of tears, and into this place of our humiliation; as He says in the Psalm, "Because Thou hast humiliated us in the place of affliction." [2223] Finally, I am aware that certain critics, in explaining the words used in the Gospel by the Saviour, "My soul is sorrowful, even unto death," have interpreted them of the apostles, whom He termed His soul, as being better than the rest of His body. For as the multitude of believers is called His body, they say that the apostles, as being better than the rest of the body, ought to be understood to mean His soul.
We have brought forward as we best could these points regarding the rational soul, as topics of discussion for our readers, rather than as dogmatic and well-defined propositions. And with respect to the souls of animals and other dumb creatures, let that suffice which we have stated above in general terms.
[2180] Anima.
[2181] Animæ.
[2182] Animam animantium.
[2183] Gen. i. 21: pasan psuchen zoon, Sept.
[2184] Erasmus remarks, that phantastike may be rendered imaginitiva, which is the understanding: hormetike, impulsiva, which refers to the affections (Schnitzer).
[2185] Animam.
[2186] Lev. xvii. 14: he psuche pases sarkos aima autou esti, Sept.
[2187] Vitalis.
[2188] Animantia.
[2189] Gen. i. 24, living creature, animam.
[2190] Gen. ii. 7, animam viventem.
[2191] Lev. xvii. 10. It is clear that in the text which Origen or his translator had before him he must have read psuche instead of prosopon: otherwise the quotation would be inappropriate (Schnitzer).
[2192] Isa. i. 13, 14.
[2193] Ps. xxii. 19, 20, unicam meam, monogene mou.
[2194] Animalem.
[2195] Mens.
[2196] Anima.
[2197] 1 Cor. xiv. 15.
[2198] 1 Pet. i. 9.
[2199] These words are found in Jerome's Epistle to Avitus, and, literally translated, are as follows: "Whence infinite caution is to be employed, lest perchance, after souls have obtained salvation and come to the blessed life, they should cease to be souls. For as our Lord and Saviour came to seek and to save what was lost, that it might cease to be lost; so the soul which was lost, and for whose salvation the Lord came, shall, when it has been saved, cease for a soul. This point in like manner must be examined, whether, as that which has been lost was at one time not lost, and a time will come when it will be no longer lost; so also at some time a soul may not have been a soul, and a time may be when it will by no means continue to be a soul." A portion of the above is also found, in the original Greek, in the Emperor Justinian's Letter to Menas, Patriarch of Constantinople.
[2200] Deut. iv. 24.
[2201] Ps. civ. 4; cf. Heb. i. 7.
[2202] Ex. iii. 2.
[2203] Rom. xii. 11.
[2204] Cf. Jer. i. 9. The word "fire" is found neither in the Hebrew nor in the Septuagint.
[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.
[2219] John xii. 27.
[2220] Matt. xxvi. 38.
[2221] Animam.
[2222] John x. 18.
[2223] Ps. xliv. 19.