Footnote 772:[ (return) ]
Clement wrote a special work περι προνοιας (see Zahn, Forschungen III., p. 39 ff.), and treated at length of προνοια in the Strom.; see Orig. περι αρχων III. 1; de orat. 6 etc. Evil is also subject to divine guidance; see Clem., Strom. I. 17. 81-87: IV. 12. 86 sq. Orig. Hom. in Num. XIV., Lomm. X., p. 163: "Nihil otiosum, nihil inane est apud deum, quia sive bono proposito hominis utitur ad bona sive malo ad necessaria." Here and there, however, Origen has qualified the belief in Providence, after the genuine fashion of antiquity (see c. Gels. IV. 74).
Footnote 773:[ (return) ]
Περι αρχων II. 9. 2: "Recedere a bono, non aliud est quam effici in malo. Ceterum namque est, malum esse bono canere. Ex quo accidit, ut in quanta mensura quis devolveretur a bono, in tantam mensuram malitiæ deveniret." In the passage in Johann. II. 7, Lomm. I., p. 115, we find a closely reasoned exposition of evil as ανυποστατον and an argument to the effect that τα πονηρα are—μη οντα.
Footnote 774:[ (return) ]
Περι αρχων I. 5. 3: III. 6. The devil is the chief of the apostate angels (c. Cels. IV. 65). As a reasonable being he is a creature of God (l.c., and in Joh. II. 7, Lomm., l.c.).
Footnote 775:[ (return) ]
Origen defended the teleology culminating in man against Celsus' attacks on it; but his assumption that the spirits of men are only a part of the universal spirit world is, as a matter of fact, quite akin to Celsus' view. If we consider the plan of the work περι αρχων we easily see that to Origen humanity was merely an element in the cosmos.
Footnote 776:[ (return) ]
The doctrine of man's threefold constitution is also found in Clement. See Pædag. III. 1. 1; Strom V. 14. 94: VI. 16. 134. (quite in the manner of Plato). Origen, who has given evidence of it in all his main writings, sometimes calls the rational part spirit, sometimes ψυχη λογικη, and at other times distinguishes two parts in the one soul. Of course he also professes to derive his psychology from the Holy Scriptures. The chief peculiarity of his speculation consists in his assumption that the human spirit, as a fallen one, became as it were a soul, and can develop from that condition partly into a spirit as before and partly into the flesh (see περι αρχων III. 4. 1 sq.: II. 8. 1-5). By his doctrine of the preëxistence of souls Origen excluded both the creation and traducian hypotheses of the origin of the soul.
Footnote 777:[ (return) ]
Clement (see Strom. II. 22. 131) gives the following as the opinion of some Christian teachers: το μεν κατ' εικονα ευθεως κατα την γενεσιν ειληφεναι τον ανθρωπον, το καθ' 'ομοιωσιν δε υστερον κατα την πελειωσιν μελλειν απολαμβανειν. Orig. c. Cels. IV. 30: εποιητε δ'ο Θεος τον ανθρωπον κατ' εικονα Θεος, αλλ' ουχι καθ' 'ομοιωσιν ηδη.
Footnote 778:[ (return) ]
This follows from the fundamental psychological view and is frequently emphasised. One must attain the σωφορσυνη.
Footnote 779:[ (return) ]
This is emphasised throughout. The goodness of God is shown first in his having given the creature reason and freedom, and secondly in acts of assistance, which, however, do not endanger freedom. Clem.; Strom. VI. 12, 96: 'ημας εξ 'ημων αυτων βουλεται σωζεσθαι.
Footnote 780:[ (return) ]
See above, p. 344, and p. 361, note 5. Origen continually emphasised the universality of sin in the strongest expressions: c. Cels. III. 61-66: VII. 50; Clem., Pæd. III. 12. 93: το εξαμαρτανειν πασιν εμφυτον.
Footnote 781:[ (return) ]
See Clem., Strom. VII. 16. 101: μυριων γουν οντων κατ' αριθμον 'α πρασσουσιν ανθρωποι σχεδον δυο εισιν αρχαι πασης 'αμαρτιας, αγνοια και ασθενεια, αμφω δε εφ' 'ημιν, των μητε εθελοντων μανθανειν μητε αυ της επιθυμιας κρατειν. Two remedies correspond to this (102): 'η γνωσις τε και 'η της εκ των γραφων μαρτυριας εναργης αποδειξις and 'η κατα λογον ασκησις εκ πιστεως τε και φοβου παιδαγωγουμενη, or otherwise expressed: 'η θεωρια 'η επιστημονικη and 'η πραξις which lead to perfect love.