Reincarnation

63 Though Rufinus wrote that he never “added anything of his own” 18 , his wish to protect Origen from accusations, is very obvious, so that one has to expect certain changes to his texts. This also comes to the fore in his preface to the 3rd book. (Page 459-461; III, Praef. Ruf.) Hieronymus manufactured a faithful translation, which should expose the false doctrine in “De pricipiis”. This translation has not been handed down. Parts of it are found in Epistula 124 of Hieronymus and Avitus. Letters of other opponents of Origen give partial conclusions about the original text, equally so scripts of his supporters. Some sections are to be found in “Philokalie”, an anthology, which was published between 360 A.D. and 378 A.D. by Basilus the Great and Gregor of Nazianz. 19 + 20 2.4.2 A few paragraphs from “De Principiis”  GOD is incorporeal and unfathomable. 21  CHRIST has only one nature. On page 367-371; Volume II, 6, 5-6 it states: “ There might be someone who finds it difficult to accept, that there is a rational soul in CHRIST and that the nature of such a soul, as we have shown over again in our discussions, is capable to do good as well as evil. There is no doubt, that the nature of that soul was exactly like any other soul; otherwise one couldn’t call it a “soul”, if it wasn’t in fact a soul. As all souls have the capacity to decide between good and evil, the soul of CHRIST chose “ love for justice” (compare pages 44/45/,8) in such a fashion, that corresponding to the magnitude of Love, it was around him unchangeable and inseparable. The intensity of the decision, the overpowering greatness of affection and the inextinguishable warmth of Love, excluded any thought of reversal and transformation. Whatever was initially dependent on free decision making, has become second nature through the effects of prolonged force of habit. One must therefore assume, that there was a rational human soul in CHRIST, but that it had no thoughts of sin and no opportunity to do so”.  The CREATOR is clearly demarcated from creation.  The first creation was not physical.  There are LEVELS within creation : various non-material levels and the visible, terrestrial world.  The angels, who were weary of contemplating GOD, “fell” into the lower regions; they became demons or even humans , as an example. Profoundly immoral people can sometimes be born into bodies of animals. 18 As no. 8, page 79 19 Kirsch, Johann Peter: ”Kirchengeschichte”, Herder, Freeburg, 1930, first volume: Die Kirsches in der antigen griechischen Kulturwelt. 20 Funk, Franz Xaver / Bihlmeyer, Karl:“Kirchengeschichte”, Ferdinand Schöningh Verlag, Paderborn, 1926, part one: Das christliche Altertum. 21 To what extend the original subordinateism (Subordination of the son to the father); subordination of the HOLY SPIRIT to the SON was taught, is hard to establish today, as Rufinus made particular changes in this respect. Even though the Presbyterian Arius of Alexandria (circa 280-336 A.D.) developed from the “Origenic Right”, Arianism cannot be identified with the doctrine of Origen.