All Our Yesterdays
"To the last
syllable of recorded time, and all our yesterdays. . ." (Macbeth V.v.)
A series of brief articles
dealing with Human Pre-existence
by Arthur & Rosalind Eedle.
22. Ancient Christian Beliefs
(2)
Our second excursion into the thoughts and
writings of Origen may best be summarised by the following extract from Hosea
Ballou’s book, entitled “The Ancient History of Universalism.” This book was
first published in 1828, but more recently re-printed by the “Saviour of All
Fellowship.”
Origen, having accomplished his
business in Greece, returned to Alexandria, finished the first five books of
his Commentaries on St. John, those on the Lamentations,
on some of the Psalms, and on part of Genesis, and
published them, A. D. 230, together with
his work entitled Stromata, and his book Of
Principles. These were, perhaps, his first publications. From the last
mentioned work, we have already seen that, in connexion with Universalism, he
held the doctrine of Pre-existence.
His opinion was, that in the past
ages of eternity, God created, at once, all the rational minds which have ever
existed, whether of angels or men, gave them the same nature and the same
powers, and placed them all in one celestial state. Accordingly they were all,
at first, exactly alike in rank, capacity and character. But as they all had
perfect freedom of will, they did not long continue in this state of equality;
for while some improved themselves more or less, others degenerated
proportionally, till an infinite diversity of character and condition began to
take place among them. In consequence of this, the Almighty at length formed
the material Universe out of pre-existent matter, and appointed those spirits
to different ranks and conditions in it, according to their respective deserts;
elevating some to the angelic order, consigning others to the infernal abodes
as demons, and sending the intermediate class, as occasion might require, into
human bodies. Origen supposed also that the Sun, Moon and Stars were animated
by certain spirits who had attained to great moral splendor, dignity and power,
and who might, with justice, claim those bright and glorious spheres as their
own appropriate bodies.
As all these intelligent beings,
whatever their character and station, still retain their original freedom of
will, and are therefore capable of returning from their former transgressions,
of forfeiting their honors, or of rising to still higher degrees of excellence,
their present conditions are not only the allotments of retributive justice for
the past, but are also states of discipline adapted to reclaim the degenerate,
and to encourage the virtuous. To this end, indeed, are all the appointments of
providence, and all the administrations of the divine government, constantly
directed; and justice itself steadily pursues the same gracious design, in all
its severe but salutary inflictions.
Such are the views we may gather
from Origen’s books Of Principles, and his other works published at this
period. [End of quote]
By referring to these ancient ideas,
we may see the great diversity of understanding on the subject of
pre-existence. Although they all adhered to it, their opinions as to the
pre-existent conditions were very different. Today, we are no nearer a full
understanding of the early state, and perhaps we shall never be able to
quantify it, simply because we have had to pass through the “vale of
forgetfulness” on coming to the earth.
However, as this series has
progressed, it has been possible to see that, quite apart from the general
state of forgetfulness, God has actually written within us certain mental
abilities that enable us to recover something of the past. We shall see
more of this when looking at Plato’s works, with his theory of “recollection.”