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A Series of Lessons in Mystic Christianity1092
opponents: “Their argument accordingly is this: If there be this great
diversity of circumstances, and this diverse and varying condition by birth,
in which the faculty of free-will has no scope (for no one chooses for himself
either where, or with whom, or in what condition he is born); if, then, this is
not caused by the difference in the nature of souls, i.e., that a soul of an evil
nature is destined for a wicked nation and a good soul for a righteous nation,
what other conclusion remains than that these things must be supposed to
be regulated by accident or chance? And, if that be admitted, then it will
be no longer believed that the world was made by God, or administered
by His providence.”
Origen continues: “God who deemed it just to arrange His creatures
according to their merit, brought down these different understandings into
the harmony of one world, that He might adorn, as it were, one dwelling, in
which there ought to be not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood
and clay (and some, indeed, to honor, and others to dishonor) with their
different vessels, or souls, or understandings. On which account the Creator
will neither appear to be unjust in distributing (for the causes already
mentioned) to every one according to his wants, nor will the happiness or
unhappiness of each one’s birth, or whatever be the condition that falls to
his lot, be accidental.” He then asserts that the condition of each man is the
result of his own deeds.
He then considers the case of Jacob and Esau, which a certain set of
thinkers had used to illustrate the unjust and cruel discrimination of the
Creator toward His creatures. Origen contended that in this case it would
be most unjust for God to love Jacob and hate Esau before the children were
born, and that the only true interpretation of the matter was the theory that
Jacob was being rewarded for the good deeds of past lives, while Esau was
being punished for his misdeeds in past incarnations.
And not only Origen takes this stand, but Jerome also, for the latter says:
“If we examine the case of Esau we may find he was condemned because of
his ancient sins in a worse course of life.” (Jerome’s letter to Avitus) Origen