wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and

Chap. IV. Againfl 0{\gt\-\s Eneilefs Circuits, 567affeSiion, procured to this foul its infeparahle union with the God-head., fd thatthe ajfumption of it zi;as neither fortuitous nor partial, or with profopolepfy {theacception of perfons) but befloiied upon it juflly for the merit of its virtues \hear (faith he) the prophet thus declaring to him, Thou hafl loved righteoufnefsand hated iniquity ; therefore hath God, even thy God, anointed thee ivith theoil of gladnefs above thy fellows. The foul of Chriji therefore was anointedwith the oil of gladnefs, or made one with the Word of God, for the merits oflove andfaithful adherence to God, and no otherwife. For to be anointed withthe oil of gladnsfs here properly fignifies nothing elfe, but to be replenifoed withthe Holy Ghofl. But when it is faid, that he was thus anointed above his fellows,this intimateth, that he had not the Holy-Ghofl beftcwed upon him, onlyas the prophets and other holy men had, but that the fubfiantial fulnefs of theWord of God dwelt in him. But this reafon of Origen^s feems to be very weak ;becaiife if there be a rank of fouls below human, Ipecificaliy differing fromthe fame, as Origen himfelf muft needs confefs, fhe not allowing the louls ofbrutes to have been human fouls Japfed,as fome Pythagoreans and Platoniftsconceited, but renouncing and difclaiming that opinion, as monftroudy abfurdand irrational) there can be no reafon given, why there might not beas well other ranks and orders of fouls fupenour to thofeof men, without theinjuftice of profopolepfy ; as, befides Simplicius, Plotinus and the generality ofother PJatonifts conceived.But leaft of all can we aflent to Origen, when from this principle, thatfouls, as fuch, are eficntially endowed with liberum arbilrium, or free will,and therefore never in their own nature impeccable, he infers thofe endlefscircuits of f6uls upwards and downwards, and fo makes them to be never atreft, denying them any fixed ftate of holinefs and happinefs by divine grace ;fuch as wherein they might be free from the fear and danger of ever lofing thefame. Of whom St. Aujiin'- therefore thus ; Ilium ^propter alia nonnulla,y maxiine propter allernantes fine ceffatione beatitudines £ff miferias, i^flatutisfeculorum intervallis ab iftis ad illas, aiq^ue ab illis ad iftas it us ac reditus interminabiles,non immeritb reprobavit ecclejia ; quia & hoc quod mifericors videbatur,ami/it, faciendo fanSlis veras miferias, quibus pxnas luerent, U' falfas beatitU'dines, in quibus verum ac fecurum, hoc efi, fine timore certum fempiterniboni gaudium non haberent. The church hath defervedly rejeSled Origen, bothfor certain other opinions of his, and especially for thofe his alternate beatitudesand miferies, without end, and for his infinite circuits, afcents and defcents offouls from one to the other, in refilefs viciffitudes and after periods of time. For^afmuch as hereby he hath quite loft that very title ofpitiful, or tnerciful, whichothcrivife he feemed to have deferved, by making fo many true miferies for theheft offaints, in which they fhould fucceffively undergo punifhment and fmart ;and none but falfe happinefs for them, fuch as wherein they could never haveany true or fecure joy, free from the fear of lofing that good, zvhich they poffefs.for this Origenical hypothefis feems direclly contrary to the whole tenourof the Gofpel, promifing eternal and everlafting life to thofe, who believe inDdddChrift,> DcCivitateDei, Lib. XXI. cap. XVII. p. 4S1. Tom VIII. Opcr.