Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

Epistles on the Arian Heresy

Alexander of Alexandria

Section 3

About this work

Author: Alexander of Alexandria

3. But when man afterwards by his fall had

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

inclined

to

death

,

it

was

necessary

that

that

form

should

be

recreated

anew

to

salvation

by

the

same

Artificer

.

For

the

form

indeed

lay

rotting

in

the

ground

;

but

that

inspiration

which

had

been

as

the

breath

of

life

,

was

detained

separate

from

the

body

in

a

dark

place

,

which

is

called

Hades

.

There

was

,

therefore

,

a

division

of

the

soul

from

the

body

;

it

was

banished

ad

inferos

,

whilst

the

latter

was

resolved

into

dust

;

and

there

was

a

great

interval

of

separation

between

them

;

for

the

body

,

by

the

dissolution

of

the

flesh

,

becomes

corrupt

;

the

soul

being

loosened

from

it

,

its

action

ceases

.

For

as

when

the

king

is

thrown

into

chains

,

the

city

falls

to

ruin

;

or

as

when

the

general

is

taken

captive

,

the

army

is

scattered

abroad

;

or

as

when

the

helmsman

is

shaken

off

,

the

vessel

is

submerged

;

so

when

the

soul

is

bound

in

chains

,

its

body

goes

to

pieces

;

as

the

city

without

its

king

,

so

its

members

are

dissolved

;

as

is

the

case

with

an

army

when

its

general

is

lost

,

they

are

drowned

in

death

,

even

as

happens

to

a

vessel

when

deprived

of

its

helmsman

.

The

soul

,

therefore

,

governed

the

man

,

as

long

as

the

body

survived

;

even

as

the

king

governs

the

city

,

the

general

the

army

,

the

helmsman

the

ship

.

But

it

was

powerless

to

rule

it

,

from

the

time

when

it

was

immoveably

tied

to

it

,

and

became

immersed

in

error

;

therefore

it

was

that

it

declined

from

the

straight

path

,

and

followed

tempters

,

giving

heed

to

fornication

,

idolatry

,

and

shedding

of

blood

;

by

which

evil

deeds

it

has

destroyed

the

proper

manhood

.

Nay

,

but

itself

also

being

carried

at

length

to

the

lower

regions

,

it

was

there

detained

by

the

wicked

tempter

.

Else

was

it

wont

,

as

the

king

restores

the

ruined

city

,

the

general

collects

the

dispersed

army

,

the

sailor

repairs

the

broken

ship

,

even

so

,

I

say

,

the

soul

used

to

minister

supplies

to

the

body

before

that

the

body

was

dissolved

in

the

dust

,

being

not

as

yet

itself

bound

fast

with

fetters

.

But

after

that

the

soul

became

bound

,

not

with

material

fetters

but

with

sins

,

and

thus

was

rendered

impotent

to

act

,

then

it

left

its

body

in

the

ground

,

and

being

cast

down

to

the

lower

regions

,

it

was

made

the

footstool

of

death

,

and

despicable

to

all

.