Annotation CCXCIII

”And he subjected all things under his feet.” — Ephesians 1:22

Whether the stars are rational living beings, and purged by the blood of Christ.

To Jerome Rufinus turns [it] for a fault, because, interpreting this passage, he affirmed that the stars are rational living beings, and capable of offense [sin], and [that] Christ also purged their sins, when he wrote these [things]: “BUT why all things — that is, angels, thrones, dominations, powers, and the other virtues, which were never contrary to God — are subjected under his feet, seems obscure. It can therefore be answered, that no one is without sin; and [that] the stars themselves are not clean before God; and [that] every creature fears the coming of the Creator. Whence also the cross of the Savior is reported to have purged not only those [things] which are on earth, but those which are in the heavens.” He speaks, as has already been said, from the opinion of Origen.