Editing Eternal return (section)

===Christian response===
Christian authors attacked the doctrine of eternal recurrence on various grounds. Origen argued that the theory was incompatible with [[free will]] (although he did allow the possibility of diverse and non-identical cycles).<ref>{{cite book |translator=G. W. Butterworth |title=Origen: On First Principles |date=1966 |url=https://archive.org/details/onfirstprinciple0000orig/page/86/mode/2up?view=theater |url-access=registration |publisher=Harper & Row |at=pp. 87–88 (book II, chapter 3, section 4)}}</ref> [[Augustine of Hippo]] (354–430 AD) objected to the fact that salvation was not possible in the Stoic scheme, arguing that even if a temporary happiness was attained, a soul could not be truly blessed if it was doomed to return again to misery.<ref name=Augustine>{{cite book |translator=R. W. Dyson |date=1998 |url=https://archive.org/details/cityofgodagainst0000augu_p2b5/page/516/mode/2up?view=theater |url-access=registration |title=Augustine: The City of God Against the Pagans |publisher=Cambridge University Press |at=pp. 516–517 (book XII, chapter 14)}}</ref>

Augustine also mentions "certain philosophers" who cite [[Ecclesiastes]] 1:9–10 as evidence of eternal return: "What is that which hath been? It is that which shall be. And what is that which is done? It is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Who can speak and say, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us." Augustine denies that this has reference to the recurrence of specific people, objects, and events, instead interpreting the passage in a more general sense. In support of his argument, he appeals to scriptural passages such as [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 6:9, which affirms that Christ "being raised from the dead dieth no more".<ref name=Augustine/>