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  1 1     |   individuals. Moreover, he despises God's law in his painting, maintaining
  2 1     |        marriages, alleges the law of God in defence of lust, and
  3 1     |              Him everything which is God, since he will not have
  4 2     |          ASSUMPTIONS, CONCLUDES THAT GOD CREATED ALL THINGS OUT OF
  5 3     |        HERMOGENES. THE ANSWER: WHILE GOD IS A TITLE ETERNALLY APPLICABLE
  6 3     |          also another point: that as God was always God, there was
  7 3     |               that as God was always God, there was never a time
  8 3     |          there was never a time when God was not also Lord. But it
  9 3     |         manner as He had been always God, if there had not been always,
 10 3     |           Lord. So he concludes that God always had Matter co-existent
 11 3     |               then, that the name of God always existed with Himself
 12 3     |           same as that of the other. God is the designation of the
 13 3     |          with its own name, which is God; the title Lord was afterwards
 14 3     |          power of a Lord was to act, God, by the accession of that
 15 3     |            the name thereof. Because God is in like manner a Father,
 16 3     |            of His having always been God. For He could not have been
 17 3     |        proper time! For (the title ) God, indeed, which always belonged
 18 3     |             first: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the
 19 3     |             Lord, it merely mentions God. "And God said," "and God
 20 3     |            merely mentions God. "And God said," "and God made," "
 21 3     |            God. "And God said," "and God made," "and Gad saw;" but
 22 3     |             name Lord: "And the Lord God, Deus Dominus. took the
 23 3     |           had formed;" "And the Lord God commanded Adam." Thenceforth
 24 3     |   Thenceforth He, who was previously God only, is the Lord, from
 25 3     |             to Himself He was always God, but to all things was He
 26 3     |              things was He only then God, when He became also Lord.
 27 3     |          title Lord is unsuitable to God in respect of Matter, because
 28 3     |            one. Therefore ever since God exercised His power over
 29 3     |            had all along experienced God as its Lord, yet Matter
 30 3     |          after all, demonstrate that God did not exist in the relation
 31 4     |            according to Hermogenes,) God compares it with Himself
 32 4     |             what other estimate's of God is there than eternity?
 33 4     |              this is the property of God, it will belong to God alone,
 34 4     |            of God, it will belong to God alone, whose property it
 35 4     |            longer be the property of God, but will belong, along
 36 4     |           yet to us there is but one God the Father, of whom are
 37 4     |             which is the property of God ought to be regarded as
 38 4     |            regarded as pertaining to God alone, and why (as I have
 39 4     |              being. Now, since He is God, it must necessarily be
 40 4     |            By possessing these He is God alone, and by His sole possession
 41 4     |    possessors of these attributes of God. Hermogenes, therefore,
 42 4     |              he introduces Matter as God's equal. God, however, must
 43 4     |    introduces Matter as God's equal. God, however, must be One, because
 44 4     |              be One, because that is God which is supreme; but nothing
 45 4     |            Matter will be equal with God when it is held to be eternal.~
 46 5     |          MAKE IT SOMEHOW INFERIOR TO GOD.~But God is God, and Matter
 47 5     |         SOMEHOW INFERIOR TO GOD.~But God is God, and Matter is Matter.
 48 5     |          INFERIOR TO GOD.~But God is God, and Matter is Matter. As
 49 5     |             state have but one mode? God is unborn; is not Matter
 50 5     |              not Matter also unborn? God ever exists; is not Matter,
 51 5     |             not then comparable with God as soon as it has something
 52 5     |           has something belonging to God; since, by not having total (
 53 5     |             more has he reserved for God, that he should not seem
 54 5     |       authority and the substance of God must remain intact, by virtue
 55 5     |               maintains the unity of God in such a way as to insist
 56 5     |             that whatever belongs to God Himself belongs to Him alone.
 57 5     |              impossible that another god should be admitted, when
 58 5     |         being to possess anything of God. Well, then, you say, we
 59 5     |              rate possess nothing of God. But indeed we do, and shall
 60 5     |            said, Ye are gods," and, "God standeth in the congregation
 61 5     |          which it has in common with God. Otherwise, if it received
 62 5     |       Otherwise, if it received from God the property which belongs
 63 5     |            property which belongs to God, I mean its attribute of
 64 5     |             attribute in common with God, and yet at the same time
 65 5     |              at the same time is not God. But what inconsistency
 66 5     |      possession of an attribute with God, and also to wish that what
 67 5     |           the exclusive privilege of God!~
 68 6     |            CREATOR.~He declares that God's attribute is still safe
 69 6     |            to Him, of being the only God, and the First, and the
 70 6     |       ascribes to Matter also. He is God, to be sure. God shall also
 71 6     |               He is God, to be sure. God shall also attest the same;
 72 6     |               that there is no other God like Him. Hermogenes, however,
 73 6     |            For Matter will be such a God as He being unmade, unborn,
 74 6     |          beginning, and without end. God will say, "I am the first!"
 75 6     |     encroachment on the condition of God, let him see to it that
 76 6     |              the tables on him, that God similarly was eternal without
 77 6     |        itself exist, only along with God; and that God existed alone,
 78 6     |             along with God; and that God existed alone, but with
 79 6     |               It also was first with God, as God, too, was first
 80 6     |          also was first with God, as God, too, was first with it;
 81 6     |               is not comparable with God, as God, too, is not to
 82 6     |              comparable with God, as God, too, is not to be compared
 83 6     |            be compared with it; with God also it was the Author (
 84 6     |             of all things), and with God their Sovereign. In this
 85 6     |            this way he proposes that God has something, and yet not
 86 6     |        Matter which is compared with God, but rather God who is compared
 87 6     |        compared with God, but rather God who is compared with Matter.
 88 6     |              we claim as peculiar to God to have always existed,
 89 6     |             different and alien from God, and hereby special to itself,
 90 6     |     incapable of being compared with God? That Being, in which occur
 91 6     |          occur all the properties of God, is sufficiently predetermined
 92 7     |             that matter is less than God, and inferior to Him, and
 93 7     |         simply this which makes even God to be as great as He is,
 94 7     |     qualities which are repugnant to God I mean diminution and inferiority,
 95 7     |            born and made so likewise God, for this very reason, is
 96 7     |              being unborn and unmade God and Matter by reason of
 97 7     |           constrained to acknowledge God, insist on having other
 98 7     |            thus to subject matter to God, an eternal to the Eternal,
 99 7     |         without an Author, without a God. What God, then, is He who
100 7     |          Author, without a God. What God, then, is He who subjects
101 7     |            If it be He who is called God, then I myself, too, have
102 7     |            divine) name. Either I am God, or He is Matter, because
103 7     |           not made Matter equal with God, although, for-sooth, he
104 8     |            ON THE WHOLE, SUPERIOR TO GOD.~Nay more, he even prefers
105 8     |            he even prefers Matter to God, and rather subjects God
106 8     |             God, and rather subjects God to it, when he will have
107 8     |            when he will have it that God made all things out of Matter.
108 8     |             effecting His works; and God is thereby clearly subjected
109 8     |            doubt, was not in want of God, but rather lent itself
110 8     |            but rather lent itself to God, who was in want of it rich
111 8     |             verily, did it confer on God in giving Him means at the
112 8     |              He might be known to be God, and be called Almighty
113 8     |           own self acknowledged with God as God's co-equal, nay more,
114 8     |             acknowledged with God as God's co-equal, nay more, as
115 9     |              it was as its Lord that God employed Matter for His
116 9     |             of His power; for if, as God, He had at all possessed
117 9     |             as its Lord and the good God that so He might have a
118 9     |          virtue of His Lordship that God used Matter even of His
119 9     |             terms, must proceed from God Himself, since He is I will
120 9     |          prove not even to belong to God at all, as being evil, it
121 9     |              methods) is suitable to God. Did He, then, make all
122 9     |             But, in truth, would not God have more wisely determined
123 10    |             on the belief of another God supremely good, on the ground
124 10    |           yet there is absolutely no god at all that is free from
125 10    |              of his. For observe how God is found to be, if not the
126 10    |            willing, but being a weak God, was not able. If He was
127 10    | disgracefully, if through necessity. God must either be the servant
128 11    |          EFFORTS TO REMOVE EVIL FROM GOD TO MATTER. HOW HE FAILS
129 11    |           evident what is eternal as God is the highest good, whereby
130 11    |              therefore good as being God, how can evil be inherent
131 11    |          able to be also believed of God to His prejudice; so that
132 11    |          anxious to remove evil from God; since evil must be compatible
133 11    |              in that case, moreover, God vainly gives us such a command
134 11    |       precept; nay more, in vain has God appointed any judgment at
135 11    |             away into the fire which God hath prepared for him and
136 11    |     manifestation of the children of God" shall have "delivered the
137 12    |           course, just as we believe God to be good, even very good,
138 12    |  unchangeable in good in the case of God. Because, as is evident,
139 12    |         changed from good to evil in God. Here some man will say,
140 12    |       against us when he denies that God was able to make (anything)
141 12    |                very good" ones: "And God saw that they were good,
142 12    |             that they were good, and God blessed them" because, of
143 13    |             fruit, since there is no God who is not good; nor does
144 13    |          good things be imputable to God, just as evil things are
145 13    |           this rate, we shall owe to God neither gratitude for good
146 14    |              you try to avoid making God the Author of evil things;
147 14    |          more worthy to believe that God is free, even as the Author
148 14    |          must then have been made of God; if not of God, then it
149 14    |          been made of God; if not of God, then it must have been
150 15    |                  XV. THE TRUTH, THAT GOD MADE ALL THINGS FROM NOTHING,
151 15    |           evil as it was, nor out of God, since, according to the
152 15    |            have been produced out of god, it will be found that good
153 15    |             neither of Matter nor of God. And if good was formed
154 15    |        neither from nothing nor from God, it will follow that it
155 15    |         denying it to be the work of God, from whose will there would
156 15    |           here also, as I have said, God will have to be regarded
157 15    |        should either attribute it to God or separate it from God,
158 15    |              God or separate it from God, do in fact expose God to
159 15    |          from God, do in fact expose God to many most unworthy calumnies.~
160 16    |           must be ascribed either to God, who made them out of Matter;
161 16    |             because after Matter and God there is not a third. Now
162 16    |            should prove to belong to God, God evidently will be the
163 16    |              prove to belong to God, God evidently will be the author
164 16    |              the author of evil; but God, as being good, cannot be
165 16    |              will be comparable with God; and both will be equal,
166 16    |              not to be compared with God, in order that it may not
167 16    |              to say, let the good be God's, and the evil belong to
168 16    |              must not be ascribed to God, nor, on the other hand,
169 16    |            hand, good to Matter. And God, moreover, by making both
170 16    |     conclusion; for he supposes that God cannot be the author of
171 16    |              by means of Matter that God shows Himself the author
172 16    |             you expressly to prevent God's seeming to be the author
173 16    |            excluded, it remains that God without doubt, must have
174 16    |             For it is more worthy of God that He produced even these
175 16    |         which suits the character of God. I would much rather that
176 17    |                   XVII. THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORK IN CREATION. YOU
177 17    |           the nature of the One-only God, who is One-only in no other
178 17    |           other way than as the sole God; and in no other way sole,
179 18    |            ON THE WISDOM AND WORD OF GOD, BY WHICH GOD MADE ALL THINGS
180 18    |            AND WORD OF GOD, BY WHICH GOD MADE ALL THINGS OF NOTHING.~
181 18    |            material was necessary to God in the creation of the world,
182 18    |              as Hermogenes supposed, God had a far nobler and more
183 18    |            who knoweth the things of God, and the things in God,
184 18    |            of God, and the things in God, but the Spirit, which is
185 18    |        beautiful, such truly as even God might well have required,
186 18    |              that the very Wisdom of God is declared to be born and
187 18    |              is any other being than God alone who is unbegotten
188 18    |               when in the thought of God It began to assume motion
189 18    |           same Wisdom is the Word of God, in the capacity of Wisdom,
190 18    |              nobler, than the Son of God, the only-begotten and first-begotten
191 18    |        unbegotten, whilst the Son of God is begotten ("for," says
192 18    |             is begotten ("for," says God, "my heart hath emitted
193 18    |              puts Matter even before God, by putting it before the
194 18    |           the Word, and "the Word is God," and "I and my Father are
195 19    |             the very beginning, when God made the heaven and the
196 19    |           are the principal works of God, and since, by His making
197 19    |             words," In the beginning God made the heaven and the
198 19    |            would have said, "At last God made the heaven and the
199 19    |            heaven and the earth," if God had created these after
200 19    |            authority and power, that God made the heaven and the
201 20    |       CONNECTS IT WITH THE WISDOM OF GOD, AND ELICITS FROM IT THE
202 20    |           were made by the Wisdom of God, it follows that, when God
203 20    |           God, it follows that, when God made both the heaven and
204 20    |            not have informed us that God made so and so in principio,
205 20    |          that whilst it shows me the God who created, and the works
206 20    |         there were any) out of which God made all things, inasmuch
207 20    |       beginning, of course, in which God made the heaven and the
208 20    |         earth "and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All
209 20    |           with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by
210 20    |              the Maker was, that is, God, and what He made, even
211 20    |              all things were made by God through the Word should
212 21    |             it was made of. Then, if God had been unable to make
213 22    |           its kind." And again: "And God said, Let the waters bring
214 22    |           heaven. And it was so. And God created great whales, and
215 22    |               Again afterwards: "And God said, Let the earth bring
216 22    |            their kind." If therefore God, when producing other things
217 22    |            In the beginning," then, "God made the heaven and the
218 23    |           say, have existed, and yet God might not have made anything
219 25    |              in question: one, which God made in the beginning; the
220 25    |            being the Matter of which God made the world, and concerning
221 25    |         proper that this earth which God made should have derived
222 25    |            one of ours obtained from God in an equal degree both
223 25    |            goodness in Genesis, "And God saw that it was good;" while
224 26    |            We, however, have but one God, and but one earth too,
225 26    |               which in the beginning God made. The Scripture, which
226 26    |           creation "In the beginning God made the heaven:" it then
227 26    |            its arrangement; how that God both separated "the water
228 26    |      afterwards) treats of man: "And God created man, in the image
229 26    |         created man, in the image of God made He him." It next reveals
230 26    |            made him: "And (the Lord) God formed man of the dust of
231 26    |             words: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the
232 26    |          same earth, no doubt, which God made, and of which the Scripture
233 28    |             was thus subsistent with God, without the interposition
234 28    |       existed nothing but itself and God), it could not of course
235 28    |                much more is it so to God. If indeed it had been invisible,
236 28    |       mystery was revealed to him by God, he ought to give us his
237 29    |        CREATION, BEAUTIFULLY STATED.~God, indeed, consummated all
238 29    |         forthwith becomes "visible," God saying, "Let the water be
239 29    |       moisture, but yet "land." "And God called the dry land Earth,"
240 29    |              be accounted void, when God declares, "Let the earth
241 29    |              the heavens, He was the God that formed the earth, and
242 29    |           both created and formed by God, and that none other was "
243 29    |             to that same earth which God mentioned separately along
244 30    |              deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
245 30    |             the deep" "the Spirit of God," "the waters," forbids
246 31    |            this earth of yours, that God made it in the beginning,
247 31    |            of creation, were made by God, possessing of course their
248 31    |      Scripture itself. It says that "God made man of the dust of
249 31    |           say that they were made by God; so again it speaks of skin
250 31    |             they had been created by God. What will Hermogenes have
251 32    |             as some suppose) meaning God Himself by the spirit, on
252 32    |          spirit, on the ground that "God is a Spirit," because the
253 32    |    particular things were created by God, although they are only
254 32    |              deep, and the spirit of God moved on the face of the
255 32    |           that case the operation of God might seem to be useless,
256 32    |              deep, and the spirit of God moved on the face of the
257 32    |        passages to have been made by God, they ought to have been
258 33    |              MATTER. ITS RELATION TO GOD'S CREATION OF THE WORLD.~
259 33    |              it in the Scriptures of God), it is enough for us, both
260 33    |              all things were made by God, and that there is no certainty
261 33    |              had been really made by God, since we maintained (no
262 33    |              be, that nothing except God was uncreated. Up to this
263 33    |           even these were created by God.~
264 34    |           ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY GOD OUT OF NOTHING AFFORDED
265 34    |             ultimate dispensation of God which will bring back all
266 34    |              at last to nothing. For God would not have made any
267 37    |             arrangement of itself by God; if it were naturally evil,
268 37    |            for the better, nor would God have ever applied to such
269 37    |        require to be set in order by God;" so again, when you add, "
270 37    |             not have been changed by God as the more powerful Being,
271 38    |      positions. You put Matter below God, and thus, of course, you
272 38    |           assign a place to it below God. Therefore Matter is local.
273 38    |          same time I cannot tell why God should not have entirely
274 38    |            was not wholly formed (by God), in order that I may understand
275 38    |               It was only right that God should have made it known
276 39    |            it is used as material by God, on the ground of its being
277 39    |             respecting the person of God when you laid down the rule
278 39    |              laid down the rule that God made it not out of His own
279 39    |             for the same reason that God also is. Since it is associated
280 40    |            AN INCONGRUOUS ORIGIN FOR GOD'S BEAUTIFUL COSMOS. HERMOGENES
281 42    |        desires to be set in order by God. Does that, then, which
282 42    |               You are unwilling that God should seem to be equal
283 42    |              common condition · with God. "For [it is impossible,"
284 42    |           has nothing in common with God, that it can be set in order
285 42    |              anything in common with God, it did not want to be set
286 42    |              condition; or else even God was susceptible of being
287 42    |           And now you herein subject God to necessity, since there
288 42    |            ascribe to Matter than to God? There will be found all
289 42    |        perpetuity of motion. Only in God motion is regular, in Matter
290 42    |              in a way not allowed to God.~
291 43    |         waited for the regulation of God, and kept its irregular
292 43    |            for the better; nor would God have ever applied to it
293 43    |        incapable of being changed by God; and then, forgetting them,
294 43    |             received adjustment from God, and was reduced to order,
295 43    |     transformed from evil; and if by God's setting it in order it
296 44    |             CURIOUS VIEWS RESPECTING GOD'S METHOD OF WORKING WITH
297 44    |              HERETIC'S OPINION ABOUT GOD'S LOCAL RELATION TO MATTER.~
298 44    |        should show also how you make God work. You are plainly enough
299 44    |             The Stoics maintain that God pervaded Matter, just as
300 44    |             by pervading Matter that God makes the world, but simply
301 44    |          what similarity is there in God forming the world, and beauty
302 44    |         attracting iron? For even if God appeared to Matter, He yet
303 44    |           approaching to Matter that God made the world, and He made
304 44    |              can it be believed that God had not appeared to Matter
305 44    |             immense the place, where God kept Himself so far aloof
306 45conc|           that the world was made by God merely appearing and approaching
307 45conc|           not be willing so to cover God with flattery, as to contend
308 45conc|              Jeremiah when he says, "God hath made the earth by His
309 45conc|             it any more. Nay rather, God began to appear more conspicuously
310 45conc|             by the operation of that God who "made the earth by His
311 45conc|              investigated, except by God alone. Otherwise, if they
312 45conc|              all things were made by God out of nothing. It must