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| Another Ground of Hermogenes that Matter Has Some Good in It. Its Absurdity.
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Chapter
XIII.—Another Ground of Hermogenes that Matter Has Some Good in
It. Its Absurdity.
Here the question will arise How creatures were
made good out of it,6257
which were formed
without any change at all?6258
| 6258 i.e. in their nature,
Matter being evil, and they good, on the hypothesis. | How occurs the seed
of what is good, nay, very good, in that which is evil, nay, very evil?
Surely a good tree does not produce evil fruit,6259
since there is no God who is not good; nor does an evil tree yield good
fruit, since there is not Matter except what is very evil. Or if we
were to grant him that there is some germ of good in it, then
there will be no longer a uniform nature (pervading it), that is to
say, one which is evil throughout; but instead thereof (we now
encounter) a double nature, partly good and partly evil; and again the
question will arise, whether, in a subject which is good and evil,
there could possibly have been found a harmony for light and darkness,
for sweet and bitter? So again, if qualities so utterly diverse as good
and evil have been able to unite together,6260
and have imparted to Matter a double nature, productive of both kinds
of fruit, then no longer will absolutely6261
good things be imputable to God, just as evil things are not ascribed
to Him, but both qualities will appertain to Matter, since they are
derived from the property of Matter. At this rate, we shall owe to God
neither gratitude for good things, nor grudge6262
for evil ones, because He has produced no work of His own proper
character.6263
From which
circumstance will arise the clear proof that He has been subservient to
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