登陆注册
5214200000198

第198章

He Himself moves all temporal things, so He knows all times with a knowledge that time cannot measure.And therefore He saw that what He had made was good, when He saw that it was good to make it.And when He saw it made, He had not on that account a twofold nor any way increased knowledge of it; as if He had less knowledge before He made what He saw.For certainly He would not be the perfect worker He is, unless His knowledge were so perfect as to receive no addition from His finished works.Wherefore, if the only object had been to inform us who made the light, it had been enough to say, "God made the light;" and if further information regarding the means by which it was made had been intended, it would have sufficed to say, "And God said, Let there be light, and there was light," that we might know not only that God had made the world, but also that He had made it by the word.But because it was right that three leading truths regarding the creature be intimated to us, viz., who made it, by what means, and why, it is written, "God said, Let there be light, and there was light.And God saw the light that it was good." If, then, we ask who made it, it was "God."If, by what means, He said "Let it be," and it was.If we ask, why He made it, "it was good." Neither is there any author more excellent than God, nor any skill more efficacious than the word of God, nor any cause better than that good might be created by the good God.This also Plato has assigned as the most sufficient reason for the creation of the world, that good works might be made by a good God;(3) whether he read this passage, or, perhaps, was informed of these things by those who had read them, or, by his quick-sighted genius, penetrated to things spiritual and invisible through the things that are created, or was instructed regarding them by those who had discerned them CHAP.22.--OF THOSE WHO DO NOT APPROVE OF CERTAIN THINGS WHICH ARE APART OF THIS

GOOD CREATION OF A GOOD CREATOR, AND WHO THINK THAT THERE IS SOME NATURALEVIL.

This cause, however, of a good creation, namely, the goodness of God,--this cause, I say, so just and fit, which, when piously and carefully weighed, terminates all the controversies of those who inquire into the origin of the world, has not been recognized by some heretics,(1) because there are, forsooth, many things, such as fire, frost, wild beasts, and so forth, which do not suit but injure this thinblooded and frail mortality of our flesh, which is at present under just punishment.They do not consider how admirable these things are in their own places, how excellent in their own natures, how beautifully adjusted to the rest of creation, and how much grace they contribute to the universe by their own contributions as to a commonwealth; and how serviceable they are even to ourselves, if we use them with a knowledge of their fit adaptations,--so that even poisons, which are destructive when used injudiciously, become wholesome and medicinal when used in conformity with their qualities and design; just as, on the other hand, those things which give us pleasure, such as food, drink, and the light of the sun, are found to be hurtful when immoderately or unseasonably used.And thus divine providence admonishes us not foolishly to vituperate things, but to investigate their utility with care; and, where our mental capacity or infirmity is at fault, to believe that there is a utility, though hidden, as we have experienced that there were other things which we all but failed to discover.For this concealment of the use of things is itself either an exercise of our humility or a levelling of our pride; for no nature at all is evil, and this is a name for nothing but the want of good.But from things earthly to things heavenly, from the visible to the invisible, there are some things better than others; and for this purpose are they unequal, in order that they might all exist.Now God is in such sort a great worker in great things, that He is not less in little things,--for these little things are to be measured not by their own greatness (which does not exist), but by the wisdom of their Designer;as, in the visible appearance of a man, if one eyebrow be shaved off, how nearly nothing is taken from the body, but how much from the beauty!--for that is not constituted by bulk, but by the proportion and arrangement of the members.But we do not greatly wonder that persons, who suppose that some evil nature has been generated and propagated by a kind of opposing principle proper to it, refuse to admit that the cause of the creation was this, that the good God produced a good creation.

For they believe that He was driven to this enterprise of creation by the urgent necessity of repulsing the evil that warred against Him, and that He mixed His good nature with the evil for the sake of restraining and conquering it; and that this nature of His, being thus shamefully polluted, and most cruelly oppressed and held captive, He labors to cleanse and deliver it, and with all His pains does not wholly succeed; but such part of it as could not be cleansed from that defilement is to serve as a prison and chain of the conquered and incarcerated enemy.

The Manichaeans would not drivel, or rather, rave in such a style as this, if they believed the nature of God to be, as it is, unchangeable and absolutely incorruptible, and subject to no injury;and if, moreover, they held in Christian sobriety, that the soul which has shown itself capable of being altered for the worse by its own will, and of being corrupted by sin, and so, of being deprived of the light of eternal truth,--that this soul, I say, is not a part of God, nor of the same nature as God, but is created by Him, and is far different from its Creator.

CHAP.23.---OF THE ERROR IN WHICH THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGEN IS INVOLVED.

同类推荐
  • 赏延素心录

    赏延素心录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 伤科大成

    伤科大成

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三元延寿参赞书

    三元延寿参赞书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阿閦如来念诵供养法

    阿閦如来念诵供养法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 花部农谭

    花部农谭

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 凰战天下,邪妃不好惹

    凰战天下,邪妃不好惹

    大婚之日,驸马夫君搂着亲妹妹,看着她被缝上了嘴巴,活活烧死!重生归来,她成了属国人人唾弃,被家族沉河祭司武神的疯傻废材小姐。父亲无情自私,姨娘狠辣阴毒,还有个伪善的庶姐在背后给她捅刀子和她现任未婚夫勾勾搭搭。谁说废材就要等着被羞辱,就要等死!且看她觉醒逆天体质,传承上古武神印记,拐来帅气逆天男票做后盾,带着萌宠闯天下,不但要打的坏人满地找牙,还要杀回帝国报仇雪恨,夺回她的一切。战意在涌动,死亡印记笼罩大地,顺我者昌逆我者亡!
  • Morning Star

    Morning Star

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 竞月贻香

    竞月贻香

    不死不灭的魔僧,立志祸乱天下;目生双瞳的妖道,只求玩得过瘾。谱写历史的从来不是什么正人君子,而是这些狂人疯子。(本书QQ群:194388020)
  • 权倾后宫

    权倾后宫

    一块会说话的绿水晶吊坠,一个依付在水晶里面的冤魂一个要求一个风云后宫的人物一个后宫中争宠夺权的故事由此而起~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~敛心顺便为其他的文做做广告:《情倾后宫》网址:这文则是《权倾后宫》的系列文,是讲述送水晶链给德妃的那个女孩的故事。大家对另一条水晶链引发的事感到好奇吗?想知的请收藏着看吧!````````````````````````````````````````权倾后宫1群是:38035951权倾后宫2群是:48043205
  • 初晨,是我故意忘记你2

    初晨,是我故意忘记你2

    少年李洛书自小无人疼爱,喜欢亲近温暖懂事的黎家姐姐初遥。当初遥弟弟初晨意外去世时,为了安慰她,他住进黎家成了她的挂名弟弟。很多年后,他终于意识到,原来他早已深深爱着她时,他却早已丧失了爱她的资格。本想就此默默守护一生,她却遭遇挚爱背叛。为了保护她,他挺身而出,差点重伤致残,却赢得了她的心。他一砖一木搭建起了新家,他说要守护她一辈子,她说会拿自己的命去爱他,她说她再也不会丢下他。却不曾想,这只是他们终其一生做过的一场美好的梦境。
  • 楚楚

    楚楚

    记者秋走下汽车,白花花的阳光扑面而来,一阵晕眩让他眯上眼睛,眼前飞起一篷篷黑的星星。秋想,这就是强烈吧,北方强烈的阳光。这种强烈不是南方的天地间所能感受到的,南方永远的绿色吸收了强烈,于是只剩了阳光,那阳光是温柔的和煦的。北方不同,北方干硬的黄土地是白的颜色,很少能吸热。秋想象,如果站在一个尖形的坑中,或许会被聚起的阳光烧焦呢。北方的阳光白得强烈,热得也强烈。没走出十步远,秋的额上已渗出茸茸细汗。这才是阴历的三月底,他从小生长在北方,满以为北方还是微寒的暮春,谁知太阳烈得已仿佛盛夏了。秋擦擦额头上的汗,发愁地向高远处麻点一样的贲家沟走去。
  • 明末江山如画

    明末江山如画

    巨额的债务、亲人的背叛、敌人的打压,现代交警刚刚穿越就遇到这样棘手的事情,他能带领自己的家族崛起于明末吗?请看诚子给您带来的故事,以有277万完本明末传奇之钢铁脊梁,请您放心阅读!
  • 万世帝尊

    万世帝尊

    一千年前,太古死囚秦逸自太古监狱中崛起,横扫太古十三皇,一战惊天地!五百年前,帝道极尊秦逸收服诸天三十三界,成为万古大帝!一百年前,一世帝皇秦逸意外陨落在诸天山脉,成为千古谜团!地元历407年,一个普通的少年,以同样的名字,从小小秦家走出,开创一代传奇!
  • 第三种传说

    第三种传说

    第八个月头上,王红问了我一个问题。我并不意外。前妻不止一次问过,有时甚至带着点儿咆哮。之前那个女人也问过。她有点儿口吃,我和她初遇时还很轻微,我俩分开的时候,她的口吃已经相当严重,一句话停顿五六次。我很难过,从某种程度上说,我与罪犯无异。但我有什么办法呢?我不是故意的。她们问话的形式不同,但主题不变,自然与我有关。这样的询问,预示她们和我分手的日子已经不远。
  • 儿科病调养食方

    儿科病调养食方

    《儿科病调养食方》中介绍了多种小儿常见疾病的饮食疗法,包括小儿发热、小儿肺炎、小儿腹泻、小儿腹痛、小儿厌食、小儿便秘、小儿寄生虫病、小儿夜啼、小儿遗尿、小儿汗症、儿童多动症等。书中的饮食疗法均按方名、组方、制法、功效、适应证的规则进行编写,以病统方,便于读者查找。