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an excess of philanthropy. For He suffered willingly, and having willed it, He partook of death. {ORTH.} It seems you are completely ignorant of the divine nature. For the Lord God wills nothing that is not in His nature, but is able to do all that He wills. And He wills those things that are suitable and fitting for His own nature. {ERAN.} We have learned that all things are possible for God. {ORTH.} By making such an indefinite statement, you include in your argument also those things that belong to the devil's portion. For one who says 'all things' absolutely has spoken of both good things and their opposites in the same way. {ERAN.} Did not the noble Job then speak absolutely when he said, "I know that you can do all things, and nothing is impossible for you?" {ORTH.} If you would read what was said before by the righteous man, you would find the purpose of these words from 195 those. For he spoke thus: "Remember that you formed me from clay, and you turn me back to earth again. Did you not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese? You clothed me with skin and flesh, and wove me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and mercy, and your visitation has preserved my spirit." To these things he adds, "Having these things in myself, I know that you can do all things, and nothing is impossible for you." Therefore, did he not say that God of all is able to do all things that are consistent with these and are fitting for His pure nature? {ERAN.} Nothing is impossible for the omnipotent God. {ORTH.} Then to sin is also possible for the omnipotent God, according to your definition. {ERAN.} By no means. {ORTH.} Why? {ERAN.} Because He does not will it. {ORTH.} For what reason does He not will it? {ERAN.} Because to sin is alien to that nature. {ORTH.} Therefore, there are many things He cannot do; for there are many kinds of sins. {ERAN.} None of such things is either willed or possible for God. {ORTH.} Nor indeed those things which are contrary to the divine nature. {ERAN.} What are these? {ORTH.} For example, we have been taught that God is intellectual and true light. {ERAN.} Truly. {ORTH.} But we would not say that He either willed or was able to become darkness. {ERAN.} By no means. {ORTH.} Again, the divine Scripture says His nature is invisible. {ERAN.} So it says. {ORTH.} But we would not say it is ever able to become visible. {ERAN.} Certainly not. {ORTH.} Nor indeed comprehensible. {ERAN.} Indeed not. {ORTH.} For He is incomprehensible and altogether unattainable. {ERAN.} You speak the truth. {ORTH.} Therefore, He who is could not become not-being. 196 {ERAN.} Perish the thought. {ORTH.} Nor the Father, Son. {ERAN.} Among the impossibilities. {ORTH.} Nor, then, the unbegotten, begotten. {ERAN.} For how could He be? {ORTH.} Nor indeed could the Son ever become Father. {ERAN.} By no means. {ORTH.} Nor could the Holy Spirit become Son or Father. {ERAN.} All these things are impossible. {ORTH.} And we find many other such things that are similarly impossible. For neither will the eternal be subject to time, nor the uncreated created and made, nor the infinite finite, and all such similar things. {ERAN.} None of these things is possible. {ORTH.} We have therefore found many things to be impossible for the omnipotent God. {ERAN.} Truly. {ORTH.} But not to be able to do any of these things is a proof of infinite power, not of weakness; while to be able to do them would surely be a proof of powerlessness, not of power. {ERAN.} How do you say this? {ORTH.} Because each of these things proclaims the immutability and unchangeableness of God. For the inability of the good to become evil signifies the excess of goodness, and that the just could never become unjust, nor the true a liar, shows what is steadfast and firm in truth and justice. Thus the true light could not become darkness, nor He who is, not-being. For He possesses enduring being, and the light is unchangeable. Thus, considering all other things, you will find that inability is indicative of supreme power. Thus the divine Apostle also understood and established that such things are impossible for God. For writing to the Hebrews he says thus: "That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation;" the impossibility is not weak, but exceedingly

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φιλανθρωπίας ὑπερβολήν. Ἐθελήσας γὰρ πέπονθε, καὶ βουληθεὶς τοῦ θανάτου μετέσχηκεν. {ΟΡΘ.} Πάμπαν, ὡς ἔοικε, τὴν θείαν ἠγνοήκατε φύσιν. Ὁ γὰρ δεσπότης θεὸς οὐδὲν ὧν μὴ πέφυκε βούλεται, πάντα δὲ ὅσα βούλεται δύναται. Βούλεται δὲ τὰ τῇ οἰκείᾳ φύσει πρόσφορά τε καὶ πρέποντα. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἡμεῖς μεμαθήκαμεν ἅπαντα δυνατὰ τῷ θεῷ. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀορίστως ἀποφαινόμενος συμπεριλαμβάνεις τῷ λόγῳ καὶ ὅσα προσήκει τῇ τοῦ διαβόλου μερίδι. Ὁ γὰρ ἀπολύτως πάντα εἰπὼν καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ τούτων ἐναντία κατὰ ταὐτὸν εἴρηκεν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ὁ οὖν γενναῖος Ἰὼβ οὐκ ἀπολύτως εἴρηκεν, "Οἶδα ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι, ἀδυνατεῖ δέ σοι οὐδέν;" {ΟΡΘ.} Εἰ ἀναγνοίης τὰ τῷ δικαίῳ προειρημένα, καὶ τὸν τούτων ἐξ 195 ἐκείνων εὑρήσεις σκοπόν. Ἔφη δὲ οὕτως· "Μνήσθητι ὅτι πηλόν με ἔπλασας, εἰς δὲ γῆν με πάλιν ἀποστρέφεις· ἦ οὐχ ὡς γάλα με ἤμελ ξας, ἔπηξας δέ με ἴσα τυρῷ; ∆έρμα καὶ κρέας ἐνέδυσάς με, ὀστέοις δὲ καὶ νεύροις ἐνεῖράς με· ζωὴν δὲ καὶ ἔλεον ἔθου παρ' ἐμοί, ἡ δὲ ἐπισκοπή σου ἐφύλαττέ μου τὸ πνεῦμα." Τούτοις ἐπάγει, "Ταῦτα ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οἶδα ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι, ἀδυνατεῖ δέ σοι οὐδέν." Οὐκοῦν ὅσα τούτοις συμβαίνει, καὶ τῇ ἀκηράτῳ φύσει πρέπειν δύνασθαι ἔφη τῷ τῶν ὅλων θεῷ; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐδὲν ἀδύνατον τῷ παντοδυνάμῳ θεῷ. {ΟΡΘ.} Καὶ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ἄρα δυνατὸν τῷ παντοδυνάμῳ θεῷ κατά γε τὸν ὅρον τὸν σόν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐδαμῶς. {ΟΡΘ.} ∆ιὰ τί; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἐπειδήπερ οὐ βούλεται. {ΟΡΘ.} Τοῦ δὴ χάριν οὐ βούλεται; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἐπειδὴ τῆς φύσεως ἐκείνης τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ἀλλότριον. {ΟΡΘ.} Πολλὰ τοίνυν οὐ δύναται· πολλὰ γὰρ εἴδη πλημμελημάτων. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐδὲν τῶν τοιούτων ἢ βουλητὸν ἢ δυνατὸν τῷ θεῷ. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὔτε μὴν ἐκεῖνα ἃ τῆς φύσεώς ἐστιν ἐναντία τῆς θείας. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ποῖα ταῦτα; {ΟΡΘ.} Οἷον, φῶς νοερόν τε καὶ ἀληθινὸν εἶναι τὸν θεὸν ἐδιδάχθημεν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀληθῶς. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸν φαίημεν σκότος ἢ βουληθῆναι ἢ δυνηθῆ ναι γενέσθαι. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐδαμῶς. {ΟΡΘ.} Πάλιν ἀόρατον αὐτοῦ τὴν φύσιν ἡ θεία λέγει γραφή. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὕτω λέγει. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀλλ' ὁρατὴν αὐτὴν οὐκ ἂν εἴποιμεν δύνασθαι γενέσθαι ποτέ. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐ δῆτα. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὔτε μὴν καταληπτήν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐ γάρ. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀκατάληπτος γάρ ἐστι καὶ πάμπαν ἀνέφικτος. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀληθῆ λέγεις. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ ὁ ὢν γένοιτ' ἂν οὐκ ὤν. 196 {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἄπαγε. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐδέ γε ὁ πατὴρ υἱός. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Τῶν ἀδυνάτων. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐδὲ ὁ ἀγέννητος ἄρα γεγεννημένος. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πῶς γάρ; {ΟΡΘ.} Οὔτε μὴν ὁ υἱὸς γένοιτ' ἄν ποτε πατήρ. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐδαμῶς. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐδέ γε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον γένοιτ' ἂν υἱὸς ἢ πατήρ. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πάντα ταῦτα ἀδύνατα. {ΟΡΘ.} Πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα εὑρίσκομεν ὁμοίως ἀδύνατα. Οὔτε γὰρ τὸ αἰώνιον ὑπὸ χρόνον ἔσται, οὔτε τὸ ἄκτιστον κτιστόν γε καὶ ποιητόν, οὔτε πεπερασμένον τὸ ἄπειρον, καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ἐστὶ παραπλήσια. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐδὲν τούτων ἐστὶ δυνατόν. {ΟΡΘ.} Πολλὰ τοίνυν εὑρήκαμεν ἀδύνατα ὄντα τῷ παντοδυνάμῳ θεῷ. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀληθῶς. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ δυνηθῆναί τι τούτων ἀπείρου δυνάμεως οὐκ ἀσθενείας τεκμήριον· τὸ δέ γε δυνηθῆναι ἀδυναμίας δήπουθεν οὐ δυνάμεως. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πῶς τοῦτο ἔφης; {ΟΡΘ.} Ὅτι τούτων ἕκαστον τὸ ἄτρεπτον τοῦ θεοῦ κηρύττει καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ δυνηθῆναι τὸν ἀγαθὸν γενέσθαι κακὸν τὴν ὑπερβολὴν σημαίνει τῆς ἀγαθότητος, καὶ τὸ τὸν δίκαιον μηδέποτ' ἂν γενέσθαι ἄδικον μηδὲ τὸν ἀληθῆ ψεύστην τὸ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ δικαιο σύνῃ σταθερόν τε καὶ βέβαιον δείκνυσιν. Οὕτω τὸ ἀληθινὸν φῶς οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο σκότος, οὐδὲ ὁ ὢν οὐκ ὤν. ∆ιαρκὲς γὰρ ἔχει τὸ εἶναι, καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον ὑπάρχει τὸ φῶς. Οὕτω τ' ἄλλα πάντα σκεψάμενος εὑρή σεις τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι δυνάμεως τῆς ἄκρας ἐμφαντικόν. Οὕτως ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτα μὴ δύνασθαι καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος νενόηκέ τε καὶ τέθεικεν. Ἑβραίοις μὲν γὰρ ἐπιστέλλων ὧδέ φησιν· "Ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι θεόν, ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν·" οὐκ ἀσθενὲς τὸ ἀδύνατον, ἀλλὰ ἄγαν