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but I do not grant that he begets something unlike himself. For men, as is likely, beget sons unlike their own dispositions for such a reason: for being composed of four parts, their bodies are variously changed according to various changes, and as in a human body at each season the particular property of the change, increasing or decreasing, sets aside the symmetrical temperament. For since the temperaments do not always remain the same, the seeds are produced at different times having a different temperament, to which, in accordance with the temperament of the season, the dispositions also follow, whether good or evil. But in the case of God it is not possible to reckon anything of this sort; for being unchangeable and eternal, when<ever> he should wish to put forth, it is altogether necessary for that which is put forth to <have> all things just as he who has begotten, I mean both the substance and the disposition. If <but> anyone <should wish> to say that he too is changeable, I do not know how he can also say he is immortal. When Peter heard these things and became thoughtful for a little while, he said: I do not think that anyone who discourses about evil is able not to do the will of evil itself. Therefore, knowing this very thing, I do not know what to do, whether I should be silent or speak. If I were silent, I would incur the laughter of the many, because, while professing to preach the truth, I am ignorant of the argument concerning evil—but if I were to speak, I fear lest perhaps it may not be pleasing to God that evil should be investigated, but only the good. Nevertheless, in response to the argument of Sophonias, I will also make my own suppositions more clear to you. I too agree that not all human things must be ascribed to God. For example, men, not having bodies that are changeable, are not changed, but by nature are altered over time by the changes. But God is not so; for by his own innate spirit, by an ineffable power, the body becomes whatever he may wish. And in this way it is more possible to believe, how also the air, having received such a nature from him, by the incorporeal mind that pervades it, being changed into dew and thickened, becomes water; and water being frozen, stones and earth; and stones striking together kindle fire. So much through alteration and change, the air, which first became water, ended as fire through the changes, and the moist was changed into the opposite nature. What then? Did not God also change the rod of Moses into a living creature, making it a serpent, which he again changed back into a rod? And through that same changed rod he changed the water of the Nile into blood, which he also again changed back into water. But also man, who was dust, he changed by the inbreathing of breath into flesh, and again he changed him back into dust. And was not Moses, though he himself was flesh, changed into a very great light, so that the sons of Israel were unable to look upon him? Therefore much more is God most able to change himself into what he wishes. But perhaps one of you has thought that one thing can be made something by another, but one cannot change himself into what he wishes, and that to be changed belongs to one who grows old and has the <nature> to die. But concerning immortal beings, one must not think this. For were not angels, <being> ageless and of a fiery substance, changed into flesh, even those who were <once entertained> by Abraham, whose feet also men washed as of men of the same substance? but also to Jacob

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δὲ ἀνόμοιον αὐτοῦ γεννῆσαι οὐκ ἀποδίδωμι. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωποι κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἀνομοίους ταῖς ἑαυτῶν γνώμαις γεννῶσιν υἱοὺς διὰ τοιαύτην αἰτίαν· ἐκ τεσσάρων γὰρ συνεστῶτες μερῶν κατὰ τὰς διαφόρους τροπὰς διαφόρως τρέπονται τὰ σώματα καὶ ὡς ἐν ἀνθρωπείῳ σώματι καθ' ἕκαστον καιρὸν τὸ τῆς τροπῆς ἴδιον αὐξανόμενον ἢ ἐλαττούμενον τὴν σύμμετρον κρᾶσιν ἀθετεῖ. τῶν γὰρ συγκραμάτων οὐχ ὡσαύτως ἀεὶ διαμενόντων τὰ σπέρματα ἄλλοτε ἄλλην ἔχοντα κρᾶσιν ἀποκρίνονται, οἷς πρὸς τὴν τοῦ καιροῦ κρᾶ- σιν καὶ αἱ γνῶμαι ἕπονται εἴτε ἀγαθαὶ εἴτε κακαί. ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστι τι τοιοῦτον λογίσασθαι· ἄτρεπτον γὰρ καὶ ἀεὶ ὤν, ὁπ<ότε> προ- βάλλειν βουληθείη, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα τὸ προβαλλόμενον αὐτῷ ὡσαύτως <ἔχειν> τὰ πάντα τῷ γεγεννηκότι τήν τε οὐσίαν λέγω καὶ τὴν γνώμην. εἰ <δὲ θελήσ>ειέ τις καὶ αὐτὸν τρεπτὸν λέγειν, οὐκ οἶδα πῶς καὶ ἀθά- νατον εἰπεῖν δύναται αὐτόν. Ταῦτα ὁ Πέτρος ἀκούσας καὶ βραχὺ ἐπὶ συννοίας γενόμενος ἔφη· Oὐκ οἶμαί τινα δύνασθαι περὶ πονηροῦ διαλεγόμενον μὴ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πονηροῦ τὸ θέλημα ποιεῖν. ὅθεν τοῦτο αὐτὸ εἰδὼς οὐκ οἶδα τί πράξω, πότερον σιωπήσω ἢ λαλήσω. εἰ μὲν σιωπήσαιμι, γέλωτα πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς ὀφλή- σαιμι ἄν, ὅτι ἀλήθειαν ἐπαγγελλόμενος κηρύσσειν τὸν περὶ κακίας λόγον ἀγνοῶ-εἰ δὲ εἴποιμι, φοβοῦμαι μὴ ἄρα οὐκ ἀρέσκῃ θεῷ ζητεῖσθαι τὸ κακόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν μόνον. πλὴν καὶ ὑμῖν εἰς τὸν Σοφονίου λόγον τὰς ἐμὰς ὑπολήψεις ποιήσω φανερωτέρας. συντίθεμαι κἀγὼ ὅτι οὐ πάντα τὰ ἀνθρώπων ἀποδιδόναι δεῖ τῷ θεῷ. αὐτίκα γοῦν οἱ ἄνθρωποι οὐκ ἔχοντες τὰ σώματα τρεπτὰ οὐ τρέπονται, ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ὑπὸ τῶν τροπῶν ἀλλοιοῦσθαι φύσιν ἔχουσιν. ὁ δὲ θεὸς οὐχ οὕτως· ὑπὸ γὰρ τοῦ ἐμφύτου πνεύματος αὐ- τοῦ ἀπορρήτῳ δυνάμει ὁποῖον ἂν βούληται, γίνεται τὸ σῶμα. καὶ ταύτῃ μᾶλλον ἔστι πιστεῦσαι, ᾗ καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ παρ' αὐτοῦ τοιαύτην εἰληφὼς φύσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐτὸν διήκοντος ἀσωμάτου νοῦ εἰς δρόσον τραπεὶς καὶ παχυν- θεὶς γίνεται ὕδωρ, ὕδωρ δὲ παγὲν λίθοι καὶ γῆ, καὶ λίθοι δὲ συρρήξαντες πῦρ ἐξάπτουσι. τοσοῦτον κατὰ μεταβολὴν καὶ τροπὴν ὁ ἀὴρ ὕδωρ τὰ πρῶτα γεγονὼς εἰς πῦρ ἔληξε διὰ τῶν τροπῶν καὶ τὸ ὑγρὸν εἰς τὴν ἐναν τίαν φύσιν μετετράπη. τί δέ; οὐχὶ καὶ τὴν Μωυσέως ·άβδον ὁ θεὸς ἔτρεψεν εἰς ζῷον, ποιήσας ὄφιν, ὃν πάλιν μετέτρεψεν εἰς ·άβδον; καὶ δι' αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς τραπείσης ·άβδου τὸ Νείλου ὕδωρ ἔτρεψεν εἰς αἷμα, ὃ καὶ πάλιν μετ- έτρεψεν εἰς ὕδωρ. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, χοῦν ὄντα, ἐμφυσήματι πνοῆς μετέτρεψεν εἰς σάρκα καὶ πάλιν μετέτρεψεν εἰς χοῦν. οὐχὶ δὲ Μωυσῆς, αὐτὸς σὰρξ ὤν, εἰς μέγιστον ἐτράπη φῶς, ὡς μὴ δυνηθῆναι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ ἀντιβλέψαι αὐτῷ; πολλῷ οὖν μᾶλλον ὁ θεὸς ἑαυτὸν τρέπειν εἰς ὃ βούλεται δυνατώτατός ἐστιν. ἀλλ' ἴσως τις ὑμῶν ἐνενόησεν ὅτι ἄλλος μὲν ὑπ' ἄλλου γενέσθαι τι δύναται, αὐτὸς δέ τις ἑαυτὸν εἰς ὃ βούλεται μετατρέπειν οὐ δύναται καὶ ὅτι τὸ τρέπεσθαι τοῦ γηρῶντός ἐστι καὶ ἀποθα- νεῖν <φύσιν> ἔχοντος. ἀλλὰ περὶ ἀθανάτων τοῦτο οὐ χρὴ νομίζειν. ἢ γὰρ οὐκ ἄγγελοι ἀγήρως <ὄντες> καὶ πυρώδους οὐσίας εἰς σάρκα μετ- ετράπησαν, καὶ οἱ παρὰ τῷ Ἀβραάμ <ποτε ξενι>σθέντες, ὧν καὶ τοὺς πόδας ὡς ὁμοουσίων ἀνθρώπων ἄνθρωποι ἔνιψαν; ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ Ἰακὼβ