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immortality,” † when “then face to face.” For now things are shown “through a riddle,” but there “are prepared the things which an eye here has not seen”; there perfection is revealed, which “an ear here has not heard”; there is the great gift for the saints, which “has not entered into the heart of man” here. And you see that it was not reserved for Manes to know the superfluous things. For how could Manes know, who had failed in his own purpose? For he set out to subdue Marcellus; he came against Archelaus to defeat him, and was not able. How then, being ignorant of recent things, can he know about greater things? And how did he not escape the hands of the king of the Persians, as when, being caught, he paid the penalty, but so that he might be revealed to those who have understanding as lying in all things. 62. Again he wishes to bring forward a testimony, in order to establish the dyad spoken of by him and to divide between the two principles, vainly in quoting the Savior, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bear good fruit; for by its fruit the tree is known.” And see for me the frivolous mind, understanding nothing of the divine scripture in depth. For if they are trees, then they also have a farmer, and being plants, they are certainly planted by 3.100 someone. But everything that is planted is not without a beginning, but has a beginning. And having a beginning, it will also undergo an end. Therefore the corrupt tree did not always exist, but was planted, and this good tree does not speak of all goodness from above—for there is true goodness, having no change and in unspeakable honor *-* the thought of the truly holy God. But let us look to the activity concerning plants, if it is so, and let us begin to speak. For if the saying is about the devil, we have already shown many times that he was not created wicked; for God made nothing evil, and this is very clear to the discerning. For if we are dealing with the same topics, it will do no harm to demonstrate now also the argument concerning the truth. In the beginning, therefore, he was not evil, but he became evil. Behold, the argument about the plant will not be established in this part. For we see also Saul having become a persecutor, but later being persecuted for the name which he once persecuted. We see Judas chosen with the twelve apostles and later becoming evil and placed in a wicked portion. We see Rahab the prostitute, being a foreigner to the race of Israel, but later repenting and receiving the mercy of God. We see the robber caught for wrongdoing and hung on the tree and confessing and entering with the Lord into paradise. We see Nicolas being good and chosen, but later becoming wicked and ranked among the heresiarchs. And why should I mention the multitudes? What then is this wicked plant from which no good comes? But † again they are the actions of men. For goodness cannot come from fornication; righteousness cannot come from the evil of envy, praise cannot come from adultery. For the tree of sin itself cannot come into being through goodness, that is, a wicked tree does not produce good fruits, nor is it possible for the fruits of a good tree to become wicked; the good tree that does not produce 3.101 wicked fruits * hospitality * being shown, and even if any evils result from hospitality, not for this reason does mercy have the power of wickedness, nor purity for God's sake, nor continence for the Master's sake, nor righteousness for the law's sake. These two trees, concerning righteousness and concerning sin, are in this manner; but as this barbarian Manes thinks, he wishes to speak about God and about the devil. And that concerning God no one can dare to say that He will ever do evil—may it not be!—and neither concerning the devil, that he does good, this is clear. But through God all good things come to be.

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ἀθανασίαν» † ὅταν «τότε πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον». ἄρτι γὰρ «δι' αἰνίγματος» δείκνυται τὰ πράγματα, ἐκεῖ δὲ «ἑτοιμάζεται ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς ὧδε οὐκ εἶδεν»· ἐκεῖ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἡ τελειότης, ἃ «οὖς ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἤκουσεν»· ἐκεῖ τὸ μέγα χάρισμα τοῖς ἁγίοις, ὃ «ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη» ἐνταῦθα. καὶ ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐχὶ τῷ Μάνῃ ἐταμιεύετο τὸ εἰδέναι τὰ περιττά. πῶς γὰρ ᾔδει Μάνης, ὁ τοῦ σκοποῦ τοῦ ἰδίου ἐκπεσών; ἐπεβάλετο γὰρ ἵνα τὸν Μάρκελλον χειρώσηται· ἤρχετο πρὸς τὸν Ἀρχέλαον, ἵνα αὐτὸν ἡττήσῃ, καὶ οὐ δεδύνηται. πῶς οὖν ἀγνοῶν τὸ πρόσφατον δύναται εἰδέναι περὶ τῶν μειζόνων; πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἔλαθε τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Περσῶν, ὡς ὅτε ἁλοὺς ἔδωκε δίκην, ἀλλ' ἵνα καταφανῇ τοῖς σύνεσιν κεκτημένοις κατὰ πάντα ψευδόμενος. 62. Πάλιν δὲ βούλεται φέρειν μαρτυρίαν, ἵνα παραστήσῃ τὴν παρ' αὐτῷ λεγομένην δυάδα καὶ διέλῃ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν δύο ἀρχῶν, κενῶς ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν τὸν σωτῆρα «οὐ δύναται δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς κακοὺς ποιῆσαι, οὐδὲ δένδρον σαπρὸν καρποὺς ἀγαθοὺς ποιῆσαι· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δένδρον γινώσκεται». καὶ ὅρα μοι τὴν ἐλαφρὰν διάνοιαν καὶ μηδὲν ἐν βάθει τὰ τῆς θείας γραφῆς κατανοοῦσαν. εἰ μὲν γὰρ δένδρα εἰσίν, ἄρα καὶ γεωργὸν ἔχουσι, καὶ φυτὰ τυγχάνοντα καὶ πάντως ὑπό 3.100 τινός εἰσι πεφυτευμένα. πᾶν δὲ τὸ πεφυτευμένον οὐκ ἔστιν ἄναρχον, ἀλλὰ ἀρχὴν ἔχει. ἀρχὴν δὲ ἔχον καὶ τέλος ὑφέξει. τοίνυν τὸ σαπρὸν δένδρον οὐκ ἦν ἀεί, ἀλλὰ πεφύτευται, καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν δένδρον τοῦτο οὐ περὶ πάσης τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀγαθότητος διηγεῖται-ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἄψευστος ἀγαθότης, μεταβολὴν μὴ ἔχουσα καὶ ἐν τιμῇ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ *-* τοῦ ὄντος ἁγίου θεοῦ τὸ διανόημα. εἰς δὲ τὴν περὶ φυτῶν ἐνέργειαν ἴδωμεν εἰ οὕτως ἔχει καὶ λάβωμεν λέγειν. εἰ μὲν γὰρ περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος, ἤδη πολλάκις ἐδείξαμεν ὅτι οὐ πονηρὸς γεγένηται· οὐδὲν γὰρ φαῦλον ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησε καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς συνετοῖς ἐστι κατάδηλον. εἰ γὰρ κατὰ τῶν αὐτῶν φερόμεθα, οὐδὲν λυπήσει ἀποδεῖξαι καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας λόγον. ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τοίνυν φαῦλος οὐκ ἦν, ἀπέβη δὲ φαῦλος. ἰδοὺ οὐ συσταθήσεται ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ ὁ περὶ τοῦ φυτοῦ λόγος. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ καὶ Σαῦλον διώκτην γενόμενον, ὕστερον δὲ διωκόμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος οὗ ποτε ἐδίωκεν. ὁρῶμεν τὸν Ἰούδαν ἐκλελεγμένον σὺν τοῖς δώδεκα ἀποστόλοις καὶ ὕστερον ἀποβάντα φαῦλον καὶ ἐν μερίδι πονηρᾷ τεταγμένον. ὁρῶμεν Ῥαὰβ τὴν πόρνην ἀλλοτρίαν οὖσαν τοῦ γένους Ἰσραήλ, ὕστερον δὲ μετανοήσασαν καὶ λαβοῦσαν θεοῦ τὸν ἔλεον. ὁρῶμεν τὸν λῃστὴν ἐπὶ κακουργίᾳ ἁλόντα καὶ κρεμασθέντα ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου καὶ ἐξομολογησάμενον καὶ ἅμα τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ εἰσεληλυθότα. ὁρῶμεν Νικόλαον καλὸν ὄντα καὶ ἐκλελεγμένον, ὕστερον δὲ ἀποβάντα πονηρὸν καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἱρεσιάρχαις ταχθέντα. καὶ τί μοι τὰ πλήθη λέγειν; τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ φυτὸν τοῦτο τὸ πονηρὸν ἀφ' οὗ ἀγαθὸν οὐ γίνεται; ἀλλὰ † πάλιν πράξεις εἰσὶν ἀνθρώπων. οὐ δύναται γὰρ ἐκ πορνείας ἀγαθότης εἶναι· οὐ δύναται ἐκ φθόνου πονηρίας δικαιοσύνη, οὐ δύναται ἐκ μοιχείας ἔπαινος γενέσθαι. αὐτὸ γὰρ τὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δένδρον οὐ δύναται δι' ἀγαθότητος γενέσθαι, τουτέστιν οὐ ποιεῖ δένδρον πονηρὸν καρποὺς ἀγαθοὺς, οὐδὲ ἀγαθοῦ δένδρου καρποὺς πονηροὺς γενέσθαι οἷόν τέ ἐστιν· τὸ ἀγαθὸν δένδρον τὸ μὴ ποιοῦν καρποὺς 3.101 πονηροὺς * ξενοδοχία * γινομένη κἄν τε ὅσα κακὰ ἀποβῇ ἀπὸ τῆς ξενοδοχίας, οὐχ ἕνεκεν τούτου φαυλότητος ἔχει τὴν δύναμιν ἐλεημοσύνη, ἁγνεία διὰ θεόν, ἐγκράτεια διὰ τὸν δεσπότην, δικαιοσύνη διὰ τὸν νόμον. Ταῦτα τὰ δύο δένδρα περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον· ὡς δὲ οὗτος ὁ βάρβαρος Μάνης διανοεῖται, περὶ θεοῦ βούλεται λέγειν καὶ περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου. καὶ ὅτι περὶ θεοῦ οὐδεὶς δύναται τολμῆσαι καὶ εἰπεῖν ὅτι κακὸν ποιήσει ποτέ μὴ γένοιτο, καὶ οὔτε περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου, ὅτι ἀγαθὸν ἐργάζεται, τοῦτο δῆλον. ἀλλὰ διὰ θεοῦ πάντα γίνεται τὰ ἀγαθά.