ON THE UNCHANGABLENESS OF GOD

 I. (1) And after this, says Moses, it came to pass that the angels of God went in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children unto them.1 It

 II. (5) His disciple and successor was Hannah. The gift of the wisdom of God, for the interpretation of the name is her grace. For when she had become

 III. (10) Now the most evident sign of a soul devoted to God is that song in which that expression occurs, She that was barren has borne seven childr

 IV. (16) But some persons, through their selflove, have incurred not only defeat but even death also. At all events Onan, knowing that the seed shoul

 V. (20) However, we have said enough on this head let us now connect what follows with It:�the Lord God, therefore, says Moses, seeing that the wi

 VI. (23) And it seems good to the lawgiver that the perfect man should desire tranquillity for it was said to the wise man in the character of God,

 VII. (33) Having therefore now sufficiently discussed the question of the living God never knowing repentance, it comes next in order for us to explai

 VIII. (37) And he has given to plants a nature which he has combined of as many powers as possible, that is of the nutritive, and the changeable, and

 IX. (41) And the Creator has made the soul to differ from nature in these things�in the outwards sense, and imagination, and impetuosity for plants a

 X. Man, then, has received this one extraordinary gift, intellect, which is accustomed to comprehend the nature of all bodies and of all things at the

 XI. (51) Having now therefore explained these matters sufficiently, let us pass on to what comes next. And this is what follows: I will destroy, say

 XII. But God, inasmuch as he is uncreated, and the Being who has brought all other things to creation, stood in need of none of those things which are

 XIII. (60) Why, then, does Moses speak of the Uncreate as having feet and hands, and as coming in and as going out? And why does he speak of him as cl

 XIV. (63) But those who have received a duller and more sluggish nature, and who have been wrongly brought up as children, and who are unable to see a

 XV. (70) Such, then, are the things which it was proper to premise before we entered upon the following investigation:�But we must now go back again t

 XVI. (74) On which account God now says, that Noah found grace in his sight, when all the rest of mankind appearing ungrateful were about to receive p

 XVII. (77) On which account he says in another passage, The cup is in the hand of the Lord full of the mixture of unmixed wine 17 and yet that whic

 XVIII. (82) And similar to what has been previously said, is that passage which occurs in another place, God spake once, and twice I have also heard

 XIX. (86) But what is the meaning of the sentence, Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord God? Let us now consider this: for those who find anyth

 XX. (91) And we have often met with such things as previously we had never seen even in a dream like a husbandman whom some persons say while digging

 XXI. (94) To these men the law-giver says were given, Great and beautiful cities, which they had not built houses full of good things, which they ha

 XXII. (99) Therefore the law says that some persons, having made a violent effort, went up to the mountain, And the Amorites came forth who dwell on

 XXIII. (104) We must now consider the question which is meant by Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord God.25 Is the meaning of what is here exp

 XXIV. (109) But here we must observe that Moses says, that Noah pleased the powers of the living God, the Lord and God, but that he tells us that

 XXV. (116) Reject therefore with all your might all idea of pleasing the keepers of the prison but on the contrary, with all your ability and all you

 XXVI. (122) And one may here very fitly raise the question for what reason it was that after mentioning the perfection of Noah in virtue, he then imme

 XXVII. (127) On which account Moses also establishes a most extraordinary law, in which he enjoins that the man who is in part leprous shall be accou

 XXVIII. (131) And like this is the injunction given respecting the house in which it happens that leprosy often arises for Moses says that, If there

 XXIX. (136) And the woman who met the prophet, 36 in the book of Kings, resembles this fact: And she is a widow not meaning by that, as we generall

 XXX. (140) Very properly, therefore, the most sacred Moses says that, the earth was corrupted at that time when the virtues of the just Noah were made

 XXXI. (145) Therefore the ambassadors who are sent speak as follows:--We will pass on through thy land we will not pass through thy fields nor throu

 XXXII. (148) But it is not allowed to one man alone to boast before Moses who has been instructed in the highest perfection of wisdom, but it belongs

 XXXIII. (152) What is the advantage then of passing over all the mortal advantages of mortal man, and passing them by too, not in accordance with righ

 XXXIV. (156) Moreover, should we while draining draughts stored up by the contrivance of men through distrust, seek a refuge and place of escape where

 XXXV. (164) But that we may not, through deviating from the right road, be compelled to yield to one of two rival faults, let us desire and pray to be

 XXXVI. (169) For if, says Israel, I and my cattle drink of thy water, I will pay you a price for it. Not meaning by that such price as is spoken o

 XXXVII. (177) No one, therefore, of all the objects of human anxiety or of human labour, is of any importance or value but every such thing is a mere

XXIII. (104) We must now consider the question which is meant by "Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord God."25 Is the meaning of what is here expressed this, that he received grace, or that he was accounted worthy of grace? The former idea it is not natural for us to entertain; for what was given to him beyond what was given to all, as one may say, not only to all concrete natures only, but to all elementary and simple natures which have been accounted worthy of divine grace? (105) But the second interpretation has a reason in it which is not altogether inconsistent, that the cause of all things, judges those persons worthy of his gifts, who do not corrupt the divine impression which has been stamped upon them, namely, the most sacred mind, with disgraceful practices; still perhaps even this is not the true meaning of the words. (106) For what kind of person must he be who would be accounted before God to be worthy of his grace? I indeed think that the whole world put together could scarcely attain to such a pitch, and yet the world is the first, and greatest, and most perfect of all the works of God. (107) May it not then perhaps be better to understand this expression as meaning that the virtuous man being fond of investigating things, and eager for learning, amid all the different things that he has investigated, has found this one most certain fact, that all things that exist, the earth, the water, the air, the fire, the sun, the stars, the heaven, all animals and plants whatever, are the grace of God. (108) But God has given nothing to himself, for he has no need of anything; but he has given the world to the world, and its parts he has bestowed on themselves and on one another, and also on the universe, and without having judged anything to be worthy of grace, (for he gives all his good things without grudging to the universe and to its parts), he merely has regard to his own everlasting goodness, thinking the doing good to be a line of conduct suitable to his own happy and blessed nature; so that if any one were to ask me, what was the cause of the creation of the world, having learnt from Moses, I should answer, that the goodness of the living God, being the most important of his graces, is in itself the cause.