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Against the Manichaeans

39.1085 No opposition of contraries is contrary in every respect, since there are some common things belonging to the contraries. For example white, being contrary to black, has its contrariety only in its differences, while color and quality are common to them; and none of such things have their contrariety as prior; for all things are after what is common; and in what is common there is no contrariety. For there must be a common color and quality, in order for white and black to exist, and likewise virtue and vice exist after quality and disposition. If, therefore, there are two unbegotten principles and these are contraries, either they possess their contrariety in every respect, or there are some things common to them. But nothing admits of contrariety in every respect; therefore they too have common things: being, being substances, and whatever else is found to be common to them. But what makes them 39.1088 contrary is that one is good and the other evil; and one is light, the other darkness, But their being substances is prior in thought to their being good and evil. The contrariety, therefore, is not according to what is common, but according to their specific property. But they posit that they are unbegotten; but nothing is before what is unbegotten. But there is something before them, that which I said belongs to them in common; therefore the principles are not unbegotten.

For these contraries are unbegotten; but what belongs to them in common is before them. Therefore the principles are not unbegotten; for nothing is before what is unbegotten. But if they should say that they do not have their contrariety in respect of being unbegotten; this too will be found to be common to them. But since evil is unbegottenly evil, and the good unbegottenly good; the unbegotten evil of both and the unbegotten good of both will be found common. For if the good cannot be found without the unbegotten, and the unbegotten is common, then that which necessarily follows from the unbegotten is also common; and this is the good. But if they should say that 'unbegotten' is not common to them; in the way it belongs to one, it does not belong to the other; therefore either the good or the evil will be unbegotten; not both the good and the evil. If, then, the good were found to be unbegotten, evil would be begotten. Besides, all evil must be punished; nothing that must be punished is incorruptible; therefore no evil is incorruptible, by not existing incorruptibly, it is corruptible. Nothing corruptible is unbegotten; but evil is corruptible; therefore evil is not unbegotten. Nothing is evil in substance, since evil is a quality; and no quality is a substance; therefore evil is not a substance. All contraries are destructive of one another; but unbegotten things are incorruptible; therefore they are not contraries; for contraries are not incorruptible. Nothing unbegotten is mutable; but the good is changed when overcome by evil; therefore the good is not unbegotten. The unbegotten does not desire anyone's destruction, nor is it destructive; but evil does desire destruction; therefore evil is not unbegotten. The divine Scriptures say that not only evil men are given over to punishment, but also the devil himself. But everything that is given over to punishment is mutable; and nothing mutable is unbegotten; therefore nothing evil is unbegotten. 39.1089 In things opposed in every way there is nothing common. So of absolute necessity what belongs to the one does not belong to the other; but being unbegotten belongs to the good; therefore neither of these belongs to evil. Therefore evil is non-existent. Everyone who reasonably desires something has his desire fulfilled, if he desires reasonably. But God desires to destroy wickedness; therefore wickedness is among the things that can be destroyed. And being among the things that can be destroyed, it will be annihilated; and being annihilated, it is not unbegotten. If evil is unbegotten, being evil belongs to it by nature. But no one who acts according to his nature sins. Therefore evil does not sin; and that which does not sin is not culpable. But Satan is culpable; therefore he is not unbegotten, For the divine Scripture says that because of the actions and pursuits which men do, they are sons and

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Contra Manichaeos

39.1085 Οὐδεμία ἀντίθεσις ἐναντίων ἐξ ὅλων ἀντίκειται, τῷ καὶ κοινά τινα ὑπάρχειν τοῖς ἐναντίοις. Οἷον τὸ λευκὸν, ἐναντίον ὂν τῷ μέλανι, κατὰ μόνας τὰς διαφορὰς ἔχει τὴν ἐναντίωσιν, ὄντων αὐτοῖς κοινῶν χρώματος καὶ ποιότητος· οὐδὲν δὲ τῶν τοιούτων, τὴν περὶ αὐτὰ ἐναντιότητα προτέραν ἔχει· πάντα γὰρ μετὰ τὰ κοινά· ἐν δὲ τοῖς κοινοῖς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐναντιότης. ∆εῖ γὰρ κοινὸν χρῶμα καὶ ποιότητα εἶναι, ἵνα οὕτω τὸ λευκὸν καὶ τὸ μέλαν ᾖ, ὡσαύτως μετὰ τὸ ποιὸν καὶ διάθεσιν ἡ ἀρετὴ καὶ ἡ κακία. Εἰ τοίνυν ἀγένητοι δύο ἀρχαὶ καὶ αὐταὶ ἐναντίοι, ἢ ἐξ ὅλων εἰσὶν τὴν ἐναντιότητα ἔχουσαι, ἢ ὑπάρχει τινὰ αὐταῖς κοινά. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἐξ ὅλων δέχεται ἐναντιότητα· ἔχουσι ἄρα καὶ αὐταὶ κοινὰ, τὸ εἶναι, τὸ οὐσίαι εἶναι, καὶ εἴ τι ἕτερον εὑρίσκεται περὶ αὐτὰς κοινόν. Ἐναν 39.1088 τίας δὲ ποιεῖ αὐτὰς, τὸ τὴν μὲν ἀγαθὸν, τὴν δὲ κακόν· καὶ τὴν μὲν φῶς, τὴν δὲ σκότος εἶναι, Προεπινοεῖται δὲ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὰς οὐσίας, ἢ τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ κακὸν ὑπάρχειν. Ἡ ἐναντιότης ἄρα οὐ κατὰ τὰ κοινὰ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἰδιότητα. Τίθενται δὲ αὐτὰς ἀγενήτους εἶναι· οὐδὲν δὲ πρὸ ἀγενήτου. Πρὸ τούτων δέ τί ἐστιν, αὐτὸ ὃ εἶπον κοινῶς αὐταῖς ὑπάρχειν· οὐκ ἄρα ἀγένητοι αἱ ἀρχαί.

Αὗται γὰρ ἀγένητοι αἱ ἐναντίαι· τὸ δὲ κοινῶς αὐταῖς ὑπάρχειν πρὸ αὐτῶν. Οὐκ ἄρα ἀγένητοι αἱ ἀρχαί· οὐδὲν γὰρ πρὸ ἀγενήτου. Εἰ δὲ λέγοιεν, μὴ κατὰ τὸ ἀγένητον ἔχειν αὐτὰς τὴν ἐναντιότητα· καὶ τοῦτο κοινὸν αὐτῶν εὑρεθήσεται. Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ ἀγενήτως τὸ κακὸν, κακὸν, καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν, ἀγαθόν· κοινὸν εὑρεθήσεται τὸ ἀγένητον κακὸν ἀμφοτέρων, καὶ τὸ ἀγένητον ἀγαθὸν ἀμφοτέρων. Εἰ γὰρ ἀγαθὸν ἄνευ τοῦ ἀγενήτου οὐ δύναται εὑρεθῆναι, κοινὸν δὲ τὸ ἀγένητον· κοινὸν ἄρα καὶ τὸ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἑπόμενον τῷ ἀγενήτῳ· τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν τὸ ἀγαθόν. Εἰ δὲ λέγοιεν, μὴ κοινὸν αὐτῶν τὸ ἀγένητον εἶναι· ᾗ θατέρῳ ὑπάρχει, τῷ λοιπῷ οὐχ ὑπάρχει· ἔσται τοίνυν ἀγένητον, ἢ τὸ ἀγαθὸν, ἢ τὸ κακόν· οὐ τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ κακόν. Εἰ οὖν εὑρεθείη τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἀγένητον, τὸ κακὸν γενητόν. Ἄλλως τε πᾶν κακὸν κολαστέον· οὐδὲν κολαστέον ἄφθαρτον· οὐδὲν ἄρα κακὸν ἄφθαρτον, τῷ μὴ ἀφθάρτως ὑπάρχειν φθαρτόν. Οὐδὲν φθαρτὸν ἀγένητον· ἐστι δὲ τὸ κακὸν φθαρτόν· τὸ ἄρα κακὸν οὐκ ἀγένητον. Οὐδὲν κατ' οὐσίαν κακὸν, τῷ τὸ κακὸν ποιὸν εἶναι· οὐδὲν δὲ ποιὸν οὐσία· τὸ ἄρα κακὸν οὐκ οὐσία. Πάντα τὰ ἐναντία, ἀλλήλων φθαρτικά· τὰ δὲ ἀγένητα ἄφθαρτα· οὐκ ἄρα ἐναντία· τὰ γὰρ ἐναντία οὐκ ἄφθαρτα. Οὐδὲν ἀγένητον τρεπτόν· τρέπεται δὲ τὸ ἀγαθὸν κρατηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ· τὸ ἄρα ἀγαθὸν οὐκ ἀγένητον. Τὸ ἀγένητον οὐκ ἔστιν ὀρεκτικὸν φθορᾶς τινος, οὐδέ γε φθαρτικόν· τὸ δέ γε κακὸν ὀρεκτικὸν φθορᾶς· τὸ ἄρα κακὸν οὐκ ἀγένητον. Αἱ θεῖαι Γραφαὶ κολάσει παραδίδοσθαι, οὐ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους κακοὺς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν διάβολον, λέγουσιν. Πᾶν δὲ τὸ κολάσει παραδιδόμενον τρεπτόν· οὐδὲν δὲ τρεπτὸν ἀγένητον· οὐδὲν ἄρα τῶν κακῶν ἀγένητον. 39.1089 Τῶν δι' ὄλων ἐναντιουμένων οὐδὲν κοινόν. Ὥστε πᾶσα ἀνάγκη τὸ θατέρῳ ὑπάρχον, τῷ λοιπῷ μὴ ὑπάρχειν· ὑπάρχει δὲ τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ εἶναι ἀγένητον· τῷ ἄρα κακῷ οὐδέτερον τούτων ὑπάρχει. Μὴ ὂν ἄρα τὸ κακόν. Πᾶς ὁ εὐλόγως ὀρεγόμενός τινος, ἐπιτετευγμένην ἔχει τὴν ὄρεξιν, εἰ εὐλόγως ὀρέγεται. Θεὸς δὲ τοῦ φθεῖραι τὴν κακίαν ὀρέγεται· τῶν φθαρτῶν ἄρα ἐστὶ ἢ κακία. Τῶν δὲ φθαρτῶν οὖσα, ἀφανισθήσεται· ἀφανιζομένη δὲ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγένητος. Εἰ ἀγένητον τὸ κακὸν, κατὰ φύσιν αὐτῷ ὑπάρχει τὸ κακὸν εἶναι. Οὐδεὶς δὲ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἐνεργῶν ἁμαρτάνει. Τὸ ἄρα κακὸν οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· τὸ δὲ μὴ ἁμαρτάνον, οὐχ ὑπαίτιον. Ὑπαίτιος δὲ ὁ Σατανᾶς· οὐκ ἄρα ἀγένητος, Ἡ θεία γὰρ Γραφὴ τῶν πράξεων καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων, ὧν ποιοῦσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, λέγει αὐτοὺς εἶναι υἱοὺς καὶ