Gregory of Nyssa, On the Divinity of the Son and Holy Spirit

De deitate filii et spiritus sancti

A DISCOURSE OF THE SAME AGAINST THE MANICHAEANS

Twelve syllogisms, that evil is corruptible and created and non-existent, and that its father, the devil, is not unbegotten.

If anything is evil, it must be punished; but nothing that is punished is incorruptible. Therefore, nothing evil is incorruptible. Nothing corruptible is unbegotten; and evil is corruptible. Therefore, evil is not unbegotten. Nothing is evil in substance; because evil is a quality. And no quality is a substance. Therefore, evil is not a substance. All things that are contrary to each other are corruptible; but things that are unbegotten are not corruptible. Therefore, contrary things are not incorruptible. Nothing unbegotten is mutable; but the good changes when overcome by evil. Therefore, the good is not unbegotten. The unbegotten does not desire any corruption, nor is it destructive; but evil does desire corruption. Therefore, evil is not unbegotten. The divine Scriptures say that not only other evil ones are delivered to punishment, but also the devil himself; and everything delivered to punishment is mutable; and nothing mutable is unbegotten. Therefore, none of the evils are unbegotten. Of things wholly opposed, there is nothing in common.

So of all necessity the good exists, while evil therefore is non-existent. Everyone who reasonably desires something has an accomplished desire for that which he reasonably desires; wickedness therefore is of corruptible things; being of corruptible things, it will be destroyed. And being destroyed, it is not unbegotten. If evil is unbegotten, to be evil belongs to it by nature. But no one acting according to nature sins; therefore the unbegotten does not sin. The one who does not sin is not culpable; but Satan is culpable. Therefore, he is not unbegotten.

De deitate filii et spiritus sancti

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΝΙΧΑΙΩΝ ΛΟΓΟΣ

∆ώδεκα συλλογισμῶν, ὅτι τὸ κακὸν, φθαρτὸν καὶ γεννητὸν καὶ ἀνύπαρκτον, καὶ ὁ τούτου δὲ πατὴρ διάβολος οὐκ ἀγέννητος.

Εἴ τι ἂν κακὸν, κολαστέον· οὐδὲν δὲ κολαζόμενον ἄφθαρτον. Οὐδὲν ἄρα κακὸν ἄφθαρτον. Οὐδὲν φθαρτὸν ἀγέννητον· ἔστι δὲ τὸ κακὸν φθαρτόν. Τὸ ἄρα κακὸν οὐκ ἀγέννητον. Οὐδὲν κατ' οὐσίαν κακόν· τῷ τὸ κακὸν ποιὸν εἶναι. Οὐδὲν δὲ ποιὸν οὐσία. Τὸ ἄρα κακὸν οὐκ οὐσία. Πάντα τὰ ἐναντία ἀλλήλων φθαρτά· τὰ δὲ ἀγέννητα ὄντα οὐ φθαρτά. Τὰ ἄρα ἐναντία οὐκ ἄφθαρτα. Οὐδὲν ἀγέννητον τρεπτόν· τρέπεται δὲ τὸ ἀγαθὸν κρατηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ. Τὸ ἄρα ἀγαθὸν οὐκ ἀγέννητον. Τὸ ἀγέννητον οὐκ ἔστιν ὀρεκτικὸν φθορᾶς τινος, οὐδέ γε φθαρτικόν· τὸ δέ γε κακὸν ὀρεκτικὸν φθορᾶς. Τὸ ἄρα κακὸν οὐκ ἀγέννητον. Αἱ θεῖαι Γραφαὶ ταῖς κολάσεσι παραδίδοσθαι οὐ τοὺς ἄλλους μόνους κακοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν διάβολον λέγουσι· πᾶν δὲ τὸ κολάσει παραδιδόμενον τρεπτόν· οὐδὲν δὲ τρεπτὸν ἀγέννητον. Οὐδὲν ἄρα τῶν κακῶν ἀγέννητον. Τῶν δι' ὅλου ἐναντιουμένων, οὐδὲν κοινόν.

Ὥστε πᾶσα ἀνάγκη τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὑπάρχει, μὴ ὂν ἄρα τὸ κακόν. Πᾶς ὁ εὐλόγως ὀρεγόμενός τινος ἐπιτετευγμένην ἔχει τὴν ὄρεξιν, ᾗ εὐλόγως ὀρέγεται· τῶν φθαρτῶν ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ κακία· τῶν φθαρτῶν οὖσα ἀφανισθήσεται. Ἀφανιζομένη δὲ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγέννητος. Ἀγέννητον τὸ κακὸν, κατὰ φύσιν αὐτῷ ὑπάρχει τὸ κακὸν εἶναι. Οὐδεὶς δὲ κατὰ φύσιν ἐνεργῶν ἁμαρτάνει· τὸ ἄρα ἀγέννητον οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει. Τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνον οὐχ ὑπαίτιον· ὑπαίτιος δὲ ὁ Σατανᾶς. Οὐκ ἄρα ἀγέννητον.