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From the Books Against Sabellius

Dionysius of Alexandria

III.—From the Books Against Sabellius. On the Notion that Matter is Ungenerated.

About this work

Author: Dionysius of Alexandria

III.—From the Books Against Sabellius. On the Notion that Matter is Ungenerated.

These certainly are not to be deemed pious who

hold

that

matter

is

ungenerated

,

while

they

allow

,

indeed

,

that

it

is

brought

under

the

hand

of

God

so

far

as

its

arrangement

and

regulation

are

concerned

;

for

they

do

admit

that

,

being

naturally

passive

and

pliable

,

it

yields

readily

to

the

alterations

impressed

upon

it

by

God

.

It

is

for

them

,

however

,

to

show

us

plainly

how

it

can

possibly

be

that

the

like

and

the

unlike

should

be

predicated

as

subsisting

together

in

God

and

matter

.

For

it

becomes

necessary

thus

to

think

of

one

as

a

superior

to

either

,

and

that

is

a

thought

which

cannot

legitimately

be

entertained

with

regard

to

God

.

For

if

there

is

this

defect

of

generation

which

is

said

to

be

the

thing

like

in

both

,

and

if

there

is

this

point

of

difference

which

is

conceived

of

besides

in

the

two

,

whence

has

this

arisen

in

them

?

If

,

indeed

,

God

is

the

ungenerated

,

and

if

this

defect

of

generation

is

,

as

we

may

say

,

His

very

essence

,

then

matter

cannot

be

ungenerated

;

for

God

and

matter

are

not

one

and

the

same

.

But

if

each

subsists

properly

and

independently

—

namely

,

God

and

matter

—

and

if

the

defect

of

generation

also

belongs

to

both

,

then

it

is

evident

that

there

is

something

different

from

each

,

and

older

and

higher

than

both

.

But

the

difference

of

their

contrasted

constitutions

is

completely

subversive

of

the

idea

that

these

can

subsist

on

an

equality

together

,

and

more

,

that

this

one

of

the

two

—

namely

,

matter

—

can

subsist

of

itself

.

For

then

they

will

have

to

furnish

an

explanation

of

the

fact

that

,

though

both

are

supposed

to

be

ungenerated

,

God

is

nevertheless

impassible

,

immutable

,

imperturbable

,

energetic

;

while

matter

is

the

opposite

,

impressible

,

mutable

,

variable

,

alterable

.

And

now

,

how

can

these

properties

harmoniously

co

-

exist

and

unite

?

Is

it

that

God

has

adapted

Himself

to

the

nature

of

the

matter

,

and

thus

has

skilfully

wrought

it

?

But

it

would

be

absurd

to

suppose

that

God

works

in

gold

,

as

men

are

wont

to

do

,

or

hews

or

polishes

stone

,

or

puts

His

hand

to

any

of

the

other

arts

by

which

different

kinds

of

matter

are

made

capable

of

receiving

form

and

figure

.

But

if

,

on

the

other

hand

,

He

has

fashioned

matter

according

to

His

own

will

,

and

after

the

dictates

of

His

own

wisdom

,

impressing

upon

it

the

rich

and

manifold

forms

produced

by

His

own

operation

,

then

is

this

account

of

ours

one

both

good

and

true

,

and

still

further

one

that

establishes

the

position

that

the

ungenerated

God

is

the

hypostasis

(

the

life

and

foundation

)

of

all

things

in

the

universe

.

For

with

this

fact

of

the

defect

of

generation

it

conjoins

the

proper

mode

of

His

being

.

Much

,

indeed

,

might

be

said

in

confutation

of

these

teachers

,

but

that

is

not

what

is

before

us

at

present

.

And

if

they

are

put

alongside

the

most

impious

polytheists

,

these

will

seem

the

more

pious

in

their

speech

.

Notes

3
παθητήν.
4
πρὸς τοὺς ἀθεωτάτους πολυθέους.