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From the Work on Things Created

Methodius of Olympus

Section 4

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

IV. But speak to me thus: “Should you

‹ Section 3 Section 5 ›

call

that

a

thing

created

which

had

no

beginning

of

its

creation

?

”

“

Not

at

all

.

”

“

But

if

there

is

no

beginning

of

its

creation

,

it

is

of

necessity

uncreated

.

But

if

it

was

created

,

you

will

grant

that

it

was

created

by

some

cause

.

For

it

is

altogether

impossible

that

it

should

have

a

beginning

without

a

cause

.

”

“

It

is

impossible

.

”

“

Shall

we

say

,

then

,

that

the

world

and

the

things

which

are

in

it

,

having

come

into

existence

and

formerly

not

existing

,

are

from

any

other

cause

than

God

?

”

“

It

is

plain

that

they

are

from

God

.

”

“

Yes

;

for

it

is

impossible

that

that

which

is

limited

by

an

existence

which

has

a

beginning

should

be

co

-

existent

with

the

infinite

.

”

“

It

is

impossible

.

”

“

But

again

,

O

Centaur

,

let

us

consider

it

from

the

beginning

.

Do

you

say

that

the

things

which

exist

were

created

by

Divine

knowledge

or

not

?

”

“

Oh

,

begone

,

they

will

say

;

not

at

all

.

”

“

Well

,

but

was

it

from

the

elements

,

or

from

matter

,

or

the

firmaments

,

or

however

you

choose

to

name

them

,

for

it

makes

no

difference

;

these

things

existing

beforehand

uncreated

and

borne

along

in

a

state

of

chaos

;

did

God

separate

them

and

reduce

them

all

to

order

,

as

a

good

painter

who

forms

one

picture

out

of

many

colours

?

”

“

No

,

nor

yet

this

.

”

For

they

will

quite

avoid

making

a

concession

against

themselves

,

lest

agreeing

that

there

was

a

beginning

of

the

separation

and

transformation

of

matter

,

they

should

be

forced

in

consistency

to

say

,

that

in

all

things

God

began

the

ordering

and

adorning

of

matter

which

hitherto

had

been

without

form

.