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Against Hermogenes

Tertullian

Chapter 13

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XIII.—Another Ground of Hermogenes that Matter Has Some Good in It. Its Absurdity.

Here the question will arise How creatures were made good out

‹ Chapter 12 Chapter 14 ›

of

it

,

which

were

formed

without

any

change

at

all

?

How

occurs

the

seed

of

what

is

good

,

nay

,

very

good

,

in

that

which

is

evil

,

nay

,

very

evil

?

Surely

a

good

tree

does

not

produce

evil

fruit

,

since

there

is

no

God

who

is

not

good

;

nor

does

an

evil

tree

yield

good

fruit

,

since

there

is

not

Matter

except

what

is

very

evil

.

Or

if

we

were

to

grant

him

that

there

is

some

germ

of

good

in

it

,

then

there

will

be

no

longer

a

uniform

nature

(

pervading

it

)

,

that

is

to

say

,

one

which

is

evil

throughout

;

but

instead

thereof

(

we

now

encounter

)

a

double

nature

,

partly

good

and

partly

evil

;

and

again

the

question

will

arise

,

whether

,

in

a

subject

which

is

good

and

evil

,

there

could

possibly

have

been

found

a

harmony

for

light

and

darkness

,

for

sweet

and

bitter

?

So

again

,

if

qualities

so

utterly

diverse

as

good

and

evil

have

been

able

to

unite

together

,

and

have

imparted

to

Matter

a

double

nature

,

productive

of

both

kinds

of

fruit

,

then

no

longer

will

absolutely

good

things

be

imputable

to

God

,

just

as

evil

things

are

not

ascribed

to

Him

,

but

both

qualities

will

appertain

to

Matter

,

since

they

are

derived

from

the

property

of

Matter

.

At

this

rate

,

we

shall

owe

to

God

neither

gratitude

for

good

things

,

nor

grudge

for

evil

ones

,

because

He

has

produced

no

work

of

His

own

proper

character

.

From

which

circumstance

will

arise

the

clear

proof

that

He

has

been

subservient

to

Matter

.

Notes

1
Matter.
2
i.e. in their nature, Matter being evil, and they good, on the hypothesis.
3
Matt. vii. 18.
4
Concurrisse.
5
Ipsa.
6
Invidiam.
7
Ingenio.