Chapter 4

§ 1.

Moreover, such as devise another Father besides the Creator, and call Him good, do without knowing it make Him out to be weak, and useless, and careless;¹ not to say, grudging and envious; in saying that our bodies are not quickened by Him. For whereas they say that those things, the enduring immortality whereof is manifest to all men, such as the spirit and soul, and other such things, are quickened by the Father: but that some other thing which is quickened no other way than by God’s special gift, is quite forsaken of life:—it exhibits their Father as either powerless and weak, or envious and grudging. For since the Creator both quickens our mortal bodies here, and by the Prophets promises resurrection, as we have shewn: which appears the more powerful and stronger and more truly good? the Creator, Who quickens the whole man, or their Father falsely so called; who pretends indeed to quicken what is by nature immortal, what of its own nature has life in it, but what things need help from Him in order to live, those He doth not kindly endue with life, but carelessly leaves them to die. I ask then, Whether the Father (as they call him) declines giving life to these also, it being in his power to do so, or not having it in his power? If, not having it in his power, it follows that he is not mightier nor more perfect than the Creator; for the Creator bestows, as we may see, what this one cannot bestow. If on the other hand, being able to give, he giveth not, then he is proved not a good but a grudging and malicious Father.

§ 2.

But if again they allege any cause, on account of which their (so-called) Father doth not give life to bodies, that cause must needs appear greater than the Father, seeing it restrains His loving-kindness; and His benignity will be weakened, through the said cause alleged by them.

But, that bodies may receive life, all may see. For they live so long as God willeth them to live; and after that men cannot say that they have no power to receive life. If therefore things are not quickened, through necessity, or some other cause, though they have power to partake of life, this Father of theirs will be the slave of necessity and of that cause; and He will no longer be free and independent in His decisions.