Edition Masquer
Adversus Hermogenem

IV.

[1] Hinc denique incipiam de materia retractare, quod eam deus sibi comparet proinde non natam, proinde non factam, proinde aeternam, sine initio sine fine proposita. Quis enim alius dei census quam aeternitas? Quis alius aeternitatis status quam semper fuisse et futurum esse ex praerogatiua nullius initii et nullius finis? [2] Hoc si dei est proprium, solius dei erit, cuius est proprium, scilicet quia et si alii adscribatur, iam non erit dei proprium sed commune cum eo cui et adscribitur. [3] Nam etsi sunt qui dicuntur dii siue in caelo siue in terra nomine, ceterum nobis unus deus pater ex quo omnia; quo magis apud nos solius dei esse debeat quod dei proprium est et, ut dixi, iam non proprium esset, quia alterius esset. Quod si deus est, unicum sit necesse est, ut unius sit. [4] Aut quid erit unicum et singulare nisi cui nihil adaequabitur? quid principale nisi quod super omnia, nisi quod ante omnia et ex quo omnia? Haec deus solus habendo est et solus habendo unus est. Si et alius habuerit, tot iam erunt dii quot habuerint quae dei sunt. Ita Hermogenes duos deos infert: materiam parem deo infert. [5] Deum autem unum esse oportet, quia quod summum sit deus est; summum autem non erit nisi quod unicum fuerit; unicum autem esse non poterit cui aliquid adaequabitur; adaequabitur autem deo materia cum aeterna censetur.

Traduction Masquer
Against Hermogenes

Chapter IV.--Hermogenes Gives Divine Attributes to Matter, and So Makes Two Gods.

At this point, then, I shall begin to treat of Matter, how that, (according to Hermogenes,) ¹ God compares it with Himself as equally unborn, equally unmade, equally eternal, set forth as being without a beginning, without an end. For what other estimate ² of God is there than eternity? What other condition has eternity than to have ever existed, and to exist yet for evermore by virtue of its privilege of having neither beginning nor end? Now, since this is the property of God, it will belong to God alone, whose property it is--of course ³ on this ground, that if it can be ascribed to any other being, it will no longer be the property of God, but will belong, along with Him, to that being also to which it is ascribed. For "although there be that are called gods" in name, "whether in heaven or in earth, yet to us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things;" ⁴ whence the greater reason why, in our view, ⁵ that which is the property ⁶ of God ought to be regarded as pertaining to God alone, and why (as I have already said) that should cease to be such a property, when it is shared by another being. Now, since He is God, it must necessarily be a unique mark of this quality, ⁷ that it be confined to One. Else, what will be unique and singular, if that is not which has nothing equal to it? What will be principal, if that is not which is above all things, before all things, and from which all things proceed? By possessing these He is God alone, and by His sole possession of them He is One. If another also shared in the possession, there would then be as many gods as there were possessors of these attributes of God. Hermogenes, therefore, introduces two gods: he introduces Matter as God's equal. God, however, must be One, because that is God which is supreme; but nothing else can be supreme than that which is unique; and that cannot possibly be unique which has anything equal to it; and Matter will be equal with God when it is held to be ⁸ eternal.