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| Chapter XXV.—This world is ruled by the providence of one God, who is both endowed with infinite justice to punish the wicked, and with infinite goodness to bless the pious, and impart to them salvation.
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Chapter XXV.—This world is ruled by
the providence of one God, who is both endowed with infinite justice to punish
the wicked, and with infinite goodness to bless the pious, and impart to them
salvation.
1. God
does, however, exercise a providence over all things, and therefore He
also gives counsel; and when giving counsel, He is present with those who
attend to moral discipline.3787
It follows then of course, that the things
which are watched over and governed should be acquainted with their
ruler; which things are not irrational or vain, but they have
understanding derived from the providence of God. And, for this reason
certain of the Gentiles, who were less addicted to [sensual] allurements
and voluptuousness, and were not led away to such a degree of
superstition with regard to idols, being moved, though but slightly, by
His providence, were nevertheless convinced that they should call the
Maker of this universe the Father, who exercises a providence over all
things, and arranges the affairs of our world.
2. Again, that they might remove
the rebuking and judicial power from the Father, reckoning that as
unworthy of God, and thinking that they had found out a God both without
anger and [merely] good, they have alleged that one [God] judges, but
that another saves, unconsciously taking away the intelligence and
justice of both deities. For if the judicial one is not also good, to
bestow favours upon the deserving, and to direct reproofs against those
requiring them, he will appear neither a just nor a wise judge. On the
other hand, the good God, if he is merely good, and not one who tests
those upon whom he shall send his goodness, will be out of the range of
justice and goodness; and his goodness will seem imperfect, as not saving
all; [for it should do so,] if it be not accompanied with judgment.
3. Marcion, therefore, himself, by dividing God into
two, maintaining one to be good and the other judicial, does in fact, on
both sides, put an end to deity. For he that is the judicial one, if he
be not good, is not God, because he from whom goodness is absent is no
God at all; and again, he who is good, if he has no judicial power,
suffers the same [loss] as the former, by being deprived of his character
of deity. And how can they call the Father of all wise, if they do not
assign to Him a judicial faculty? For if He is wise, He is also one who
tests [others]; but the judicial power belongs to him who tests, and
justice follows the judicial faculty, that it may reach a just
conclusion; justice calls forth judgment, and judgment, when it is
executed with justice, will pass on to wisdom. Therefore the Father will
excel in wisdom all human and angelic wisdom, because He is Lord, and
Judge, and the Just One, and Ruler over all. For He is good, and
merciful, and patient, and saves whom He ought: nor does goodness desert
Him in the exercise of justice,3788
| 3788 The text is here very uncertain, but the above seems the
probable meaning. | nor is His wisdom lessened; for He saves
those whom He should save, and judges those worthy of judgment. Neither
does He show Himself unmercifully just; for His goodness, no doubt, goes
on before, and takes precedency.
4. The God, therefore, who does benevolently cause His
sun to rise upon all,3789
and sends rain upon the
just and unjust, shall judge those who, enjoying His equally distributed
kindness, have led lives not corresponding to the dignity of His bounty;
but who have spent their days in wantonness and luxury, in opposition to
His benevolence, and have, moreover, even blasphemed Him who has
conferred so great benefits upon them.
5. Plato is proved to
be more religious than these men, for he allowed that the same God was
both just and good, having power over all things, and Himself executing
judgment, expressing himself thus, “And God indeed, as He is also
the ancient Word, possessing the beginning, the end, and the mean of all
existing things, does everything rightly, moving round about them
according to their nature; but retributive justice always follows Him
against those who depart from the divine law.”3790
| 3790 Plato, de Leg., iv. and p. 715,
16. | Then, again, he points out that the Maker and Framer of
the universe is good. “And to the good,” he says, “no
envy ever springs up with regard to anything;”3791
| 3791 In Timæo, vi. p. 29. |
thus establishing the goodness of God, as the beginning and the cause of
the creation of the world, but not ignorance, nor an erring Æon, nor the
consequence of a defect, nor the Mother weeping and
lamenting, nor another God or Father.
6. Well may their Mother bewail them, as capable of
conceiving and inventing such things for they have worthily uttered this
falsehood against themselves, that their Mother is beyond the Pleroma,
that is beyond the knowledge of God, and that their entire multitude
became3792
| 3792 The Latin is
“collectio eorum;” but what collectio here means, it
is not easy to determine. Grabe, with much probability, deems it the
representative of σύστασις. Harvey
prefers ἐνθύμημα: but it
is difficult to perceive the relevancy of his references to the
rhetorical syllogism. | a shapeless and crude abortion: for it
apprehends nothing of the truth; it falls into void and darkness: for
their wisdom (Sophia) was void, and wrapped up in darkness; and
Horos did not permit her to enter the Pleroma: for the Spirit (Achamoth)
did not receive them into the place of refreshment. For their father, by
begetting ignorance, wrought in them the sufferings of death. We do not
misrepresent [their opinions on] these points; but they do themselves
confirm, they do themselves teach, they do glory in them, they imagine a
lofty [mystery] about their Mother, whom they represent as having been
begotten without a father, that is, without God, a female from a
female,3793
| 3793 See book i. cap.
xvi. note. | that is, corruption from error.
7. We do indeed pray that these men may not remain in
the pit which they themselves have dug, but separate themselves from a
Mother of this nature, and depart from Bythus, and stand away from the
void, and relinquish the shadow; and that they, being converted to the
Church of God, may be lawfully begotten, and that Christ may be formed in
them, and that they may know the Framer and Maker of this universe, the
only true God and Lord of all. We pray for these things on their behalf,
loving them better than they seem to love themselves. For our love,
inasmuch as it is true, is salutary to them, if they will but receive it.
It may be compared to a severe remedy, extirpating the proud and
sloughing flesh of a wound; for it puts an end to their pride and
haughtiness. Wherefore it shall not weary us, to endeavour with all our
might to stretch out the hand unto them. Over and above what has been
already stated, I have deferred to the following book, to adduce the
words of the Lord; if, by convincing some among them, through means of
the very instruction of Christ, I may succeed in persuading them to
abandon such error, and to cease from blaspheming their Creator, who is
both God alone, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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