ANF08. The Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts and Epistles, The Clementia, Apocrypha, Decretals, Memoirs of Edessa and Syriac Documents, Remains of the First Age

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Is Matter Eternal?
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Chapter XIV.—Is Matter Eternal?

And Simon said: “But what if matter, being coeval with Him, and possessing equal power, produces as His foe leaders who hinder His wishes?” And Peter said: “If matter is eternal, then it is the foe of no one: for that which exists for ever is impassible, and what is impassible is blessed; but what is blessed cannot be receptive of hatred, since, on account of its eternal creation,¹⁴³³

¹⁴³³ Probably “eternity” should be read, instead of “eternal creation.”
it does not fear that it will be deprived of anything. But how does not matter rather love the Creator, when¹⁴³⁴

¹⁴³⁴ At this word thems. of Cotelerius breaks off; and we have the rest only in the Ottobonian ms., first edited by Dressel.
it evidently sends forth its fruits to nourish all who are made by Him? And how does it not fear Him as superior, as trembling through earthquakes it confesses, and as, though its billows ran high, yet, when the Teacher was sailing on it and commanded a calm, it immediately obeyed and became still?¹⁴³⁵

¹⁴³⁵ Matt. xxvii. 51, viii. 24–; 26.
What! did not the demons go out through fear and respect for Him, and others of them desired to enter into swine; but they first entreated Him before going, plainly because they had no power to enter even into swine without His permission?”¹⁴³⁶

¹⁴³⁶ Matt. viii. 31.

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