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| The Devil Has Not Equal Power with God.
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Chapter XVII.—The Devil Has Not Equal Power with
God.
And Simon said: “If, then, he exists
for ever, is not the fact of the sole government of God thus
destroyed, since there is another power, namely, that concerned with
matter, which rules along with Him?” And Peter said:
“If they are different in their substances, they are different
also in their powers, and the superior rules the inferior. But if
they are of the same substance, then they are equal in power, and they
are in like manner good or bad. But it is plain that they are not
equal in power; for the Creator put matter into that shape of a world
into which He willed to put it. Is it then at all possible to
maintain that it always existed, being a substance; and is not matter,
as it were, the storehouse of God? For it is not possible to
maintain that there was a time1443
| 1443 This passage is
supposed by most to be defective, and various words have been suggested
to supply the lacuna. | when God
possessed nothing, but He always was the only ruler of it.
Wherefore also He is an eternal sole ruler;1444
| 1444 Or,
“monarch.” But only two letters of the word are in
the ms.; the rest is filled in by
conjecture. |
and on this account it would justly be said to belong to Him who
exists, and rules, and is eternal.”1445
| 1445 Supplied by
conjecture. | And Simon said: “What
then? Did the wicked one make himself? And was God good in
such a way, that, knowing he would be the cause of evil, he yet did not
destroy him at his origination, when he could have been destroyed, as
not yet being perfectly made? For if he came into being suddenly
and complete, then on that account1446
| 1446 Three words
are struck out of the text of the ms. by all
editors, as being a repetition. | he is at
war with the Creator, as having come suddenly into being, possessed of
equal power with him.”
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