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| Pain and Death the Result of Sin.
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Chapter
XX.—Pain and Death the Result of Sin.
And Peter said: “We remember that our
Lord and Teacher, commanding us, said, ‘Keep the mysteries for me
and the sons of my house.’ Wherefore also He explained to
His disciples privately the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven.1458
But to
you who do battle with us, and examine into nothing else but our
statements, whether they be true or false, it would be impious to state
the hidden truths. But that none of the bystanders may
imagine that I am contriving excuses,1459
| 1459 We have adopted an
emendation of Wieseler’s. |
because I am unable to reply to the assertions made by you, I shall
answer you by first putting the question, If there had been a state of
painlessness, what is the meaning of the statement, ‘The evil one
was?’” And Simon said: “The words have no
meaning.” And Peter: “Is then evil the same as
pain and death?” And Simon: “It seems
so.” And Peter said: “Evil, then, does not
exist always, yea, it cannot even exist at all substantially; for
pain and death belong to the class of accidents, neither of which can
co-exist with abiding strength. For what is pain but the
interruption of harmony? And what is death but the separation of
soul from body? There is therefore no pain when there is
harmony. For death does not even at all belong to those things
which substantially exist: for death is nothing, as I said, but
the separation of soul from body; and when this takes place, the body,
which is by nature incapable of sensation, is dissolved; but the soul,
being capable of sensation, remains in life and exists
substantially. Hence, when there is harmony there is no pain, no
death, no, not even deadly plants nor poisonous reptiles, nor anything
of such a nature that its end is death. And hence, where
immortality reigns, all things will appear to have been made with
reason. And this will be the case when, on account of
righteousness, man becomes immortal through the prevalence of the
peaceful reign of Christ, when his composition will be so well arranged
as not to give rise1460
| 1460 The words in italics
supplied by conjecture. | to sharp impulses;
and his knowledge, moreover, will be unerring, so as that he shall not
mistake1461
| 1461 The words in italics
supplied by conjecture. | evil for good; and
he will suffer no pain, so that he will not be mortal.”1462
| 1462 This last sentence
has two blanks, which are filled up by conjectures: and one
emendation has been adopted. |
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