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Adversus Hermogenem
XVII.
[1] Vnici dei status hanc regulam uindicat, non aliter unici nisi quia solius, non aliter solius nisi quia nihil cum illo. Sic et primus erit, quia omnia post illum; sic omnia post illum, quia omnia ab illo; sic ab illo, quia ex nihilo, ut illi quoque scripturae ratio constet: Quis cognouit sensum domini? aut quis illi consiliarius fuit? aut quem consultatus est? aut uiam intellegentiae et scientiae quis demonstrauit illi? quis tradidit et retribuetur ei? Nemo utique, quia nulla uis, nulla materia, nulla natura substantiae alterius aderat illi. [2] Porro si de aliqua operatus est, necesse est ab ea ipsa acceperit et consilium et tractatum dispositionis, ut uiam intellegentiae et scientiae. Pro qualitate enim rei operari habuit et secundum ingenium materiae, non secundum suum arbitrium, adeo ut et mala pro natura non sua sed substantiae fecerit.
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Against Hermogenes
Chapter XVII.--The Truth of God's Work in Creation. You Cannot Depart in the Least from It, Without Landing Yourself in an Absurdity.
This rule is required by the nature of the One-only God, 1 who is One-only in no other way than as the sole God; and in no other way sole, than as having nothing else (co-existent) with Him. So also He will be first, because all things are after Him; and all things are after Him, because all things are by Him; and all things are by Him, because they are of nothing: so that reason coincides with the Scripture, which says: "Who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor? or with whom took He counsel? or who hath shown to Him the way of wisdom and knowledge? Who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again?" 2 Surely none! Because there was present with Him no power, no material, no nature which belonged to any other than Himself. But if it was with some (portion of Matter) 3 that He effected His creation, He must have received from that (Matter) itself both the design and the treatment of its order as being "the way of wisdom and knowledge." For He had to operate conformably with the quality of the thing, and according to the nature of Matter, not according to His own will in consequence of which He must have made 4 even evil things suitably to the nature not of Himself, but of Matter.