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Concerning the Nature of Good, Against the Manichaeans

Chapter 25.--This Last Expression Misunderstood by Some.

For no attention should be paid to the ravings of men who think that nothing should be understood to mean something, and moreover think to compel any one to vanity of this kind on the ground that nothing is placed at the end of the sentence. Therefore, they say, it was made, and because it was made, nothing is itself something. They have lost their senses by zeal in contradicting, and do not understand that it makes no difference whether it be said: "Without Him was made nothing," or "without Him nothing was made." For even if the order were the last mentioned, they could nevertheless say, that nothing is itself something because it was made. For in the case of what is in truth something, what difference does it make if it be said "Without him a house was made," so long as it is understood that something was made without him, which something is a house? So also because it is said: "Without Him was made nothing," since nothing is assuredly not anything, when it is truly and properly spoken, it makes no difference whether it be said: "Without Him was made nothing or Without Him nothing was made," or "nothing was made." But who cares to speak with men who can say of this very expression of mine "It makes no difference," "Therefore it makes some difference, for nothing itself is something?" But those whose brains are not addled, see it as a thing most manifest that this something is to be understood when it says "It makes no difference," as when I say "It matters in no respect." But these, if they should say to any one, "What hast thou done?" and he should reply that he has done nothing, would, according to this mode of disputation, falsely accuse him saying, "Thou hast done something, therefore, because thou hast done nothing; for nothing is itself something." But they have also the Lord Himself placing this word at the end of a sentence, when He says: "And in secret have I spoken nothing." ¹ Let them read, therefore, and be silent. ²

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De la nature du bien

CHAPITRE XXV. FAUSSE INTERPRÉTATION DE CES PAROLES: RIEN N'A ÉTÉ FAIT SANS LUI.

Que penser de l'extravagance de certains hérétiques qui veulent que le mot rien signifie quelque chose dans le sens positif, et en donnent pour raison que ce mot a été placé à la fin de la phrase? Quelque chose a été fait, disent-ils, et puisque quelque chose a été fait, le mot rien signifie ce quelque chose. Assurément le besoin de contredire leur a fait perdre le sens commun; aussi ne peuvent-ils pas comprendre que cette proposition: « Sans lui il n'a été fait rien», est identiquement la même que celle-ci: « Sans lui rien n'a été fait ». Prenons une autre forme, en donnant au mot rien un sens positif, remplaçons-le par le mot maison; nous aurons alors: Sans lui fut faite la maison, ou, ce qui revient au même. Sans lui la maison fut faite. Laissons maintenant au mot rien son sens naturel de néant, et nous retrouvons l'identité de ces deux propositions : Sans lui rien n'a été fait; sans lui il n'a été fait rien. Supposé qu'on demande à quelqu'un: Qu'avez-vous fait, et qu'il réponde: Rien; que penserait-on d'un calomniateur qui lui dirait: Vous avez donc fait quelque chose, car le mot rien signifie quelque chose? Mais nous trouvons le Sauveur lui-même se servant de la même expression à la fin d'une phrase: « Et je n'ai jamais rien dit secrètement¹ »; qu'ils lisent donc et se renferment dans un profond silence.