Dialogues (Eranistes) · Part 33

Eran.--Because sin is foreign to His nature.

Orth.--Then there are many things which He cannot do, for there are many kinds of transgression.

Eran.--Nothing of this kind can be wished or done by God.

Orth.--Nor can those things which are contrary to the divine nature.

Eran.--What are they?

Orth.--As, for instance, we have learnt that God is intelligent and true Light.

Eran.--True.

Orth.--And we could not call Him darkness or say that He wished to become, or could become, darkness.

Eran.--By no means.

Orth.--Again, the Divine Scripture calls His nature invisible.

Eran.--It does.

Orth.--And we could never say that It is capable of being made visible.

Eran.--No, surely.

Orth.--Nor comprehensible.

Eran.--No; for He is not so.

Orth.--No; for He is incomprehensible, and altogether unapproachable.

Eran.--You are right.

Orth.--And He that is could never become non-existent.

Eran.--Away with the thought!

Orth.--Nor yet could the Father become Son.

Eran.--Impossible.

Orth.--Nor yet could the unbegotten become begotten.

Eran.--How could He.

Orth.--And the Father could never become Son?

Eran.--By no means.

Orth.--Nor could the Holy Ghost ever become Son or Father.

Eran.--All this is impossible.

Orth.--And we shall find many other things of the same kind, which are similarly impossible, for the Eternal will not become of time, nor the Uncreate created and made, nor the infinite finite, and the like.

Eran.--None of these is possible.

Orth.--So we have found many things which are impossible to Almighty God.

Eran.--True.

Orth.--But not to be able in any of these respects is proof not of weakness, but of infinite power, and to be able would certainly be proof not of power but of impotence.

Eran.--How do you say this?

Orth.--Because each one of these proclaims the unchangeable and invariable character of God. For the impossibility of good becoming evil signifies the immensity of the goodness; and that He that is just should never become unjust, nor He that is true a liar, exhibits the stability and the strength that there is in truth and righteousness. Thus the true light could never become darkness; He that is could never become nonexistent, for the existence is perpetual and the light is naturally invariable. And so, after examining all other examples, you will find that the not being able is declaratory of the highest power. That things of this kind are impossible in the case of God, the divine Apostle also both perceived and laid down, for in his Epistle to the Hebrews he says, "that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation." He shews that this incapacity is not weakness, but very power, for he asserts Him to be so true that it is impossible for there to be even a lie in Him. So the power of truth is signified through its want of power. And writing to the blessed Timothy, the Apostle adds "It is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with Him we shall also live with Him, if we suffer we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him He will also deny us, if we believe not yet He abideth faithful, He cannot deny Himself." Again then the phrase "He cannot" is indicative of infinite power, for even though all men deny Him He says God is Himself, and cannot exist otherwise than in His own nature, for His being is indestructible. This is what is meant by the words "He cannot deny Himself." Therefore the impossibility of change for the worse proves infinity of power.

Eran.--This is quite true and in harmony with the divine words.

Orth.--Granted then that with God many things are impossible,--everything, that is, which is repugnant to the divine nature,--how comes it that while you omit all the other qualities which belong to the divine nature, goodness, righteousness, truth, invisibility, incomprehensibility, infinity, and eternity, and the rest of the attributes which we assert to be proper to God, you maintain that His immortality and impassibility alone are subject to change, and in them concede the possibility of variation and give to God a capacity indicative of weakness?

Eran.--We have learnt this from the divine Scripture. The divine John exclaims "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," and the divine Paul, "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by His life."

Orth.--Of course all this is true, for these are divine oracles, but remember what we have often confessed.

Eran.--What?

Orth.--We have confessed that God the Word the Son of God did not appear without a body, but assumed perfect human nature.