Chapter 4. There Is No Other God Besides the Creator Who Also Gives Salvation.
Chapter 4
1. Those who imagine another Father, whom they call good, besides the Maker, present the Maker (unawares to themselves) as weak and lazy and neglectful, not to say also envious, inasmuch as they assert that the bodies are not given life by him. Certainly, when they say that things like the spirit and the soul continue immortal—a point manifest to all—and that these are given life by the Father, but that the other (the body), which differs from those, but is not given life in any other way than that God bestows it, is devoid of life, it is clear that their Father is either powerless and lazy, or envious and neglectful.
In truth, since the Creator gives life to our mortal bodies here below and promises resurrection through the Prophets, as we will demonstrate, which one is shown to be more concerned and stronger and truly good? Is it the Creator who gives life to the entire person, or is it their Father, falsely so-called, who imagines he gives life to the things that by nature are immortal, that, namely, are able to live by their nature; while to the things that need some aid from him in order to live, he is not kind enough to give life, but neglectfully leaves them dead? Is it, then, that their Father does not give life to them though he can give it, or because he cannot? Indeed, if he cannot, he is no longer powerful, nor more perfect than the Creator. For the Creator bestows what that one cannot bestow, as everyone can see. But if he does not bestow, though he can, he is manifested to be no longer good, but an envious and neglectful Father.
If, however, they assign some other cause why their Father does not give life to the bodies, that cause must necessarily appear greater than the Father since it prevails over the kindness, and his kindness will be powerless by reason of the cause which they assign. That the bodies, however, can receive life can be seen by all; for they live as long as God wills them to live. These men are, then, no longer able to say that the bodies can in no way receive life. So if on account of necessity or some other cause they who can partake of life are not given life, their Father will be a slave to necessity and to a cause, and he is no longer free, with self-determining power.