The Literal Meaning of Genesis (continued)
1§2 THE LITERAL MEANING OF GENESIS
CHAPTER
The opinion of those who say that God created the Devil in an evil state.
27. Hence, certain writers>" hold that the Devil did not turn towards evil by the free choice of his will, but that he simply was created in evil, although created by the Lord God, the supreme and true Creator of all beings. For their opinion they cite a passage from the Book of Job referring to the Devil, where it is written, This is the beginning of the work fashioned by the Lord, which He made to be mocked by His angels.5* In harmony with this is that verse from the Psalms which says, This dragon, which Thou hast made to mock bim.°° But there is a difference between the two texts: in the Psalm it says, which Thou hast made, but in Job it says, This is the beginning of the work fashioned by the Lord. Thus, in Job the text seems to say that in the beginning God fashioned the Devil to be evil and envious, a seducer and plainly a Devil, not corrupted by his own will but created thus.
This opinion ts refuted.
28. Certain writers attempt to show that this opinion (in which it is said that the Devil was not corrupted by his own will but was created as an evil creature by the Lord God Himself)®° does not contradict the statement of Scripture which says, God made all things, and behold, they were very good.®! With eloquence and learning they maintain that not only in the beginning but also now there are many corrupt wills, and that in spite of this the sum of all that was made, that is, all creation considered as a whole, is very good. They do not say that the wicked are good, but that by their wickedness they do not cause the glory and order of the whole creation under the rule and power and wisdom of God's providence to be disfigured or disturbed in any part.
For the wills of individuals, even those that are bad, have defi-