Contra Manichaeos
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Original / primary: Pg Scrape Grc
53.1
Εἰ ἀκίνητον ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸ κακόν, καλὸν ἡ κίνησις καὶ ἡ ἀκινησία κακόν. Πόθεν οὖν ἔσχε τὸ κακὸν τὴν κίνησιν; Ἡ ζωὴ ἀγαθὸν καὶ κίνησις καὶ ἦν ἀεὶ καὶ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ, καὶ ζῶν ἐστι καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀγαθός. Ὁ θάνατος, ὥς φατε, κακὸν καὶ ἀκινησία καὶ φθορὰ καὶ νέκρωσις καὶ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἀνυπαρξία. Θάνατος δὲ ἦν ἡ κακία, ὡς ὑμεῖς λέγετε. Ὥσπερ οὖν ζωὴ καὶ ζῶν ὁ ἀγαθός, θάνατος καὶ νέκρωσις καὶ νενεκρωμένον τὸ κακόν. Πόθεν οὖν ἀνέζησε καὶ ἐκινήθη; Εἰ μὲν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ κακοῦ ζωή, ὅπερ ἀμήχανον· ἡ φθορὰ γὰρ οὐ ζωοποιεῖ. Εἰ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, οὐκ ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀγαθὸν τῷ κακῷ ζωῆς καὶ κινήσεως γεγονὸς αἴτιον. Καὶ διὰ τί προειδὼς τὰ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐσόμενα κακὰ ἐζωοποίησεν αὐτόν;