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The Devil and the Truth
The scriptural phrase “the truth is not in him” (John 8:44) is analyzed. The construction indicates that the devil’s failure to abide in the truth is the cause, not the consequence, of the truth’s absence. He was originally in the truth but chose to abandon it through pride.
The Devil Sins from the Beginning
“The devil sinneth from the beginning” (1 John 3:8) does not mean he was created with a sinful nature, but that from the beginning of his sin he has persisted in sin. This refutes the Manichaean notion of an evil nature. The devil was created good; his wickedness is a defect of will, not a property of essence. Passages like Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28:13 confirm he was once perfect.
The Ranks and Differences of Creatures
Augustine outlines the hierarchy of being: lifeless things, living things, sentient things, intelligent things, immortal things. Angels rank highest among creatures. Yet in the scale of justice, a good man is of greater worth than a wicked angel, because virtue elevates a lower nature above a higher one that has fallen.
Wickedness is Contrary to Nature
Wickedness is not a positive nature but a privation of good, a flaw in the will that damages the nature. Since nature is good (being created by God), evil is a corruption of that good. God uses the evil wills of demons to benefit the good, demonstrating His sovereignty even over rebellion.
The Beauty of the Universe
The universe’s beauty is enhanced by the opposition of contraries—light and darkness, good and evil—arranged by God’s wisdom like antitheses in eloquent speech. This does not mean evil is good, but that God’s providence can bring good out of evil, using contrast to intensify the beauty of the whole.
Separation of Light and Darkness
Applying this to Genesis, the separation of light from darkness signifies the division between the holy angels (light) and the fallen angels (darkness). Only God could make this discrimination, for He alone foresaw the fall. The approval of the light (“God saw that it was good”) is not immediately attached to the separation, lest it seem to approve the darkness.
God’s Approval of the Light
God’s declaration that the light was good signifies His approval of the holy angels’ righteousness. The darkness, representing the fallen angels’ pride, is not similarly approved. This distinction underscores that evil, though allowed, is never endorsed by God.
God’s Eternal Knowledge and Will
God’s approval of His works reflects His eternal design. He does not learn in time or change His mind. His knowledge is eternal and simultaneous: He sees all things in a single, immutable act of knowing. The refrain “and God saw that it was good” teaches that the world was made for a good purpose—because it was good to make it.
The Goodness of Creation
Augustine defends the inherent goodness of all created things against heretics like the Manichaeans, who see evil as a positive principle. Every creature is good in its own nature and place, serving the beauty of the whole. What appears harmful is good when considered in proper context. Even poisons can be medicinal. The fault lies not in nature but in our misuse.
Refutation of Origen’s View on Creation
Augustine refutes Origen, who held that the world was created as a prison-house for fallen souls, whose bodies correspond to their sins. This contradicts Scripture’s declaration that creation was “very good.” Moreover, Origen’s view leads to absurdities: if bodies are punishments, the devil, being most wicked, should have the grossest body, yet he has an ethereal one. The world’s beauty testifies to a Creator who made all things good.
The Trinity Revealed in Creation
Augustine discerns hints of the Trinity in the creation account. The Father is the Creator who says, “Let there be.” The Son is the Word through whom all things were made. The Holy Spirit is the goodness of the creation. Thus the threefold “who made it? by what means? why?” points mysteriously to the triune God.
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