Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

144 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMthe evil World-soul. Thus in fact Plutarch admitsof three principles: the first, the Godhead or good ;the second, the unordered World-soul, which is theorigin of everything that is evil; and the third, Matter,the substratum, itself without quality. Being receptiveof opposites this matter is moved and determinedby the powers which act upon it.1Thus, then, the universe came into being by theaction of God upon Matter, in which He reduced toorder the irregular soul, and so made the Soul of theWorld. The ordered movement of the world is time,before which there was no time nor any world. Thusthe world had a distinct beginning, and its constructoronly found in existence its original parts, Matterwithout quality, and Soul without reason. The restis all His work. He is to the world not merely as theartificer is to his work, for the builder, when he hasbuilt his house, has done his work, but its father, inasmuchas the power of the generator is infused intothe child, and holds nature together as being a portionof Himself. The soul of the world is not merely awork. It is a portion of God, and is not only made byHim but of Him and from Him. But in it the inferiorelement exists by the side of the superior. It is composedof the divine reason which has poured itself outupon matter, and of that disorderly power which wetermed the evil soul, of the principle of unity and itsopposite. Hence in all parts of the world there isevil beside good, disorder beside order, change besidepermanence.2 " The generation and constitution ofthis world is mixed out of opposite yet not equivalentforces. The better has the superiority, but it is impossiblefor the bad to be exterminated, since with greatZeller, v. 152. 2 Ibid. v. 154, 155.