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18. And it was made clear unto me that those things are good which
yet are corrupted, which, neither were they supremely good, nor
unless they were good, could be corrupted; because if supremely good,
they were incorruptible, and if not good at all, there was nothing in
them to be corrupted. For corruption harms, but, less it could
diminish goodness, it could Z;t l harm. Either, then, corruption
harms not, which cannot be; or, what is most certain, all of which
is corrupted is deprived of good. But if they be deprived of all
good, they will cease to be. For if they be, and cannot be at all
corrupted, they will become better, because they shall remain
incorruptibly. And what more monstrous than to assert that those
things which have lost all their goodness are made better? Therefore,
if they shall be deprived of all good, they shall no longer be. So
long, therefore, as they are, they are good; therefore whatsoever
is, is good. That evil, then, which I sought whence it was, is
not any substance; for were it a substance, it would be good. For
either it would be an incorruptible substance, land so a chief good,
or a corruptible substance, which unless it were good it could not be
corrupted. I perceived, therefore, and it was made clear to me,
that Thou didst make all things good, nor is there any substance at
all that was not made by Thee; and because all that Thou hast made
are not equal, therefore all things are; because individually they are
good, and altogether very good, because our God made all things very
good.
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