306 NOV ATI AN THE ROMAN PRESBYTER was necessary,but becausehe himselfso willedit. Whence it manifestlyappeared alsowhat was evil; and lestthere should seem to be envy in God, it was evidentwhence evil had arisen. He, then,is always liketo Himself; nor does He ever turn or change Himself into any forms,lestby change He shouldappearto be mortal. For the changeim pliedin turningfrom one thingto another is comprehended as a portionof a certaindeath. Thus thereisneverinHim any accessionor increaseof any partor honour,lestanything shouldappear to have ever been wanting to His perfection, nor is any losssustainedin Him, lesta degreeof mortality shouldappear to have been sufferedby Him. But whatHe is,He alwaysis; and who He is,He isalways Himself; and what characterHe has,He alwayshas.1 For as wellincreas ing argues beginning,as lossesprove death and perishing. And thereforehe says,"I am God, I change not;"2 hold ing His conditionalways,in that what is not born cannot sufferchange. For whatever itbe in Him which constitutes Divinity,must necessarilyexistalways,maintainingitselfby itsown powers, so that He should always be God. And thus He says,"I am that I am."3 For what He ishas thisname, because it always maintainsthe same qualityof Himself. For change takes away the force of that name thatHe is; for whatever at any time is changed, isshown to be mortal in thatvery particularwhich is changed. For it ceases to be that which it had been, and consequently begins to be what it was not; and therefore,reasonably, thereremains always in God His position,in that without any lossarisingfrom change,He is always like and equal toHimself. And what isnot born cannot be changed : for only thosethingsundergo change which are made, or which are begotten; in that those things which had not been at one time,learnto be by coming intobeing,and thereforeto sufferchange by being born. Moreover, thosethingswhich neitherhave nativitynor maker, have excludedfrom them- 1 Inotherwords,God isalwaysthesame in essence,in personality, andinattributes. 2Mal.iii.6. 3Ex.iii.14.