Chapter IX.—There is but one Creator of the world, God the Father: this the
constant belief of the Church.
1. That God is the Creator of the world is accepted even by those very persons who in
many ways speak against Him, and yet acknowledge Him, styling Him the Creator, and an
angel, not to mention that all the Scriptures call out [to the same effect], and the Lord teaches
us of this Father379 who is in heaven, and no other, as I shall show in the sequel of this work.
For the present, however, that proof which is derived from those who allege doctrines op-
posite to ours, is of itself sufficient,—all men, in fact, consenting to this truth: the ancients
on their part preserving with special care, from the tradition of the first-formed man, this
persuasion, while they celebrate the praises of one God, the Maker of heaven and earth;
others, again, after them, being reminded of this fact by the prophets of God, while the very
heathen learned it from creation itself. For even creation reveals Him who formed it, and
the very work made suggests Him who made it, and the world manifests Him who ordered
it. The Universal Church, moreover, through the whole world, has received this tradition
from the apostles.
2. This God, then, being acknowledged, as I have said, and receiving testimony from all
to the fact of His existence, that Father whom they conjure into existence is beyond doubt
untenable, and has no witnesses [to his existence]. Simon Magus was the first who said that
he himself was God over all, and that the world was formed by his angels. Then those who
succeeded him, as I have shown in the first book,380 by their several opinions, still further
depraved [his teaching] through their impious and irreligious doctrines against the Creator.
These [heretics now referred to],381 being the disciples of those mentioned, render such as
assent to them worse than the heathen. For the former “serve the creature rather than the
Creator,”382 and “those which are not gods,”383 notwithstanding that they ascribe the first
place in Deity to that God who was the Maker of this universe. But the latter maintain that
He, [i.e., the Creator of this world,] is the fruit of a defect, and describe Him as being of an
animal nature, and as not knowing that Power which is above Him, while He also exclaims,
“I am God, and besides Me there is no other God.”384 Affirming that He lies, they are
themselves liars, attributing all sorts of wickedness to Him; and conceiving of one who is
not above this Being as really having an existence, they are thus convicted by their own
views of blasphemy against that God who really exists, while they conjure into existence a
379 Comp. e.g., Matt. v. 16, Matt. v. 45, Matt. vi. 9, etc.
380 See chap xxiii. etc.
381 Viz., the Valentinians.
382 Rom. i. 25.
383 Gal. iv. 8.
384 Isa. xlvi. 9.
Chapter IX.—There is but one Creator of the world, God the Father: this the constant belief of the Church.
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Chapter IX.—There is but one Creator of the world, God the Father: this…