They are real in so far as they come from thee; but they
are unreal in so far as they are not what thou art. For that is
truly real which remains immutable. It is good, then, for me to
hold fast to God, for if I do not remain in him, neither shall I
abide in myself; but he, remaining in himself, renews all things.
And thou art the Lord my God, since thou standest in no need of my
goodness.
CHAPTER XII
18. And it was made clear to me that all things are good
even if they are corrupted. They could not be corrupted if they
were supremely good; but unless they were good they could not be
corrupted. If they were supremely good, they would be
incorruptible; if they were not good at all, there would be
nothing in them to be corrupted. For corruption harms; but unless
it could diminish goodness, it could not harm. Either, then,
corruption does not harm -- which cannot be -- or, as is certain,
all that is corrupted is thereby deprived of good. But if they
are deprived of all good, they will cease to be. For if they are
at all and cannot be at all corrupted, they will become better,
because they will remain incorruptible.
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