To him the holy man, asking through another character, says: Do you hold that God is the beginning of wisdom and of glory and, in a word, of all virtue, and that essentially, not by acquisition? — He replies: Yes. — And besides this, is He not wholly perfect through Himself and without need of anything? — True. — For it is impossible that the self-sufficient should be in any way self-sufficient through another? — Impossible. — For everything that is full and complete through another must be called incomplete? — Necessarily. — For that which is its own fulfilment through itself, and abides in itself, this alone is to be reckoned perfect? — Most truly you speak.
— And that which is neither its own fulfilment through itself, nor itself fulfilled through itself, would you call self-sufficient? — By no means. — Then God will not be reckoned perfect through anything; for that which is perfect through something must of necessity be in itself imperfect. — Necessarily.
— Therefore God too will be reckoned perfect through Himself, but not through another? — Most rightly. — God is one thing, the world another; and the world is one thing, God another? — Entirely so. — Then we must not call God perfect and Creator and Almighty on account of the world? — No. — But on account of Himself, and not on account of the world; and that too though the world be mutable, He Himself in Himself would be found perfect. — Fittingly.
— And what then? Must the rich man be called rich on account of his riches? — Rightly. — And the wise man, by participation in the essential wisdom—not being wisdom himself—is to be styled wise? — Yes. — And what then? Is God too, being other than the world, on this account to be called rich and benefactor and Creator on account of the world? — Away with it! By no means. — Then He Himself is His own riches, and rich through Himself, and powerful? — So it seems.
— Therefore even before the world He was, being wholly without need, and Father and Almighty and Creator, in such a way that He was these things through Himself and not through another? — Necessarily.
— For if He were known as Almighty on account of the world and not through Himself, being other than the world—God pardon me, for I am compelled to say this—He would in Himself be imperfect and in need of these things, of which He is Almighty and Creator. — Surpassingly so. — Then one must not accept this destructive error of those who say that God is Almighty and Creator on account of the mutable things ruled and crafted, but not that He is God through Himself.