God and His Attributes

THEODORE. Very well, Aristes, how are you? We must know what condition you are in, so that we can accommodate to it what we have to say to you.

ARISTES. I have gone over in my mind what you have told me up until now, and I confess I was unable to resist the evidence of the proofs on which your principles are based. But wanting to meditate on the subject of the divine attributes, which you suggested to us, I encountered so many difficulties there that I became disheartened. I was going to tell you that this material was too sublime or abstract for me; I could not reach it or find any place to grab hold there.

THEODORE. What! You want to say nothing to us?

ARISTES. Because I have nothing good to say, nothing which satisfies me. I shall listen to both of you, if you please.

THEODORE. That does not please us at all. But since you do not want to tell us what you thought, at least follow and tell me your view on what has occurred to me.

ARISTES. Willingly. But Theotimus?

THEODORE. Theotimus will be the judge on the little differences which may well arise from the diversity of our ideas.

THEOTIMUS. The judge! What do you mean by that? It is up to Reason to preside among us and to decide absolutely.