nonentity seems to be that which is wholly opposite to Him who
supremely and always is._
This may be enough to prevent any one from supposing, when we speak
of the apostate angels, that they could have another nature, derived,
as it were, from some different origin, and not from God. From the
great impiety of this error we shall disentangle ourselves the more
readily and easily, the more distinctly we understand that which God
spoke by the angel when He sent Moses to the children of Israel: "I
am that I am."[522] For since God is the supreme existence, that is
to say, supremely is, and is therefore unchangeable, the things that
He made He empowered to be, but not to be supremely like Himself.
To some He communicated a more ample, to others a more limited
existence, and thus arranged the natures of beings in ranks. For as
from _sapere_ comes _sapientia_, so from _esse_ comes _essentia_,--a
new word indeed, which the old Latin writers did not use, but which
is naturalized in our day,[523] that our language may not want an
equivalent for the Greek οὐσία. For this is expressed word for word
by _essentia_. Consequently, to that nature which supremely is, and
which created all else that exists, no nature is contrary save that
which does not exist. For nonentity is the contrary of that which is.
And thus there is no being contrary to God, the Supreme Being, and
Author of all beings whatsoever.